How to Shop at Costco Without a Membership

Whether you’re looking for a gargantuan tub of cream cheese or a package of juice boxes big enough to last you all summer, Costco is the place to go. But if the $60 membership fee—or the massive lines at checkout—are keeping you away, there’s still hope. Instacart, a same-day grocery delivery service, has partnered up with the warehouse club to deliver Costco items to your door without a Costco membership.

It’s easy: Just download the Instacart app on your phone, sign up for the service (you’ve got to enter a credit card number), then start shopping! Besides Costco, Instacart partners with a bevy of stores, including Whole Foods, Ralph’s, Smart & Final, Petco, BevMo and CVS (though you’ll be charged a separate delivery fee if you want items from multiple stores in the same order).

photo: Instacart

You’ll browse the shelves by category (or by which items have coupons); then click on items to load up your cart. When you’re finished, just choose a delivery time, sit back and wait for your groceries to arrive. You can even track the driver via GPS mapping, just to make sure you’re home when your goodies get there.

photo: Instacart

Of course, easy access to Costco isn’t totally free: Instacart’s delivery fee is $5.99 (though you can have this fee waived if you buy particular items). Some items may be also be slightly higher on Instacart than they are in the store. And, you’re supposed to tip your shopper for filling that ginormous Costco cart for you.

Still, for busy moms who don’t want to shlep their kids to the store to stock up on mega-packs of paper towels or cases of Kirkland wine, Instacart is a dream come true.

—Melissa Heckschner

Featured photo: Mike Mozart via Flickr

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