When should you spend to save?

I vote with the Your Money regulars. My laptop's regular warranty had long since expired when a key fell off, requiring an entire keyboard replacement. It was covered by the extended warranty, which more than paid for its cost.

Warehouse clubs

At least one Your Money poster claims a warehouse club membership is worth it for the gas savings alone, but you'd have to buy a fair amount of gas -- 1,000 gallons a year -- for the typical 5-cent discount to justify a $50 membership. A car owner who drives 15,000 miles a year with a vehicle getting 20 miles per gallon would buy just 750 gallons.

Stores such as Costco Wholesale and Sam's Club also don't offer the best price on every item. You may be able to match their deals on paper goods, for example, by using coupons and jumping on grocery store sales.

But Your Money regulars who shop at warehouse stores a lot swear by the savings, including "LivingDebtFree," who combines a Costco membership with a Costco-branded American Express cash-back card that gives extra rebates for warehouse purchases.

"Costco membership rocks for DH (dear husband) and I," she wrote. "We buy all of our meats there, and many of our bulk products (paper towels, toilet paper, laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, shampoo, etc.). . . . We've also furnished our master bedroom and living room with very high-end furniture from their online site."

Other Your Money posters say they don't shop at warehouse stores enough to justify the investment.

"If there was a Costco closer to us, I might consider it," wrote poster "wanna_be_a_SAHM," "but for now I'll mooch off my mom's membership if there is a good deal."

In fact, mooching -- ahem, going shopping with someone who has a membership -- is a great idea if you don't go often or if you've never been to a warehouse store and aren't sure whether it's a good fit.

If you go, here are some ideas for making the most of your trip:

• Shop from a list. It's easy to be wowed by "bargains" that aren't or purchases you don't really need.

• Research the big-ticket items. If you have Internet access on your phone, you can use MSN Shopping or similar sites to research prices. If not, you'd be smart to wait and do the research when you get back to your computer.

• Get beyond the toilet paper aisle. Savvy warehouse shoppers say deals on meat and produce are usually good and that the stores typically offer a wealth of savings on everything from theme park tickets to jewelry to coffins. Spending some time on the warehouse Web site can acquaint you with discounts you might otherwise miss.

Roadside assistance

This one is a hands-down winner, as far as Your Money posters are concerned, and AAA is the provider of choice. The annual fee is relatively low (typically less than $100) and typically pays for itself the first time you lock yourself out of your car or need a tow.

Plus, your AAA membership wins you discounts on travel and at dozens of stores (read "Discounts hiding in your wallet" for more).

In addition to covering two tire changes and a lost key in the past year, poster GCG1RL says she's taken advantage of other deals her AAA card afforded.

"I have gotten a discount at numerous museums when the FIL (father in law) was in town, and my favorite clothing store gives like 15% off with AAA card," GCG1RL wrote. "We also moved and you can change all your DMV stuff with one-stop shopping, and get a good deal on passport pictures. It easily pays for itself and then some."

Attraction memberships

Zoos, aquariums, museums and theme parks typically offer yearly memberships that seem to pay for themselves in two or three visits. That doesn't always make them great deals.

Our Los Angeles Zoo membership, for example, was a brilliant purchase, since our daughter loves the place. My purchase of a San Diego Natural History Museum pass, on the other hand, was pretty dumb. We went exactly once, and I found out after purchasing the membership that we could have gotten in free using our membership at another science museum.

Theme park memberships can also be fraught with peril, because they're expensive places to spend time. Food, parking and souvenirs can set you back far more than admission. If you're on a tight budget, you might want to opt for cheaper entertainment.

Continued: Going to the zoo

< previous |  1 | 2 | 3 | next >