Buying gift cards at Costco is one of its best savings opportunities. While Costco occasionally sells gift cards for restaurants or entertainment venues you might never visit, every so often it throws up a deal that's really hard to resist. If you, like me, pinch pennies for your budget, here are five gift cards you should always buy at Costco.

1. Southwest Airlines

Costco frequently sells $500 Southwest e-gift cards for $449.99. I've even seen Costco selling the same valued gift card for $429.99 -- a savings of $70 just by purchasing it through your warehouse membership.

These gift cards can save you money if Southwest is your preferred airline. But keep in mind you can only redeem these through Southwest, such as on its website, mobile app, or over the phone. If you find a great price on a Southwest flight through a third-party website, you won't be able to use your gift card unless you book it directly through Southwest.

You can purchase one Southwest gift card per transaction, with a total of five gift cards per membership.

2. Instacart

In my opinion, this is one of the best gift card deals you'll find on Costco. Your Costco membership entitles you to two $100 Instacart gift cards at a price of $79.99 a piece. You can save $40 on Instacart groceries just by buying your gift cards through Costco.

The best part is that you can use these gift cards on Costco Same-Day deliveries. So, even if you're not a loyal Instacart user, you could still save up to $40 on your next few Costco deliveries. Of course, buying items on Costco.com is a little more expensive than purchasing them at your local warehouse. So, it's hard to say how much you're actually saving. But if you were already going to order Costco items online, buying these Instacart gift cards could be a smart decision for your budget.

3. Cinemark

Costco members can save $10 at Cinemark when they purchase a $50 eGift Card for $39.99.

The gift cards have no expiration date and can be used at any Cinemark theater in the U.S. for most purchases, including movie tickets, food, and drinks. To use them at the theater, just open the Cinemark app and register the card within the "My Gifts Page" section of your account. These cards can also be used at any Cinemark property, including Tinseltown, Century Theaters, CineArts, Rave, and XD.

Better yet, members can purchase up to 10 Cinemark eGift Cards at this price, for a total savings of about $100.

4. Subway

Costco sells $75 worth of Subway gift cards for $59.99 (package of five e-gift cards; $15 a piece). That's about 20% of value added into your gift cards, just for buying them at Costco. Although the gift cards are virtual, you can upload them to your Subway mobile app, or scan the QR code at checkout.

5. Spafinder

Finally, Costco sells two $50 Spafinder gift cards for an online price of $79.99. You can buy five per Costco membership and use them at thousands of participating spas, wellness centers, and yoga studios. That's $20 in savings just for buying your gift cards on Costco's website.

All in all, if you're already shopping at these places, Costco's gift cards could give your credit card some relief. And if these don't appeal to you, don't give up just yet. Costco sells different gift cards in its warehouse locations than it does online, plus it frequently adds new online gift cards to the mix. Check your warehouse to see if it has a more lucrative offer for you, and keep tabs on its websites for gift card deals you don't want to miss out on.

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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 positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool recommends Southwest Airlines. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

5 Gift Cards You Should Always Buy at Costco was originally published by The Motley Fool