4. Order Groceries Through Instacart

If navigating massive concrete aisles, dodging heavy shopping carts, and carrying bulk goods to your car sounds physically taxing, third-party delivery services offer an elegant solution. Costco partners with Instacart to deliver groceries directly to your doorstep, and no membership number is required to place an order.

You simply download the Instacart app, select Costco from the list of available stores, and fill your digital cart. This convenience does come with a financial tradeoff. Instacart applies a markup to Costco’s in-store prices—typically ranging from 15% to 20%—and you must also factor in service fees and driver tips. To determine if this strategy makes sense, you must analyze your shopping frequency. If you only need bulk paper towels, coffee, and pantry staples three times a year, paying a modest markup on Instacart is mathematically wiser than spending $65 on an annual membership fee you rarely use.