One of the nice things about growing older (besides the wealth of knowledge you might accumulate) is getting to enjoy a host of senior discounts, whether it’s early bird specials at restaurants or reduced fares at the movies. But if you’re a senior who’s thinking about joining Costco, here’s some bad news.
Costco, as a matter of policy, doesn’t offer discounted memberships. If you want to join, regardless of your age, you’re looking at paying $65 a year for a Gold Star membership or $130 a year for an Executive membership (this one gives you 2% cash back on your purchases).
At first, you might assume these fees aren’t worth paying if you’re a retiree on a fixed budget. But joining Costco could be a smart financial move even if you’re looking at paying full price. Here are some reasons why.
1. You can save big on gasoline
If you’re retired, you may not be putting as many miles on your car as someone with a full-time job and a long commute. But that doesn’t mean you’re homebound, either.
In fact, not having a job to report to could mean that your days are yours to enjoy. And that could mean driving all over the place for activities, whether it’s meeting friends for lunch, playing tennis, or checking out books from the library.
One huge benefit of joining Costco is the savings you can enjoy on gas. Costco’s fuel is often the cheapest in town. And it’s also high quality. It holds the TOP TIER designation, which means it’s formulated to clean your engine and help your car run smoothly.
So let’s say you use 10 gallons of gas per week and filling up at Costco — which you can generally only do if you’re a member — saves you $0.20 per gallon. That’s $2 in savings per week. If a basic membership costs you $65, even if the only thing you do at Costco is fill up your tank 50 times throughout the year, you’re still coming out ahead by $35.
You can benefit even more from a series of Costco fill-ups by swiping the right credit card. Click here for a list of credit cards with top gas rewards.
2. You might spend less on groceries
Just because you’re a senior doesn’t mean you don’t have a full house to feed. Maybe you’re part of a multigenerational household and have seven people living under your roof. Or maybe your grown kids live 10 minutes away and have a tendency to stop by for dinner during the week with your grandchildren in tow.
If you do a fair amount of cooking, you may find that it’s worth buying certain products in bulk. And in that case, you can reap big savings by stocking up on groceries at Costco.
3. You can save money on travel
If you’re retired, you may have more time to travel now than you did when you were working. As a Costco member, you get access to a host of travel packages that could not only save you money, but give you extra perks like resort credits or cash back in the form of Costco Shop Cards (the store’s version of a gift card).
If you think you’ll book one or more trips a year through Costco, then it pays to get the Executive membership. Although it costs $65 more than a Gold Star membership, it takes $3,250 in annual Costco spending to make back the upgrade fee at a rate of 2%. And it’s conceivable that you might book a single trip that gets you beyond that spending threshold.
Even if that doesn’t happen, if you book a $2,400 trip through Costco but go there once a month to stock up on groceries and household products, you might end up spending more than $3,250 in a year. So you might as well upgrade and earn a little money back.
You may find it bothersome that Costco won’t discount memberships for seniors. But there are still plenty of good reasons to join. And remember, if you end up unhappy with your membership, Costco will allow you to cancel and get a refund at any time. So there’s really nothing to lose by trying it out.
