BJ's/SAMs Club worth it?

[Irin997]

We have a BJ's membership, the one with 2% back in rewards, coupled with a BJ's visa which also gives us 2% back (including on gas). We hit up BJ's on a weekly basis for certain staples like gas (always cheaper), milk, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, deli meats, and meat. I know we save money because I also use their in house coupons on their already low prices. I pay the same price for things at BJ's in larger sizes than the supermarket. With the rewards we receive our membership is more than free each year which makes it even more worth it.

 

[thebeesknees]

We have Sam's membership right now. It is convenient (right across from my kids' school), and while I had kids in diapers, it definitely saved us a ton of money. Now, probably not so much, but I think the membership cost pays for itself in milk alone. It is consistently $1/gallon cheaper there than anywhere else. I like being able to get stuff like pudding cups and applesauce in bulk, it is cheaper for dried fruit like raisins and craisins, and a lot cheaper for powdered milk. Yeast is inexpensive, as well (can you tell I do a lot of baking? lol). I hit up the meat department first thing in the morning right after they do their markdowns and can usually get large packages of meat for less than the grocery store sale price. Boneless skinless chicken breast usually runs under $2/lb there, and we go through a lot of that. We eat a lot of bananas, and it's $1.44 for 3 pounds, way less than anywhere else around here. Oh, and I can get our allergy medicine pretty cheap compared to Target or other pharmacies. Other stuff I don't tend to buy because we'd never use it up before it went bad, but for now, I think we get our money's worth from the membership. You'd probably have to go in and look around for yourself to see what stuff you'd normally buy and price out if it would be worth it or not for your particular family.

 

[brymolmom]

We have a BJ's membership. Just re-joined - fee is $40 that I split with my mom and stepdad (you get 2 cards for this price - primary and secondary) - so we paid about $20 for 15 months of membership...let's call it $1.50 a month to round things.

I save at least .05 (and sometimes .10) a gallon on gas every time we fill up there. Let's estimate at least 12 gallons....that's .60 right there. And I would say we fill up at least 3 times a month - but more likely 4 times a month between our 2 vehicles. NOTE - Our BJ's is not right in our own town - it's about 15 minutes away - so we only fill with gas here when we are in that neighborhood. Anyway - I figure we make out 'ahead' on gas alone.

As for products - you literally need to take in your notepad and write down the price per pound/ounce, etc. of everything you are considering buying and then compare - it is NOT always cheaper. However, we tend to buy these things there and I believe we usually save at least 50 cents to a dollar on them:
Ragu sauce 3 packs
Oral B toothbrush heads (likely save $5 or so on these I think but only need to buy them once every 6 months because a large quantity)
B&J (their generic brand) - liquid hand soap
B&J toilet paper
Kleenex 8 packs
Chewing Gum - Orbitz or Trident (likely save a couple dollars here)
Dove Bar Soap
Digornio frozen pizza
Graham Crackers
Jif reduced fat peanut butter (local stores only carry small container so likely save 1 - 2 dollars here)
Heinz Ketchup
Chip 2/$6.00 pick 2 (potato chips, doritos, smartpop, tortilla chips)

I don't buy everything each time - but I think I likely save somewhere between $5 - $10 on average on these things per trip.

Bad thing is that you WILL get sucked into buying some other stuff that isn't necessarily less expensive. Also - need plenty of storage space (and likely a freezer) or it might not be a good fit for you.

I think we definitely end up saving money - but not a boatload.

 

[North of Mouse]

We have had Sam's, B. J.'s, Costco, and Price Club at different times/years and we have never saved enough to equate the membership dues. I've decided I'll not "pay" to shop anywhere.

When I ask any of our friends/relatives if they truly *save* going there, they will admit it's mostly a convenience thing. Buying in bulk (when checking individual unit price) is not a saver there. Actually, it truly is sometimes at Target or Walmart.

As for gas, it's always just as cheap or cheaper at our Walmart here, especially when they run the 10 cents per gal. promo (like now).

We are fortunate to have several competitive grocery stores here who regularly double coupons up to .99 and very often triple or super double up to $2. They have great stocking up sales and with the coupons I come out great on groceries.

When looking at savings, you must first subtract the $40 fee, and that would take a good while for most families, then see what savings, if any, there are.

I've always been a "pencil scruncher", so I have to know exactly what I'm paying, or saving

 

[Irin997]

We have had Sam's, B. J.'s, Costco, and Price Club at different times/years and we have never saved enough to equate the membership dues. I've decided I'll not "pay" to shop anywhere.

When I ask any of our friends/relatives if they truly *save* going there, they will admit it's mostly a convenience thing. Buying in bulk (when checking individual unit price) is not a saver there. Actually, it truly is sometimes at Target or Walmart.

As for gas, it's always just as cheap or cheaper at our Walmart here, especially when they run the 10 cents per gal. promo (like now).

We are fortunate to have several competitive grocery stores here who regularly double coupons up to .99 and very often triple or super double up to $2. They have great stocking up sales and with the coupons I come out great on groceries.

When looking at savings, you must first subtract the $40 fee, and that would take a good while for most families, then see what savings, if any, there are.

I've always been a "pencil scruncher", so I have to know exactly what I'm paying, or saving

I do have to say that just buying milk there saves me $1.50 per gallon. So if you think about it, we use about 1.5 gallons of milk per week which saves me $117 per year, which more than pays for my $100 a year membership fee.

 

[hsmamato2]

I went with a friend last week to do some shopping at bj's and sams. I've been thru both stores a few times,and I can honestly say I wouldn't save ANYTHING with a membership there. The prices are at par with what I find on sale elsewhere or at my own discount grocery chains.I know I would spend more than normal. I don't know how they stay in business,as they aren't cheap. But I'm the type who walks into various stores with prices in my head,as to what is an average vs. a GOOD price.
Memberships cost money and more time. so I don't bother. And BTW, the dairy prices are HIGHER there than at my usual regular stores. (Price Rite and Aldi)

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I went with a friend last week to do some shopping at bj's and sams. I've been thru both stores a few times,and I can honestly say I wouldn't save ANYTHING with a membership there. The prices are at par with what I find on sale elsewhere or at my own discount grocery chains.I know I would spend more than normal. I don't know how they stay in business,as they aren't cheap. But I'm the type who walks into various stores with prices in my head,as to what is an average vs. a GOOD price.
Memberships cost money and more time. so I don't bother. And BTW, the dairy prices are HIGHER there than at my usual regular stores. (Price Rite and Aldi)

The majority of what I believe our Sams sales are for local businesses and restaurants, that's most likely where most of their profit comes from in any location.

Our Sams is always busy and always lined up. I don't necessarily think everything is that cheap, but they sometimes carry some unique stuff, and buying some things in bulk can come out cheaper for us, even though there are only 2 of us.

Not everybody is out to save money by shopping there, they go for the quantity.

 

[Disneefun]

We used to have BJ's but gave it up. I can do better price-wise at my local grocery and Target. Plus, I got tired of taking up so much space in my house with big containers. Now I just buy what we need at the best price I can get and am done with it.

We kept it probably for a year longer than we should have because they had the lowest priced gas and we thought we were at least saving there. But the past year or so, other stations in the area have been cheaper, particularly the grocery stores' station. And if I use my grocery rewards at their gas stations (they have their own stations, and/or I can the points at Hess) I do much, much better than at BJ's.

 

[maggiew]

I got a membership last November, so I have had it not quite a year. When I got the membership they were having a special where we got I believe a $10 coupon to use that day and then a $30 coupon to use on Black Friday. I used the $30 coupon to buy a printer/scanner/fax combo thing on Black Friday. So, in the end, the membership was free.

I have shopped there maybe 5 times. I get the big pack of paper towels and the big pack of toilet paper. I also get the 135 pack dishwasher tablets. And the 90 count K-cups

I have purchased some other things too:
2 shoe racks
2 pack big JIF peanut butter jars
Big jar cashews
frozen chicken stuffed with broccoli (yum!)
Panera brocolli cheddar soup
gourmet type cheeses
case of Progresso soup


etc.

I am currently debating whether to renew my memebership that expires in Nov. I am still undecided. I don't think I save much money but it is nice buying the large packs of toilet paper/paper towels/dishwasher detergents because we go through these things fast and the big containers mean less trips to the store. So I might keep it just for the convenience. I'm hoping they have another deal to renew the membership. If I can get a coupon or something to bring down the price, I will do it.

Maggie

 

[disykat]

Like others here, I find my membership fees are covered easily by savings on gas and milk. Other than that, I mainly shop at warehouse stores for the convenience of some of the things they offer - especially when I'm feeding large groups.

 

[Valista]

When it was just my husband and I and one child a Sam's Club membership wasn't worth it. Now that I have 3 kids and my mother living with us, it is worth it. We save on milk, bread and produce. Chicken is the cost of the grocery store's on sale, but I don't have to wait for the sale. I can also find lean ground turkey at Sam's for a reasonable price where as it's very expensive at my local store.

 

[dakcp2001]

We love BJS. I use manufacturers coupons and the store coupons. We definitely buy extra stuff though. It is hard not to get sucked in when you see something you like in giant sized! But overall if you just use it for saving money there are some items you can get a good deal on. You just have to be careful not to pick up extra stuff.

 

[North of Mouse]

I do have to say that just buying milk there saves me $1.50 per gallon. So if you think about it, we use about 1.5 gallons of milk per week which saves me $117 per year, which more than pays for my $100 a year membership fee.

If you live close enough that just going for a few things that are cheaper, that's great! But gas at $350+ a gal. can quickly diminish savings if you don't. Also, the stores in our area regularly discount milk, so that would not be a savings for me. Also, there is only a .50 difference in a gal. of milk here. Most of the people here I talk to say they don't even check the "unit" price, but the bulk deal "sounds" good and lasts a while. My coupons, plus sales, makes most brand names cheaper/free - I also shop in advance, so can usually wait for sales/coupon deals on most items. I never pay more than $1.75 - $1.99 lb. for boneless chicken breasts - this week Harris Teeter has whole ones for $.69 lb. I love grocery shopping (weird, I know) and it's almost a "game" to me to monitor my savings. We actually take a very good vacation a year on what I save
I could really save more, but I am not an extreme couponer with a notebook that goes into stores - I'm just a "regular joe"!

 

[Irin997]

If you live close enough that just going for a few things that are cheaper, that's great! But gas at $350+ a gal. can quickly diminish savings if you don't. Also, the stores in our area regularly discount milk, so that would not be a savings for me. Also, there is only a .50 difference in a gal. of milk here. Most of the people here I talk to say they don't even check the "unit" price, but the bulk deal "sounds" good and lasts a while. My coupons, plus sales, makes most brand names cheaper/free - I also shop in advance, so can usually wait for sales/coupon deals on most items. I never pay more than $1.75 - $1.99 lb. for boneless chicken breasts - this week Harris Teeter has whole ones for $.69 lb. I love grocery shopping (weird, I know) and it's almost a "game" to me to monitor my savings. We actually take a very good vacation a year on what I save
I could really save more, but I am not an extreme couponer with a notebook that goes into stores - I'm just a "regular joe"!

Wow that's great! It definitely depends on your market location if a wholesale club is "worth" it to you. We are luck enough that BJ's is maybe a 10 minute drive away for us, which is why we go weekly. I usually try and stock up on items that have coupons that week/month vs buying when we are out of the item in order to save money.

I wish our local grocery store would discount meat that much! A "deal" on boneless chicken breasts at BJ's is the regular price, $20 for a 10lb bag. That's the sale price at Giant for us.

 

[mrodgers]

We do all our shopping at Walmart because the grocery store would cost twice as much. I would love to use Sam's Club because Walmart meat is garbage and Sam's is very good. Problem is, Sam's is 40 minutes in the other direction from home, so can't go to Walmart or the grocery store and go to Sam's.

I don't have enough time after work (we both work near town where Sam's Club is) as I have to get home before Wifey leaves for work. She can't stop because it closes at 8 and she works until 11.

Pricewise, it seemed to be about 2/3 the cost of what we would buy at Walmart. Stuff we use seemed to come in a package of 3 and the cost was the same as buying 2 at Walmart.

I have a smoker and we have a lot of summer picnics (heck, I grill and smoke in the winter too) and I do miss having the packages of ribs and pork shoulders at Sam's. I can't justify the price of that stuff in the grocery store and at Walmart, the quality is just too sub-par along with a bit more expensive. We let our membership run out because we could never find the time to get there.

 

[RedHeadedFairy]

We love BJS. I use manufacturers coupons and the store coupons. We definitely buy extra stuff though. It is hard not to get sucked in when you see something you like in giant sized! But overall if you just use it for saving money there are some items you can get a good deal on. You just have to be careful not to pick up extra stuff.

I have both - Sam's through my employer & BJ's personally. I like both for different reasons. Sometimes I consider my savings to be the time saved by buying in bulk & not making additional trips to the store.

I definitely see savings in gas, milk, meats..... most people don't realize that BJ's accepts manufacturer's coupons OR that they'll allow you to stack them along with their in-store coupons which sometimes is a BIG savings on paper towels, TP, laundry & dish detergents, etc.

I'm also lucky because I pass both stores daily during mywork commute so it's never out of the way. (That would definitely reduce my savings)

 

[dakcp2001]

I have both - Sam's through my employer & BJ's personally. I like both for different reasons. Sometimes I consider my savings to be the time saved by buying in bulk & not making additional trips to the store.

I definitely see savings in gas, milk, meats..... most people don't realize that BJ's accepts manufacturer's coupons OR that they'll allow you to stack them along with their in-store coupons which sometimes is a BIG savings on paper towels, TP, laundry & dish detergents, etc.

I'm also lucky because I pass both stores daily during mywork commute so it's never out of the way. (That would definitely reduce my savings)

We do this too, and it usually ends up giving us GREAT deals on toothpaste, shampoo, lotions etc. If there are 3 boxes of toothpaste in the bulk item, you can use 3 manufacturers coupon PLUS a BJs coupon. We saved $19 in coupons last time. We also get a much better price on 93% lean ground beef, and I break it up into 1lbs and freeze them. I also really love that it allows us to shop less.

 

[Ahrizel]

My husband and I take antihistamines on a daily basis. We buy the generic versions of zyrtec and claritin there. The bottles are approx a years supply, and the difference on price on those alone more then make up the price of membership at Sam's for us. Cheese and meats are what we buy most there, along with seasonal items. There seasonal selections always vary, but what they have is good quality for a good price. Milk is no savings, Pa sets minimum prices on milk, there are no milk sales. And gas is usually a good price too. For the meds alone we come out ahead on the price of membership, so anything else we get is a bonus. Electronics are often a Sam's purchase also. You do have to check prices, just because it is bigger packages, does not mean it's cheaper. I've seen Walmart cheaper. But sometimes they are the best game in town. For what we get, it is worth it. Costco and BJ's are at least a 90 minute drive for us, so I have no experience with them.
Mary

 

[kirstenb1]

I buy things there like juice boxes, Horizons individual chocolate milks, cheese, almonds, candy, produce, bulk meats. All of these are cheaper than my local grocery store. I also buy things like socks, and underwear, and swimsuits for the kids there. I buy my tires there.

As a bonus, we do a fair amount of entertaining, and contributing to our local food pantry. For entertaining, I can buy appetizers, wine/beer/sodas and produce so much cheaper than anywhere else. For the food pantry, I can buy 6 or 12 packs of soup, chili, canned veggies, canned fruit, 3 packs of marinara sauce, etc. So our our family of 4, it makes great sense.

 

[North of Mouse]

Wow that's great! It definitely depends on your market location if a wholesale club is "worth" it to you. We are luck enough that BJ's is maybe a 10 minute drive away for us, which is why we go weekly. I usually try and stock up on items that have coupons that week/month vs buying when we are out of the item in order to save money.

I wish our local grocery store would discount meat that much! A "deal" on boneless chicken breasts at BJ's is the regular price, $20 for a 10lb bag. That's the sale price at Giant for us.

We lived in Gaithersburg, MD for 6 yrs. when my DH was transferred there, and I remember how upset I was at the time because my only grocery stores were Giant & Safeway. I have been so fortunate to live in areas where there are lots of competition, that's what generates lower prices, coupon deals, etc. There are 4 main grocery chains, plus Aldi's, big box stores, warehouse grocers, etc. in the Raleigh, NC area. I share my savings with my sister that lives in a very rural area with no hope of coupon doubling, or very much in the way of sales. I'm sorry you don't have these at your disposal too.