Rising for the first time since 2011, Costco will be raising annual membership fees between $5 to $10 starting on June 1, 2017. Specifically, the Gold Star membership and Business membership will increase from $55 to $60 and the Executive membership will rise from $110 to $120.

In addition to extra benefits with Costco Travel and Costco Services, the Executive membership provides a 2 percent cashback reward on qualified purchases. Basically, if you spend $3,000 in qualified purchases over the course of a year, you will regain the additional $60 spend on upgrading from Gold Star to Executive. The maximum annual reward earning in a single calendar year is capped at $1,000.

During 2017, Costco expects the fee increase will impact 35 million members. Comparatively, Sam’s Club (owned by Walmart) charges $100 for Sam’s Plus annual membership and $45 for the basic Sam’s Savings or Business membership. Sam’s Club has 660 locations in the United States compared to Costco’s 508 locations in the United States.

Neither warehouse chain has to contend with Jet.com anymore, an online retailer that attempted to bring the warehouse subscription model to the Web. Jet.com pivoted to a subscription free model before being acquired by Walmart last year.

However, warehouse chains still have to compete with Amazon. Amazon has continued to push into the warehouse chain model by offering Subscribe-and-Save bulk items for repeat orders as well as Prime Pantry, a bulk-order system for purchasing common household items such as food or cleaning supplies.

Costco’s membership fees are rising on June 1

Have you heard all the hullabaloo about Boxed.com raising $100 million this month? Attempting to attract the same customer that would pay for a Sam’s Club or Costco subscription, Boxed.com is a site that lets customers purchase a curated list of popular items in bulk for prices that are cheaper than buying in small quantities at stores like Walmart or Amazon.

Here’s everything you need to know:

Can I shop on Boxed.com for free?

Yes. There are no subscription fees required in order to get access to items listed for sale on Boxed.

Is Boxed.com supposed to be cheaper than Amazon, Walmart?

In a way, yes. You just have to purchase a large quantity of an item. For example, the largest box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal goes for 19.4 cents an ounce on Walmart and 28.5 cents an ounce on Amazon. However, you can snag it for 15 cents on ounce on Boxed. You just have to purchase 49.5 ounces of the cereal; roughly 2x the size of the giant size box at Walmart.

Is Boxed.com supposed to be cheaper than Costco, Sam’s Club?

Specifically on price? No. Boxed.com is slightly more expensive than a traditional warehouse club. However, when you factor in the value of your time as well as the cost of gas, the value of Boxed.com shines though as a superior option as it relates to convenience.

Do I get free shipping from Boxed.com?

Possibly. The first order ships completely free, as long as you meet the $29 minimum. Future orders require a minimum order size based on a user’s location. If the minimum order size isn’t met, shipping costs will be roughly $6 to $10.

How long does shipping take?

All orders will ship within 1 business day of being received, as long as the shipping address is within the contiguous United States. Standard shipping (UPS) takes roughly two business days to reach a customer.

Does Boxed.com offer any type of cashback program?

They offer a rewards program called Boxed Rewards. The standard rate of rewards is 1 point for every dollar spent, however promotional rates will offer more points per dollar spent from time to time. 500 points will convert to a $5 gift card to spend on Boxed, basically a one percent return.

Does Boxed.com have a mobile app?

Yes. Boxed got it’s start by focusing on orders made through either the iOS or Android mobile apps. While you can pop out to the Web to place an order any time, ordering through the app is arguably simpler and ideal when doing some shopping on your lunch hour.

Does Boxed.com offer online coupons?

Yes. While codes change from month to month, Boxed usually offers standard 10 percent off coupons. However, if it’s your first order, look for 20 percent off coupons or coupons like $20 off an $80 purchase (which equates to 25% off). Just do a web search for “Boxed.com coupons” to find the latest offers.

What is Boxed.com? 8 Facts about the Bulk Online Retailer

While Sam’s Club already released information about an early November 14 sale, the Black Friday ad details more aggressive discounts on electronics as well a variety of other products. While you can read through the full Black Friday ad here, we have picked out the five best deals in the advertisement based off historical sale pricing. Check out the full list below.

1. Vizio 58″ 4K Smart HDTV ($698)

Based on price history of this model, Dell recently had the best price on the Vizio D58U-D3 model; $1,050 with a $350 Dell gift card included. The Sam’s Club price is much better if you don’t want to deal with a bonus gift card. Be aware that this television is compatible with the recent specifications standards, HDCP 2.2 and HMI 2.0.

2. Disney Infinity 3.0 Starter Pack ($37.88)

We’ve only seen the Disney Infinity 3.0 pack drop below this price once and that was a temporary pricing mistake on Amazon. The typical sale price on Infinity 3.0 is usually $10 more than the Sam’s Club price, especially the PS4 and Xbox One versions. The price on Skylanders is also fantastic, significantly cheaper than any previous sale.

3. Hawke & Co Packable Down Jackets ($25)

The $25 price at Sam’s Club on these jackets is half the price of our lowest price on record. While winter outerwear is usually cheaper as the weather starts to warm, this price is too good to pass up if you are in need of a great winter coat.

4. Huffy Adult Cruiser Bike ($100)

Huffy Cruiser models go on sale frequently, but rarely for a price under $110 based on historical data. If you are in the market for a cruiser, this is a great deal for adults or as a gift for a teenager.

5. HP Pavilion Core i7 15.6″ Laptop ($499)

This non-descriptive laptop listing almost slipped by us. It’s quite the powerhouse with a Intel Core i7-5500U processor, 12GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. A comparable model from Toshiba went on sale for $600 recently. If you are shopping for a beefy laptop, this is a definitely a well-priced option.

Top 5 Deals: Sam’s Club 2015 Black Friday Ad

Available in a one-day only sale on Saturday, November 14th, this Sam’s Club sale looks to give Black Friday some competition. You can check out the full ad here, but we’ve selected our top five deals below.

1. Sony PlayStation 4 + 1 Game ($299)

While Sam’s Club hasn’t indicated which games will be offered with this bundle, either in-store or online, just the base price alone beats our best deal of $305 for a new console. Add in the additional game and you are scoring a solid bundle deal on the PlayStation 4.

2. VIZIO D50u-D1 50″ 4K Ultra HD Smart HDTV ($498)

Shooting for all time lows this month, this 50-inch 4K HDTV is normally $729 at most retailers. It’s likely a model specifically introduced by Vizio to drive Black Friday sales. While there will be more 4K deals throughout the month, this is a solid discount on a 50-inch model.

3. HP 15-2c147c1 Core i5 6GB 15.6″ Laptop ($399)

Beating out a similar spec-ed HP laptop at an all time low of $415, this HP model is a great deal for anyone that needs significant storage, a solid processor and great performance. Expect similar deals from Best Buy and Amazon that pop up during the month as well as Black Friday.

4. Samsung Galaxy S6 or Note 5 (96 cents)

While there will be no shortage of Galaxy S6 deals this year, carriers are starting to transition away from contract deals in favor of full smartphone payments during 24 and 30 month periods. You have the option of taking either route in this case, ideal for anyone that wants to replace an aging S4 or S5.

5. DJI Phantom 3 Drone ($549)

Likely the same model that’s currently being sold for $670+ on Amazon, this sale on the DJI Phantom 3 is a great price for anyone that’s serious about drones or aerial photography. Additional battery packs for this model are typically around $140 (when on sale) and last for 23 minutes in the air.

Runner up: Samsung Galaxy Tab A 16GB 9.7″ Android Tablet ($229)

Very close to the all time low of $220 for the 9.7″ tablet, this sale on the Samsung Galaxy Tab A will likely match up to anything Black Friday has to offer at stores like Best Buy and Amazon. The sale on the 8-inch model isn’t quite as good, roughly $15 away from the all time low of $155.

Early Sam’s Club sale offers up killer electronics deals

It’s finally November, the greatest month of the entire year for bargain shoppers. As expected, online retailers have kicked off the month with a slew of aggressive deals, hoping to catch your attention before…duh-duh-duh…Black Friday. (For our projections on what to wait for this month, check out Best Deals to Buy in November and watch for our Black Friday hub coming November 4th!)

One thing to remember about online deals in November: Black Friday-type deals come early, so if you sit on a great deal hoping it will go lower, it may not happen and even worse, the deal won’t reappear at all (if the inventory is gone).

Here are 10 deals of the week (Oct. 26 to Nov. 1) that you really liked or we thought were pretty good… and are actually still valid:

1. Black November at Newegg

Online tech retailer Newegg traditionally kicks off November with an entire month of deals called…wait for it… “Black November.” A lot of the prices featured (or that will be featured in the coming weeks) are among the best of the entire year, with many price drops from previous sale discounts. (Here are some of the highlights and check the pricing history.) Plus, Newegg is offering $25 off orders of $250 or more with a special code on November 1st only. (Don’t fret if you miss this—there will be more.)

Expiration: 11/30.

2. Countdown to Black Friday at Amazon

Not to be outdone, Amazon started their Countdown to Black Friday Deals Week with multiple 20% to 25% off deals a day in various product categories, like the Alfred Hitchcock: The Classic Collection Blu-ray on sale for $24 (previously on sale for $30).

Expiration: 11/23.

3. Free Photo Books Up to $60 + Shipping

With a special $30 credit and 50% off code, you can basically get a hardcover photo book from Shutterfly for free (normally $30 to $60). You do have to pay $8 to $12 shipping, depending on the book’s weight.

Expiration: 11/4

4. Staples Gets Aggressive

Staples is offering customers $50 off clearance and discontinued cameras with a special code. Inventory is running out pretty quickly, so you must hurry to take advantage of this early Black Friday-esque deal. The Fuji FinePix JX680 16MP Digital Camera (pictured below) is still available for $50 shipped with the code ($79 at Amazon).

Expiration: 11/2.

5. Early Black Friday Outerwear Sale

REI Outlet also got in the act with big discounts (55% to 73% off) on men’s outerwear from brands like Marmot, Merrell and adidas. Naturally, stock is running out pretty quickly, so don’t wait for better prices to show up in a few weeks. It’s very unlikely they’ll replenish these particular coats and jackets anytime soon.

Expiration: 11/7.

6. No Contract, No Problem

HSN (yes, the Home Shopping Network) is selling the popular Samsung Galaxy S III 16GB Smartphone (no contract with Virgin Mobile) for $250 with free shipping. It’s about $340 on Amazon now and $350 at Virgin Mobile. Virgin Mobile boasts month-to-month unlimited messaging and data plans starting at $35 per month.

Expiration: Limited time.

7. Don’t Deny the Power of the Colonel

This printable coupon from KFC gets you a free Boneless Chicken Combo meal with purchase of another Boneless Chicken Combo meal. #allwin

Expiration: 11/10.

8. My Precious

XtremeGUARD makes screen protectors and tough clear film body protectors for a wide range of mobile phones, and they’re currently offering 80% off sitewide plus an extra 15% off Apple and Samsung protectors. You can get a full body protector set for the iPhone 5s for just $1.87 shipped with  two stackable codes. The same thing is about $9 at Amazon.

Expiration: Limited time.

9. Another Deal, Another Tablet

There are a lot of tablets out there, but the ASUS MeMO Pad HD 7 Android Tablet has positioned itself as an affordable alternative to the already affordable Google Nexus 7. It has a 1290×800 7″ IPS display (comparable to the 1st Gen Nexus 7), 16GB storage and quad-core processor. Groupon has it in blue and white for $130 with free shipping and returns.

Expiration: 11/4.

10. Membership Has Its Gift Cards

Technically, this deal doesn’t start until November 3rd, but you want to be ready for this one before it sells out. Groupon will have one-year Sam’s Club memberships bundled with $20 Sam’s Club Gift Cards and $25 in food service vouchers for $45. The regular price for membership without those goodies is $45.

Expiration: 11/8.

Deals of the Week… Going, Going, Almost Gone! (11/1/13 Edition)