The Costco Items You Should Always Be Price Checking

Costco, with its aisles chock full of bulk-packaged items, and its food court that waits for you each and every time to finish shopping so you can indulge in a $1.50 hot dog and soda combo, is also known for saving you big-time money (knowing the secret meaning behind their price tags helps). But what if Costco doesn't always have the best deal on certain items?

You should actually price check products that cost $50 and over, because there is the likelihood that you can find them cheaper per ounce, per sheet, or however the item is measured, at a different store or even online via Amazon. One thing about Costco is that they do not price match, so if you find that Walmart sells what you want for less, and you want that price, you'll have to go to Walmart to get it. However, if you buy something at Costco and then see it for sale somewhere else for significantly less, you can usually always return the product to Costco, citing customer dissatisfaction thanks to their generous return policy, and then scoop it up for the cheaper price at the other retailer.

Costco might not offer price matching, which can be especially frustrating when you find items over $50 that are cheaper elsewhere, but they do give you your money back if you purchased an item in-store or online and they then lower the price on it (however, they don't reimburse you if you purchased an item in-store and then offer the same item online for less, and vice versa). This is part of their price adjustment policy, and you have 30 days to request a reimbursement.

If you were one of the rare people who made a purchase online at Costco's website, you can submit an online request; if approved, it may take up to 10 days for the credit to be disbursed to the original form of payment. However, if you made your purchase in-store, you will have to inquire in-store as well, and at the store where you made the initial purchase.

Also, if you're beyond the 30-day price adjustment window, you could just consider returning the item and getting your refund, then buying it again at the reduced price. While that's a lot of legwork for a discount, if budget is the uppermost concern, you have this option, at least.