"One of the reasons the rich get richer, the poor get poorer and the middle class struggles in debt is because the subject of money is taught at home, not at school." - Robert Kiyosaki

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Is Costco Open on Thanksgiving Day 2018?

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Is Costco Open on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day used to be a day to spend at home with family eating turkey, watching football and napping. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, was the day for shopping and doorbuster sales. However, over the last few years retailers like Walmart have started opening on Thanksgiving Day to kick off their Black Friday sales early. This year, with the COVID pandemic changing markets worldwide, retailers are having “Black Friday” deals all month! So, you may be wondering, is Costco open on Thanksgiving in 2018?

While many retailers have started opening their stores on Thanksgiving Day to start the Black Friday shopping early, some retailers have chosen to remain closed on Thanksgiving Day so that their employees can spend the day with their families. If you want to shop instead of nap after your turkey dinner, it’s hard to know which stores will be open and which will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.

Is Costco Open on Thanksgiving Day?

Costco will not be open on Thanksgiving Day. Costco locations are normally open on Thursday, but they will be closed on Thursday, November 26, 2020 for the Thanksgiving holiday. Warehouse locations do not open on Thanksgiving Day so that their employees can celebrate the holiday with their families. Warehouse locations will reopen at 9:00 a.m. on Black Friday.

Is Costco.com Available Thanksgiving?

If you can’t wait for Black Friday and want to shop on Thanksgiving Day, you can shop on Costco’s website and enjoy their already-running Holiday Savings sale. Costco’s Holiday Savings sale started on November 20, and lasts until the 30th. Online shopping with Costco has a few advantages over shopping in the warehouse.

Non-members can also take advantage of the Black Friday sale online. You do not have to be a Costco member to make purchases through their website, but non-members are charged a surcharge. Black Friday deals may not be as good a deal when the surcharge is added for non-members. Not only that, but some products do have Members-only pricing.

When Does the Costco Black Friday Sale Start?

Costco, like most big chain retailers, has ditched Black Friday this year to avoid overcrowding during the COVID pandemic. Instead, Costco has their 10-day Holiday Savings sale. The Costco Holiday Savings sale has already started, lasting November 20- November 30 at Costco.com and in-store. All Costco warehouse locations open an hour earlier than normal on Black Friday. They will open at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, November 23, 2018.

Holiday Savings sales prices are available Friday, November 20 through Monday, November 30, 2020, but only while supplies last. There will be no rain checks offered for sale priced items that are out of stock. You can check out the deals in the holiday Savings sale at costco.com.

When Will Costco be Open Thanksgiving Week?

Holiday hours can be a bit confusing. Usually stores close early the day before a holiday and, sometimes, open late the day after. The Costco hours Thanksgiving week are:

Sunday, November 22: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Monday, November 23: 10:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 24: 10:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, November 25: 10:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, November 26: Closed

Friday, November 27: 9:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, November 28: 9:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, November 29: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

If you have any questions about Costco’s hours this week or about any deals the company is having for the holiday, contact your local Costco directly.

Will you be shopping Friday for Costco’s Black Friday sale? Share with us in the comments below!

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Photo: Mike Mozart

How to Deal With Financially Irresponsible Parents

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Financially Irresponsible Parents

As an adult, you take it upon yourself to deal with your finances. Unfortunately, not all adults do the same thing. And perhaps it’s not a skill that you learned from your parents. In fact, many adults today struggle with the fact that they have financially irresponsible parents. Families are complicated. Money is complicated. Therefore, money can get really complicated in families. But it’s possible to find ways to work through those challenges.

Identify The Problem

The first thing that you need to do when it comes to dealing with financially irresponsible parents is to identify the problem. Why does their financial situation bother you? What are the deeper underlying emotions and fears that make this such a challenging issue for you? After all, some people would just say, “well, that’s their problem” and not worry about it.

How to Identify The Problem

You want to do two things when identifying the problem:

  1. Identify the tangible problem. What are the actual issues arising in your parents lives right now due to their financial choices?
  2. Identify the emotional problem. What’s going on with you emotionally in your reactions?

Many of us know that many is a logical tangible thing and yet we respond to it emotionally. When dealing with financially irresponsible parents, you may react strongly with anger, frustration, overwhelm, anxiety, guilt, stress, irritation or a bunch of mixed feelings. Some of those feelings probably date back to childhood. Others may be valid responses to the situation. But in order to deal with financially responsible parents, you need to sort that out.

Common Concerns About Financially Irresponsible Parents

So ask yourself very specifically, “what are my concerns about my parents?” Common worries include:

  • I will have to take care of them financially in the future. (Perhaps you already do so.)
  • They aren’t going to be able to afford a good quality of life, including medical care.
  • It’s frustrating to work so hard to be financially savvy when they’ve never done so.
  • It irritates me that they don’t know how to take care of their money.
  • My spouse and I are constantly fighting because of my parents or in-laws money choices.
  • I feel obligated to help my parents financially but I’m angry about it.

Addressing the Problem

Once you’ve sorted out the emotions from the actual financial difficulties, it’s time to address the problem.

You might want to address the emotional aspects through therapy. After all, the better that you’re able to handle the conversations about money, the better those conversations will go. You don’t have control over what your parents do or how they engage with you. However, you do have control over your reactions. Managing your reactions can help improve the entire relationship. So, consider working through your childhood and ongoing family issues about money in therapy.

Someday, of course, you might want to address the emotional content with your parents as well. But first handle the tangible stuff. Figure out the exact issues you want to address. Then ask your parents if they’re willing to have a conversation with you about your concerns. Hopefully, they’ll agree and you can have a calm conversation. If not, some families find that using text messages, voice mails, emails, and handwritten letters can get difficult conversations started.

Steps for Addressing the Problem

If your parents are willing to talk, here are the steps that you can take to address the problem:

  • Use an I statement to express your concern. “I feel worried about (this aspect of your money) because I care about you.”
  • Be very clear and precise about the thing that concerns you. If you have multiple concerns, consider addressing one at a time. For example, “I feel worried when you spend a lot of money on travel because I’m afraid that you won’t have money leftover to pay the mortgage off after you retire.”
  • Ask your parents if they feel the same concern. Listen thoroughly to their response. After all, you might discover that they have a retirement plan you didn’t even know about. Even if you don’t, you need to know if you’re even remotely on the same page.
  • If you both share the concern, brainstorm ways to solve the problem.
  • If your parents don’t share your concern, ask if you can give them some examples of why you’re worried. Be descriptive. “It seemed like you paid about $5000 for your last vacation. I was thinking about how that $5000 could go towards paying down the mortgage. That way, when you retire, you won’t have to pay that big bill. My concern is that you’ll struggle with those payments once your current level of income isn’t coming in.”
  • Try to come to an agreement. Practice patience and kindness.

Additional Tips for Addressing the Problem

Every family is different. Therefore, addressing problems with financially irresponsible parents will look different in each family. Your culture, your family dynamics, and your styles of communication will all come into play. Therefore, here are some additional things to consider when dealing with financially irresponsible parents.

  • One or more of the siblings (the parents’ children) might be the best one(s) to have this conversation. Can you work together?
  • It might be better to approach one parent or the other first in some families.
  • It’s important to be sensitive to the many relationship dynamics at play. If your parents are separated, divorced or remarried, more people are in the picture. If your parents’ parents are still alive, they may be involved financially. If you have siblings and step and half and adoptive siblings, there’s more at play. Try to get a sense of the big picture of family finances.
  • Some people prefer information over advice. Consider sending your parents articles and books about finances instead of discussing the issue directly.
  • Speak with professionals about your legal and financial options. For example, if you want to help your parents financially but don’t want to hand them cash, how can you set up a bank account that would enable you to do this? Or, if you’re paying for your parents to live with you, can you count them as dependents on your tax returns? Figure out what options you have.

Set Boundaries and Let It Go

Remember: You can only help them if you want to help them and if they want you to help them.

Do all that you can to deal with your financially irresponsible parents. Work with them. Express your love and concern. Figure out if there are tangible ways that you can help improve their financial situation. But, also, know when to step aside.

Your parents are adults. They are allowed to make their own choices. (Of course, if competence, age-related memory decline, etc. are at play then that’s a different – and much more complicated – story. Seek help from professionals working in that area of law and finance to proceed.)

At some point, you have to set your own boundaries. For example, you might determine that you’re not going to help your parents pay their bills. It’s too frustrating that they waste their money and then can’t cover the rent at the end of the month. While you don’t want them to be out on the street, at some point that might have to be your boundary. You can lovingly set boundaries. Again, therapy can assist with this.

And then, you have to find a way to make peace with the situation. It does no good to have anxiety over things which you can’t control. While you can keep trying to chip away at the problem, you also need to find ways to refocus on your own life. Practice self-care. Improve your own relationships and finances. It is never easy dealing with financially irresponsible parents. Nevertheless, they don’t have to interfere with your health, happiness, or money.

And one more thing, if you have children of your own, make sure to break the cycle. Have conversations with them early and often about finances. Open the doors of communication about money.

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If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started. If you want to be able to customize your blog on your own domain and need hosting service, we recommend trying BlueHost. They offer powerful hosting services for $3.95/month!

Why You Should Be Saving For The Next Pandemic Now

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Saving For The Next Pandemic

It’s hard to think about saving for the next pandemic when we are still in the thick of this one. And yet, experts say that there’s no time like the present to start preparing for the future. If you’re struggling with finances right now, then saving might feel like a challenge. But any little bit that you can set aside could help you down the line.

We Are Still In a Pandemic

Even though this article is about saving for the next pandemic, it’s important to acknowledge that we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. People are struggling. Many people are barely making ends meet. And even those who are doing okay are uncertain about the future since it’s unclear what will happen with both employment and the economy in the months and year or so to come.

Yes, it’s hard to think about saving for the next pandemic in the midst of this. But it’s also the perfect time. For one thing, the reality of the pandemic is on your mind right now. Let’s face it; when things improve, we will all be so excited about the opportunity to travel and host guests and go out to activities that we might let ourselves slip a little with spending. Right now, when we really understand the impact of this pandemic, our minds are primed to begin saving for the next one.

Plus, we’re already tightening our money belts. Since we’re in the swing of things with saving money, it’s natural to set aside some for the future.

When Will There Be Another Pandemic?

We can’t predict when there will be another pandemic. We don’t know what it will look like when it happens. But experts say that the likelihood of another one is extremely high.

The World Health Organization and United Nations General Assembly say:

“COVID-19 will not be the world’s last health emergency and there is an urgent need for sustainable health emergency preparedness to deal with the next one.”

And Harvard Business Review goes so far as to say:

“SARS in 2003, H1N1 in 2009, MERS in 2012, and now Covid-19. We don’t know when or where, but we know with 100% certainty that another deadly infection will strike.”

Why You Should Be Saving For The Next Pandemic Now

So, number one, you should start saving now because there’s an extremely high likelihood that there will be another pandemic. Second, you’re already in the mindset to really understand the difficulty of living in the pandemic. Therefore, you’re in a good position to make the changes and sacrifices necessary to save.

After all, despite all of the financial struggles of 2020, nearly one quarter of Americans managed to save money during the coronavirus pandemic. And nearly half of people are spending less than at the same time last year. The “new normal” is to save money. For one thing, you’re probably not traveling. Of course, cutting out travel saves a lot of money.

Moreover, experts recommend using your COVID-19 experience to review your savings plan. Many people kept the traditional 3-6 months of income in their emergency fund. However, in the face of the pandemic, that ran out. Therefore, you might want to consider saving 6+ months in your emergency fund for the next time.

Finally, you might be able to negotiate your bills at this time. COVID-19 impacted so many people that lenders and service providers have put plans in place to help reduce costs for their customers. If you can take advantage of those plans, then it could be a silver lining for saving money.

Tips on Saving For The Next Pandemic

Obviously, saving for the next pandemic isn’t easy. Heck, it’s hard to save money in the healthiest of times! However, it is possible to set aside money.

Check out our article on How to Maximize Savings During a Pandemic. Tips from that article include: stringent budgeting, getting very clear about needs and wants during a pandemic, and skipping dining out in favor of all meals at home. In other words, go back to the basics that you already know about living frugally. When we earn more, we sometimes splurge more, but you probably already know how to cut back. Now is the time to implement those good money habits.

Similarly, North American Savings Bank recommends five key tips to save for the next time this happens:

  1. Create an emergency fund.
  2. Avoid major expenses.
  3. Reduce your outstanding debt.
  4. Manage your expenses.
  5. But, keep your home office.

In fact, that last one is perhaps the only bit of advice that differs now from traditional plans to save a lot of money. Many people over the years have scaled down their housing to reduce costs. Tiny homes and other small spaces help people save on rents and mortgages. However, now that many people are home all of the time – working at home, homeschooling their kids – more space might be worth that extra cost. It’s important to find a way to balance your household expenses with the space that you need. And remember, real estate is an investment. You might want to read: Which Real Estate Investments Are Safe During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Other than that, though, it’s really all about going back to the basics.  Lower your costs as much as you can. Set aside as much as possible in savings. Also, check out our article on 10 Unusual Ways to Make Money During a Pandemic. It might feel like it’s impossible to make extra money right now. However, that’s not true at all. You do have options. And of course, the more you can make, the more you can save.

Finally, review your investments. You can still make money investing during COVID-19. Here are some articles that might help:

Governments, the Economy, and the Next Pandemic

While this article is primarily about individuals saving for the next pandemic, it’s important to note that much should also be done at the state, regional, national, and international levels. Governments and private organizations can do a lot towards improving the situation for next time in terms of reducing both the health impact and the financial troubles. Spending money to prevent the next pandemic would not only save lives but would also save economic costs down the line.

For example, scientists suggest “preserving forests, clamping down on the illegal wildlife trade, and starting a broad system of surveillance to catch emerging diseases before they spread.” All of this can lead to preventing the next pandemic or seriously limiting its spread and impact. This makes sense on a financial level as well. The scientists estimate that these measures would cost between $22 and $31 billion per year. Obviously, that’s a lot of money. However, it’s a fraction of the estimated cost of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is $27 trillion in 2020. In other words, “The cost of preventing the next pandemic is 2% of the cost we’re paying for COVID-19.”

The Harvard Business Review says that the United States government should consider affordable health care options for all citizens as a means to prevent individual and collective financial troubles during the next pandemic.

Are you saving for the next pandemic now? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started. If you want to be able to customize your blog on your own domain and need hosting service, we recommend trying BlueHost. They offer powerful hosting services for $3.95/month!

 

The Day After Election: The Financial Fall Out

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election financial fall out

Typically, presidential elections influence the financial landscape of the United States. Each candidate has their own views about government regulation, industry development, and other areas that impact the nation’s economy. Who ultimately comes out ahead has an effect on the markets, at least for a period. Plus, the political uncertainty that lingered during the days it took to identify a winner had an impact. If you are wondering what the financial fallout of the 2020 election looks like, here’s what you need to know.



Why the 2020 Election Was Different

The 2020 presidential election was anything but simple. It took several days for ballots to be tallied in some key states, creating a degree of uncertainty regarding the future of the United States.

Additionally, lawsuits put some doubt over what results would stand, promoting a contentious environment and ensuring that, even once a winner was initially identified, it would take much longer to find out who would actually hold the mantel of president in 2021. This amplified the sense of uncertainty.

There is also the issue of a divided Congress. Republicans seemed primed to hold onto the Senate, while Democrats maintained the majority in the House. With that potentially comes a combative climate, something that can slow decision-making at key times, such as when it comes to passing additional stimulus in response to COVID-19 or future annual budgets.

The Financial Fall Out of the 2020 Election

Ultimately, the 2020 election created a sense of doubt. The slow initial outcome boosted feelings of uncertainty and fears that the result would get tied up with recounts and lawsuits bolstered that notion.

For some, this prompts shifts in their investment strategies. Individuals may look toward options that are viewed as safer, like gold, or at least make an effort to reduce the volatility of their portfolio. This is especially true for those nearing retirement, where preservation is often a priority.

For those investing long-term, the impact may be smaller. At times, it may even signal opportunity, as they may go looking for “deals” as the stock market fluctuates. Additionally, immediately after election day, the stock markets actually experienced a notable gain. This indicates that some investors are feeling bullish, even during these odd times.

Short Term Post-Election Climate

It’s also crucial to remember that most of the notable market movement in a post-election climate is often short-term. While it may persist longer in 2020 due to the heightened degree of uncertainty, it will most likely calm, potentially in fairly short order.

Ultimately, who is elected president has an impact. Both candidates have different views on the economy, various industries, economic stimulus due to the pandemic, and much more. Once the winner is officially chosen, the market may experience some dramatic shifts.

At times, investors try to align their portfolios with areas that are likely to achieve gains once the new president steps into office and begins influencing policy directly. This leads to shifts, but once the president has been in place and their direction settles in, the changes are usually less dramatic. Some may experience losses during these initial days, it’s true. But there can also be gains and are often recoveries.

In the end, movement in the market is normal. While the election may lead to some financial fallout, it can also lead to improvements. The big key is typically time.

Can you think of any other things that cause an election financial fallout? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started. If you want to be able to customize your blog on your own domain and need hosting service, we recommend trying BlueHost. They offer powerful hosting services for $3.95/month!

Is ARCO Gas Bad For Your Car?

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is arco gas bad
ARCO gas is typically cheaper than gas at other gas stations. How can they offer lower prices than their competitors? Is ARCO gas bad for your car since it’s a lower price? Let’s take a look at why ARCO gas is cheaper than other brands. Moreover, let’s compare it to those brands to make sure that if you decide to go with ARCO gas, it won’t do any damage to your car in the long run.

Why Is ARCO Gas Cheaper Than Others?

ARCO has a reputation for offering considerably lower prices for its fuel than other gas stations. According to ARCO, consumers can average a savings of $0.05-$0.10 per gallon in comparison with other brands of gasoline.

It seems that with ARCO, these large price savings are due to many of its business practices. First of all, ARCO has no processing fees for credit cards because they do not accept them. This offers ARCO the savings of about $0.30 per credit card transaction fee which its competitors have to pay. In other words, your gas is cheaper because you pay cash.

Moreover, ARCO charges its customers a $0.45 fee per debit card transaction. So, if you don’t pay cash, then you pay more for your ARCO gas. If a customer is already paying a $0.45 debit card transaction fee, chances are the customer will in turn purchase more gas than they might if they were not paying the transaction fee. This allows ARCO to sell more gas per customer, thus granting them the ability to offer lower gas prices.

So, is ARCO gas bad? Since its the companies business practices that lower the gas cost, not the gas that they offer, there’s nothing to suggest that’s so.

Lower Prices Still Meet Minimum Gas Requirements

Since the inexpensive gas offered at ARCO comes at a significantly lower price, consumer often wonder whether or not it’s safe for their vehicles. The federal government has fairly strict guidelines on most things, and gasoline is no exception. Therefore, there are certain standards for all gasoline sold in the United States, such as octane levels, and the general characteristics that gasoline must possess. As a result, all gas sold in the United States is basically the same.

But Is There Better Gas?

Well, the basic minimum level of gas is the same across the board. However, you can pay more for premium gas. Some companies add extra detergents and additives above and beyond what the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires. All gas must contain a certain amount of detergent additives. Of course, those things are also EPA approved. Many companies add even more to differentiate their brand for other gasoline. So the question becomes, is the branded gas from companies like Shell, 76, Exxon and Chevron better than ARCO gas?

Why ARCO Gas Is The Same Or Better Than Competitors

While the blend of detergents and additives is different for each company, ARCO gas is on par with other top gas brands in the United States. Is ARCO gas bad? No. In fact, it’s quite good.

ARCO offers “Top Tier” gasoline. Top Tier gas is the standard which is recommended by seven of the top automakers in the world. Importantly, it’s of a standard even higher than what the EPA requires.

Notably, ARCO didn’t always use Top Tier gas. In the past, they used a cheaper gas. People who believe that gas quality does impact how well your car runs used to say to avoid ARCO gas as a result. However, when ARCO began to offer Top Tier gas, those people changed their tune.



It’s Okay to Use Cheaper Gas

To further ease customers’ minds, Edmunds conducted a study questioning experts in the automotive field. According to those findings, consumers put their vehicles at no greater risk by putting “cheap” gas into them. Most vehicle owners will not notice any difference in performance by purchasing cheap gas. However, the best advice is to look at your car’s owner’s manual and follow the guidelines given about the best type of gasoline for your particular car. That said, the average car that you drive probably runs perfectly well on ARCO gas.

TIP: Gas Hack

Whether or not you are concerned that ARCO gas is bad compared to other gas brands, here’s a “gas hack” that you can try to save you money at the ARCO station. In many parts of the country you can tank up at the ARCO station, and also add quality fuel injector cleaner. Adding this fuel injector cleaner as recommended should address any quality concerns, while still allowing you to buy the cheaper ARCO gas.

Just add the injector cleaner when you go to the gas station and you should be good to go. Of course, you do pay for the fuel injector cleaner. But you’ll pay less per gallon of gas than if you buy another brand of gas. Plus, you’re doing something that is almost certainly likely to improve your gas quality. In contrast, choosing between one gas station brand or another doesn’t necessarily improve gas quality at all.

Consumers today are always looking for a bargain. As prices on most things continue to rise, it is good to know that consumers are not putting their vehicles in jeopardy by taking advantage of savings at the gas pump. If you’ve wondered whether this is bad gas just because it’s cheaper, the answer is a resounding no.

Find Cheap Gas Prices

If you want to find the cheapest gas prices near you, then you might want to download the Gas Buddy app. You can use it to search all nearby gas station prices. Moreover, you can filter to search by just certain gas brands. So, if you know that you want to use ARCO gas, then you can easily find the ARCO station closest to you. Since ARCO is often the cheapest option that uses Top Tier gas, it’s a safe bet.

Another cheap tool that you can use during travelling is Atlas VPN. VPN is one of the MUST HAVEs while traveling, for security reasons and pleasant stay.

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If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started. If you want to be able to customize your blog on your own domain and need hosting service, we recommend trying BlueHost. They offer powerful hosting services for $3.95/month!

 

Does Costco Offer a Free One-Day Guest Pass?

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Costco guest pass

A lot of people wonder if there is a Costco free one-day guest pass to check out the store before purchasing a membership. The answer? No, Costco doesn’t offer guest passes to their warehouse stores, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go.

Alternatives to a Costco Free One Day Guest Pass

Although Costco doesn’t offer a one-day guest pass, there’s a workaround that basically gives you the same opportunity to shop at Costco for one day. What you need to do is get a hold of a Costco gift card. If you have a Costco gift card, you can shop at their warehouses even if you don’t have a membership (these also work for purchasing gas at Costco gas stations, which is often the least expensive with the same gas quality as top tier gas stations. In this way, it works exactly like a guest pass.

 

How Do You Get a Costco Gift Card?

The only people who can buy Costco gift cards are members. You can’t walk into a warehouse and buy one if you aren’t a member. Since you can’t buy one on your own, there are two main ways people without a membership get them:

1. Ask a friend who has a membership.

Probably the easiest way to get one is to give a friend who has a membership at Costco the money and ask them to pick up a gift card the next time they go. The least expensive card is $25, but you can buy as much as you want at the store as long as you have a card with some money on it (you simply pay anything above the value of the gift card in cash). You could also request one as a gift for a special occasion (birthday, Christmas, etc).



2. Buy it on eBay or Amazon.

Another way to get a gift card is to purchase it on a secondary market such as eBay or Amazon if you don’t have any friends with a membership, or simply don’t want to ask them to buy you one. Again, it doesn’t matter what amount is actually on the gift card (it could only be a few cents, and you’d still be OK), you just need one with money on it to shop at Costco.

When entering Costco, you simply show the gift card and they will let you pass as if it were a membership card. At check out, tell the cashier you only have a gift card. The cashier will need to have a manager give a special code to accept it (there are always managers on the floor and it only takes a few seconds) and you will be good to go. If your items cost more than you have on the gift card, you will need to pay cash.

Another way to shop without getting a gift card is to shop with a friend who has a membership. You can get inside the store with them, but they will have to pay for all the purchases you make. You can pay them back for your purchases once you leave the store.

So while Costco doesn’t have an official one-day guest pass program, there are ways to shop at their warehouses without paying $60 for a membership.

The “Free” Way to Get a Costco Membership

While I don’t recommend this, you can sort of get a Costco membership without paying. The way this works is to use their refund policy. At any point in your membership, you can get your Costco membership refunded. It’s an interesting policy that seems ripe for abuse, but Costco will allow you to cancel for a full refund at any time while it is active. So, if you just want to grab a few things, you could purchase and cancel your membership on the same day. If you want to milk it as much as possible, you can even cancel on the very last day of your membership. Morally, this is a pretty questionable route to go. Nonetheless, it is an alternative to paying full price for a membership. It also works pretty similarly to the way a “Costco free one-day guest pass” might.

Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi

If you are an avid shopper at Costco, we recommend applying for the credit card that is designed exclusively for Costco members. It has great cash back offer, earning as much as 4% cash back on gas! Plus there is no annual fee and you get a reward certificate every year that you can redeem for cash or purchases at Costco! Learn more about how the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi can work for you.

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