David

BIG BROWNS FAN FOR 63 years!!!! Love to boat and fish. But GOLF brings real meaning to life!

[James @jamescoder12]

11 things. All built into the store. All available to every member. All hiding in plain sight.

The price tags tell you what's a deal and what isn't if you learn the two-digit code. The 30-day price adjustment gives you money back on purchases you've already made if you check. The return policy protects you on almost everything with no time limit if you use it. The Executive membership pays for itself at $540/month in spending and refunds you the difference if it doesn't. The pharmacy doesn't require a membership and beats insurance copays if you compare. Costco Travel bundles vacations with extras no other platform includes if you open the website. The auto program negotiates your car price before you walk into the dealership if you look it up. The Citi Visa earns 5% on gas with no annual fee if you apply. Kirkland Signature comes from the same factories as the name brands if you try it. The tire center includes lifetime maintenance if you buy there. And the optical department undercuts your vision insurance if you compare.

The guy who worked there for 6 years said it best:

"Costco doesn't hide anything. The price codes are on every tag. The price adjustment policy is at the Member Services desk. The return policy is on the website. The pharmacy, the travel portal, the auto program they're all right there."

"Members just never look past the free samples."

If this was useful, repost the first post in this thread so more Costco members can stop walking the same loop and start using the membership they're already paying for.

[James @jamescoder12]

11. The optical department prescription glasses and exams at prices that undercut your insurance.

He said the optical department is the least-visited section of the warehouse and one of the highest-value services Costco offers.

"Costco Optical sells prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses at prices that consistently beat optical chains like LensCrafters and Visionworks often by 30–50%."

"A pair of single-vision lenses with frames at LensCrafters might cost 300–500. The same prescription at Costco Optical can cost 100–200. Progressive lenses, which can run 500–700 at optical chains, are typically 200–350 at Costco."

"Contact lenses are similarly priced below most competitors. And Costco offers free adjustments and repairs on glasses purchased at their optical department."

"In many states, you don't need a Costco membership for the optical department similar to the pharmacy exemption. Check your state's regulations."

"If you wear glasses or contacts, compare your insurance copay plus out-of-pocket costs against Costco's cash price. Many members discover that Costco's price without insurance is lower than what they'd pay through their vision plan. The savings on a single pair of progressives can cover half the annual membership fee."

[James @jamescoder12]

10. The tire center competitive prices plus lifetime services most members forget about.

He said the tire center is one of Costco's highest-value services and most members drive right past it.

"Costco sells major tire brands Michelin, Bridgestone, Goodyear at prices that are consistently competitive with Discount Tire, Tire Rack, and dealerships. But the real value isn't the purchase price. It's what comes after."

"Every tire purchased at Costco includes lifetime services at no additional charge. Free inflation pressure checks. Free tire balancing. Free tire rotation. Free flat repair. And road hazard warranty."

"At most tire shops, a single rotation costs 20–40. Balancing costs 15–25 per tire. Over the 5-year life of a set of tires, those maintenance services can add up to 200–400. At Costco, they're included forever, for the life of the tires."

"The installation includes mounting, balancing, valve stems, and a road hazard warranty. If you hit a pothole and damage a tire, Costco replaces or repairs it covered by the warranty."

"Compare the total cost of ownership purchase price plus lifetime maintenance not just the sticker price. Costco almost always wins on the total number."

[James @jamescoder12]

9. Kirkland Signature is made by the same factories as the name brands at 20–40% less.

He said this is the thing employees talk about the most and the thing most members are still skeptical about.

"Kirkland Signature is Costco's private label. It's on everything from vodka to batteries to olive oil to diapers. Most members assume it's a generic knockoff a budget alternative to the 'real' brands."

"It's not. Kirkland products are manufactured by the same factories and sometimes the same production lines as major name brands. The factories make the name-brand product, then produce a nearly identical or identical product under the Kirkland label, at a lower price because Kirkland doesn't carry the marketing budget."

"Costco's requirement for every Kirkland product is simple: it must be equal to or better than the leading national brand in quality. If it doesn't meet that bar, it doesn't get the Kirkland label."

"The savings are significant. Kirkland diapers are comparable to Huggies at 30–40% less. Kirkland olive oil has won international competitions. Kirkland batteries are manufactured by Duracell's parent company. Kirkland vodka has been compared favorably to premium brands at a fraction of the price."

"If you're walking past Kirkland products to grab the name brand on the next shelf, you're paying a marketing premium not a quality premium. Start with one Kirkland product you use regularly. Compare it yourself. Most members who try Kirkland once never go back."

[James @jamescoder12]

8. The Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi the gas and grocery card most members don't have.

He said this credit card is the highest-earning no-annual-fee card for Costco members and it stacks on top of the Executive 2% reward.

"The Costco Anywhere Visa by Citi earns 5% cash back on eligible gas purchased at Costco, up to $7,000 per year. 4% on other eligible gas and EV charging. 3% on restaurants and eligible travel. And 1% on everything else."

"Costco gas is already 10–30 cents per gallon cheaper than nearby stations. Add 5% cash back on top of that, and you're saving roughly 40–50 cents per gallon compared to paying full price at a regular gas station with a no-rewards card."

"For a family that fills up once a week at Costco, that's 250–400 per year in gas savings alone from a card with no annual fee."

"The cash back stacks with the Executive membership's 2% reward. So on a 100Costcogroceryrun,youearn2%fromExecutive(2) plus 1% from the Citi card ($1) $3 back on every $100 spent. On gas at Costco, you earn 2% plus 5% 7% total."

"Your annual reward arrives once per year as a certificate redeemable at any Costco warehouse. Most members who have the card forget to redeem it. Check your February Citi statement that's when it arrives."

[James @jamescoder12]

7. The Costco Auto Program negotiate a new car without stepping into a dealership.

He said this benefit exists for every Costco member and almost nobody knows about it.

"The Costco Auto Program connects members with a network of participating dealerships that offer pre-negotiated, no-haggle pricing on new and select used vehicles. You get a guaranteed price typically well below MSRP without the traditional dealership negotiation."

"You go to https://t.co/vQ7kIOyLhF. You select the make and model. Costco shows you the pre-negotiated price and connects you with a participating dealer. You walk in, reference the Costco pricing, and buy the car at the agreed price. No back-and-forth. No pressure. No 'let me talk to my manager.'"

"The savings vary by model and market, but members regularly report saving 1,000–3,000 below typical negotiated prices with zero effort. On a $40,000 vehicle, that's a 2.5–7.5% discount you didn't have to fight for."

"Even if you don't buy through the program, use it as leverage. Get the Costco price, then take it to any dealership and say: 'This is the price Costco quoted me. Can you match or beat it?' You've just turned a 4-hour negotiation into a 10-minute conversation."

[James @jamescoder12]

6. Costco Travel the most underused benefit in the entire membership.

He said Costco Travel consistently offers vacation packages that beat Expedia, https://t.co/xkuD4jWHCF, and direct hotel booking and most members have never opened the website.

"Costco Travel negotiates bulk rates with hotels, resorts, cruise lines, rental car companies, and theme parks. Because they're buying in volume and taking a minimal markup consistent with Costco's low-margin model the packages are often the lowest available rate anywhere."

"But here's what separates Costco Travel from every other booking site: the packages include extras that no other platform offers at the same price. Costco resort packages frequently include daily breakfast, resort credits, spa credits, room upgrades, late checkouts, airport transfers, and welcome amenities all bundled into a price that's competitive with the room-only rate on Expedia."

"I booked a 5-night all-inclusive resort through Costco Travel that included airfare, transfers, all meals, drinks, and a $200 resort credit for $400 less than the same hotel was quoting directly for the room alone. No other travel site came close."

"Costco Travel also offers theme park packages with Disney, Universal, and others including park tickets, hotel stays, and extras at bundled prices. Rental cars through Costco Travel include a free second driver and are priced below most major platforms."

"Executive members earn 2% back on Costco Travel purchases. On a $4,000 vacation package, that's $80 back. The travel portal is at https://t.co/VMmVec7CDm and it's the best-kept secret in the membership."

[James @jamescoder12]

5. The Costco pharmacy you don't need a membership, and it often beats your insurance copay.

He said this is the benefit that surprises people the most because most members don't know the pharmacy exists, and non-members don't know they can use it.

"By law, Costco cannot require a membership for pharmacy services. Anyone member or not can walk into a Costco pharmacy, present a prescription, and fill it at Costco's price."

"Costco's pharmacy prices are some of the lowest in the country. On many generic medications, Costco's cash price without insurance is lower than the copay you'd pay at CVS or Walgreens with insurance."

"A common generic cholesterol medication might cost $15 with your insurance copay at a chain pharmacy. The same medication at Costco's pharmacy without insurance might cost 4–8. You're paying your insurance company for the privilege of paying more than you would without them."

"Costco also runs a program called Costco Member Prescription Program a discount card for members that reduces prices further on hundreds of medications. It's not insurance. It's a discount that stacks on top of Costco's already-low prices."

"If you're paying more than $10 for any common generic prescription, check Costco's price first. You don't need a membership. You don't need insurance. You just walk up to the pharmacy counter."

[James @jamescoder12]

4. The Executive membership math the upgrade that pays for itself if you spend $500/month.

He said most Gold Star members don't upgrade to Executive because they think it's not worth the extra $65. For many of them, they're wrong.

"The Gold Star membership costs $65/year. The Executive membership costs $130/year $65 more. The difference: Executive members earn 2% cash back on all qualifying Costco purchases, up to $1,250 per year."

"If you spend $6,500 per year at Costco that's about $540/month the 2% reward equals $130. That exactly covers the cost of the Executive membership. Anything above $6,500 in annual spending, and the Executive membership is making you money."

"For families who fill up on gas at Costco, buy groceries there regularly, and make a few big purchases a year electronics, tires, furniture $6,500 is easy to hit. Most families who shop at Costco twice a month spend 300–400 per trip. That's 7,200–9,600 per year. At 2% back, that's 144–192 meaning the Executive membership pays for itself and puts 14–62 in your pocket."

"And here's the safety net most members don't know about: if your 2% reward doesn't cover the difference between Gold Star and Executive by the end of the year, Costco will refund you the difference if you downgrade. You literally cannot lose money on the upgrade. If it doesn't pay for itself, they give you back the gap."

"Run the math on your annual spending before your next renewal. If you're anywhere near $6,500, upgrade. If you're not sure, upgrade anyway the downgrade refund protects you."

[James @jamescoder12]

3. The return policy the most generous in all of retail, and most members barely use it.

He said Costco's return policy is unlike anything in the retail industry and most members underestimate how far it goes.

"Costco has a satisfaction guarantee on almost everything they sell. If you're not satisfied with a product, you can return it for a full refund. No time limit on most items. No questions asked."

"Bought a blender 2 years ago and it stopped working? Return it. Bought a set of sheets and they pilled after 6 months? Return them. Bought a food item and you didn't like the taste? Return it even if it's half-eaten."

"The exceptions are important: electronics have a 90-day return window. Diamonds over 1 carat require documentation. Cigarettes and alcohol are restricted by state law. And there's no return on custom orders or airline tickets purchased through Costco Travel."

"But for everything else clothing, furniture, appliances, kitchenware, food, supplements, toys, outdoor equipment the satisfaction guarantee has no expiration."

"I processed returns every day for 6 years. Most of them were completely legitimate a product broke, didn't fit, or didn't meet expectations. Costco stands behind what they sell. If it doesn't work for you, bring it back. Most members keep products they're unhappy with because they assume 'it's too late' or 'I lost the receipt.' It's never too late for most items. And you don't need a receipt they look it up on your membership."

[James @jamescoder12]

2. The 30-day price adjustment the refund most members never claim.

He said this is the most underutilized benefit in the entire Costco membership and it's available to every single member.

"If you buy something at Costco and the price drops within 30 days, you are entitled to a refund of the difference. That's it. That's the policy. You don't return the item. You don't bring a receipt. You walk to Member Services, give them your membership card, and they look up the purchase in their system."

"Costco tracks every purchase tied to your membership card. They can pull up anything you've bought going back years. If the price dropped since you bought it, they refund the difference to your original payment method or a Costco Shop Card."

"According to one consumer estimate, only about 12% of members who are eligible for a price adjustment actually claim it. That means 88% of the money available through this policy is left on the warehouse floor by members who either don't know it exists or don't bother to check."

"Here's my system: after a big purchase anything over $50 I check the price on my next Costco visit. If it dropped, I walk to Member Services. It takes 2 minutes. I've gotten $30 back on a set of pans, $45 back on a vacuum, and $22 back on a case of wine."

"The 30-day window is strict. Don't wait until day 31. If you see a price drop within the window, claim it immediately."

[James @jamescoder12]

1. Every price tag is speaking to you and you've never learned the language.

He said this is the single most useful thing any Costco member can learn and the store will never explain it to you.

"Every price tag at Costco ends in a specific number. Those endings aren't random. They're a coded system that tells you exactly what's happening with that product whether it's full price, on clearance, a manufacturer promotion, or being liquidated for the last time."

The cheat sheet:

".99 means full price. This is the standard everyday Costco price. No discount. No deal. It's the baseline."

".97 means the warehouse has marked it down. This is Costco's clearance price. The store is trying to move this product out. It might be seasonal, overstocked, or being replaced. This is where real savings hide and most members walk right past .97 items without recognizing the signal."

".49 or .79 means the manufacturer is subsidizing a temporary promotion. Costco didn't cut the price the brand did. It's a trial run or a promotional window. When the promotion ends, the price goes back to .99 or the product disappears."

".00 or .88 means a manager's final closeout. This is the last markdown before the item is gone. Returns, damaged packaging, floor models, or final liquidation. These are often the deepest discounts in the entire warehouse."

"And the most important symbol of all: the asterisk. A small asterisk in the top-right corner of the price tag means Costco is not reordering this item. When current stock sells out, it's gone from that warehouse permanently. Members call it the 'death star.' If you love the product and you see the asterisk, buy it now. It will not be there next week."

"None of this is printed anywhere in the store. It's a system employees and experienced members have decoded over decades. Once you know it, you can read every aisle in 30 seconds and spot the real deals without guessing."

[Cleveland Browns @Browns]

Grant found some heat at @GoodwillIntl 🔥

[Tyler Ratcliff @TylerRatcliff17]

As if golf wasn’t hard enough, Japan has underwater bunkers?? WTF🤣🤣

[Tony Grossi @TonyGrossi]

These are just some of the courses I’ve been fortunate to play during my sabbatical:
⛳️ZanesvilleCC.
⛳️EagleSticksGC.
⛳️SugarBushGC.
⛳️TheVirtuesGC.
⛳️LittleMountainCC
⛳️StonewaterGC.
⛳️Firestone (North)CC.
⛳️ReserveRun GC.
⛳️KirtlandCC.
Four more to come.
Blessed.

[Jeff Darlington @JeffDarlington]

As you watch Aaron Rai in the PGA Championship, you might notice he uses iron covers for his clubs and wears two gloves — two habits often viewed as golf faux pas. But both are actually inspiring.

Rai grew up in a working-class family in England, where his father sacrificed heavily to support his golf career. When Aaron got an expensive set of irons as a kid, his dad would clean every groove with a pin and baby oil after practice because the clubs meant that much to them. The iron covers became a reminder to appreciate what you have.

And the two gloves? Rai started wearing them as a kid during cold-weather golf in England and eventually became so comfortable with the feel that he never stopped.

Not gimmicks. Just gratitude… and comfort.

[David @davejo0550]

@otokyo Bb

[David @davejo0550]

@otokyo No