7 Costco Myths People Should Stop Believing

If you're the kind of grocery shopper who cares about getting a good deal and/or you like to shop in bulk, then Costco is undoubtedly one of the best grocery stores in the country. It offers some of the lowest prices around, and it's an excellent place to stock up on pantry staples, frozen meals, and plenty of healthy, affordable snacks to help get you through the week. But even if you're someone who frequents Costco on the regular, you probably believe some myths about the big box grocery chain that could ultimately affect how you shop there.

We're here to bust some of the most common Costco myths, so you can get the facts straight. By better understanding what Costco is all about and what you can expect when you shop there, you can better take advantage of your membership — and maybe even get some better deals in the process. These are the Costco myths you should stop believing.

Costco isn't like your average grocery store where anyone can just walk in, buy whatever they want, and leave without a second thought. If you're going to shop at Costco, you have to commit to a membership. The standard Costco membership costs $65 a year, and it gives you access to the store's products, the food court, and a variety of other benefits, from better prices on gas to deals on prescriptions if you pick them up at the Costco pharmacy. Because you need a membership to shop at this store, though, you may assume that there's absolutely nothing you can buy there without that exclusive card. But this is just a myth.

While it's true that you need a membership to buy most things at Costco, non-members can buy alcohol in some states. Although you won't have access to the main part of the store, you can still head to the alcohol section and take advantage of the competitive prices there, on everything from Kirkland Signature liquors to affordable wines you can feel good about opening any day of the week. So, even if you don't think a Costco membership is worth the price, if you live in one of the select states, it still may be worth it to visit Costco for its alcohol selection alone.

Costco is known for having an especially generous return policy. In general, you can take back any product you purchased at the store at any time, even if you made the purchase months in the past, and Costco will give you a refund. Technically, you can do this for any reason, and in a lot of cases, you might not even need to bring a receipt with you. This policy makes it easy to return food items that are flawed or that you don't want for whatever other reason.

Yet, this doesn't mean that there aren't any restrictions on Costco returns period. Electronic items, for example, must be returned within 90 days of the purchase date if you want a refund. In some locations, Costco may not be able to take returns of cigarettes or alcohol. And you won't be able to get your money back if you buy a gift card, but then decide you don't want it anymore. If you're planning on returning something you purchased to Costco, take a careful look at the grocery chain's return policy to get a better sense of whether it's eligible for a refund or not. Doing so might save you some time in the event that you're dealing with a non-returnable item.

There's this idea that store brand products, including Kirkland Signature products, just aren't very good or that they're of significantly lower quality than name brand products. In reality, though, that just isn't the truth. There are many Kirkland Signature products that are considered of equal value to — or even better than — their name brand counterparts. From Kirkland Signature coffee to the store brand's ice cream, Costco's not going to let you down on quality with most of its offerings. And since most of these generic products are cheaper than their name brand versions, it only makes sense to take advantage of those savings.

That's not to say that every single Kirkland Signature product is amazing, though. In fact, there are plenty of these products that customers say they regret buying. But the same could be said for just about any large brand. Therefore, if you're trying to save some money on groceries and you shop at Costco anyway, it only makes sense to give some Kirkland Signature products a try. In many cases, you'll probably be pleased with the level of quality you get.

One thing that we love about Costco is the fact that you can use your membership card at any location. This makes it easy to shop at several Costco locations in your area, but it also means that you can stop by far-flung Costcos when you're away from home or on vacation. If you do venture to a Costco in another part of the world, though, you might notice that it carries a slightly different stock than the one you're used to seeing at home. That's because Costco carries many regional products that you'll only be able to find in certain areas.

For example, in Hawaii, you may be able to get your hands on some poke and guava cheesecake at this grocery store. In the Midwest, you'll sometimes encounter cheese curds, whereas you won't find this item at Costcos in most other parts of the country. And Alaskan shoppers often have the option of buying reindeer sausage. The same is true for many Costco food court items — you'll see different offerings depending on where you're shopping. This makes shopping at the bulk retailer even more exciting, whether you're looking for regional products from your own area or you're exploring totally new Costco turf.

If you're like most, then you may assume that it really only makes sense to shop at Costco if you're buying for a large group of people. For instance, you may think that it's a good idea for a large family to shop at Costco, but it doesn't really offer the same benefits to singles or couples without kids. While this can be true in the case of some food items, like when it comes to the jumbo-sized packages of fresh produce you'll find at the grocer, it's a myth that Costco is only for large families or groups. In reality, buying some grocery products in bulk can make sense for a lot of people who live in smaller households.

First of all, Costco sells a lot of non-perishable items that you can easily stock up on and use up over time. Large bags of rice, for example, or multi-packs of pasta can sit in the back of your pantry for a long time until you're ready to use them. The same can be said for many of Costco's frozen products. And even when it comes to fresh items, like meat, you can often freeze the excess, which means that you'll have protein on hand ready to thaw and cook whenever you need to throw together a quick dinner. Don't assume that Costco isn't a good place to shop just because you don't live with several other people. Whether you have the room to store these products is a different story.

Once upon a time, anyone could venture to the Costco food court and snag themselves that famous $1.50 hot dog or any of the other beloved food court options available at the store. But starting in 2020, Costco stopped allowing non-members to eat at the food court. Instead, you're required to pay for that membership before you could even think about ordering a meal there. This is ostensibly an attempt to get membership numbers up and to ensure that the store's benefits are mainly only available to those who pay an annual fee.

This development was a real bummer, since it limits access to those who may want to take advantage of the food court's low prices, but who can't afford to spring for the membership. So, the next time you're eating something at Costco's food court, be sure to savor the meal a bit more — despite its low price tag, it's still an exclusive bite.

When you look at the numbers, Costco is one of the cheapest places to shop. This is largely because you're buying in bulk. Since you're purchasing so much at one time, the unit price at Costco tends to be lower. But if you've shopped at Costco before, then you know that your totals in the checkout line can be staggering, even when it looks like you didn't buy that many different items. Because you're paying for those large portions up front, you're going to be spending more money at the time of purchase.

If you have that extra cash on hand to spend, then Costco can certainly end up being the cheapest place to shop. At the end of the month or year, you can see some real savings from buying in bulk like this. However, if you don't have a strong cash flow, then paying to stock up on extras may be out of budget for you. Even though you may be paying higher prices per unit at a different grocery store, smaller portion sizes mean that you're still paying less when you actually get to the checkout.

Therefore, you really need to think about whether shopping at Costco makes sense for you. For those who have plenty of extra cash to invest in groceries for the month? It's a great option. But for those who are trying to make their pennies stretch until their next pay day, Costco might not be the best place to shop.