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Food & Recipes

The Secret to Shopping at Costco Without a Membership

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Many of us revere Costco as the shopping mecca of all things good, but everyone knows there’s a slight catch to being able to enjoy the finer things in life, and in this case it’s a membership. But now, thanks to a new hack, you won’t have to tag along with your Costco-card-holding friend in order to make it into the promised land.

Depending on where you live, grocery delivery service Instacart offers delivery from Costco—no membership required. There’s a delivery fee of $7.99, but it’s a small price to pay to be able to stock up on your favorite items in bulk. You can even skip the delivery fees by opting to be an Instacart Express member for $149 per year.

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Even if all this sounds enticing to you, there are still a few things to keep in mind before you jump on the Instacart bandwagon. First, the website marks up items about 15 percent from their original store price. So, if a Costco card costs $55 per year and you’re spending over $366 a year at Costco, it’s more cost-effective to buy a membership. For all you monthly shoppers, Instacart might not be your best option, because in half a year, you’ll spend enough in delivery fees to cover a membership.

But for those who don’t mind splurging on a delivery fee or an Express membership, the convenience of the service is definitely worth it—that is, if you can get over the fact that you’ll be missing out on all the free in-store samples.

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All in all, this delivery service might be ideal for someone who lives alone, has one or two roommates, or lives in a city with limited space. At the very least, it’s a great way to stock up on non-perishables that are a pain to lug home, including paper towels, dry goods, and cleaning supplies—without having to worry about paying for a membership.

What do you think? Would you give this Costco hack a try?

h/t Refinery29

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