These 4 Christmas Deals from Costco Will Pay for Your Membership Fee

So, you want to join Costco but you're not sure about paying the $60 fee. I get it. I mean, $60 is a lot of money to pay just to get in the door. How can you be sure it will be good for your personal finances?

Well, one surefire way to get your money's worth out of a Costco membership is to make it all up in one purchase. After that, everything you save is just gravy.

Costco's regular prices are always pretty good, so when something goes on sale, it's often worth a shopping trip. These five deals that will save you at least enough to cover the cost of membership.

1. Keurig K-Supreme Plus Special Edition Single Serve Coffee Maker

These popular little coffee machines are pricey for a reason: They're easy to use, they're convenient, and they make pretty good coffee. This bundle from Costco includes the Keurig K-Supreme Plus Special Edition, which has a removable reservoir and built-in water filter. Plus, Costco includes 18 coffee pods of various flavors, as well as a reusable filter for folks who prefer to grind their own beans.

Sale price: $99.99 (if you order online, you'll also pay $9.99 shipping)

The numbers: If you're not a Costco member, the best deal you can find on this model is from Keurig itself, which will sell you just the machine for $109.99 if you sign up for the starter kit and commit to 12 months of auto-shipped pods (It's up to you to decide on value there).

Other than that, you're looking at $149.99 for just the machine from most retailers, plus another $10 tp $15 for the reusable filter and whatever value you assign to the 18 pods. All in all, you're getting at least $60 in value from the Costco bundle over buying elsewhere if you find it in store.

>> Not a Costco member? Check out these alternatives on Amazon here. <<

2. Vitamix Immersion Blender 5-piece Set

Immersion blenders are fantastic tools, offering a convenient way to blend in any container, and would make a nice gift for a foodie or cook. Costco's bundle also includes a variety of accessories, including a whisk attachment (great for mixing batters), mini chopper, blending jar, and handy storage case.

Sale price: $174.99

The numbers: If you only want the blender, you can save money by buying it on its own; at time of writing, Walmart has it for $115, and most other retailers have it for $125. If you then want to buy the accessories, you're looking at another $129.80. So if you want the accessories, the Costco bundle will save you around $64 -- enough to cover the cost of your membership (with a little left over).

>> Not a Costco member? Check out these alternatives on Amazon here. <<

3. Celestron 90AZ-SR Refractor Telescope With Smartphone Adapter

Astronomy can be a fantastic gateway into the world of natural science, inspiring folks of all ages to dive deeper into the world around them. This is a solid entry-level model that will show you some of the more prominent sights in the solar system, such as Saturn's rings and Jupiter's moons. Plus, the included smartphone adapter makes it easy to take photos to share your new hobby!

Sale price: $119.99

The numbers: Right off the bat, you're coming out ahead on this thing, since the $119.99 sale price at Costco is $61 less than the next-closest I could find (Amazon, $181.53 at time of writing). But only the Costco listing includes the smartphone adapter, which costs an extra $17, so you're actually coming out ahead by a membership plus $17.

>> Not a Costco member? Check out these alternatives on Amazon here. <<

4. DJI Mini 3 Pro Drone Bundle

This bundle from Costco includes the very popular DJI Mini 3 Pro drone, which shoots exceptional footage in 4K HDR and weighs less than 0.55 lbs. You'll also get two extra batteries, a battery charger, and a 128GB microSD card.

Sale price: $699.99

The numbers: I couldn't find this same bundle for sale elsewhere. You can find just the DJI Mini 3 Pro drone and remote in several places for $759.99.

So before you even add the extras, you still get back your $60 in Costco membership fees on the price of the drone alone. Plus you get the bundle extras. One battery on DJI's website costs $65, so the extras from Costco are worth a minimum of $130.

>> Not a Costco member? Check out these alternatives on Amazon here. <<

Stacking deals with bonuses

Before you run out and spend a couple hundred bucks on a great Costco deal, consider how you're going to pay. If you're going with a credit card, there are a few considerations:

• You can only use Visa credit cards in stores. You can use Visa or Mastercard credit cards on Costco.com.
• When it comes to credit card rewards, warehouse/wholesale clubs are their own bonus category. If you don't have a card that earns bonus rewards at wholesale clubs, consider a flat-rate cash back rewards card.
• Many great no annual fee cards have nice welcome bonuses that only require you to spend $500 or so. A welcome bonus could be a nice way to get some extra cash back on all that holiday spending.

Costco can be a great place to save money -- if you can get past that fee. But I've just shown you at least a few of the ways you can score a Costco membership without worrying about whether you'll make up for that costly membership fee.