Find out the best Costco hours to shop to whether or not you really need Costco coupons, these hacks will make your shopping experience even better

If you have a Costco membership, then you already know all about the joys of shopping for steals while sampling the goods. What you might not be aware of, however, are the secret tips to navigating your favorite shopping destination, and the extra “hidden” ways you can use that membership to earn even more. Here are some of the best Costco hacks and tips to save you money.

You Can Get Curbside Pick Up

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Due to COVID, Costco is now offering curbside pickup on selected items for members. Most of it is electronics and jewelry, but it's still a nice perk. 

Get Immunizations

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Cross two errands off your list when you make an appointment at the Costco pharmacy for annual immunizations. You can get a flu vaccine for the whole family and other important milestone immunizations. The pharmacy accepts all major insurances. 

Know Your Price Codes

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Did you know there are all sorts of little tips and tricks when it comes to figuring out those price codes? Yup, there's a system. Think asterisk = seasonal and 97 cents means a markdown, etc. There are more, according to Wallet Hacks

Related: Costco May Keep Its Hot Dog & Soda Combo Price $1.50 ‘Forever’

Shop without a Membership

a Cool costco hack is that Instacart delivers
Instacart

Want the perks of shopping at Costco without the cost of a membership? There's an easy way to make it happen. If you don't mind using Instacart, simply fire up the app and place your Costco order, no membership is needed. Of course, with a $5.99 delivery fee, it still isn't completely free, but you're also gaining the convenience of shopping from home—although you won't get to nibble on all those samples.

Save on Gift Cards

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It’s nearly impossible to get gift cards on sale since you are essentially just trading in cash for a card of the same value. At Costco, however, you can purchase a pack of gift cards to various retailers at a discounted rate.

Ditch the Coupon Book

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Forgot your coupon book? No worries. Nowadays, according to Wallet Hacks, there are no barcodes and the savings are automatically applied to your bill. The book is just your monthly list of deals and savings.

Skip the Food Court Line

skipping the food court line is a great costco hack
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After navigating your way through Costco and the enormous checkout line with kids in tow, the last thing you want to do is wait in another line to grab lunch, especially if your tots are hangry. Luckily there's a ridiculously simple way to skip the food court line. While you're checking out, place your order and pay, then all you have to do is show your receipt and grab your food at the pick-up area.

Related: Here’s the Real Reason Costco Checks Your Receipts Before You Leave

Spend Less on Prescriptions

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With this Costco hack, Costco’s prescription program, members are offered deep discounts on their prescription medications without insurance coverage.

See a Double Feature

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A trip to the movies for a family can get pretty pricey, but at Costco, you can purchase a 10-pack of movie tickets for a discounted price and they never expire. With the money you’ll save, that overpriced popcorn and drinks won’t be quite so bad.

The Best Time to Shop

costco hacks
The Krazy Coupon Lady via YouTube

Love Costco's prices, but not the crowds? Beat the lines and packed aisles by shopping on the best day and time. According to Business Insider, try to bypass the weekends and shop on weekdays if possible. It's also best to avoid evenings, so load up your tots and hit Costco early or mid-morning.

You'll Never Overspend

costco hacks save you money
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While we can't guarantee you won't buy one too many bottles of Kirkland wine, you definitely won't get charged for more than what you take home thanks to the one thing Costco employees always do before you leave the store. As it turns out checking that receipt and drawing that smiley face has nothing to do with making sure you're not stealing. Instead, Costco does this to ensure that you haven't been double charged for any items.

Another way Costco makes sure you won't overspend is with its 30-day price adjustment policy. According to Eat This, Not That!, if an item goes on sale within 30 days of when you purchased it, Costco will pay you the difference, no receipt needed.

Related: 11 Ridiculous Things You Can Buy on Your Next Costco Run

Save Money on Your Next Car

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No one likes car shopping, but when you use your Costco membership, you might actually have some fun. The Costco Auto Program works with thousands of pre-owned car dealerships to negotiate low prices for you, so you don’t have to sweat the haggling.

Make Sure You're Scoring a Deal

one costco hack is to look for discounts
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Want to make sure you're getting the best deal possible? According to Eat This, Not That! you'll know a Costco item has been discounted if the price ends in $0.97. If the price tag also has an asterisk, then it won't be restocked. 

Family Vacation on a Budget

Disney facts and Disney trivia for kids
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Want to see the world? This Costco hack can help you do it for less. With Costco Travel your membership can get you deals on theme park tickets, airplane tickets, car rentals, hotels, and cruises. We're talking up to 30% off hotels both in the U.S. and abroad as well as package deals on family-friendly vacations like Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace Package with Walt Disney World tickets. 

Get Checks for Less

affordable checks are a costco hack
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Even in the age of digital payments, there are still those few moments when a check is required, and Costco will print you a pack of checks for less than your bank charges.

Related: The Best Times to Shop at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Costco & More Grocery Stores

Get Tech Help for Free

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There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to figure out why your WiFi is out or Netflix isn’t loading. Costco offers free technical support for any televisions, computers, tablets, appliances, and more purchased in-store and online. No warranties or extra fees are required.

Shop Costco Next

Two women shopping online
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Costco Next is an online way to shop from Costco's most trusted suppliers and you'll get to choose from a wide range of exclusive items that are often low in stock. Costco Next allows you to purchase directly from the suppliers' site while still enjoying your Costco membership values.

Additional reporting by Taylor Clifton

 

 

Costco’s exit greeters will even draw a happy face on your receipt if you’ve got kids in tow

Here’s something you’ve probably wondered at least once or twice: why does Costco check receipts? You just spent the last four hours shopping for bulk for all your bulk good needs and now that your cart is full and you’ve paid your due, the smiling exit greeter gives your receipt the once over. What’s the deal?

So it might seem like the Costco exit greeter and receipt checker is trying to catch you shoplifting. But that really isn’t so. Imagine trying to “sneak” a case of ramen noodles out. Not so easy, right?

Related: 17 “Secret” Costco Hacks & Membership Perks You Need to Know About

Instead, the exit greeter’s job is to actually save you money. They’re not looking at the receipt to make sure the gallon of ketchup filling your cart is actually listed on your receipt. Instead, they’re looking for duplicate charges, promotions the cashier may not have caught, or other similar errors. They’re also looking for products that you purchased but may not have received by way of a mis-scanned item or items held at checkout. In fact, Costco has been providing this service since they opened their first store in Seattle in 1983.

A recent Reddit thread illustrates this point completely. After one Reddit user asked, “How much is caught at the exit receipt check?” another responded, “I sometimes get the $100 for $80 gift cards and they always ask if I remembered those, since you have to go to the lock-up to pick up the gift cards after you pay.”

Before you give the exit greeter that sideways, “Hey, what are you really searching for?” look, remember—they’re here to help.

Related: 11 Ridiculous Things You Can Buy on Your Next Costco Run

 

When you’re keeping a family going, it can feel like you’re constantly restocking on household goods. Do you have enough paper towels? What about diapers? And who could forget all of the laundry detergent? Thanks to a limited-time program from P&G at Sam’s Club, you can save money on the essentials that keep you, your family and your household running while giving back.

To help you get ready for summer, P&G is offering more than $35 in Instant Savings on your go-to items at Sam’s Club: Tide Pods with Oxi for deep cleaning after summer fun, Pampers Swaddlers Diapers for a happy baby or Olay Regenerist Microsculpting Cream for a little self-care!

P&G isn’t just saving families money—they’re also giving back to charities including Operation Homefront, United Way and Feeding America. All you have to do is scan your Sam’s Club receipt containing at least one P&G item at PGGoodEveryday.com, pick your charity and P&G does the rest.

With the help of P&G Good Everyday, P&G has already donated 238,307 baths to oil-covered birds, 131,896 educational packets to United Way and planted over 13,000 trees through the Arbor Day Foundation! 

Now when you shop for everyday items you love, you can save money and do good. Load up on your favorite products at your local Sam’s Club or samsclub.com before June 13, pick a charity and scan your receipt at PGGoodEveryday.com!

Sponsored by P&G at Sam’s Club

Warm weather is on the horizon, but why should your taste buds miss out on all the summer fun? Say hello to a sweet and spicy treat that will have you craving a summer vaycay.

Pringles Wavy Pineapple Habañero brings together sweet pineapple and smoky peppers for the ultimate summer snack!

photo: Courtesy of Pringles

Gareth Maguire, senior director of marketing for Pringles, “We love epic flavor combinations at Pringles, and these new tropical-inspired crisps are no exception. The sweet and spicy flavor will have  snackers in vacation mode all summer long, making backyard grills and local beach trips feel like a getaway.” 

Pringles Wavy Pineapple Habanero are available only at Walgreens and Duane Reade stores for a limited time for $1.59 per can.

To kick summer off with even more style Pringles is giving fans the chance to win a vacation to Hawaii or Mexico when they purchase a can of the new flavor.  To enter, take a photo of your receipt and upload it to KFR.com/holaloha by Oct. 14. 

––Karly Wood

 

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Kellogg’s is releasing a new cereal just in time for Pride month! Together With Pride will hit store shelves nationwide this May—and you can’t miss this soon-to-be fave breakfast treat.

Fans of the beloved brand may already know the All Together Cereal well. While the All Together option was previously only available online, you can nab a box of Together With Pride in the cereal aisle of select retailers across the country.

photo courtesy of Kellogg’s

The new cereal selection marks an extension of the existing collaboration between the Kellogg’s brand and GLAAD. Kellogg’s will donate three dollars from each box of Together With Pride sold to GLAAD. Shoppers must upload a copy of their receipt for the cereal purchase to Kellogg’s Family Rewards to support the donation.

As if a cereal with a good cause wasn’t enough, this Kellogg’s breakfast pick also features a fab berry flavor and edible glitter-dusted rainbow hearts. Together With Pride cereal is available May 2021 for the suggested retail price of $3.99 (for a 7.8-ounce box).

—Erica Loop

 

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We have some buzz-worthy news from the cereal aisle! For a limited time, Cheerios is once again transforming their iconic “Os” into happy heart shapes in celebration of its new heart healthy campaign. You might get heart eyes just looking at them!

Cheerios will also be giving away a free box of Honey Nut Cheerios via rebate during the month of February, while supplies last, to drive awareness of National Heart Health Month.

With more than 100 million Americans having some form of heart disease, Cheerios wants to help bring the heart health conversation to the forefront in a fun, lighthearted way by changing up the shape of their iconic “Os” in boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios and original yellow-box Cheerios, along with new additional flavors including Blueberry, Chocolate and Cinnamon starting in late January.

“When we launched the happy-heart shaped O’s last year, it helped to educate millions of our fans about the importance of not only following a heart-healthy diet, but also about the benefits of eating Cheerios,” said Kathy Dixon, Senior Brand Experience Manager, Cheerios. “Cheerios is on a mission to not only put a smile on people’s faces but to inspire them to find new and fun ways to support their hearts.”

The limited-edition Cheerios boxes with happy heart shapes will be available at major retailers nationwide starting in late January, while supplies last. They retail for $3.99 / 10.8oz box or $4.99 / 19.8oz box.

The Honey Nut Cheerios free box giveaway will also be available via rebate up to $7.00 excluding tax. Americans can redeem by scanning their receipt during the month of February, while supplies last, to receive their rebate via Venmo, PayPal or US mail. 

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Images provided by General Mills

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During these unprecedented times food banks continue to be a lifeline for families struggling to put food on the table. Parents from coast to coast rely on Feeding America member food banks to help provide nutritious food, including dairy, for their children to grow strong. Starting this January, Yoplait is teaming up with Jennifer Lopez to help provide funds to food banks through the Lids to Feed America program

JLo Yoplait

The Lids to Feed America program makes it easy for consumers to support local Feeding America member food banks, where families can access essential foods. And it all starts with a short trip to the grocery store.

  • Look for the specially marked Yoplait products at your local grocery retailer, scan and submit your receipt at YoplaitLids.com and Yoplait will donate to Feeding America. 
  • For each eligible purchase on a receipt and submitted receipt, Yoplait will donate 10 cents to Feeding America for a maximum total donation up to $600K.
  • For more information, visit YoplaitLids.com.

“I’m honored to partner with Yoplait for Lids to Feed America. Through my work with them I’ve learned that dairy is one of the most requested but least donated items at food banks,” said Lopez. “Dairy is a crucial part of helping kids grow and that’s why we’re launching this campaign – to donate funds to Feeding America, so they can provide foods, including dairy, to help our communities grow stronger.”

Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through the Lids to Feed America Program, Yoplait aims to help families that rely on Feeding America’s network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs.

“Feeding America reports that in the wake of the pandemic the number of children facing hunger may rise to 18 million, or 1 in 4 children overall*1,” said Susan Pitt, director of brand experience, General Mills. “As a brand dedicated to providing the delicious and nutritious snacks kids need to grow strong, we knew we had to step in. With that, Lids to Feed America was born. Our hope is that this initiative helps communities with funding to get essential foods, including dairy, to children and families nationwide.”

Follow along with the program and learn more about how you can participate at YoplaitLids.com or by following Yoplait on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: General Mills

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Amazon Prime Day is over, but we’re now in full holiday shopping mode. Since studies show that Americans will be spending the same, if not more, this year on gifts, it’s high time to take advantage of that Amazon Prime membership you have.

In addition to free two-day shipping, there are a number of other deals the membership has to offer. Keep scrolling to see them all, then get shopping!

Share Your Membership with Family

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Amazon Prime members can share their membership with another adult and up to four teens and kiddos in your household. Each person has their own log in (so you can keep purchases a secret) but parents can also monitor each profile.

Ask Alexa for Extra Discounts

Alexa, what are my deals? You can check in with your fave virtual assistant on Alexa-enabled devices at any time and she'll share all the Prime-exclusive deals with you, which you can add directly to you cart (or later, if you want). 

Get Early Access to Deals

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Ever wonder what "Prime Early Access" means on that product you've been eying? Early deals! Prime members can access sales 30 minutes before non-Prime members to snag items before everyone else.

Get Safe Package Delivery

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No one wants to fall victim to package theft and Key by Amazon allows delivery employees to drop them safely in your garage or home. When you use Key, you get notified of every step of delivery, receive a video receipt and have the ability to monitor the delivery.

Get Groceries in a Few Hours

Amazon

Busy parents will love the option to get groceries same day. While not every item or area is available, many are––including pet food. Just head to primenow.amazon.com to check your eligibility. 

Choose your Own Delivery Date

Amazon

Prime Members can take advantage of Amazon Day, where you can select a specific day for deliveries to reduce the risk of theft. You even have the option to have orders placed on different days come on the same day, too!

Track Packages with Your Echo

Amazon

Check in on your Echo devices by asking "Alexa, where's my package?" and you'll get a delivery estimate. You'll know your order has arrived when your Echo's ring pulses yellow. 

––Karly Wood

 

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There’s noting better than a bowl of cereal for breakfast unless of that cereal was totally free. Cinnamon Toast Crunch announced that they will be giving away up to one million free boxes of cereal via rebate during the month of September to thank fans for making Cinnamon Toast Crunch one of America’s favorite cereals. Fans can visit FreeCTC.com throughout September to claim their free box via rebate.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

“There are a million reasons to love Cinnamon Toast Crunch, so giving away one million boxes via rebate to celebrate its epic cinnamon taste was only natural,” said Mindy Murray, senior brand experience manager for Cinnamon Toast Crunch. “After all, the only thing that tastes better than CTC, is free CTC.”

Now through Sept. 30, fans can purchase a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch online or in-store and receive a rebate for the cost of the box (up to $6.50, excluding taxes) when they visit FreeCTC.com and upload their receipt. Fans can redeem the rebate for both in-store and online purchases of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Offer limited to one refund per name, family, address, or household. Offer good in the USA and DC, its territories, and military addresses except RI, CT, ND, and Miami-Dade County where taxed, regulated, void or prohibited.

To announce the promotion, the brand teamed up with the stars of one of the top family-friendly YouTube channels, Collins and Devan Key, who surprised fans with a CTC-inspired prank on TikTok. Huge fans of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Collins and Devan jumped at the chance to transform themselves into a disguised CTC box, sharing the one million boxes news with unsuspecting friends.

To learn more about the Cinnamon Toast Crunch, how to claim your free box via rebate and complete terms and conditions, please visit FreeCTC.com

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Cinnamon Toast Crunch

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Tinybeans is working on actionable ways to better support all families of diversity on both their platform and in their community. On Instagram today, they highlighted a few of the organizations working around the clock for justice. Until Jun. 30, if you donate to a racial justice organization, Tinybeans would like to give your family a free month of Premium. 

Here are some organizations they recommend: 

Innocence Project

Founded in 1992 by Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck at Cardozo School of Law, exonerates the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reforms the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice.

Know Your Rights Camp

Advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders.

Black Lives Matter

Founded in 2013, Black Lives Matter Foundation is a global organization whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.

The Conscious Kid

An education, research and policy organization dedicated to reducing bias and promoting positive identity development in youth.

National Bail Out

A Black-led collective of abolitionist organizers, lawyers and activists building a community-based movement to support the community and end systems of pretrial detention and ultimately mass incarceration.

Unicorn Riot

Non-profit organization that is dedicated to exposing root causes of dynamic social and environmental issues.

According to a statement from Tinybeans, “We believe everyone should grow up in a world better than our current one, this includes loving our differences, acknowledging them, and remembering we are all human. Tinybeans will continue to work towards a more equitable future for your tiny humans, and hope you’ll join us in on our mission.”

Simply send them the receipt from your donation and you’ll earn a free month of Premium.

Tinybeans is the parent company of Red Tricycle.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Tinybeans

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