Costco is one of the most respected names in the retail industry, and certainly one of the most beloved. Not only do its customers pay between $65 and $130 just for the privilege of shopping at the store, an incredible 92.7% of American and Canadian customers renewed their membership in Q3 2025.
There are many reasons behind this intense loyalty, but one of the most important is Costco’s reputation for having low prices. This is more than an illusion — Costco caps its markups at 14% for branded items and 15% for Kirkland Signature products. Yet, even with low prices, Costco shoppers know that it’s far too common to walk out of the store with overloaded carts and budget-busting receipts.
Here’s how to avoid the trap of overspending at Costco while still taking advantage of its great deals.
Check Out: 50 Kirkland Signature Products Costco Shoppers Say Are Worth Every Penny
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Comparison Shop
Even though Costco limits its markups, it doesn’t mean that it offers the lowest available price on every single item it sells. While its everyday price on, for example, blueberries may be low, your local supermarket might have a weekly deal or coupon that offers an even lower price.
Instead of simply assuming that everything at Costco is cheap, know what local prices and deals look like before you head inside. You may even want to bring the weekly flyer from your local supermarket chains with you when you shop so you have the comparison price right in front of you while you shop at Costco.
Learn More: 8 Luxury Items at Costco That You Can Buy for Less
Fight the Treasure Hunt
One of the reasons customers love shopping at Costco is the “treasure hunt” aspect it offers. Costco doesn’t label its aisles and constantly rotates the products it offers, both in terms of what’s on the shelves and where they’re actually located. This encourages shoppers to wander up and down every single aisle simply to see what’s there. This type of behavior inevitably leads to increased spending, as you encounter one treasure or deal after another.
The best way to fight this? Bring a list when you go to Costco. Instead of roaming all over the store, stick to looking for exactly what you came to buy.
Don’t Overbuy Perishables
Costco typically offers a wide range of produce in its stores, often at great prices. But if you buy too much produce, some of it will inevitably go bad before you have the chance to eat it. Not only is that wasteful, it also greatly increases your cost-per-unit.
If you buy five pounds of bananas but only eat one every other day, for example, you might end up effectively doubling the per-banana cost if you waste half of what you buy.
Bring a Friend
Costco isn’t really designed for the single-person household. Even “individual” items like hot sauce are typically sold in giant, two-bottle containers, while household basics like toilet paper come in ridiculous, 30-roll packages. But if you can shop with a friend — or even a group — then you can still reap the rewards of cheap per-serving prices without needing a storage shed for your Costco supply.
Wait for Sales
Costco changes prices quite frequently, and you’ve got to be ready to pounce when things go on sale. Some sales are fairly predictable, such as the end of summer when grills and patio furniture hit the clearance racks. Others appear in regular rotation, such as various lotions and skin care treatments, which may drop in price by 20% or 30% every few months.
An oft-touted trick is to take note of the decimal pricing on products — prices ending in 0.99 are regularly priced, but those ending in 0.97 are on sale. Prices that end with 0.00 are clearance/blowout items that are priced at a major discount and won’t be restocked after they sell out.
Choose Kirkland Over Name Brands
The Kirkland Signature brand isn’t just a private label created to boost Costco’s profits. It’s actually proven to be a great way to deliver quality products to customers at a price the name brands can’t touch.
In fact, rumor has it that many of the products under the Kirkland Signature label are actually manufactured by major national brands, so there’s often little to no drop-off in quality. Some customers even swear that the Kirkland brand is better than the name brands.
Costco usually puts its Kirkland products right next to major competitors in its warehouses so you can instantly see how much you can save.
The Bottom Line
Costco can be a great place to save money and buy quality products. But the warehouses are also full of temptations that can drain your wallet. Costco’s famous $1.50 hot dog and soda combination is unequivocally a great deal, for example, but the company is well aware that most shoppers don’t just come for the hot dog and leave empty-handed. But if you can implement some of the disciplined strategies listed above, you needn’t fear overspending at your neighborhood Costco.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How To Get Good Deals at Costco Without Overspending
