Costco is full of stuff you had no idea existed, but clearly cannot live without. What if you’re on the fence about paying $65 for an annual membership? Perhaps the bulk aspect has you concerned that you’ll end up wasting a lot of stuff. Or maybe you just aren’t sure if the savings is enough to justify the membership. If this is you, I have some good news for ya. I recently discovered a bunch of really cool ways to take advantage of Costco without paying a dime for a membership.

Here are the cool things you can do, and buy, at Costco without a membership:

1. Shop With a Costco Shop Card

If you have a friend or family member who’s a current Costco member, you can have them buy you a Costco shop card which can be used to buy all items in the warehouse.

This is a great option if you’re a college student or just want to test out the savings the warehouse can provide before diving in with an annual membership.

Just show the card checker at the door your “shop card” and you can shop in Costco and use the card when checking out.

Important disclaimer….you can only use the card once in Costco.

So if you have a $100 card and only spend $30, they’re going to give you $70 cash back.

Conversely, if you have have a $100 card and spend $125, you’ll have to make up the difference with cash or debit card. Also, depending on the Costco, they may not let you buy the complete order and may ask you to put $25 worth of merchandise back on the shelf.

Members can reload money on the card only at the membership desk.

Bonus Tip: You can also use the card to buy gas at Costco stations as well as online at Costco.com.

See Also: How to Essentially Get a $60 Costco Membership for Free

2. Buy Prescription Meds from the Pharmacy

The pharmacy at Costco is available to members and non-members alike.

Just bring the prescription from your doctor, tell the card checker that you’re using the pharmacy and they’ll direct you where to go.

You can even get your prescriptions filled online and have them delivered to your home at NO extra cost.

The one down side is you won’t gain access to the Costco Member Prescription Program Discount Card which is only available to paying members.

The discount card will save you up to 40% on your medications so it may be worth joining for the savings it provides.

3. Get an Immunization Shot

Along with filling prescriptions, Costco also offer immunizations to members and non-members. Be sure to call your local Costco ahead-of-time as an appointment may be required.

If you don’t have medical coverage that covers basic immunizations and the flu shot, Costco has the reputation of being a very affordable option.

To save time, fill out this Immunization Consent Form at home and bring it with you.

4. Get Your Eyes Checked

Did you know you can get your eyes checked at Costco without a membership?

Most Costco locations have an independent optometrist in, or near, the warehouse who you can call and schedule an appointment with.

No membership is required, but you’ll need a membership or shop card to buy contacts and eyeglasses.

5. Buy Alcohol

Due to state laws, many states allow you to buy alcohol from “membership clubs” like Costco, BJ’s Wholesale, and Sam’s Club without a membership.

Currently, a Costco membership is not required to purchase alcohol in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Texas and Vermont.

See Also: Costco Liquor: 4 Things You Gotta Know Before You Buy

6. Browse the Store Before Deciding to Join

If you simply ask the greeter/card checker at the door if you can walk in and peruse the warehouse they’ll send you to the membership desk.

Once you make it to the desk, you can pick up an application and get permission to walk around before signing-up.

This is a great way to see if the warehouse club is right for your needs before dropping $65.

7. Chow Down at the Food Court

If your local Costco has an outside food court you can absolutely take advantage without an official membership.

Makes for a great lunch stop for the $1.50 hot dog/soda meal deal or a couple slices of cheap, but quite good, pizza.

If your location lacks an outside food court, just tell the card checker you’re there to get membership information and head for the food court as well.

UPDATE: As of April 2024, ALL Costco food courts now require membership. This even includes the 18 outdoor Costco food courts across the country that were the last holdouts. Most food courts now have order kiosks which require you to swipe your membership card, and because of this, they no longer take cash. Boooo.

See Also: The Costco Return Policy: 7 Ways To Make It Work For You

8. Shop at Costco.com

Anybody can shop on Costco.com, but if you’re not a current member, you’ll be hit with a 5% surcharge on all online purchases except for prescription drugs.

So if you’re buying something over $1,100, you’ll want to buy the $60 basic membership, otherwise you’re losing money on the deal.

Final Note…

I’d also add that Costco has a great reputation for treating their employees well and offering excellent benefits.

They should be applauded for this and other companies should take notice.

One way to support what Costco is doing, would be to go ahead and get the membership as it’ll easily pay for itself if you shop smart.

By Kyle James

Photo by Portal Abras.

Update: Amazon will now only offer 30-day price protection on TV’s. Also, when it comes to TV’s, they’ll only price match specific online retailers. But wait…

Amazon does not have an openly stated price protection policy. Most savvy Amazon shoppers are already aware that their price protection policy, which entitles you to money-back if the price is lowered after you receive the item, went away several years ago. BUT…not all hope is lost as often times the squeaky wheel gets the grease and you can still get price protection. Let’s break it all down…

Here is what you need to know to make this happen:

Keep an eye on your recent Amazon orders.

If you order regularly, check current pricing of the stuff you’ve recently bought.

I’ll login to my account and check prices at least once a week, especially during times of the year when my wife and I are doing a lot of purchasing (kids birthdays and Christmas).

Found a lower price?

Once you find an item you’ve recently purchased that is now being sold for less, simply go to the Amazon Contact Us page and start a chat session.

See Also: 14 Stores That’ll Happily Give You Amazon’s Lower Price 

Start a chat session.

Specifically, on the Contact Us page, under “Step 2 – Tell us more about your issue”, select “Payment issues” followed by clicking the “Chat” button at the bottom.

Be polite.

Politely explain the situation and inform them of the new lower price. They’ll ask for your order number, so be sure to have it at the ready.

Be Persistent…You Have Nothing to Lose.

When you start the chat, explain how ridiculous it is that you need to return the item then rebuy it at the lower price in order to get “price protection”.

Depending on the price of the item in question, ask for some money back for your inconvenience.

Either ask for the dollar amount of the price reduction, or on cheaper items ask for at least a $5 – $10 credit.

Be persistent.

In many cases, they customer service rep will grant you a promotional credit for the amount that the price was reduced.

Many in the comments have pulled off this tactic successfully so I figured it’s DEFINITELY worth trying.

Good luck.

See Also: Here’s How You Make an Amazon Return After 30 Days

The only requirement is Amazon fulfillment.

My watch batteries were sold by a company called “The Perfect Deals”, but the order was fulfilled by Amazon via Prime 2-day shipping.

I was happily surprised this was not an issue when it came to getting price protection.

A good rule-of-thumb is to look for Prime shipping eligibility; if it’s an eligible item then it’s almost always going to be fulfilled by Amazon.

You can EVEN get price protection if another Amazon seller has a lower price.

When I told the chat rep that the price of my batteries had dropped, I failed to realize that the price I was quoting him was actually from a different seller.

He informed me of this, and offered to give me the price of the other seller as a “one time exception”.

Keep this knowledge in your “discount holster” and fire it on an expensive purchase so you can maximize your cash-back.

Below is a copy of my chat transcript that details exactly how the whole thing went down.

Ask the Reader: Have you ever been able to get some money back from Amazon after buying something and then noticing that the price was lowered? Was it easy? How did the whole deal go down? I look forward to your comments.

By Kyle James

Who doesn’t love easy Starbucks menu hacks that can save you significant money on your next trip. After all, the idea of walking into a Starbucks and shelling out $7 for a milkshake is something many of us dread like the plague. In the past we’ve talked about some practical ways to save money at Starbucks, but today I wanted to dissect their menu and tell you about some cool hacks that’ll save you money on your next coffee order.

Here are the 7 Starbucks menu hacks and secrets worth knowing:

1. Order a “Short” in a Tall Cup

The next time you order a brewed coffee at Starbucks, order a “Short” and ask for it in a “Tall” cup. Your barista will pour your cup about 3/4 full and hand it to you.

Once you top it off with a half and half or whole milk, you’ll basically have a Tall cup for the price of a Short.

Also, you can get similar savings by ordering a Tall in a Grande sized cup OR a Grande in a Venti cup.

This allows for the maximum amount of coffee and you have complete control over how much whole milk or half and half you pour into your cup.

One more thing, if you’re a Starbucks rewards member your Brewed Coffee and Tea refill is completely FREE when drinking in-store.

See Also: Hack the Starbucks Rewards Program for More Savings

2. Split a Venti Frappuccino to Save Money

A 24 oz. Venti Frappuccino is about the size of a gas can.

When indulging with a friend, order a Venti along with 2 Tall cups (12 oz each) and split it yourself. They won’t do it for you as they’ll end up charging you for 2 Talls.

So politely ask for a couple cups and they’ll happily oblige.

As you can see from the screenshot above, you’ll pay $6.25 for the Venti instead of a ridiculous $10.90 for two Talls.

Both options yield you the same coffee so ALWAYS opt for the Venti and split it and save money.

If you don’t have anyone to split it with then save half of it in the refrigerator and make an iced Frappuccino the next day.

PRO TIP: FREE REFILLS IN-STORE

As mentioned above, Starbucks Rewards members get a free refill of hot or iced brewed coffee (not a Cold Brew) or tea when drinking in-store (during the same day).

But did you know that the refill does NOT have to be the same thing you were initially drinking?

So if you order a hot Pike Place and sip it in a Starbucks, you can actually order an iced coffee on your way out the door and it will be completely FREE.

See Also: Starbucks Secret Menu to Help You Save Money (Well, Not Really, It’s Just Fun)

3. Order an Americano for a Cheap Caffeine Fix

If you consider yourself a caffeine junkie and love espresso, order an Americano and get the most bang for your buck.

An Americano is simply hot water poured over two freshly pulled espresso shots.

You can then doctor it with milk and sweetener if you’re looking for more of the traditional coffee taste.

If you want even more caffeine, don’t order an extra shot of espresso for your tall Americano, instead order a “Grande Americano in a tall cup” and get the extra shot cheaper by doing so.

You’ll get 3 shots of espresso, instead of two, and pay less overall.

PRO TIP: MAXIMIZE YOUR REFRESHER COST

The absolute BEST way to save on your Refresher order is to order a Venti with light or NO ice.

Then simply ask for a cup of ice (Grande or Venti cup, doesn’t matter) and add the ice to your Refresher as you drink it. And before you ask, the cup of ice is 100% free.

By doing this little trick, you essentially end up getting two drinks for the price of one.

4. Order a “Pour Over” to Ensure Fresh Coffee

While this Starbucks hack might not save you money, it’s a great tip to ensure the freshest coffee available.

Order a “Pour-Over” and get a freshly ground and brewed cup of coffee instead of something that has been sitting in a hot pot since 5:30 am.

It does take a bit longer, but real coffee aficionados will gladly wait for a fresh cup.

See Also: Want Starbucks Delivered? Here’s How It All Works

5. Order a Cheaper Chai Tea and Make Your Own Latte

For this Starbucks hack to work you’ll need to simply order a Chai Tea (hot water and Tazo tea bag) and add the milk yourself to make a Chai Tea latte.

A Grande latte will run you $3.95 but the water and tea bag will only cost you a little over 2 bucks.

If you really want the steamed milk in your latte, politely ask a barista if they could hook you up. The first 1.5 inches of milk is completely free.

6. Order a French Press when Drinking with Friends

If you’re hitting your local Starbucks with friends, consider ordering a “French Press” and get a a 32 oz to 45 oz (depending on your location) pot of coffee in the $6 to $8 range.

You’ll end up getting your coffee for about half the cost compared to everyone ordering individually.

Update: Many Starbucks locations these days does NOT have a French Press option but it’s still worth asking as they might be able to hook you up with something similar.

7. Additional Menu Hacks:

– Order iced beverages with “Half Ice” or “Light Ice” and get MORE beverage and LESS frozen water.

– Bring in your own mug, or travel tumbler, and Starbucks will give you 10 cents off your next cup of coffee.

– Instead of buying their bottled water, always ask for a cup of water to-go as it’s triple-filtered goodness.

– Consider ordering your next iced tea with “No Water Added” and get it full strength. Otherwise they’ll water that bad boy way down. By getting it full-strength, you can add your own water and get twice as much iced tea for the money.

Ask the Reader: What Starbucks secret menu hacks do you use to save money? Or do you choose to brew at home and forget the whole ruckus?

By Kyle James

Photo by N i c o l a.