5 Surprising Tips for Saving More at Costco

Costco is known for its ultra-low prices on a host of products. But if you want to eke out the most savings at Costco, you may need to get strategic. Here are some tactics you can employ to save more.

1. Don't be lured by the products you see when you first walk in

Costco stores are huge. And it's conceivable that during a visit, you may not hit every single aisle in the building.

But the one area of Costco you pretty much have to hit is the front of the store because, well, it's where you walk in. As such, Costco will often place new or sale items in that section strategically to lure customers into impulse buys. If you're looking to save money with your Costco shopping this year, don't stop in the front section unless it contains an item on your shopping list. Instead, keep walking.

2. Shop once big holidays are over

Costco tends to stock seasonal inventory ahead of big holidays. In late summer through mid-fall, you'll often find Halloween candy. In November and December, you'll commonly find Christmas sweets and gift baskets.

Costco sometimes finds itself with excess seasonal inventory after all's said and done. So a good bet is to walk the aisles of Costco shortly after a major holiday has wrapped up and keep an eye out for discounts. You may find certain items marked down below their already competitive prices.

Remember, Costco needs to clear out seasonal inventory pretty quickly to make room for new items. So there's a limited window for snagging those post-holiday steals.

For example, if your goal is to snag discounted Christmas items, you may want to be on the lookout for them in early January. Wait until mid-January, and you may find that those items are all cleared out to make room for the store's Valentine's Day haul.

3. Stick to shopping in stores

Costco.com is loaded with items your local store may not carry. But for items that are available both online and at stores, you're better off going the latter route and scooping them up in person.

You'll sometimes see items marked down on Costco.com due to limited-time sales. But often, those sales will run concurrently with in-store sales so that if you shop in person, you'll end up coming out ahead financially.

4. Request price adjustments

Costco's prices are often quite competitive. But that doesn't mean you won't buy something only to find it available at a lower price a few weeks later.

The good news is that Costco will adjust prices within 30 days of your purchase. For in-store purchases, simply head to customer service and request an adjustment. You don't even need to bring the item in question with you, since a Costco employee can look up your purchases based on your membership number.

5. Buy the more expensive membership

A basic Costco membership costs $60 a year, while an Executive membership costs $120. But with the Executive membership, you get 2% cash back on your Costco purchases. And in the course of a year, you may find that you're able to save more with the more expensive membership.

Let's say you shop at Costco 24 weeks out of the year and spend $150 each time. That's $3,600 in total. And 2% back on $3,600 is $72. So if you pay $60 for the Executive membership upgrade, you'll come out ahead to the tune of $12.

There are plenty of ways you can save extra money during your Costco shopping. Start with these tips and see what a difference they make.