Shopping at Costco can save you a lot of money.
But, to do so, you’ll need to have a membership for the warehouse company, and they don’t come cheap.
A basic membership will set you back around $60 for the year.
It’s not too expensive, however, many people wonder if there’s any way to get one without having to pay the full $60.
Now, there are ways to shop at Costco without a membership, but you’re usually limited to what you can get.
In this post, we’re going to cover ways you can get Costco membership deals and discounts.
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What will I learn?
Costco Gold Star Membership Deal
Groupon used to feature a one-year Costco Gold Star membership deal with a $20 Costco Cash Card and exclusive coupons.
It was a new Costco membership package, (so it wasn’t valid for the renewal of an existing membership) valued up to $144.98.
With the deal, you’d pay $60 for a one year Gold Star Membership Package, but it’s valued up to $144.98.
With the deal, new members got:
- A One-Year Gold Star Membership. This includes a membership card for the Primary Cardholder and one free Household Card for anyone that’s 18 years old or more, and lives at the same address.
- A $20 Cash Card
- Exclusive coupons for different products, like Kirkland batteries and fresh meat. These coupons are valued at $64.98.
- $25 off an order worth $250 on Costco.com
You can check out the deal here.
LivingSocial also used to offer the same deal, which you can check out here.
Unfortunately, this deal isn’t on offer anymore with Groupon or LivingSocial.
So, what can you do?
The first thing is to check back with Groupon and LivingSocial often, as a similar deal might be available in the future.
That’s not all though…
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Places You Can Find Great Costco Deals
The internet is a great place to find deals for the warehouse company.
You can find discounts on pretty much everything at the store, which means you can offset the cost of your membership, and sometimes there are membership deals on offer.
Check out these deals and coupons sites that actually work for finding great deals at Costco:
- Coupons.com
- Offers.com
- RetailMeNot
- Giving Assistant
- DealsPlus
- DealCatcher
- The Krazy Coupon Lady
- Hip2Save
- Brad’s Deals
- DealNews
What types of deals can you get?
The above sites are really great for saving money at Costco.
You’ll find discounts on specific items, and deals that get you a dollar amount or cashback percentage back on your entire purchase, as well as other deals.
You can sometimes find Costco membership deals.
Here are some examples of the deals on offer at the time of writing:
- DealCatcher: $10 Costco Cash Card with Gold Star Membership.
- Giving Assistant: Get $20 Off Your Purchase.
- Hip2Save: LEGOLAND California 3-Day Hopper Ticket Just $79.99 (Regularly $110).
- RetailMeNot: Up to $250 Off Select Laptops, Desktops & Monitors.
- DealsPlus: Up To $250 Off Appliances With Minimum Purchase.
So, like we said, you can get deals on memberships, such as the $20 cash card with executive membership at DealCatcher.
There aren’t always membership deals available though.
However, there are always coupons that get you money off, like the deal from Giving Assistant where you can get $20 off your purchase.
If you got $20 off your purchase, then technically you only paid $40 for your membership.
That’s one of our biggest tips for saving on your membership.
Basically, offset the $60 cost of it by using the coupons, codes, and other deals on the sites we mentioned above.
In just a few purchases, the savings you get will more than cover the cost of your membership.
Costco Membership Discounts
The company itself offers membership deals to various groups. They have discounts for teachers, students and military members.
Costco Teacher Discount: If you are a teacher, you can receive more than $60 in savings by joining Costco as a new member.
Costco Military Discount: According to the company, members of the military who join the warehouse as a new member can get coupons for free products and other savings, which are valued at more than $60. Active duty, veteran, and retired military members, as well as their spouse or a dependent, are eligible for this offer.
Costco Student Deal: Students can get a $20 Costco Cash Card when they join the warehouse as a new Gold Star Member online at Costco.com. You’ll need to join UNiDAYS or login to get access to this offer. By the way, if you’re a student, don’t miss out on these awesome discounts for students.
Unfortunately, there is no senior discount for Costco membership.
Citi Offer
Here’s a limited time offer by Citi. When you purchase a new membership, Citi will give you a $10 Costco Cash Card. If you an Executive Member, you’ll get a $20 Cash Card.
Common Membership Questions
Here are answers to the few commonly asked questions about the company.
Can I get a free Costco membership?
Unfortunately, the company does not offer free memberships. But just like Sam’s Club, Costco also has a great refund policy. If you don’t like what you get after you join, you can cancel your membership at any time. you’ll get 100% of your money back.
How much is a Costco membership?
Here are the membership fees as of September of 2019.
- Gold Star: $60 (annual) membership fee.
- Gold Star Executive: $120 (annual) membership fee.
- Business: $60 (annual) membership fee.
- Business Executive: $120 (annual) membership fee.
You can learn more about each type of membership and the benefits they offer by visiting this page.
Can you shop at Costco without a membership?
Technically, no, you can’t. But just like there are ways to shop at Sam’s Club with a membership, there are ways to do it with Costco as well!
Can I get a day pass to Costco?
No, the company doesn’t offer that. But there is a simple “hack” that can get you a “day pass”. Ask friends or family members who are members to buy you a Cash Card. You can then use this card to shop at any Costco location.
Is it worth getting Costco membership?
It really depends on your situation. In most cases I would say, yes it is worth it, especially if you have a large family and like to buy stuff in bulk. In fact, I would say the membership pays for itself very quickly.
Is Costco really cheaper?
Yes and no. For most products, I’d say yes, they are cheaper. In fact, Costco is cheaper than Amazon when it comes to many products including baby, pet, beauty and toiletries.
Is it better than Sam’s Club?
I wouldn’t say it’s better. They each have their own store brands and with good prices. Now, Sam’s Club membership is slightly cheaper at around $45 a year. But if there is no Sam’s around you, Costco will offer the exact same experience and category of products and low prices.
Closing Thoughts
Like we said, you can save a lot of money shopping with Costco. However, the cost of membership is a downside.
But, if you use the sites we talked about above, then you can easily offset the cost of a membership with the warehouse, and even get some great Costco membership deals.
I used to have a Sam\’s Club membership. The store was a bit closer and the membership price was better. When our Sam\’s Club store closed, I decided to try Costco. I wish I had switched earlier. Although the stores are similar in selling bulk items with many special buys that are available until the supplies run out, I find that the quality of Costco products much better. The employees are friendlier and actually seem happy to help you. I just recently used their Optical Department for new glasses and the service I received was top notch. Plus the prices for frames, lenses, coating, etc. was more than 3X lower than my local optometrist\’s office. I\’m sticking with Costco.
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