5 Great Ways to Stay Frugal at Costco

Many people seem to have a love/hate relationship with warehouse stores like Costco. Either theylove the ability to buy things in bulk, or it's seen as the height of waste and consumerism. Regardlessof the feeling, it can be difficult to shop at Costco and still be frugal. With each item easily costing$10 and up, it's easy for your total to quickly add up.

Costco obviously does a good job at marketing since they're such a successful company. If you'reamong those who like to shop at Costco but are looking for tips on how to make your budget stretchfurther, try some of these tips:

Watch the Price Tags

The first tip to watch out for when shopping at Costco is to keep an eye on the price tags. Known asthe "Costco code," deciphering those price tags can be a great way to determine how good of a dealthe buy is.

While most items end in $.99 increments, it is those that end in $.97 that are considered better dealsas they have been marked down from their original prices. Those aren't the only markdowns,though. Costco also commonly gets special deals from specific manufacturers. Those items are notedby odd increments like $.79 or $.49. Finally, keep an eye out for price tags with an asterisk listednext to the price. Those are items that will not be reordered and subsequently are not going to bemarked down any further, so you should grab them while you can if you want them.

Ask for Coupons

It might seem like warehouse clubs wouldn't want to give out coupons, but Costco regularly mailsthem out once every four to six weeks. These offer even better deals on selected items and a couponis not even needed in order to get the deal on some occasions.

If you missed yours in the mail, just visit the membership counter for a complimentary book. Theyalso provide a smart phone app that works, as well. Finally, Costco offers many of the same deals ontheir website, so check that out if you like online shopping.

Know what to Skip

It can be hard to know what to bypass when shopping at Costco, because everything seems like sucha great deal. The simple fact is that everything at Costco, or any warehouse club, is not a deal. Themain items to steer clear from are things like paper products for around the house as well as officesupplies. Those can often be found for less at grocery stores or specialty stores when they're on sale.

The other thing to consider skipping is the name brand items. Many warehouse clubs, includingCostco, have their own generic brand on a good number of items. Many of those items are ofcomparable quality and often quite a bit cheaper. Consider giving a few of those a try to save money.If they're not what was expected or wanted, Costco has a great return policy to get your moneyback.

Stretch Your Food

The big problem with shopping at Costco can be waste. If an item is not finished then it gets thrownaway, which costs money. There are ways to get around this if getting a deal is important. On manyperishable items, such as ground beef, they can easily be split up and frozen in smaller amounts. Notonly will this prolong the life span of the item, but it allows for them to be used in smaller portions,too.

The other option to consider is going in with a friend to split a given item. It might be difficult forone family to go through an industrial size item, but split between two it can easily be done and bothstill get the deal.

Upgrade Your Membership

It might seem contradictory to being frugal to upgrade a membership, but it can be a great way tosave more for some shoppers. A general Costco membership costs $55 per year, but can beupgraded to an Executive Membership for an additional $55 per year.

The benefit of the Executive Membership is two-fold. The main benefit is it pays out 2 percent cashback on spending per year, up to $750. If the extra $55 is not earned back, then Costco refunds the$55. Plus, Costco offers additional benefits for Executive members on everything from discountedtravel to health insurance for small business owners.

It can be a challenge to shop at Costco and stay on a budget. With a plan, though, it is possible toscore the deals and still be frugal.

John Schmoll is the founder of Frugal Rules, a finance blog that regularly discusses investing,budgeting and frugal living. He is a father, husband and veteran of the financial services industrywho's passionate about helping people find freedom through frugality.

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