Discounts! Sam's Club summer membership, Restaurant.com
Is a Sam's Club $15 summer membership a good deal?
Shanna first told us about it last week. Sign up for the promotion by June 7. With it, you can enjoy Sam's Club deals for 100 days, which should take you through Labor Day and back-to-school shopping.
At 100 days, the seasonal membership only costs 15 cents per day. Sounds good, huh?
Well, this sounds an awful lot like the 10-weeks-for-$10 special Sam's Club was advertising last October, which we pointed out then ...
... costs more per week or day than an annual $3540 membership, according to Consumer Reports' analysis.
Basically, if you think you'll save at these stores, you may as well buy the whole year's membership --- and be sure that there will be at least $4035 worth of savings.
Not sure whether it's right for you? Take advantage of Sam's Club's free one-day trial (warning: as Anonymous tells us below, you'll pay a 10 percent service charge on all purchases; valid through June 7) or BJ's free summer membership pass through July 6.
Take a notebook and write down the prices of items you usually buy, like milk, bread, detergent, toilet paper, over-the-counter drugs, etc. (here's warehouse store price comparison to get you started). Then take it to your regular grocery store and do the same thing (or just jot down the prices from some recent receipts).
You might find that the savings is not as great as you might imagine, because the warehouses have limited selection. For example, I bought some party trays at Sam's Club a few months ago, only to discover I could have purchased a better veggie platter at Safeway for the exact same price. They didn't have the kind of napkins I wanted, and I didn't have enough cash to invest in the giant package of disposable cups.
Also, you'll have to watch out for impulse purchases of things you might not normally pick up --- 12-pack of croissants, I'm talking to you!
IN OTHER SAVINGS NEWS ... courtesy of Chris (Harbor East): Restaurant.com is extending its 80 percent off sale through May 30. Pay just $2 for a certificate worth $25 with the coupon code SPECIAL. Usual Restaurant.com warnings and caveats apply.
Comments
I keep going back for the 36 pack of resse's peanut butter cups.....
Posted by: Chris (Harbor East) | May 26, 2009 12:43 PM
I work at Sam's and don't want to get in trouble for posting, so I'm staying anonymous, if that's all right with you.
The $35 membership is good only if you own or operate a business. Personal memberships are $40, and you get to have one other person on the account with you.
However, if you aren't sure if you want to be a member, window shopping is free.
That link you gave is not a free trial. Sam's does not offer free memberships because you have to pay to be a member.
Read the fine print again. As a consumer affairs blog, you should be used to that. To use that pass, you have to pay a 10% upcharge on your total bill and you cannot pay with a check.
Anonymous, thanks for pointing out the upcharge. Other sites had warned about it, but I forgot to mention it here. --- lfk
Posted by: Anonymous | May 27, 2009 7:14 AM
And don't forget to go through FatWallet.com when you order your Restaurant.com certificates so you can get a 20% rebate on the purchase. It just makes dining out ridiculously more affordable!
Posted by: Linda | May 27, 2009 10:42 AM
I'm a single gal and I think paying for these store memberships is a total waste! It only works if you're some ridiculoulsly huge family like that TLC reality show monstrosity. I just look for sales and stock up. And it may be a weird Christian-conservative store that doesn't give its employees healthcare, in my humble opinion, but that damn Walmart sure does have cheap prices!
hungrygal, I hear you. Shopping the sales circular sounds like a much better option. --- lfk.
Posted by: hungrygal | May 27, 2009 1:20 PM
It would probably be wise to use your certificates sooner rather than later, too. Hang on to them for too long and you risk having the restaurant go belly up or unable to honor your voucher (especially in this economy).
Should that happen, Restaurant.com says you should call its customer service line and they will try to make things right by you.
Cheers, and happy saving!
Posted by: dan thanh | May 27, 2009 1:54 PM