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.
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!)
Related: 15 Money-Saving Tips You Need To Know If You Shop At Walmart
7 Surprising Costco Tips You’ll Want To Know About
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!
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:
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- 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.
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!
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.
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.)
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.
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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.
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).
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.
Do you know any game-changing Costco tips, or tips about warehouse shopping in general?
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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.
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.
Just purchased a pumpkin pie at Costco on Friday. They are still $5.99 in Ohio
I love their caramel apple pies and used to buy them a lot when I had someone to share it with.
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 »
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.
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.
but some of us like the convenience of an already-roasted chicken!
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 !!!
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.
Rita,
You are correct… You can also eat at their food service and use their pharmacy.
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.
That’s funny. In New Jersey they will price match with anyone except Walmart.com.
Buy your holiday pumpkin pies, which are huge and tasty, for only $5.99 each.
The good old days. Pumpkin pies are now $8.99
They’re 9.99$ in Washington! It’s amazing how much the price of food has rocketed over the past 5 years!
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 »