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Does Costco offer free shopping passes?

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Costco does not offer free shopping passes. When you visit a Costco warehouse, you’ll discover all the valuable savings we have to offer. As a nonmember, you may still purchase prescriptions from a Costco pharmacy with cash, debit, Costco Shop Cards or a Visa® card. However, you must be a paid member to enter the warehouse and purchase any other items.

To pick up a membership application, please stop by the membership counter at any Costco warehouse or sign up online . We take great pride in the quality and savings we offer our members. If you’re ever dissatisfied, you can cancel your membership for a refund (of course, we’ll do our best to ensure this isn’t the case!).

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• Hacks & How-to's

The 10 tips pro shoppers wish they knew their first time shopping at Costco

Shopping at costco is easy with this handy guide.

Shopping at Costco is not for the faint of heart. The aisles are massive, the weekend crowds are huge (which is why you should consider weekday trips ), and there’s just so much to look at. It’s pretty inevitable: You go in expecting to buy a rotisserie chicken and some frozen foods, and somehow you also walk out with a TV, a few new sweaters, and Christmas decorations you’re not 100% sure you need. If it’s your first time shopping at Costco, it can be a little overwhelming. Luckily, a few pros recently took to Reddit to share their best tips for Costco shopping.

1. Always get a cart

2. get the rotisserie chicken.

• 3. Have a list (but know you probably won’t stick to it)

4. Know what the prices mean

5. consider the executive membership.

• 6. Expect to spend more

7. Make sure you have adequate storage space

8. bring the right form of payment.

• 9. Consider Costco’s travel packages

10. Bring your own bags and totes

“ Always, always grab a cart when you go in, even if you’re convinced you’re only getting one thing,” warned lead injection .

  User iWillNeverReplyToYou put it succinctly : “1. Always get a rotisserie chicken. 2. Never not get a rotisserie chicken.”

It really is that simple.

3. Have a list (but know you probably won’t stick to it)

“I’ve been a member for 17 years. One time I came out with only three things! Of course, I went in for an eye exam…” joked ZephRyder .

DrizzitDerp had this helpful tip : “Prior to inflation our budget/list had a line item for impulse buys with a $ amount. I found it an amusing way to satisfy both random purchases while maintaining a budget.”

Redditor AverageCowboyCentaur shared this handy guide:

• Ends in .97 — Clearance
• Ends in .88 — Discounted
• Ends in .00 — Bigger discount, clearance
• Ends in a 9 — Normal Price
• Has an asterisk (*) at the end or top left of tag, item won’t be restocked

  Redditor cpcxx2 shared their story. “The executive membership is $120 but gets you a shop card at renewal for 2% of everything you spent in the last year,” they said. “My check was $520, which blew my mind until I realized I got all my groceries, a vacation, countertops, carpet, and appliances for a new home, all my gas, and two sets of tires there — all while saving big on all of these items AND stacking many of them with the Costco citi credit card, which gets you another 2-4% cash back on everything.”

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CeeGeeWhy added , “The executive membership gets you 2% back on front register and online purchases (some exclusions apply, gasoline, alcohol, tobacco, etc.) so if you do spend over $3000/year or $250/month there, it’s worth upgrading.

6. Expect to spend more

  And no, it’s not just because of those impulse buys.

“Pro tip: be prepared for a larger than usual grocery bill when you go,” said howsadley . “When I go to my local grocery store, my bill is about $100+, and the groceries last me about a week+. When I go to Costco, my bill is $350+. But the groceries last me about a month. I definitely had sticker shock on my first trip.”

“Buy a vacuum sealer and a chest freezer. That way you can truly take advantage of buying large quantities of fresh items,” said Beard_o_Bees . “Unless you have a  huge  household, it’s the best strategy to avoid any kind of waste.”

Redditor boojieboy agreed . “This is the way. I think making Costco an effective part of your life requires having adequate storage space for things. The savings on any one or two items may be a few bucks, but the savings on dozens of items will add up to hundreds of dollars (over several years it will be thousands), so long as you don’t end up having to throw out unused stuff. For my family, dry pantry storage is part of it, but what really makes our system work is a chest freezer in the basement.”

Redditor DollarStoreKardashian noted , “Make sure you have a Visa [credit card] or your debit card with you. Costco doesn’t accept Amex, Discover, or [Mastercard].”

9. Consider Costco’s travel packages

  Not only will they help you make the most of that executive membership, but shoppers swear by their deals.

“I only do mine through Costco now — great cruise packages and stuff like that,” said sunrayylmao.

If it’s your first time shopping at Costco , you may be surprised to find that the store doesn’t have any shopping bags at checkout. For the newbie shopper, this can create some trouble when it comes time to load and unload your groceries from the car. According to Costco’s site , the reason they don’t provide bags is simple: they keep Costco’s amazing pricing low. “Not only do shopping bags contribute to waste, they would also result in higher operating costs—and, ultimately, higher product pricing,” says the wholesaler.

So, when venturing to Costco, bring your own bags or totes to organize your groceries. While some Costco locations do provide cardboard boxes, it’s not guaranteed. Additionally, you will have to bag your groceries on your own, but that’s all part of the Costco experience!

Once you’ve read this checklist, you’re ready for your first-time shopping at Costco ( don’t forget to try the free samples) .

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• Travel Tips

This Simple Hack Lets You Shop at Costco Without a Membership

It's easier than you think.

Eric Thayer/Getty Images

Ever had a hankering for a 20-pound bag of peanuts? In need of about 100 rolls of toilet paper? Or want to find new glasses, a refrigerator, a few dozen eggs, and an epic vacation all in one place? That’s where Costco comes in. But wait — you say you’re not a member? Lucky for you, there are ways to shop at Costco without a membership — including the Costco Shop Card.

As several websites found, lurking deep in the Costco website is a tiny little line that reads, “Non-members, as well as members, may use Costco Shop Cards to shop at any Costco location in the U.S., Canada, or Puerto Rico, as well as online at Costco.com and Costco.ca.”

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That means, if you can get your hands on a Costco Shop Card, you can shop at all the Costcos you can find. But there’s a catch: Non-members are ineligible to purchase the cards, so they have to find a friend or family member to buy a card for them. Members can purchase cards in $25, $50, $100, $250, or $500 increments and gift them to friends to use in person or online. And as a bonus, Costco notes in its terms, “Costco Shop Cards may be used toward a membership and merchandise,” so maybe it's the perfect way to commit to a membership of your own. 

There is another way you can shop at Costco without a membership, and that’s by purchasing goods off its website. But again, there’s a catch. As Insider reported , anyone can shop on Costco.com. However, non-members will incur a 5 percent surcharge on their order. There are also a number of exclusive items on the site that are only available to members. 

Want to shop in store? Ask your roommate to add you to their membership. As Costco’s terms noted, “A total of two people can be on a Gold Star Membership (either regular or Executive): one Primary Member and one free household member who is over 18 and lives at the same address.” It does not stipulate that the second member needs to be a blood relative or married. Just make sure to be nice to your roomie, because they could take you off at any time. Costco added, “If you are the Primary Member, we leave it up to you to decide who receives the second card — something you can change at any time by visiting your Account Details or the membership counter at your local Costco.” 

Yes, you can shop at Costco without a membership, but we crunched the numbers and think the $60 membership fee is the better deal

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

• There are two ways to shop at Costco without a membership: Costco.com and Instacart.
• Both methods deliver your order to your home but come with additional fees and surcharges.
• With the added fees, you may find it's more cost-effective to join Costco, which starts at $60.

Why should you pay to become a Costco member when you can get in the door at so many other stores for free? You may think buying a Costco membership is equally silly after we outline how to use Instacart and Costco.com to shop at the major retailer without a membership.

However, using these services comes with an added cost, and in the long run, you may save money by simply buying a Costco membership. Below, we will show you how to shop without becoming a member and when it might be better to join.

You can shop at Costco without a membership using Instacart

Non-members can order from Costco using Instacart if there is a store in their range. The product range includes about 2,000 items, such as electronics, household items, nonperishable foods, health and beauty, alcohol, fresh and frozen foods, and some big and bulky items, including mattresses and office chairs.

While you don't need to be a member to use this service, the prices are lower if you enter your membership number. Whether you have a membership or not, you will still need to pay Instacart service and delivery fees, but you can have the items delivered to you in as little as two hours.

You can shop on Costco.com without a membership

Costco.com is also available to non-members, but you will be assessed a 5% surcharge on your order. Also, there are some items that are only available to members, so non-members can't access everything that's available. This includes vacuums and many large appliances, like refrigerators, washing machines, and HVAC equipment.

Costco.com charges members and non-members a shipping and handling fee for many items, a fee you don't have to pay if you're shopping as a member in-store. Browsing the site, some of the items that incur a shipping charge are beverages, vacuums, and paper products.

Looking around Costco.com, the selection is different from Instacart. For instance, you can't get popular fresh items like eggs, rotisserie chicken, and steaks on Costco.com, but they are available on Instacart. On Costco.com, you can get some larger items, like entertainment centers, sofas, and generators, that aren't available from Instacart.

Non-members who receive a Costco gift card (known as the Costco Shop Card ) can also shop in-store and on Costco.com without joining.

Price comparisons on popular Costco items

I polled members of two large Costco Facebook groups about their favorite products. Then I compared the prices of the products for non-members versus members using Instacart, Costco.com, and in-store member prices.

This is the price of each item in my area (Lansing/East Lansing, Michigan) at the time of this writing (October 2022):

Instacart's non-member prices came in lower than Costco's non-member prices. And with a Costco membership, you save $22.79 on Instacart, making it a less expensive option than Costco.com. After three Instacart orders like this in a year, a Costco membership would pay for itself. Yet, if you're a member, you would save another $11.71 by going to the store yourself rather than using Instacart.

Costco membership fees start at $60

When considering how much more it costs non-members to buy Costco products, you might want to consider paying the $60 annual fee for a Gold Star membership . This membership will unlock savings on Instacart and Costco.com, while also allowing you to shop in-store. I make Costco trips a family event. We take our time going up and down the aisles, filling up on the plentiful food samples.

Costco also has an Executive membership that costs $120 annually and comes with a 2% in-store refund on qualifying purchases along with other benefits. 

Whichever membership you choose, you can cancel anytime and get a full refund if you are dissatisfied.

The bottom line

While you can use Instacart and Costco.com to shop at Costco without a membership, it tends to cost more. If there are specific items you want from Costco, evaluate how much extra they cost without a membership. You may find you actually save more if you just join.

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• Main content

3 Mistakes You Might Make on Your First Costco Shopping Trip

S o you've joined Costco and are ready to tackle your first adventure at your local warehouse club store. Woo hoo! You'll want to wear comfortable shoes, since you may end up doing a lot of walking. And you'll also want to be mindful of these newbie mistakes that it really pays to avoid.

1. Picking out your most perishable items first

Grocery stores are usually pretty large in their own right. But Costco is downright huge. And if you're not familiar with your local store's layout, you might end up spending hours walking around during your first visit.

That's why it's not a good idea to start in the dairy, meat, or produce section the first time you go to Costco. When you're buying perishable grocery items in bulk, you want to keep them unrefrigerated for as little time as possible.

Now, Costco warehouses tend to have decent climate control in general. But still, you really don't want to be walking around for 90 minutes with items like deli meat and milk in your cart if you can help it. 

After all, if you're spending the money to buy these things in bulk, you want your haul to last. So make a list of the items you need to buy and order it from non-perishable to most perishable. And then fill your cart accordingly. 

2. Skipping the free samples

You may be inclined to say "no thanks" when you're offered free samples at Costco if you're not used to shopping there. After all, no one wants to come off as greedy.

But actually, Costco encourages members to try out its products before buying them, because if you go this route, you'll be less likely to make a return due to not being satisfied. And sampling food items before buying them in bulk quantities could help you avoid wasting money in the course of your Costco trip. 

So if you see a granola bar brand you're not so familiar with and you're inclined to take a chance on a pack of 40, do yourself a favor and first try the bite-sized sample to make sure you really like the taste. Otherwise, you've potentially just brought home 40 paperweights you didn't need.

3. Steering clear of Kirkland products

If you're brand new to Costco, you may not be at all familiar with Kirkland, which is the store's signature brand. And that's understandable. But one thing you should know is that buying Kirkland products could be a good way to free up more cash for your savings account . Don't make the mistake of bypassing those products just because they have a more generic label on them.

For one thing, plenty of Kirkland products taste great and work well in their own right. But more so than that, if you look closely, you may find that several Kirkland products are actually made by name-brands you already know. 

Take Kirkland's Signature House Blend Coffee . All you need to do is look closely at the label, and you'll see that it's actually made by Starbucks. 

It can take some time to get used to shopping at Costco, so don't worry if, come the end of your first shopping trip, you're still feeling a bit lost and overwhelmed. At the same time, it pays to do what you can to avoid these mistakes so you don't lose out on savings during your first Costco visit.

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