3 ways to save money on your Costco membership in 2023

There are ways new Costco members can reduce their $60 annual fee.

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the main points

• If you’re not in a rush to buy your Costco membership this month, you might get a better deal later in the year.
• There are ways to shop at Costco without paying the membership fee, which is the biggest savings of all.
• If you purchase a Costco Membership, get the best value for your money with all of the services.

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Costco has more than 120 million members worldwide, drawn by, among other things, its great prices, wholesale offers, and other perks. But you will need to pay a membership fee to access many of these deals. An annual Gold Star Costco membership will cost you $60 annually. And its Executive Membership, which offers additional benefits like 2% cash back on select purchases, costs twice that at $120.

There are ways to save money on your membership, especially if you haven’t signed up before. Here are a few of them

1. Watch out for new member deals

Watch Groupon and others Online deal sites For specials throughout the year. For example, last summer, new Costco members could get a $40 Costco Store Card—a type of gift card you can use in-store—plus $40 off an online order over $250. These two offers combined will cover more than the cost of the basic membership itself.

Outside of special promotions, new Costco members can get a $10 Costco Store Card when they sign up. It’s a year-round offer, and to qualify you need to set up the auto-renewal of your membership. If you do not want to renew automatically, you can cancel it later. Costco also offers a higher value gift card—the $20 Costco Store Card—to students, teachers, medical professionals, government employees, and other groups.

2. Use a cashback app

There are two ways Cashback apps can save you money at Costco. some like Ibotta Fetch will pay rewards for certain products when receipts are scanned. Others, like BeFrugal and TopCashback.com He will pay money when you sign up for the membership. These savings can add up and translate into more money in your account Bank account.

3. Get the most out of your membership

The best way to save money on your Costco membership is to get the most out of it. I’m even more interested in reading:

• Maximize your rewards: Regular Costco members can earn cash back rewards on all purchases using the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card from Citi. If you’re an Executive member, you’ll get that cash back on top of the 2% cashback you already earn. This is in addition to any bonuses Cashback apps or other discounts.
• Watch out for offers: Check your Instant Savings booklet each month to see what products you buy regularly. You don’t actually need to clip coupons, but knowing what’s on offer will help you save in store.
• Buy Kirkland Products: Costco’s own brand products often represent great value. Be aware that you still need to compare prices, as Kirkland isn’t always the least expensive option on the block.
• buy in bulk: You can get serious discounts bulk purchase, as long as you use everything before it spoils. Consider splitting your purchases with a friend or family member if you don’t eat what you bought in time.
• Use all Costco services: Costco does more than just gas and groceries. You can also buy insurance at Costco, get hearing tests, and even get home renovation help. With an executive membership, you get access Costco travel services And save money on your vacations.

You don’t have to be a member to shop at Costco

The ultimate savings on your Costco membership is not buying it at all. There are several different ways Shop at Costco without being a member. The first is to go with someone who is a member, or get them to buy a Costco store card.

You can also shop online without a membership, but you’ll pay an extra fee and don’t have access to certain offers. This means that you are unlikely to save much. Similarly, you can shop through online delivery services like Instacart, but you can pay exorbitant fees.

Finally, at some stores, you don’t need a membership if you’re looking for prescription drugs, eye exams, or want to use the food court. In some states, you can also buy alcohol without a membership.

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Costco membership isn’t the right choice for everyone, but if you shop there regularly, it may pay off. If you’re able to wait until later in the year to be able to get a bigger gift card reward, the membership may pay for itself.

The important thing is to determine how much you’re likely to spend at Costco each year, and how much you’ll save with membership. This way you can decide whether you want to have a regular Gold Star membership, Executive membership or no membership at all.