My 3 Favorite Perks of My Sam's Club Membership

Sam's Club is a great warehouse club that provides the opportunity to save on household items and groceries. I've been a Sam's Club member for many years, and shopping there for food and beverages has been helpful in keeping my credit card bills down -- especially as grocery prices have gone up.

But discounted prices on cereal, drinks, paper towels, and other household items are actually not the best thing about being a Sam's member. There are some other great perks that I've found even more valuable as they've helped me free up more money for my savings account and made my life more convenient as well. Here are three of them.

1. Sam's Club tire service

Sam's Club tire service is one of my absolute favorite features of being a club member. Sam's regularly runs discounts on tires, including $100 off Ridgestone and $80 off BFGoodrich tires.

I've consistently been able to save around $20 to $40 per tire by purchasing at Sam's compared to other local tire stores -- and sometimes I've saved even more, thanks to the specials Sam's runs. And perhaps even more important than the savings, Sam's tire installation package is awesome.

Sam's has always been able to install new tires for me quickly (often, I'll call the tire center on the day I decide I need tires and there's been an appointment available every time but one). And Sam's Club's package includes lifetime tire balance, rotation, and flat repair as well as road hazard protection and roadside assistance. This means I don't need to worry if something goes wrong right after I've bought new tires.

Since car maintenance tasks like getting new tires can be expensive and annoying, the fact Sam's makes this a pleasant experience is almost enough to justify my membership by itself.

2. Discounted gift cards

Sam's sells a slew of discounted gift cards to other retailers, and I've been able to score some amazing deals by buying them. My family recently scored a $500 Disney gift card for $484.98. This'll come in handy, as we're Disney passholders and we visit the theme park often.

I've also been able to get discounted cards for Southwest Airlines ($229.38 for a $250 card) and for a host of other retailers, stores, and restaurants. I love the fact that my membership enables my savings to extend beyond Sam's to other places I shop as well.

3. Discounted pharmacy items

Finally, the Sam's Club pharmacy can make buying medications a whole lot more affordable, which is great for me because I have a high-deductible health plan that provides limited coverage. I've been able to save on medications not just for my kids and me, but also for my pets.

As a Sam's Club Plus member, I can get a 30-day supply of many generic medications for $10 or under. Plus, I can get certain generic medications for free, including Vitamin D2 50,000IU. I was also able to save more than $20 on my dog's Vetmedin prescription for her heart condition before her heart was surgically corrected.

These perks have really helped to make being a Sam's Club member a great deal for my personal finances. In fact, they're a big part of what has convinced me to remain a warehouse club member for many years in the past and, most likely, for many years to come. Before joining Sam's Club, it's worth digging into the offered perks to see how much use you'll get from your membership -- you may find benefits that make it an even better deal for you.