4 Little-Known Ways to Save Extra Money at Costco

Shopping at Costco can be a really fun experience -- especially if you throw in a trip to the food court for a low-cost meal. But for many people, the primary goal of shopping at Costco is to be able to save money. And if you put these strategies to work, you may find that you're able to reduce your spending quite a bit.

1. Buy Kirkland products

Kirkland is Costco's signature brand, and you'll find the Kirkland label on everything from paper products to baked goods. You may be inclined to stick to the name-brands you know and love at Costco, and enjoy savings by virtue of loading up on them in bulk. But if you're willing to give Kirkland products a chance, you may find you're able to shrink your costs even more.

As one example, if you buy a bulk pack of Kirkland diapers, you'll pay $0.18 per diaper, whereas if you buy a bulk pack of Huggies diapers at Costco, you're looking at $0.24 per diaper. Also, these are the prices listed online at Costco.com. The prices you see at your local warehouse may be lower -- and there may be even more savings by opting for Kirkland diapers over Huggies at the store.

2. Actually read through the monthly coupon books

You probably get your fair share of junk mail. And so you may be inclined to toss your monthly Costco mailers in the trash. 

But before you do, give them a read and take note of items in your regular rotation that are available at a discount. If they're things that aren't perishable, you can stock up while they're on sale and save yourself some money.

3. Pay attention to price reductions

It's not uncommon for Costco items to go on sale. If that happens after you've purchased something, don't hesitate to head over to customer service and ask for a price adjustment. If you're within 30 days, Costco will generally do this without any sort of hassle whatsoever -- even if you don't have the item with you. 

4. Upgrade to an Executive membership

An Executive membership at Costco costs $120 a year, while a basic one only costs $60. Upgrading and paying more might seem like a not-so-effective way to save money at Costco. But in many cases, your Executive membership will more than pay for itself.

The great thing about the Executive membership is that it gives you 2% back on all Costco purchases -- even online ones. Once you spend $3,000 at Costco in a given year, you break even, because 2% of $3,000 amounts to the extra $60 an Executive membership costs. So even if you only end up snagging $65 in cash back from that upgraded membership, you've saved money all in. 

Saving extra money at Costco often boils down to paying attention to the finer details -- factors like differences in price between brands and sale items. And also, if you want to save more, don't write off getting an Executive membership. You might come out well ahead financially despite the initial outlay.