Question about Sam's Club

[susiestar]

So any of you shop at Sam's Club? We haven't in many years, mostly because the ones where we used to live were staffed with incredibly RUDE people.

We are thinking of getting a membership because prices have gone up so much and will continue to go up.

Do you feel the $40 membership fee is a good value?

What items are the best bargains? What are the things to avoid?

I am trying to compare prices at the stores here in town. I have to go to the city on Tues for counselling, so will go look around Sam's when we are there.

I know when we had a child in diapers Sams was great - well, until thank you (he had to have special wipes and diapers because he was so terribly sensitive skinned).

If we decide not to do Sams, there is a restaurant supply co that has some of the things.

I would like to have the freezer stocked so meals are easy to fix. I plan to do some freezer cooking - make big batches of things, then freeze in meal size prtions. Buying in bulk is great for htis. I just have gotten out of hte habit.

Thanks for all the help!

Susie

 

[meowbunny]

I love Sam's. Go there once a month and it's a 40-mile drive for me. It has paid for the membership five fold at least, especially on things like cleaning supplies, basics and meats.

One trick -- get a business membership for $35. Just make up a business name ... Babies by Betty would work.

 

[Marcie Mac]

I use Sams and Costco both for Coffee, soups, pastas, dog food, cereal, rice, frozen meat, chicken, laundry powder and cleaning supplies. Sometimes I buy the vegtables and salads, but the problem with those is when you buy in bulk, you have to eat in bulk or it goes bad but then again you can get the same price for a lot of one thing that you get just one of in the regular grocery store.

For whatever reason, I find that the fruits and veggies at Sams don't last as long as the ones I buy at Costco. But I think with the membership its well worth the price of the savings if you know about how much the regular grocery store charges for some of the items.

Marcie

 

[Lothlorien]

We have a Sams membership through husband's job. However, I don't have the card, because after all the employees and wives got one, I was left cold. Sniff

We usually go there to stock up on plates, paper and party goods, as well as alcohol for parties and holidays. Not all of the Sam's have liquor, but the ones that do have fairly good prices, so it's worth the trip when planning a party.

I buy bulk chicken and pork there, but if I have to freeze it, I won't buy beef. I'd rather buy beef fresh and cook it the same day or the next.

They do have good prices on electronics, but you really have to know your prices and keep up with the sales. They have furniture too.

I remember one year, my friend bought a nice cedar swingset for about $600. which was an excellent price. They are over $1,000 now.

 

[Steely]

I do not care for Sam's but I LOVE costco. I go there once a month to stock up on the bulk items like frozen meats, toliet paper, shampoo, canned stuff, etc. I find Costco to have better savings, service, food, and variety than Sams.

in my opinion, either place is definitely worth a membership.

Oh, also, at Costco you can buy an 85.00 membership that gives you 2% back on all your purchases - which, by the end of the year, often times pays for the cost of the membership. You can also buy the general 40.00 one.

 

[DammitJanet]

We have Sams here and I love it. Only problem is I tend to go in there and go nuts...lol.

 

[Star*]

Problem with going nuts in Sam's Club here? Everyone else is NUTS too - no one would notice.

 

[muttmeister]

We dont' have a Costco near us but we do have a Sam's about 90 miles away and I go at least once a month. As long as you can use stuff in bulk, it is worth going. Even though I live alone, I still buy a lot of stuff there. Just like anyplace else, you need to be aware of prices because there have been a few things that were cheaper at WalMart than at Sam's but, in general, it is a great place to shop. I buy the grandkid's diapers, several make up items, plus many food items. I even got my 16 foot above ground pool there last summer.

 

[crazymama30]

I love Costco they are great for some fruits and really good prices on frozen salmon (difficult child loves it bbq'd), but we do not have a Sam's club. Isn't sam's associated with Wal-Mart somehow?

 

[Abbey]

One of my favorite projects for my students was to do a per cent cost analysis of Sam's / Costco versus just your regular grocery store.

After years of doing this, the results were always the same. There are some things that you save on, but if you're an add reader, you can usually get it cheaper at a regular store. Most people are too busy to do this. For example, our Alberston's continually has a 10 for 10 sale on dozens of items. If you take advantage of that, it's far cheaper than Sam's. I no longer go in looking for something specific. I shop 10/10.

I used to love going to Sam's simply because of the convenience of buying large quantities, but not sure I saved any money.

Abbey

 

[WhymeMom?]

Abbey's got it......if you truely want to save money you have to study the prices everywhere.....Personally I shop Costco for the experience. It is a two hour drive, so I only go when absolutely necessary and I have a specific list. Impulse buying there can be a real mistake (that will sit on your shelves for a long time).
Just never really got into Sam's Club, which would be much closer.