4 Items for Retirees To Splurge On, Settle For or Skip at Costco

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Costco closed out 2023 with 871 locations worldwide, with more than half of them located in the United States. The global wholesaler offers affordable prices for numerous products and services, but some deals are better than others.

Retirees who are looking to stretch their budget should focus on a few key categories when shopping at Costco. However, it’s also good to know where to settle and what items to skip.

Here are four items for retirees to splurge on, settle for or skip at Costco.

Splurge: Discount Gift Cards

Costco offers many discount gift cards to big brands like Domino’s, Cinemark Theatres, Roblox and more. Some of these cards allow you to save 20% on purchases. For instance, you can get four $25 Papa John’s gift cards for $79.99. Discounts are usually more common for restaurant and theater gift cards.

Splurge: Cleaning Supplies

Costco offers discounts on a wide range of cleaning supplies, such as laundry detergent, trash bags and more. These products don’t expire, so it’s okay to splurge and buy them in bulk, even if you can’t use them right away. 

Settle: Exercise Equipment

It’s good to have some exercise equipment, but it’s important to consider how often you will use it. You don’t want to end up buying a stationary bike only to use it once every one to two months.

It’s also good to consider alternatives to exercise equipment. For instance, running outside is typically a viable alternative to buying a treadmill, and you’ll save a lot of money that way. Furthermore, you don’t have to buy exercise equipment from popular brands. A 10-pound dumbbell is the same weight regardless of what company offers it.

Using what you have, assessing what you need and seeking more affordable alternatives can help you save money. And Costco offers affordable exercise equipment options when you do decide to purchase some.

Skip: Produce and Baked Goods 

While Costco offers attractive prices for many products, you may want to look elsewhere for produce and baked goods. Costco maintains similar prices throughout its U.S. locations, so you may find better deals at a local grocery store if you live in an area with a low cost of living. 

Furthermore, these products expire quickly and will take up a lot of space in your kitchen. Freshly baked products won’t last long, meaning the food will go bad or you’ll have to eat a lot of baked food in a short amount of time.

Local grocery stores often make the purchases more manageable and can help you save money.

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