Even if you prefer to buy food and gas somewhere other than Costco, a membership to the warehouse club could still be worth it. That’s because Costco -- with its $65 Gold Star Membership or $130 Executive Membership -- has a great variety of everyday household products that not only last a long time, but are often very well priced for what you get.

The warehouse has quietly improved the membership’s value over the past year.

Some Costco employees have also reportedly been checking customers' membership history to see how often they make returns

Using my Costco membership to buy a car was easy, and I saved thousands of dollars. Here's how the Costco Auto Program works and the perks it offers.

Some Costco members are now able to take advantage of a new key perk. A new rewards program was launched for Costco members who applied and obtained a Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi. The credit card is designed exclusively for Costco members.

Costco is tightening the way shoppers get in and out of its warehouses, and the change is more than a small tweak at the door. The retailer is leaning hard into membership verification and receipt checks as it tries to clamp down on theft and card sharing while keeping its low-price model intact.

Why Costco’s Fair Value Estimate Just Got a Small Upgrade Costco Wholesale’s fair value estimate has been adjusted slightly higher to about US$1,047.90 from roughly US$1,030.19, reflecting updated assumptions around how its membership model could hold up as consumer habits shift.