Sams Club???

[tinker&belle]

Two things that are a great value at Sam's are disposible contact lenses (very cheap on most prescriptions) and on car tires.

 

[Aristomommy]

I just renewed our membership for the first time. Like others have said, it really depends on what you buy and knowing the unit prices at Walmart or any other store you may shop at. I saved my membership price in diapers alone last year. I like to buy toilet paper, kleenex and paper towels in large quantities rather than wait for sales at our Walmart. I also like their meat department, ground beef is very lean. I buy frozen foods as well and like their broccoli stuffed chicken breasts and kids love dinonuggets. I like to have my pantry full as I don't get to the stores all the time for sales. This is a great alternative for me.

 

[Dizneydaz]

I love Sams club. I send all my photos (online) to their 1-hr and they do great quality. I take alot of pictures, and while the difference between Sams and Walmarts 1 hr. price is now only 2 cents, it can add up. Plus our Walmart doesn't carry groceries. Sams has great prices on bread, chips, cereal, meat, etc. If you get there early in the a.m. you can take advantage of the reduced prices on meat, at a better price, and really save. They also have great prices on new books. On DVDs they aren't cheaper when they first come out (Walmart is less) but once the DVD is a week old, their price is better. They also have great prices on cameras. I've bought my 2 digital cameras and digital camcorder there.

As you can see, I think Sam's prices are good. Well worth the $40 membership. Plus, our Sam's is really only crowded on the weekends and at the beginning of the month. Oh, and you'll also save on gas.

 

[Coll0610]

Sam's Club also sells checks (I ordered mine online) and you can have your digital pictures printed there. If you use Claritin, their brand (something like Members Mark) is the cheapest I've found - around $15 for 180 tablets. They also have pizzas in the deli that you can take home and bake. They are comparable to Papa Murphys. They sell slices of the pizzas in their cafe at the front of the store. If you order ahead, you can get whole pizzas baked and ready to eat (we did this a few weeks ago for a Cub Scout outing).

I don't buy much liquor but I've heard their prices are pretty good on that.

You can also apply for a credit card from them. It will go on your membership card (only one card to carry). We pay ours off every month so I'm not sure what the interest rate is. It's mostly a convenience for me since they dont' take Visa. You can also get cash back($20, $40 or $60) on your Sam's card with no extra fee and no interest if you pay in full every month.

 

[Not so Dumbo]

I haven't read all of the replies, so sorry if I've missed something.
We just turned in our Costco membership for a full refund and went back to Sam's Club. Sam's has always had everything that we have on our shopping list. Costco not so much. Yesterday we needed baby wipes, a big box of cookies for DS's luches and diapers. They didn't have the cookies or the wipes and the diapers were $9 more than they are at Sam's. That was the last straw for us.

 

[kandeebunny]

I have a membership there just for the contact lens savings..I wear focus dailies and my Dr's office is $25 higher a box than Sams, and since my eyes are different prescriptions when I go to get more lenses I have paid for the membership right there!

We also buy meat, rice (minute rice is $3.xx for a HUGE box) and other things there, as well as books ,movies and cds!

 

[bevtoy]

I usually save the price of my memberships in electronics alone. When it comes to much of Sams Club foods buyer beware! It is not always cheaper and sometimes costs more to buy their bulk products.
This year I purchase a PC , a camera and 1 GB cards plus an MP3 player, I saved 50 dollars on the camera alone.

 

[rmjkharrisfam]

Does your area have a Sam's Club gas station? Our does and that alone makes the membership worth it. They usually give at least a 5 cent discount per gallon for members.

 

[kuusimo]

Sam's only takes Discover, Mastercard, check, cash and debit. Costco only takes AMEX, debit, cash and check.

Other things to consider:
Sam's you can do click and pull or fax and pull. Your cart will be ready for you when you go. Just pay and load your car.

They have a clearance section, but not everything there is on clearance! I have found some wonderful deals like Mr. Clean magic erasers 10 for $1.81. I still think my best deal there though is 5 pounds of Willy Wonka candy for $0.71! They had so many bags. I think my mom now cringes when she sees me calling and I tell her I am at Sam's Club. It means I have found a great deal.

Here is a hint- if the price ends in a "1", it is on clearance. That is their code for get rid of it. So if you see something that you want and see it with a "1", they are dropping the price on it. I have held out and watched it drop week after week. You also run the risk of it not being there though.

Another big plus is gasoline!

If you are not happy with your membership, you can return it for a refund of the difference of the months you did not use.

You can always split the membership with another person since you get two cards. Even though it is called a "spouse" card, it does not need to be a spouse.

If you do get a day pass and see that you want to get somethings (and join), you can purchase a membership and save yourself the 10% upcharge fee.

Since I grew up with Price Club, Costco and Sam's, it is a part of my life. I could not imagine not having a membership. Especially with a baby! My boys love the samples and cookies from the bakery that our bakery gives to kids. Also when we travel, we know that we can get a meal at Sam's or Costco and fill up the van. (We have both memberships)

Good luck!

 

[hollieplus2]

OK, we did it. We bought a membership. I was so excited. Here's my list.

All Small and Mighty 10.51 for three
Heinz Ketchup 5.84 for three
Two bags of Chips mix & match 4.88
Tropicana OJ 6.58 for two
Potstickers (can't find in grocery stores here) 10.86
Chicken breast 14.88 (not as convenient as a 4 pack but much cheaper)
H2O 4.74
Powder dishwasher soap 5.88 for two
Cat litter 8.84

And I know you said the paper products were not cheaper but I was just so excited so I put it in the buggy. I checked walmart afterward and it wasn't cheaper so now I know. It was just easier.

Charmin 15.88
Scott Paper Towels 10.88


I am so excited. There were a couple things I didn't buy because I wanted to check the prices first but I'll be back. They had king crab legs really cheap and the All small & mighty was 10.51 and according to Kuusimo it is on clearance and I will check back in a couple days since they had lots. All in all I am happy with my shopping trip and will go back probably every other week or so.

Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[photo_chick]

I have a membership and I usually end up seeing enough savings each year to about cover the expense of the membership. THat is about it. I like it because I can stock up much easier on things like individual juice bottles and individual snacks. They don't really cost less there, but it is just easier to pick up 2 cases for the month of something than to have to go back every week.Becasue of this we have a little "drink fridge" and a cupboard with those pull out rack things. THe kids call it Mom's Convienance Store.

I found diapers were actually cheaper at Wal-Mart than at Sams. They are MUCH cheaper at Target when you catch them on sale there. Well, at leat around here anyway. Formula is chaper at Sams here, but they only carry a few brands. My kids both needd soy and they did not carry that at our Sams.

 

[kuusimo]

I found diapers were actually cheaper at Wal-Mart than at Sams. They are MUCH cheaper at Target when you catch them on sale there. Well, at leat around here anyway. Formula is chaper at Sams here, but they only carry a few brands. My kids both needd soy and they did not carry that at our Sams.

Sam's here carries Similac Soy as well as their own brand of Soy. If you are buying off brand diapers, I get 184 size 3 for $24.00. I also don't have to worry about diapers for a month which is a relief for me.

 

[staceyfe]

I am a big couponer and really try very hard to stretch a dollar. There are many items at Sams that can be purchased cheaper during a sale at the grocery store, and even cheaper when combined with a coupon. However, here are stand-alone items that are always cheaper at Sams (these are items I buy; I'm sure there are others)

**Milk
**10# bag shredded cheddar cheese--works out to $1/lb (16oz) That's like paying $.50 for each of the 8 oz bags normally sold. Cheese freezes well
**10# bag mozzerella cheese
**rawhide dogbones
**gummy vitamins for DS11
**pepperidge farm goldfish
**hamburger buns--not a huge savings here, but a little. I freeze what I can't use within 2-3 days and have had no problems.

Sometimes peanut butter at sams can be a good deal.

If you're a big purchaser of books and DVDs, you'll notice some savings.

 

[Frye7127]

We love Sam's for flowers, produce, milk, organics, and t-shirts, socks, and undies for my husband. Prices are always better. Now we are big fans of the tire dept, after getting my husband to finally use them after our local tire store ripped us off (he would only buy tires from them). He finally saw the light!

 

[daughtersrus]

Two things that are a great value at Sam's are disposible contact lenses (very cheap on most prescriptions) and on car tires.

You don't have to have a membership to use the Optical department or the pharmacy at Sam's.