3 Easy Ways to See What’s Going on Sale at Costco Way Before It Actually Does

updated Mar 12, 2024
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If you’re a Costco member, stretching your budget at the warehouse store is basically a given, with some savings of up to 50 percent or more on bulk packages. Whether you need groceries, toilet paper, electronics, bath towels, kitchen appliances, laundry detergent, or, well, anything, Costco probably has it and will help you save money all at the same time.

Beyond the everyday savings, there are monthly promotions that can help members keep even more cash in their pockets. Sounds nice, right? Right! That’s why we’re sharing all the best tips for spotting deals — way in advance — and sales patterns. So now you can cut costs and plan ahead while doing it.

Credit: Patty Catalano

How Does Costco Share Information About Upcoming Sales? 

About a week or so ahead of time, members can expect to get the monthly Costco Coupon Book in the mail, touting the upcoming deals. (The sales aren’t posted on Costco’s website until the day the new sales start or sometimes the day before).

Everyone (member or not) can get a bit of advanced notice, thanks to a few savings websites that share the coupon book each month.

1. Costco Insider

Costco Insider is one of the most reliable sites out there and shares details about upcoming promotions and valid coupons, as well as product reviews (so you can really know if a discounted item is worth jumping on). It will also tell you if some of the special products are available in your state or not. Costco Insider even has a Tips tab, where you can learn how to find clearance items as well.

2. Slickdeals

Slickdeals allows you to access deals at least two weeks ahead of time (and sometimes, even further out than that). We especially love its Best Costco Deals page, which is constantly updated and highlights the very best bargains at Costco, so you don’t have to hunt around or compare prices. Slickdeals also provides info for other stores, too — not just Costco.

3. Costco97

Another favorite is Costco97, which also highlights a variety of deals at Costco and allows access to the monthly coupon book. You can also search deals by location as well, and contribute to the wider Costco97 community in its forum about other deals found in-store and online. 

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When Do Costco Sales Start and End?

Before you say it, we know what you’re thinking: Wouldn’t it be nice to know these things ahead of time? Even more than a week ahead of time? Well, there’s good news: There are a few sales patterns to help your Costco haul stay on budget.

As is the case for the Costco Coupon Books, each sale cycle lasts roughly 26 days (for example, March’s coupon book is valid from March 5 to March 31), with the cycle always starting on a Wednesday and ending on a Sunday. Keeping that timing in mind, the upcoming sales cycles for this year could look like the following:

April 10 – May 5, 2024
May 15 – June 9, 2024
June 19 – July 21, 2024
July 31 – August 25, 2024

Also, don’t forget to actually go to Costco’s website and subscribe to its Costco Insider email alerts, where the warehouse will often share its monthly Hot Buys coupons (which last around eight days per month, typically starting on a Friday). The best part of all? You don’t actually need to keep any of these coupons on you; they’re automatically applied at checkout when you’re a member.

Do you use a special site to stay up to date on Costco deals ahead of time? If so, let us know!