How Often Do You Need to Get Costco Gas to Cover Your Membership Cost?

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The savings on gas alone can cover membership fees at Costco, but only if you visit regularly. Find out how often you need to go. [[{“value”:”

A Costco membership costs $60 for an entry level membership. You get a lot for your money when you sign up, including access to Kirkland-brand items that have lots of devoted followers.

Of course, you’ll want to make sure you’re saving enough money to justify paying the membership fees out of your bank account. There are lots of ways to do that. One of them is buying gas.

If you get gas regularly at Costco, the savings on fuel alone may be more than enough to make paying the $60 for an annual membership a no-brainer. How often do you have to visit for that to happen though? Here’s what you need to know.

Getting Costco gas this often can pay for the membership by itself

It’s a well-accepted fact that Costco gas is cheaper than the fuel at most other places. While the exact amount of savings you’ll get depends on factors like where you live and which club you visit, you can reasonably expect to save around $0.15 to $0.20 per gallon. Let’s say you save $0.17 per gallon when you fill up.

Now, the exact amount you need to fill up your tank will depend on just how much gas you get each time you go. Typically, most vehicle gas tanks hold between 10.5 and 18.5 gallons of gas. Let’s say that you’re putting in around 14.5 gallons each time you fill up your tank.

If you’re able to save $0.17 on 14.5 gallons of gas, each fill-up at Costco saves you around $2.47 compared with getting gas elsewhere. If you’re looking to cover your membership fee with gas alone, you’d need to get gas at Costco between 24 and 25 times per year. If you go around twice a month, you’ll easily do that.

Costco gas is just one way to cover your membership cost

Costco gas is just one of many things you can buy at the warehouse club. There’s plenty of other ways that you can justify spending $60 on a membership. For one thing, Kirkland-brand products at Costco are typically about 20% cheaper than name-brand competitors. If you can sign up for Costco and buy generic store-brand items, you can slash your grocery bills as a result of your Costco membership.

The gas savings is a big deal, though, especially since Costco’s gas is Top Tier™ certified, which means it has all sorts of benefits for your vehicle’s engine, including keeping it cleaner and allowing your car to run more efficiently.

If you’re on the fence about whether to join Costco or keep your Costco membership, ask yourself whether it would be convenient to visit there regularly for gas and whether you’re likely to fuel up around 24 times a year. If the answer to these questions is yes, then getting a membership could be an easy decision.

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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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