Attention Costco shoppers: 5 money saving tips and tricks that everyone should know, according to experts
Costco is widely recognized as a go-to for bulk shoppers looking to stock up on food and groceries, home essentials and more. More than 10 million Canadians have Costco memberships that give them access to its gas station, a members-only pharmacy, Costco Travel, Costco Services, home improvement and more. But are shoppers making the most of their memberships to get best deals possible?
Nichole Schaubroeck and Tina Chow are two Canadian content creators who have each earned hundreds of thousands of followers by sharing the ins and outs of saving money while you shop.
'It's very hard to find a good deal, so anyway we can save, maybe it's not as extreme as it used to be, it's still good," said Schaubroeck who runs the account Coupon Cutie, in an interview with Yahoo Canada.
Keep reading to learn Chow and Schaubroeck's best tips and trips on how to navigate Costco like a pro.
According to Schaubroeck, Costco's price tags are a good predictor of whether or not an item will go on sale. Items that end in .97 are likely at their lowest price, making it prime time to stock up on what you need.
Another hidden hack is to look for what Costco shoppers call the 'death star,' an asterisk located in the upper right-hand corner of an item's tag.
'All this is telling you is that this item is either no longer going to be at Costco or it won't be back until next year,' said Schaubroeck.
Chow, who created the account Costco Lovers Canada, said that although the foot traffic in the store is constantly changing, sales seem to follow a schedule.
'I know that most sales end on a Sunday... new sales will begin the following week,' said Chow.
There's also what people refer to online as "Markdown Mondays" — when new items go on sale. While this is not a Costco-official event, it still creates a buzz for shoppers to find cost-friendly deals. 'They [Costco] are always doing markdowns," she added.
Additionally, Chow noted that Costco is known for 'following the trends of what's happening in the market,' which can help attract shoppers who are looking for products for a certain occasion. For example, it's not uncommon for Costco to have a sale on hamburger buns, ketchup, mustard and relish ahead of a long weekend.
Chow also recommends shopping as the weather changes to take advantage of out-of-season products at lower prices.
According to Costco customer service, shoppers are entitled to 'risk-free, 100 per cent satisfaction guarantee', meaning that the majority of purchased products can be returned and refunded at any time (excluding electronics and diamond jewelry). This allows shoppers to test out products and see if it is the right fit for them.
'If I'm going out and trying a $700 Dyson [hair dryer]... I want to be able to know that I can return it,' said Chow. 'I will always go to Costco and pay more on a product for their return policy.'
Costco also honours price adjustments on merchandise if the price drops within 30 days of the original purchase and the product is still in the store's warehouse.
Schaubroeck added that this flexibility is a large reason as to why Canadians turn to Costco for their shopping.
'It's always nice to have that reassurance when buying something, that no matter what happens, they will take it back for you,' she said.
One perk to owning a Costco membership is that it can be used worldwide at any location, which can come in handy when going on vacation.
Chow said she often uses her membership when travelling to help save on food and snacks. It's even handy for shopping and saving on souvenirs and local food.
Many Costco shoppers may not know that there's an official Costco app meant to enhance shopping experiences. The Costco app allows you to shop and save using online-only prices, check warehouse inventory and local gasoline prices, refill prescriptions at Costco's pharmacy, create your own shopping list in-app and more.
The app also allows shoppers to receive updates on sales promotions and product entering the store, a perk that Chow said is a 'huge secret' amongst Canadians.
'There are app-exclusive savings,' she said. 'If you follow Costco on Instagram, there are also exclusive savings available there."
Schaubroeck also highlights another app called Checkout 51, a platform that displays cash-back offers on Costco merchandise. While this does not apply to all products, Schaubroeck said it's an incentive worth checking out.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
3 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Apparel brand Oak + Fort to restructure amid tariff woes
VANCOUVER - Canadian apparel brand Oak + Fort says it has obtained creditor protection as it works to restructure the business. The Vancouver-based company says the move is necessary because U.S. tariffs have joined other price pressures and led to a decline in consumer confidence and spending. The tariffs arrived after Oak + Fort pushed to open 26 new Canadian and U.S. stores in the last four years, which the company says resulted in a reduced and ultimately insufficient investment in its e-commerce platforms. Court documents show the company owes more than $25 million to creditors including some landlords who didn't receive May rent payments. Oak + Fort says it will continue to operate stores and an e-commerce business during the restructuring. The retailer has hired Reflect Advisors LLC to assist with the restructuring. Oak + Fort was founded in 2010 as an online boutique that eventually expanded to 42 stores in Canada and the U.S. selling womenswear, menswear, accessories, jewelry and home goods. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2025.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
EDITORIAL: Jobless numbers spell trouble
The need to grow the Canadian economy in the face of tough economic times was underscored by the release of the latest unemployment numbers by Statistics Canada on Friday. The unemployment rate in May rose to 7.0%. That's the highest it has been since September 2016, excluding the 2020 and 2021 pandemic years, and a 12.9% increase from 6.2% a year ago in May. The Canadian economy generated a net increase of just 8,800 jobs in May, far short of the roughly 30,000 per month needed to keep pace with population growth. A total of 1.6 million Canadians were unemployed in May, an increase of 191,000, or 13.8%, compared to May 2024. A smaller share of people who were unemployed in April found jobs in May (22.6%), compared to a year ago (24.0%), and spent an average of 21.8 weeks searching for work, compared to 18.4 weeks in May 2024. Unemployment in Ontario (7.9%); Alberta (7.4%); Newfoundland and Labrador (9.7%); Prince Edward Island (8.2%); and Nunavut (9.0%) were all above the national average, as was the case in a number of cities, including Windsor (10.8%); Oshawa (9.1%); Toronto (8.8%); Calgary (7.8%); and Edmonton (7.3%). Canada recorded its largest merchandise trade deficit of $7.1 billion in April, the first full month of the tariff war with U.S. President Donald Trump, compared to $2.3 billion in March. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development last week projected meagre 1% economic growth for Canada this year and 1.1% in 2026, noting Trump's global tariff war is expected to hit the economies of Canada, Mexico, China and the U.S. hardest. Prime Minister Mark Carney proposed measures to bolster the economy on Friday, including eliminating federal barriers to interprovincial trade, increasing labour mobility and shortening the process for approving major infrastructure projects. Those are worthy long-term goals, since internal impediments to trade cost our economy $200 billion annually, raise consumer prices up to 14.5% and reduce economic growth as measured by gross domestic product up to 8% annually. But they are also long-term solutions, underscoring the importance of Carney's government producing a budget as soon as possible to reveal the Liberals' specific plans to boost the economy. For better or worse, Carney decided to delay releasing the budget until fall.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Attention Costco shoppers: 5 money saving tips and tricks that everyone should know, according to experts
Costco is widely recognized as a go-to for bulk shoppers looking to stock up on food and groceries, home essentials and more. More than 10 million Canadians have Costco memberships that give them access to its gas station, a members-only pharmacy, Costco Travel, Costco Services, home improvement and more. But are shoppers making the most of their memberships to get best deals possible? Nichole Schaubroeck and Tina Chow are two Canadian content creators who have each earned hundreds of thousands of followers by sharing the ins and outs of saving money while you shop. 'It's very hard to find a good deal, so anyway we can save, maybe it's not as extreme as it used to be, it's still good," said Schaubroeck who runs the account Coupon Cutie, in an interview with Yahoo Canada. Keep reading to learn Chow and Schaubroeck's best tips and trips on how to navigate Costco like a pro. According to Schaubroeck, Costco's price tags are a good predictor of whether or not an item will go on sale. Items that end in .97 are likely at their lowest price, making it prime time to stock up on what you need. Another hidden hack is to look for what Costco shoppers call the 'death star,' an asterisk located in the upper right-hand corner of an item's tag. 'All this is telling you is that this item is either no longer going to be at Costco or it won't be back until next year,' said Schaubroeck. Chow, who created the account Costco Lovers Canada, said that although the foot traffic in the store is constantly changing, sales seem to follow a schedule. 'I know that most sales end on a Sunday... new sales will begin the following week,' said Chow. There's also what people refer to online as "Markdown Mondays" — when new items go on sale. While this is not a Costco-official event, it still creates a buzz for shoppers to find cost-friendly deals. 'They [Costco] are always doing markdowns," she added. Additionally, Chow noted that Costco is known for 'following the trends of what's happening in the market,' which can help attract shoppers who are looking for products for a certain occasion. For example, it's not uncommon for Costco to have a sale on hamburger buns, ketchup, mustard and relish ahead of a long weekend. Chow also recommends shopping as the weather changes to take advantage of out-of-season products at lower prices. According to Costco customer service, shoppers are entitled to 'risk-free, 100 per cent satisfaction guarantee', meaning that the majority of purchased products can be returned and refunded at any time (excluding electronics and diamond jewelry). This allows shoppers to test out products and see if it is the right fit for them. 'If I'm going out and trying a $700 Dyson [hair dryer]... I want to be able to know that I can return it,' said Chow. 'I will always go to Costco and pay more on a product for their return policy.' Costco also honours price adjustments on merchandise if the price drops within 30 days of the original purchase and the product is still in the store's warehouse. Schaubroeck added that this flexibility is a large reason as to why Canadians turn to Costco for their shopping. 'It's always nice to have that reassurance when buying something, that no matter what happens, they will take it back for you,' she said. One perk to owning a Costco membership is that it can be used worldwide at any location, which can come in handy when going on vacation. Chow said she often uses her membership when travelling to help save on food and snacks. It's even handy for shopping and saving on souvenirs and local food. Many Costco shoppers may not know that there's an official Costco app meant to enhance shopping experiences. The Costco app allows you to shop and save using online-only prices, check warehouse inventory and local gasoline prices, refill prescriptions at Costco's pharmacy, create your own shopping list in-app and more. The app also allows shoppers to receive updates on sales promotions and product entering the store, a perk that Chow said is a 'huge secret' amongst Canadians. 'There are app-exclusive savings,' she said. 'If you follow Costco on Instagram, there are also exclusive savings available there." Schaubroeck also highlights another app called Checkout 51, a platform that displays cash-back offers on Costco merchandise. While this does not apply to all products, Schaubroeck said it's an incentive worth checking out.
