The Savvy Shoppers' Guide to Seasonal Deals at Costco

Finding deals at Costco doesn't take much work; there are potential bargains in every aisle. But you will need a bit more of a plan to score those sweet seasonal steals. To help you reach that goal, we've put together a few tips on how to find the best seasonal Costco deals.

Shop early in the season

Costco's array of goods is very carefully balanced to make sure everything is moving, especially the seasonal items. The idea is to have minimal holiday items leftover at the end of the season. The execution of this often means the seasonal items start selling out long before the holiday hits. (Case in point: How many Halloween items does your local Costco store have out right now? Not a lot, I bet.)

Pop in regularly to see new deals

As we noted above, Costco keeps its stock moving. It also keeps the deals moving. New items -- and new sales -- are added all the time. If you're only shopping at Costco once a month to stock up on paper goods, you're probably going to miss a lot of the seasonal deals that crop up each week.

The best time to hit Costco if you want to miss the crowds is the middle of the day during the middle of the week. You'll see the fewest other shoppers, as well as have a shot at sales that will likely be long gone by the weekend.

Make sure you're on the mailing list

Every few weeks, Costco mails out its regular Coupon Book, which lists some of the sales you can expect to see coming up. This can be a great way to plan your buys ahead of time, especially when it comes to crossing popular or big-ticket items off the Christmas list.

If you're not a fan of physical mail, you can join the email list instead. Costco will send regular updates on sales and new items.

Browse the gift card rack

Some of the best deals at Costco aren't on pallets -- they're hanging on the gift card racks. Costco has a variety of gift cards you can buy for less than face value, such as getting two $50 gift cards for just $80. Cards span brands from restaurants to travel, spas, and even golf. Make sure you're getting the right gift card for the recipient, however; poorly picked gift cards go unused and are a waste of money.

Visit multiple locations (if you can)

As with most other retailers, some sales you'll find will be unique to a particular Costco location. This could be markdowns on seasonal items on their way out, or even sales on big name-brand items. It could pay off to visit a few different locations if you're within a reasonable distance of more than one store.

Bring your Visa rewards credit card

A particularly annoying part of shopping at a Costco warehouse is how you pay -- or, more accurately, how you can't pay. If you want to use a credit card, it's going to need a Visa logo; you can't use Amex, Discover, or Mastercard credit cards in Costco stores.

While this limitation is a bummer, you can still find some solid rewards card options for Costco purchases. The brand's own Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi is a decent option, especially if you like gas rewards. Personally, I like to use my Chase Freedom Unlimited® for 1.5x points per dollar.

Don't assume everything's a steal

You can 100% find some sweet seasonal deals down any Costco aisle. That doesn't mean you should assume every item is a steal. Despite the rumors, Costco is not the end-all-be-all of bargains, and you will occasionally find something that costs more at Costco than it might somewhere else. You should always comparison shop any big item before you buy, even if you're buying it from Costco.

Price match with other stores

If you do find something that's cheaper somewhere else, you're going to have to buy it there. That's because Costco doesn't price match other stores, citing the already low prices.

On the other hand, you might want to consider if another store will price match Costco. There are sometimes benefits to buying elsewhere, such as bonus gifts, loyalty programs, and even using a non-Visa credit card (hello, holiday welcome bonuses).

Costco is a great place to find deals, but it's not the ideal place for every purchase. Shop smart, compare prices often, and make the most of seasonal deals wherever you may find them.