I’ve been a Costco member for about 18 years now. And while I haven’t always shopped at the store every week, these days that’s how often I have to go to Costco to replenish our stock of groceries, cleaning supplies, paper towels and more.

Because I spend a lot of time at Costco, I tend to observe my fair share of shoppers. And I’ve noticed that my fellow Costco fans tend to make these mistakes that you should try to avoid.

1. Stock up on products at the front of the store

When you walk into Costco, you’re instantly bombarded by a selection of discounted products ranging from sunscreen to blankets to cat food.

It’s easy to be tempted by these sale items. And having a nice empty basket makes it easy to throw these items in on a whim.

But stocking up on products at the front of the store might be a bad thing if you’re trying to stick to a budget. Don’t start pulling items off the shelves at the front of the store like I often see people do. Instead, take your tour step by step first and tackle your shopping list. So if you are always If you are tempted by these items in the window, go back and get them.

But chances are, by the time your cart is full and you’ve made your rounds through the aisles, you’ll be too tired to go back to the front of the store, and you’ll realize you probably shouldn’t be. spend the extra money. And it could be the difference between your Costco run resulting in additional credit card debt or not.

2. Go to the food court on your way out

At my local Costco, the food court is located right behind the registers. And my understanding is that this setup is common in other stores as well.

For this reason, I understand why people might think it makes sense to head to the food court after they’ve finished shopping. But I think it’s a much better idea to go to the food court Before you do your shopping.

If you browse the aisles of Costco on an empty stomach, you may be more likely to make impulsive food purchases. The result? Additional expenses. If you stock up at the food court and SO go shopping, hunger won’t hinder your decisions.

Additionally, many people buy perishable products at Costco. And it perplexes me to see people with milk and cheese in their carts sitting around the food court enjoying their hot dog combos while their dairy products remain unrefrigerated.

When you buy perishable goods in bulk, you run the risk of them spoiling. You don’t want to accumulate more by leaving them in your cart for an extra 20 minutes while you eat food from the Costco food court.

3. Bring their kids and make it a family outing

I completely understand that not everyone has access to child care. If you’re a single parent or your spouse works weekends, you may have no choice but to bring your kids when you shop at Costco.

But I can’t tell you how many times I see couples walking their young children through the store. And I can’t help but wonder why they do this to themselves.

My kids are a bit older, so taking them shopping isn’t a problem (not that they’re very eager to come). But when they were younger, it was a nightmare, because they wanted to buy everything on the supermarket shelves.

When you’re shopping at a regular supermarket with your kids and you give in and buy them some of the snacks they start begging for, you buy a $3 bag of chips here or a $4 box of cookies there. When your kids beg for snacks at Costco, you buy a mega-sized version of whatever it is. And chances are you’ll spend $8 or $12 instead of just $3 or $4. So instead of saving money at Costco, you might end up seriously blowing your budget.

For this reason, if you have the opportunity to go to Costco without your kids, you should take it.

It’s easy to see why so many Costco shoppers fall victim to the above mistakes. But now that they’re on your radar, you can take steps to avoid them. Also try to avoid one last mistake people make all the time at Costco: using the wrong credit card for purchases. Click here for a list of the best credit cards for Costco so you can maximize your rewards and get the most out of every shopping session.