Forget the traditional Advent calendars with paper flaps and hide-and-seek pictures — interactive Advent calendars are a thing now, and Costco is (not surprisingly) one of the cheapest places to buy them.
But like other hot deals at Costco, their Advent calendars tend to sell out FAST. And their calendars never really linger on shelves long enough to ever go on sale.
To help you decide if forking over $99.99 for a Costco wine Advent calendar is worth it this year, I crunched the numbers to figure out how much you’re paying per surprise with Costco’s top Advent calendars for 2024.
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Expect to pay full price for Costco Advent calendars, as they rarely go on sale.
Just like most of the Costco Christmas decor, Advent calendars are a seasonal item that won’t get restocked. And the Advent calendars usually sell out pretty quickly, making sale prices pretty much non-existent.
Definitely shop in store for the lowest prices.
Prices are always cheaper in store compared to shopping Costco online, where shipping and handling gets factored into the prices.
By late November or early December, Costco usually marks down a few Advent calendars online by 14% to 23%, but the selection is pretty slim by then.
The Elf Holiday Movie Advent calendar is cheapest at Costco — as low as $0.42 per figurine (if you find it on clearance).
Costco sells the Elf Advent Calendar for as low as $9.97 in store, which comes out to $0.42 per figurine since there are 24 surprises inside. As of mid-November, it's priced at $9.99 on Costco.com.
They also sell a similar calendar themed after A Christmas Story for the same price.
Pay the next-lowest cost per surprise with Costco's chocolate Advent calendars ($0.57 - $0.68 per piece).
The Costco Advent calendar with the cheapest price per "surprise" at regular price is the Lindt Santa Advent Calendar, for $18.99 in-store (or $21.99 online). You get 28 chocolates in the 10.2-ounce box, so you’re paying as low as $0.68 per chocolate.
For comparison, you'd pay $24.99 (plus $9.99 shipping) if you ordered the same calendar from LindtUSA.com. And a similar Lindt Advent calendar at Walmart costs $9.97, but at 4.5 ounces, it's less than half the size of the Costco version.
A runner-up for lowest price per surprise is the Kinder Countdown Calendar, which we found for $19.49 in store. It has 34 chocolates inside and comes out to $0.57 per piece.
KCL TIP: If you want to pay less per piece and are okay with store-brand chocolate, go with an Aldi Advent calendar, if you can find one in stock. They have a calendar containing 24 chocolates for just $1.29, or $0.05 per piece.
Costco has the lowest price for the Bluey Advent calendar book bundle — $0.78 per mini book.
Okay, so this is NOT the Bluey Advent calendar that's filled with toys, but this one is filled with 24 mini stories, including a special story for Christmas Eve. Each story is geared toward ages 4 to 8.
I found the Bluey Advent Calendar Book Bundle, $18.79, in stock at a Costco store near me (in Florida), and the price comes out to $0.78 per mini book. The same exact bundle sells for $21.78 on Amazon or $19.88 at Sam's Club, so the Costco price wins.
KCL TIP: If you're looking for the Bluey Advent calendar filled with toys, definitely check out the Aldi Advent Calendar selection this year. They'll have one for $19.99 ($0.83 per toy) starting in November.
Costco's mini version of the Bonne Maman Advent calendar is a fan favorite — $1.33 per jam.
At Costco, they sell a box of 12 limited-edition mini jars of Bonne Maman spreads for $15.99, which comes out to $1.33 per jar. This deal is only available in stores.
Sam's Club typically sells the same calendar in stores for about $0.01 less, though we haven't seen it restocked for 2024 just yet.
KCL TIP: For more total days of jam, go with the Bonne Maman 24-count calendar on Amazon for $44.99.
Lego Advent calendars are a better deal at Costco compared to Amazon — just $1.46 per toy.
My local Costco store had Lego Advent calendars ($34.99) in stock as early as September this year, and the price comes out to $1.46 per toy. You can choose from Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars — all with 24 days of gifts.
The Costco price is about $1 cheaper than Amazon ($35.99), but I saw even lower prices on similar Lego calendars at Target (as low as $28.79).
Their dog Advent calendars are a Costco exclusive — just $1.67 per toy.
You won't find the Bark Advent Calendar for Dogs ($39.99 in store) anywhere other than Costco, per their recent press release. You'll pay the lowest price if you shop in store at Costco, but it's also sold online for $49.99.
Each Bark Advent calendar includes eight dog toys and 16 bags of dog treats, so you’re essentially paying as low as $1.66 per item. Not bad when you consider the regular price for dog toys at Costco is more like $6 – $10.
As long as inventory lasts, you might get a better deal if you wait until the first week of November. For example, in 2023, this dog Advent calendar went on sale on Nov. 4 for $10 off in store.
The Costco beer Advent calendar got replaced with a German-themed option — you'll pay $2.50 per beer.
New for 2024, Costco sells a Biergarten Collection box for $59.99, with 24 traditional German beers ($2.50 per beer). The Costco beer Advent calendar is exclusive to Costco, as noted on the supplier's website.
This is a slightly better deal than the 2023 Costco beer Advent calendar, as the Brewer's Beer Calendar was priced at $69.99 for 24 beers (around $2.92 per beer).
Costco added a new craft cocktail Advent calendar to the 2024 lineup — $3.33 per ready-made drink.
We first spotted the Twelve Nights of Cocktails ($39.99) Advent calendar in stores beginning in late October. According to the supplier's website, it's a Costco exclusive.
Each kit includes 12 ready-to-drink cocktails packaged in mini aluminum cans, with varieties like Mai Tai, Margarita, Maple Old Fashioned, and more.
Prepare for some sticker shock with the Costco wine Advent calendar, but it's still $4.17 per half-bottle.
Depending on your location, you might not see the popular Costco wine Advent calendar in stock until late October or early November. With a new look for 2024, the Take a Wine Adventure calendar ($99.99) is still the same price as last year for 24 187-mL bottles. That's the equivalent of paying $4.17 per half-bottle.
This calendar isn't sold on Costco.com, but you can find a similar option at Total Wine for $79.99. You can also get a sneak peek at all of the varieties included in the box if you visit the supplier's website.
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