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Although Costco brings to mind large families and bulk buys, there are plenty of households of one and two out there who save money at Costco. Indeed, Costco can offer a ton of savings opportunities for roommates and couples alike.

Here are a few of the ways you can make a Costco membership work well for your household of two.

1. Get two membership cards

Costco naturally works well for a household with two adults, as you can have two cards per membership, so long as the other person shares your address. This means you and your spouse or roommate can each get your own card.

This is an important step to take if your other household member ever wants to shop on their own, as you can’t share membership cards. If they don’t have a card with their name on it, they won’t be able to get in at most locations, and they definitely can’t check out, not even at the gas pump.

If you’re not ready to add them to your membership and get their own card — adding someone to your Costco account is a big step! — then they can still come to Costco with you as a guest. However, you’ll need to be the one paying at checkout.

2. Add an authorized user to your rewards card

Speaking of paying at checkout, you’re using a rewards credit card, right? Costco only accepts Visa credit cards in store, but you can use Visa or Mastercard online.

Not maximizing your Costco rewards yet? Check out our top cards for Costco to earn up to 3% cash back on your purchases.

If you have a favorite Costco rewards card, you can add your significant other as an authorized user so you can both earn rewards when you shop at Costco. Or, if the card has no annual fee, consider having both you get your own cards so you can get twice the welcome bonuses!

3. Be selective about perishable bulk buys

The whole point of bulk buying is that you’re paying less per-unit, but that only works when you can use all of the product you’re buying. In a two-person household, some perishable items may simply not last long enough for you to get your money’s worth.

For example, two adults who only use milk in their coffee probably won’t use two gallons of it before it spoils. Even relatively long-lived goods, like flour and oil, may go bad before you use it if you’re buying it in supersized quantities for the “bargain.”

Stick to buying non-perishable goods, like paper towels and khaki pants, and perishables you know you’ll go through, such as the famous $5 rotisserie chicken.

Pro tip: Two people can easily get several meals out of one Costco chicken. You can have roast chicken on night one, chicken quesadillas on night two, and pulled chicken sandwiches on night three!

4. Take advantage of Costco services and discounts

Although it’s easy to be blinded by the aisles of bulk, don’t forget that Costco actually has a lot of other services and partner discounts to offer:

• Costco Travel: Find deals on flights, hotels, and rental cars
• Costco Pharmacy: Get low prices on hundreds of prescriptions
• Costco Tire: Low-priced tires and service
• Costco Auto: Car-buying portal with member discounts
• Costco Next: Discount shopping portal with popular brands
• Home services: remodel, cabinets, HVAC, and more
• Home, auto, and pet insurance discounts
• Business payment processing

While discounts and value varies a lot by service, there are some good deals to be found.

5. Use your Costco trips for an affordable date night

Even for smaller families, a trip to Costco is generally a bit of an event; few of us run to Costco for one or two items — it’s a haul. So why not turn those big trips into something you can both enjoy together?

You can start by sharing a snack in the food court (tablecloth and candles are optional, though I think we’ve all seen those social media posts by now!). Then, browse the aisles on a classic Costco “treasure hunt” as you stock up on all the necessities, chatting about your days, your dreams, and the fun things you’re discovering while you shop.

Pro tip: The real key to a successful long-term relationship is to find the joy in all of the time you spend together, even when — or especially when — that time is spent doing mundane tasks, like shopping for vats of olive oil and pallets of toilet paper. (Source: 15 years and counting!)

A Costco built for two?

As plenty of folks have figured out over the years, you don’t need a huge household for a Costco membership to make sense. Between the long-lasting bulk deals and service discounts, there are a lot of ways to save. Just be sure to factor in your specific needs and shopping habits when considering joining with your household of two.

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Motley Fool Money does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from Motley Fool Money is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Brittney Myers has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale, Mastercard, and Visa. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2025 $370 calls on Mastercard and short January 2025 $380 calls on Mastercard. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.