11 Weird Little Hacks Costco Shoppers Should Know

Last updated July 3, 2025 | 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.

Make Sure You’re Always Getting The Best Deals at Costco

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

Ohio Driver? Cancel your car insurance (see if you qualify)

Driving without car insurance is illegal, but if you do this, you’re not actually breaking the law.

This tool can help you see if you’re overpaying for car insurance in just a few clicks. You’d be shocked by the difference. $159 per month is what they wanted to charge me. I thought that was the best price, don’t even look anywhere else. Right? Wrong.

I used this tool and now I’m able to pay just $47 a month for two cars.1Too many insurance companies do this. They push up our rates and make us pay even more. But if you want to try this tool and compare and potentially score same-day savings, here’s what to do:

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

  1. Click the link below and enter your zip code, date of birth, and phone number.
  2. Answer a few questions about your car’s make and model to get matched with top offers.
  3. Choose the best quote for you and lock it in before rates go up.

Compare rates now and see if you could score same-day savings today!

I can hardly believe I waited so long to do this, but I’m glad I finally did. It only took me two minutes. Super fast. You have to trust me on this. Just try it out.

Pay no interest until 2026

Imagine getting an introductory 15 months with 0% intro APR on a big purchase or balance transfer (APR then 18.24% - 27.24% Variable). Sounds great — right? You could dramatically change your financial picture with one of the industry-leading low-interest cards — the Discover it® Cash Back(Rates and fees).

Cardholders get a generous intro APR of 0% for 15 months on purchases (APR then 18.24% - 27.24% Variable) — that means you can cover bills, large purchases, or whatever you need to charge and not pay interest until 2026! 

If you want to kick high-interest credit card debt to the curb, this is one of the leading get-out-of-debt cards available. Transfer your high interest debt to this card with a 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers (APR then 18.24% - 27.24% Variable). Your payments can go directly to paying down your balance without incurring a pile of additional charges. That could save you hundreds of dollars in interest!

The best part? The Discover it® Cash Back card is accepted by 99% of merchants, boasts an exceptional cash back rewards rate, and there's no annual fee.

Click here to Apply Now

Member-Only Benefits You Might Not Know About

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Your membership could qualify you for discounts with various Costco partners. For example, you could get 25% off a Budget Truck rental.
  5. With Costco Next, members can shop for products directly from third-party suppliers while enjoying Costco-level discounts.

This plan protects 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.

Choice Home Warranty 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:

  1. Click the link below and enter your zip code.
  2. Answer a few simple questions.
  3. See if your home qualifies.

Complete this short questionnaire to see if you live in a qualified area

Turn your home’s value into extra cash

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.

But with interest rates rising in recent years, a cash-out refinance or home equity loan may not make financial sense.

Here’s a potential solution: Get a home equity line of credit (HELOC) instead.

Using LendingTree’s simple HELOC matching tool2 (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:

  1. Check out LendingTree’s HELOC matching tool.
  2. Answer a few questions.
  3. Be matched with personalized offers for you.

Visit LendingTree

Get out of $20,000 or more in 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?

TurboDebt3can help. If you have more than $20,000 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 payment.

Best of all? There are zero fees until your debt is resolved, and you could be debt-free in as little as 24-48 months. To get started, just answer a few simple questions. It only takes 30 seconds to see if you qualify!

Try TurboDebt

Costco Shoppers Love These Hacks To Save More Money

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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 $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 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% 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.

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 checking clients can earn a $400 bonus when you open a new Truist One Checking account online between May 1, 2025 and October 29, 2025 using promo code TRUIST25AFL400. Terms apply.4

To earn the $400 bonus, your account needs to receive at least 2 qualifying direct deposits totaling $1,000 or more within 120 days of account opening.

This is practically passive income and a great way to supercharge your earnings.

Plus, you can enjoy other benefits like no overdraft fee, a Balance Buffer,5 and automatic upgrades for access to growing perks.

Open your new Truist One Checking account here

Access your home equity to cover debt — no payment or interest charges for 10 years

Struggling with debt? If you want to utilize your home equity to help pay it down, you’re probably frustrated right now. The strict qualifications of the traditional financial system have left many unable to.

But there’s another option you may not have heard of, a home equity agreement (HEA) from Unlock.

With Unlock, you could tap into up to $500,000 of your home equity and make no payments for ten years. It’s not a home equity loan, HELOC, cash-out refinance, or reverse mortgage.

An Unlock HEA is not a loan at all. Instead, it gives you cash in exchange for a portion of your home’s future value:

  • Access up to $500,000 of your home’s equity.
  • No payments or interest charges for ten years.
  • Not subject to traditional interest rates.
  • Minimum credit score: 500+.

You can verify your property value and equity in 60 seconds — and with no impact on your credit score: Start by entering your property address here.

And don’t worry — Unlock has an A+ rating from the BBB. So see what you’re eligible for, and you could have the funds you need to end your toxic debt loop sooner than you think.

Apply for a home equity agreement with Unlock

Save potentially $1,000 or more on home insurance in Columbus

We have some unfortunate news: You might be throwing away $1,000s on expensive home insurance for no reason.

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 with our new home savings tool. 

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 starting today. 

The best part is it's free to check!  Just answer a few questions and enter your zip, email, and phone number to see if a lower rate is in your future. 

Enter your zip code to see if paying too much

BONUS: Save as much as 80% on weight loss meds

If you’re finally ready to lose weight, FDA-approved GLP-1s — like Semaglutide & Tirzepatide — burn fat fast. And this company we found called MyStart gets them to you 80% cheaper!

It might sound crazy, but MyStart operates on a cash-only basis and does not accept insurance. This is how they’re able to provide up to 80% off the typical cost of weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Zepbound. (You can pay via credit cards, including Visa and Mastercard.)

Skip the surgeries, diets, and expensive costs of weight loss. Get real results with GLP-1s at 80% less than name brands! Plus, get access to U.S.-based doctors 24/7 when you go through MyStart. No insurance is required and there are no hidden fees.

Dr. Ritu Chopra (from the show "The Doctors") says this is the future of weight loss. Join now before prices go up! You could qualify in 5-minutes or less.

Take the quiz to get up to 80% off weight loss medications

Smart Drivers, Smarter Savings.
Compare car insurance rates in Ohio
See if you qualify for a lower rate in less than 2 minutes
By clicking the button above, I understand and agree that this site uses site visit recording technology (provided by Trusted Form, Jornaya, and Microsoft Clarity) Privacy Policy
NEW
ONLINE
OFFER
3% cash back
6%
cash back!
in your category of choice for a year
Plus, get a $200 online
cash rewards bonus offer