For the truly thrifty, Costco memberships are a no-brainer. Unlike other grocery stores, Costco sells its goods in bulk at a lower price, though the store often requires its customers to pay a modest membership fee to take advantage of all the available services. Still, people are slowly realizing that a membership isn’t the only way to take advantage of some of Costco’s best features.
To that end, here are some ways you can still benefit from the convenience of Costco without a membership.
Buy Alcohol
One of Costco’s little known benefits is that they have a huge selection of booze for a lower price than you would pay at a liquor store or grocery store. Still, this might vary on a state-by-state basis.
Eat at the Food Court
Much like Ikea, one of the best parts of a trip to Costco is eating at the food court at the end of the trip. Fortunately, you can also eat at the food court without going through the store—and without a membership. The serving sizes are always huge and the prices are insanely low.
Get a Costco Cash Card
Instead of getting a membership, why not just put some money on a Costco cash card to shop there for a day, spend your money and be done with it? This is a little known Costco hack—although you’ll need someone with a membership to buy the cash card for you.
Get Your Prescriptions from the Pharmacy
If you have a doctor’s note with you, Costco will let you fill your prescriptions at its on-site pharmacy without requiring that you have a membership. You can even get free immunizations as well.
Take Advantage of the Vision Services
Need an eye exam? Non-members can schedule an appointment and get themselves checked out at Costco on an as-needed basis. Still, the catch is that if you want to buy glasses or contacts, you’ll need to do so on a Costco cash card.
Shop on the Website
Yes, you can in fact buy products from Costco online rather than going to the store. Although the selection is sure to vary depending on the time of year, some products are available for non-members. There may be a slight markup for the convenience, though.
Go With a Friend!
Last but not least, find a friend who has a Costco membership and enjoy all the bounties of the store yourself. Obviously, the easiest way to take advantage of all that Costco has to offer is to get the membership—but this way is a close second.
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