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Barb.b
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| Posted: April 27 2012 at 2:07pm | IP Logged
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So, is Sam's club worth it. I see it is $40 for an annual membership and am wondering how I decide if I get more then $40 worth of savings per year?
Barb
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: April 27 2012 at 2:26pm | IP Logged
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It will depend on what else you have access too and what items you're looking for.
When I lived in Tucson, AZ. We had a Costco membership (very similiar) and yet I could usually beat the prices watching for sales at the grocery store.
Do they have any option for a single day pass or to just go in and check it out before getting a membership. Or if you get a membership being able to get a full refund if you don't like it or something.
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Servant2theKing
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| Posted: April 27 2012 at 3:14pm | IP Logged
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There are various items we regularly purchase at Sams Club which are consistently less expensive or pretty much on par with sales in our area. DD and I often compare prices by phone on certain items that she purchases at Aldi's or Walmart ~ prices for many items in bulk from Sams are usually pretty comparable. We typically purchase basic items, like butter, cheese, eggs, pretzels, canned goods, staples, OTC medications or vitamins. The few prepared foods we've ever purchased for special occasions or emergencies have been reasonably priced and of good uality.
The biggest benefit in having a Sams membership for us has been their Click 'n Pull service. I'm able to fill an order online and dh picks it up near his workplace. The service was especially helpful when my mil had her stroke, as we were shopping for three different sets of people. I was able to order online for whatever location we needed to be in while she was in the hospital, having intensive therapy, and for limited visits home. A simple click of the mouse and I could change pick up locations, call up saved items from lists we had already compiled in the past and create an order ~ a much, much simpler process than navigating the store and trying to sort it all out in my head or in cart(s), let alone fitting in a shopping trip in between caring for her needs 24/7. Mothers with new babies or many littles, or those with overloaded schedules can really benefit from this feature of a Sams club membership. The savings in gas, time and energy alone are incredible. During the intense period of caring for my mil family members would have gladly paid $40 for a single grocery delivery on several different occasions, so the Click 'n Pull service essentially helped the yearly membership more than pay for itself in my book!
One additional benefit ~ their gas prices are typically 10-20 cents cheaper per gallon in our area, which also helps the cost of membership pay for itself.
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3ringcircus
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| Posted: April 28 2012 at 1:12am | IP Logged
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When I last estimated it, if DH & I got our gas there consistently, it just about paid for the membership. I mostly go in the door for white vinegar, froz. vegetables, & the multigrain bread. There are random clothing items I find good deals on, as well as activity books for the LOs. Some of their online prices on random things such as electronics, are competitive, an often offer bonus items (i.e. the steam-cleaner came w/ an extra brush attachment).
As far as bulk grocery, I find more at Costco (also good for gas, but too far for us to use consistently).
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: April 28 2012 at 4:51am | IP Logged
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WE save money on some things, but I know I buy other things there simply for the convenience 
Some items that we find less expensive there are Arnolds wheat bread, eggs, butter, diapers and diaper wipes. I also find that their boneless chicken breast is usually way cheaper than any of our other grocery stores. (And it comes in nice big packages so I don't have a bunch of little packages cluttering the freezer.)
There might be more but I'm going to have to do some research. None of this, by the way is helpful if you eat organic food. 
Oh, and my "shopping buddy" for the week really enjoys getting a soft pretzel at Sams when we're all done with the shopping! 
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pumpkinmom
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| Posted: April 28 2012 at 2:42pm | IP Logged
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It's worth it for me because I get a free membership.  My dad's family business buys mine every year. I wouldn't have it unless I got it for free. There is just a few items I buy there. But, we are also 45 minutes away, so I only go 1-2 times a year. If there was one in our town, I would buy more stuff and it would be worth for me to purchase. You really need to know your prices because not everything is cheaper! I do like that I can find "seasonal" items there that other stores in our area just don't have. Ours also has a great produce section.
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CatholicMommy
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| Posted: April 28 2012 at 4:30pm | IP Logged
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I do an every-other-year membership when I have to pay for it. Getting one in association with a business is the best way (free!); one year I split membership with my sister - totally worth it at that point.
We don't get food so much as we (used to) get our ALL laundry detergent there (I make homemade now); big packages of toilet paper (enough of a savings that since I was in there it made it worth it; and it meant less trips for such an item) - those sort of things.
But my main reason for it is:
-laminating pouches (I have found a comparable site online to order from, but they smell nasty compared to Sam's Club)
-packages of binders (needed these when starting Montessori ;) )
-sheet protectors for those same binders and TONS of other uses
-saving on gas
I've bought other items there that have come in handy and definitely saved money, but I didn't get a membership to GET those items if that makes sense (eyedrops when I wore contacts, jumpdrives for the computer).
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herdingkittens
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| Posted: June 01 2012 at 9:07pm | IP Logged
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Servant2theKing wrote:
The biggest benefit in having a Sams membership for us has been their Click 'n Pull service. |
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YES!!!  Near the end of my last pregnancy, I decided that I did not want to grocery shop anymore (took too much time out of our school day to take the kids, and I did not want to miss time with my husband in the evenings).  Anyway, I started looking around and fell in love with the Click n Pull service. We make one big order for 2 weeks worth of groceries, and my husband picks it up after work. I thought about dropping the membership when it came time to renew, but my husband wanted to keep it going, as he thinks it's really fun! He comes home with his little compact car bursting with food, and the kids all scream and run out to bring all the goodies in.
Price wise, it works out well. Yes, I can get some things cheaper at Aldi's, but the products at Sam's are better made (I LOVE Aldi's, don't get me wrong). Plus, I like that I can get huge amounts of nuts and oats and make my own granola in huge batches, things like that.
Things that are good price wise are - milk, eggs, nuts, coffee, flour, yeast, produce (and the produce is WONDERFUL, too), meat (usually), bread, vitamins...
All that being said, if they did not have click and pull, I might just do Aldi's (with a little supplementing from Meijer).
HTH!
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Sam's Club
