Why Now Is The Best Time To Get A Sam's Club Membership

People who are lucky enough to live within driving distance of both a Costco and a Sam's Club have a happy problem to solve: Which warehouse club should I join? Comparison shoppers at Business Insider and Cheapism liked Costco better for its Kirkland brand, better food court, and slightly lower prices overall. The biggest advantage at Sam's Club is the lower membership price — $45 for the basic membership, compared to $60 at Costco.

Now, in time for the holidays, Sam's Club is offering special deals on its membership rate, to attract new members. In one deal, available through StackCommerce, the regular $45 membership price is discounted to $28.88 for the first year. As an added bonus, new members can pick up a free rotisserie chicken and a free eight-pack of gourmet cupcakes when they visit the store. That's $12.96-worth of pre-cooked protein and sugar for free! All in all, this deal is worth about $29 in free food plus the membership-fee discount.

The offer is only intended for new Sam's Club members. You can't get this deal when renewing your membership, and you can't hope to get it by letting your current membership lapse (although we wouldn't blame you for having the idea). The offer is only available to people who have not been Sam's Club members since April 15, 2020 or before.

Maybe free cupcakes and chicken have already sold you. But you might want to consider some other new-membership offers before taking the plunge. The Sam's Club coupon webpage has loads of deals, and one of them gives you more savings than the $29 we already mentioned.

One of the Sam's Club coupons offers a $45 gift card when you get a $45 membership. You're basically getting your first year of membership for free with this deal. Then again, if food is a big enticement for you, Sam's Club is giving away the rotisserie chicken and the cupcakes, and throwing in a free pizza, if you join at the $45 rate. All this free food adds up to more than $20 in savings.

Whichever of these deals you choose, you must use the StackCommerce link or the Sam's Club coupon page to activate them. If you sign up simply by clicking "join" on the Sam's Club home page, you'll end up paying $45 and getting nothing except the usual privileges of membership.

Speaking of privileges, people who want to be "extra" at Sam's Club can opt for the Plus membership at $100 per month. Again, that's a little less than the $120 you would pay to become a Costco Executive member. Sam's Club is currently offering a deal on the Plus membership, too — $50 off your first purchase of $100 or more, in one of their 599 stores nationwide.