Costco is much more than just $1.50 hot dog meals and great bulk buys. They now have a little-known travel website appropriately called “Costco Travel” and it’s a very promising way to score major deals on cruises, theme park tickets, and vacation packages. Here’s what you need to know, along with some insider tips to use Costco travel to save really big on your next family vacation.

What Exactly is Costco Travel?

It’s an online travel booking website, available exclusively for Costco members.

Let’s be clear, it’s NOT like Expedia or Orbitz. Meaning you cannot book a single flight or night in a specific hotel.

Instead, Costco Travel uses their enormous buying power to buy & build vacation packages, theme park tickets, and cruises to specific destinations and pass the savings along to their members.

The destinations include top vacation spots like Hawaii, Caribbean, Europe, Florida, Vegas, and Mexico to name a few.

PRO TIP: LOOK FOR KIRKLAND SIGNATURE TRAVEL DEALS

just like the Kirkland brands offers great values inside the warehouse, their travel deals will give you the same benefit.

This is especially true with Kirkland Signature cruises which will score you free credits, cruise excursions, and even free room upgrades.

How Does Costco Get the Best Travel Deals?

Think of Costco Travel as bulk buying for vacations.

So instead of negotiating the best deal on a 5 gallon tub of mayo, they’re using their buying power to buy cruises and vacation packages at a bulk rate.

Because of this, Costco members get to shop their travel site for deals that’re often 20-50% less than “normal” travel agents or travel sites.

See Also: Google Flights: 8 Insider Tips and Tricks To Score Cheap Airfare

PRO TIP: LOOK FOR “INCLUDED EXTRAS”

Don’t gloss over these “extras”. You’ll want to book Costco vacation packages and cruises that list many of these (Be aware that not all do).

The “extras” include room upgrades, free breakfast, free transportation to and from the airport, resort credits, and rental car upgrade.

Believe me, these will save you a TON of money and make your trip more enjoyable.

Types of Travel Deals?

Here are the best deals that Costco members can currently snag.

• Cruises – The next time you’re looking into booking a cruise, check out this page at Costco Travel. Costco passes along terrific deals from lines like Carnival, Disney, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess, and Royal Caribbean to name a few. One cruise deal that caught my eye was from Royal Caribbean and was for 7-nights to the southern Caribbean for only $559 per person. The best part? The cruise deal includes a free $70 Costco Cash Card.
• Theme Parks – Use Costco’s buying power to save money at places like Disneyland, Disney World, and Universal Orlando.
• Vacation Packages – Here is where you can potentially save the most money when planning your family’s vacation. Packages include airfare, hotel, and often rental car or free transportation to and from the airport. I recently priced a family vacation to Maui for 5 and the trip was $469 less than anywhere else I could find it.
• Rental Cars – While Costco limits you to only Avis, Enterprise, Budget, and Alamo, the deals are often better than you’ll find anywhere else. Why? Well, they automatically “shop all coupons, codes and discounts for the lowest prices”. Plus, Costco members also receive one additional driver fee waived. Exclusive Costco coupons include free car upgrades along with free days when you reserve 5 days or more.

Also, when booking a hotel, look for partner hotel deals at Best Western and Hyatt.

PRO TIP: LAST MINUTE CRUISES

Very few Costco members are aware of the “last-minute cruise” section on the Costco Travel site.

If you have some flexibility in your schedule, and can set sail within the next 30-45 days, you can book a last-minute cruise and save up to 40%.

See Also: 7 Brilliant Travel Tips That’ll Save You BIG on Lodging and Airfare

BONUS: Insider Costco Travel Tips and Tricks

Time to take this article to the next level. Here are some tips and tricks to maximize your travel savings with Costco.

• Executive Costco Member? – If you are, look for travel deals marked as “Executive Special” and score things like room upgrades, shipboard credits, spa credits, and other cool perks.
• 10% Off at Best Western & Hyatt – Book at these 2 partner hotel chains and get 10% off your room rate.
• Book with Enterprise Rental Car – By doing so, Costco Travel will score you an additional 10% off your car rental rate.

Ask the Reader: Have you checked out Costco Travel before? If so, what savings were you able to score?

By Kyle James

Photo by Costco Travel.

Over the past couple years I’ve researched and written about almost twenty secret menus. From Starbucks, to In-N-Out Burger, to McDonald’s, all of the secret menu items I’ve discovered have been a fun way to discover new restaurant favorites. So I figured it was time to make it easy for you to find all of the hidden menus without having to search my blog. Below are all of the secret menus I’ve investigated and written about. Have fun with it!

23 Secret Menus That'll Change Your Life

Tired of the same ol' boring menus at your favorite restaurants? These secret menus will spice up your life and help you find your new favorite treat.

The Ultimate In-N-Out Burger Secret Menu

One of the things I have always liked about In-N-Out Burger is how you can customize your order and add some cool things that aren’t on the regular menu. Stuff that has become fast food folklore over the years.

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The Dutch Bros Secret Menu Will Make Life a Little Sweeter

The “hidden” Dutch Bros secret menu has become a legend unto itself it recent years. On it you’ll find 80+ really creative, and incredibly tasty hot and cold drinks.

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The Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Secret Menu Will Make You Salute the Colonel

Here’s how the secret menu at Colonel Sanders currently breaks down. Bon appétit.

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Panera Secret Menu: 12 Ways to Spice Up Your Next Meal

Photo Credit: www.rather-be-shopping.com

I went out and found 12 Panera secret menu items that will really spice up your next on-the-go breakfast or lunch.

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Starbucks Secret Menu to Help You Save Money (Well, Not Really, It's Just Fun)

I thought it would be fun to do the painstakingly delicious research to come up with the Starbucks secret menu. Items you won’t find anywhere on the regular Starbucks coffee menu but have become popular enough that most baristas know how to make them.

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The Subway Secret Menu Is Totally Awesome (and May Even Save You Cash)

I always like to “Eat Fresh” at Subway and it’s usually a nice substitute to a greasy burger. But sometimes their subs get a little boring and bland and it would be nice to be able to spice things up a little bit. Enter the Subway secret menu!

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The Ultimate Taco Bell Secret Menu Will Make You Love Life Again

This one is pretty darn fun and can definitely make dining at Taco Bell an exciting proposition. With no further ado, here’s how the Taco Bell secret menu currently breaks down. Enjoy.

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The Chick-Fil-A Secret Menu: Fun Ways to Spice Up Your Next Meal

But today I want to share the Chick-Fil-A secret menu to make your dining experience even tastier. I plan on adding new items to this secret menu as I discover them.

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Whataburger Secret Menu: 11 Secret Items That'll Make Burgers Great Again

Spice up your next meal and order something from the Whataburger secret menu which includes about a dozen burgers and sandwiches that you need to stuff in your mouth ASAP.

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The Burger King Secret Menu Will Make You Bow to the King

Go forth and eat happy my friends as their secret menu is chalked full of fun and delicious surprises. Here’s how the Burger King secret menu currently breaks down.

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Five Guys Secret Menu: Burgers and Fries That'll Blow Your Mind

If Five Guys regular menu has you kinda bored, consider ordering something from the Five Guys secret menu for a delicious new burger or french fry treat.

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McDonald's Secret Menu: Mickey D's in a Whole New Light

My love affair with the McDonald’s secret menu started when I was in college and the local Golden Arches offered 2 Big Macs for $2. Needless to say I indulged often and my waistline paid the ultimate price.

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The Wendy's Secret Menu Will Make You Crave a Square Burger

The Wendy’s secret menu is a very interesting one. While it’s not incredibly long and diverse, the burgers on it pack quite the punch in terms of size and flavor.

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The Ultimate Chipotle Secret Menu is Awesomely Delicious

The only thing more fun than researching Chipotle’s secret menu was placing an order for something that wasn’t on their regular menu. Secret menu items that were kinda wacky, highly customizable, and definitely delicious.

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The Shake Shack Secret Menu Will Make You Drool

From tasty burgers, hot dogs, fries, milkshakes, custards, and even beer and wine, they have something for almost everyone. But the goodness doesn’t stop at their regular menu, the Shake Shack secret menu takes the yumminess one step further.

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Sonic Secret Menu: The Drive-In Menu That'll Change Your Life

I think you’ll find the secret menu at Sonic to be socked full of fun new drinks, burgers, and treats. Hopefully you’ll find your favorite item from the secret menu below and order it the next time you pull your car in.

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The Jamba Juice Secret Menu : 45+ Yummy Smoothies and Counting

The Jamba Juice secret menu is totally fun and completely delicious.

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Dairy Queen Secret Menu: Get Your Blizzard On With These Tasty Treats

The Dairy Queen secret menu makes an already delicious treat even better. I’m always impressed with the thickness and creaminess of the fabled Blizzard and my kids absolutely love them.

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Dunkin' Donuts Secret Menu: Get Your Dunk On With These New Treats

Dunkin’ is way more that doughnuts these days, and the Dunkin’ Donuts secret menu surely proves that.

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Jack In The Box Secret Menu: 7 Items That'll Make Your Stomach Growl (and Grow)

The Jack in the Box secret menu took me back to my childhood. You see, I was 10 years old before I knew they sold anything other than tacos. That was all my Mom ever ordered and she got me hooked on them as well.

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Arby's Secret Menu: Yummy Sandwiches That'll Make You Drool

The Arby’s secret menu takes it one step further and allows you to order even more delicious creations. Here’s how their secret menu currently breaks down.

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Torchy's Secret Menu: Taking Tacos to a Whole New Level

Like the food truck turned restaurant, the Torchy’s secret menu has become quite popular in recent years. If you’re lucky enough to live in a southern state that has a Torchy’s Tacos location, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of at least one of these secret menu items.

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Jersey Mike's Secret Menu: Take Your Sub Game to a Whole New Level

There was a Jersey Mike's in my town for years before I stumbled in for lunch one day. Now I’ll drive out of my way to grab one of their delicious subs from their "Secret Menu", my absolute fav is the "Big Kahuna Cheese Steak with Chipotle Mayo"...omg, life changing.

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Ask the Reader: Have you ever ordered something from a “secret menu”? If so, was it a tasty surprise or not worth the effort?

By Kyle James

Photo by Mike Mozart.

I love shopping at Target. But over the years I’ve been a bit confused on how best to take advantage of the Target price match policy. Does it cover online shopping? Does it work on Black Friday? What stores will they actually match the price? All questions that deserve straight-forward answers which are very hard to find these days.

Target’s policy has actually changed as recent as Summer 2024.

Here are the current details of their price match policy:

– For in-store purchases, Target will now ONLY price match Amazon, Walmart, and Target.com prices.

– Item must be in-stock and identical. Down to the size, color, model number, and brand.

– You have up to 14 days after your purchase to request a price match.

– Item must be in-stock and identical. Down to the size, color, model number, and brand.

– Target does not offer a price match between Thanksgiving and the Monday after Thanksgiving, also known as Cyber Monday.

PRO TIP: PRICES VARY BETWEEN TARGET AND TARGET.COM

Here’s a dark little secret. Prices on Target.com are often cheaper than what you’ll find at your local Target.

Because of this, always check their website’s prices when shopping in-store and ALWAYS ask for the lower Target price when applicable.

See Also: 7 Target Clearance Tips: Learn How to Save BIG at Tarzhay

The Best (and Quickest) Way To Score a Price Match

As a dude who ain’t ashamed to admit I’ve gotten a price match at Target on several occasions, here’s EXACTLY how I made it happen.

When you’re shopping in-store, the best way to get your price match is to head to the Guest Services desk with your smartphone in-hand.

Show them the lower price on your phone and a Target employee will independently verify the lower price from the competitor.

You can show evidence of the lower price on your smartphone or via a print ad of the local competitor.

If you use your smartphone, be sure to have the product page of the competing website up on the screen.

Hack for Success: I would NOT recommend going up to a random Target employee and asking them for a price match.

In many cases, they are not versed in their own policy and will usually redirect you to the customer service desk in the front of the store.

You can also get a price match in the checkout lane, but it will take a little more time and you risk nasty looks from the shoppers behind you.

PRO TIP: GROCERY ITEM PRICE-MATCH

Another little known Target hack is to price match grocery items, even produce.

As long as the brand is the same, like Chiquita, Dole, or Driscoll, Target will offer a price match.

The cool thing about this is that it’s easy to scroll through your local grocery store ads to find lower prices at Target and save some money in the process.

Some Products Are Excluded

There are some important price match exclusions that you need to be aware of…

• Clearance, closeout, liquidation sales, damaged, used, open package, refurbished, store-wide or unspecific offers, non-branded items, and prices that only display on a website after you login to it.
• Pricing or typographical errors, limited time or quantity offers, daily deals, and coupon offers.
• Contract mobile phone devices and the associated plans.
• “Marketplace” prices and prices from 3rd party sellers will not be honored.

If you find a pricing error, you can let them know about it, and maybe they’ll give you a discount anyways.

This actually happened to a friend of my wife’s when she tried to get a price match on a baby stroller and it was priced wrong at Walmart.

The Target price was $299, and Walmart had it for the WRONG price of $144.

The folks at Target ended up giving her the stroller for $269 after they called Walmart to get the actual price.

PRO TIP: KEEP RECEIPTS & CREATE AN ALERT

Keep in mind that 14 days for a price match is NOT very long and will quickly pass, especially when you’re busy.

So when making significant purchases (think electronics, appliances, and furniture), always keep your receipt and create an alert on your smartphone to remind yourself to check for a lower price before 14 days has expired.

You Can Also Get an Online Price Match

Target used to price match 27 online retailers, but those days are gone.

Now they will only match the online price found on the Amazon and Walmart website.

They will also price match the Target in-store price if you find a scenario where the Target.com price is higher than their own in-store price.

To make it happen, they ask you start a Live Chat or call them at 1-800-591-3869 and they’ll help you out with the price match.

A Picture of the Lower Price WON’T Work

Target tells me that they will NOT accept a picture of a lower price tag or a screenshot of a competing store when asking for a price match.

But…it’s been my experience that you CAN use a picture of a price tag as a starting point and then Target can call the store in question or visit their website for further verification.

Let me know in the comments if you’ve had a similar experience and successfully used a picture on your smartphone as visible evidence.

Target Won’t Match Amazon 3rd Party Pricing

Target will price match ANY Amazon.com price as long as the item is sold directly by Amazon and NOT a 3rd party seller.

Update: Thanks to reader Jen for letting me know that Target will not price match Amazon “add-on” items. She even spoke with a manager and they stood firm.

For those who don’t know, add-on items are typically lower priced items that Amazon often considers accessories or complimentary products.

See Also: Target Shopping Hacks: 5 Guaranteed Ways to Save Money

Target Won’t Accept a Costco Price Match

There was a time when Target would price match both Costco and Costco.com, but not anymore.

Not a big loss as it’s often very hard to find identical items at both Costco and Target.

Use a Coupon with a Price Match

But only manufacturer coupons.

The coupon will take effect once the price match has been completed.

You cannot use Cartwheel offers, Target Gift Card offers and Target coupons cannot with a price match.

See Also: Target Bullseye’s Corner: Use it to Save Money

Ask the Reader: Have you ever gotten a price match at your local Target store? Was it an easy process?

By Kyle James

Photo credit to Mike Mozart.