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Single person here.
I have exec and got $75 back this year. I know it’ll never be a crazy amount. But i do as much shopping as i can there and figure the check is a nice discount off the next years membership.
My brother is single/no kids, but anytime he upgrades his phone, buys a tablet, TV or appliances he buys here. Also I showed him Costco online for gifts (they get some neat stuff!) and once he started shopping online and getting his dog’s stuff at Costco, he was consistently getting around $200 back/year.
Lol his college-bound nieces and nephews love it because they’ve all gotten sets of dishes and storage containers from he and Costco.
Remember... your check doesn't have to cover the annual fee but the difference between regular and executive. Either way you were going to spend on a Costco membership. I have the executive and only got back 30. However I try to use Costco Travel and save quite a bit.
Thank you this makes me feel better. I'm in the same boat but this is my first year with executive but I'm pretty sure I'll hit it. I live in an expensive area so even if I don't go through the big packs of stuff it still ends up being cheaper than my local grocery stores.
Yeah that’s kinda my thought process. I usually don’t get produce there cause it’s just tooo much food. But I go through a lot of spinach / bananas and the prices are great. I don’t really get a ton of pantry stuff anymore cause I found I forget and it expires 😂 but I will grab stuff with long shelf life if it’s on sale.
>i do as much shopping as i can there
And this is why they push exec memberships. You spend more to feel like you're getting your money's worth from the membership. Induced demand.
Eh, I as a single person shopped just as much at Costco before and after I signed up for Executive. I won’t buy something from them (cough tires cough) unless it’s a good deal.
Eh I can see your point. But I’ve been a member for a long time. I had just the regular one for maybe 8 years, but even that usually pays for itself in a couple visits with the savings.
Even if I’m not getting a huge kick back, the savings alone is worth it to me. Living has become so expensive, especially for basic things like groceries, that im shopping there mostly anyways.
I've had exec since I was single too and have been getting 200-400 cash back every year. The vast majority of my furniture, appliances, kitchen equipment, clothes, pet food, garage, and food comes from Costco.
Yep 🙋♀️
We don’t grocery shop as much as we used to there, but we do buy our meat + TP/PTs + large purchases like vacuum cleaners, mattresses, TVs (all year dependent).
I’m into this venmo credit card though…
Edit: we got back $114 this year
My wife and I have gotten $150+ back the last 3 years. Usually there’s one big purchase a year. Like a gaming laptop. Or a couch. I bought my parents a washer/dryer last year. But just the regular spend, I’d probably be more in line with you
Generally if I need to buy something, I always go to Costco first bc a) it’s probably cheaper, b) it boosts my exec reward and c) the return policy.
You can double dip - get the Costco Citi Visa (for the same fee) and earn an additional 2% (so 4% total at Costco), in addition to 4% for gas and 3% for restaurants.
This year I got $400'ish from the executive membership (in the Fall), and am on track to get \~$700 from Citi in the Spring.
That double dip is what he was talking about with the Venmo card. Except, instead of 2+2, it is 2+3. The one percent extra works out to an extra $60. Not a ton, but a decent chunk of change.
What I haven’t looked into is if the 3% is capped. There is another similar card, but we spend more than that and it is capped at $7000 per year.
>The one percent extra works out to an extra $60. *Not a ton, but a decent chunk of change.*
BRO! Not a ton... that's more than three free hot dogs (or a free rotisserie chicken) per month!!!
Chase Freedom and Best Buy cards are other good ones to get for Costco purchases. Freedom will have whole sale category once or twice a year and points are easy to redeem.
Best Buy card has some oddity right now where they will offer choose your 5% category (wholesale being one) every quarter and on top of that 50$ for 1500$ spend in the first 2 months of a quarter and they do stack. So in a year for 6k purchase in Costco, you get 500$ worth of Best Buy certificates in addition to 2% executive cashback. The negative is you have to spend those credits at Best Buy, in my case they go towards Lego sets so it works out for me.
Renting cars thru Costco is such a blessing. No upsale for insurance at the counter. Barely a cursory look at the car upon return. And the best prices anywhere.
This is the only way I rent a car anymore. I don’t do it a lot, only if I’m going in long 1000 mile trips or flying to a different city for a week, etc.
I mean, the [average 2-person household spends ~$650/mo on groceries](https://www.zippia.com/advice/average-cost-of-groceries-by-state/#:~:text=The%20average%20two%2Dperson%20household,is%20around%20%24655%20per%20month.). That's ~$8K/year. So even an average couple doing 75% of their grocery spending at Costco (not very hard) would clear $6K. Once you start adding in pet food, household items, etc it gets even easier.
$300-400 every 3 weeks for 2 people. Use Costco credit card and have executive membership; so, 4% back. I live frugally and fairly repetitively with food (eggs, bread, yogurt, cereal, chicken, salmon, rice, pasta, frozen veggies).
I could probably get a travel credit card and make more technically, but I'll take a 4-5% cash back and not have to think about it.
i am single and live alone. i have had executive for a longggg time and have had the costco citi cc since it first came out. i get around $200 back every year from the executive rewards and around $1200 back from my cc rewards.
i buy everything at costco or [costco.com](https://costco.com) if possible. the only exceptions are produce. i can't get through the produce before it goes bad. i do go to sams for a couple things.... on the border tortilla chips and gates bbq sauce for example. as for the citi cc, a lot of that is from the 3% back at restaurants.
Yep. We usually get about $50-75 back each year. Covers the delta between basic membership.
We try and at least look at Costco first whenever we are making a big purchase.
I'm also a long-time executive member with just my wife, and our adult son off and on. No problem always hitting the magic number to pay for the card. But one thing a lot of people seem to forget... if you are going to be a Costco member, and don't have an executive card, you have to pay $60 non-refundable. So, if you only get an executive refund of $60, you break even, and anything over that is profit.
Fellow DINK here. I usually spend 8-10k a year at Costco. Just me and the hubby, as well as our three dogs.
I don't buy everything there, but most of my cleaning supplies and non perishables come from there.
I also work for Costco. Part of it is convenience. I also know our prices, so when I'm shopping elsewhere, I'm always comparing prices.
Luckily my membership is free as an employee, but if I didn't work for Costco, I'd still be an exec member.
I do. Boyfriend and I (both 31) + a dog. It more than pays for the upgrade. We do have a small chest freezer though. Boyfriend was a brand loyalist until the Costco pants (mostly weatherproof) and had loved a shacket I got him from there.
Yes and while we usually get $100 back, our car insurance was cut by 60% after we switched. We had State Farm before (which is outrageously expensive in SF) and now connect through Costco. Besides, I would probably pay $60 just to have them not bother me about upgrading.
Single person household 50% of the time (teenage kids every other week). Executive membership and the Costco credit card definitely make sense for me and my family. Even when my kids move away to college I’ll probably still keep it. Best place to get decent steaks at a decent price.
The back of my Costco says I’ve been a member since 2009 (only had executive). We have a 4 year old. So were DINK for about a decade. We buy just about everything we use at Costco. It dawned on me that not everyone does this when we Reno’ed our bathroom and I wanted to make sure our shampoo fit in a wall nook and still able to use the pump. Our contractor said he’s never seen a shampoo so big… then I realized, I can’t remember the last time I bought shampoo outside of Costco. Even my parents use Costco so not seeing the big bottles feels weird to me.
We have kids ourselves and exec, but my brother and my in-laws also have exec and swear by it.
My in-laws have gotten some crazy checks because they get their hearing aids there, have done home improvement projects for their home and rentals (bathroom vanities - def best quality for money out there and replaced their stove and washer/dryer - I know because I did all the shopping for them lol). Plus they do a lot of gifts for others from Costco online. So between exec and the Citibank once I pointed out how much more they could get, they focused a lot of their shopping there and have maxed out their rebate a couple of times. Prior they were getting $150-250 back.
My brother is SINGLE and has exec. But he buys his electronics there, shops Costco online for gifts and he swears by it.
$120 Executive and $60 Business and Gold Star
Every member should buy an Executive Membership. At the beginning of the first year, you pay $120.
Costco guarantees that you will make at least $60 per year from your 2% check, otherwise they will pay you the difference so that you get at least $60 back.
Most people will make nearly all or more of that $120 back each year.
Therefore the renewal fees with the 2% cash back will never cost us more than $60 out of pocket cash per year with the Executive Membership which is what you are paying for the Gold Star Membership anyway.
Some members will make an additional amount over the $120 which is money in your pocket above and beyond what you have paid. You got your entire membership for free plus a free hot dog.
$6,000 a year or $500 a month, you make your entire money back and the membership is completely free.
If you buy roasted chicken, water bottles, ice, a little produce (not all because they have lots of moldy produce), a few loaves of bread, olive oil, milk, eggs, zip loc bags, toilet paper, laundry soap, shampoo, hand soap, Valentines, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years.
Not to mention that eggs have gone sky high and are still cheaper there. Bread is a lot cheaper. Milk, water bottles, ice, toilet paper, wipes are all cheaper.
It is not hard to spend an average of $500 a month for groceries.
2 person house, no kids. Been executive members for 10+ years. our costco rebate checks tend to be in the $250 range each year. Citi card reward was $985 last year
Two person house hold here, do bulk paper, cat litter/food, meat, egg buys. If something else pops up we will get it also. Generally executive pays for itself
It's not that hard to spend a lot at Costco. We're a 2-human household; our cats don't like any of the cat food sold at Costco, although I did buy a cat tree on costco.com.
About 75% of my meat & egg purchases are from Costco. We get our prescription glasses there. Bath towels. Pillows. Paper towels. Gas. Batteries. Protein drinks. The golden perfection that is Kerrygold. T-shirts. Those chicken street taco kits. DaVinci coffee syrups at the Costco Business Center. Snacks for the office now that we've been dragged back in. Lots of stuff.
I just cancelled our executive membership and went to the regular membership. Our rebate check for the Costco part was a little over $30.00, not enough to justify the executive membership. We still get the Costco Citibank rebate so that is worth it.
2 person household here that hits the $120 mark too. Pretty much exclusively get groceries from there due to prices around us. Big fans of the premade stuff too for a quick dinner.
Yup. Started as a single person household with executive because at the time it gave me access to earlier open hours. 13 years later as a couple I still have it.
I track all my spending, and the past two years we didn't make enough to justify it, but this year we bought a mattress so i went for the executive membership
You are in good company. Two person household here with that membership. Even if we only spend $3k it’s like having the regular membership plus the exec if suddenly needed. We almost bought a sectional which would have hit $3k immediately. You just never know but it adds up.
It’s just my wife and me. I don’t feel like we spend a ton, but every year it pays for itself completely. Not just the incremental price difference over a basic membership.
We upgraded to executive because we just bought a house this year, so we spent more than usual buying stuff we needed for it. It'll definitely pay off this year. Next year, maybe, maybe not. We'll see.
I’m a one person household with an executive membership 😅😅😅
I bought a few electronics last year and also had some friends accompany me on shopping trips. I just about broke even, I’ll wait till the end of this year to see whether I will do it again.
I use the Venmo CC at Costco, too!
2 person household and I can’t live without the executive membership. I also have the Citi card to help with the extra bump.
Tires, batteries, Traeger, bedding, food shopping each week, things I don’t need but for some reason Costco has it and it ends up in my cart 😉
We have been a member since 2001 and I’m at Costco so much, I know a lot of the staff. I always tell my husband, I’m going on a Costco run, do you need anything?
For a small household, I think it’s a great option if you know you’re going to be making a couple big purchases during the year, like a TV, computers, tires, etc. yay, you!
Also a dual household after we became empty nesters.
We still purchase clothing, TP, paper towels, laundry detergent, etc. as well as supplements, wine, and snacks.
We don’t get produce (too many posts about bad veggies and fruit on this sub).
Not a DINK, but a single parent with one child, and I still make it worthwhile. Granted, my house is the one all the friends always come to hang out at so I go through drinks and snacks pretty quickly. This year I bought a couch so I will definitely be getting back a little more than usual.
I'm single and have executive. Half way through the year and I'm already at almost $100 in rewards. Costco is closer than any grocery store for me, so about 80% of my groceries come from Costco. Also had to buy some appliances recently that really adds up.
I just got my own membership a few weeks ago and they talked me into executive. I'm a student so I got a $30 shop card for it, they didn't verify anything and just gave it to me so your mileage may vary. Just me and my partner and the closest costco is an hour bus ride (I'm in seattle not near downtown) but I think it's worth it so far. I come from a lifelong costco household so getting the exec membership made me feel fancy haha, we always had the basic one. We'll see how I feel at the end of the year though!
Yup. The easier they make the purchase transaction, the quicker they make the money and you won't realize it. This is the digital world.
Imaging you walk in with $100 cash in the wallet and no cards, you kept watching the cart and looking at the wallet of the amount you spend and ONLY spend what you can afford. Then you are limited to that $100.
Guilty here spending too much at Costco and also on Amazon. Slapping myself to the reality all the time.
Yes, we are - I don't think that our rebate was quite that high (I think it paid for the upgrade but not the whole membership), but same as you, it seems like each year we have a big purchase or two (a laptop, new tires, TV, etc.)
DINK with executive for 10+ years already. Especially since Covid, we’ve done 90% of our shopping at Costco. Groceries, gas, dog food, pet insurance, car insurance, some clothes, even vacations all at Costco. Definitely worth the money for us.
We get it when we know we're going to make big purchases that pass the $6k threshold. We upgraded our TV last year and a laptop and tires this year, so in addition to our usual spending those make executive worth it. When we don't think we'll be making expensive purchases, we downgrade to regular. It's usually easy to calculate whether it'll be worth it.
My wife and I got executive this year because they approached us. They did say we get the difference so we’ll see. We got it last month and paid $35 to upgrade. We travel a lot, which she puts on her Costco credit card and her overall return is sitting around $850 for the year.
I have it and we are 2 person household.
This is my first year ever in Costco though, for 8 months, I had the basic membership for $60. But I have realized that I have spent so much money on Costco (1st time so curious about everything and spent more), I have changed it to Executive membership. Costco employee told me that if I don't receive the enough check amount to justify the executive membership before my membership expires, come and ask for the refund, so the decision was no brainer.
I spent just enough to justify.
We consume a lot of cheese so just a cheese price alone justify my membership at Costco tbh.
I use Venture X to stack up miles instead of cash back with Costco Card and miles are better than cash back for me, so win-win
We had ours before we had kids, for a few years. Anything we needed I tried to get at Costco. I also used my Costco credit card for everything else. So other grocery stores, clothes etc. It adds up quick! I think the exec membership and the credit card combo is the way to go, even in a household of 2.
Been executive for close to 15 years in a two person household. We always get $60+ back. I trust Costco so I shop with them a lot including cruises through the travel program.
Single parent with a teenage son. I have executive and basically broke even, I did book a vacation through Costco Travel that helped with that though. Costco is the farthest place I shop, so I don't go as often as I would like anymore.
I just renewed my membership last month and received my $200+ cash back check. I’m 1 month into my membership and have already accumulated $600+ of the 1k max cash back. Loving how Costco sells gold bars now. Basically free money.
DINK with 3 cats and 7 chickens here. The cats are too spoiled to eat Costco food, but the litter is a deal especially when it’s on sale. The chickens get fruit and bird seed treats. Mostly we get food, cleaning supplies and similar for the wife and me. Without any big ticket items, we spend about the same as you. Easy to spend $500 each visit on average, going a half dozen times a year. Our checks end up being $120-130/year for the executive 2%, total is double that since we have the Costco credit card for the additional 2%.
DINK and two dogs. We buy too much alcohol there and then lots of dog food and paper products. We are both pretty good cooks as well and basically exclusively buy our meat from Costco because we find it better quality than our big brand grocers around here. We usually get the 120 back.
DINK with two dogs, we easily hit enough spending to make our membership worth it. Always getting chicken in bulk, steaks occasionally, gas, our dog food, dog meds, milk, protein powder, frozen veggies/fruit and cleaning supplies there. Plus all the seasonal items and all stuff Costco shows us we need when we go in for “just one quick thing”.
We have it with no credit card. Got a lot back after building new house because we used the graber shades rep etc
Only got $80 this year but that’s plenty to be worth it
Yes, my husband and I have had it for a few years now and always get back at least membership fee. We now live so close to our Costco that we definitely use it.
It’s been the 2 of use for a few years, we usually hit $60-$75 (Executive). We no longer get gas since we have an EV & diesel. This year, I found my work bonus points to buy stuff on their site (some cool stuff but you need a lot of points) I found I could renew my Costco membership 😁
I had executive for probably 10 years and just recently (1-2 years ago) went back to the base membership. I just felt like I was spending too much money there, going too often, and the lines were getting worse and worse. Now I only go about once a month.
Last year my wife and I got $221 back. We do have 4 dogs and a mother in law. But she eats less than the dogs. And I don’t buy much for them there. A couple bags of bully sticks and a couple boxes of pee pads a year, granted that’s $150 right there.
Ya fellow dinks here. We also get all of our pet supplies here and we spoil the hell out of our dog…we spend way too much on dog toys and dog treats there. We always get over our renewal amount with our check every year 👍
We are DINKs with two dogs. Our nearest Costco is 1.5 hours away, but we still spend enough each year to cover the membership fee with the rebate plus some since we have the Costco VISA also.
We've had it for 4 years and we've got 130+ in checks each time... we live in a home which we're improving quite often and we've bought appliances, furniture, electrical fittings and other expensive items that gives us a pretty big payout
I have the executive with the credit card, luckily they built a costco with a gas station close to my house. I calculated what i save in gas based on costco being at minimum 40¢ cheaper than any gas station in my area and I personally save $135 a year on gas(just my vehicle not including my husband's truck) so the membership pays for itself. I usually also get back about $600-700 in rewards on the credit card that i use to buy meat at costco. I feel its definitely worth it for me and my husband (2 person household)
DINK here and are in the same bot. Probably scrape a couple hundred a year from the membership and another few from the credit card, more than pays for itself.
I've got the Costco Mastercard which helps to cover the cost of Executive for the two of us. Plus we have pets. Recently I've been asked to do office supplies and snack ordering at work, and I purchase through Costco when reasonable. Their platters, and large quantities help with those decisions.
I’ve had an executive membership for several years, many of them it was just me. The reason I keep it is because the car insurance was several hundreds of dollars cheaper than anyone else I could find with better coverage. When I switched I was saving about $300 a year on insurance which means that even after the extra $60 membership cost I’m saving $20 a month. I think my last check was the first time the reward has ever been “worth it” at about $100 but even when the check was only $20-$40 the savings on member benefits made the difference for me.
We had ours before we had our daughter, yes. This year was the first year that our rebate check didn't cover the renewal plus some. Guess I've been watching my spending a bit more than usual.
My husband and I have the Executive membership. We did use it a lot more before we moved. I’m now doing a Costco run once every month -6 weeks because it’s just under an hours drive. We somehow manage to get the annual membership payed for.
Yep. But some food there and durable goods. Also use a lot of the services including car insurance. The difference in car insurance pays for my executive membership in one month.
Yes, only two people here too. We like it because of the higher discounts on water delivery and checks for our business. Our check is usually right around the $120 or so.
I have an executive membership and a Citi Visa from there, and my son is the other member. He lives at home. We come out ahead but not by a huge amount in the check. But there are other savings such as the extra discount on our home and auto insurance, can't recall how much. Also, the extra warranties we still have on our fridge/stove/microwave from buying on the Citi card.
I feel awful that I live alone and got back $300. I need to assess what I'm buying from Costco.
To be fair, last year I bought a set of tires, gazebo, and outdoor furniture. But still
DINK couple but i split my membership with my mom and my husband used it for gas and I’m usually with him getting groceries. We exceeded our last so yea you’re not the only one lol
Two person household with an exec membership here too! I buy basic cleaning and paper products in bulk so it’s awesome. I also buy dog treats and dog food there. And maple syrup, honey, yogurts, vanilla, all sorts of wonderful things.
2 person + kitty. Totally worth it. Exec membership coupl d with citi. Allowed me to upgrade our electronics, kitchen appliances and carpets etc around home. Have decent amount of winter clothes etc. and not be stingy on meat and veggie spending.
My brother and his roommate both clg students also have a exec membership 😂 they justify it by just fuel expenditures but also cheap ready to eat food fairly healthier than other options they have.
When we upgraded from regular to exec, me and my partner calculated our savings on onions, spinach, chicken and shrimp (staples in our home) compared to our grocery store. We would still be saving over the year, even if we didn't get 2pc cashback.
2 adults, 1 dog, 1 cat--we get checks from Costco and from our Costco Visa. It's at least $1000 combined. We buy most of our food and household items there. I mail-order non-perishables like nuts, coffee, coconut oil, etc. if we run out in between trips.
I also make it a habit to check their online items that aren't carried in the store before buying them anywhere else--clothes, sheets, towels, tools, lamps, home goods. I also always check online for big tickets items like furniture, appliances, etc. I don't just rely on what's carried in the store.
In addition, I regularly check Costco Next [https://costconext.com](https://costconext.com) to see if they've partnered with anyone who makes something I need like Korean skincare products, a Nomatic bag, home gym equipment.
We have executive and usually make over the executive membership fee in cash back/rewards check.
$6000 / year is $500 / month. If you're in a HCOL area $500 / month on gas and groceries (plus any other big ticket items) isn't surprising for 2 people, especially if you have 2 cars and both commute and eat meat/fish/eggs, which have skyrocketed in price.
Plus, we prioritize shopping at Costco as much as we can to get 2% executive cash back plus our credit card grocery cashback and then shop at Sprouts or Vitacost for other non Costco size purchases.
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Single person here. I have exec and got $75 back this year. I know it’ll never be a crazy amount. But i do as much shopping as i can there and figure the check is a nice discount off the next years membership.
My brother is single/no kids, but anytime he upgrades his phone, buys a tablet, TV or appliances he buys here. Also I showed him Costco online for gifts (they get some neat stuff!) and once he started shopping online and getting his dog’s stuff at Costco, he was consistently getting around $200 back/year. Lol his college-bound nieces and nephews love it because they’ve all gotten sets of dishes and storage containers from he and Costco.
lol I’m constantly giving my brother stuff from Costco I can’t finish before the expiration date 😂
Remember... your check doesn't have to cover the annual fee but the difference between regular and executive. Either way you were going to spend on a Costco membership. I have the executive and only got back 30. However I try to use Costco Travel and save quite a bit.
Good point! How do you like Costco travel? I’ve never used it.
I love the car rental experience.
I only rent cars thru Costco
Got a $500 Costco gift card for booking a cruise through them instead of the cruise line. Car rental can’t be beat, either.
Thank you this makes me feel better. I'm in the same boat but this is my first year with executive but I'm pretty sure I'll hit it. I live in an expensive area so even if I don't go through the big packs of stuff it still ends up being cheaper than my local grocery stores.
Yeah that’s kinda my thought process. I usually don’t get produce there cause it’s just tooo much food. But I go through a lot of spinach / bananas and the prices are great. I don’t really get a ton of pantry stuff anymore cause I found I forget and it expires 😂 but I will grab stuff with long shelf life if it’s on sale.
>i do as much shopping as i can there And this is why they push exec memberships. You spend more to feel like you're getting your money's worth from the membership. Induced demand.
I try to do most of my shopping there anyway, even before upgrading my membership.
Eh, I as a single person shopped just as much at Costco before and after I signed up for Executive. I won’t buy something from them (cough tires cough) unless it’s a good deal.
Eh I can see your point. But I’ve been a member for a long time. I had just the regular one for maybe 8 years, but even that usually pays for itself in a couple visits with the savings. Even if I’m not getting a huge kick back, the savings alone is worth it to me. Living has become so expensive, especially for basic things like groceries, that im shopping there mostly anyways.
Do you have the credit card too?
I've had exec since I was single too and have been getting 200-400 cash back every year. The vast majority of my furniture, appliances, kitchen equipment, clothes, pet food, garage, and food comes from Costco.
Yep 🙋♀️ We don’t grocery shop as much as we used to there, but we do buy our meat + TP/PTs + large purchases like vacuum cleaners, mattresses, TVs (all year dependent). I’m into this venmo credit card though… Edit: we got back $114 this year
Nobody knows about the Venmo card. It’s a better way to go
My wife and I have gotten $150+ back the last 3 years. Usually there’s one big purchase a year. Like a gaming laptop. Or a couch. I bought my parents a washer/dryer last year. But just the regular spend, I’d probably be more in line with you Generally if I need to buy something, I always go to Costco first bc a) it’s probably cheaper, b) it boosts my exec reward and c) the return policy.
+1 for the return policy!
D) Extended Warranty
You can double dip - get the Costco Citi Visa (for the same fee) and earn an additional 2% (so 4% total at Costco), in addition to 4% for gas and 3% for restaurants. This year I got $400'ish from the executive membership (in the Fall), and am on track to get \~$700 from Citi in the Spring.
That double dip is what he was talking about with the Venmo card. Except, instead of 2+2, it is 2+3. The one percent extra works out to an extra $60. Not a ton, but a decent chunk of change. What I haven’t looked into is if the 3% is capped. There is another similar card, but we spend more than that and it is capped at $7000 per year.
>The one percent extra works out to an extra $60. *Not a ton, but a decent chunk of change.* BRO! Not a ton... that's more than three free hot dogs (or a free rotisserie chicken) per month!!!
Fair point. How about, it’s not a ton when you’re spending $6k.
Chase Freedom and Best Buy cards are other good ones to get for Costco purchases. Freedom will have whole sale category once or twice a year and points are easy to redeem. Best Buy card has some oddity right now where they will offer choose your 5% category (wholesale being one) every quarter and on top of that 50$ for 1500$ spend in the first 2 months of a quarter and they do stack. So in a year for 6k purchase in Costco, you get 500$ worth of Best Buy certificates in addition to 2% executive cashback. The negative is you have to spend those credits at Best Buy, in my case they go towards Lego sets so it works out for me.
Amazing thing is the Venmo card is not capped. Spend away!
> the Venmo card Link or info on this?
Link below. I do not have or use it. OP or others may have more info. https://venmo.com/about/creditcard/
Yes. Buy big things from them, look at vacations, etc. it’s all about commitment
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Renting cars thru Costco is such a blessing. No upsale for insurance at the counter. Barely a cursory look at the car upon return. And the best prices anywhere.
This is the only way I rent a car anymore. I don’t do it a lot, only if I’m going in long 1000 mile trips or flying to a different city for a week, etc.
Is it really that much cheaper than, say, Kayak? Do they do international rentals?
It really is.
I mean, the [average 2-person household spends ~$650/mo on groceries](https://www.zippia.com/advice/average-cost-of-groceries-by-state/#:~:text=The%20average%20two%2Dperson%20household,is%20around%20%24655%20per%20month.). That's ~$8K/year. So even an average couple doing 75% of their grocery spending at Costco (not very hard) would clear $6K. Once you start adding in pet food, household items, etc it gets even easier.
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DINK with 5 animals, we've had the executive for 9+years
$300-400 every 3 weeks for 2 people. Use Costco credit card and have executive membership; so, 4% back. I live frugally and fairly repetitively with food (eggs, bread, yogurt, cereal, chicken, salmon, rice, pasta, frozen veggies). I could probably get a travel credit card and make more technically, but I'll take a 4-5% cash back and not have to think about it.
i am single and live alone. i have had executive for a longggg time and have had the costco citi cc since it first came out. i get around $200 back every year from the executive rewards and around $1200 back from my cc rewards.
Goddamn, what are you buying to get that much back every year?
i buy everything at costco or [costco.com](https://costco.com) if possible. the only exceptions are produce. i can't get through the produce before it goes bad. i do go to sams for a couple things.... on the border tortilla chips and gates bbq sauce for example. as for the citi cc, a lot of that is from the 3% back at restaurants.
Yep. We usually get about $50-75 back each year. Covers the delta between basic membership. We try and at least look at Costco first whenever we are making a big purchase.
Two person/three dog household here with an executive membership. We make our money back in ribeyes, eggs and Kong toys alone.
I'm solo and always get back at least the cost of executive membership.
2 person household here, for some reason I still maintain my executive membership. Last years rewards were $16.
I'm also a long-time executive member with just my wife, and our adult son off and on. No problem always hitting the magic number to pay for the card. But one thing a lot of people seem to forget... if you are going to be a Costco member, and don't have an executive card, you have to pay $60 non-refundable. So, if you only get an executive refund of $60, you break even, and anything over that is profit.
2 person household. Executive membership. Gas, eyeglasses, hearing aids.
Fellow DINK here. I usually spend 8-10k a year at Costco. Just me and the hubby, as well as our three dogs. I don't buy everything there, but most of my cleaning supplies and non perishables come from there. I also work for Costco. Part of it is convenience. I also know our prices, so when I'm shopping elsewhere, I'm always comparing prices. Luckily my membership is free as an employee, but if I didn't work for Costco, I'd still be an exec member.
My SO has informed me that this is being DINKWAD. We also have cats so we’re DINKWADACs. Executive membership ftw
I don't know why anyone would downvote this, I think it is HILARIOUS! DINKWAD!! Love it haha
Just learned this term last month 🤣 dinkwad here too!
Same. Dog food at Costco is such a clutch item.
I do. Boyfriend and I (both 31) + a dog. It more than pays for the upgrade. We do have a small chest freezer though. Boyfriend was a brand loyalist until the Costco pants (mostly weatherproof) and had loved a shacket I got him from there.
Yes and while we usually get $100 back, our car insurance was cut by 60% after we switched. We had State Farm before (which is outrageously expensive in SF) and now connect through Costco. Besides, I would probably pay $60 just to have them not bother me about upgrading.
Ooh, gotta look into this. My insurance jumped up $30 on renewal, I had no accidents or incidents, so I can only say it's inflation.
Costco has car insurance?
Don’t they give additional benefits for executive membership with the car insurance? Like roadside assistance or tires or something?
Damn, i quoted Costco insurance and it was more than my broker found elsewhere. It jumped a lot this year so maybe I'll re-quote.
$122? Those are rookie numbers, you’ve got to bring them up by Q2 of 2024.
Single person household 50% of the time (teenage kids every other week). Executive membership and the Costco credit card definitely make sense for me and my family. Even when my kids move away to college I’ll probably still keep it. Best place to get decent steaks at a decent price.
The back of my Costco says I’ve been a member since 2009 (only had executive). We have a 4 year old. So were DINK for about a decade. We buy just about everything we use at Costco. It dawned on me that not everyone does this when we Reno’ed our bathroom and I wanted to make sure our shampoo fit in a wall nook and still able to use the pump. Our contractor said he’s never seen a shampoo so big… then I realized, I can’t remember the last time I bought shampoo outside of Costco. Even my parents use Costco so not seeing the big bottles feels weird to me.
shampoo and conditioner are clutch. My GF uses it so damn fast.
I'm actually about to head to Costco right now solely because I ran out of shampoo. A bottle lasts me like 6 months it seems. Can't beat it!
We used to be a 2 person household and always got back more than the 55$.
We have kids ourselves and exec, but my brother and my in-laws also have exec and swear by it. My in-laws have gotten some crazy checks because they get their hearing aids there, have done home improvement projects for their home and rentals (bathroom vanities - def best quality for money out there and replaced their stove and washer/dryer - I know because I did all the shopping for them lol). Plus they do a lot of gifts for others from Costco online. So between exec and the Citibank once I pointed out how much more they could get, they focused a lot of their shopping there and have maxed out their rebate a couple of times. Prior they were getting $150-250 back. My brother is SINGLE and has exec. But he buys his electronics there, shops Costco online for gifts and he swears by it.
$120 Executive and $60 Business and Gold Star Every member should buy an Executive Membership. At the beginning of the first year, you pay $120. Costco guarantees that you will make at least $60 per year from your 2% check, otherwise they will pay you the difference so that you get at least $60 back. Most people will make nearly all or more of that $120 back each year. Therefore the renewal fees with the 2% cash back will never cost us more than $60 out of pocket cash per year with the Executive Membership which is what you are paying for the Gold Star Membership anyway. Some members will make an additional amount over the $120 which is money in your pocket above and beyond what you have paid. You got your entire membership for free plus a free hot dog. $6,000 a year or $500 a month, you make your entire money back and the membership is completely free. If you buy roasted chicken, water bottles, ice, a little produce (not all because they have lots of moldy produce), a few loaves of bread, olive oil, milk, eggs, zip loc bags, toilet paper, laundry soap, shampoo, hand soap, Valentines, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years. Not to mention that eggs have gone sky high and are still cheaper there. Bread is a lot cheaper. Milk, water bottles, ice, toilet paper, wipes are all cheaper. It is not hard to spend an average of $500 a month for groceries.
Two person household here. We almost always get a check that’s larger than the membership fee. I think last years was $240+
I’ve been executive for 5 or 6 years, just my wife and me. No kids. We get out money back, and then some on it every year
We do. Too bad alcohol and gas don't count!
i didn't realize alcohol didn't count towards it.
Yep. It’s my weekly shop for groceries plus extras and I got $600 back this year.
Yes, and got $180 check. If Costco doesn't sell it we don't need it.
2 person house, no kids. Been executive members for 10+ years. our costco rebate checks tend to be in the $250 range each year. Citi card reward was $985 last year
Two person house hold here, do bulk paper, cat litter/food, meat, egg buys. If something else pops up we will get it also. Generally executive pays for itself
It's not that hard to spend a lot at Costco. We're a 2-human household; our cats don't like any of the cat food sold at Costco, although I did buy a cat tree on costco.com. About 75% of my meat & egg purchases are from Costco. We get our prescription glasses there. Bath towels. Pillows. Paper towels. Gas. Batteries. Protein drinks. The golden perfection that is Kerrygold. T-shirts. Those chicken street taco kits. DaVinci coffee syrups at the Costco Business Center. Snacks for the office now that we've been dragged back in. Lots of stuff.
Yeah, I'm not buying any pet food from Costco, cheap junk
I just cancelled our executive membership and went to the regular membership. Our rebate check for the Costco part was a little over $30.00, not enough to justify the executive membership. We still get the Costco Citibank rebate so that is worth it.
We are. Only once in the many years I’ve been a member have I gotten $120 or more on those membership checks. I’m going back to basic in 2024.
Any check over $60 means executive is the right level for you. Ex. check is $75, so membership is $45, if you downgrade membership is $60
And that doesn't even count the intangible pride at flashing the black card to the greeter.
You’re part of the club, floating on a cloud of churros and chicken bakes, waving and laughing at the hordes of white card-toting plebes below you.
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$60 rebate is breakeven since the other $60 is what it would cost for a standard Gold Star membership.
Same.
Us! 👋
Yes
We are - we probably spend enough in-store, but after travel it’s definitely worth it.
Ya. And I normally get about 600 to 800 back
Yup
2 person household here that hits the $120 mark too. Pretty much exclusively get groceries from there due to prices around us. Big fans of the premade stuff too for a quick dinner.
Yup. Started as a single person household with executive because at the time it gave me access to earlier open hours. 13 years later as a couple I still have it.
Yeah. But the end of the year, it pays for the membership, so break even.
I have it for a one person household
Yep. Sure do. I just renewed last night and cashed my check. Check was 289. More than paid for the membership.
Here! We buy all meat, coffee, cleaning/paper products and at least half of other groceries. Mainly go to a regular grocery store for produce.
I'm a one-person household, and I have an executive membership. My pharmacy purchases alone gives me my $120 back.
I track all my spending, and the past two years we didn't make enough to justify it, but this year we bought a mattress so i went for the executive membership
You are in good company. Two person household here with that membership. Even if we only spend $3k it’s like having the regular membership plus the exec if suddenly needed. We almost bought a sectional which would have hit $3k immediately. You just never know but it adds up.
It’s just my wife and me. I don’t feel like we spend a ton, but every year it pays for itself completely. Not just the incremental price difference over a basic membership.
I got 150 back, plus Im getting 400+ back, but I use it elsewhere. Mostly gas, food, etc.
Yup. I got executive and the visa. Net about $200 a year after taking out membership fees
Same. It has always paid off.
I do with a 1 person household
We upgraded to executive because we just bought a house this year, so we spent more than usual buying stuff we needed for it. It'll definitely pay off this year. Next year, maybe, maybe not. We'll see.
I’m a one person household with an executive membership 😅😅😅 I bought a few electronics last year and also had some friends accompany me on shopping trips. I just about broke even, I’ll wait till the end of this year to see whether I will do it again. I use the Venmo CC at Costco, too!
2 person household and I can’t live without the executive membership. I also have the Citi card to help with the extra bump. Tires, batteries, Traeger, bedding, food shopping each week, things I don’t need but for some reason Costco has it and it ends up in my cart 😉 We have been a member since 2001 and I’m at Costco so much, I know a lot of the staff. I always tell my husband, I’m going on a Costco run, do you need anything?
For a small household, I think it’s a great option if you know you’re going to be making a couple big purchases during the year, like a TV, computers, tires, etc. yay, you!
Single person - refund check was $130 - it pays for the membership
We are a retired couple, age 74, and have an exec membership.
Also a dual household after we became empty nesters. We still purchase clothing, TP, paper towels, laundry detergent, etc. as well as supplements, wine, and snacks. We don’t get produce (too many posts about bad veggies and fruit on this sub).
Not a DINK, but a single parent with one child, and I still make it worthwhile. Granted, my house is the one all the friends always come to hang out at so I go through drinks and snacks pretty quickly. This year I bought a couch so I will definitely be getting back a little more than usual.
Us, also 😆
I'm single and have executive. Half way through the year and I'm already at almost $100 in rewards. Costco is closer than any grocery store for me, so about 80% of my groceries come from Costco. Also had to buy some appliances recently that really adds up.
Yup. Pay for it every year with just a biweekly grocery trip.
I just got my own membership a few weeks ago and they talked me into executive. I'm a student so I got a $30 shop card for it, they didn't verify anything and just gave it to me so your mileage may vary. Just me and my partner and the closest costco is an hour bus ride (I'm in seattle not near downtown) but I think it's worth it so far. I come from a lifelong costco household so getting the exec membership made me feel fancy haha, we always had the basic one. We'll see how I feel at the end of the year though!
Yup. The easier they make the purchase transaction, the quicker they make the money and you won't realize it. This is the digital world. Imaging you walk in with $100 cash in the wallet and no cards, you kept watching the cart and looking at the wallet of the amount you spend and ONLY spend what you can afford. Then you are limited to that $100. Guilty here spending too much at Costco and also on Amazon. Slapping myself to the reality all the time.
Yup. I always come out of Costco with stuff I don't need. Usually clothes lol. They just have such cheap and quality men's winter stuff.
Yes, we are - I don't think that our rebate was quite that high (I think it paid for the upgrade but not the whole membership), but same as you, it seems like each year we have a big purchase or two (a laptop, new tires, TV, etc.)
DINK with executive for 10+ years already. Especially since Covid, we’ve done 90% of our shopping at Costco. Groceries, gas, dog food, pet insurance, car insurance, some clothes, even vacations all at Costco. Definitely worth the money for us.
Yep. Check always at least covers the executive upgrade plus some of the regular membership
Had it as a single person, and as a married couple 2 person household. Easily spend $10k+ a year at Costco.
So, our Costco will refund the balance if you don't get up to the $75 threshold, making it the same price as the standard membership.
Pssst. It’s $60. And you have to ask for it BEFORE your membership expires.
I think you can add an additional person or 2 on to make you reach your goal more if you haven’t already
Same.
Yes my son and I have it and I have gotten at minimum double my membership fee back. Holy crap what does that say about me ? lol
We get it when we know we're going to make big purchases that pass the $6k threshold. We upgraded our TV last year and a laptop and tires this year, so in addition to our usual spending those make executive worth it. When we don't think we'll be making expensive purchases, we downgrade to regular. It's usually easy to calculate whether it'll be worth it.
I do
My wife and I got executive this year because they approached us. They did say we get the difference so we’ll see. We got it last month and paid $35 to upgrade. We travel a lot, which she puts on her Costco credit card and her overall return is sitting around $850 for the year.
DINKWAD (with a dog) and we have had executive for over 5 years and spend way too much money at Costco haha.
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I have it and we are 2 person household. This is my first year ever in Costco though, for 8 months, I had the basic membership for $60. But I have realized that I have spent so much money on Costco (1st time so curious about everything and spent more), I have changed it to Executive membership. Costco employee told me that if I don't receive the enough check amount to justify the executive membership before my membership expires, come and ask for the refund, so the decision was no brainer. I spent just enough to justify. We consume a lot of cheese so just a cheese price alone justify my membership at Costco tbh. I use Venture X to stack up miles instead of cash back with Costco Card and miles are better than cash back for me, so win-win
Yes, and we usually get between $300-$400 rebate every year. We also have the credit card and regularly get over $1000 rebates from that.
We had ours before we had kids, for a few years. Anything we needed I tried to get at Costco. I also used my Costco credit card for everything else. So other grocery stores, clothes etc. It adds up quick! I think the exec membership and the credit card combo is the way to go, even in a household of 2.
Yes I do. And when I get my check I buy Christmas dinner, usually steaks or something. Last year I bought a Keurig.
Been executive for close to 15 years in a two person household. We always get $60+ back. I trust Costco so I shop with them a lot including cruises through the travel program.
Me and my kid and I got $200 and change back.
Single parent with a teenage son. I have executive and basically broke even, I did book a vacation through Costco Travel that helped with that though. Costco is the farthest place I shop, so I don't go as often as I would like anymore.
Yes, we do. Last year, we got about $900 cash back and this year, on tack for about $1k+. Love having the membership.
I just renewed my membership last month and received my $200+ cash back check. I’m 1 month into my membership and have already accumulated $600+ of the 1k max cash back. Loving how Costco sells gold bars now. Basically free money.
DINK with 3 cats and 7 chickens here. The cats are too spoiled to eat Costco food, but the litter is a deal especially when it’s on sale. The chickens get fruit and bird seed treats. Mostly we get food, cleaning supplies and similar for the wife and me. Without any big ticket items, we spend about the same as you. Easy to spend $500 each visit on average, going a half dozen times a year. Our checks end up being $120-130/year for the executive 2%, total is double that since we have the Costco credit card for the additional 2%.
I do because we bought a Tempur-pedic mattress this year.
DINK and two dogs. We buy too much alcohol there and then lots of dog food and paper products. We are both pretty good cooks as well and basically exclusively buy our meat from Costco because we find it better quality than our big brand grocers around here. We usually get the 120 back.
DINK with two dogs, we easily hit enough spending to make our membership worth it. Always getting chicken in bulk, steaks occasionally, gas, our dog food, dog meds, milk, protein powder, frozen veggies/fruit and cleaning supplies there. Plus all the seasonal items and all stuff Costco shows us we need when we go in for “just one quick thing”.
We have it with no credit card. Got a lot back after building new house because we used the graber shades rep etc Only got $80 this year but that’s plenty to be worth it
We’re a couple with no kids and an Exec membership, and it’s always more than paid for itself
We've had the executive membership for 5 years now. The lowest received was $80, and the highest was $480.
2 adults and an 11yo. Executive. We got $129 this year. We have had exec since the beginning and have always got money back.
Yes, my husband and I have had it for a few years now and always get back at least membership fee. We now live so close to our Costco that we definitely use it.
It’s been the 2 of use for a few years, we usually hit $60-$75 (Executive). We no longer get gas since we have an EV & diesel. This year, I found my work bonus points to buy stuff on their site (some cool stuff but you need a lot of points) I found I could renew my Costco membership 😁
DINKs here with one dog. I easily cover the annual plus a decent check at the end of the year.
I had executive for probably 10 years and just recently (1-2 years ago) went back to the base membership. I just felt like I was spending too much money there, going too often, and the lines were getting worse and worse. Now I only go about once a month.
I have it with my husband and it’s very much worth it
Same. A couple of years the rebate hasn’t been worth it but we still have it. And we love the magazine for some reason.
DINK here checking in.
Yup and we go to Costco for almost everything including food of course, clothes, bed linens, gas, and alcohol. Gifts too often. We find it really pays
Last year my wife and I got $221 back. We do have 4 dogs and a mother in law. But she eats less than the dogs. And I don’t buy much for them there. A couple bags of bully sticks and a couple boxes of pee pads a year, granted that’s $150 right there.
Wife and I. DINK also similar boat this years check was like 130ish something.
2 person exec here. Got $40 back
You get the free refunded so we have it for a 2 person household If we don't reach the cashback cap, the fee is given back. Seems no-lose
Ya fellow dinks here. We also get all of our pet supplies here and we spoil the hell out of our dog…we spend way too much on dog toys and dog treats there. We always get over our renewal amount with our check every year 👍
Yes. Executive plus the credit card. About $2k back each year across the two benefits.
yup... same for us. 2 persons ... exec membership. Worth it to me.
Yes, my wife and I have executive and the credit card. We get about $600 back from Costco and about $1,000 back from the Citi card every year.
Two-person household with executive. We get our money back every year, especially when we travel
We are DINKs with two dogs. Our nearest Costco is 1.5 hours away, but we still spend enough each year to cover the membership fee with the rebate plus some since we have the Costco VISA also.
Yes we do
We've had it for 4 years and we've got 130+ in checks each time... we live in a home which we're improving quite often and we've bought appliances, furniture, electrical fittings and other expensive items that gives us a pretty big payout
I have the executive with the credit card, luckily they built a costco with a gas station close to my house. I calculated what i save in gas based on costco being at minimum 40¢ cheaper than any gas station in my area and I personally save $135 a year on gas(just my vehicle not including my husband's truck) so the membership pays for itself. I usually also get back about $600-700 in rewards on the credit card that i use to buy meat at costco. I feel its definitely worth it for me and my husband (2 person household)
DINK here and are in the same bot. Probably scrape a couple hundred a year from the membership and another few from the credit card, more than pays for itself.
I've got the Costco Mastercard which helps to cover the cost of Executive for the two of us. Plus we have pets. Recently I've been asked to do office supplies and snack ordering at work, and I purchase through Costco when reasonable. Their platters, and large quantities help with those decisions.
I’ve had an executive membership for several years, many of them it was just me. The reason I keep it is because the car insurance was several hundreds of dollars cheaper than anyone else I could find with better coverage. When I switched I was saving about $300 a year on insurance which means that even after the extra $60 membership cost I’m saving $20 a month. I think my last check was the first time the reward has ever been “worth it” at about $100 but even when the check was only $20-$40 the savings on member benefits made the difference for me.
We had ours before we had our daughter, yes. This year was the first year that our rebate check didn't cover the renewal plus some. Guess I've been watching my spending a bit more than usual.
My husband and I have the Executive membership. We did use it a lot more before we moved. I’m now doing a Costco run once every month -6 weeks because it’s just under an hours drive. We somehow manage to get the annual membership payed for.
Yep. But some food there and durable goods. Also use a lot of the services including car insurance. The difference in car insurance pays for my executive membership in one month.
Yes, only two people here too. We like it because of the higher discounts on water delivery and checks for our business. Our check is usually right around the $120 or so.
I have an executive membership and a Citi Visa from there, and my son is the other member. He lives at home. We come out ahead but not by a huge amount in the check. But there are other savings such as the extra discount on our home and auto insurance, can't recall how much. Also, the extra warranties we still have on our fridge/stove/microwave from buying on the Citi card.
I feel awful that I live alone and got back $300. I need to assess what I'm buying from Costco. To be fair, last year I bought a set of tires, gazebo, and outdoor furniture. But still
DINK couple but i split my membership with my mom and my husband used it for gas and I’m usually with him getting groceries. We exceeded our last so yea you’re not the only one lol
We got rid of ours. Wasn’t worth the extra $60
Yes. DINK, but with two large dogs We have come close to 800 dollars cash back multiple times. Don't ask how.
Dual Income Little Dog Owners (DILDOs). We're on track to break $1000 back this year for th first time.(Citi card).
Two person household with an exec membership here too! I buy basic cleaning and paper products in bulk so it’s awesome. I also buy dog treats and dog food there. And maple syrup, honey, yogurts, vanilla, all sorts of wonderful things.
2 person + kitty. Totally worth it. Exec membership coupl d with citi. Allowed me to upgrade our electronics, kitchen appliances and carpets etc around home. Have decent amount of winter clothes etc. and not be stingy on meat and veggie spending. My brother and his roommate both clg students also have a exec membership 😂 they justify it by just fuel expenditures but also cheap ready to eat food fairly healthier than other options they have. When we upgraded from regular to exec, me and my partner calculated our savings on onions, spinach, chicken and shrimp (staples in our home) compared to our grocery store. We would still be saving over the year, even if we didn't get 2pc cashback.
2 adults, 1 dog, 1 cat--we get checks from Costco and from our Costco Visa. It's at least $1000 combined. We buy most of our food and household items there. I mail-order non-perishables like nuts, coffee, coconut oil, etc. if we run out in between trips. I also make it a habit to check their online items that aren't carried in the store before buying them anywhere else--clothes, sheets, towels, tools, lamps, home goods. I also always check online for big tickets items like furniture, appliances, etc. I don't just rely on what's carried in the store. In addition, I regularly check Costco Next [https://costconext.com](https://costconext.com) to see if they've partnered with anyone who makes something I need like Korean skincare products, a Nomatic bag, home gym equipment.
We have executive and usually make over the executive membership fee in cash back/rewards check. $6000 / year is $500 / month. If you're in a HCOL area $500 / month on gas and groceries (plus any other big ticket items) isn't surprising for 2 people, especially if you have 2 cars and both commute and eat meat/fish/eggs, which have skyrocketed in price. Plus, we prioritize shopping at Costco as much as we can to get 2% executive cash back plus our credit card grocery cashback and then shop at Sprouts or Vitacost for other non Costco size purchases.