--- title: Costco-Themed Birthaday Party Ideas description: This five-year old's Costco-themed birthday bash is your new party goal canonical: https://time.com/4723674/birthday-party-costco-ideas/ author: Melissa Locker article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-04-03T20:30:21.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:47:33.981Z og:title: This 5-Year Old's Costco Themed Bash Is Your New Party Goal og:description: The party included sample stations, of course og:url: https://time.com/4723674/birthday-party-costco-ideas/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt922600c336b10d6b/6988bbcd656a3f1c8bbcee8e/170224_costco.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2100 og:image:height: 1181 og:image:alt: 170224_costco og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: This 5-Year Old's Costco Themed Bash Is Your New Party Goal twitter:description: The party included sample stations, of course twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt922600c336b10d6b/6988bbcd656a3f1c8bbcee8e/170224_costco.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Five-Year Old Bargain Enthusiast Actually Had a Costco-Themed Birthday Bash Complete With Free Samples > Sponsored content. 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It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters. #### How do I sign up for The Brief? The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=f67b6979-7f4d-420d-97e4-a41cdde925c9&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Score Great Costco Deals Without Paying the Membership Fee [Watch (HLS stream): Score Great Costco Deals Without Paying the Membership Fee](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/pZteTpO3.m3u8) (1:05)  _Published 2017-02-27. MONEY VIDEO_ by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Apr 3, 2017 8:30 PM UTC  An aisle of products in a Costco store. An aisle of products in a Costco store. Getty Images by [Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/) ## Melissa Locker Apr 3, 2017 8:30 PM UTC Everyone loves Costco (and especially their free samples) but no one in the world loves Costco more than 5-year old Kimber Walker—and no one loves Walker more than her very dedicated mother, Niki. As the ultimate display of both of their loves, Niki transformed her home into a mini-Costco and threw her daughter the [Costco](http://business.time.com/2013/11/20/costco-apologizes-for-labeling-bibles-as-fiction/?iid=sr-link2)\-themed birthday party of her dreams (and yours too, if you think about it). For the celebration, the family home was outfitted with a cash register stocked with dollar bills with Kimber’s face for guests to purchase their bulk grocery products. To entice guests, [sample stations](http://time.com/4045307/costco-nutella-fight/?iid=sr-link4) were set up so guests could try bite-size portions of Kirkland fruity snacks (that’s the Costco house brand) and tortilla chips. There was also [Kirkland](http://business.time.com/2012/04/25/for-the-best-fast-food-bargain-dont-look-to-the-drive-thru/?iid=sr-link10) brand pizza and lemonade, and later guests were treated with Kirkland ice cream and a giant cake (which was probably bought at Costco, too) decorated with the Costco logo, thanking Kimber for her “five years of service.” While it was a birthday party, Kimber was also celebrating the fact that she was crowned Employee of the Month (at least in her version of Costco) with her photo on the table and the title to prove it. The Walkers’ local Costco couldn’t let their biggest fan celebrate alone. According to [the mom’s Facebook](https://www.popsugar.com/moms/5-Year-Old-Throws-Costco-Themed-Birthday-Party-43382809), she got her very own employee badge. No word on whether that translated into extra free samples, though. Head [over to PopSugar](https://www.popsugar.com/moms/5-Year-Old-Throws-Costco-Themed-Birthday-Party-43382809) to check out the photos and get some tips for planning your very own Costco-themed shindig. ## Transcript Do you love bulk item discounts, but hate paying Costco's annual membership fee? Here's how to save as a non- member while shopping at the giant warehouse store. As long as you check out with a member, you're allowed to shop at Costco, just have the clerk process two separate receipts. Your friend of family member will need to pay for both and you can pay them back afterward. You can also get a Costco Cash Card to access their oversized shopping carts and pallets of ketchup. Costco Cash Cards must be purchased by a member who will then load it with your cash. Then you'll be able to shop in the store without a member in tow. You can also score bargains at Costco. com without a membership card. Just make sure the prices work for you because non members are charged an additional 5 % fee. From pizza and hot dogs to churros and frozen yogurt, Costco's food court isn't complex but it's a great way for members to eat cheaply with many items under $ 2. Just call ahead your local store has a food court and that it's accessible to non members. For more Costco tips, visit gobankingrates. com. 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