This Might Be the Perfect Christmas Gift for the Costco Fan in Your Life

Some people don't mind shelling out money for a Costco membership per se, but they wouldn't exactly call themselves Costco superfans. Rather, they like saving money on things like groceries and household products, but it's not as if they particularly look forward to going to Costco, nor do they experience Costco withdrawal when they don't make it over to the store for a few weeks in a row.

But then there are those Costco fans who absolutely love the store -- as in, they count down the days until their next coupon book arrives and they actively roam the aisles looking for new products every time they visit. If you know someone who falls into this category, then Costco's newest offering may be the perfect holiday gift for them.

Introducing Costco Monopoly

Monopoly is one of those games that people tend to have mixed feelings about. The downside is that it can be long and, frankly, somewhat cutthroat. The upside is that while there is an element of luck involved, players can use actual skills and strategies to improve their chances of winning.

Meanwhile, Costco is selling its own branded Monopoly game right in time for the holidays. The game has players putting up food courts and warehouse clubs instead of the traditional houses and hotels, and the real estate locations on the game board represent Costco locations around the world. The game also features Costco-themed "Chance" and "Community Chest" cards.

Should you buy the Costco Monopoly game?

If you know someone who's a self-proclaimed Costco superfan, then this game could make for a really unique holiday gift. But do keep a few things in mind.

First, there's the $44.99 online price tag. That's a bit steep for a board game. That said, in-store prices are often lower than online prices. So if you scoop up the game at your local warehouse club, you might end up with a lower credit card tab.

Also, while $44.99 is a bit pricey for a board game, it's not necessarily such a massive amount to spend on someone special for the holidays. So if you have a brother-in-law who lives and breathes Costco and you'd normally buy him a $50 sweater, this game could be a much better gift.

Now you may even be considering buying the Costco Monopoly game to enjoy yourself. And if you can afford it, go for it -- with the caveat that you think you'll end up actually playing it. If you can't remember the last time you found a two-hour stretch of time to play a board game, then it may not be the best buy.

That said, sometimes unique games have the potential to become collectors' items down the line -- in which case bringing the Costco Monopoly game home and leaving it in its box may not be the worst idea. There's no guarantee that that will happen in this case, though. So you may want to err on the side of buying the game only if it's something that interests and appeals to you.