Warehouse clubs, including Costco (NASDAQ: COST) and Walmart's (NYSE: WMT) Sam's Club, offer an appealing proposition: Customers can pay an annual membership fee in exchange for access to no-frills warehouse stores where the prices are low -- sometimes unbeatable.
While these memberships seem like great deals, they also come with their own set of risks. Warehouse clubs tend to sell items in bulk, and they stock their shelves with items that tempt you to spend extra.
That's all well and good if you'll actually use a two-gallon jar of mayonnaise, and if you were already planning to buy a drone. If that's not the case, then Costco and Sam's Club could actually cost you more than you save.
Still, both companies offer good prices -- sometimes on things you may never have guessed they would sell. If you enter the store with a plan, it's possible to save money and have some fun doing it. Here are 15 tips that will help you accomplish both.
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