You step into the massive Costco warehouse, your membership card clutched tightly in your hand, and immediately, the chaos of the aisles engulfs you. A bustling sea of carts, towering pallets, and crowds of people moving in every direction. As you navigate the maze of bulk goods, you make your first choice: the regular shopping cart.
The employees notice it instantly. It’s a clear sign—you’re a first-timer, unfamiliar with how Costco operates. And in that instant, you’re unknowingly setting yourself up to spend more than you planned. What happens next? The consequences unfold quickly, and they’re all too familiar to the seasoned members around you.
1. Reaching for the Regular Shopping Cart
When you’re a first-timer, grabbing the regular shopping cart feels comfortable—it’s what you’re used to at your neighborhood grocery store. But Costco staff instantly notice: it’s a sign you don’t yet understand bulk shopping. Instead of picking up individual items, like rolls of paper towels, you’re looking at buying them in bulk—36 at once.
Escalate the Stakes
The regular cart fills up quickly, and soon you’re balancing a 35-pack of toilet paper, while a 12-pack of paper towels threatens to topple over. An employee might suggest switching to a flatbed, but by now, they’ve already pegged you as a first-time shopper. The flatbed isn’t about buying more; it’s about making room for bulk purchases.
2. Photographing Price Tags Like a Research Project
You’re standing in the olive oil aisle with your phone out, calculator running, and a notepad filled with calculations comparing unit prices.
While this is a good tactic to stretch your budget, it’s a dead giveaway to employees that you’re a first-timer. Experienced Costco shoppers have already done this mental math long ago.
Heighten Emotional Weight
Employees see your price-checking as a sign of financial anxiety. They know something you haven’t learned yet: Costco’s best deals are predictable. That 20 minutes spent comparing prices could be saved with a few more trips, as the learning curve in bulk shopping becomes easier over time. Your obsession with saving dollars may end up costing you more.
3. Avoiding Kirkland Brand Products
A mistake that baffles Costco employees is when first-timers avoid Kirkland Signature products, assuming that name brands must be superior.
In traditional grocery stores, store brands often fall short, but Costco’s Kirkland operates quite differently.
The Hidden Truth
Kirkland products are made by the same suppliers as their name-brand counterparts. That $18 name-brand organic quinoa sitting next to Kirkland’s $11 version? They’re identical.
The only difference is packaging, which means a 39% price difference you’re missing out on. This misunderstanding costs first-time shoppers hundreds of dollars annually.
4. Shopping on Saturday Afternoon
Saturday afternoons at Costco are chaos. The parking lot is packed, the aisles are jammed with carts, and sample stations are crowded.
New members, especially those on a budget, have that wide-eyed, overwhelmed expression that employees instantly recognize. Weekends seem like the only time available for shopping, but it’s actually the worst time to go.
Zoom Out to Broader Consequences
But seasoned Costco shoppers know the rhythm: weekday mornings or Tuesday evenings are the sweet spots. Avoiding weekend crowds isn’t just about comfort—it’s about making better decisions.
When you’re stressed, you make impulsive buys, and miss real deals. Employees watch as shoppers rush through aisles, grabbing items without comparison, just trying to get out.
5. Loading Up on Bulk Perishables You Can’t Possibly Consume
The produce section at Costco tempts even the most cautious shopper. Three pounds of organic spinach for less than you’d pay for a tiny package elsewhere.
Five pounds of strawberries. A bag of avocados that could feed a family. It feels like a great deal—but that’s only part of the story.
Reveal the Waste
But here’s the reality check: much of it goes bad before you can use it. Employees see this regularly—first-timers buying more fresh produce than they can consume. This leads to a lot of wasted money. For those new to Costco, wasting even 50% of your $6-12 weekly produce adds up to hundreds of dollars lost annually.
6. Awkwardly Avoiding the Free Sample Stations
Every weekend, Costco is filled with sample stations—tiny cups of juice, frozen dumplings, artisan cheeses.
But first-timers on a tight budget might avoid them, feeling like taking free food makes them appear “cheap” or “lesser.” They avoid samples, thinking it might somehow reveal their financial situation.
Cultural Reframe
Costco employees don’t see it that way at all. Those samples are a marketing tool designed to help customers try new products, and they’re especially useful for budget-conscious shoppers.
There’s no shame in taking a sample—regular Costco shoppers do it all the time. They understand the samples help avoid expensive bulk purchases of items that don’t live up to expectations.
7. Breezing Past the Exit Receipt Checker
Some new members try to skip past the exit receipt checker, thinking it’s just an optional step.
But employees know that the receipt check isn’t just about security—it’s about ensuring you didn’t miss something at checkout.
Reveal the Hidden Benefit
The receipt checker catches scanning errors, like duplicate charges. One employee spotted a $15 overcharge for a second case of sparkling water—an amount the shopper hadn’t even noticed.
The receipt check system is there to protect you from costly mistakes, not just slow you down.
8. Escalate with Spatial Awareness
Inside Costco, spatial awareness can be hard to come by. New members often stop in the middle of aisles while examining their carts, causing congestion and frustrations. Employees notice this right away.
Sometimes it’s not your fault, especially considering how large some of these locations can be. Other times, you might be utterly oblivious to your surroundings, which can still disrupt the flow of other shoppers.
Reveal Why This Matters
Blocking walkways isn’t just rude—it’s inefficient. It causes traffic jams, slows everyone down, and increases the likelihood of accidents. Experienced shoppers keep their carts moving and make way for others.
First-timers, on the other hand, often stand frozen, unaware that they’ve become obstacles in the store’s frantic flow.
9. Walking In Without a Shopping List or Budget
Going into Costco without a shopping list is risky—but doing so without a budget makes it a recipe for disaster.
Costco’s layout encourages you to wander, and before you know it, you’ve picked up a dozen cans of tomato sauce you didn’t need.
Peak Impact Before Conclusion
If you’re a casual browser, you’ll spend far more than planned. Employees watch as first-timers throw items into their carts, overwhelmed by the weekend rush.
Without a plan, you’ll end up making hasty, unthoughtful purchases. Experienced Costco shoppers, however, know what they need before entering.
The Learning Curve No One Warns You About
It takes time to master Costco shopping. The first year will be filled with mistakes—wasting money on bulk perishables, paying premium prices for name brands, and shopping during chaotic hours.
But over time, you’ll figure it out. The real cost is not the membership fee; it’s the hundreds you waste as you learn the system. Fortunately, Costco employees are rooting for you—they’ve all been through the same experience.
Sources:
“7 things lower-middle-class people do at Costco that quietly tell employees they’re first-time members.” VegOut Magazine, 19 November 2025.
“Smart shopping or a trap: the Costco dilemma.” The Brock Press, 23 October 2025.
“Costco Q1 2026 slides: Digital sales surge 20.5% as membership income jumps 14%.” Investing.com, 11 December 2025.
“Costco tops Wall Street’s sales and revenue expectations.” CNBC, 11 December 2025.