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Sophia Mitrokostas
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- Business Insider spoke to a former Costco employee to learn how to get the best deals at the store.
- Robinson said price codes will tell you if the item has been discounted or not.
- She also said to check the Costco app for coupons and to split bulk items with friends and family.
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There are plenty of killer deals to find at Costco, but shopping smart is key to saving the most cash.
Business Insider spoke to Tess Robison, former Costco employee, to figure out how to get the best deals at the members-only wholesale giant.
Here are some of the top ways to save money at Costco and maximize your membership.
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Learn the price codes Costco uses.
Robison told BI that savvy shoppers can often tell if a product is a good deal by paying attention to the last digit of the price.
She said that if a price ends in 99 cents, this means it's the regular wholesale price, and a price ending in 97 cents is the final discount price, meaning the item won't get any cheaper.
"Whether you barely shop at Costco or you're there every day, it's helpful to know this tip so you can save some money," Robison said. "Plus it's not that difficult to memorize."
If a price sign has an asterisk on the upper-right corner, this means that the item will likely not be restocked, and you may want to stock up.
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Watch out for rotating monthly sales.
If your favorite brand of window cleaner or frozen pizza isn't on sale this month, it may be worth waiting a few weeks to catch an upcoming price reduction.
"My biggest piece of advice to just wait until an item goes on sale. Costco rotates which brands will be on sale just about every month," Robison told BI.
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Learn the layout of your local store to prevent impulse buys.
Robison said Costco stores are actually organized in a way that can force shoppers to walk through as many aisles as possible.
"Costco stores are designed to make you wander around, so try not to get caught up in doing that," she said. "If you are trying to stick to a budget, I would definitely recommend heading straight to the aisles you want."
Noting where your favorite products are shelved can also help you optimize your next shopping trip and avoid unplanned purchases.
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Always stock up on items after the holiday season.
Though many people may try to give their credit card a break after the holidays, you can actually score steep discounts on items at Costco if you shop during the first few weeks of January.
"Costco gets so many returns after the holidays, and the returned items are usually discounted by 50%, so they will sell quickly," Robison said.
January is also a great time to stock up on seasonal decor at Costco due to the post-holiday sales.
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Opt for Kirkland products when possible.
Costco stocks many name-brand products, but it also carries its own line of goods under the Kirkland label.
"The Kirkland brand is almost always cheaper and almost identical to the name brands on the shelf," Robison said.
But, she said, not every item is worth saving on.
"The only thing that I have noticed that isn't the same, or as good of quality as other brands, is the toilet paper," she told BI. "It's not the cheapest thing you could buy, but it's not the greatest quality either."
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When possible, grab a deal booklet instead of asking an employee about current deals.
If you want to quickly identify the best bargain buys, Robison recommends picking up a current sale booklet on your way into the store.
"I wouldn't recommend asking an employee about current sales, as they won't know every single one in the store," Robison said.
If you want to go paperless, checking the price history of a Costco item with an online price-tracking tool or using the Costco app are good alternatives.
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Calculate whether the cost of membership is worth it for you.
Costco may be a great place to pick up discounted products, but the price of a membership may outweigh the savings if you don't do enough shopping there.
"If you never or rarely shop at Costco, or if you live far away from one, then it's just not worth it," Robison said.
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Check out the gift cards to get "free money" at other stores.
It's worth checking out the gift card offers to see if you can leverage your Costco membership to net savings outside the store.
The company often sells gift cards to other chain stores and restaurants at discounted prices. For example, you may be able to buy a gift card worth $80 for just $50 or save big on a multipack of event tickets.
This story was originally published on July 23, 2020, and most recently updated on May 16, 2024.
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