I’m an avid online shopper, but there’s one store I love to visit often: Costco. For nearly two years, I’ve been going to the warehouse every week to shop for my family.
These regular visits have given me a unique insight into the store’s operations: I’ve learned valuable tips that many Costco members may not know and have saved me hundreds of dollars.
If you too want to make the most of your Costco membership and save money, here’s what I suggest for you.
Buyers should look for manager discounts available exclusively at their local warehouse
Sometimes Costco offers discounts on the last units of a product. Kristen Markel
One of the reasons it’s exciting for a Costco shopper is that they never know what to expect in the warehouse.
This means that not all deals are listed online. In my many shopping trips, I’ve learned to look at price tags to find discounts – especially in the home goods and electronics departments.
I saw handwritten deals at my local Costco. Kristen Markel
I’ve seen display models for sale at drastic discounts, and out-of-stock items have lower prices handwritten on their tags.
From my observations and online reports from Costco employees, if a price tag ends in .00 or .88, it may be a manager’s markdown.
These offers are limited to stock, so if you see something you want, be sure to grab it now.
Since product placement can also change frequently, you may want to look for items in different places in the store from week to week.
Costco sends daily emails, but look for the monthly sales email
I check my email to see if Costco has any good deals. Kristen Markel
Although Costco does not accept or offer traditional coupons, they still have numerous special offers.
Members can sign up to receive emails with daily discount updates, but the best deals are highlighted in the monthly sale emails.
In my opinion, the best deals are in the emails with the month in the subject line as these offer monthly specials.
As you scroll through daily emails, check the Hot Warehouse Buys section for great in-store deals to add to your list. Look for items that aren’t discounted – some aren’t on sale, just seasonal or popular.
Monday is often the best day to look for bargains
Most Costco sales end on Sunday, making Monday the best day to shop for bargains. Kristen Markel
If you’re looking for new deals and special offers, Monday is a good day to visit the warehouse. Most sales end on Sunday, so you can be the first to grab the latest bargains.
I can’t speak for all Costco stores, but when it comes to choosing a good time of day to shop, I’ve found that coming shortly after opening (around 11 a.m.) is ideal.
This way, I can avoid the Instacart shoppers who usually arrive right when the store opens, and I’m just in time for the free samples. (My local Costco starts handing them out around 11 a.m.)
Plus, it’s still early enough that I was able to grab the manager discounts before they sold out.
If it is not possible in the morning, in my experience the next best time to shop is an hour before closing time to avoid crowds.
