3 Reasons to Do Your Christmas Shopping at Costco

The holidays will be here in short order, so if you haven't begun the process of shopping for them, you may want to get started soon. Wait too long, and you might find yourself in a pretty stressful situation.

You have plenty of options when it comes to Christmas shopping. If you're someone who doesn't like crowded stores or malls, you could do the bulk of your shopping on Amazon and potentially enjoy extra cash to put in your savings account.

But another great source of savings could be your local Costco -- or Costco.com if you'd rather shop from the comfort of home. Costco is known for its competitive prices on everything from food to gift items to decor.

But that's not the only reason to do your Christmas shopping at Costco. Here are a few other reasons why Costco might be the best place to stock up on everything you need to celebrate the holidays to the fullest.

1. You can score loads of deals early on

Many people don't really dive into Christmas shopping until mid- or late November. But if you're someone who wants to get started early, you're in luck.

Costco has already released a host of holiday deals. Right now, you can save big on holiday candy, housewares, jewelry, decorations, and more. There's no need to wait until Black Friday rolls around if you'd rather start tackling the mammoth task of preparing for the holidays now.

2. You get a longer warranty on electronics

When you buy electronics at Costco, you get the benefit of a free second-year warranty. That can help you shop with more confidence, especially for items you may be stretching your budget to purchase.

In addition to extended warranties, Costco also offers free technical support for electronics. So if you buy your spouse a new laptop or TV and they find themselves struggling to get it set up, you won't have to feel bad about putting them in a stressful situation.

3. You'll have an easy time making returns

Costco has a very generous return policy that could take some of the pressure off when it comes to buying holiday gifts. Most items purchased at Costco can be brought back at any time for a full refund as long as they're in suitable condition. Costco will also accept used items that are defective.

You also get 90 days to return electronics to Costco, which means that if you're buying items in early November with the intent to hand them over to loved ones in late December, you/they still have plenty of time to take them back if they're not a good fit.

Plenty of retailers will gladly take your money during the holiday season. But shopping at Costco might not only save you money, but also, stress and aggravation. Plus, if you have an Executive membership at Costco, your holiday purchases could set you up with 2% cash back. And that's a great way to offset the enormous expense of the holidays.