The Easiest Way to Save Money at Costco
Do you have a wholesale club membership?
If you’ve been to a wholesale club warehouse, you know the thrill of the cavernous interior with snacks, spices, and home office staples stacked to the ceiling. You know the joy of the scent of food samples in the air. But you also know that “oh no!” feeling at checkout when you go overboard. Here are several tried-and-true ways to save at wholesale clubs in general, as well as tips specific to the big 3: Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s. Want more tips? Check out some of my tried-and-true ways to save.
Ways to save money at wholesale clubs
Split bulk purchases with a friend or neighbor. You’ll both save money without having a full case of canned chickpeas or two giant bottles of lemonade when you only need one. If you’re really good friends, you can try signing up for a family plan, which can be cheaper than purchasing a plan on your own.
Buying in bulk can be a great way to save, but not if things spoil before you finish them. Freeze perishables, like bread, meat, and cheese, to make your investment worthwhile.
Along those same lines, some items will be cheaper, but they can degrade or lose potency over time. Those items include: liquid detergents, olive oil, spices, and some skincare products.
Before you shop, look for discounts on your favorite deal platforms, like CouponCabin.com, Rakuten, Ibotta, and Slickdeals.net when shopping in-store or online. Not only can you save money with coupons and cash back offers, but you’ll often see perks like membership renewal incentives and perks for referring a friend.
You can also purchase, and then shop with, discounted gift cards from a site like GiftCardGranny to save a bit extra.
If your club has a pharmacy, compare prices with where you typically purchase medications (check for your pets’ medications, too), as the savings can be substantial. You also don’t need to be a member to shop at the pharmacy and take advance of the savings!
Some wholesale clubs may also offer free health screenings for diabetes, osteoporosis, and heart health.
Need glasses or contact lenses? Wholesale clubs have optometrists on-site for exams as well as discounted glasses and contacts.
Plan to fill your gas tank while you’re there. Wholesale clubs offer members-only discounted pricing.
Check out Sam’s Club Travel, BJ’s Travel or Costco Travel for savings on lodging, car rentals, flights, and more. Booking through your wholesale club often allows you to get upgrades and add-ons that you wouldn’t get otherwise.
House brands will usually have the best prices. Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s all have their own house brands, including Kirkland from Costco, Member’s Mark by Sam’s Club and Richelieu Foods and Berkley-Jensen from BJ’s.
Bargains on booze can be had at all three chains. BJ’s even has its own private label liquor brand, Wellsley Farms.
How to Save Money at Costco
Start shopping from the back to the front of the store
The front, known to employees as “action alley,” tends to contain pricier items and impulse buys, thanks to its higher foot traffic.
See everything on sale at your local Costco using the “Warehouse Savings” tool online
The tool is updated each month with the newest sales, but it cannot show you in-stock quantities by location.
No membership, no problem
If you don’t shop at Costco enough to justify purchasing a membership, non-members can shop online for a 5% surcharge, which still may be enough of a discount to beat other competitors’ prices.
Watch for sale indicators
Asterisks on pricing signs indicate that the item won’t be restocked, so buy as many as you need now! This most often applies to seasonal items, but there are lots of other items (like home decor and apparel) too.
Both Instacart and Shipt will deliver your Costco orders right to your door
If you don’t feel safe to shop in-store, have trouble lifting large bulk items, or don’t have transportation (toting your bulk purchases on the bus isn’t fun!), this can come in handy.
Take free shipping options
Avoid paying for shipping on your Costco online order by purchasing at least $75 of non-perishable groceries. And since non-perishable groceries are among the best bulk items to purchase, this is a no-brainer.
How to save money at Sam’s Club
Visit the “Instant Savings” section of Sam’s Club’s website ahead of your shopping trip
Marking these promotional items electronically loads the discounts onto your membership card – like an automatic coupon! Deals are updated regularly and are subject to store availability.
Time is money, so save both by skipping the long checkout lines
You can download the Scan & Go app to scan your items as you shop, then check out from anywhere in the store (read: while you enjoy free samples). It’s a great way to check out contact-free.
Sam’s Club’s Shocking Values is a daily deals page with, well, shocking values
The deals are often on bigger ticket items, like furniture and appliances, so the discounts are often hundreds of dollars off the typical retail prices
Check out the Tire & Battery Center next time your vehicle needs a little TLC
Sam’s Club members get free flat tire repairs – even if you bought the tires elsewhere – plus free battery testing and wiper blade installations. Also, if you do buy your tires at Sam’s Club (they’re known to have great prices), you’ll enjoy free 24-hour roadside tire service.
For every $500 Plus members spend, you’ll earn $10 back in cash rewards
This is pretty simple if you shop for a large family often or own a business and buy supplies in bulk.
How to Save Money at BJ’s
Senior hours
Members who are age 60 and over can shop during Senior hours, which are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8-9 am.
Unlike other wholesale clubs, BJ’s accepts manufacturer’s coupons
They also allow you to stack those coupons with BJ’s in-store deals and coupons.
Stock up on BJ’s coupons several ways:
Sign up to receive their company magazine, BJ’s Member Journal.
Download their app
Digitally clip coupons from their My Coupons section online
Sign up for their email list
Keep an eye on BJ’s “WOW Deals” section for special pricing on electronics
Apple AirPods, for instance, rarely go on sale – but at the time of this writing, BJ’s is offering them for $15 off.
BJ's offers discounts from other companies
BJ’s members don’t save just at their warehouses – the wholesale club partners with businesses like AT&T, IdentityForce, and more to offer members discounts on partners’ products and services.
Are you a night owl?
For you night owls, many BJ’s locations are open late – until 10 p.m. weekdays – where Sam’s Club and Costco close at 8 or 8:30 p.m.
Disclosure: Trae Bodge serves as a spokesperson for SlickDeals and CouponCabin. She may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links on her website, but this does not impact editorial reviews.
This article originally appeared on TrueTrae.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
