Could This Reddit Advice Be the Best Costco Money-Saving Tip Ever?

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Don’t risk overspending at Costco because you fail to follow this advice. 

Many people join Costco in order to save money because the warehouse club offers discounts on bulk products and house-brand items. But, with so many great brand-name and Kirkland products, it’s easy to end up spending a lot more on your credit cards than you should with every visit to the big-box store.

Some Reddit advice, however, could help you to keep your costs down by reducing the likelihood of impulse buys as you stroll the aisles of your local Costco store.

This is must-follow Reddit advice for Costco shoppers

In a Reddit thread dedicated to tips about Costco shopping, one experienced club member gave some great advice that many warehouse club members should consider following. “Best Costco money saving tip I know is food court THEN shop,” wrote MyCatEdwin.

This tip is a valuable one for every Costco shopper for an important reason. Costco has great deals on food products at its food court. These bargains make it a great place to grab an affordable, quick meal while you’re out doing your shopping. However, you don’t actually want to be hungry while you are walking around Costco to pick up your purchases because doing so could lead you to make unnecessary impulse buys.

If you follow the sage advice of this Redditor, you get to take advantage of the bargain prices on food court deals at Costco — but you don’t end up overspending on the many attractive items that Costco has put around the club to tempt you.

It’s more than just food you need to worry about when shopping hungry

Following this Reddit tip could actually help you save more money than you might think at first read.

See, most people are well aware that they’re more likely to throw a bunch of food products into their cart when they’re shopping hungry. That’s because their empty stomach makes everything sound delicious. But, surprisingly, research has actually shown it isn’t just food that you overspend on if you are starving while you are out doing your shopping.

Researchers looked at whether hunger affects impulse buys of non-food products as well as consumables and their findings were unexpected. Shoppers who were hungry ended up spending 60% more on other non-food products at department stores compared with people who didn’t have empty bellies while shopping. The hunger that some shoppers felt made them more willing to acquire anything to satisfy the longing that they were experiencing.

This means if you are wandering the aisles of Costco while you are craving food, you are at risk of impulse buying items in all departments that you don’t really need — especially given that stores often specifically target impulse buyers with strategic placement of attractive products.

If you don’t want to end up making purchases you regret, but you also want to be able to take advantage of Costco’s meal deals and delicious food, be sure you follow this Reddit tip and always make a beeline for the food court at Costco before you do any other shopping. Your wallet will thank you.

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The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Christy Bieber has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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