I was wondering what you guys thought about if it's worth it.

I am single but at least 3 other people eat what I buy. My brother, bf, and mom plus myself. I buy the majority of food say about 95 percent. Like I've found I can save like some cents of staples like butter, eggs, and organic milk so I figure right there I save 10 bucks is I save about 10 cents to 20 off walmarts price. Membership cost 40 bucks. I figure I'd need to buy a really big ticket purchase to add up to more savings. But they do have food samples when you come in so it does feed you up a bit. And they also do have things like snapple, etc. stuff you can't buy in selection like that there as well.

Before I joined I used coupons OCCASIONALLY but not enough to make a real dent since I usually forgot to buy the sunday paper. I figure at the least by the end of the year I should end up even hopefully. I of course just made a pricebook as I have noticed certain items being MORE expensive at sams club. It's like you really got to be careful and it can be annoying. What are your experiences on them?

we have had a sams membership and currently have a BJs membership which is similar. i think its worth it if you can share it with some others. my mother and i who keep separate households have a family membership which lets you get more than one card, and we've had it so long it doesnt even have a picture so really i could lend it to a friend anytime. this way we split the cost and both get the savings. sams club requires an address verification to share a family card which sucks. We buy our paper products, concentrated cleansers, toiletries, socks, underwear, chicken breasts and that sort of stuff there but we don't go everymonth. So my advise to you is to share a memebership with someone go together and stock up a few times a year on your nonperishables.
just my opinion
reba

We have a Sam's membership, but luckily it is paid for by my mother & her husband's business. We go roughly every two weeks and it has saved us quite a bit of money. We buy things like cheese, butter, lettuce, oranges, pasta noodles, coffee, hot chocolate, coffee creamers, veggies, tomato sauce, etc.. Since DH, DD and DS eat meat, we get most of their meat from there. On Saturday mornings we go and stock up on meat that has been reduced. (We have the business membership so we get in two hours earlier than regular membership and that is when they have the discounted meat out.) We normally get boneless, skinless chicken breasts for $1.59 lb (vs $3.89 at the local grocery stores) and 90/10 hamburger meat for $1.29 lb (vs $2.99 at the local grocery stores). For us, the price of pool chemicals is another benefit. I feel like it is worth the price of the membership and if ours was not paid for by the family business, we would pay for it ourselves.

We have Costco where we're at. My inlaws have always paid for our membership. Which is a blessing. These are some of the typical things we buy there.

1.Gas
2. 3lb bag organic coffee..comes out to about 3.66lb.
3. TP
4. Milk
5. Frozen Salmon very rarely
6. Kirkland Laundry detergent. I'm now back to making my own.
7. Dishwasher detergent. Still using the stash from Jan06 electrosol deal
8. Kirkland Jeans. $12 pair.

We haven't been since maybe Oct. except for gas.

There are deals to be had at these stores. I think it really depends on the total number in your household and what you use.
They also offer a cheap hotdog/soda meal for $1.50 or an iced coffee or smoothie far cheaper than hitting four*bucks...
We just try and watch the pricing and stay away from the movies/ book section.

We have a SAM'S membership, but only because it is paid for through DH's employer. That is one of the benefits his employer offers. I only buy certain items there, the rest I buy from WM or the local grocery store.

Some of the items I buy are:
~gas
~DS#2's protein bars
~meat
~canned tomatoes
~canned tomato sauce
~hamburger patties
~milk
~eggs

I think it's worth it also, I have a Sam's membership - I try to ask friends before I go to see if they need to go with me -
One positive is that you can't pay with a credit card - you either have to have cash or a debit - so that helps curb the desire to overspend -

I don't want a membership. When we had one I spent lots of money - cause it was a bit cheaper. So I'd leave there and say "oh my God, how did I spend so much??" cause everything is $10 or $20 cause it comes in such quantity. So I'm better off staying away from temptation and keep away from mass quantity of many things.

I think you really have to invest the time with a price book. DH and I had a free membership to BJ's when his brother worked there, and once his brother left we had to decide if it was worth $40 a year to us. Once we took a good look at what we actually eat and started cooking from scratch a lot more, it had really become a good deal for us. But, like other posters have said, somethings are more expensive there so you need to compare the prices. We also don't have a Walmart with a grocery store near us, so we just had to compare BJ's prices to regular grocery store prices.

For us:
Milk - 2% - BJ's is $2.26, the grocery store is $3.99 (store brand)
Eggs - BJ's is $1.79 for 18, the grocery store is $1.59 for 12
Bread - BJ's is $2.99 for two loaves, the grocery store is $2.29 for one loaf (we're picky on what kind of bread we buy - it has to be this kind LOL)
Yeast - BJ's sells a 32oz package for $3.59, the grocery store sells 3 packets of .25 oz for $2.19
Diapers - haven't totally done the math, but BJ's charges $30 for three times the amount of diapers Babies R Us sells for $13.
Hamburger - BJ's charges $1.89/lb for 90/10, the grocery store charges $2.99/lb on sale.


The other thing I found with a price book is that often times BJ's prices are equivalent to sale prices. For example, butter is always $2.00/lb at BJ's. Butter is usually $3.99lb at the grocery store but it will occasionally go on sale for $1.99/lb. BJ's pricing makes a lot of items just "always on sale," which adds a lot to the convenience factor. Dry cereal is the same way, and a bunch of other things that we buy.

In the past we used to only go to BJ's if we were having a party or needed a lot of food, but this year we've really changed our habits so we go shopping at BJ's about once a week and go to the regular grocery store every two months or so, to get the few items that are cheaper there or items that we don't want to buy a huge supply of (like we don't need a gallon jar of mayo - it will go bad before we finish it).

It depends on your buying habits. We have a sam's membership, but I buy very carefully there, since many items are actually cheaper at aldi's. Everyday things that make it worthwhile for us include:

butter (this alone would probably pay for the membership over a year's time)
cream
half & half
milk
ground beef
cheese
dishwasher soap
cat litter
yeast
some seasonings/spices

if you have the freezer space, their case prices on meats are pretty good. For example, you can buy the 90/10 ground beef for $1.57/lb or ground chuck for $1.40/lb. I have not liked some of their cuts of beef, so I usually buy cuts (other than ground) at the regular grocery when they go on sale.

and recently, we replaced old, yucky carpeting in our home with laminate flooring from sam's, that had a lifetime warranty. It was only $1.55/sq ft, which was far less than any other source we found. We saved nearly $1000 on a purchase we were going to make, one way or another, so the membership has more than paid for itself for us. If you are planning on any large ticket purchases of appliances, electronics, etc., then you might find a sam's membership useful. You should check out the prices for yourself at their website. You can even get the grocery pricing if you type in your zip code to get your local club.

beware of overspending there, though. it's really easy to do. only shop from a list, and with a clear idea of what it will cost you when they ring up the total. make sure you comparison shop because many things that seem like they are cheaper are really not, when you do the math. flour and sugar are two that come to mind immediately--aldi's regular prices are less per pound. eggs are cheaper at aldi's too, at least in my area.

and they *do* take CCs now at sam's. they take discover and mastercard, and visa debit (but not visa credit), and also their own store credit accounts. they are planning on adding visa in the near future.

Wow you guys seem to have much larger stores. Some of you have better meat deals too. Here I think walmarts meat ends up being cheaper or even the higher end store here than at sams club. It's really a pick and choose here. I went again today and ended up spending like 60 for basically 6-7 items lol I like they have some unique items there that I can't get elsewhere. The eggs and milk I think are the best deal that I get often there.

I didn't have time to read all of the posts, so please forgive me if I repeat what other people have said. We got a great brand of car battery at Sam's last week. The auto parts store wanted $80.00 for it and we got it at Sam's for $54.27. We also priced there Michelin tires while there and four tires mounted... is $416.00. We couldn't get them at a tire store cheaper.

We shop at Sam's once a month and we buy food, paper and soap products, batteries and vitamins. We always shop with a list and before I go to Sam's, I calculate what we will spend and see if it is within the budget that we have set for the month.

I find that if you stick with your list and calculate as you go and have a set budget then it can really be a money saver.

I think it is worth it, in the amount of milk we drink alone! I also always buy yeast, cocoa, lemon juice, cooking oil, lemons, organic salad mix, buns, and chicken breasts. sometimes these items go on sale for cheaper at the grocery store and if they are then I buy them there, but for the most part Sams has the lowest for us.

and recently, we replaced old, yucky carpeting in our home with laminate flooring from sam's, that had a lifetime warranty. It was only $1.55/sq ft, which was far less than any other source we found. We saved nearly $1000 on a purchase we were going to make, one way or another, so the membership has more than paid for itself for us. If you are planning on any large ticket purchases of appliances, electronics, etc., then you might find a sam's membership useful. You should check out the prices for yourself at their website. You can even get the grocery pricing if you type in your zip code to get your local club.


We purchased our laminate flooring from Sam's too. It saved us a bundle.

We have a Costco membership and it's $40/year. It saves us WAAAAAY more than that annual cost. We use it for food, gas, sometimes clothing...etc, etc. And the samples are a nice "bonus". ;)

Check out what you use...more than likely you'll easily make up the annual cost...and then save, save, save!! :D

They give one-day passes sometimes. We shop there about once per month and buy all the things other people have said were a good deal (laundry soap, dishwasher soap, mouthwash, shampoo, etc). I like to buy in large quantities because it keeps be from going back to the store so often. The more you go, the more you buy (at least I do anyway). Shopping at Sam's keeps me from spending more at other places. You have to be careful though! Make a list and stick to it.....and stay away from those ladies with food samples! I always seem to buy what they are selling!

We had a Costco membership a few years back and after carefully analyzing with a price book I decided not to renew. I found buying lost leaders, and combining sales with coupons was way cheaper for us. I get lots of free items with coupons. Costco doesn't take coupons. What really opened my eyes was looking at the unit price of things there. Almost always I could get that item for less. The BIG sizes I think are deceiving and hard for consumers to know if they are really getting a good deal. I have found that milk, cheese, eggs and a few items are a good deal there, but not worth $40.00 a year. I can still usually get the same price elsewhere on sale or close to it. I also found that buying that much of an item, such as bananas, or a huge bag of pretzels, we couldn't eat it all before it went bad or stale.

I do occasionally go with a friend or my sister and get a huge block of cheese (always a good price there!) and maybe a few items.

We have a BJ's membership, and I get gasoline whenever I'm there or near there, since it is a good bit cheaper than a regular gas station. I buy 48# of Iams dog food for about $28.00, which is cheaper than I can find it elsewhere. I probably save enough in dog food alone to pay for the membership! I also get meat there. Super Walmart has cheaper chicken than a lot of other stores, but have you noticed they add a lot more salt and broth to theirs? I can't have that due to DH's health issues, so I mainly buy meat now at BJ's. Also we get 20# bags of jasmine rice, also parmesan cheese, Splenda, cat litter, dog treats, Hebrew National hotdogs. Plus BJ's lets you use coupons, sometimes more than 1 coupon depending on how things are packed. PLUS, you can combine a BJ coupon with a manuf. coupon. I love BJ's! :)

We go to Sam's Club once a month. Our savings in dog food makes up for the membership costs, and I buy lots of produce there for large-batch cooking. But I always check prices at the other stores first, because a lot of times things are cheaper elsewhere.

Also--do you have a Gordon Food Service store or something like it? They sell things in large sizes for resteraunts. Not as big as SC, but the savings there are pretty good, too. As long as you don't go overboard lol!!

I think it's worth it. I buy TP, paper towels, books, meat (the lean ground beef is WAY cheaper than the grocery store!), frozen foods, bottled water, some OTC meds, really good bird seed that the birds actually eat, the occasional electronic product... I used to buy cat litter there, too, and it was a great deal, but we switched the type of litter we use and Sam's doesn't sell it. Oh yeah, I also buy Mobil 1 motor oil for our cars. And the occasional item of clothing.

Get a guest pass and spend an hour or so in there. Look around, price things, determine what you would or wouldn't buy there, then make your decision.

Well i recently made the price of my membership. I got a clearanced electric guitar for 70 bucks! Originally 170ish or so. I remember thinking to myself it'd be nice if it went on clearance and 2 days later it did :-D And there was only one which looked just like floor model but without sparkles? lol So I guess it was clearance because it didn't have sparkles like the one on display but other than that it works great. I just invested recently in a buncha freezer ziplocks and have frozen some individual meat packs like that. Before I never used freezer bags ( thought they were expensive and too lazy) but I've noticed it made a huge difference on keeping away freezer burn and keeping meats redder. I've kept away from the bottled water though and try refilling empty bottles with filtered brita as I think bottled water is a BIG waste in plastic. It's just a hastle sometimes to fill up bottles for me but I now try to use for every one new bottle to refill it at least 3 times before chucking it now and I've also bought powder gatorade to make it taste nicer occasionally and still big savings over already bottled gatorade.

The things however I'm gonna stay away from is their frozen seafood. I think it is plain nasty!!! Learned that lesson the hard way lol Now I'm stuck with a 13 dollar bag of gross salmon. I try to be really careful of prices however because alot of times grocery stores are cheaper. Sams makes it so easy to end up spending so much. I sometimes get impulse and of course it's with huger quantity...

I however drew the conclusion that I already made up dues with the guitar.

I have determined that the membership is not a good deal for us. I do go there once or twice a year with a free one day pass. You have to pay a 10% upcharge with the one day pass, but you would have to spend more than $400 a year to make the membership a better deal, and I just don't spend that kind of money at Sam's.

We have a business membership that is $30 a year I think. For us the savings in the cost of milk alone makes the membership worth it. Our family of 6 goes through 5/6 gallons a week. If I bought milk at the local grocery stores or at WM I would spend a minimum of $3.49 a gallon, at sams last time milk was $2.29 a gallon, savings of $1.20 a gallon. I bought 5 gallons so it saved me $6 not getting it somewhere else.

I don't personally have one anymore. But my parents still do and on occasion I go with them as a guest. I just give them the money when we go up to pay. When the kids were home and of course their friends it was a money saver for me. In the summer it saves for when we have cookouts and such.
But I think it just depends on what you buy.

My boyfriend has one for his business which is, I think, $45 a year. It may not be worth it only for him, but I use it sometimes so I think for the two of us it may be worth it.

We shop at Costco, and here they offer an "executive membership". The cost is $100 a year, but you also get 2% of your purchases back as a rebate at the end of the year. We do a lot of shopping there, and also purchase items for hubby's business, so decided to get the executive membership. For the last 2 years, we've received rebate certificates for over $100, which basically means that we got our membership for free! For Costco, at any rate, this might be worth looking into if you shop there a lot (admittedly, though, it's the business items that help boost our rebate more than the groceries!).

I find great deals at Costco - you do have to exercise some restraint when it comes to the "other" stuff....books, DVD's, housewares, etc. as the prices on all these luxuries are pretty darn good too! But if you stick to the items you use on a regular basis, and take care to break larger bulk packs down into smaller portions - use your freezer!! - you can save a lot of money.

we have a Sams membership & Are NOT getting our money's worth out of it!:surprise: We just don't go often enough. I can tell you my Hubby's father owns a candy machine business and gets TONs of stuff there:cone2: . I guess it's really only worth it if you buy a lot of groceries!:hungry: I'm going to have to start going or cancel our membership!
Oh! I do know that if you use your Sam's card to get gas you save 5cents per gallon! Good deal if you are near one!:clap:

Well, I need a :coffee3:refill so I will stop posting long enough to let my fingers heal!:thumb:

Hahahaha I was just thinking this on Friday night when I marched out of there with a bill of $105. It was worth it for me that one time b/c I did buy a few bulk grocery items. All in all, Walmart is cheaper then Sams however only Sams has 'Markland Mark' or whatever their 'store brand' is and to me thats a better value then shopping at Walmart.

IF I had a choice between the two, Id go back to Costco. But in all honesty, its cheaper for me to buy from the reg grocery stores which is why I gave up my Costco last year. My dad wanted certain chairs that were only sold at Sams club so we got a membership there and buying those chairs - the savings paid for the membership. I also went with my boss who bought a microwave which was WAY cheaper there oddly enough.

I find a lot of things cheaper at Sams vs Costco - name brands but I always seem to find them cheaper in the reg grocery store. Plus the few times Ive been to Sams the produce hasnt been so fresh - ick.

We now have the Super Walmarts in Canada and the produce there is WAY fresher then Sams - go figure?!

A few things I noticed between the Sams in US vs Cananda when reading this thread:

* we dont sell gas
* we accept cash, debit and MasterCard
* we dont have a pharmacy

We had a membership to BJ's a few years ago. We gave it up because of the large amounts of groceries we had to buy we didnt have storage for or use before they began to spoil or get stale. A friend has a membership to costco. We go with her about once or twice a year. We got some great deals on televisions, and folding chairs. As far as the groceries, I do better with the loss leaders and couponing at the local market basket, because I am only buy groceries for myself, dh and ds.

If you have a choice between Bj's or sams I woud go with Bj's. They have a much wider selection and you can stack coupons!

I personally think it's worth it.. I also have a family of six and need to buy in bulk..I noticed for the past month or so that the sales on meats are just not happening anymore at the regular grocery stores ..I went to Sams Club today and bought 80/20 hamburger for $1.98 a pound (at my 3 grocery stores) it 's anywhere from $2.49 to over $3.00 a pound..Whole chickens were .77 a pound...Chicken thighs are .99 a pound...Hot sausage is $2.49 a pound...Salmon is $1.49 a pound... Boneless sirloin steaks(very thick and not alot of fat) $4.87 a pound...The prices are just unbeatable for what I have been seeing lately in the Grocery stores..I agree there are alot of items that I can get cheaper on sale and combining coupons ..But for now this is where I will be buying my meats unless I find a good deal somewhere else..


I also wanted to say that I love their Bath towels and Hand towels are Top quality there prices is very reasonable..

For my family of three, Sams is totally worth it. The "staples" that I purchase when I go (1 or 2x per month):
Milk--Under or just above $3/gallon
OJ (2)--$3.50/gallon
Eggs--18 for $1.15
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast--6.5lb/$14
Sliced American Cheese--5lb/$8
Ground Beef/Fresh Burger Patties--Under $2/lb
Lunchmeat--Oscar Mayer Sub Kit ($3/lb) or get a large 'hunk' of meat from the meat section and have Sam's slice it
Pizza--3-pack Digornio $12
Easy Mac--18 packets for $5
Kid's Cereal (name brand) 2 bags (about 2 grocery store boxes) $5
paper plates (splurge since I hate to wash dishes!)--I think 160 for $8
bagged chips--LARGE bags (unsure of size) 2/$4.88

Yes, Sam's is expensive--if you bought 5 lbs of cheese at Publix or Kroeger, it would cost a lot. I have to keep telling myself that when I see the receipt.
Keep in mind also, for those of you who complain that you can't eat all the food before it goes bad: invest in a food vacuum sealer and a chest freezer. Between what you will save at Sam's by buying in bulk and saving will more than make up for your cost (I got a sealer for $60 and and a freezer for $140 at Walmart a few years ago) for the items. If you search online or thrift stores, you may find even better deals!

Anyway, I digress...

If you look at the mathematics: I go through 1 bag of chicken a month, 4 gallons of milk, 2 gallons of oj. This equals: $27 a month ($324/year.)
If we take retail prices of the same I spend about $42 a month ($204/year). Just with these 3 items, I spend $180 less per year at Sam's ($15/month.)
In 3 months, I've paid for my membership.
And besides food, I've purchased contact lenses, auto tires, computer peripherals, office supplies and even a mattress at cheaper prices. I wouldn't say that I'd DIE without my membership, but it sure is a saving godsend!

On a tangent...even if you aren't a member of anywhere, get a food sealer anyway. That way, when chicken or whatever goes on a FAB sale, you can buy oodles and not worry about spoilage. You cna seal and freeze just about EVERYTHING! I've sealed buns, shredded cheese, sliced cheese, meat, seafood, andything I can think of!

Since our closest Sam's is in Savannah, It's not worth it for us.

It's worth it for us. We're a family of 5, with one in diapers. We save a bundle by going to Sam's. I have a food saver that I use to break my meat down into smaller meal portions. We usually go at least twice a month if needed.

For us, it's worth it:

We only go to Town about once a month. So, I have my frequently-purchased items that I get at Sam's:


cheeses
pesto sauce (in summer)
tortillas
chicken cordon blue
V8 for DH
gatoraid for DD
Asian veg
hummus
frozen shrimp
cheese sticks
onions
bananas
frozen berries
antacids
bacon bits


For me, it's a time savings as well as $$$ savings.

Okay, it's not worth it for us anymore. Now that I'm a hardcore coupon and sale shopper, I can get nearly ever single thing cheaper by shopping elsewhere (we don't shop at Wal-Mart either)........ the only thing that I've been tempted to go to Sams for lately is sliced cheese! For 8 something you get a HUGE thing of it......... We're almost out so I need to decide if I'll be going there or not. lol

Our closest Sam's is 35min away and we don't have a deep freeze. We don't have the storage space nor the patience for the drive and with the gas prices going wishy washy..I'd prefer to shop at our local stores including Walmart. I think like another mama mentioned. That'd be WAY too much temptation to spend more too.

I think Sam's Club is worth it. When I go I buy our personal care products in bulk.. such as body wash or soap (with 3 boys we go through a lot!). I also get quite a few of our meats and fresh fruits/veggies there. The chicken and the kielbasa sausage is quite a deal for me. I also buy the big bags of sugar and flour in bulk. I have the "Make A Mix" cookbook and I use mass amounts of these items in the mixes that I put together. Some spices I also buy are Cumin & Dried Onions. The popcorn is also a good deal for us as well. I get my monies worth at Sam's. I do try to only go once a month and I plan carefully before going. I will price-check the local grocery stores (including Walmart) to see if anything that I might possibly buy at Sam's is on sale there, especially if I have a coupon for that particular item. That is the wonderful thing about the internet... you can pull up the local prices at the local stores and compare them right in your own home! :sun: Oh yah one more thing.. I get the 5 gallon buckets of laundry detergent and the large bottles of dish washing detergent there also. I do plan on evaluating the laundry detergent aspect and see if I can make my own and if it would be as economical as the detergent I get from Sam's.... I will have to factor in the 5 gallon bucket.... they come in handy around the house!

We have a membership to Costco and think that it is totally worth it. I realize Sam's is a completely different store, but I thought I would put in my 2 cents anyways. I like it because I buy all my meats there and a lot of bulk items, and then I never shop for these anywhere else. The job is done for a long time, and money is saved. There are only two of us and it is still worth it.