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.
Cancel your car insurance
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 Insurify and now I’m able to pay just $51 a month for two cars.1 <p>Actual savings and coverage options vary based on factors such as driving history, location, and insurer policies. The rates shown in this example may not reflect what every user will qualify for.</p> Too 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:
- Click the link below and enter your zip code, date of birth, and phone number.
- Answer a few questions about your car’s make and model to get matched with top offers.
- 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.
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.
Member-Only Benefits You Might Not Know About
- 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.
Don’t pay a CENT to contractors for home repairs until you do this
Sounds crazy. And maybe you’re not even sure if this is real. But … you’re probably curious anyway. Choice Home Warranty makes it so you might be able to save $100s in home repairs!
They’ve been around since 2008 (so you know they’re legit) and they offer affordable plans to cover appliances and systems in your home that could break down from routine wear and tear.
Think of it like this: Say your air conditioning unit breaks down during a heatwave. Instead of paying $1,500 for repairs, you may only need to pay a $100 service fee with Choice Home Warranty, and their techs come and fix it ASAP. This could save you $1,400 almost instantly!
Choose a plan here and you can still lock in their ultra-low 2024 rates (for a limited time). Then, whenever a covered system in your home breaks down, all you have to do is make your claim online or give them a call. Their team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.2 <p>CHW reserves the right to offer cash back in lieu of repair or replacement in the amount of CHW's actual cost (which at times may be less than retail) to repair or replace any covered system, component or appliance. In the event that CHW makes such payment, CHW will provide written notification of the basis for the amount of the payment. First Month Free with purchase of any single payment home warranty plan. The product being offered is a service contract and is separate and distinct from any product or service warranty which may be provided by the home builder or manufacturer.</p>
Choose a plan from Choice Home Warranty here and lock in 2024 rates
P.S. Use the links above and you’ll get $50 off and 1 month free. We don’t know how long this will last, so take advantage of it today before it disappears.
Unlock up to $1,070 value over the next year with this incredible card
There's a credit card that's making waves with its amazing welcome bonus and benefits. The Discover it® Cash Back(Rates and fees) card has no annual fee, and Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. This generous welcome offer and the top-notch cash back rewards provides an estimated $1,070 value in the first year!
The excellent $1,070 first-year value is estimated through the FinanceBuzz Credit Card Rewards Valuation Model based on spending, the welcome bonus, and the annual fee. The actual value will be determined by how much and in which categories you spend, but this card makes racking up valuable rewards easy! 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. Plus, you'll earn 1% cash back on all other purchases automatically. The welcome offer combined with the up to 5% cash back reward rate could be worth up to 10% cash back in the first year!
This card also offers an intro APR of 0% for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then APR 18.24% - 27.24% Variable. To top it all off, the Discover it® Cash Back is accepted by 99% of merchants, and there's no annual fee.
Pay no interest on balance transfers until 2027
Imagine getting an intro 0% APR for 21 months from date of account opening on balance transfers (APR then 17.24% - 27.99% (Variable)). Sounds great — right? You could dramatically change your financial picture with this industry-leading low-interest card - the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card.
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 on balance transfers for 21 months from date of account opening, then a 17.24% - 27.99% (Variable) APR (balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening). 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!
It doesn't just stop with balance transfers, though. Cardholders also get a generous intro APR of 0% for 12 months from date of account opening on purchases. After the intro period for purchases and balance transfers, the APR is 17.24% - 27.99% (Variable).
The best part? There's no annual fee with the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card(Rates and fees).
Click here to Apply Now to the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card
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.
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?
TurboDebt3 <p>IMPORTANT ADVERTISER DISCLAIMERS: Programs range from 24-48 months. Clients who are able to stay with the program and get all their debt settled realize approximate savings of 46% before fees, or 25% including program fees, over 24 to 48 months. All claims are based on enrolled debts. Not all debts are eligible for enrollment. Not all clients complete the program for various reasons, including their ability to save sufficient funds. Estimates based on prior results, which will vary based on specific circumstances. Programs 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. Programs do not assume consumer debt, make monthly payments to creditors or provide tax, bankruptcy, accounting or legal advice or credit repair services. Programs are not available in all states, and fees may vary by state. 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, programs may be available to recommend a local tax professional and/or bankruptcy attorney. You may be subject to collections or lawsuits by creditors or collectors. Your outstanding debt may increase from the accrual of fees and interest. Read and understand all program materials prior to enrollment, including potential adverse impact on credit rating.</p> <p>Certain types of debts are not eligible for enrollment. Some creditors are not eligible for enrollment because they do not negotiate with debt relief companies. </p> <p>The company and its affiliates are not lenders, creditors, or debt collectors. This is not a loan. Our representatives have helped thousands of consumers throughout their careers.</p><p class="">Turbo debt is a debt relief program and does not provide any direct ways to earn cash or make money online.</p> can 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!
Earn up to $360 in cash back on everyday purchases with this rare account
You can now earn cash back on everyday purchases without using a credit card. With the Discover® CashBack Debit One Checking account (member FDIC), you can earn 1% cash back on up to $3,000 in debit card purchases each month!4 <p>See website for details.</p>
You don’t have to worry about a credit check to apply, and there are no monthly fees. Start earning nearly passive income on purchases you’re making anyway — up to an extra $360 a year!5 <p>See <a href="https://www.discover.com/content/dam/dfs/online-banking/documents/NationalDepositAccountAgreement.pdf">Deposit Account Agreement</a> for details on transaction eligibility, limitations, and terms.</p>
There are other great perks too, like getting access to your paycheck up to 2 days early, and no minimum deposit or monthly balance requirements.
Don’t wait to apply: In 2022, Discover temporarily suspended new account applications. Luckily, they reopened applications again. (But you shouldn’t wait to apply!)
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 tool6 <p>LendingTree, LLC is a Marketing Lead Generator and is a Duly Licensed Mortgage Broker, as required by law, with its main office located at 1415 Vantage Park Drive, Suite 700, Charlotte, NC 28203, NMLS Unique Identifier #1136. LendingTree, LLC is known as LT Technologies in lieu of true name LendingTree, LLC in NY. LendingTree technology and processes are patented under U.S. Patent Nos. 6,385,594 and 6,611,816 and licensed under U.S. Patent Nos. 5,995,947 and 5,758,328. © 2024 LendingTree, LLC. All Rights Reserved. This site is directed at, and made available to, persons in the continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii only. Terms and Conditions may apply. </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.
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.