It’s common to join Costco when you’re in charge of feeding a house full of people. But what about pet parents? Is a Costco membership worth it?
You pay $60 a year for a basic Costco membership, or $120 a year for an Executive membership that gives you 2% cash back on your in-store and online purchases. But whether you should join Costco for pet products alone depends on the specific items you need and how Costco’s prices compare to its competitors.
Are Costco pet products the cheapest?
Costco carries many pet products, from food to toys to general supplies. It often pays to buy groceries from Costco for bulk discounts. And it might make sense to buy pet food and products from Costco for the same reason.
But there are many ways to find affordable pet care products outside of Costco. So if you’re thinking of getting a membership for pet items on your own, you’ll need to do some research to make sure Costco’s prices are the best for the items you need.
For example, Costco’s online price for a 40-pound bag of Kirkland dog food is $49.99. And usually, the prices at the store are quite a bit cheaper — though there’s also something to be said for having dog food shipped to your door, versus having to bring it home from the store.
But you can also buy a 44-pound bag of Pedigree dog food for $29.98 from Chewy. And if you sign up for automatic shipping for that item, you’ll save 20% on your first order, bringing your total cost to just $19.49.
Similarly, right now, Costco is offering $4.10 off an online purchase of 42 pounds of Scoop Away scented cat litter, bringing your price to $23.89. But Chewy has the same item in the same quantity for $22.99. And that’s not Chewy’s discounted price — it’s the regular one.
While Costco may often win the “Who has the lowest grocery prices?” game, the same is not always true in the context of pet products. So it may not make sense to join Costco only buy pet products.
An existing membership can save you money on pet care
While it may not pay to join Costco for pet products alone, it doing pay to see what pet-related benefits you are eligible for as a current member.
As a Costco member, you can save 15% on pet insurance through Figo. And if you’re an Executive member, your $15 enrollment fee is also waived. Having pet insurance can save you from catastrophic expenses if your pet needs extensive treatment or a hospital stay.
You may also be eligible for savings of up to 40% on select pet medications. But then again, Chewy also sells discounted pet medicine, so it might not pay to join Costco just to save on the pills you give your pet. However, if you are an existing member, you should compare the prices between the two based on your pet’s needs to see which one has the better deals.
Of course, you can join Costco with the intention of using your membership for pet-related purchases just to start the store as your go-to source for groceries and household essentials. It’s not a terrible idea to try out a membership and see how it goes. Costco allows you to cancel that membership for a refund anytime before the one-year mark. So if you’re on the fence about joining as a pet owner, you can give it a try and see what happens.
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