18 Weird Little Hacks Costco Shoppers Should Know

Last updated March 31, 2026 | By FinanceBuzz Editors

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.

Member-Only Benefits You Might Not Know About

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.
Love going to the movies? You can buy movie tickets at select Costco locations and at Costco.com, where you can enjoy a member-only price.
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.

Amazon Prime members, get a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly loaded into your account upon approval!

If you're an Amazon Prime member, apply for the Prime Visa (Rates and fees) credit card here and you can get a $150 Amazon Gift Card instantly loaded into your Amazon account's Gift Card Balance upon approval (get an instant decision within 15 seconds).¹ If you respond via the Internet, the majority of applications are responded to in less than 15 seconds. Your actual response time may vary depending on the Internet connection and volume of submitted requests. We may not be able to give you an immediate answer in every instance.

There is no extra work or spending requirement and no annual fee!

The Prime Visa credit card also lets you earn unlimited 5% back at Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and on Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership, unlimited 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and on local transit and commuting (including rideshare), and unlimited 1% on all other purchases.

If you spend a good amount on Amazon this card could be worth $100s in cash back every year. Don't delay — apply today!

Good or excellent credit (typically 670 or higher) is recommended.

Click here to apply for the Prime Visa credit card today and get an instant decision in 15 seconds

See if your credit card debt is eligible for this debt consolidation program

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 may get 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?

Accredited Debt Relief can help. If you have more than $30,000 in debt from credit cards, medical bills, collections, or personal loans, their representatives may be able to help you significantly reduce your debt — with one low monthly program payment.

Best of all? There are zero upfront fees, and you could be debt-free in 24-48 months. To get started, just answer a few simple questions and get connected with a caring representative. The consultation is completely free and only takes a few minutes to see if you qualify!² © 2025 Accredited Debt Relief. Please note that all calls may be recorded or monitored for quality assurance and training purposes. Accredited Debt Relief is a DBA of Beyond Finance, LLC. Beyond Finance, LLC provides debt consolidation services. Our clients who make all monthly program payments pay approximately 55% of their enrolled debt upon successful program completion, before program fees. Fees are based on a percentage of your enrolled debt at the time of starting the program and range from 15%-25% of your enrolled debt. Programs range from 24-48 months. On average, clients must save approximately 40%-50% of each debt due to an enrolled creditor before a bona fide settlement offer will be made. On average, clients receive their first settlement within 4-6 months of enrollment and approximately every 3-6 months thereafter from when the prior debt was settled. Not all Clients complete the program. Estimates are based on prior results and may not match your results. We cannot guarantee that your debts will be resolved for a specific amount or percentage or within a specific timeframe. We do not assume your debts, make monthly payments to creditors or provide tax, bankruptcy, accounting, legal advice or credit repair services. Program is not available in all states; fees may vary by state. The use of debt consolidation services will likely adversely affect your credit. You may be subject to collections or lawsuits by creditors or collectors. Your outstanding debt may increase from the accrual of fees and interest. Clients may withdraw from the program at any time without penalty and receive all funds from their dedicated account, other than funds earned by the company or fees paid to third-party service providers, as may be applicable. Read and understand all program materials prior to enrolling. Certain types of debts are not eligible for enrollment. Some creditors are not eligible for enrollment because they do not negotiate with debt consolidation companies. Testimonials reflect the individuals' opinions and may not be illustrative of all individual experiences.

See if your $30k+ in credit card debt is eligible for Accredited Debt Relief

Pay no interest on balance transfers well into 2027 with this no annual fee card

If you're struggling to pay down high interest debt, this might be the exact thing you need. There's a card that allows you to completely pause the interest on balance transfers well into 2027 ... and the best part is that it could be easier than you think.

The Chase Slate^®(Rates and fees) is an extremely powerful card that gives you 0% intro APR for an astounding 21 Months on balance transfers (then 18.24% - 28.24% Variable). That's right — you can now 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, because this card comes with an additional perk: If you have a large purchase coming up, finance it easily with 0% intro APR for 21 Months on purchases. After the intro period, the APR for balance transfers and purchases is 18.24% - 28.24% Variable. Don't delay — apply for the Chase Slate^®, finance the large purchases you've been waiting on, and pay down crippling high interest debt!

Apply now for the Chase Slate^®

Limited-Time Offer: Earn a $250 bonus with this incredible cash back card

For a limited time, the Chase Freedom Unlimited^®(Rates and fees) lets you earn a $250 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening (limited-time offer).

In addition to this limited-time welcome offer, this card 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.

And it gets better (really): This card also gives you 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. That means you could finance large purchases or pay down high-interest debt for over a year. After the intro period, the APR is 18.24% - 27.74% Variable. Oh, and the annual fee is $0.

It's almost a no-brainer to apply. But don't delay — the limited-time offer for this card won't last forever.

Good or excellent credit (typically 670 or higher) is recommended.

Click here to Apply Now to the Chase Freedom Unlimited^®

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.

Costco Members: This card could be worth $100s in cash back every year — earn 5% on gas at Costco and more (seriously!)

If you're a Costco member, apply for the Costco Anywhere Visa^® Card by Citi here and you could earn $100s of dollars in cash back from basic everyday purchases. Just spend like normal and you could easily earn cash back. And, there's no annual fee!

This card is especially good for gas and restaurants purchases, and you can earn amazing cash back across the board: Earn 5% cash back rewards on gas at Costco and earn 4% cash back on other eligible gas and electric vehicle (EV) charging purchases for the first $7,000 combined spend per year, and then 1% thereafter; 3% on restaurants and eligible travel purchases; 2% on all other purchases from Costco and Costco.com; and 1% on all other purchases.

If you're a Costco member and shop there even once a month, this card could be worth $100s every year. It's almost a no-brainer to apply. Click below to get started.

Click here to Apply Now to the Costco Anywhere Visa^® Card by Citi

Ohio homeowners could access up to $400,000 thanks to this

If you want to renovate your home or consolidate debt before you retire, you could get a loan. But if you own a home in Ohio and have decent equity, you need to see this instead. This popular program lets you tap into up to $400,000 fast, without affecting your mortgage rate or getting into more high interest debt.

Rocket Mortgage is actively helping homeowners use their home’s equity to wipe out toxic high interest debt or finally tackle big home upgrades. Their tool finds your lowest eligible fixed rate and gets you the money you need so you can use it immediately. No hidden fees. No long waits. No hassle.

Slash your interest burden and fix what’s broken without giving up your current mortgage rate.

You might be eligible if you check these 3 boxes:

You’ve owned your home for 2+ years.
You’ve built some equity.
Your credit score is 680 or higher.

See how much cash you can access (no impact to your credit)

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.

Enter your zip code to get started

This plan helps protect select Ohio homes from many expensive appliance and home repairs (see if you qualify)

Everyone talks about home insurance, but hardly anyone talks about this. If you live in Ohio and own your home, you could save $1,000s on home repairs without much work at all.

American Home Shield is currently helping homeowners slash appliance repair bills. Instead of paying $1,000s, you pay for a monthly plan and a simple one-time service fee per covered repair.

Getting a monthly plan could help you tap into immense savings for nearly any system or appliance in your home that’s covered.

Not everyone is eligible for this plan so here’s how to check:

Click the link below and enter your name, address, phone number and email.
Hit the “Get Free Quote” button.
If you qualify, select a plan.

Complete this short form to see if you qualify

P.S. Use the link above, and you'll get 50% off your first year on select plans!³ Discounts for individual consumers may vary between 30-50%. Pricing available to new members for first-year ShieldGold™ and ShieldSilver™️base plans only.

Ohio homeowners: stop wasting money on DIY pest control that doesn't work

Pests don't just "go away." Leave it untreated and ants, roaches, and rodents can multiply in weeks, leading to expensive structural damage and health risks for your family. If you've spotted a problem or want to make sure you never do, relying on DIY fixes could cost more in the long run.

If you own a home in Ohio, this company called Orkin can provide you with a specialized approach to pest management. With 125+ years of experience and over 8,000 highly trained specialists, they don't just spray. They use science-backed treatments to identify the root of the infestation and keep pests from coming back.

Every home is different, so your Orkin Pro creates a customized plan specifically for your property. Their pros live in your community and understand the specific seasonal pest cycles in your area. And if pests return between treatments, Orkin comes back at no extra charge. If they can't solve it, they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Request your free, no-obligation Orkin quote today

Get your personalized retirement plan 100% free

Studies have found that individuals with a financial plan were 3.7x more likely to claim that they're very confident in reaching their goals.⁴ Source: Charles Schwab Modern Wealth Survey 2024

Our new tool builds you an intelligent, 100% free personalized financial plan that could help grow your net worth. You get instant access to a unique financial plan and exclusive offers that could help you grow financially.

Here's how to get started:

1. Click the link below.
2. You will be asked a few questions — enter your email, employment status, and phone number.
3. Verify your identity through Plaid (name, DOB, social security, etc).

From there answer a few questions related to your investable assets, retirement accounts, debts, and more to help customize your plan. This service costs nothing and it even tells you how much you can expect to see your net worth grow — down to the dollar — by implementing the suggestions.

Click here and enter your info to get your 100% free financial plan

Ohio residents, save big on new windows

Old windows drive up your home's electric bill. But if you live in Ohio and your windows are 5+ years old, you could save big.

Renewal by Andersen is actively helping homeowners score huge savings. Their certified master professionals install high-quality, energy-efficient windows that could help reduce energy bills and improve comfort.

They make it extremely easy to upgrade your windows with financing options available and special limited-time offers. The entire process is hassle free.

Get started now if you check these 3 boxes:

You own your home.
Your windows are 5+ years old.
You live in an available ZIP code.

Complete this short questionnaire to get started

BONUS: For a limited time, buy one get one 40% OFF.⁵ DETAILS OF OFFER: Offer expires 12/31/2025. Not valid with other offers or prior purchases. Buy one (1) window or entry/patio door, get one (1) window or entry/patio door 40% off, and 12 months no money down, no monthly payments, no interest when you purchase four (4) or more windows or entry/patio doors between 9/30/2025 and 12/31/2025. 40% off windows and entry/patio doors are less than or equal to lowest cost window or entry/patio door in the order. Additional $200 off your entire purchase, minimum purchase of 4 required, taken after initial discount(s), when you purchase by 12/31/2025. Subject to credit approval. 12-month Promo Period: while no payments are due, interest accrues but is waived if the loan is paid in full before the Promo Period expires. Any unpaid balance owed after the Promo Period, plus accrued interest, will be paid in installments based on the terms disclosed in the customer's loan agreement. Financing is provided by various financial institutions without regard to age, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, or familial status. Savings comparison based on purchase of a single unit at list price. Available at participating locations and offer applies throughout the service area. See your local Renewal by Andersen location for details. License numbers available at renewalbyandersen.com/license. Some Renewal by Andersen locations are independently owned and operated. See Renewal by Andersen® Products and Installation Transferable Limited Warranty for detail "Renewal by Andersen" and all other marks where denoted are trademarks of Andersen Corporation. ©2025 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved. Plus, get $200 off your purchase!⁵ DETAILS OF OFFER: Offer expires 12/31/2025. Not valid with other offers or prior purchases. Buy one (1) window or entry/patio door, get one (1) window or entry/patio door 40% off, and 12 months no money down, no monthly payments, no interest when you purchase four (4) or more windows or entry/patio doors between 9/30/2025 and 12/31/2025. 40% off windows and entry/patio doors are less than or equal to lowest cost window or entry/patio door in the order. Additional $200 off your entire purchase, minimum purchase of 4 required, taken after initial discount(s), when you purchase by 12/31/2025. Subject to credit approval. 12-month Promo Period: while no payments are due, interest accrues but is waived if the loan is paid in full before the Promo Period expires. Any unpaid balance owed after the Promo Period, plus accrued interest, will be paid in installments based on the terms disclosed in the customer's loan agreement. Financing is provided by various financial institutions without regard to age, race, color, religion, national origin, gender, or familial status. Savings comparison based on purchase of a single unit at list price. Available at participating locations and offer applies throughout the service area. See your local Renewal by Andersen location for details. License numbers available at renewalbyandersen.com/license. Some Renewal by Andersen locations are independently owned and operated. See Renewal by Andersen® Products and Installation Transferable Limited Warranty for detail "Renewal by Andersen" and all other marks where denoted are trademarks of Andersen Corporation. ©2025 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved.

Earn a $400 bonus with this checking account

We hate to tell you this, really. But if you aren’t banking with Truist Bank, you’re missing out on extra cash. Don’t worry though … it’s easy to fix.

New Truist checking clients can earn a $400 bonus after you open a new Truist One Checking account online between March 26, 2026 and July 9, 2026 using promo code AFL400TR1Q226 and complete qualifying activities.⁶ Terms and Conditions for Truist One Checking Affiliate $400 Online Offer Q2 2026: AFL400TR1Q226 Offer Information: Open a new Truist One Checking account online from 3/26/26 through 7/9/26, complete the following activities within 120 days of the account opening and earn $400. You must open the account online and enter the promo code to be eligible to participate in the promotion. • Receive at least two qualifying direct deposits* totaling $2,000 or more AND • Complete at least 20 qualifying debit card purchases** within 120 days of account opening. All debit purchases must be posted to your account to qualify. Account must be opened online. Enrollment in the promotion is required at the time of account opening using promo code AFL400TR1Q226. Please refer to the Account Opening and Enrollment section below for full instructions. *A qualifying direct deposit is an electronic credit (greater than $5.00) deposited into your new checking account via ACH. Person to person payments (such as Zelle®), Real Time Payments (RTP), pre-authorized transfers made from one account to another, or deposits made via a branch, ATM, online transfer, mobile device, debit/prepaid card number or the mail are not eligible direct deposits. **Qualifying debit card purchases include any purchase made with a Truist debit card and posted to the new checking account within 120 days of account opening. ATM withdrawals using your debit card are not qualifying transactions. Zelle® transactions are not qualifying transactions. Bank fees are not included. Offer Eligibility: Clients that are the primary account holder on an existing personal checking account with Truist or who have closed a personal checking account with Truist on or after 3/26/25 are not eligible to participate. Offer valid for Truist One Checking accounts only. Primary account holder must be 18 or older at the time of account opening. Truist employees, Directors, Officers, and Local Boards/Advisors are not eligible. Offer available only to US residents with a valid US taxpayer identification number. The qualifying checking account must be opened online and have a physical address in: AL, AR, FL, GA, IN, KY, MD, MS, NC, NJ, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV or DC. Reward Processing: The reward will be deposited to the new checking account within 4 weeks after the qualification requirements have been met and verified. Promotion is only applicable once per checking account and per client. Truist may report the value of any offer reward received to the IRS as required by law. Any applicable taxes are the responsibility of the recipient. Reward Forfeiture: Reward forfeiture will occur if: (1) the new checking account is changed to an account type not included in this client offer (2) the new checking account has a $0.00 or negative available balance or is restricted at the time Truist verifies the qualification requirements have been met or (3) the new checking account is closed at the time of payout. An account is considered restricted if it has a temporary or permanent block that prevents credits from posting to the account. Truist verification will occur one time after the qualification requirements are initially met. Other Terms: Minimum opening deposit is $50. The offer is non-transferable, may not be combined with any other checking offers, is subject to change, and may be discontinued at any time. Truist reserves the right, in its sole discretion: 1) to prohibit a reward payout for any offers claimed through third-party websites with no affiliation or prior authorization from Truist; and 2) to disqualify any account if Truist suspects accounts are being opened for the purpose of exploiting this promotional offer. All standard account terms and conditions apply. Account Opening & Enrollment Instructions: To open and enroll your new account in the promotion, visit the offer website and click on “Open an account online.” Enter AFL400TR1Q226 into the promo code field provided, review the offer Terms and Conditions, and then select “Accept this offer”. Accounts opened without the promo code applied will not be eligible to participate in the offer. Once enrolled in the promotion, clients may receive promotional updates via the email address provided or by calling 800.709.8700. Version 3 02182026 AFL400TR1Q226 ©2026 Truist Financial Corporation. TRUIST, the Truist logo and Truist Purple are service marks of Truist Financial Corporation.  All rights reserved. Truist Bank, 214 N Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28202

To earn the $400 bonus, your account needs to receive at least 2 qualifying direct deposits totaling $2,000 or more and complete 20 qualifying debit card purchase transactions within 120 days of account opening. The reward will be deposited to the new checking account within 4 weeks after the qualification requirements have been met and verified. Terms apply.

This is a great way to supercharge your earnings.

Plus, you can enjoy other benefits like no overdraft fee, a Balance Buffer for eligible clients,⁷ The Balance Buffer is only available with Truist One Checking and allows clients to overdraw their account up to $100. There is no decision required as this feature is automatically available when a client qualifies. To INITIALLY QUALIFY for the Balance Buffer, the requirements below must be met: <ul> <li>Account must be opened for a minimum of 35 calendar days</li> <li>Account must be funded with a positive balance</li> <li>A single direct deposit of at least $100 made within the last 35 calendar days</li> </ul> To REMAIN QUALIFIED for the Balance Buffer, the requirement below must be met: <ul> <li>A single direct deposit of at least $100 made within the last 35 calendar days.  After qualifying, if 35 calendar days pass without a Direct Deposit of at least $100, you will no longer have access to the Balance Buffer.</li> </ul> For accounts that qualify for the Balance Buffer, once the account is overdrawn by $100, additional transactions will typically be declined or returned. For accounts that qualify for the Balance Buffer and also have Overdraft Protection, Truist will use the Balance Buffer first.  If the account has neither, transactions that exceed the account balance will typically be declined or returned. and automatic upgrades for access to growing perks.

Open your new Truist One Checking account here

Earn $200 cash rewards bonus with this incredible card

There's a credit card that's making waves with its amazing bonus and benefits. The Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card (Rates and fees) has no annual fee and you can earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.

The Active Cash Card puts cash rewards back into your wallet. Cardholders can earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases — easy! That's one of the best cash rewards options available.

This card also offers an intro APR of 0% for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (then 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% Variable). Which is great for someone who wants a break from high interest rates, while still earning rewards.

The best part? There's no annual fee.

Click here to apply now.

Don't miss this: Amazon Prime members get a $150 Amazon Gift Card + up to 5% back!

If you regularly shop at Amazon or Whole Foods, this may be one of the best offers you're going to see all year. Apply for the Prime Visa (Rates and fees) credit card here — you can get a $150 Amazon Gift Card loaded directly onto your Amazon account's Gift Card Balance upon approval.

There's no annual fee for this card, no extra work or spending requirement to get the $150 bonus, and you could get an approval decision extremely fast. Get an instant decision within 15 seconds¹ If you respond via the Internet, the majority of applications are responded to in less than 15 seconds. Your actual response time may vary depending on the Internet connection and volume of submitted requests. We may not be able to give you an immediate answer in every instance. and you could use this gift card immediately if approved.

Plus, earn up to 5% back on Amazon.com, Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods Market, and Chase Travel purchases with an eligible Prime membership Recommended credit: Good or excellent (typically 670 or higher).

Click here to apply for the Prime Visa credit card today and get an instant decision within 15 seconds

Get Out of $30,000 or More of Credit Card Debt

4.7

National Debt Relief Benefits

No upfront fees⁸ Clients who complete the program and settle all debts typically save around 45% before fees or 20% including fees over 24–48 months, based on enrolled debts. “Debt-free” applies only to enrolled credit cards, personal loans, and medical bills. Not mortgages, car loans, or other debts. Average program completion time is 24–48 months; not all debts are eligible, and results vary as not all clients complete the program due to factors like insufficient savings. We do not guarantee specific debt reductions or timelines, nor do we assume debt, make payments to creditors, or offer legal, tax, bankruptcy, or credit repair services. Consult a tax professional or attorney as needed. Services are not available in all states. Participation may adversely affect your credit rating or score. Nonpayment of debt may result in increased finance and other charges, collection efforts, or litigation. Read all program materials before enrolling. National Debt Relief’s fees are based on a percentage of enrolled debt. All communications may be recorded or monitored for quality assurance. In certain states, additional disclosures and licensing apply. ©️ 2009–2025 National Debt Relief LLC. National Debt Relief (NMLS #1250950, CA CFL Lic. No. 60DBO-70443) is located at 180 Maiden Lane, 28th Floor, New York, NY 10038. All rights reserved. <a href="https://www.nationaldebtrelief.com/licenses/">Click here</a> for additional state-specific disclosures and licensing information.
One-on-one evaluation with a Certified Debt Specialist
For people with $30,000 in unsecured debts and up

4.7

Visit National Debt Relief