I just learned a bunch of new shopping tricks from the latest issue of ShopSmart magazine, one of my favorite reads.
- Sam’s Club gives college students a $15 gift card when they become a member ($40/year).
- BJ’s (an East Coast warehouse chain) accepts manufacturers coupons.
- Sears has brick and mortar outlets with steep markdowns. Find one near you on their outlet page.
- Best Buy auctions stuff on Overstock.com and Zappos unloads shoes at 6pm.com.
- Ask about the return policy. Walmart and JCPenney “often have more restrictive return policies for electronics and jewelry than for other merchandise,” the story says.
- At Sam’s Club, items with a “C” at the end of the price have been canceled and won’t be restocked.
- Women are more likely to impulsively buy something from the end of the aisle than men are.
- A word of caution. Costco offers a 2 percent rebate on almost everything in the warehouse if you upgrade to a $100/year membership. Regular membership is $50/year so you have to spend an additional $2,500 to get your $50 back through a 2 percent rebate. Sounds like a crummy deal to me!
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
Regarding Costco, my mother and I split a Executive membership one year (that’s the $100 one). We figured out that we spent enough between the two of us to get enough for a free renewal every year since. Its been at least five years. There are some small side benefits, but we figure if we’re going to be spending a ton there every year anyway, we might as well get our membership paid for! That first $100 membership has more than paid for itself.
For the record, we buy a lot of everyday stuff there – photos, concert tickets, vacation services/car rental – as well as the normal stuff, so it does add up fast!