During my time as a Costco member, I’ve found three main ways to save money:
You can buy essential products in bulk at a cheaper unit price.
You can take advantage of Costco discounts on services (car insurance, renovation, pharmacy).
You can purchase certain products when they go on sale.
As for the latter, Costco is very, very You can predict what products they’ll highlight during a sale. Their promotions are so predictable that it would be foolish to buy certain Costco products at full price. Like these four.
1. Southwest Gift Cards
Costco Costco loves selling its Southwest gift cards at a discount. Normally, you would pay $449.99 for a $500 e-gift card, which is a good deal in itself. But if you wait until Costco has a promotion, you could snag this gift card for $429.99, a savings of $70.
You have to be quick though, as the promotion usually only lasts a few days. For example, the last time this promotion ran, it was from June 22nd to 23rd, which is a whopping two days to get your gift card. Before that, it was from May 2nd to 5th.
Note: Costco members can purchase up to five Southwest gift cards, but are limited to A transaction. If you have already purchased this gift card, you will not be able to make a second purchase. If you can afford it, purchasing five gift cards for $429.99 would save you about $350.
2. MacBook Pro
Costco may not have the largest selection of laptops, but it does carry the latest Apple MacBook Pro. While its prices are generally comparable to (or slightly lower than) other retailers, its MacBook sales can make it the best price around.
For example, let’s say you’re looking for a 14-inch MacBook Pro with the following specs: M3 chip, 8GB of memory, 10-core GPU, 1TB SSD storage, and Space Gray color. Apple and Best Buy are selling this exact model for $1,799, while Costco lists it normally (i.e. without a sale) on its website for $1,749. That’s $50 in savings right off the bat. — and it’s without a promotion.
With a sale, you could easily save $200 on your MacBook. For example, through July 21, 2024, Costco has several MacBooks on sale, with discounts ranging from $150 to $200. For example, the 14-inch model above is currently priced at $1,599.99, saving you $200. Since this is a big purchase, you could also earn significant cash back by using one of the best credit cards for costco.
3. Any brand of tire
Costco regularly offers promotions on sets of four tires. These promotions usually apply to a specific brand, such as Michelin or Bridgestone, and can range from $50 to $100. Plus, Costco usually applies the discount directly to your purchase. This instant savings differs from other tire stores, which often offer you a mail-in rebate or a prepaid card.
To be fair, promotions are usually offered by the manufacturer and therefore may also be offered in other tire stores. But Costco has an advantage in that it waives installation fees. Since these fees can be as high as $80 for a set of four tires at other tire stores, you might save more by shopping at Costco even if you can find the same tire deal elsewhere.
4. Tempur-Pedic Mattress
Costco also likes to promote Tempur-Pedic mattresses. Although it doesn’t always give you a discount on the price of the mattress itself, Costco usually gives out shopping cards when you purchase certain mattresses. For example, you can now get a $300 bonus Costco Shop card when you purchase a Tempur-Pedic mattress online. This offer is valid until July 7, 2024 and your Shop Card will arrive within four to six weeks of your purchase.
How to stay up to date with new Costco deals
To stay informed about deals regularly, download the Costco shopping app and enable push notifications. This means you’ll be notified when Costco has new deals. The app has improved significantly over the last year and can keep sales in mind, saving you from buying something at full price.
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4 Costco Products You Should Never Buy at Full Price was originally published by The Motley Fool
