Money Management

Don’t miss out on Sam’s Club deals this June. Check out these deals that offer savings of $50 or more. [[{“value”:”

Investing in a Sam’s Club membership is one way some shoppers can stay on budget when filling their fridges with groceries and stocking up on everyday household essentials. It costs money to join — $50 to $110 a year depending on membership level, but the member-exclusive deals can make the yearly cost worth it. If you’re an existing member or considering joining, you may be interested in the best deals for June 2024. Here are a few deals that offer savings of $50 or more per buy.

Bose QuietComfort SC Headphones with Soft Case: $100 off

A Sam’s Club membership can unlock savings on a nice pair of headphones. Through June 16, 2024, you can score Bose QuietComfort SC Headphones with an included soft case for $219, a $100 discount from the retail price. I own a pair of these noise-canceling headphones and use them almost daily. The only regret I have is not buying a pair sooner.

Member’s Mark 4-Burner Gas Grill: $50.98 off

Still searching for a Father’s Day gift for the dad who has it all? Sam’s Club is selling the Member’s Mark 4-Burner Gas Grill at a $50.98 discount. You’ll pay only $199 for a gift your dad will love. It can be used to cook various dishes, including fried rice, burgers, veggies, and pancakes. It features a custom-fit grill cover to protect the grill when it’s not being used.

SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Home Security System: $120 off

If you’ve been meaning to invest in a home security system, your Sam’s Club membership can help you shop the best deals. Through June 16, 2024, Sam’s Club has the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Home Security System on sale for $120 off.

You’ll pay only $249 for a bundle with two outdoor cameras, a keypad, a base station, two entry sensors, a key fob, and an auxiliary siren. According to the reviews, members found the system easy to install without professional help. At this affordable price, you can keep your home and family safe without racking up an expensive credit card bill.

My 1st Jump n Play Camouflage Bounce House: $50 off

Are you looking for the perfect outdoor kid-friendly activity for an upcoming party or event you’re hosting? Through June 24, 2024, Sam’s Club is selling the My 1st Jump n Play Camouflage Bounce House at a $50 discount.

It’s currently priced at $149.98, instead of $199.98. The bouncer features a slide, basketball hoop, ball, and built-in storage pockets. It has an air blower with a safety plug and can be inflated in about two minutes. This bounce house is suitable for kids ages 3 to 8.

Members Mark Halstead XL 4-Piece Seating Set: $200 off

Have you been meaning to upgrade your patio furniture? It’s not too late to improve your outdoor hangout space. Sam’s Club has its Members Mark Halstead XL 4-Piece Seating Set on sale for $200 off. Instead of paying $2,499, you’ll pay only $2,299. It features two chairs, a sofa, and a coffee table. The Sunbrella fabric is easy to clean and is fade- and stain-resistant. This furniture set also has four outdoor storage covers.

Keep more money in the bank by shopping warehouse club deals

Thanks to warehouse club deals, many shoppers keep more cash in their checking accounts. If you want to trim your spending, consider investing in a Sam’s Club membership.

You can get discounts on groceries, household goods, electronics, sports equipment, clothes, furniture, and much more. The best part is you can become a member for as little as $50 a year. All of the deals highlighted above offer savings of at least $50 each.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Sometimes, mild inconveniences can save you big money when you’re traveling. Read on to learn more. [[{“value”:”

Most years, my family doesn’t travel during my kids’ spring break because the prices tend to be out of hand. But this year, my husband was really itching to go somewhere. So with the help of a travel agent, he managed to find a week-long cruise leaving from Florida that wasn’t terribly overpriced.

At first, the plan was for all of us to go on the trip. Then we realized that because we’d waited until almost the last minute to set up a vacation, our dog sitters were booked solid. We also realized that if we were to go on a cruise as a family of five, we’d pay a fortune due to not all fitting into the same room onboard.

And so we made the decision that I would stay home with the dog, and my husband and kids would go on the trip. Since I’m not the biggest fan of cruises, I was okay with this. And if I’m being honest, not having to take care of anyone but a dog for a week was a mini vacation in and of itself.

But while we managed to find a cruise whose price was reasonable, airfare was a different story. Because it was spring break, flights to Florida were coming in at $700 per person from Newark, our local airport. So we made one strategic decision that left us paying half that much for my husband and kids’ flights.

When going out of your way makes sense

You’d think there wouldn’t be a huge price difference in flights leaving from Newark vs. JFK, both of which are huge airports in the New York City area. But for some reason, we were able to find flights for about $350 per person out of JFK vs. twice that much at Newark. So even though Newark is only 30 minutes from our house and JFK is 90 minutes away without traffic, we made the decision that my husband and kids would take the longer trip and save the money.

All told, it was a decision that paid off, since we saved $1,400 on airfare ($350 times four tickets). Now we did have to spend about $175 each way on a ride to and from the airport because as it happened, I wasn’t available at the time of their return flight, and I admittedly did not want to drive to JFK at 4 a.m. for their departing flight. But when you subtract the $350 we spent on ride-hailing, we still shaved $1,050 off of the cost of that trip overall.

With the right strategy, you can save on your next trip

Traveling at off-peak times — such as not during spring break — could be a big source of savings the next time you travel. But if you’re in a similar boat to me, that may not be an option due to your kids actually needing to attend school.

However, there are other steps you can take to save when you’re traveling at a popular time:

See if it’s possible to drive to your destination. My husband didn’t want to do the drive to Florida without me, but we’ve made the 16-hour trek each way numerous times before to save money.See if you can save money on tickets by flying out of a smaller regional airport. Or, see if there’s another major airport you can get to with lower fares.Book your itinerary well in advance if you know your travel dates ahead of time. If you’re a parent, you’ll usually get the school calendar ahead of the academic year, which gives you time to plan.Apply for a travel rewards credit card before your next trip. With a travel rewards card, you can potentially enjoy money-saving perks like free checked bags and discounts on in-flight purchases. You might also have an easier time racking up points to offset the cost of a future trip.

Although tripling their driving time to and from the airport wasn’t optimal, my husband and kids didn’t mind doing it if it meant saving over $1,000 all in. So if you’re in a similar situation the next time you’re looking to travel, consider the financial upside of inconveniencing yourself.

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We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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I’m getting Grubhub+ free with my Amazon Prime to save on food delivery. Here’s why you should do the same if you’re already a Prime member. [[{“value”:”

Amazon rolled out a new perk to Prime subscribers. You get a free Grubhub+ membership, which lowers the cost of food delivery fees. Fun fact: I spend a large part of my budget on DoorDash and Amazon delivery. To say this news excites me is, um, an understatement.

Fact is, I really want cheap food delivery.

Immediately, I signed up for Grubhub through Amazon Prime. After a couple of orders, I can confidently say this. If you’re a Prime member, you should get the free membership. It will probably save you money, assuming you get food delivered sometimes.

A Grubhub+ membership saves you on delivery fees. It saves you $3 to $5 per order, which is about as much as you save with a DoorDash or Uber Eats membership. But you’re still paying more than you would for pick-up or dining in. And it can be a lot more, once you add up fees and the tip.

Below, I’ll explain how signing up for Grubhub+ through Prime can save you money. I’ll also cover when it’ll cost you more than it’s worth.

Prime members should sign up to save money

Sign up for a free Grubhub+ membership if you’re a Prime member and you sometimes order food delivery. If you’ve used Uber Eats or DoorDash, you know that delivery services like Grubhub charge many fees. A membership reduces the biggest fee: delivery.

Sure, you still have to cover a tip for your delivery driver, as well as other fees, like local taxes if applicable. But it’s cheaper than the alternative: no membership. The catch is, Grubhub makes you order more than $12 worth of items to take advantage of the membership.

Only some restaurants qualify. I was upset to learn one of my favorite restaurants charges delivery fees to Grubhub+ members. (It doesn’t charge fees to DoorDash members.) So, you won’t save on every restaurant purchase. But many offer $2 to $5 discounts to Grubhub+ members.

How to sign up for free Grubhub

Here’s how to sign up for a free Grubhub+ membership:

Visit amazon.com/grubhub.Click “Activate now.”Create an account.Agree to the terms and conditions to connect your Prime and Grubhub accounts and to share your Prime membership status with Grubhub.

By agreeing to the terms and conditions, you consent to letting Amazon and Grubhub share info. This will probably be used to advertise to you. On the one hand, you may see fewer irrelevant ads. On the other hand, you may get more temptation to spend. Take that how you will.

Grubhub members should switch to subscribing through Prime

If you have a Prime membership and a separate Grubhub membership, you’re burning money. You’re paying $10 for something you can get for $0. So, switch to subscribing to Grubhub through Prime. You can do this by linking your Grubhub account to your Prime account.

Here’s how to link your Grubhub account to Prime:

Visit amazon.com/grubhub.Click “Activate now.”Log into your Grubhub account.Agree to the terms and conditions to connect your Prime and Grubhub accounts and to share your Prime membership status with Grubhub

Once you link your accounts, your Grubhub membership payments will be canceled. You won’t be refunded for what you’ve already paid, but you won’t be charged during the next billing cycle. You’ll remain a Grubhub+ member, minus the membership fee, for as long as you have Prime.

Only sign up if you get meals delivered

It’s only worth signing up for Grubhub+ if you get meals delivered. Otherwise, it’s a temptation that you don’t need. Frankly, I’m paying around 50% more for delivery than I would for dining in or ordering takeout. A Grubhub+ subscription helps, but it’s still pricey.

Speaking of temptation — if food delivery is going through your grocery budget like Miley Cyrus on a wrecking ball, you should avoid signing up for a Grubhub+ membership. Chances are, you’ll splurge. Convenience can be a blessing, but it makes it harder to break bad habits.

I spent an embarrassing amount of money on DoorDash delivery in 2023. I can confirm that membership encourages spending. It’s worth it (for now), but my budget suffers. My DoorDash rewards credit card helps, but even 4% back can only do so much.

Don’t sign up for Prime exclusively for Grubhub+

Don’t sign up for a Prime subscription just to get free Grubhub+. It will cost you more than it’s worth. Just get a Grubhub+ subscription. It’s only $10 monthly. Prime costs $14.99 per month (or $139 per year if you pay upfront) — it’s more expensive than signing up for Grubhub+ alone.

That said, if you sometimes get food delivered and order from Amazon… yeah, signing up for Prime is probably worth it. An extra $5 monthly for fast and free shipping on stuff you already pay for is a steal, no matter how you slice it.

Unfortunately, Amazon has made zero mention of giving you Grubhub discounts with your Amazon credit card. Bummer.

Bottom line, the new Grubhub+ perk will save Prime members money on food delivery. It’s cheaper than without a subscription. It’s comparable to a DoorDash or Uber Eats membership discount. But it’s only worth considering if you order food delivery and use other Prime perks.

Alert: highest cash back card we’ve seen now has 0% intro APR until 2025

This credit card is not just good – it’s so exceptional that our experts use it personally. It features a 0% intro APR for 15 months, a cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee!

Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.

We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Cole Tretheway has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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