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This past week, Costco announced that it would raise its base membership fee from $60 to $65 effective September 1. Executive members will see their fees increase from $120 to $130. Prior to this announcement, fees had not changed since 2017.
In order to justify the cost of the membership, members need to extract value from Costco in excess of the fee they pay. What are your tips for making the most of your membership? Or what do you avoid that’s better to purchase somewhere else?
Frugal HumbleDollar readers will appreciate this – Costco price guarantees for 30 days, so if they lower the price within 30 days of your purchase, you can get a refund at the Customer Service counter. When the monthly flier arrives, I leaf through it looking for items I typically purchase, then check my receipts for actual purchases within the past 30 days. My refunds average about $10 monthly.
I’ve loved Costco for a long time and, thanks to being an Executive member with their credit card, I get more money back every year than I pay for my membership.
I worked for them part-time during one Christmas season when I was taking care of my dad. Two days of interviews for a job in the deli and great training as well. A company that walks their talk.
Some tips…
I’ve never found a bad deal. I used to think Costco was just a place to buy items in bulk. I was so wrong…although we originally joined to get my favorite coffee at a steep discount. It’s cheaper at Costco than buying direct from the brand’s website. Also, we get all of our glasses at Costco. My husband buys most of his Eddie Bauer shorts and pants there. Everything we buy is cheaper (and often better qualify) at Costco…bed sheets, comforters, contact lens solution, vitamins, dog food, cleaning supplies, gift cards to your favorite restaurants for 20-30% less than face value, etc. We even bought a generator for camping. Not to mention the gas. We find so much at Costco that we upgraded to the executive membership, which pays for itself every year in cash back rewards. Before I buy anything, I always check Costco first.
I buy all my tires at Costco. They come with free balancing, tire rotation, and road hazard warranty. I have snow and summer tires all on separate rims and I like to have them balanced before each season. I do my own rotations and the balancing alone pays for the membership.
We split our shopping at Costco and Amazon.
At Costco, we purchase gas and get 4% cash back on their visa. We don’t buy any processed food or bakery. We buy produce (kale salad, blueberries, blackberries, apples, strawberries, bananas), meat, paper products, nuts. We freeze the blueberries and blackberries. And I vacuum seal the meat in dinner-size portions and freeze.
At Amazon, we use Subscribe a