5 Brilliant Secrets for Shopping at Costco That Will Eliminate Your Shopping Stress

Earlier in July Costco announced it was raising its membership fees for the first time in seven years, which means it’s now more important than ever to be extra strategic about how you shop there (in order to get the most bang for your buck). 

But whether or not you’re a seasoned Costco pro or a total newbie, learning some smart shopping secrets can help you create a plan about what to buy in bulk — especially if you’re living alone or with one other person. Saving money (and stress) at the big-box store is super important. 

Luckily veteran Costco shoppers are sharing their wisdom on Reddit, and there are some items that everyone agrees with. 

According to Redditors, here are the most important tips to save money at Costco.

Many Costco shoppers suggest downloading the app and setting up the same-day delivery address with your local store’s address. However, one Redditor says this is more for research than anything. When you download the app and have your location set on it, you can see what’s in stock and what’s on sale, and use it to make your shopping list before going to the store (and potentially overbuying). 

Another Redditor said using the app can also make the checkout process go faster — a hot tip if you’re in a time crunch. The Costco app’s account tab generates a QR code. If you scan it, then scan your items, you can tap “accept,” and use the assigned card in your app without having to take out your credit card.

If you drive, buying gas at Costco can save you a lot of money. Every other comment on this thread seemed to be focused around gas. 

One Redditor wrote, “It’s 30 cents per gallon cheaper than the gas stations near me. That’s a big savings over the year.” 

Another user said you can also get significant savings back when you fill up your tank using the Citi Costco Credit Card. “Apply for the Citi Costco Credit Card; the gas (any gas station) at 4x cash-back is very good,” they shared. 

Keep in mind that you can use this card at any gas station that’s not a direct competitor to Costco. (Sam’s Club or B.J.’s Wholesale Club would count as competitors.)

Many Costco shoppers on Reddit said buying paper products at the wholesale store, particularly Kirkland products, can save you a lot of money. Paper towels and toilet paper from Costco’s in-house brand were mentioned numerous times throughout the thread.

“My Kirkland Allegra pays for my membership,” one user said, and many Costco shoppers chimed in about how much cheaper it is to buy allergy medicine and other medications at the wholesale retailer.

Another said that the “generic Flonase is why we bought our membership. I take it year-round. One bottle of generic at the grocery store is $22. A pack of five bottles of Kirkland brand are $17.99. And it goes on sale a couple of times a year too. Also Kirkland brand Zyrtec and Pepcid. So much cheaper.”

You know it, you love it — Costco’s $5 ready-to-eat rotisserie chicken has a serious fan following (and its own Facebook group), thanks to its generous portion size and inexpensive price. Numerous Redditors called the rotisserie chicken one of their go-to Costco purchases, with @foresttripper saying, “Their rotisserie chickens are a great buy at $5. I’ll debone 2 to meal prep and get 6 pounds of meat.” Easy and cheap meal prep set? No problem!