How to shop at Costco without paying $60 membership in Australia

Shoppers often head to Costco to bulk buy their groceries in order to get the best deals and save money.

But bargain hunters have to register for membership with the wholesaler, and splash out $60-a-year for the privilege to shop there.

However, one money saving expert has now revealed how to shop at the supermarket without paying the membership fee.

To head into a Costco without a membership, shoppers need a shop card, financial guru Little Birdie said.

The cards can be preloaded with any amount from $25 to $999.99, with recipients then able to shop with them in store.

However, they have to be bought by a current member, and can’t be used online, or at fuel stations, Birdie explained in a TikTok clip.

Currently, there are only 15 stores across Australia. 

Parents of larger families have reported slashing hundreds of dollars off their grocery bills by buying in bulk at Costco.

Mums online have previously raved about how much money they saved shopping at Costco compared to Coles, Woolworths, Aldi or IGA.

While many of their hauls seem steep, shoppers have said buying goods in bulk from Costco has saved them hundreds of dollars. 

‘Every time I go to Costco, my favourite part is seeing how much money I saved. Yesterday was my first trip there in a few years. I spent $593,’ one woman said in a Facebook post. 

Shoppers often head to Costco to bulk buy their groceries in order to get the best deals and save money

‘I did a (fake) online order with Coles, selecting equal quantities as what I have purchased at Costco. Coles would have cost me $783.’

She claimed the quality of the products, particularly meat, is better than other stores and it is the ideal place to pick up expensive dog food in bulk at a fraction of the price. 

‘We actually ended up saving around $35, on approximately six weeks food for our dogs. But the real win is that we have it already, and don’t have to get stress when we’re running out and all the supermarkets are out of stock!’

While many Costco hauls seem steep, shoppers said buying goods in bulk has saved them hundreds of dollars. One mum claimed the quality meat is better than other stores

Mum-of-five Jess Ndenda spent $1,100 after she filled two trolleys. She doesn’t normally fork out $1,000 on her shops but buys all of her meat at Costco which will last up to two months

Another mum said she was amazed when she saved a whopping $600 after she ‘broke her Costco cherry’. 

She bought $500 worth of school lunch snacks she said will last her a whole term as well as water, meat, toiletries, fresh produce, dairy, herbs, spices and sauces. 

‘I did a bit of maths, had I done the same shop at Woolies/Coles I would have spent $1160. If I shopped at Aldi, I would have spent $985,’ she said in a post to a popular Facebook group. 

‘Everyone says the $60 membership isn’t worth it, well if you shop smart, it’s well worth it, I’m going to aim to go four times a year.’ 

One woman claimed her yearly membership ‘paid for itself’ after one shop when she saved more than $300 despite driving for over an hour to get to her nearest Costco store. 

She worked out her membership cost just $1.15 a week for her large family and said it’s worth buying in bulk to save money in the long run. 

‘$676.12 here but this will last us a few months. Costco $676.12 and if I shopped at Woolworths would have being $1093.32,’ she said online. 

‘Just shows you it pays to shop around and buy in bulk if you can.’

Mum-of-five Jess Ndenda spent an eye-watering $1,100 after she filled two trolleys of bulk buys at Costco.

‘We save at least a couple of hundred dollars of our monthly grocery bill but it’s actually for me more about convenience because things get hectic around here,’ she said in a TikTok clip. 

Jess has five children as well as two businesses with staff that work from her house two days a week, her children’s friends visiting frequently and is out at events two to three nights a week.  

‘Hubby needs stuff that we can get from the freezer, chuck in the airfryer…and I just need to know that I’ve got lunchbox stuff on hand so it’s more about having it all in the house than saving but we definitely save quite a bit of money,’ she said. 

Jess said she doesn’t normally fork out over $1,000 on her Costco shops but buys all of her meat which will last up to two months.

One mum impressed hundreds after she shared the savings available including huge multi-packs of Jumpy’s chips, Tiny Teddies, and Vege chips all for under $20. 

‘A glimpse into Costco snack savings,’ the Queensland mum wrote in a post to the Mums on a Budget – Australia Facebook page. 

She showed photos from the store with a 40-pack of Jumpy’s potato chips on sale for $13.99 while Woolworths sells the snacks in a five-pack for $4.15.

There was also a 42 variety pack of Tiny Teddies for just $12.49 which equals $1.19 per 100g rather than the  $4.50 per 100g major supermarkets charge. 

Other deals included a box of 32 packets of Vege chips for $19.99, as well as Sunkist fruit snacks for $18.99 and 30 packs of Healtheries rice wheels and potato sticks for $14.99.