Are You Losing Money on Costco Tire Changes? Check These 6 Points! Know Them to Maximize Your Benefits

The title might make it sound like you shouldn't get your tires changed at Costco, but let me start by saying that, in reality, I'm glad I had them changed! there.

I recently wrote an article about getting my tires changed at Costco. In that article, I promised to write about the downsides in the next post, so I have summarized the downsides—or rather, the points to be aware of—here.

As for the content, the tires themselves and the replacement service were absolutely excellent! However, there were some points to keep in mind regarding going to Costco.

Here is the article about when I had my tires changed at Costco.

I could have written this in the article above, but I thought that first-time readers might get lost in the numbers and not be able to conclude whether it was a loss or a gain, so I separated it. It is definitely not my intention to just increase the number of articles! ...Although, since I update every day, I did think, 'Yay!' just a little bit. Haha.

6 Points to Note When Changing Tires at Costco

By changing my tires at Costco the other day, I was able to save about 20,000 yen compared to the 46,000 yen it would have cost at the dealership.

However, in reality, instead of saving 20,000 yen, it ended up costing 20,000 yen more. This depends on personal circumstances, but I wrote it down because it can be considered a risk.

1) The annual membership fee is about 5,000 yen

Costco is a membership-based supermarket. It costs about 5,000 yen per year.

If you choose Costco just for tire purchase and maintenance, it will cost you 5,000 yen every year, so no matter how much you save 20,000 yen on the purchase and get free maintenance, it doesn't end up being much different financially from having them changed at a dealership.

It is a tire replacement service for those who regularly go to Costco to enjoy shopping.

2) The system is very difficult to understand at first

This is not a big problem for those who are used to going to Costco many times, but if you go for the first time, it is so vast that you don't know where to park your car.

Costco is always crowded, so finding an empty parking space is a struggle. When you go for tire maintenance, it is convenient to be able to reserve a parking space near the pit. However, if you go for the first time, you don't really know where that pit is.

The parking lot was packed with cars, which made it even harder to understand.

However, this is only the first time; from next time on, it seems like I will be able to park the car more smoothly without getting lost.

3) Benefits like free tire replacement are only available while you are a member

Costco's tire replacement service sells 'permanent free' services, such as permanent free tire replacement and maintenance, and permanent free nitrogen filling. There is a condition that 'permanent' only means 'while you are a member.'

1) This is related to the above, but while it is permanently free for those who go to Costco regularly, if you move to an area without a Costco due to a job transfer or similar, and you stop renewing your membership, you will no longer receive any free benefits, so keep that in mind.

4) Gasoline was 18 yen cheaper, but it was extremely crowded

Gasoline is indeed cheap at Costco gas stations! However, it was very crowded. It was like a toll booth on a busy highway.

As a first-timer, I went with the purpose of changing my tires, so I thought I would change the tires first and then fill up later. However, in the end, I couldn't fill up there.

Shopping at Costco is tiring because it's in a crowd. So, by the time I was ready to go home, I didn't have the energy to drive through the traffic again to get slightly cheaper gas.

Next time, it would be better to have more time, line up for gas first, and then do the shopping at Costco.The traffic flow on the premises was also designed with "gas up -> shop" in mind.

5) It takes time to get there

The areas where Costco is located are limited. There are currently 33 stores in the country. Even though they are expanding nationwide, there are still many prefectures without a store.

For me, it's far enough away that I need to drive for an hour and a half, so it's not a place I can just go to every week.

The further away it is, the more of a hassle it becomes to go, and you also consume gas, so keep that in mind whenconsidering a tire change.

6) You will have extra expenses if you don't carefully select the members you go with

This is a personal matter, but I went with someone who said they wanted to go to Costco. Then, they bought an incredible amount of stuff.

They were shopping so much that I wondered if they could really consume all of it. Due to circumstances, I was the one paying. The 20,000 yen I saved this time flew away that day.

And since it's a full-day Costco experience, we ended up eating lunch and dinner out. We went to the Costco in Hamamatsu, so for lunch, we ate at "Sumiyaki Restaurant Sawayaka". This is a popular chain that people even come from other prefectures to visit. If you go without a reservation, you will wait longer than for an attraction at Disneyland, so be sure to make a reservation.

Then, still full, we went to an all-you-can-eat restaurant for dinner. We weren't hungry, but since we brought young people with us, they seemed to have bottomless stomachs. Another 20,000 yen flew away here.

Financially, it was a loss. However, we had fun shopping and made good memories, so it was all good in the end.

I have summarized how to visually check when to change your tires. Please take a look if you like.

Summary: Tire changes at Costco are recommended! Keep the points of caution in mind

Today, I wrote about the points of caution regarding my recent tire change at Costco. Keep the following 6 things in mind.
1. The annual membership fee is about 5,000 yen
2. The system is very difficult to understand at first
3. Benefits like free tire changes are only available while you are a member
4. Gasoline was 18 yen cheaper, but it was extremely crowded
5. It takes time to get there
6. You will have extra expenses if you don't carefully select the members you go with

That said, the membership-based supermarket Costco has a unique atmosphere and you can enjoy shopping while pushing a large cart, so I recommend it to those who like Costco.

#3-line diary: Me falling asleep, me recharging

I've gotten used to waking up at 2 or 3 in the morning every day. This has become normal for me. However, if I do the same on weekends, I get sleepy. I took naps on the weekends sometimes.

I suppose I am suffering from chronic sleep deprivation after all. I try to sleep more, but I wake up anyway, so it can't be helped. Therefore, although my sleep time is short on weekdays, it looks like I will continue a lifestyle where I adjust on the weekends.

I know that's not good for my health! But my eyes just pop open...

Thank you for reading until the end today as well.