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Why We Have a Costco Card Even Though There Isn’t a Costco Nearby

October 11, 2022 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

Have a Costco Card Even Though There's No Costco Nearby

Our family has had a Costco membership for over ten years. We love Costco! Thanks to food intolerances, we have a special diet and cannot eat gluten or dairy; we also try to eat organic for most of our produce. Thankfully, Costco has organics at an excellent price, and they also have some gluten-free and dairy-free food that is reasonably priced. However, when we recently moved, we discovered the nearest Costco was 90 minutes away. Even so, we decided to renew our membership, and now we have a Costco card even though there isn’t a Costco nearby.

Why We Renewed Our Membership

You may wonder why we renewed our membership because we’re not going to drive 90 minutes every week or two to stock up on Costco groceries. While that’s true, a Costco membership offers excellent benefits beyond the store.

Car Rentals

We travel a lot for work and pleasure. If we’re traveling far, we like to use a rental car since our vehicles are 18 and 9 years old. The only way we rent cars is through Costco’s travel page because it saves us so much money! For instance, last year, we were able to rent a minivan for 15 days for $1,000, and we had unlimited mileage. Without our Costco card, the minivan would have cost us at least $600 more. So that one car rental alone made our Costco membership card worthwhile.

Electronics

We’re a family of five, so we need a lot of electronics! My husband and I each have laptops for work, and the kids have their own for school. We now buy our laptops exclusively at Costco.

Why? There are several reasons.

Warranty

Have a Costco Card Even Though There Isn’t a Costco Nearby

Costco has a two-year warranty on laptops, and if you use a Costco credit card for the purchase, you’ll get an even longer warranty. The first year the warranty is covered by the manufacturer, but Costco concierge service is an intermediary between you and the manufacturer, ensuring the repair goes smoothly. In the second year, Costco covers the repairs. For example, my son’s Chromebook had a problem, and when we called the concierge service and they couldn’t fix it, they told us to bring it back to a local Costco, and then they replaced it with a new one for free!

Customer Service

We’ve had to use the concierge service with several of our laptops; they are always so helpful and kind. They go out of their way to ensure you’re satisfied and that your device is repaired in a timely manner.

Final Thoughts

The travel discounts and electronics warranties are the primary reasons we have a Costco card, even though there isn’t a Costco nearby. However, I have heard rumors that Costco is building a location 30 minutes from us, which would make having a Costco membership even more advantageous.

Read More

How to Authorize Another Person to Your Costco Membership

Is a Costco Membership Worth It When Living Alone?

Costco Can’t Be Beat for Large Purchases

P.S. if you want a list of which Costco Laptop are the best, consider going over to cleverdude.com, they recommend the Lenovo Legion 5i (for gamers) and the HP 15.6 Touchscreen (for everyone else).

MelissaB
MelissaB

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in New York, where she loves the natural beauty of the area.

www.momsplans.com/

Filed Under: Frugality, Saving Tagged With: Costco, electronics, laptop

3 Little Known Tips for Saving Money on Fuel

October 3, 2022 By Susan Paige Leave a Comment

The rising cost of gas is a stressor for many households across the United States. With gas prices higher than ever before, many drivers are looking for ways to save money at the pump. Here are a few tips and tricks for saving money on gas.

 

  1. Opt for An Alternative Vehicle

Now is a great time to take a step back and evaluate your vehicle’s gas mileage and the average price of fuel, and to determine if this vehicle is worth it for what it costs. Opting for a more fuel-efficient vehicle such as a Get Lowered Cycles bike or an eco-friendly hybrid can save a surprising amount of money on fuel, especially if your current vehicle is an SUV, van, or another large car.

While buying a new vehicle to save money on gas might seem counterproductive due to the high cost of purchasing a new car, trading in your old vehicle for a better, more fuel-efficient alternative can end up saving you thousands of dollars in the long run.

 

  1. Don’t Drive Further For Cheaper Gas

Some people believe that only filling up their vehicles at certain gas stations which boast lower prices is a good way to save money at the pump, but the truth is that doing so will only end up costing more money in the long run as you will ultimately use more gas than necessary driving out of your way to a particular station, resulting in a need to purchase more gas. Although it might not feel like the most efficient way to fuel, just get gas at the nearest station when your car needs it, and you will save more money than you might realize.

 

  1. Pay With Cash

One of the biggest ways to save money on gas is by paying for fuel with cash. Many drivers don’t realize that the advertised lowest price for gas is actually the price if paid with cash, meaning that many drivers are unknowingly paying even more than expected when using a credit or debit card to fill up their tanks. Although paying in cash might not be as convenient as paying with a card right at the pump, it can save you about 10 cents per gallon on average, which really adds up.

Filed Under: Frugality, Saving

How We Used the Proceeds from the Sale of Our House

August 22, 2022 By MelissaB Leave a Comment

 

We Used the Proceeds from the Sale of Our House

This summer has been a crazy one. We found out in May that my husband would likely get a new job 2,200 miles away from our home, and in June, he signed the contract for the new position. We sold our house, bought a new house, and drove four days across the country to settle in our new area. Thanks to the housing shortage due to the pandemic, we made a nice profit on our old home. Here’s how we used the proceeds from the sale of our house.

About Our Old House

Our old house had almost doubled in value from when we bought it eight years ago. When we listed it, the house sold in three days, and we had six offers, two of them for over asking. The couple we picked also waived their right to an inspection, which saved us money.

About Our New House

Our new house is slightly larger than our old house and cost 8% more than our old house sold for. Unfortunately, the property taxes are three times higher. (Yes, property taxes in Arizona, where we moved from, are affordable.)

We wanted to find a smaller house that cost less than our house in Arizona. However, we only had a week to look for a home in our new area. Unfortunately, many of the places on the market were less than desirable, with moldy tubs and awkward layouts. Or, a few were in highly desirable areas and went well over asking; we had no desire to pay that much.

How We Used the Proceeds from the Sale of Our House

I would have liked to have put all of the proceeds from our house into our new home so we would have a smaller monthly payment, which is especially important in this high-interest rate environment. However, both our financial planner and mortgage broker talked us out of this.

Instead, we used the proceeds from the sale of our house this way:

Seventy percent for a 20% down payment on our new house and to cover closing costs.

We Used the Proceeds from the Sale of Our House

Six percent to increase our emergency fund. This allowed us to grow our emergency fund from one month of expenses to 2.5 months.

Four and a half percent for home improvements. While we didn’t pay over asking for this house, we did pay the list price. The house has some issues like mold on the wood window in one of our kids’ bedrooms, which we will need to replace before winter comes. We also need to replace a leaky, cracked sink and a few other items.

Six percent to increase our car replacement fund. We’ll need a new car within the next year or two. (Our current vehicle is 18 years old.) So, we added to this fund.

Two and a half percent to cover moving costs. We had to pay for our hotel rooms and food as we journeyed across the country, as well as other miscellaneous expenses.

The rest is unassigned for now. We’ll see how we need to use the remaining money, whether for college tuition, increasing the emergency fund further, or buying other household needs like a snowblower.

Final Thoughts

We tried to use the proceeds from the sale of our house as responsibly as possible. As a result, we were able to put 20% down on our new house, and we were able to bulk up many budget categories that put us in a more secure financial position.

Read More

3 Lessons I Learned When Looking for a New House

Should You Create Sinking Funds Before You’re Debt Free?

When the More Expensive Option Is the Frugal Choice

MelissaB
MelissaB

Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in New York, where she loves the natural beauty of the area.

www.momsplans.com/

Filed Under: budget, Cars, Education, Emergency Fund, Home, Saving Tagged With: college expenses, emergency fund, home improvements, selling a home, selling a house

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