Are you a member of any wholesale clubs?

[delikado]

Costco, Sam's, BJ's? I'm thinking about getting a membership, but was wondering if there was really any difference between these guys. I'd love to hear what your experiences have been with any (or even all) of these places.

 

[two4ruff]

Love Costco.

All I need in life is a Costco & a good Walmart and I'm set.

Where else can I get a 10lb chocolate cake when I "need" it??

Seriously, I do save quite a bit buying certain items in bulk and Costco has great buys on everything from kids clothes to tires.
Have fun!

 

[holycow]

I've got both...Costco and Sams has gas here and it is 10 plus cent cheaper than any where else

I also have fav. items that I get that are much cheaper than the grocery store.


HC

 

[binny]

yep Costco and I love it!!!

 

[mommytotwo]

I have a membership at COSTCO and we do save on gas-especially since the price of gas is always rising.
I have also saved alot of film. They also have special rebates and coupons from time to time on household products that you will save a few dollars on.
COSTCO can be very convienent when you are holding party. They have ready made party trays, salad mixes, and other items that will save you alot of time.

 

[Aimeedyan]

We don't have a Costco in my city, but I have been there and liked it! I think Costco and Sams have diff stuff, so in a perfect world I'd have memberships to both =)

We have a Sams card. Saves us on gas, some bulk groceries, junk we dont need but think we do as we wander the aisles, chicken and beef, paper goods, medical stuff like tampons and pads =)

I also find it VERY helpful when hosting a large event, like my wedding! We catered it ourself with almost all Sams stuff. Also do showers and partieis with their stuff...

Get a guest pass to any membership clubs in your area and compare costs, items, and see how you like it. Remember that htey change their merchandise alot, so you'll just see a bit of what htey have =)

 

[bunnyfoo]

I initially joined Sam's because they were opening a new outlet in my area and were giving away $10 gift cards away with new memberships. They also told me that their memberships are refundable at any time... I haven't been to a Costco outlet yet so I'm not sure what they're like.

 

[Towncrier]

I had a free Costco membership for about a year. I bought a slide scanner for my computer and we shopped there a couple of times, but when it came time to renew (and have to pay), we didn't signup. The Costco is 20 miles from our house (near where I work), so it didn't make sense for us to pay for a membership. I will say that they did have a better selection than Sam's Club.

We have had a Sam's Club membership for nearly 20 years. The Sam's Club is less than 5 miles from our house. My only complaint is that you have to buy cases of some items. Case in point. I wanted to get some yogurt and ended up with 24 individual containers and a fridge full of something that only I will eat. If you want to buy in bulk, Sam's Club is the place to go.

 

[Catzeyes]

We have both although I prefer Sam's.

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

We have free membership at Costco, that's where I bought my newly purchased Dyson.

I shop there about once a month, but I do not normally like to buy in bulk. We really do not need 2 vats of peanut butter if you know what I mean. But I do like their meat and seafood, and I always buy my Starbucks coffee there.

 

[swea_pea1]

We have a Sam's membership and we like it. We usually only buy select things there...only stuff that we know we'll use no matter what. We get great deals on Kraft Mac & Cheese, those little containers of apple sauce, tomato sauce and tomato paste, frozen pizza, milk, bananas, apple juice, and toilet paper. We used to buy ground meat there, but after the whole "mad cow" thing, I got weird about it and stopped.

Some things are cheaper at Walmart (like paper towels for some reason), so I don't get sucked into buying it just because I'm there. Bulk doesn't always equal saving money, so it's best to know prices before you walk in to tell if you're getting a good deal.

 

[4greatboys]

I have a Sams card. Some things there are a pretty good buy.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I am a member of Sam's. I prefer it over Costco because they did not have a good food selection (here at least). Wasn't a bad store but I found that the Costco carried about the same as a grocery store.

Things I buy at Sam's are bulk candy, mac & cheese, that 3-pack of whipping cream in a can, frozen food, cleaners, laundry stuff and disposable dishware.

 

[my3kids]

LOVE Costco. The closest one to me is an hour away, and I STILL love to go to Costco. Great stuff and great discounts on travel, auto loans and more!

 

[hydster]

We are also members of the "hundred dollar store" aka Costco because everytime we walk out of there the bill is at least $100.00 but we LOVE it! Meat, Milk, Gas, some clothes and tons of dry food. I only have to do the grocery store 1-2 times a month if I hit Costco first.

 

[Kimickey]

We have a membership to both. But prefer Costco over Sams. We go to buy pampers and wipes for DS. We just bought from Costco a 7inch screen portable DVD player that came with a travel bag that turns into a player holder on the back of a seat, also two head phones and a head phone spliter along with all of the car and home connections for $219. When I go to other stores such as Target and even Walmart, they are just selling the DVD player alone, for $239.

 

[Mercy]

I've had memberships to BJ's, Costco and Sam's. Currently I have Costco and got a free year at BJ's.

My favorite is Costco, don't know why exactly, but I just like it best.

 

[Stepharoonie!]

Yup, BJs and Costco.

 

[spooers23]

I like BJ's because you can use regular coupons there.

 

[JerseyJanice]

I have a free membership at Costco, and it's close to where I live, so it's convenient.

Not all things are a great buy there. Somethings, you have to buy mass quantities of to save only a little money, and markdowns are almost non-existant.

With a small family and DS out of diapers, I wouldn't pay for a membership, but since it's free for me, I have a membership and use it.