For the past several years, warehouse clubs Sam's Club and Costco have had little trouble getting people to pay membership fees of $40 to $100 for the privilege of shopping in their massive stores. But the recession has caught up with at least Sam's Club, which is advertising a coupon good for a free $10 gift card when you buy a $40 one-year membership. (If you don't have the coupon, you always could ask them to give you the same deal.) That's essentially a 25 percent discount on membership. I wouldn't be surprised to see Costco offering some type of similar deal. Another tip: If you're not particularly happy at either Sam's Club or Costco, you could ask if they are willing to give you a free one-year membership if you surrender your competitor's membership card. I tried this years ago and a manager agreed to do it.