31 Ways Your Warehouse Club Membership Can Help Your Holiday Shopping

When people think of the holiday shopping season, many think of presents. That's usually part of the equation, but it's not the entirety.

The holidays are also a time of eating, decorating, visiting friends and family, travel, and so much more. That all comes with a cost, and warehouse clubs including Costco (NASDAQ: COST) and Walmart's (NYSE: WMT) Sam's Club can help ease your spending burden.

Disposable plates, cups, and silverware may not be great for the environment but they can make holiday entertaining easier. You may not have enough place settings for all your guests or may not want to spend the time cleaning up. Warehouse clubs sell all of these items in quantities that should help you get through more than a few parties.

Warehouse clubs generally have a limited selection of wrapping paper (if they have any at all). This changes around the fourth quarter and you should be able to meet your paper, bow, and even gift tag needs.

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Warehouse clubs sell holiday decorations, but knowing exactly when can be a challenge. You can get great deals on lights, ornaments, Christmas trees, and even Hanukkah stuff, but you have to visit with an eye out for this merchandise.

The holiday season means being outside in cold weather for a lot of Americans, and sometimes means visits to cold places for people living in the warmer parts of the country. Costco and Sam's Club often have coats and almost always sell gloves and hats at below-market prices (which is great if you have kids prone to losing theirs).

Cheese platters are a holiday staple and they can be expensive. Buying them at a warehouse club (you don't have to admit that) saves you money while still giving you a good product.

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Many holiday parties involve a few adult beverages. Costco and Sam's Club locations often (but not always) have liquor stores attached that offer house brands at very good prices.

For many people, the holiday season means long driving trips. Make sure your car is in order at your warehouse club's auto section. Many Costco and Sam's Club locations have tire shops where you can replace your wheels at cheaper-than-expected prices.

Gift cards make great gifts and warehouse clubs often have deals on them. Sometimes you can buy a bundle of different cards and other times you may be able to get a card for less than face value.

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Both Costco and Sam's Club have online travel booking services. These offer good deals specifically when you buy packages including hotel, airfare, and maybe admission tickets. These services even offer cruises and may have deals on theme parks that can't be found anyplace else.

Costco and Sam's Club both offer a random selection of toys. You probably won't find the hottest items, but you may find things kids want at very good prices.

Warehouse clubs may not sell traditional stocking stuffers, but they sell lots of random stuff. For one member of the family, a pack of nice pens might go well in a stocking while others may enjoy some upscale candy. Be creative and you can find lots of items people would be happy to have in their stockings.

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Both Costco and Sam's Club will have traditional holiday headliners like ham, steak, prime rib, and crab legs in stock. In many cases, buying these items in bulk gives you too much. Over the holiday season, that may not be true and you can eat something fancy for a good deal.

Having people over means cleaning your home before and after. The warehouse clubs offer a selection of cleaning supplies at great prices.

After a traditional holiday meal, or on a cold morning, people generally want a cup of coffee. Costco and Sam's Club offer K-cup variety packs, bulk coffee, and other coffee options in pretty much every form imaginable.

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The holiday season brings guests and the warehouse clubs can help with that. Both chain sells mattresses and everything else you need to add an extra bed. Be a little careful because, in many cases, mattresses are sold in a way where you can't test them out.

Warehouse clubs sell big-ticket electronics, often at very good prices. This is an area where you can save a lot of money but you have to be careful.

Make sure you check the features and know exactly what you're getting. Model numbers can be very similar for very different items. Do your homework to make sure you're actually saving.

Why keep all the warehouse club savings to yourself? Buy a family member a gift membership so they can have a year of access.

There probably won't be deals on membership offered directly by Sam's Club or Costco. In some cases, however, you might find a deal on a third-party website.

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Some holiday gatherings are informal. Costco and Sam's Club offer very cheap pizzas that are quite popular with shoppers. These can be a great thing to serve at a holiday party where you're keeping your budget in mind.

Many families don't keep much, or any, soda in their homes for much of the year. The holidays, however, may be an exception to that and the warehouse clubs offer everything from two-liter bottles, to cans in bulk supply at very low prices.

Costco and Sam's Club may stock snowboards, sleds, and other winter sports gear. The selection will vary (and will be limited) but the prices may be well below what you would pay at a specialty store.

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Physical books may not be quite as popular as they once were, but not all reading is done on digital devices. The warehouse clubs generally have a selection of best-sellers, often at very low prices.

Costco and Sam's Club probably don't stock egg nog or candy canes in the summer. During the holiday season, however, they should have most (if not all) of your seasonal favorites.

You probably don't think of Costco or Sam's Club when it comes to buying a piece of jewelry. Both, however, have a small selection of high-quality items. This is an area where you really need to do your homework in order to understand what you're buying and whether it's a good deal.

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Time can be a valuable asset. Both Sam's Club and Costco offer a number of delivery options including same-day. You'll generally pay for that privilege but the cost may be worth it if it allows you to get other things done or spend time with people you cherish.

Costco and Sam's Club were both late to the online shopping game. Now, the two warehouse clubs offer a robust selection on their websites including some deals that may not be offered in stores.

Costco and Sam's Club probably won't offer real trees, but both have a nice selection of reusable ones. You can also pick up ornaments and other accessories while you're shopping, in theory saving money not just this year, but for the foreseeable future.

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Going to cook a big meal? You may not trust your old stove or oven to get the job done. The warehouse clubs will have deals on appliances. Just make sure you shop early to avoid having the first thing you cook be a full meal for a big holiday party.

Before you start a long holiday drive, gas up at your local Costco or Sam's Club. Not all locations have gas stations, but the ones that do tend to be the cheapest gas in any given area.

You may not map your route around where there are warehouse club gas stations, but it's not a bad idea to check before you stop for gas. Plus, if you're hungry you can run in for a quick slice of pizza or a hot dog.

With film becoming a thing of the past, fewer places print photos. Both Costco and Sam's Club offer prints made from digital cameras or any other digital method. The warehouse clubs will also make portraits, canvas prints, and calendars, all of which make for excellent holiday gifts.

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Many families still send out Christmas cards -- sometimes just a card and at other times a card with an update on the past year. Costco and Sam's Club will sell you custom cards made from an image you submit.

You probably can't buy all your holiday gifts at Costco or Sam's Club. But if you have a list with you when shopping at the warehouse clubs, you should be able to find some deals.

Maybe someone wanted a fancy coffee maker or someone else was looking for a certain kind of sweater. There's no guarantee either club will have those, but they might, and if they do, the price may be right.

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Daniel B. Kline has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Costco Wholesale and recommends the following options: long January 2020 $115 calls on Costco Wholesale and short January 2020 $180 calls on Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.