4 Costco Shopping Hacks to Try in 2023

All of these could save you serious money.

Inflation has upended a lot of people's finances over the past year and change. And unfortunately, it has the potential to continue hurting consumers in 2023 -- even though the Federal Reserve has been aggressively hiking interest rates in an effort to slow inflation down.

That's the bad news. The good news, though, is that shopping at Costco on a regular basis could help you keep your expenses more manageable -- and lead to a lower credit card tab in the course of feeling your family and maintaining your household. If you want to enjoy even more savings at Costco in the new year, here are some hacks you can try.

1. Stick to the Kirkland brand

There's no sense in being a stickler for brand names at a store like Costco. Not only is Costco's signature Kirkland brand perfectly high in quality in its own right, but actually, it's very common for companies you've heard of to sell goods under the Kirkland brand name. Plus, Kirkland products tend to be available at an especially competitive price point, so if you do your best to favor them, you might save a lot.

2. Time your shopping trips with an empty tank

Costco gas stations tend to offer heavily discounted fuel, but that won't do you much good if you show up to Costco with a full tank. If you manage to time your shopping trips strategically, however, you can take advantage of those lower gas prices -- and check multiple errands off your list with one stop.

3. Load up on discounted gift cards

Buying gift cards to either use yourself or give as presents makes sense at Costco. The reason? Those gift cards are often significantly discounted. At a regular supermarket, a $50 gift card to a restaurant chain will generally cost you $50. At Costco, it may only cost you $35 or $40.

4. Check the deal book before you shop

Each month, Costco releases a list of deals available both online and in stores. It pays to read through those deals and stock up on the items you use regularly that don't have expiration dates -- think paper towels, tissues, and napkins that will still be perfectly usable a year from now.

Best of all, unlike other retailers, Costco doesn't force customers to clip or remember coupons. If you're a Costco member and there's a $5 off coupon available for a given item, you'll get that discount if you buy it at the right time -- that's all there is to it.

Save more in 2023

We don't know what 2023 has in store as far as inflation goes. But we do know that living costs are way up right now, so any amount of savings you're able to eke out in the new year could go a long way. And if you approach your Costco shopping more strategically, you may find that you're able to save yourself a bundle -- without having to skimp on the things you want to buy.