9 tricks for getting the best deals at Costco, from a former employee

Robison told BI that savvy shoppers can often tell if a product is a good deal by paying attention to the last digit of the price. 

She said that if a price ends in 99 cents, this means it's the regular wholesale price, and a price ending in 97 cents is the final discount price, meaning the item won't get any cheaper. 

"Whether you barely shop at Costco or you're there every day, it's helpful to know this tip so you can save some money," Robison said. "Plus it's not that difficult to memorize."

If a price sign has an asterisk on the upper-right corner, this means that the item will likely not be restocked, and you may want to stock up. 

If your favorite brand of window cleaner or frozen pizza isn't on sale this month, it may be worth waiting a few weeks to catch an upcoming price reduction.

"My biggest piece of advice to just wait until an item goes on sale. Costco rotates which brands will be on sale just about every month," Robison told BI. 

Robison said Costco stores are actually organized in a way that can force shoppers to walk through as many aisles as possible. 

"Costco stores are designed to make you wander around, so try not to get caught up in doing that," she said. "If you are trying to stick to a budget, I would definitely recommend heading straight to the aisles you want."

Noting where your favorite products are shelved can also help you optimize your next shopping trip and avoid unplanned purchases. 

Though many people may try to give their credit card a break after the holidays, you can actually score steep discounts on items at Costco if you shop during the first few weeks of January. 

"Costco gets so many returns after the holidays, and the returned items are usually discounted by 50%, so they will sell quickly," Robison said. 

January is also a great time to stock up on seasonal decor at Costco due to the post-holiday sales.

Costco stocks many name-brand products, but it also carries its own line of goods under the Kirkland label.

"The Kirkland brand is almost always cheaper and almost identical to the name brands on the shelf," Robison said.

But, she said, not every item is worth saving on. 

"The only thing that I have noticed that isn't the same, or as good of quality as other brands, is the toilet paper," she told BI. "It's not the cheapest thing you could buy, but it's not the greatest quality either."

If you want to quickly identify the best bargain buys, Robison recommends picking up a current sale booklet on your way into the store. 

"I wouldn't recommend asking an employee about current sales, as they won't know every single one in the store," Robison said.

If you want to go paperless, checking the price history of a Costco item with an online price-tracking tool or using the Costco app are good alternatives. 

Costco may be a great place to pick up discounted products, but the price of a membership may outweigh the savings if you don't do enough shopping there. 

"If you never or rarely shop at Costco, or if you live far away from one, then it's just not worth it," Robison said. 

Buying in bulk at a wholesale store like Costco means that though the cost of each individual item may be lower, you can end up with more items than you need. 

Robison told BI that divvying up larger sets of items, like mega-packs of toilet paper or batteries, with other people is a good way to reduce waste while still taking advantage of bulk pricing. 

It's worth checking out the gift card offers to see if you can leverage your Costco membership to net savings outside the store. 

The company often sells gift cards to other chain stores and restaurants at discounted prices. For example, you may be able to buy a gift card worth $80 for just $50 or save big on a multipack of event tickets. 

This story was originally published on July 23, 2020, and most recently updated on May 16, 2024.