Memberships often seem like a great idea when you sign up, but they often become an anchor around your neck as you slowly realize the money spent just wasn’t worth it.

But if you carefully research the benefits of popular memberships, it’s often easy to determine the ones that’ll save you cash each month, and the ones that won’t.

The folks at Cheapism.com did the work for us and recently broke down the memberships that’ll easily pay for themselves over the course of a year. Here are a few of my favorites:

• AAA: A basic AAA (American Automobile Association) membership costs between $50-$60 depending on where you live. The membership will cover the cost of a tow truck if you break down, help if you run out of gas, and assistance if you lock your keys in the car. Any of those 3 events makes a membership worth the money, especially the out-of-pocket cost of an “in town” tow. Besides the piece-of-mind, your membership also comes with killer AAA discounts that are often available at hotels as well as many retail stores.
• Costco: A Gold Star membership at Costco will run you $55 a year. The savings you’ll rack up on items like groceries, home goods, and electronics will easily pay for your Costco membership. Be sure to learn the best ways to save money at Costco and always shop with a plan.
• Amazon Prime: An Amazon Prime membership will run you $99 a year. If you do any online shopping at all, the free 2-day shipping is great, but only the tip of the “Prime” iceberg in terms of savings. For example, use Prime Music and get rid of Pandora or Spotify, and use Prime Streaming and get rid of your Netflix membership. Those two services alone will more than pay for your Prime membership. At the very least, consider a 30-day trial membership to see if it works for you and your lifestyle.
• AARP: An AARP membership comes in at an affordable $16 a year, even less if you sign up for a 3 or 5 year membership. If you’re 50 or older, membership is a total no-brainer as you’ll rack up significant senior discounts at hotels, restaurants, and retail stores.

Check out Cheapism’s full list below for even more money-saving inspiration.

10 Memberships That Pay for Themselves | Cheapism Blog

Photo by US Department of Labor.