If you’re a Costco member and planning to host a large event and need to feed lots of people, consider using Costco catering. Their prices are pretty darn reasonable and the trays they put together are great for feeding a diverse group of appetites. Here’s everything you need to know.

Costco Doesn’t Cater Events In-Person

Costco does provide catering; however, you’re expected to pickup the food to bring to your event.

They also don’t deliver any catering items, you’re responsible for pickup and delivery.

Also, you’ll need your membership card and you’ll also need to provide your membership number when filling out the order form.

PRO TIP: LOOK FOR NO-SHOW SPECIAL ORDERS

When I’m at Costco I often see a platter of sandwiches or shrimp for sale that somebody ordered but never picked up.

These get placed for sale in the deli section at Costco and are often marked at $10 below the retail price.

If you’re not super picky, and just need a lot of good food fast, keep an eye out for these unwanted platters and save a little money.

Your Catering Options at Costco

Costco offers a wide range of catering options from party trays and platters to their sushi platter.

Here’s a list of Costco’s current catering options:

– Costco Sandwich Platter

– Costco Croissant Sandwich Platter

– Prawn (Shrimp) Platter

– Sushi Platter

– Buffalo Wings Platter

– Costco Vegetable tray

– Assorted Hye Roller Platter

– Turkey & Swiss Roller Wraps

– Decorated Sponge Cake

– Costco Fruit Platter

See Also: Costco Food Court Menu: Here’s Everything On It w/ Prices

Party Platter Prices and Sizing

Costco coffers a variety of party platters.

Below are the different party platters Costco offers and their prices:

– Artisan Bread Sandwich Platter (serves about 16-20 people): Priced at $47.99

– Chicken & Swiss Rollers (serves about 20-24 people): Priced at $39.99

– Shrimp Platter (serves about 20-24 people): Priced at $39.99

– Fruit, Meat & Cheese Platter (serves about 18-24 people): Priced at $39.99

If you break down the Costco party platter prices by person, you’re spending between $1-$3 per person to feed your group.

From this Reddit forum, the “feeds 16-20 people” is only if folks take half a sandwich, so be sure to have plenty of side dishes.

Here’s Where You Go In Costco To Submit Your Order

Near the deli department OR bakery section there will be a small kiosk to place your catering order.

You’ll first have to fill out your catering order form in-person (forms provided at the kiosk).

You CANNOT fill out your Costco catering order online.

You must go in-person and have a Costco membership to successfully submit a catering order.

On the catering order form you’ll have to fill out the following information:

– What catering options you’d like to order.

– How much of each option you’d like.

– The date you’ll need your order.

– Your contact information along with your Costco membership number.

Once you’ve completed the catering order form, you then slide the form in the slot at the kiosk.

See Also: 5 Smart Savings Hacks for Buying Costco Meats

Costco Requires 24 Hours Advanced Notice

You’ll need to give Costco at least 1 day’s notice or longer to be able to fulfill your catering order.

On the catering order form that you have to fill out, you’ll have to provide the date you need your order.

With that said, Costco seems very accommodating. From this Reddit forum, you can place an order as late as 8:20 pm and have it ready the following day at opening.

See Also: 7 Costco Bakery Hacks That Will Blow Your Mind

Some Affordable Add-on Options for Events

There are some add-on Costco food items you can get when you pick up your catering order.

Below are some of my favorite Costco add-on food items you should consider:

– Rotisserie Chicken – Buy some bags of the hand pulled breast meat and use it for tacos, fajitas, or sandwiches.

– Street Taco Kits – Easily build a nice little taco bar for a reasonable price.

– Caesar Salad – It’s big and is a great filler.

– Chicken Salad – Great side dish that is really filling.

– Mac and Cheese – Oh my gosh, it’s SO good and makes for a great side.

– Ribs – Haven’t tried the pre-cooked ribs at Costco, have you?

– Spinach Salad – Haven’t tried this one yet.

Ask the Reader: Have you ever you used Costco when catering a large event or party? How did the process go and how did the food taste?

By Kyle James

My wife is an incredibly brave (or crazy) kindergarten teacher and we’ve been getting the Verizon teacher discount for years now. As we all know, teachers don’t make a ton of money so every little teacher discount helps and Verizon’s is no exception. The cool thing about their teacher discount is it’s VERY easy to apply, took me maybe 5 minutes total. So, if you’re a teacher and curious how it all works, keep reading and you’ll get all your questions answered.

Verizon offers a flat monthly discount to teachers.

This means eligible teachers who have a Verizon account and at least 1 smartphone or basic phone on at least 1 or more specific Verizon plans (listed below) can receive a monthly discount.

Eligible plans for the Verizon teacher discount include:

– Currently available plans: Unlimited Ultimate, Unlimited Plus, Unlimited Welcome

– Other plans NOT available: One Unlimited, Welcome Unlimited, Play More Unlimited, Do More Unlimited, Get More Unlimited, Just Kids

PRO TIP: YOU MUST REVALIDATE EVERY YEAR

Don’t put your Verizon bill on autopay and just ignore it.

Open up your bill every couple months and make sure you’re still getting your teacher discount. Unfortunately, you will have to revalidate your discount annually, so by paying attention to your bill, you’ll know when it’s time to do that.

Also, some teachers have complained that once their discount disappeared, Verizon added twice the charges back to their monthly bill. So it definitely pays to keep a close eye on your bill.

See Also: Verizon Military Discount: Who’s Eligible and How Much You Can Save

Teachers Can Save Up to $25 Per Line

Here is the monthly breakdown of how much you can save with the teacher discount:

– $10 per month with 1 line

– $25 per month with 2 lines ($12.50/line)

– $25 per month with 3 lines ($8.33/line)

– $20 per month with 4 plus lines ($5/line)

How Teachers Prove Their Eligibility

To be a part of the teachers discount program you must first qualify.

The following is a list of qualifications straight from Verizon’s website that tells you what you need to do to get the teacher discount.

– Have at least 1 smartphone or basic phone on a qualifying Verizon monthly Unlimited plan.

– Be the Account Owner or Account Manager.

– Be a currently-employed teacher (kindergarten to grade 12 or post-secondary instructor).

– Apply online through their Teachers discounts page.

– Validate your teaching employment as part of the discount registration.

– Re-validate your teaching employment about once a year.

See Also: 5 Relatively Painless Ways to Save Money on Your Verizon Bill

PRO TIP: SOME LOYALTY DISCOUNTS AREN’T STACKABLE

Be aware that an “account level” loyalty discount from Verizon is not stackable with the teacher discount.

But a “line level” discount is indeed stackable.

So let’s say you have 3 line level discounts and one of the lines also has the teacher discount on it, make sure you’re getting both discounts on that particular line.

So…In Short, Here’s How You Make It Happen

To get started, simply visit this page and click on the “Check Eligibilty” button.

You’ll be redirected to ID.me and start the verification process.

Once verified, you’ll get an email confirmation and start to see your discount on your Verizon bill in 1-2 billing cycles.

Discount Not Good for ALL Teachers

You must be an “eligible” teacher to get the Verizon teacher discount.

Here are a few things teachers must have/be to be eligible:

– Be an active teacher currently employed.

– Be a K – 12th grade teacher, or a post-secondary instructor (i.e. college professor).

– Some states require you to provide your teaching certificate when applying.

Therefore, you will not be eligible for the Verizon teacher discount if you don’t meet the above requirements.

Daycare or Pre-School Workers Don’t Qualify

Unfortunately, unlike other teacher discounts, daycare and pre-school workers do not qualify.

On Verizon’s website, they state that only currently-employed teachers from kindergarten to 12th-grade teachers, plus post-secondary teachers qualify for the discount.

PRO TIP: HOW TO MAKE YOUR SPUOSE ELIGIBLE

Technically, spouses of teachers don’t qualify for the discount which is a major bummer for me personally.

However, there is a CLEVER workaround for this.

Make sure to put the teacher’s name as the primary account holder on your Verizon internet or cell phone bill, rather than in the spouse’s name, then you can ALL qualify.

Retired Teachers Are Out-Of-Luck

Unfortunately, retired teachers do not qualify for the discount, so you should learn how to negotiate a lower Verizon bill instead in order to save.

Only active, currently-employed teachers qualify for the discount.

See Also: Verizon Employee Discount: We Cut Thru the Confusion

Other Wireless Carriers Offer Similar Discounts

Fortunately, Verizon is not the only wireless carrier that offers teacher discounts.

Some wireless carriers that also offer teacher discounts include Sprint, AT&T, and Boost Mobile.

Ask the Reader: How long did it take you to apply for the Verizon teacher discount? Any other discounts that I need to be aware of? Let me know.

By Kyle James

While Lululemon’s clothing may be of high-quality, it comes at a VERY steep price. Fortunately, for those who’ve served our country there’s the Lululemon military discount. The discount is exclusively for active military members and veterans as well as their spouses and dependents. The process to apply is relatively simple but there are some twists you need to be aware of.

Their Military Discount is 15%

Lululemon absolutely has a military discount which is a 15% off both online and in-store purchases.

Active military members and their spouses and dependents of the same household all qualify for the discount.

Reservist military members and veterans ALSO qualify for the discount.

Also, keep in mind that the discount cannot be combined with other Lulu coupons or promotions.

PRO TIP: KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE OCCASIONAL 30% DISCOUNT

A couple times a year, Lululemon will email out 25% and 30% discounts for military members and vets.

Keep any eye for those and swoop up some good deals if you can.

With that said, many times these “bonus” military discounts are only good for a very limited number of Lulu products. For example, the last one I saw was only good for 30% off Hotty Hot Shorts, ABC Shorts, Pacebreaker Shorts, and various Tennis Skirts.

Steps to Apply for the Discount

Here are the steps you need to take to apply.

1. Click here to log in and get verified with SheerID. You’ll have to create an account if you don’t have one.

2. After you’ve submitted all your information, you’ll receive an email from SheerID in a few minutes.

3. The email will confirm your verification, from which you can then go ahead and use the 15% discount.

4. If you do not get verified, you’ll be asked to submit further information.

See Also: Lululemon Employee Discount: Let’s Just Say It’s Mostly Great

The Required Proof of Service

When verifying your military status and involvement, you’ll have to submit documentation to verify your eligibility.

Here’s what you’ll need to submit when applying for their military discount:

– Full name

– Branch of service

– Current military affiliation

– Discharge date if you’re not on active duty

Once you receive a confirmation email (usually within 15 minutes), you can immediately start using your 15% discount.

Tips to Use the Discount In-Store

Once you’ve verified your eligibility online, just tell a Lululemon employee (also known as an “Educator”) that you’d like to use your military discount.

They’ll ask you for a valid photo I.D. and verify that you’re in their computer system and get you 15% off your order total.

See Also: 90+ Places That Offer a Military or Veteran Discount

The Discount Can Be Used Online Too

The Lululemon military discount works BOTH for online and in-store purchases.

Once your online account has been approved to receive the military discount, you’ll need to MAKE SURE the 15% off toggle switch is turned ON when checking out from the Lulu website.

You’ll find the Toggle Switch for the military discount on the “Billing Page”.

Items That Can Be Bought With the Discount

You can use your 15% savings and buy the majority of the in-store and online items that they sell.

Specifically, here’s a list of items you CAN buy with the discount:

– Regular-Price Items

– We Made Too Much

– Lululemon Lab

– Selfcare

See Also: Lululemon Return Policy: We Break It Down So You Can Understand It

Some Items Are Excluded

There are some exclusions with the military discount to keep in mind.

For example, the discount is NOT valid on the following:

– Gear on the Lululemon Like New website

– Lululemon gift cards or e-gift cards

– Cannot be used with other promotions or resale

There’s No Annual Maximum Discount

While the discount is maxed at 15% off qualifying items, there isn’t a specific yearly dollar-amount maximum.

In other words, there’s no limit to the number of items you can buy with the discount, as long as they are qualifying items.

See Also: The Lululemon First Responder Discount Will Get You 15% Off

Ask the Reader: Have you been verified to receive the military discount at Lululemon? Was it an easy process or more hassle than it’s worth?

By Kyle James