How to Master the Art of Costco Shopping

Costco is known for its deals, but navigating the maze of well-priced bulk items can be intimidating. It’s not enough to just shop at the money-saving warehouse; if you really want to maximize the experience, you might want to check out the video above from The Krazy Coupon Lady. It has a slew of insider tips (a few of which we’ve covered before) to get the most out of your superstore sweep.

Hosts Joanie Demer and Heather Wheeler hit on everything from how to enter (and shop) Costco’s hallowed halls without a membership to which items are must-buys, why you should ditch your coupons, how apps can help, how to decode the Costco tags, and why you should snap up anything with a price that doesn't end in a nine.

Perhaps most important for shoppers who want to maintain some level of zen during their hauls is that Demer and Wheeler say the best time to avoid the crowds is between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. As Lifehacker notes, that estimate jibes well with a recent Quora answer from longtime Costco manager Jon Van Guilder. He writes that Tuesdays are the best overall, and Thursdays are to be avoided as they mark the beginning of the vendor rebate mailers.

Banner image via Stu pendousmat, Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0.

[h/t Lifehacker]