Benjamin Franklin once said there are only two things in life that are inevitable: death and taxes. But now, for many people, there’s a third thing: overspending at Costco.
The warehouse club makes it too easy to empty your bank account when you just went in for a simple rotisserie chicken. It does this by doing things like putting top deals (including that chicken) in the back of the store and offering enticing free samples throughout.
These techniques work, with Redditors reporting a whole host of wild impulse buys ranging from buying a whole greenhouse while shopping for lettuce to purchasing a boat while shopping for strawberries (there must be something about the produce aisle)!
The good news is, there are clever ways to spend less. Here are four tips that can help you avoid a big credit card bill (and avoid getting stuck with a boat in your garage!)
1. Shop with a list
Shopping with a list — and sticking to it — is one of the best ways to ensure you don’t give in to the temptation to overspend. If you go with a list, you can have a pretty clear idea of how much you’ll spend and won’t buy things you don’t need.
Costco will probably try to tempt you not to stick to your list by offering a host of limited-time deals. But, just because something is on sale does not mean you have to purchase it. If it wasn’t something you were already planning on getting but you really want it, you can promise yourself you’ll put it on the list for your next trip.
Usually, the item will still be there if you still want it — although if there’s an asterisk on the price tag, that often means it won’t be restocked. And, if it isn’t there anymore, it wasn’t meant to be. Or you may change your mind before you go back, which means you didn’t really want the item after all.
2. Limit your visits to the warehouse club
Most Costco members go once or twice monthly to the warehouse club, but 5% of shoppers admit to visiting daily and 9% say they go multiple times weekly. However, the more you visit, the more chances you have to overspend.
Since many items sold at Costco are bulk buys, it should be pretty easy to stock up on stuff you’re purchasing so you don’t have to visit as often. If you cut back and go only twice a month, filling up on gas each time you do, the savings on fuel alone should justify the cost of your membership. And you should be able to buy a large enough supply of most items to get you through to your next visit.
3. Shop with cash
Shopping with cash is another great way to limit what you’re spending. You can use Instacart (selecting your local store) to estimate the cost of what you’re planning to buy — and then bring only enough money to pick up those items. Items are marked up on Instacart compared to the club, so you’ll have a little leeway if you do this, but you won’t have enough extra cash to buy a bunch of things you don’t need.
Finally, if you’re just going for one or two items, don’t pick up a cart when you go. This forces you to buy only what you can carry, which probably won’t be too much given that so many large-scale Costco items are pretty heavy.
By following these four tips, you can hopefully avoid overspending at your local warehouse club and can have more money left over for other important personal finance objectives.
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