Image source: Getty Images

You might assume a Costco membership would benefit only those with big grocery bills, like large families or organizations. After all, it might be hard to justify buying a 25-pound bag of rice or 44 bags of popcorn if you're only buying for yourself. But while Costco does help families save when they buy their essentials in bulk, it isn't always true that its best savings opportunities are designed for families exclusively. In fact, depending on your grocery budget, single people could easily find as many opportunities to save as a large family.

While it's not for everyone, here are five ways a Costco membership can help a single person save.

1. Virtual therapy

Virtual therapy puts the shrink's couch in your own living space and costs significantly less than visiting a therapist in person. But it's not always cheap, especially since many popular virtual therapist platforms require you to pay monthly subscriptions. For example, Better Help, one of the cheapest options, has subscription plans that cost $65 to $100 per week.

If you're looking for cheap one-off virtual therapy appointments, Costco could help you out. Through its partnership with Sesame, Costco members can book virtual therapy sessions for $79 a piece. The partnership also yields other affordable services, like $29 virtual primary care visits, a $179 weight loss program, and $72 standard lab panel and consultations. All are great options if you don't have health insurance, or are paying more for the same services elsewhere.

2. Save on paper products

You might not eat enough pancakes to justify buying an economy-sized bag of pancake mix (but I don't know, maybe?). But one area where all people can save is paper products, like toilet paper and paper towels. Costco sells paper products in such hefty bulk and at such a low per-unit price, it could fill your closet with a year-long supply of toilet paper for cheap, like it was the pandemic all over again.

But since toilet paper is pretty much always in demand, take a second to compare prices with Costco's competitors, in case you can save more elsewhere. For example, Kirkland Signature 2-ply toilet paper (380 sheets per roll) costs $23.49 online for 30 rolls. Meanwhile, Walmart's Great Value toilet paper also comes with 380 sheets per roll and costs $15.84 for 24 rolls. Better yet, its Scott toilet paper comes with 1,000 sheets per roll and costs $29.87 for 36 rolls. In this instance, Costco doesn't have the best price -- but this might be different for different products.

3. Buy Costco tires

Costco's Tire Center is often one of the cheapest places for Costco members to buy new tires. For one, installation is free. This can cost about $80 at other tire shops, including Sam's Club. Secondly, Costco frequently runs promotions on tires that can make the retail price even cheaper. In fact, it's not rare to find promotions on certain tire brands that shave $100 off a set of four. That's enough to pay for a Costco membership -- and leave some cash in your checking account for a few $1.50 hot dogs.

4. Shop for your pets

You might be single, but no one said you're living alone. If you have animals to feed, Costco's bulk pet food and flea and tick treatments come at a low price, especially in comparison to pet stores, like Petsmart and Petco. It may not have the same variety of pet supplies as other stores, but for basic food, cat litter, and some toys, it can help you cut your pet care budget.

5. Save money on groceries

It's not always true that Costco's bulk-item groceries benefit only families. In fact, as long as you have the storage space -- or a chest freezer -- buying items in bulk can still save you money over the long term.

It depends, of course, on what you buy regularly and whether Costco sells that item. For example, let's say you workout regularly and consume a hefty amount of protein bars and shakes. Costco sells these items, and sometimes at lower prices than what you'd find online. For example, it sells an 18-count box of think! protein bars for $24.49 online ($1.36 per bar). The cheapest alternative I can find is a 30-count box on Amazon for $51.24 ($1.71 per bar). In this case, you're saving more than $0.35 per bar, which adds up to $10.50 per month, if you eat one a day. If you saved $10.50 for six months, guess what -- you just paid for your Costco membership in protein bars. Talk about bulking up, right? (rimshot)

Even if you're not sure buying in bulk could help you save, it doesn't hurt to try out a Costco membership for a year. That's because Costco will reimburse your membership dues if you decide it's not for you. Give it a shot and see if Costco is selling something that could make paying $60 for an annual membership worth it for you.

Top credit card to use at Costco (and everywhere else!)

If you’re shopping with a debit card, you could be missing out on hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year. These versatile credit cards offer huge rewards everywhere, including Costco, and are rated the best cards of 2024 by our experts because they offer hefty sign-up bonuses and outstanding cash rewards. Plus, you’ll save on credit card interest because all of these recommendations include a competitive 0% interest period.

Click here to read our expert recommendations for free!

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.John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Costco Wholesale, and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.