Grab the 12 +1 Month Xbox LIVE gold card for $39.96 with FREE shipping and no tax in most states @ Amazon! 

Use this card to add an addition 13 months to your existing Xbox LIVE membership, or of course to create a new Xbox LIVE account.  You don't have to wait until your membership gets down to the last month.  In fact, you could buy 2 of these and stack 26 months of Xbox LIVE Gold membership bliss well into the future!

Check it out:  Amazon - Xbox LIVE 13 Month Gold Card