Roughly 90 million people across the country shop at Costco, but do you know how to get the best deals at the big box store?
Costco on Monday kicked off a new 5 Days of Deals event just for its members, and one of the discounts is for Apple’s AirPods. On Monday, only Costco members can purchase the headphones for $139.99, down from $159.99.
It is one of the best deals online for a new pair when compared to retailers like Adorama and Best Buy. Free shipping is also available.
Though most products at Costco are eminently affordable, you can frequently find lower prices by shopping around online, at local supermarkets, or at mega-chains like Wal-Mart and Target.
Take toothpaste, for example. Costco offers a good deal, but between coupons and sales, you can almost always buy it cheaper somewhere else.
That said, there are quite a few items frequently from Costco’s in-house brand Kirkland that are such steals, no one can compete. In fact, these bargains are so good, they’ll pay for your membership ($55 a year for Gold Star and $110 a year for executive) after just a handful of purchases.
What follows are 10 of those ultra-deals; oft-bought goods you won’t find cheaper, no matter how hard you try. Note that specific prices may vary by store and date.
Here’s a tip: coupon apps like Ibotta and Saving Star include Costco, so you can save even more.
On to medicines and vitamins. The problem with cold and allergy medicine is you never think of buying it until you’re already sneezing. Those last-minute purchases pile up after two or three sinus-blocking illnesses.
Next time flu and/or pollen season rolls around, forget 11th-hour trips to CVS and grab a humongous bottle and/or box of OTC drugs from Costco. While Kirkland painkillers and antihistamines are absolute steals, name brands are also available at drastically reduced prices.
Want proof? Check out this cost comparison of allergy medicine Zyrtec, done in May 2016.
Prescription drugs are also available at Costco, though costs vary widely. Check out GoodRx.com to compare prices with Target, Walmart, and more.
Last year, Costco made $26 billion in sales.