There's a reason 73 million consumers are willing to shell out money for a Costco membership. While you'll pay $60 for a basic membership or $120 for an Executive membership that offers cash back on your purchases, you might more than make up for those fees in the form of savings during the year.

You'll often hear that the best way to save money at Costco is to take advantage of its bulk offerings. But here's the real trick to actually saving money in the course of your Costco shopping.

Make sure not a drop of what you buy goes to waste

If you buy strawberries in bulk at Costco for $0.80 less per pound than what your supermarket charges, you're saving money in theory -- provided you actually eat every single strawberry in that carton before it goes bad. But often, Costco shoppers don't do that. They buy items in bulk but end up tossing out a portion of their haul, thereby negating their savings to at least some degree.

If that's something you've been known to do with Costco food purchases, then you're really not maximizing your savings the way you should be. So it pays to employ some tactics to help cut down on or, ideally, eliminate your food waste.

How to avoid wasting food from Costco

If you get good use out of your Costco grocery purchases, you can potentially enjoy a huge amount of savings. So how do you avoid having items go to waste? Here are some ways to start.

1. Plan meals ahead of time

If you're buying meat like chicken, beef, or fish at Costco, you should know that they have a very limited shelf life. Make sure you've mapped out your meals for the week so you're able to use up your purchases.

And remember, you can always get creative. If you're buying chicken thighs for a pasta dish for dinner, you can use leftovers to make chicken salad sandwiches for lunch.

2. Look at expiration dates

When you're buying a large quantity of a single item, it's really important to check the expiration or best-by date. This holds true even for non-perishables.

In fact, the concept of items being non-perishable is really a bit bogus, because while eating cereal or crackers a year after the sell-by date may not make you sick, you might have a truly bad experience due to the staleness factor. So always dig around Costco's shelves before adding a given item to your cart. And also, don't be shy about asking a store employee if there's fresher stock you can buy that just hasn't hit the shelves yet.

3. Return unneeded food items

Did you know that Costco allows you to return food -- even perishable items? It's true.

Of course, one thing you shouldn't do is buy something like ground beef, keep it in your fridge past its expiration date, and then attempt to take it back. That may not fly. But if you buy two large bags of salad for an upcoming barbecue and find out it's canceled a few hours after the fact, you may have no problem returning those unopened bags the next day.

4. Look at freezing part of your haul

The perishable items you buy at Costco don't always have to be consumed in short order. If you're strategic about making freezer space ahead of those purchases, you can enjoy the savings without the waste.

For example, a box of Costco's 12 jumbo muffins is a great deal, but one can only eat so many muffins in a three- or four-day span. But since those muffins tend to freeze well, you can store part of your haul away for the future.

5. Split bulk items with neighbors

Maybe you don't need a two-pack of Costco sandwich bread, but rather, a single loaf. If the price at Costco is appealing, see if your neighbor wants to split a two-pack with you. That way, you can each enjoy savings without having to waste the portion of that pack you wouldn't normally need.

There are multiple strategies you can employ to save money at Costco. But making sure none of your food purchases go to waste is a great way to put extra cash in your pocket and enjoy your membership to the fullest.

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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.Maurie Backman 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.

Here's the Single Best Way to Save Money at Costco was originally published by The Motley Fool