Having millions of loyal shoppers is no easy feat, but Costco has amassed a massive faithful fanbase of consumers who swear by the warehouse giant. Costco has 132 million cardholders to date and earned a twelve-month gross profit ending May 31, 2024, of $31.706 billion per macrotrends. It’s one of America’s favorite places to shop for household items and basics at a competitive price, but there are ways to save even more at the big-box retailer, according to experts Best Life spoke with. Here are six tips on maximizing your savings on bulk items and racking up the discounts.
RELATED: Amazing Secrets Costco Managers Don't Want You to Know.
1. Buy Gift Cards
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We often give gift cards to others during the holidays, graduation, or birthdays, but start buying them for yourself at Costco. There are often deals like a pack of four $25 gift cards to Domino’s for just $75–you pay for three and get one free.
“Buy gift cards to use for everyday spending,” Christian Strange, a treasury and insurance expert, says. “I purchase gift cards for grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, streaming services, and retail stores that I frequent often.”
The savings from buying and using gift cards for everyday shopping can be hundreds of dollars a year.
“Using these gift cards saves me 3-5% compared to paying full price,” Strange says.
2. Pay with the Costco Credit Card
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Chances are you pay for your Costco purchases with a credit card, so stretch your savings further with the Costco Anywhere Visa. There’s no annual fee as long as you have a paid Costco membership, and you can earn 4% on eligible gas and EV charges, unlimited 3% on restaurants and eligible travel, including Costco Travel, and 2% cash back on all Costco purchases.
“The rewards and rebates I earn yearly offset a large portion of my annual membership fee,” Strange says.
3. Strategic Timing of Bulk Purchases
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One of the main reasons for shopping at Costco is to buy in bulk and stock up on goods, but you can save even more when timed to sales.
“Holiday weekends and the end of the season are usually the best times of year for sales, according to our analysis, for Costco,” Larry Flores, a personal finance expert and finance consultant for Get Name Necklace, tells us.
“During these times, when buying in bulk, the consumer will save an extra 15-25% off on the already low prices for in-season bulk products.”
For summer deals, August and September are the best times to score mega summer savings on bulk items, and January and February are the big winter deals to watch out for.
“Holiday Bulk Purchase Cycles Holidays have big bulk items that usually are cleared through the retailer directly after the holiday,” Flores explains. “When the shopper times this kind of bulk purchase for the cycle, they often can stack some discount on the natural bulk savings they achieve. Clients often save $500 - $700 annually on their bulk purchases from Costco when they practice this.”
4. Instant Rebates
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Another reason to take advantage of the seasonal bulk shopping discounts is for the rebates.
“Costco tends to give instant rebates on bulk items during the periods mentioned above,” Flores says. “We have often had examples of how such rebates, when combined with seasonal discounts, result in a 40% discount on large bulk buys.”
RELATED: The 20 Worst Things to Buy at costco.
5. Take Advantage of Kirkland Products
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Kirkland is Costco’s beloved signature brand that offers high-quality items at a low cost. The private label offers apparel, furniture, food, pet supplies, and more. A brand with such diverse products is unique, but the strategy works. Kirkland items “generated $56 billion in revenue for Costco last fiscal year, or 23% of its business,” according to Fortune.
“From my experience, one simple tip for maximizing your savings at Costco is to take advantage of the store's own Kirkland Signature brand,” Jeffrey Zhou, a corporate functions analyst and CEO and Founder of Fig Loans, says.
“You’re getting high-quality products for a fraction of the price of name brands, without sacrificing quality, especially useful for bulk items like pantry staples, cleaning supplies, and paper goods, where the savings really add up over time.”
6. Decode Costco’s Price Tags
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At Costco, the price tag reveals more than how much an item costs. You'll earn more in savings once you learn how to decode the prices.
“Pay special attention to prices ending in .97, 00, or .88 because they usually indicate well-advertised deep cuts,” Kevin Shahnazari, e-commerce expert and founder and CEO of Finlywealth shares.
He adds, “Tags priced at .97 are usually clearance deals. Prices ending in .00 or .88 usually indicate manager specials, which are typically the best buys on items in bulk.”
It’s a trick Shahnazari uses to shop at Costco regularly.
“I've managed to locate a bulk pack of Kirkland Signature paper towels for $15.97, which generally runs for $19.99. I purchased more than one pack and saved almost $20 on that product alone.”
