I've Been a Costco Shopper for 18 Years. Here Are the Best Tricks I've Learned

Here's Why Costco Is Cracking Down on Membership Sharing

It's kind of hard to believe I've been shopping at Costco for 18 years now -- especially since that means I've been a suburbanite for at least that long. Ouch.

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But over the past 18 years, I've learned some useful tricks that help me save big at Costco. And I'm happy to share them with you so you can do the same. Here are my top five pieces of advice, whether you shop at Costco on occasion or all the time.

1. Never buy anything from Costco.com unless it's an online-only item

Shopping at Costco.com can be convenient. You don't have to leave the house or lug heavy items back to your car.

But the prices at Costco.com are typically higher than the prices you'll find in stores, since Costco builds the cost of shipping and handling into its online orders. And no, you won't necessarily see a separate shipping charge. Instead, the items you want will be marked up compared to the in-store prices.

Of course, certain Costco.com items are online-only products. So in that case, by all means, place your order online. But unless you're looking at a product with the online-only designation, it pays to head over to the store and see what price it's available for.

2. When you shop in person, don't linger at the front of the store

When you first walk into Costco, you're generally bombarded with sale items across a range of categories. Over the past few months, I've seen everything from slippers to throw blankets to cat toys marked down at the front of the store.

That's problematic, though, because when are you most likely to throw an extra item into your cart on a whim? Why, when it's empty, of course. And when does your cart have the most room? When you first walk in and haven't filled it.

That's why I make a point to not look carefully at the sale items at the front of the door, and to move through it as quickly as possible. I know full well that buying something that wasn't part of my plan just because it's on sale does not mean I'm saving money. If anything, it means I'm spending money I wasn't supposed to.

3. Don't go to Costco when you're hungry

Shopping for groceries when you're already jonesing for a meal could lead to unplanned buys. At a regular supermarket, that means you risk grabbing an extra bag of chips or box of cookies on your way to the checkout lane. At Costco, it could mean grabbing a few extra snacks in mass quantities -- and shelling out a decent chunk of money in the process.

A better bet? Eat something before you head to Costco. And if you arrive at the store and find that you're ravenous, grab a cheap bite at the food court before doing your shopping.

If you're a meat-eater, Costco's $1.50 hot dog and soda combo can't be beat. And if not, there are always the $1.99 pizza slices, which happen to be gigantic.

And yes, buying a food court meal at Costco does mean spending extra money. But you're better off parting with $1.50 or $1.99 than impulse-buying a $14.99 bag of trail mix that's not in your budget.

4. Always take a chance on the Executive membership

Costco's Executive membership costs twice as much as a basic Gold Star one -- $130 a year vs. $65. In exchange, though, you get to earn 2% cash back on Costco purchases.

The Executive membership makes sense for me because I shop at Costco almost every week. But even if you don't shop there as often as I do, it pays to shell out the extra money and see how much cash back you rack up. If you don't earn enough cash back to recoup the extra $65 the Executive membership costs, you can downgrade to a Gold Star membership and get refunded the difference. So there's really no risk and only the potential for reward.

5. Don't just settle for Executive membership cash back

The main benefit of Costco's Executive membership is the 2% cash back. But that's not the only way to score cash back on the purchases you make. Using the right credit card is crucial at Costco, since it could put a lot of extra money in your pocket in the course of a year.

Click here for a list of the best credit cards for Costco. It pays to apply for at least one so you're able to maximize your savings at the store.

And there you have it -- 18 years of Costco shopping experience wrapped up into five simple tips. So go ahead and give these a try if you're eager to get the maximum value out of your Costco membership while keeping your spending to a minimum.

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We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from Motley Fool Money is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Maurie Backman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.