I would say one of the best buys at Sam’s Club is the yeast- less than $5 for 2 pounds. The package we bought expires 2 years from the date of purchase, and since we bake a lot, we’ll use almost all of it. It’s by far the cheapest price I’ve seen for yeast.

Plus on some items, Costco’s stellar return policy is worth it’s weight in gold. Over the past five years, I’ve returned four Xbox 360 because of the red ring of death, no questions asked. Costco issued a credit or a Costco gift card and I bought a replacement right then and there, no worries about shipping the console to Microsoft and waiting a week or more for a (possibly refurbished) replacement. Customer service even held the hard drive off the old unit and swapped it in for the new one so I didn’t lose my saved data. Even if the item is out of warranty, they’ll still accept it.

Word of advice: keep *everything* that came with the package and the receipt for anything you might return. For example, the Costco Xbox package usually includes 2 games; don’t sell those games. You won’t get much for them anyway since a lot of other people are selling the same games from the same package.

Some items are excepted (like cell phones and mp3 players), so check their return policy.

As for gas, we tend to fill up when we’re already there shopping so it’s convenience and a small savings, which is good enough.

I’ve never paid these annual fees because I’ve always had a memebership paid for by my job.

i don’t know if costco still has one for real estate, but back in 2008 i used their referral program, and we got a large gift card was it $250 or $400?? i can’t remember, and also a check for about $1500 after we closed.

they also have a lower rate for windshield repair, if you use safelite glass.

i always use them for tires, too.

years ago my friend and i used to go together, park next to each other, and split up the bulk stuff as we were unloading our carts. that was the easiest way.

one thing i’d make sure of- if you go w/ a friend, make sure it’s a friend who will pay her own way, if that’s the arrangement you want to have. i let a friend from work go w/ me, and she paid for maybe 1/2 of her stuff, then never paid me back the rest she owed me. i should have seen it coming, based on prior behaviors, but oh well.

Maybe I misread the intent here, but this sentence made me cringe. It sort of implies that it’s ok to waste food as long as you save money in the net equation. (I don’t think you’re suggesting anyone should plan to waste food, but it just sounds like “hey, if it goes to waste but you saved money overall, don’t sweat it.”)

I guess since I grew up poor, a surprise late baby of parents who grew up in The Depression, I’ve internalized their “waste not, want not” mindset. We were not allowed to even consider buying more than we (or someone else) could use or to waste food ever. If I’d rather pay X for Y pounds of food and have none go to waste than pay X for Y+ pounds and throw any away.