When you think of Costco, you might think of $5 rotisserie chickens, $1.50 hot dogs, and overcrowded parking lots. But Costco is much more than just a grocery store (or a gas station). In fact, if it seems as if you’re buying the same products from Costco over and over again, you might be missing out on some of its lesser-known perks. Like these five.
1. Cheap car insurance
Inflation might be starting to cool down, but car insurance rates are still surging. In fact, car insurance rates have surged 19.5% year over year, according to the latest Consumer Price Index, even while overall inflation grew by 3%.
But getting your car insurance through Costco could help you fight back. While Costco doesn’t underwrite insurance policies itself, it can give members an exclusive discount through its partner CONNECT, which is backed by American Family Auto.
According to Costco, most members save about $596 in the first year they switched to CONNECT. This can be combined with other traditional discounts, like safe driving, paperless billing, and bundling multiple policies, to help you save even more on your annual premiums.
2. Save on a moving truck rental
Moving across the country — or even between cities within your own state — isn’t cheap. According to Home Advisor, a local move could cost between $878 and $2,548, while moving across the country could cost $2,401 to $6,868 or more.
What most Costco members don’t realize, however, is that they can save 25% on a Budget truck rental with their Costco membership. Trucks can be as large as 26 feet and the promotion also includes a free additional driver, which would normally cost about $13 to $65 per day. Saving 25% on your truck rental could help you save hundreds — if not a thousand dollars — on your next relocation, not to mention earn you substantial rewards if you have a top credit card for Costco.
3. Negotiating car prices
If you dread haggling over car prices, the Costco Auto Program is about to make car buying a lot easier for you. This membership perk pre-negotiates prices on cars at local dealerships, thereby eliminating the haggling altogether. Costco members can also save up to 15% off of parts, service, and accessories (maximum of $500 in savings per visit) at participating service centers.
4. Cheap sports tickets
Costco has incredible deals on sporting events. From college football to basketball to NASCAR races, you can buy tickets to professional teams at a much better price than purchasing them through third-party ticketing companies. While it doesn’t sell tickets for every team, it sells them extremely cheap for those it does. To give you an idea, here’s a sampling of MLB tickets from its website.
|
MLB team |
Seating |
Costco price (two tickets) |
Average ticket price in 2023 (one ticket) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Baltimore Orioles |
Lower Box |
$89.99 |
$123 |
|
Miami Marlins |
Home Plate Box C |
$49.99 |
$69 |
|
Washington Nationals |
Field Level |
$69.99 |
$107 |
|
Cincinnati Reds |
Lower Level |
$64.99 |
$90 |
Data source: Costco.com, Stastista.
5. Virtual care
Finally, Costco members can save on virtual care appointments when they book with its partner, Sesame. For example, you can currently get the following healthcare services at a low (Costco) price.
|
Service |
Price |
|---|---|
|
Virtual primary care visit |
$29 |
|
Weight loss program |
$179 |
|
Virtual therapy visit |
$79 |
|
Health check-up (standard health panel and consultation) |
$72 |
Data source: Sesamecare.com
These are pretty low prices to budget for, especially if you’re currently uninsured. And unlike many insurance plans, you don’t have to jump through any hoops to see a specialist. You just book an appointment online and get the virtual care you need.
If any of these five perks surprised you, guess what — they only scratch the surface of what a Costco membership can save you. Be sure to check Costco’s website to see what other benefits you could be missing out on, then make sure you have a good rewards credit card to maximize your rewards at the warehouse.
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5 Amazing Costco Perks You’ve Probably Never Heard Of was originally published by The Motley Fool
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