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Home · Bright Ideas · Saving Money · 7 Surprising Costco Tips You Need To Know About

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7 Surprising Costco Tips You Need To Know About

Today's post is packed with surprising tips about Costco that can help anyone save money! (And I do mean everyone, including those who aren't even Costco members!)

Jill Nystul  ·  September 20, 2019
5 stars · 2 votes

Costco Tips

Even though I’ve been a Costco member for many years now, it seems like I’m always learning something new about shopping there! In fact, just earlier this year I shared some of those things I had learned in a post about the “hidden” benefits of your Costco membership.

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And today I have a new batch of Costco tips and tricks to share with you! This is a collection of 7 things I was surprised to learn about various aspects of shopping at Costco.

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Costco Tips

While Costco’s low prices are reason enough to shop there, these tips will help you make the very most of the experience! (And don’t worry, even non-members will find plenty of useful information here!)

7 Surprising Costco Tips You’ll Want To Know About

Costco Tips

1. Their Rotisserie Chickens Are A Steal

One of the best deals you can score at Costco is on their rotisserie chickens! (Rumor has it that they actually sell the chickens at a loss.)

Rotisserie chickens at Costco weigh at least 3 pounds and usually cost $4.99. While grocery stores sell rotisserie chickens at a similar price, their chickens tend to weigh considerably less (usually around 2 pounds.)

Costco adds salt, sugar, cornstarch, and other seasonings to the chickens, but they don’t use preservatives, MSG, or artificial colors or flavors. Stock up on a few of them to have chicken on hand for lunches, quick dinners, and more!

Costco Tips

2. Their Price Tags Can Tell You A Lot

Costco prices items according to a certain code. Here’s a quick guide to interpreting the price tags:

  • If a tag has an asterisk (*) on it, the item is being discontinued at that location. Be sure to stock up if it’s something you like!
  • If the price ends in .97, the item is on clearance.
  • If the price ends in .00 or .88, the item is discounted or on sale.

Costco Tips

3. It’s Supposed To Be A Maze

Have you ever felt like the deepest reaches of your local Costco are something of a labyrinth? You’re not alone, and it’s actually intended to be that way!

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Costco doesn’t display many signs and they frequently rearrange their inventory, which means you end up walking through more aisles to find what you’re looking for. That way, you’ll likely pick up a few more items on your way to the vinegar than you would have if you knew exactly where it was from the start.

Costco Tips

4. You Can Get Discounts On Past Purchases

Don’t you hate it when something goes on sale a week after you bought it at full price? One of the benefits of shopping at Costco is that you can take advantage of any new discounts for up to 30 days after making a purchase!

For example, say you bought an Adirondack chair at Costco two weeks ago and now it’s on sale for $30 off. You could just bring the receipt to the customer service desk and they would issue you a $30 refund! (This also applies to Costco.com purchases.)

Costco Tips

5. Non-Members Can Shop There

Some Costco services don’t require you to be a card-carrying Costco member in order to take advantage of them.

For example, non-members in California and Connecticut are free to take advantage of Costco’s notoriously low prices on alcoholic beverages. And no matter what state you live in, non-members can get prescriptions filled at Costco pharmacies!

Another way that non-members can shop at Costco is by using a Costco Shop Card. These cards can only be purchased and reloaded by members, but they can be used by non-members to shop in Costco stores or online.

Costco Tips

6. You Don’t Need Coupons

Costco used to send out real-deal paper coupons to its members, but not anymore! The advertised discounts are now applied automatically when you buy something from Costco, both in stores and online.

Costco Tips

7. Pay Costco Prices Outside Of Costco

You don’t have to be a Costco member to enjoy their low prices! All you have to do is find a good deal on their website, print it out, and take it in to a store that offers price matching (like Target, Walmart, or Best Buy).

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If the store offers that item, they’ll sell it to you for the same price as you would pay at Costco. It’s an easy way to enjoy warehouse-level savings even if you don’t have a membership.

Costco Tips

Do you know any game-changing Costco tips, or tips about warehouse shopping in general?

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Hi, I’m Jillee!

I believe we should all love the place we call home and the life we live there. Since 2011, I've been dedicated to making One Good Thing by Jillee a reliable and trustworthy resource for modern homemakers navigating the everyday challenges of running a household. Join me as I share homemaking and lifestyle solutions that make life easier so you can enjoy it more!

Every day I share creative homemaking and lifestyle solutions that make your life easier and more enjoyable!

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Bevby JilleeLauraBy JilleeShirley Recent comment authors
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DONNA L WITTY
DONNA L WITTY

Costco’s Roisterer Chicken is absolutely one of the best buys. To select the chicken most recently removed from the roisterer, check the green label on the packaging. A time stamp is used to rotate chickens; chickens not sold within 2 1/2 hours are removed from the case.

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2 months ago
Carol
Carol

At our Costco we can also order bank checks. This is the same place that our bank gets them, and they are like half
the price. Didnt see this mentioned, maybe many dont know it.

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2 months ago
Diane
Diane

Just purchased a pumpkin pie at Costco on Friday. They are still $5.99 in Ohio

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2 months ago
Bev
Bev

I love their caramel apple pies and used to buy them a lot when I had someone to share it with.

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2 months ago
Leah
Leah

Watch for circulating stock, and make your Costco trip BEFORE your weekly grocery store run. Costco often brings in brands that aren’t commonly sold there, and you wouldn’t think would be available. They are able to get it at lower prices as a way to help boost product sales once it’s gone from the warehouse (you buy it at Costco, you like it, there’s no more at Costco so you find it at a regular store and pay full price bc you want to keep eating/using it) which means if you find something not usually offered, stock up bc it’s… Read more »

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2 months ago
Terry
Terry

I believe you’re right…never having shopped either (or not in a long time) I suppose it’s easy to confuse the two. I did look around a Costco once but didn’t see enough that I was interested in to make a membership worthwhile.

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2 months ago
Don Evan Ebberts
Don Evan Ebberts

Good ideas.
The only one that I disagree with you on is the chickens. I can buy 2 whole chickens from Costco for $13-14 that are twice the size of the rotisserie ones and not so much salt! Roast them up, I Spatchcock them and you’ve got some good chicken!
Once you start doing this, you really notice how small their roasted chickens are. Don’t get me wrong, still a good deal compared to what other places charge and definitely convenient.

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2 months ago
Bev
Bev

but some of us like the convenience of an already-roasted chicken!

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2 months ago
REBECCA RANZAU
REBECCA RANZAU
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I wasn’t aware of getting the current price on an item previously purchased. I had bought a Gopro from Costco for $389, then over a month later, it went on sale for $70 less. My friend told me and I went in and they gave me back the difference! Way to go Costco! That’s also another reason to buy some items from Costco, I understand they stand by the products they sell. I read if the Gopro was a lemon, you could return it for a refund. Thank you Jillee for all the tips !!!

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2 months ago
Rita Montague
Rita Montague

I don’t know about other states, but in California you also don’t need to be a member to use their eyeglass division, including exams.

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2 months ago
By Jillee
By Jillee

Rita,
You are correct… You can also eat at their food service and use their pharmacy.

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2 months ago
Anne
Anne

Just saying…Walmart doesn’t price match in my state of Oregon. They will however give you the price that is on Walmart.com Sometimes you can find a better deal there and not at the store.

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2 months ago
Shirley
Shirley

That’s funny. In New Jersey they will price match with anyone except Walmart.com.

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2 months ago
Susan Jetton
Susan Jetton

Buy your holiday pumpkin pies, which are huge and tasty, for only $5.99 each.

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2 months ago
Jlo
Jlo

The good old days. Pumpkin pies are now $8.99

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2 months ago
Leah
Leah

They’re 9.99$ in Washington! It’s amazing how much the price of food has rocketed over the past 5 years!

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2 months ago
Leah
Leah

I bought a deep freezer to keep these pies in the house as long as possible. My son would beg me from Jan to Sept to get him another, but not a single Poe frozen of fresh would stack up! Add the Land O lakes 3 pack of whip cream on top and it’s the best part of the holidays (something about the super rich unsweetened whip makes it incredible)! The flaky crust, the “just enough but not too much” seasonings and sweetness of the filling, totally worth stocking up on (the checkers think I’m mad when they see my… Read more »

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2 months ago

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Hi, I’m Jillee!

Every day I share creative homemaking and lifestyle solutions that make your life easier and more enjoyable!

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