Do you shop at Costco? If so, you already understand the joy of saving money and finding a great deal. But you're probably overlooking some other simple ways to be smart with your money.
Don't worry, though. We compiled a list of genius money hacks that could help your hard-earned dollars go even further. It might not be as good as a $1.50 hot dog meal, but we're sure you'll find something helpful.
Make Sure You’re Always Getting The Best Deals at Costco
- If you see an asterisk on a price sign at a Costco warehouse, that typically means the item will not be replenished once it’s sold out. If the item caught your eye, you’ll probably want to snag it now while you can.
- Each Costco warehouse carries around 4,000 items, allowing them to buy in large quantities and passing the savings down to you. But you can find even more items at Costco.com, which also offers online-only savings.
- All members have access to the Costco Savings booklet, which contains savings on a large variety of items. The best part? There is no coupon clipping required — savings are applied directly at checkout.
- Pay attention to prices! Prices ending in .79 typically have been marked down from regular-priced items, which end in .99. Odd pricing, such as .79, .49, or .89 could indicate items Costco got a deal on from the manufacturer. Prices ending in .88 or .00 typically mean managers have reduced the price to clear out inventory. This could also mean the item is discontinued or won’t be restocked.
Pay no interest into 2028 with this no annual fee card
If you're struggling to pay down high interest debt (or you're planning a major purchase this year), this might be the exact thing you need. There's a card that allows you to pause credit card interest into 2028 ... and the best part is that it could be easier than you think.
Discover it® Cash Back (Rates and fees) is an extremely powerful card that gives you 0% intro APR for an astounding 15 months on purchases and balance transfers. (Then APR is 18.74% - 28.74% (Variable); Balance transfer fee applies.) That's right — you can now finance large purchases you've been sitting on without paying massive interest. Or, transfer crippling high interest debt to this card and let your payments go directly to paying down your balance, without piling on additional interest charges — all with no annual fee.
But it doesn't end there. The Discover it® Cash Back card also lets you earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. You can also receive a $200 statement credit when you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months of account opening. Plus, Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year (terms apply).
Member-Only Benefits You Might Not Know About
- Costco members can now shop their favorite items for on-demand or scheduled delivery through Uber Eats nationwide, with all of Costco’s famous member savings available
- Costco has updated its hours to give Executive members early access on select days. You can now start shopping an hour before other members — Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
- You could score big savings on your next vacation with Costco. Costco Travel offers vacation packages, cruises, rental cars, hotel stays, and more to members at a great price. Plus, you could find gift cards for a variety of activities to save even more, from theme park tickets to city exploration passes.
- Buying and installing new tires at Costco has long-term benefits. The installation package includes lifetime maintenance services, including pressure checks, tire balancing and rotations, and flat repairs. Costco also uses nitrogen instead of compressed air for inflation, which retains better tire pressure over time.
- Your membership could qualify you for discounts with various Costco partners. For example, you could get 25% off a Budget Truck rental.
- With Costco Next, members can shop for products directly from third-party suppliers while enjoying Costco-level discounts.
Turn your home’s value into funds
If you want to pay a large expense now, like a home improvement project or credit card debt, you may have considered using your home equity as leverage to borrow a large sum of money.
A home equity line of credit (HELOC) is another option some homeowners compare alongside cash-out refinances and home equity loans.
Using LendingTree’s simple HELOC matching tool1 <p>Terms and conditions apply. Rates subject to change. LendingTree, LLC. NMLS# 1136.</p> (yes, the company from the commercials), you can compare rates and see what works for you.
How a home equity line of credit is different: Your line of credit acts similar to a credit card, where you can withdraw funds when you need them, and you’re only responsible for minimum monthly payments for what’s called the “draw period,” which is usually 10 years. After this borrowing period ends, you pay off the rest of your balance during an extended repayment period, which is usually 20 years.
Plus, as a revolving line of credit, rates are usually variable, so you won’t be locked into a fixed rate if they ever go lower.
To get started:
- Check out LendingTree’s HELOC matching tool.
- Answer a few questions.
- Be matched with personalized offers for you.
Ask this company to pay off your credit card debt
If you have a lot of debt, getting out of it can feel stressful (and nearly impossible). Here’s the problem: the longer you put off tackling it, the harder it gets to fix. If you don’t take control of it early on, it can add undue stress to your life for years. But what if there was a way to get out of debt once and for all?
National Debt Relief could help. If you have more than $30,000 in debt from credit cards, medical bills, collections, or personal loans, their representatives might be able to assist you in consolidating your debt into one low monthly program payment.
Best of all? There are zero fees until your debt is settled, and you could be debt-free in 24-48 months. To get started, just answer a few simple questions. It only takes 30 seconds to see if you qualify!2 <p>Please note that all calls with the company may be recorded or monitored for quality assurance and training purposes. Clients who are able to stay with the program and get all their debt settled realize approximate savings of 45% before fees, or 20% including our fees, over 24 to 48 months. All claims are based on enrolled debts. Not all debts are eligible for enrollment. Not all clients complete our program for various reasons, including their ability to save sufficient funds. Estimates based on prior results, which will vary based on specific circumstances. We do not guarantee that your debts will be lowered by a specific amount or percentage or that you will be debt-free within a specific period of time. We do not assume consumer debt, make monthly payments to creditors or provide tax, bankruptcy, accounting or legal advice or credit repair services. Not available in all states. Please contact a tax professional to discuss tax consequences of settlement. Please consult with a bankruptcy attorney for more information on bankruptcy. Depending on your state, we may be available to recommend a local tax professional and/or bankruptcy attorney. Read and understand all program materials prior to enrollment, including potential adverse impact on credit rating. "Debt-Free" applies only to enrolled credit cards, personal loans, and medical bills. Not mortgages, car loans, or other debts. Results vary.</p>
Costco Shoppers Love These Hacks To Save More Money
- Invest in a vacuum sealer if you enjoy buying meat at Costco. You can easily seal extra portions and store them in the freezer for months, ensuring those initial savings don’t go to waste.
- If you have the space, a good chest freezer can help you make the most of your Costco hauls. Besides meat, you could store frozen fruit for smoothies, load it up with meal-prepped breakfast burritos, or stock up on muffins for a quick snack — they freeze great.
- Go shopping with friends, family, or a neighbor. Buy and split items you’ll both use to take advantage of the bulk savings, especially if you’re a small household or have limited storage space.
- For commonly used non-perishables like supplements or dry goods, stock up on items while they’re on sale. Some items go on sale in rotation, so take advantage of these deals to get what you need until the next sale happens.
- If you’re an Executive member, you can cash out your annual return check instead of using it towards your next purchase. This can help you earn more towards your next annual 2% reimbursement check.
Earn a $200 bonus + up to 5% cash back with this criminally underrated cash back card
Apply for the Chase Freedom Unlimited®(Rates and fees) and you could earn a $200 bonus after spending an easy $500 in the first 3 months. This card is criminally underrated with one of the best spend-to-bonus ratios we've ever seen — the bonus is worth almost half the spend!
No additional work is required. Apply for the card, see if you're approved, spend $500 within 3 months, and earn a $200 bonus. Boom!
The Chase Freedom Unlimited®(Rates and fees) also lets you earn cash back on everything you buy: Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.
Plus, if you want to finance large purchases or pay down high-interest debt, you can also do that with this card. Take advantage of 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. After the intro period, the APR is 18.49% - 27.99% Variable. Do not skip this card — it's a sleeper hit with insane value and NO annual fee.
Good or excellent credit (typically 670 or higher) is recommended.
Set up qualifying direct deposit - pocket up to $350
If you aren't banking3 <p class="">Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC. The secured Chime Visa® Credit Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa credit cards are accepted. Please see the back of your Card for its issuing bank.<br></p> through Chime®, you're missing out on a huge boost of extra cash just by following a few simple steps.
Earn a bonus up to $350:4 <p>Limited time only. Terms apply, must open the new account and complete qualifying activities to earn up to $350.00 in rewards. Link to full terms can be found at <a href="https://www.chime.com/join/promos/intro-offer-v2b/#terms">https://www.chime.com/join/promos/intro-offer-v2b/#terms</a></p> To qualify, open a new Chime Checking Account here. Earn $100 with a $200+ direct deposit in your first 30 days. Receive a $200+ direct deposit in the next calendar month to get an additional $100. In your third calendar month, receive a $200+ direct deposit and get the final $150. Full bonus earned!
This is a great way to supercharge your earnings, and basically takes no extra work other than following the steps above. Even better, Chime Checking offers no monthly fees, no overdraft fees, no minimum balance requirement, and no foreign transaction fees.
You can also get paid up to 2 days early5 <p>Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the submission of the payment file from the payer. We generally make these funds available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to 2 days earlier than the scheduled payment date.</p> with direct deposit, access over 47,000 fee-free ATMs,6 <p>Out-of-network ATM withdrawal and over the counter advance fees may apply except at FCTI® ATMs in a 7-Eleven® or Speedway, or any Allpoint® or Visa® Plus Alliance ATM participating in the Allpoint network.</p> enjoy fee-free overdraft up to $200,7 <p>SpotMe® on Credit is an optional, no interest/no fee overdraft line of credit tied to the Secured Deposit Account. SpotMe on Debit is an optional, no fee service attached to your Chime Checking Account (individually or collectively, "SpotMe"). Eligibility for SpotMe requires $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits to your Chime Checking Account each month.</p><p>Qualifying members will be allowed to overdraw their Chime Checking Account and/or their Secured Deposit Account up to $20 in total, but may be later eligible for a higher combined limit of up to $200 or more based on member’s Chime account history, direct deposit frequency and amount, spending activity and other risk-based factors. Your SpotMe Limit will be displayed to you within the Chime mobile app. You will receive notice of any changes to your SpotMe Limit. SpotMe for Credit and SpotMe on Debit share a single SpotMe limit. Your SpotMe Limit may change at any time, at Chime or its banking partners’ discretion. Although there are no overdraft fees, there may be out-of-network or third-party fees associated with ATM transactions or OTC cash withdrawal fees at retailers. SpotMe won’t cover non-card transactions, including ACH transfers, Pay Anyone, or Chime Checkbook transactions. <a href="https://www.chime.com/policies/">SpotMe terms and conditions</a>.</p> and 24/7 live support, with a real human.
Open your account and set up direct deposit to earn a $350 bonus
Save potentially $1,000 or more on home insurance
If you want better or more affordable home insurance, there is ONE thing you should never skip in the process of finding a policy: Getting multiple options from a variety of home insurance providers.
Too many homeowners skip this step — not realizing that they could save potentially $1,000s over the lifetime of owning their house just by switching. And yes, you can switch your home insurance at any time.
Provide Home Insurance is a company that matches you with home insurance options from a variety of lenders to meet your home insurance needs … including lower overall cost or better overall coverage.
Just answer a few questions, and they will find options that are right for you. And heads up — the insurance company you choose may call you. Do NOT ignore the call, as they want to work with you to find the best rate possible.
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