Money Management

A Costco card can unlock savings on seasonal items like Halloween decor, candy, and snacks. Here are some great Halloween treats that cost less than $25 each. [[{“value”:”

Spooky season is upon us, and Halloween will be here before we know it. If you’re planning to hand out treats to trick-or-treaters in your neighborhood, now is the perfect time to stock up on essentials — and you don’t have to drain your checking account to get into the spirit.

For those with a warehouse club membership, there are many candy and snack deals to shop. While you need a membership card to shop at retailers like this, the savings can be well worth it. Here are a few Costco finds under $30 that will have you trick-or-treat-ready before October.

1. 92-ounce Variety Pack of Kirkland Signature Funhouse Treats: $21.99

You don’t have to purchase name-brand finds this Halloween season. Costco’s Kirkland Signature is known for being a great buy. You can pick up a 92-ounce variety pack of Kirkland Signature Funhouse Treats for $21.99. With so many different candy brands and flavors to choose from in this sweet treat pack, there’s something for everyone.

2. 60-count box of Snyder’s of Hanover Mini Pretzels Bags: $13.99

As you shop for Halloween treats, you may want to consider savory snacks, too. Individually bagged chips and pretzels make great trick-or-treat items. You can buy them in bulk at your local Costco club. One example is a 60-count box of 0.9-ounce bags of Snyder’s of Hanover Mini Pretzels for $13.99. At a price of around $0.23 a bag, that’s a steal of a deal.

3. 30-count Variety Pack of M&M’s, Snickers, and More Candy Bars: $24.79

This deal is for you if you prefer to dish out full-size candy for Halloween. Costco sells a 30-count variety pack of M&M’s, Snickers, and other candy bars for only $31.99. But even better, you can get an additional $7.20 off through Sept. 22, 2024, bringing the total cost down to $24.79. A limit of four boxes per member applies for this deal.

4. 28-count pack of Country Archer Grass-Fed Mini Beef Sticks: $19.99

Want to pass out a healthier snack this fall? Costco sells a 28-count pack of 0.5-ounce Original Country Archer Grass-Fed Mini Beef Sticks for $19.99. These individually wrapped snacks are gluten-free, paleo, and have no sugar or preservatives added.

At about $0.71 apiece, they’re a bit pricier than other snack items, but they may be a good option if you want to provide healthy essentials or if you anticipate minimal trick-or-treaters and have a bigger snack budget this season.

5. 90-count Pack of Individually Wrapped Mott’s Fruit Snacks: $14.99

Individually wrapped fruit snacks are another option to consider as you stock up on seasonal snack items. Costco sells a 90-count box of individually wrapped 0.8-ounce Mott’s Fruit Snack packs, each containing assorted fruit gummies.

You’ll pay $14.99 with your Costco card — or about $0.17 per pack. That’s not a bad price to pay for a sizable stash of fruit snacks for the neighborhood.

Don’t ignore the opportunity to earn rewards

Thanks to the members-only discounts, a Costco membership may help you keep more money in the bank. But don’t miss out on ways to maximize your savings when you shop. Our favorite tip to save at Costco is to pay for your purchases with a credit card that earns rewards.

You can earn cash back when you swipe your credit card at the Costco checkout line and Costco.com. These rewards can be a major win for your wallet. Review our list of the best credit cards for Costco to learn more about our card recommendations.

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Add on the competitive 0% interest period and it’s no wonder we awarded this card Best No Annual Fee Credit Card.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Natasha Gabrielle has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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A high credit score opens the door to better credit cards and loans. Here are some tips you can use to boost yours. [[{“value”:”

People say that grades don’t matter after you graduate school, but there’s one grade that follows you around for the rest of your life: your credit score. It determines which credit cards you’re eligible for, what sort of interest rate you get on loans, and sometimes even whether you land a job or apartment.

Your credit score can be an asset if it’s high or a serious liability if it’s low. If you fall into the latter camp, you could benefit from taking the following five steps to boost your credit score as quickly as possible.

1. Pay your credit card bill twice per month

Your credit utilization ratio is one of the most important factors in determining your credit score. This is the ratio between the amount of credit you have available to you and the amount you use each month. For example, if you have a $10,000 limit and a $3,000 balance, your ratio is 30%. Ideally, you want to keep it at or below 30% to keep your score high.

This poses a problem for those with low credit limits who may want to spend more without hurting their score. One way around this is to pay your bill twice per month — once halfway through the statement cycle and again at the end. The credit bureaus only see your balance at the end of the cycle, so it will make it appear as though you spent less than you did that month. This will lower your credit utilization ratio and boost your credit score.

2. Dispute errors on your credit report

Everyone can check their credit reports for free through AnnualCreditReport.com and you’re encouraged to do so at least once per year. If you notice any accounts you don’t recognize or accounts containing inaccurate information, act quickly. Contact the credit bureaus and the associated financial institutions to get this information corrected.

This will take some time. The credit bureau will have to investigate to verify that what you say is accurate. If it finds that you’re correct, it will update the information on your credit report, which could result in a significant boost to your score.

3. Use a student credit card or secured credit card to build your credit history

If you don’t have a credit history to speak of, you can boost your credit score by opening a student credit card or a secured credit card and making regular, on-time payments. These types of cards often have low credit limits and secured credit cards often require a security deposit. Cash back rewards and other perks aren’t as commonly offered with these cards, but there are some that do.

You don’t have to keep these cards forever. You may be able to upgrade a student card to a traditional rewards credit card after a little while. And you can always close a secured card after a few months or years after you’ve built up your credit score — some even let you “graduate” to an unsecured card. Or you could leave it open as a secured card if it doesn’t have an annual fee.

4. Become an authorized user on someone else’s credit card

If you have a family member with good credit, they might be willing to add you as an authorized user to the account. This gives you the right to charge purchases to the account, though the card owner remains responsible for paying the bill. This will add the credit account to your credit report where its good payment history can help your credit score.

Because of the risk to the account holder, it’s best to set some ground rules beforehand. They may agree to let you be an authorized user but not actually let you make purchases with the card. Or they may require that you pay them for all the purchases you make to the account. Work out these rules ahead of time, to ensure everyone is comfortable with the arrangement.

5. Apply for a new credit card

Applying for a new credit card could help lower your credit utilization ratio if you’re approved. It gives you access to additional credit each month. If your spending remains relatively constant, you’ll be spending a smaller portion of the credit available to you.

This is only a good play if you think you’ll be approved, though. Every time you apply for new credit, lenders do a hard inquiry on your report that drops your score a few points. Generally, you want to limit your credit applications to once every six months to increase your odds of approval.

Patience is still important

The above tips are some of the quickest ways to boost your credit score, but it’s important to realize these aren’t overnight fixes. Your credit score is designed to provide insight into how you manage borrowed money over the long term. If you could raise it by 100 points at the drop of a hat, it wouldn’t be all that useful.

So be prepared for it to take several months to see any noticeable results. Just stick with it and keep reminding yourself of all the benefits that come with a higher credit score.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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