How to Get Reddit Alerts for Costco Deals and Hidden Markdowns

The fastest way to catch Costco deals from Reddit is to monitor r/Costco and r/CostcoDeals with a notification app like Watch My Subs. Subscribe to those subreddits, add keywords like "markdown", "97 cents", or specific item names you're hunting, and you'll get a push notification within seconds of someone posting a find — usually before the deal sells out at your warehouse.

Why Reddit beats the Costco app for finding deals

Costco's own app is great for digital coupons, but it doesn't tell you about the things that actually move fast: regional markdowns, asterisk-tag clearance, manager's specials, and one-off in-warehouse finds. Those get spotted by members, posted to Reddit, and either disappear in an hour or spread nationwide once enough people confirm the price.

If you've ever scrolled r/Costco and thought "dang, wish I'd seen this two hours ago" — that's the gap real-time alerts close. The trick is that you don't want every post in the subreddit (there are hundreds a day). You want the specific kinds of posts that matter to you.

The Costco-related subreddits worth watching

A few are worth subscribing to depending on what you're hunting:

r/Costco — the main hub, mix of markdowns, hauls, and discussion
r/CostcoDeals — focused specifically on price drops and current sales
r/CostcoCanada — for Canadian pricing and exclusive items
r/Costco_Alerts — smaller community focused on instant deal posts
r/frugal and r/Costco_NoCostcoAtMyTown — occasional Costco-related crossover posts

You can monitor all of them at once. The volume gets manageable as soon as you add keyword filters.

Keywords that work for Costco deals

The Costco deal community has its own vocabulary, and these are the words that consistently show up in real markdown posts:

"asterisk" or "*" — the asterisk price tag means an item is being phased out (don't expect a restock)
"markdown" — a price reduction, often regional
"clearance" — usually deeper than a markdown
"97" — prices ending in .97 are markdowns
"88" — prices ending in .88 are manager-specific clearance
"00" — prices ending in .00 mean a manufacturer rebate is coming through
"manager's special" — heavy discount, usually in food or seasonal sections
"hidden" — members tag posts with "hidden gem" or "hidden deal" for finds without an obvious in-warehouse sign

If you're hunting a specific category, also add the brand or item name — "Kirkland", "MacBook", "Dyson", "Lego", "outdoor furniture", "patio set", whatever you're tracking.

A practical setup

In Watch My Subs, here's a setup that works well for most people:

Add r/Costco and r/CostcoDeals as the subreddits
Set keyword filters for the price-ending codes (97, 88, 00) and "markdown"
Add specific item keywords for whatever you're actively shopping for
Set the check interval to 30 seconds so you catch posts before the warehouse-specific deal spreads

You'll get a notification on your iPhone the moment a matching post hits Reddit, with a tap-through to the full thread so you can see the price tag photo and confirm before driving over.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Costco markdowns appear on Reddit before they hit the Costco app?

Yes, almost always. Markdowns are spotted in-warehouse by members and posted to Reddit immediately. The Costco app and website typically don't reflect regional markdowns at all, so Reddit is often the only public source.

Are r/Costco deals available at every warehouse?

Not always. Many markdowns are regional or even single-warehouse, especially clearance items with .97 or .88 endings. Always check the post for location info, and call your local warehouse to confirm before driving over.

What's the difference between .97 and .88 prices at Costco?

Prices ending in .97 are general markdowns, often nationwide. Prices ending in .88 are deeper, manager-driven clearance, usually limited to a single warehouse. Both are good — .88 is rarer and tends to disappear fastest, which is exactly why instant alerts matter.