NORFOLK, Va. — When you think of wholesale clubs like Costco or Sam's Club, you probably first think about buying things in bulk, but there are a lot of “hidden” benefits you may not know about.
The perks include everything from booking travel to seeing a trained optician—shoppers across the board are looking for a deal.
“I think that the wholesale clubs are very smart in adding in [and] layering in those additional benefits to incentivize you to utilize them even more,” says Smart Shopper Trae Bodge.
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I wanted to know what other services are available with memberships, so I called Bodge, who has looked into saving money at wholesale clubs.
She says shopping is the first piece of the puzzle, and then members can get discounts on insurance, gas, hearing aid services, and travel.
“Ask yourself, 'Am I going to get my eyes checked there every year or am I going to book a cruise with them every year?' Because those extra benefits can really add up,” she says.
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There are different health insurance programs for small businesses and individuals, whether they are uninsured, have high-deductible plans, or prefer a lower price option.
When it comes to vehicles, customers can also be eligible for roadside assistance and auto-buying programs where they can buy, trade in, or sell their cars.
There are also club-specific credit cards. Bodge says you should only take advantage of those if you have a healthy relationship with spending.
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“If you're struggling with credit card debt, it's not worth getting an extra credit card just to earn those points because you negate them when you carry balances forward,” she says. “While I do love wholesale clubs, the concern for me sometimes is that people buy things they don't need first of all, or buy too much of something.”
As shopper Ralph Posey says, see what works for your budget and what is being offered in 2025.
