Shopping at Costco is a great way to save money on your everyday needs. And with the right strategy, you can lower your costs even more this November. Here are some of the smartest Costco moves to make this month.
1. Give Kirkland Signature products a try
You’ll find the Kirkland Signature name on a host of Costco products, from groceries to cleaning supplies to clothing. You might assume that Costco’s store brand is lower in quality than the brands you know and love. But that’s far from the case.
Costco is a company that prides itself on offering the best customer experience — so much so that it’s willing to take almost any item back at any time for any reason. It will also refund your membership itself if you decide it’s not giving you great value. So you can bet that it stands behind its Kirkland brand and strives to put out products that are extremely high in quality.
Another thing you should know is that Costco aims to price its Kirkland products at 20% less (at a minimum) than competing national brands. So a $10 bottle of cleaning solution with a label you recognize might cost $8 or less if you buy the Kirkland version.
Here’s an even bigger way to save on Kirkland products. Swipe the right credit card at checkout for extra cash back or rewards. Click here for a list of the best credit cards for spending at Costco.
2. Crack the store’s pricing code
Costco’s prices might seem random, but there’s actually a method to them you should know about. Costco prices that end in a seven are clearance items, whereas items that end in a nine are regularly priced.
So if you see an item for $8.99, that’s generally the typical price. If you see an item for $8.97, that’s generally a discount from the original price.
Also be on the lookout for items that end in 88. Those usually mean that a store manager has lowered the price for one reason or another. That reason could be that the item was previously opened but returned in good condition, or that the store has too many of that item and it needs to be moved off the shelves.
3. Look out for early holiday deals
These days, it’s common for retailers to introduce holiday deals in early November. And Costco is no exception.
In fact, Costco already has products that are available at lower-than-usual prices through the middle of the month. You can score $3.80 off of the store’s famous Sanders’ Sea Salt Caramel jars, which make a great holiday gift for coworkers and teachers. And you can save $4.50 on Carr’s Crackers, which you may need for an upcoming holiday party.
There’s also big savings to be had on TVs, jewelry, apparel, and more. You can check out Costco.com for a list of early holiday deals, but head to your local warehouse club store to scoop them up to save more money. Costco’s in-store prices are commonly lower than the price you’ll pay online.
Saving money at Costco this month could make your holiday expenses more manageable — or just plain be a good thing for your finances in general. So give Kirkland items a chance, pay attention to pricing codes, and be on the lookout for holiday deals that will likely continue to drop as November moves along.
