Mother's Day gifts that keep on giving: Five great subscription deals

Mother's Day gifts don't have to be one-timers. Give a Mother's Day gift that will last the whole year with deals on subscriptions for wholesale clubs, beauty supplies, and even video games. 

Some purchases are for having: Swarovski crystals, a Calder mobile, the best cheeses, and so on. But other purchases are for doing. These five membership deals are gifts that will keep on giving, allowing you to shop, game, or beautify better. Get a free two-month membership to BJ's Wholesale Club and a gift card, six months of unlimited free same-day deliveries from Google Shopping Express, and much more.

1. Beauty Box 5 1-Month Subscription
   Vendor: Beauty Box 5
   Price: Free via coupon code "FREEBOX6"
   Lowest by: $12

   Is It Worth It?: Get five beauty products shipped straight to your door every month with Beauty Box 5. And with coupon code "FREEBOX6," that first box is totally free. A reviewer at My Subscription Addiction has noted that deliveries from Beauty Box 5 can hold as much as $27 in merchandise, which easily knocks deal this into Editors' Choice territory.

2. ShopRunner 1-Year Membership
   Vendor: ShopRunner
   Price: Free with Amazon Prime membership
   Lowest By: $79

   Is It Worth It?: Amazon Prime had subscribers grumbling this year when it announced a price increase, from $79 to $99 annually. According to a DealNews survey, 65% of respondents said they wouldn't pay more for the service, which includes free 2-day shipping on all orders (although that number dropped to 45% after Amazon announced its streaming partnership with HBO).

   The folks at ShopRunner are too smart to let this opportunity go by. Offering similar 2-day delivery from retailers including Toys "R" Us, Lord & Taylor, and drugstore.com, ShopRunner is now offering a free year of membership to any current Amazon Prime users who haven't yet renewed at the higher rate. And unlike many other "free" subscriptions, this Editors' Choice deal won't automatically renew (and charge you) when your free year is up.

3. BJ's Wholesale Club 2-Month Membership
   Vendor: Groupon
   Price: $5 bundled with a $10 Club Gift Card
   Lowest By: $13
   Expires: May 9

   Is It Worth It?: This Editors' Choice deal is essentially like getting two months of membership and a $5 gift card — a $13 value — for free. That's the best we've seen all year. Arm yourself with our guide on how to avoid overspending at warehouse stores, and you'll be well on your way to savings.

4. Google Shopping Express 6-Month Membership
   Vendor: Google
   Price: Free with $10 off first order
   Lowest By: $5 per pickup

   Is It Worth It?: Yet another Amazon Prime competitor is making a grab for disgruntled customers. This Editors' Choice deal offers same day shipping. And while Google Shopping Express normally charges per store pickup, it is currently offering six months of unlimited deliveries absolutely free. (That is, if you can get anything delivered at all.) This is maybe a better deal than the ShopRunner subscription above &mdash but this one is only open to residents of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York City.

5. Xbox LIVE Gold 1-Week Membership
   Vendor: Skittles
   Price: Free via coupon code "M95MN"
   Expires: July 31

   Is It Worth It?: Are you more of a gamer than a shopper? Then you still probably deal with subscription services. The good folks at Skittles (yes, Skittles) are currently offering their fans one week of Xbox LIVE Gold membership, completely free. Codes are also available inside specially marked Skittles product packages. That will cost a little extra — but then again, you'll have Skittles.

Benjamin Glaser is a features editor for Dealnews.com, where this article first appeared: http://dealnews.com/features/Gifts-That-Keep-On-Giving-Top-Membership-Deals/1044975.html