10 Weird Discounts You Can Get With Your Costco Membership
Are you really getting the most out of your Costco membership?
You may think you are if you’ve figured out how to save money on groceries by buying everything you need in bulk — even wine. You might even be saving money on health care by using the Costco Prescription Program.
But you might still be missing out.
Here are 10 little-known items your Costco membership can help you get for less — sometimes without even entering the store. (Though the $1.50 hot dog deal is worth the trip.)
- A casket
- Above ground pools
- An engagement ring
- Your next vacation
- A new car
- Emergency food supplies
- Flowers for your wedding
- A DIY garage
- Insurance
- Some weirdly expensive stuff
10 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Buy at Costco
1. A Casket
The company doesn’t keep most of these items in stock at your local club, but Costco does have a funeral department.
On its website, the warehouse club sells caskets, urns and memorial keepsakes. And of course, you’ll get a discount.
For example, Costco sells this Prime Rose casket for $1,149.99 with free shipping. The same one would cost you $1,519.99 from Amazon or $1,349.99 from Walmart.
Some state restrictions apply, so double-check the details before including Costco in your funeral plans.
2. Above Ground Pools
Your summer just got cooler — and cheaper — with Costco’s reduced price above ground pool sets.
With options ranging from 1,500- to 2,200-gallon pools, your backyard parties are sure to be wet and wild.
The Bestway Power Steel Above Ground Pool Set is only $500 with a Costco membership. The same pool sells for just under $700 on Amazon.
A larger Bestway pool set sells for $1,000 at Costco while Amazon sells the same pool for $1,488.
We’ll let you do the math, but whether oval shaped or rectangular, the prices can’t be beat. They will, however, help you beat the heat.
3. An Engagement Ring
You might not be excited to tell people where the ring came from, but a diamond is a diamond, according to the experts.
In fact, Costco was sued by Tiffany and Co. for selling “Tiffany” style engagement rings. The suit was dropped, but if we can get our hands on that coveted style for thousands of dollars less, we’re in.
When “Good Morning America” put a Costco “Tiffany” engagement ring to the test against the real thing, the results were surprising.
Master gemologist and appraiser Martin Fuller appraised a $16,600 diamond engagement ring from Tiffany & Co. at $10,500 if it came from a no-name store. He suggested added services and the weight of the brand justified the higher cost from the famous jewelry store.
The Costco diamond ring with almost the same specs costs $6,600, and Fuller appraised the stone at $8,000.
So you can pay more to enjoy the glamor of the Tiffany brand … or you can accept the stigma that might accompany a Costco diamond and save thousands.
Your call.
4. Your Next Vacation
Like many others, your Costco membership comes with perks you might not even know about.
These include exclusive Costco travel discounts and vacation packages that could save you a ton of money. Even if the cost is the same, Costco travel deals often come with extra perks, like a gift card or resort credits.
A five-night stay (for the price of four) for two at a luxury Kauai resort includes a rental car when you book through Costco Travel and shaves a few hundred dollars off what you’d pay booking through the resort.
5. A New Car
Yes, Costco will help you save money on your next car. Participating dealers offer exclusive lower prices for Costco members.
The Costco Auto Program includes pre-owned and new cars, trucks and SUVs.
As a member, you’ll also save 15% on parts, services and accessories from participating service centers for vehicles in your household.
6. Emergency Food Supplies
For a mere $3,000, you and your family could be ready for the end of times.
The Readywise Variety Emergency Food Pallet comes with 5,400 total servings with a 25-year shelf life. You’ll get grains, fruits and veggies, protein — even dessert, for your post-apocalyptic sweet tooth. The pallet even includes 864 servings of a whey milk alternative and an “orange drink.”
Sure, the upfront cost sounds pretty huge … but you can’t argue with feeding your family in an emergency for about 55 cents per serving.
7. Flowers for Your Wedding
When you think of purchasing fresh flowers for a wedding, you probably picture a small, local florist. So do we, but if your budget doesn’t include $2,800 for those beautiful blooms, Costco could be the answer.
With 4- to 20-piece wedding bouquet collections ranging from just $219.99 to $549.99, you’ll have all the pretty petals you heart desires on the big day, without going over budget.
8. A DIY Shed
Need a workshop or place to store gardening tools? You can get this premium shed that’s typically $1,399.99 and build it yourself. The same one sells on Amazon for $1,700.
Now, channel your inner Bob Vila and get building.
9. Your Insurance
As a Costco member, you have access to everything from pet insurance to term life insurance.
Health insurance plans include vision and the Costco Marketplace promises a simple navigation process.
You could save on auto and home insurance, too. When switching to insurance provided through Costco, members said they saved an average of $596 in the first year. With those savings, you could buy that pool.
10. Some Weirdly Expensive Stuff
These might not be frugal choices, but they’re so strange we can’t help but mention them.
Perhaps, like us, you need extra love and hugs these days. Costco has you covered with this cuddly, nearly 8-foot tall plush bear for $300.
Or what about this $20,000 bottle of Johnny Walker Blue, spotted by Costco Couple in a Redwood City Costco? You might not first turn to the warehouse store when you’re looking for limited edition liquor, but if you happen upon it …
And if you’ve received a windfall recently, you might also consider Costco’s $550 caviar, $250 lobster tails, $1,000 wagyu beef or a $340,000 diamond ring.
5 Ways to Pay for a Costco Membership
1. Earn as Much as $1K/Month Doing Simple Online Tasks
Is there such a thing as easy money? If you know your way around the web, there certainly is.
That’s because data is currency these days, and many companies are willing to pay cash for it — up to $1,000 per month.
Finding these companies can be time-consuming on your own. But a company called Freecash has compiled all sorts of quick cash tasks from about a dozen advertisers and market research companies thirsty for more data. Freecash has paid out over $13 million to users since 2019.
You can pick and choose your tasks and complete them at your convenience. The coins you earn from each completed task can be converted into Visa gift cards, Amazon gift cards, cryptocurrency, or cold-hard PayPal cash.
Signing up for a Freecash account is easy, and there’s no minimum amount you need to earn before you can cash out. And if you’ve got enough free time on your hands, you can join the ranks of Freecash users making more than $1,000 a month in extra cash.
Sign up here to see how much you could earn.
2. Your Car Insurance is Ripping You Off — Cut $996 From Your Bill
You might not even realize it, but your car insurance company is probably overcharging you. In fact, they’re kind of counting on you not noticing. Luckily, this problem is easy to fix.
Don’t waste your time browsing insurance sites for a better deal. A company called Insurify shows you all your options at once — people who do this save up to $996 per year.
If you tell them a bit about yourself and your vehicle, they’ll send you personalized quotes so you can compare them and find the best one for you.
Tired of overpaying for car insurance? It takes just five minutes to compare your options with Insurify and see how much you could save on car insurance.
3. Get Paid $225/Month While Watching Movie Previews
If we told you that you could get paid while watching videos on your computer, you’d probably laugh.
It’s too good to be true, right?
But we’re serious. By signing up for a free account with InboxDollars, you could add up to $225 a month to your pocket. They’ll send you short surveys every day, which you can fill out while you watch someone bake brownies or catch up on the latest Kardashian drama.
No, InboxDollars won’t replace your full-time job, but it’s something easy you can do while you’re already on the couch tonight, wasting time on your phone.
Unlike other sites, InboxDollars pays you in cash — no points or gift cards. It’s already paid its users more than $56 million.
Signing up takes about one minute, and you’ll immediately receive a $5 bonus to get you started.
4. Add $1000 to Your Wallet for Trying Out Apps
Our smartphones are the world’s greatest time-killers. You can browse Facebook; play a game; download a new app.
You’re doing all this anyway — why not get paid for it? With a website called KashKick, you could get paid for things like answering survey questions or downloading and playing a game — up to $1000 in your first month.
You can earn money by playing games or trying new products and services, but surveys are the main way to make money.
Once you earn $10 in your account, you can immediately get paid via Paypal. This is an easy way to make a little extra money while you’re killing time on your couch. All you need is your phone or computer.
It takes just a minute to sign up, and you’ll immediately earn $1 just for completing your profile on the site. You’ll be that much closer to cashing out.
5. Get Paid to Help Cure Your Chronic Health Condition — Up to $3,000
Struggling with a chronic health condition and overwhelmed by high treatment costs or limited care options? Did you know that there might actually be a way to access cutting-edge care for free?
GoodLab is a free clinical trial matchmaking service that works alongside the best clinical trial providers across the United States. Connect with the latest treatments and medications for free — in fact, you could get paid up to $3,000 for participating!
Trials will cover conditions like migraines, depression, skin conditions, Alzheimer’s, and more. Oh, and almost all of the trials don’t require you to have health insurance, either. Ready to get matched? It only takes a couple of minutes to fill out GoodLab’s quick online form and find relevant paid clinical trials near you.
Contributor Veronica Leone Matthews is a North Carolina-based freelance writer with 11 years of experience writing for non-profits and higher education. She covers lifestyle topics for The Penny Hoarder. Dana Miranda contributed.
