Here's How To Take Advantage Of Costco's Bulk Flower Deal

Nothing sets the mood for a memorable event at home like fresh flowers. From backyard weddings to indoor dinner parties, colorful blooms bring natural beauty and joy to even the simplest setups. And what could be better than growing your own garden bouquets, or is that just wishful thinking? If homegrown floral arrangements are more of a fantasy than reality, you may consider taking advantage of Costco's bulk flower deal. The warehouse club regularly offers a variety of gorgeous blossoms, including roses and tulips, for less than $1 per stem when purchased in-store or online.

Costco — home of the famous hot dog and soda mega steal combo — features equally amazing deals on fresh flowers. However, buying in bulk is the key to scoring significant savings on beguiling blooms at the warehouse club. Similar to the near-bottomless containers of sour cream, cheese puffs, and peanut butter filling its aisles, Costco sells massive floral arrangements that can be disassembled at home and refashioned into smaller verdant displays on their own, or you can combine the store's blossoms with flowers from your own yard to make larger customized presentations. The upside is that at Costco, "bulk" is not exclusively defined as multiple bouquets; rather, you can find 100 of the same type of flower packaged together as a bulk set and pay as low as 60 cents per stem.

Like most deals, Costco's bulk flower bargain comes with some caveats. For starters, members snag bigger savings on bulk blooms than nonmembers. The cheapest way to become a Costco member is to enroll in the Gold Star Membership program, which will set you back $60 annually. It's a basic membership but allows you access to the lowest prices on goods, including bulk flowers, at Costco locations around the globe and online. However, to keep costs down, most of Costco's bulk blooms do not include a vase. Instead, the blossoms are packaged in simple cellophane flower sleeves and may not always have flower food packets.

Fortunately, you can still take advantage of Costco's bulk flower deal as a nonmember. One way is to shop online; however, doing so requires a 5% non-member surcharge on your purchase. That means if Costco is charging its members $49.99 for a bouquet of 50 red roses, you would have to pay $52.49 as a nonmember. Another option is to shop in-store and take advantage of Costco's guest policy. Basically, you need to find a friend or family member with a membership and ask if you can tag along on the shopping trip. The catch is that Costco only allows members to pay for merchandise, so you'll have to work out a payback plan with your pal after you snag your favorite flowers.

When saving money on Costco bulk flowers, trying to shop in person has its advantages. First, floral selection — including color and species — is often greater in-store than online, and being there to inspect every bud to ensure it meets your standards guarantees you are getting the most bang for your buck. Moreover, depending on store location, prices on bulk blossoms may be up to 20% lower than online. In addition, many Costco stores offer holiday savings on bulk flowers leading up to Mother's Day and Valentine's Day. Finally, shopping in-person is the only way to snag super savings on bulk roses. Costco sells 2-dozen roses for $18.99, or roughly 79 cents per stem. If you purchase in person. The same deal does not exist online.

Still, there are plenty of significant floral bargains on Costco's website, from 100 stems of baby's breath for $74.99 to 60 stems of Gerberas for $69.99 to 100 stems of carnations for $59.99. If you purchase flowers from Costco electronically, planning is the key to saving a pretty penny. This is true for members and nonmembers. Bulk flower orders placed on Costco's website are only delivered Tuesday through Friday. For members, most bulk floral orders qualify for two-day delivery, while nonmembers will have to wait three to five days. Additionally, free delivery is available on orders totaling $75 or more.