Costco members may be missing out on valuable savings by overlooking some of the warehouse retailer’s lesser-known perks, including potential clearance clues and members-only travel offers.

Costco has earned a devoted following for its bulk bargains, famously inexpensive food court and eye-catching deals. Yet saving money at the warehouse involves more than filling a cart with oversized toilet-paper packs and enough chicken to feed an army.

Experienced shoppers say certain details on Costco price tags may help identify clearance merchandise. Money-saving experts at FinanceBuzz also point out that several Costco membership benefits extend far beyond the warehouse itself.

Executive members, for instance, may shop during designated early-access hours and receive a two percent annual reward on qualifying purchases. For some members, that reward can help offset the higher cost of the upgraded membership.

There are other ways to get more value from a bulk purchase, too. Shoppers might split multipacks with a neighbor, freeze meat in individual portions or review Costco’s online promotions before visiting a warehouse.

However, buying in bulk is not automatically the cheapest option. Perishable food can quickly turn into a false economy if it spoils before your household has a chance to use it.

The US Food and Drug Administration recommends planning meals, checking existing supplies and taking care with bulk purchases of perishable items that could ultimately be wasted.

Here are ten strategies Costco members can use to potentially stretch their budgets further.

1. Look for the mysterious asterisk on price tags

That small star printed on a Costco shelf tag may deserve a closer look.

Costco shoppers have long claimed that an asterisk in the corner of a price sign indicates the product is not expected to be reordered after the remaining inventory sells out.

If the symbol appears next to a household staple, it may be a signal to consider buying it before it vanishes from the warehouse. Even so, members should stock up only when the price and quantity are appropriate for their needs.

Costco has not issued a complete official guide confirming these rumored pricing codes. Shoppers should therefore view the asterisk as a possible indicator, not a guarantee.

2. Decode the price endings to hunt for markdowns

Regular Costco shoppers also pay close attention to the last digits shown on price labels, looking for hints that an item has been marked down.

According to widely shared shopper reports, prices ending in .97 often signal a markdown, while a .99 ending is generally linked with standard pricing.

Online discussions also commonly associate prices ending in .00 or .88 with manager markdowns. These patterns, however, are not an official, company-wide Costco pricing system.

The best approach is to treat these details as clues and use sound judgment. Compare the item with competing products, confirm the package size and purchase it only if it is genuinely useful to your household.

Even a clearance price is not a real bargain if the product ends up sitting unused in the back of a cupboard.

3. Check the Costco Savings offers before you shop

It is easy to assume Costco warehouse prices are already the lowest available. Still, members may be able to find extra savings through the retailer’s official Costco savings offers.

Costco.com features member-only promotions, including deals that apply online and selected offers that can be used in warehouses.

The retailer advises customers to check the validity dates on its savings flyers and look for the relevant online-shopping indicators before placing an order.

A quick look before a big shopping trip could help you time purchases of household essentials, electronics or other items that are already on your list.

Just resist the urge to buy something purely because it is discounted: spending $50 on an unnecessary item is still spending $50.

4. Make the most of Executive membership – but do the math

Costco’s Executive membership comes with an annual two percent reward on qualifying purchases at Costco, Costco.com and Costco Travel, subject to exclusions and a maximum reward of $1,250.

The upgrade costs an additional $65 a year on top of the standard $65 membership fee, according to Costco’s published membership information. That means members need to spend enough on eligible purchases for the reward to justify the extra fee.

For example, spending $3,250 on qualifying purchases would generate a $65 reward at two percent, enough to cover the upgrade cost before considering any other benefits.

Executive members also receive dedicated early shopping hours: currently 9am to 10am Monday through Friday and Sunday, and 9am to 9.30am on Saturday, according to Costco’s published benefits.

Those quieter hours could be especially useful for shoppers who want to avoid the busiest periods, although local arrangements should always be checked.

5. Split bulk buys with friends or family

Buying a giant pack of snacks, cleaning products or pantry staples can make financial sense – but not if you live alone and have nowhere to store them.

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One solution is to shop with a friend, relative or neighbor and divide the purchases afterwards.

This allows smaller households to benefit from bulk pricing without being left with 40 granola bars or a cupboard full of products they will not use for months.

Agree on the split before reaching the checkout, and compare the unit price with what you would pay elsewhere.

The savings are only real if both households actually want the products and the arrangement does not encourage unnecessary spending.

6. Freeze meat in portions before it goes off

Costco’s large packs of meat can be useful for meal planning, but buying more than you can eat in time can quickly wipe out the savings.

A vacuum sealer can help remove air from individual portions before freezing, although ordinary freezer-safe packaging can also work when used properly.

Separate the meat into meal-sized quantities as soon as you get home, label each package with its contents and date, and freeze anything you will not use promptly.

The FDA recommends consulting the FoodKeeper storage guide for advice on keeping food safely, while the US Department of Agriculture stresses that proper storage helps reduce food waste.

Freezing is not a reason to ignore storage guidance but planning portions ahead can make bulk shopping much more practical.

7. Consider a chest freezer – if you will use it

For families who regularly buy frozen food, meat or batch-cooked meals, extra freezer space can make bulk shopping easier to manage.

It can also help households prepare meals in advance, freeze leftovers and keep ingredients on hand for busy evenings.

But a freezer is not automatically a money-saving purchase: factor in the upfront cost, electricity use and available space before buying one.

Keep an inventory of what is inside and rotate older items to the front so forgotten food does not languish at the bottom for months.

The Environmental Protection Agency recommends planning meals and buying quantities that can be used before food spoils, rather than treating every bulk deal as an opportunity to stockpile.

8. Browse Costco Travel before booking a getaway

Costco membership can deliver benefits beyond groceries, with Costco Travel offering vacation packages, cruises, hotels and rental cars to eligible members.

The company’s travel team says its offerings are selected for value and quality, while some packages include extras such as resort credits or other benefits.

Executive members can also earn the two percent reward on qualifying Costco Travel purchases, subject to the program’s terms and exclusions.

Before booking, compare the full package price against booking directly with hotels, airlines or rental-car companies, taking account of taxes, inclusions and cancellation terms.

A package that includes breakfast, transfers or resort credit may offer better overall value than a cheaper headline price elsewhere – but it is worth checking the numbers.

9. Explore Costco Next for deals from third-party brands

Costco Next is another benefit that can be easy to miss if you only browse the warehouse aisles.

The program allows current members to shop directly with selected suppliers through Costco’s website, with participating brands offering products at Costco-related prices.

The important distinction is that purchases are made through the supplier, which handles shipping, customer service and returns.

Costco also states that purchases through Costco Next do not qualify for the Executive membership’s two percent reward.

It is still worth checking the program when shopping for eligible products, but compare prices and read the supplier’s terms before committing.

10. Do not overlook the extras when buying tires

If you need new tires, Costco’s Tire Center may offer value beyond the initial purchase price.

The retailer says its tire installation package includes lifetime maintenance services for the life of the tires, including inflation-pressure checks, balancing, rotations and eligible flat repairs.

Costco also uses nitrogen inflation, and its tire program includes applicable warranties, although terms and availability vary by tire and vehicle.

Those extras could make a difference when comparing quotes, particularly if you plan to keep the tires for several years.

Check the final installed price against other tire retailers and make sure the model, warranty and maintenance terms are comparable before deciding.

WASHINGTON — About one in three Americans believe the government should make another attempt to execute a convicted criminal if the first effort fails, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted after a botched lethal injection in Tennessee.

The four-day survey, completed Monday, found that 39% of respondents favored allowing the prisoner to serve life in prison instead. Another 26% said they were uncertain about the appropriate response.

The results showed limited public support for a second execution attempt involving inmates who survive the first. The question has become especially pressing in Tennessee, where Christa Pike, 50, lived through two lethal injection attempts in Nashville last month.

Pike, who was convicted of murder, was taken unconscious to a hospital in critical condition after two syringes containing the caustic barbiturate pentobarbital failed to kill her. She suffered severe injuries to her arms, making the incident Tennessee’s second failed lethal injection this year, and did not regain consciousness for five days.

Capital punishment has been abolished in most countries worldwide and in 23 US states. States that continue to impose the death penalty have faced growing difficulty securing the drugs used in lethal injections, prompting some officials to explore alternatives such as firing squads.

A narrow majority of Americans — 55% — still support the death penalty for people convicted of the most serious crimes. That figure is down from 63% in a 2017 Reuters/Ipsos poll.

In the latest survey, 31% said they opposed capital punishment, while 13% either declined to answer or said they did not know.

The debate has gained renewed urgency as courts weigh whether states have the legal authority to schedule a second execution after an initial attempt goes wrong.

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The US Supreme Court recently cleared the way for a state to set a new execution date following an unsuccessful first attempt.

Kenneth Smith, who was convicted in a 1988 murder-for-hire case, survived Alabama’s execution attempt in 2022 after prison officials were unable to establish intravenous access.

Alabama ultimately executed Smith on its second attempt in 2024, using nitrogen gas to suffocate him.

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US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently raised the possibility of livestreaming an American execution for the first time. The planned firing-squad execution involved Nidal Hasan, a former US Army major convicted of killing 13 people at the Fort Hood military base in Texas.

President Donald Trump later scrapped the livestream proposal after widespread backlash, including criticism from Republican lawmakers. Officials nevertheless planned to proceed with the execution on December 3.

The poll found that 46% of Americans — including 29% of Democrats and 71% of Republicans — considered it appropriate to execute Hasan by firing squad.

At the same time, 71% of those surveyed said televising or livestreaming executions for the public was inappropriate. Majorities of both Democrats and Republicans shared that view.

A Canadian visitor was convicted Monday of animal cruelty after prosecutors said he hurt a flamingo he removed from its habitat at a well-known Las Vegas Strip resort and carried through the hotel.

According to The Associated Press, jurors deliberated for roughly five hours before finding Mitchell Fairbarn of Ontario guilty of both felony and misdemeanor animal cruelty.

The charges arose from a March 3 incident at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. Authorities said Fairbarn took Peachy, a 27-year-old Chilean flamingo, from the resort’s wildlife enclosure and brought the bird to his hotel room.

Video shown in court captured Fairbarn carrying Peachy through a hotel corridor and holding the bird inside an elevator while it repeatedly squawked.

Prosecutors said Fairbarn knowingly inflicted pain on Peachy, citing footage that appeared to show him pulling the flamingo by its feet. Investigators also found feathers scattered across the hotel floor.

Police became involved after resort security notified authorities that the flamingo had disappeared from its enclosure.

When Peachy was recovered, the bird was missing seven or eight feathers, had blood on its plumage and had sustained wing injuries.

Defense attorney Josh Tomsheck admitted that Fairbarn made reckless choices while intoxicated, but maintained that his client did not mean to harm the animal.

“He should not have done that, should not have gone into the habitat, shouldn’t have touched a bird, shouldn’t have taken Peachy inside,” Tomsheck told the jury. “The truth is, Mitch was drunk. Mitch was stupid. He made bad decisions.”

Peachy has recovered physically, but the flamingo remains noticeably more nervous during veterinary appointments, said Tiffany Moore, medical director of Lone Mountain Animal Hospital, where the bird received treatment.

Fairbarn is under house arrest while awaiting sentencing, which is scheduled for Dec. 1.

The felony conviction carries a potential prison sentence of up to four years, while the misdemeanor offense could add another six months.

Prosecutors also told jurors that Fairbarn had faced death threats after the incident and could not return to Canada when his father died while the case was still pending.

Clark County prosecutor Haley Willming argued that those hardships stemmed from Fairbarn’s own conduct.

“None of that would have happened had he not done what he did, had he not made the choices he made,” Willming said.

The Flamingo Las Vegas, one of the Strip’s oldest resorts, is known for its wildlife habitat, which houses flamingos, turtles, koi fish and other animals.

Actress Christina Applegate says doctors recently determined that she had been misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis, the neurological autoimmune disease.

Applegate, 54, disclosed the news Tuesday on “MeSsY,” the MS-focused podcast she co-hosts with actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler, who has openly discussed her own experience with the disease.

“This may come as great news, but to me, it comes as like, very like I’m back at square one,” Applegate said. She recalled her doctor entering the room and telling her, “Congratulations, you don’t have MS.”

Applegate publicly revealed in 2021 that she had been diagnosed with MS. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the condition causes the immune system to attack cells in the central nervous system.

As recently as March, Applegate told ABC News’ Robin Roberts that she was still struggling to accept the diagnosis. “This is a lifelong disease with no cure. Period,” she said at the time.

On the podcast, she said she continues to experience “every symptom of someone with MS.” Learning that the diagnosis may have been wrong, she added, has raised more questions than it answered.

“If anything, I’ve gotten worse in some ways, and so I’m back at square one that I don’t know what’s going on with me,” Applegate said. She explained that her doctors will conduct an extensive review to determine what has happened since 2021 and why the original diagnosis was made.

“It’s very unnerving and it’s really confusing for me,” she later said.

No single test can currently confirm an MS diagnosis. Doctors instead rely on a broad assessment that may involve neurological examinations, MRI scans and laboratory tests. Symptoms can be unpredictable and may include fatigue, numbness or tingling, weakness, bladder-control problems, dizziness and vertigo.

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MS also has no known cure. Treatment typically involves medication intended to reduce flare-ups and slow the progression of disability.

Applegate said she stepped away from the “MeSsy” podcast to process the misdiagnosis, which she described as sending her into a “great depression.”

“I still have to use wheelchairs when I go to the doctor’s office. I can’t walk from the car to the room. I’m still in this,” she said. “Nothing magical happened when [the doctor] said, ‘You don’t have MS.’ Nothing magical happened.”

Applegate’s last major acting role was in Netflix’s “Dead to Me,” which ended in 2022. She said the change in her diagnosis has also left her feeling disconnected from the community she believed she belonged to.

“It’s weird because I feel like I let everybody down,” Applegate said. She described herself and Sigler as “the poster children for MS” and said the diagnosis had given purpose to much of her advocacy and public work. “And now I don’t have a reason and it’s very unnerving and it’s very confusing for me.”

In a subsequent episode, Applegate and Sigler spoke with Dr. Marwa Kaisey, an associate professor of neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Kaisey said Applegate’s experience is not unusual among people evaluated for MS.

Kaisey said her research found that nearly one in five people diagnosed with MS are misdiagnosed. She linked the high rate to the absence of a definitive diagnostic test and the fact that many MS symptoms are “very common in other things that are not MS.”

Kyle Kennedy, the granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy, has died at her New England home at the age of 42, her family confirmed.

Kennedy died at her home in Westwood, Massachusetts, on September 21, according to an online obituary.

The cause and manner of death of the mother of three have not been disclosed.

Kennedy sustained a serious spinal cord injury in 2020 that left her permanently paralyzed. The circumstances surrounding the injury have never been made public.

Despite the devastating injury, her obituary said Kyle “fought to maintain her dry wit and determination through it all, trying to be the best possible mother.”

Kyle was the daughter of Michael Kennedy and the niece of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. She was also the great-niece of former President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. Her mother is Victoria Denise Gifford, whose father was NFL legend Frank Gifford.

Her death adds to the long list of tragedies involving members of the prominent Kennedy political dynasty, a pattern that has become known publicly as the “Kennedy curse.”

Her passing comes just months after it was revealed that Saoirse Kennedy Hill, the niece of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., died from a fentanyl overdose after her death in 2019.

In her obituary, Kyle Kennedy’s family said she devoted her life to early childhood education. They remembered her as being “blessed with a formidable intellect, dry wit, and beauty.”

She was only 13 when her father, Michael, died tragically in 1997 after skiing into a tree while playing football with other members of the Kennedy family.

Kyle’s daughter Josephine died just days after she was born in 2014. She is survived by her two sons, Conor and Declan, who are 12 and 10.

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Although Kyle spent most of her life away from the spotlight, her connection to one of America’s best-known political families occasionally drew public attention.

In 2012, headlines followed when her wedding to Liam Kerr was famously interrupted by her cousin Conor and his then-girlfriend, pop star Taylor Swift.

Kyle’s spinal cord injury in 2020 left her paralyzed, but the details of what caused the life-changing injury have never been publicly revealed.

In her obituary, Kyle’s family said her recent years confined to a wheelchair were far away from the ‘naturally fast and competitive’ way she lived much of her life.

‘Throughout her life she could frequently be seen outrunning her peers on playgrounds, soccer pitches, and lacrosse fields, while in quieter moments tenaciously pursuing all out victory in trivial pursuit or card games,’ the obituary read.

‘As an adult, she developed a passion for long-distance running and in 2019 completed the Boston Marathon in a driving rainstorm, beating her own father’s time by twenty minutes.’ 

Despite suffering a severe spinal injury in 2020, the cause of which has never been revealed, Kyle’s family said she continued living through ‘paralysis, disability and medical challenges.’

‘The years that followed brought struggles but Kyle fought to maintain her dry wit and determination through it all, trying to be the best possible mother to her sons and caring for her two beloved, ill-behaved Wheaten terriers,’ they wrote.

‘She also began to advocate for people living with disabilities, including testifying at the Massachusetts state house in a hearing on discrimination in disabled health care.’

Two sisters were among five Mattawan High School students killed or critically injured early Sunday when the vehicle they were traveling in crashed into a tree in rural Michigan, authorities and school officials said.

Jordyn Bigham, 15, and another 16-year-old student died at the scene of the Kalamazoo County crash shortly before 3:30 a.m., according to officials and a fundraising campaign created by Bigham’s family.

Jordyn’s sister, 16-year-old Jadisson “Jada” Bigham, was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Two other students, ages 15 and 17, were also hospitalized and listed in critical but stable condition, WOOD-TV reported.

According to the family’s fundraiser, Jada faces a long and challenging recovery that will include extensive medical care, surgeries and continuing treatment.

“Their mother is now carrying a heavy burden that no parent should ever have to face: mourning the loss of one daughter while standing by the hospital bed of another.”

All five students attended Mattawan High School, located in a community of roughly 2,500 people about 60 miles south of Grand Rapids.

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The father of one of the injured students identified her as Liyra Fuller through a separate online fundraiser.

Police believe the car was heading west along West R Avenue when it left the road and slammed into a tree at approximately 3:23 a.m. Sunday. Investigators had not yet determined who was behind the wheel or where the group was going.

Residents gathered Monday evening for a vigil in the Mattawan High School parking lot. Flowers and balloons have also been placed at a makeshift memorial near the crash site.

Randy Fleenor, superintendent of the Mattawan Consolidated School District, told WZZM that the outpouring of support has deeply affected the community.

“Just to know that we’re not alone, that we’re all in this together, and means a great deal to the students here and the staff that know these kids,” Fleenor said.

Fleenor said students are processing the tragedy in different ways, with some choosing not to speak about it immediately before their emotions emerge days or even weeks later.

Mattawan High School serves slightly more than 1,100 students in grades nine through 12, according to U.S. News & World Report.