How to try a warehouse club for less money

The winter holidays are coming. If you’re thinking of trying a warehouse club to cut costs, Sam’s Club is offering a $10 e-gift card with the purchase of a $45 annual membership at Samsclub.com or print the offer there to take to the membership desk at a local warehouse.

First, though, check Groupon.com or LivingSocial.com to see if you can pay even less. Last I looked, both offered a one-year Sam’s Club membership with a $10 gift card for $30. Or you might opt for a free one-day pass to try out the warehouse, which you can print at bit.ly/trysams. The downside of the free pass is you’ll pay a 10 percent service fee on whatever you buy.

Consumer Reports’ readers give high marks to both Sam’s Club and Costco. “Costco gets the edge, but both stores are worth their membership fees,” according to a Consumer Reports video that provides a headto-head comparison of the two. Costco doesn’t seem to offer a discounted or free membership. However, you could ask a Costco member — maybe a friend or relative — to buy a Costco Cash Card for you to use on your own at a local Costco.

Meanwhile, BJ’s Wholesale Club is the only warehouse club that lets you use manufacturer’s coupons or stack coupons. Its regular membership costs $50 a year, but you can go to the club’s member services desk and ask for a free one-day shopping pass. The downside is you’ll pay “a 20 percent non-member surcharge over and above BJ’s listed prices on all merchandise except alcohol,” according to BJs.com. However, if you buy a BJ’s membership within a week of using the pass, your nonmember surcharge will be applied toward the membership fee.

More Halloween deals: Children 13 and under in costume get a free kid’s meal on Halloween at participating Joe’s Crab Shack locations, so long as one adult entree is purchased and you present the flyer found at joescrabshack.com/halloween. It’s good for up to three children per party.

At Chipotle, people of any age who show up in costume from 3 p.m. onward on Halloween can pay $3 for a burrito, salad, bowl or order of tacos (limit one per person). Costumes don’t need to be elaborate – you could “just grab some aluminum foil and arrive as a burrito,” a spokesman said in a press release. However, Chipotle staff will decide “whether a ‘costume’ qualifies for the offer,” states Chipotle.com.

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