5 Reasons a Costco Membership Is Worth It for a Single Person With No Kids (2024)

Costco membership is an easy call for big families. A basic Gold Star membership currently costs $60 per year, and you can save money on tons of products, ranging from gift cards to travel packages to gas and electronics.

But for those who are single with no kids, the question isn't always so clear cut. After all, even if you did eat enough Nutella to justify buying a 6.6 pound tub of it, would you even have the cabinet space to store the comically large portions of things that Costco sells?

Truth be told, you don't need to buy food in bulk to get the best value out of Costco. While it's certainly not for everyone, a Costco membership can still be worth it if you're single without kids. Here's how.

1. Take advantage of Costco services

When single people ask me why they would ever consider a Costco membership, my answer always begins with "Costco services." Costco members get significant discounts on a variety of essential services, even when they're outsourced to a third party. These services include]:

• Bottled water delivery
• Budget truck rental
• Car buying
• Costco travel packages
• Home improvement
• Insurance (auto, home, pet, and life)
• Optical
• Pharmacy
• Virtual primary care and therapy

The savings on these services alone could justify having a Costco membership. For example, Costco claims that members who switch to its car insurance provider (CONNECT) save an average of $596 in their first year. If you saved that much on car insurance, you would cover almost 10 years of Gold Star membership dues.

2. Fill up at the pump

Costco Kirkland Gasoline is often significantly cheaper than other gas stations. While you might have to wait in line -- especially in New Jersey where self-service gas pumping is illegal -- the savings at Costco could very well help cover your membership dues.

Costco also sells TOP TIER™ gasoline, which, according to AAA research, is supposedly cleaner and more efficient.

3. Stock up on gift cards

Costco sells cheap gift cards. While the savings aren't life-changing, you can save about 10% to 30% on face value just by purchasing a gift card at Costco.

One of my favorite gift cards right now is for Uber. Costco members can get two $50 Uber gift cards for $79.99. Essentially, you're spending $80 to get $100 of Uber value. These cards are valid for Uber rides and Uber Eats orders and can be used to purchase Costco groceries through the Uber Eats app.

There's usually a limit on how many gift cards you can buy per membership. For instance, members can purchase two Uber gift cards, but are limited to one transaction of them. In other words, you would need to buy both Uber gift cards in a single transaction to get the maximum value ($200 for $160).

4. Save on household essentials

Regardless of your marriage status or number of dependents, your house will need some basic supplies, like toilet paper, dish soap, laundry detergent, trash bags, paper towels -- and rotisserie chicken. Likewise, you'll also need pantry staples, like oil, sugar, and flour. These are all items you can purchase in bulk at cheaper per-unit prices than most other retailers.

Let's look at Costco's trash bags. Costco's Kirkland Kitchen Trash Bags come in a pack of 200 and cost $19.99, which comes out to about $0.10 a bag. Meanwhile, at Walmart, you can purchase 120 of the same kind of trash bag on sale for $16.73, or about $0.13 per bag. You'd pay more money at Walmart and get fewer trash bags per package than at Costco.

The per-unit savings don't always work in Costco's favor -- olive oil is often cheaper elsewhere, for instance -- but more often than not, shopping at Costco will help your budget.

5. Shop for your pets

Even if you're the only human in your home, you might have pets to take care of. In this case, Costco's bulk pet food is cheap, and its flea and tick treatments also cost less than at other stores. Costco sells eight doses of Frontline Plus Flea & Tick Treatment for Large Dogs (45 to 88 pounds) for $79.99. Meanwhile, Petco and Petsmart sell eight doses of the same treatment for $96.99.

Costco may not have the same variety of pet supplies as other stores, but for basic pet essentials, it's hard to beat it.

Even if you're not sure a Costco membership is right for you, it doesn't hurt to try one out. Costco will refund your membership dues if you decide it's not for you. Give it a shot and see if Costco is selling something that could make paying $60 for an annual membership worth it for you.

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