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This Sam’s Club Membership Coupon Will Save You a Bundle

July 23, 2018 By Amanda Blankenship 1 Comment

Finding a Sam’s Club membership coupon may seem difficult. However, a new Groupon deal is offering a Sam’s Club Plus membership for just $35, plus some additional perks.

Groupon is offering a one-year membership ($45 value) in addition to the deals listed below.

Get a complimentary membership card for a household member.
Receive a $10 eGift Card (valid online or in-club).
Sam’s Club is giving people using Groupon a $15 eGift Card for purchases on SamsClub.com too (invalid after October 10, 2018).
The deal will get you $17.94 in Instant Savings. This includes a free rotisserie chicken ($4.98 value), free take-and-bake pepperoni or cheese pizza ($6.98 value), and free 18-count chocolate chunk cookies ($5.98 value). All Instant Savings expire 30 days after membership is activated.

Unfortunately, current Sam’s Club members won’t be able to capitalize on this deal if they are renewing. It is only available to new members or members who have belonged to the club less than six months as of July 1, 2018.

Individuals who recently joined can check their renewal date by calling 1 (800) 746-7726. You’ll need your membership card or statement on hand for the call.

This specific Sam’s Club membership coupon is only valid in the United States. It will not be honored at Sam’s Club in Puerto Rico. All Groupon vouchers must be redeemed before September 10, 2018. New members using this deal should note it may take up to seven business days to receive your eGift Card.

Remember, you can save even more shopping on Groupon (and at Sam’s) by making your purchase with a card that has cash back rewards.

Readers, have you heard of any other good ways to save on a Sam’s Club membership? Let us know in the comments.

Photo: Mike Mozart

The Best Coupon Apps: Top Five

January 19, 2016 By Amanda Blankenship 2 Comments

Coupons, loyalty cards, keeping an eye out for special details are all ways that shoppers can save a few dollars. However, as with most things today, there is an app out there to help make shopping on a budget easier. Of course, each individual retail store has its own app, but there are also apps designed to help you find the best coupons for the items you buy. Let’s take a look at a few.

Groupon

Groupon is a pretty popular app. More and more people are using it everyday. They offer discounts on a number of things. Groupon offers everything from a meal out, to a fitness class, to discounted goods. You name it, Groupon probably has a deal for it. Groupon has also been a great way to give a gift in recent years as you are able to share Groupon vouchers through social media and email. It is available on Android and iOS and allows users to buy and redeem vouchers on their smartphone. You can also purchase vouchers online.

Key Ring

You may have a key ring full of loyalty cards. Every time you check out some place you’ve got to sort through and find the one for that specific store or look it up by telephone number. However, the Key Ring app makes all of that unnecessary. You can scan or input your rewards number into the app and display it in-store to be scanned on your Android or iOS devices. In addition to getting rid of the dreaded key ring of loyalty cards, Key Ring also offers information about deals and discounts as well as a shopping list function and the ability to sign up for new rewards programs.

RetailMeNot

RetailMeNot is an all-in-one discount and coupon hunting app. It is available for Android and iOS and offers discounts and coupons from up to 50,000 restaurants and retailers. It can look up local stores and restaurants, popular deals, the best deals and even personalize the deals for you. Users can list their favorite places to shop and eat and RetailMeNot will display discounts and deals for your favorites spots. It notifies you of new deals and will also give you location-based coupons and discounts (for when you’re on-the-go).

Retale

Retale takes a look at the weekly ads that are constantly circulating. Sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming looking at each individual ad. However, Retale uses your location and gives you all of the weekly ads for your area. You can take a moment to compare prices from store-to-store, create shopping lists, save deals, search and receive notifications on certain deals through Retale. The app is available on Android and iOS.

Coupon Sherpa

Another great app is Coupon Sherpa. Available on Android and iOS, Coupon Sherpa takes the retailers nearest you and compiles all of the coupons and deals circulating for that location. This gets rid of the dreaded coupon clipping. Instead, you can just keep the app on your phone and pull up the coupon at the register. The cashier can scan it and then you’ve saved money. It’s as easy as that. You can sort by location, brand or product and find exactly what you’re looking for at the price you need.

If you’ve been looking for a better way to organize coupons, eliminate the clipping or even stay on top of deals, look no further than the app store on your phone. There’s an app for that!

Photo: Flickr: Carol Pyles

The Dangers of Daily Deals

September 7, 2011 By Jennifer Derrick 2 Comments

It seems like daily deals are everywhere these days. Amazon has it’s Gold Box, there are plenty of sites like Woot.com that offer one-day deals on specific items, and the group coupon deal sites like Groupon are proliferating like mad. Even many “regular” retailers have daily specials on their websites. While it is possible to save money using these sites, it’s also possible to waste a lot of money.

I got into a bit of trouble with Amazon a year or so ago. After finding a great deal on something I really needed, I started checking the Gold Box every day to see what else I could find. That led to checking the video game and Kindle book deals of the day, too. Pretty soon, I was buying a lot of stuff at Amazon. While some of it was stuff I needed, much of it was stuff I could have done without. I was simply tempted by the deep discounts and, admittedly, the limited time of each offer made my blood rush a little bit.

Once I realized this, I stopped checking Amazon unless I was seriously looking for something I needed. My spending went way down as a result. There are many people who get into this kind of trouble. When you watch these sites, everything looks like a great deal. It’s hard not to get sucked in. It’s even worse when members of your online communities see one of those coupons that require a certain number of people to buy in for it to be sold and they beg everyone else to buy in so the deal will go through. You think, “Sure, I can use this and help someone out, too.”

A lot of these daily deals are never used. Many people never redeem the coupons they buy on sites like Groupon. They forget about them and they expire, or they decide it really isn’t something they want to do or can use. A whole secondary market now exists to help people unload the daily deals they bought and don’t want. For sites like Amazon, a lot of the daily deals end up in yard sales or on eBay once it’s delivered and people realize that it’s not so great or they have no place or use for it. It doesn’t take long for the, “What on earth was I thinking?” mindset to take over and for buyer’s remorse to set in. If you’re hanging out on these sites every day, get ready for a lot of remorse.

Before you get sucked into the next “great deal,” ask yourself three questions.

Is it really a great deal? Sometimes these deals aren’t really that great. Check other sites to compare prices before you jump on the deal. If you can check the price history of an item (Camel Camel Camel is great for checking Amazon’s history), check to see if it’s ever been lower (and thus likely to go lower again at some point). Make certain the item is exactly what you think you’re getting, too. Is it the latest version? Does it have all the features and accessories? Don’t get tripped up into buying old merchandise or stripped down products unless you are receiving a very deep discount.

Also watch out for deals that advertise a discount of, for example, sixty percent. You need to know if that discount is off the full retail price, or the price that the item usually sells for. Many times a product carries a suggested retail price, but the site usually sells it for less than that. So if they’re advertising 60% off retail, that may only be 20% off the price that it usually sells for on the site. It’s still a discount, but not the huge discount you thought you were getting. Know your prices and realize when a deal is a deal and when it’s just marketing hype.

Would you have bought it anyway? If you’re really in the market for a spa treatment, a 50% off deal can be a great thing. But if you weren’t thinking of going to the spa until you saw the deal, you’re probably wasting money. If the deal is something you were in the market for anyway, you can save some money. However, if it’s something you’re buying just because it’s discounted or looks fun, pull back and think about it. Chances are you’ll realize you don’t need or want it and be glad you saved the money. If, six months down the road, you find you’re regretting not buying that deal on sky diving lessons, it will probably come around again or you can work at finding another deal. Chances are, though, that you will have long forgotten about it.

Are you simply feeling the rush? These sites are genius, in a sick kind of way. They know that people love the lure of limited times and quantities. They know that people like to feel like they’re in on something that other people missed out on. They capitalize on all of this, using slick language, ticking clocks, fulfillment meters, and quantity left countdowns to get you all amped up to buy into this deal. When you’re about to buy something, stop, breathe, and ask yourself if this is really something you want or need, or are you just feeling the rush? If it’s the later, walk away.

As with anything, make sure you read all the fine print and terms and conditions. Know exactly how long you have to redeem any coupons and make sure you can use them within that timeframe. Make sure you understand exactly what you’re getting. If it’s a service, know what’s included and what’s not. Will you have to tip at the spa, for example? That can add on to your bill. If it’s a product, know what features are included. Print out any pages that you might need to resolve discrepancies or arguments that arise if you don’t get what you were promised.

Daily deals can save you some money, but you can also waste a lot if you’re not careful. Be smart when buying daily deals and don’t let the rush (or other people) talk you into things you don’t need and can’t use.

Planning For Every Activity Is Not Always Possible

August 3, 2010 By David G. Mitchell 2 Comments

Yesterday I went to the movies with one of my sons. He is a film buff and wanted to see a Ray Harryhausen movie on a big screen. Fortunately, a local cinema was offering a free screening 1974’s all too memorable Golden Voyage of Sinbad and we took advantage of that. Just as we left, a friend of my son’s arrived at the house and we invited him to join us.

Before the movie, I purchased a couple of pitchers of diet cola and three orders of popcorn. Normally, I do not indulge in popcorn because I know that it will clog my arteries, but I felt like I had to buy something to justify the free screening. By the time I was done, I had spent thirty dollars on food and drink. I did not mind spending the money because it supports a local non-profit cinema and I want the cinema to succeed. At the same time, thirty dollars for soda and popcorn for three seemed to be a bit excessive.

When I returned home, I noticed that halfoffdepot was offering instant-print gift certificates for a fifty percent discount. I could have purchased three before I left my house and saved fifteen dollars – half of what I spent.

While I recognize that most of my readers will question my decision to purchase popcorn and soda at a cinema, that was my decision and I don’t mind having made it. I do kick myself, for whatever that is worth, for having failed to check for discounts before I left my home. My excuse, if I have to come up with one, is that I have been extraordinarily busy at work this week and I just did not have the time. I know that is not much of an excuse, however, because we had been planning to see the movie for the past three weeks and I know that I could have checked out Half Off Depot, Groupon and other sites to look for discounts last weekend when I did have the time.

Planning for our every activity is not always possible. I, for one, would hate to lose out on spontaneous fun just because I was afraid of missing out on a discount. At the same time, I know that I can enjoy more activities if I do plan ahead and look for discounts ahead of time. Of course, even the thought of planning ahead requires planning and that can be an unwelcome chore even for the most diligent of frugalistas. When I do have the presence of mind to plan, here is what usually crosses my mind.

What Discounts Do I Already Have in my Back Pocket? Before I look for new discounts, I look for the discounts that I have already earned or claimed. Most cinemas, for example, offer reward programs. Everyone in my household has a reward card for each of our local cinemas. As a result, I usually have at least one coupon for a free movie ticket stored in my coupon folder. I make sure that everyone in the house knows when the coupons expire and that the coupons get used before they do expire. After all, there is no reason to look for other entertainment when a free ticket to an air conditioned cinema is on hand.

What Discounts Can I Purchase? I have already mentioned Half Off Depot and Groupon. I check those sites every day if I have a spare minute or two. I know the places at which I regularly shop and will snap up discount vouchers any time I see them available. There are also opportunities to purchase discount vouchers through the American Automobile Association and through many employers.

What Discounts Does Each Vendor Offer? If I am going to a movie, I know that matinees will be less expensive. If I am going to dine out, I look for the discounts that restaurants offer on certain days.

What if I Can’t Find a Discount? There is not always a discount available. If that is the case, I ask myself whether I really cannot select a different event or restaurant. If I have my heart set on a particular experience, finding a discount is a nice perk but the lack of a deal won’t deter me from an experience that I want to have.

How much do you think about discounts before you head out for the day? Do you try to anticipate everything that you will do so that you can bring every possible discount coupon with you or do you take a more relaxed approach? How much does the opportunity to get a discount influence your purchasing patterns?

Are Restaurant Coupon Deals Worth It?

May 23, 2010 By David G. Mitchell 8 Comments

Eating out is often an indulgence, sometimes a necessity, and usually costly. It can also be a lot of fun. Where we choose to dine out is a personal decision but most of us can be helped in our decision making if we can find good food in a good venue that offers good value. For those of us on the lookout for bargains, restaurant coupons can push us to try new restaurants or influence us to return to the restaurants we know that we like. A great coupon can even help us to decide that it is time to try again a restaurant that we already have experienced and not enjoyed as much as we would have liked.

Restaurant coupons come from a lot of sources. Local magazines usually include advertisements that an be clipped for discounts. Every week my mailbox is filled with fliers and mailers from a bunch of local restaurants who want to offer me five dollars off of a thirty dollar purchase or a free appetizer if I visit on a typically slow night. My newspaper sometimes has such coupons on plenty of restaurant websites do, too. I am sure that your experience is the same.

For me, however, five dollars in savings is not enough to influence me. Whether I spend thirty-five or forty dollars is too marginal a savings for me to consider it. My experience with a restaurant will usually be far more important than a five dollar coupon or a free order of wings (which I would not eat, anyway, since I am a vegetarian).

When savings are substantial, however, I am likely to more aggressively pursue them. Two new web services have emerged in the past few months which are giving me just such savings. Groupon and Half-off Depot offer deeply discounted gift certificates to restaurants and services in select cities throughout the USA and Canada. I suspect that there are similar web services in other countries but I have not had occasion to explore them.

Today I will be enjoying dinner with my family at a local pizzeria using gift certificates that I recently purchased at Groupon. Groupon deals are offered for a limited time, typically one per day, and only accepts orders if a minimum number of members (you have to register as a user) agree to purchase the gift certificates.

On the day that I recently visited Groupon, the deal of the day was for our favorite local pizza parlor. I was able to purchase three gift certificates with a twenty-five dollar face value for only ten dollars each. As a result, tonight’s dinner which I expect will cost fifty dollars based on menu prices will only cost me twenty dollars out of pocket — savings that easily justify eating at a restaurant that I know my family enjoys.

Similarly, I recently enjoyed a day of paint ball with my son at a local paint ball facility. Normally a day pass (including equipment, CO2 and paint balls) costs a little more than forty dollars. With the passes that I purchased at Half Off Depot, I paid only thirty six dollars for both of us to play. Not surprisingly given the company’s name, I saved about fifty percent by shopping at Half Off Depot.

What sources have you found for great, deeply discounted deals?