Costco Savings Hack: Watch for 3 Secret Price Tags To Spot Hidden Discounts
Written by
John Csiszar
Edited by
Cory Dudak
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For many Americans, Costco is more than a place to shop — it’s a destination. Shopping at the company’s warehouses has been described as a “treasure hunt,” as the products offered are constantly changing, as are their locations within the store. But Costco’s strategy isn’t simply to entertain its customers — it’s designed to boost sales.
The inevitable result of spending more time in the store is that customers spend more money. In fact, if you don’t go into Costco without some type of strategy, it’s highly likely that you’ll run up a bigger bill than you imagine.
Here’s just one trick that can help you save big on your next trip to Costco, and the prices to look for in order to take advantage.
Understand the Sales and Discount Process
Costco’s pricing is legendary in the industry. In fact, the company’s reputation for low prices is likely the main reason millions of customers pay $65 to $130 per year just for the privilege of shopping at Costco. But even with markups of no more than 10% to 15% on most products, Costco still offers regular sales and discounts — and that can be the key between actually saving money at Costco and completely blowing your budget. Here are the things to look out for.
Price Reduction Patterns
Many items at Costco regularly go on sale, often once every quarter or year. As you shop at Costco, it pays to take note when certain items have discounted prices, and which ones regularly go on sale. Aveeno lotion, for example, often goes on sale at Costco. So if you’re a fan, keep an eye out for when the price drops. The same is true of numerous other products at Costco.
A good strategy is to stock up on items you use when the prices drop, then keep an eye out for sales as the year goes on. The idea is to never pay full retail prices for items you like the most. Just know that certain items, like the ever-popular Kirkland brand chocolate-covered raisins, rarely (if ever) go on sale.
3 Ending Prices Worth Noting
Most full-price items at Costco end with a price of 0.99, such as $23.99, $17.99 and so on. However, if you see a price ending in two other digits, such as 0.97 or 0.00, you’re looking at a sale item. One of the most popular money-saving strategies at Costco is to seek out quality items with these different prices.
According to various Reddit threads, these are the specific meanings behind the Costco discounted pricing:
- 0.97: These are supposedly clearance or discounted items. Typically, they are offered for a limited-time only.
- 0.79/0.49: These are usually special offers from manufacturers, often to compete with other products. They could also indicate a trial run for a product. In either event, prices are lower than they will be on a standard basis.
- 0.00: Items priced ending in 0.00 are blowout sale/clearance items marked down to ultra-low prices in an attempt to get them off the shelves as quickly as possible. They generally represent the best deals.
The Bottom Line
There are all kinds of strategies for saving money at Costco. Some shoppers rely solely on lists and don’t get sidetracked by the numerous distractions. Others even set a time limit for how long they will stay in the store, knowing the longer they are there, the more they are likely to spend. Of course, the simplest way to save money at Costco is to know when your favorite items go on sale, and to pick up things you need when their price doesn’t end with the standard 0.99.
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