Warehouse Clubs (Sam's etc)

**SouthernJen** · 09-30-2002, 04:29 PM

I am debating on signing up at Sam's & would like some advice.

This is what's holding me back:
*we live 1 hour away
*it's only DH & I that I'd be buying for

Do you think it would be worth it?

These are some things I'd think I may buy there:
cat litter, phone cards, books (for gifts), contact lenses for DH,
toiletries of course.

We would not be buying alot of "bulk foods" since it's just the
2 of us.

What do you all buy at such stores? Thanks in advance for
your input!

**heaven** · 09-30-2002, 04:58 PM

I like sams don't get me wrong but i have to be very careful in there because i OVER SPEND. it is so easy (i think to do). and now the chain and grocery stores have bulk isles so you can find just about everything that you find in sams at one of the other stores and remember just because it is there it isn't always a bargan. just MHO. GOOD LUCK with what ever you decide.

**SewCrafty** · 09-30-2002, 05:16 PM

It is only dh and myself too. We have had a membership for about 4 years now and it pays for itself each year. We go twice a month and we are about 40 minutes away.

We purchase: cat litter (we have 9 katz), cat food for my outside kitties, jif peanut butter (you get 2 big jars for about $7 and my dh eats it all the time!), baking items at Christmas, paper products (but you need the room to store these), american cheese (they have an excellent american cheese, not cheese food, already sliced 4# block for around $7.??, I break it up int 5-6 packages and freeze it. Sometimes I buy meat, but only if it is a good buy.

Heaven is right, watch the prices, it isn't always a good deal. If you use coupons you can sometimes get the product cheaper in your local supermarket.

HTH

Diana

**QuilterMom** · 09-30-2002, 05:21 PM

Here's what I buy at Sam's....

- Mine and dh's contact lens
- DVD's
- Books
- Milk
- Parmesan cheese wedges
- Brown sugar
- Confectioner's sugar
- pretzels
- goldfish crackers
- Shredded cheese (mozzarella and Cheddar - freezes well)
- Baking cocoa
- Garden rotini pasta
- Good Humor ice cream variety packs (ice cream sandwiches, etc.)
- Spices
- Dry milk powder
- Canned chunk chicken
- yeast
- Baking soda
- Honey
- Antibacterial liquid soap
- Freezer baggies
- markdown ground beef, roasts
- Spiral hams
- Frozen shrimp
- Potstickers

**SewCrafty** · 09-30-2002, 05:22 PM

SouthernJen - I forgot to add, if you have a famly member or a close friend, you could share the expense of a membership together. My Mom and sister do this. They do have to go shopping together, unless you know what they want and don't mind shopping for the other person.

For instance they will purchase a 20 roll package of toilet paper, and split it. Same could go for any bulk item.

Good luck,
Diana

**Lori Biever-Launder** · 09-30-2002, 10:47 PM

I don't have a membership because most of the deals are just as good at the regular stores here with a few exceptions. I ask my m-i-l to buy this stuff for me. Powdered milk to a much better deal there than anywhere else. I only need one 40 quart box every few years!

**bamamomto4** · 09-30-2002, 11:37 PM

We have a membership but DH works there

I over spend everytime I walk through the doors LOL! It's so easy to rack up $100 in very lil time lol
I shop there about once every 2-3 months

We buy

Spiral hams ( Aren't they delish kahana??lol)
boneless skinless chicken breast
meat (if it's a good deal)
Margarine (a huge tub is around $2.68-last me several months)
Chips
Computer software
DVD's
tires
My computer lol

I know I buy alot more there,just drawing a blank right now.

I did buy the buckets of washing powder but with coupons and double days I can get it cheaper elsewhere

I would suggest trying it for a year.If you don't feel you're coming out as good,don't renew next year.
I'm not sure I would even have a card if Steve didn't work there.We get ours free and I would hate to pay for one.No more than I shop there.

Let us know what you decide

**EDITED**

You can get some real cool deals throughout the year.Last year after Christmas I got about a 10 pound (just guessing) all white meat turkey for $3
Earlier this year we got some of the new ragu express for $1.91 a box that had about 20 packs in it....
Kraft Mac n cheese (monster inc ) a 9 pack for 91¢

The list goes on and on......

And always remember a price ending in 91 means it's been markdown.And somethings DO get marked down to 1 cent

Items like this go SUPER FAST!! I would've have gotten any of them had Steve not worked there.
They also post on mycoupons about deals they find at Sam's,so check there often for a list.It doesn't mean every Sam's will have them,but it's always worth checking into

So there are some advantages

**dz_blonde_girl** · 10-01-2002, 07:04 AM

This is what I get at Sams

Trash bags (these are great girls, thanks for recommending them)
Laundry soap 300 oz Sam's brand for $9.99
Dish Soap
Diapers
Cheese
Lunch Meat
Milk
TIRES - can't beat Sam's prices on tires and batteries for your car
At Christmas time they have some great toy deals and other gifts

**SouthernJen** · 10-01-2002, 08:14 PM

Ladies:

Thanks so much for your replies to date.

You all have brought up so many things that I did not even
think of!

I'm much more closer to joining now (I can see myself getting
carried away though!)

**keilley** · 10-01-2002, 08:37 PM

I love Sam's Club. My girlfriend and I actually split our membership. When you join Sam's Club, you get a "spouse card" for free. The lady that worked at Sam's told us that it was okay for one of us to get the spouse card. LOL. My dh would die if he found out. It worked out to $17.50 a year.

I get the Acuvue contact lenses there. It is so cheap, less than $15/box.

Other things I get regularly:
salad mix
milk
cheese
bananas
rotisserie chicken.......yummy (big ones)
bread
yeast
rice
medicine - generic
Splenda
coffee
gas
spiral ham - yes, I agree that they are delicious.

I'm there every week.
I try most of their Member's Mark products and I have no complaints.
It's a cheap treat for the kids too...pizza and hotdog at Sam's

I love Sam's. My kids call it Stuff Mart (from Veggie Tales).

Keilley

**bamamomto4** · 10-01-2002, 09:48 PM

I agree about the trash bags.Just like Hefty cinch sak

**MANDERS** · 10-01-2002, 11:28 PM

We have one and love it.My first purchase there was the complete twg for $10 and phone cards.WE have also gotten our dish detergent(huge huge tub)laundry det(even bigger tub)wine coolers(basically comes down to I can get 3 4pks for the price of 2)We got a 20 gal shop vac for $34 which was the same price as a 5 gal.Those things cost like $70 at wal-mart.cocoa spices etc.There is so much there it is hard to overspend but over here in lala land one of our news channels has a consumer reporter who was one dateline(clark howard)yep he's a multimillionare tightwad who said if the last 2 numbers of the price is .71 then you got it below cost.Pretty cool for him to let us know this so look for those .71 girls

**Kindred-Spirit** · 10-02-2002, 08:36 AM

You can go without a card, just pay 5% over the total. As for the phone cards, you only have to buy it once. THen you recharge them over the phone and don't pay tax. I think it would be worth it for the great deals.