Talk to me: Sam's Club, Costco, BJ's Wholesale

[SweetChar]

Okay. Let's talk Warehouse Clubs. Exciting, huh? :D

We would love to save some money. Somewhere. Anywhere. I feel like our grocery list (over the last few years) has gotten down to somewhat simple offerings. Not that I've ever been a gourmet cook, but I feel like I'm having to look for lower priced items more than ever, though.

Many years ago (30ish?) I had memberships at Sam's, Costco and BJ's. Probably not all at the same time. I don't recall actually buying bunches of bulk stuff at the time. It was probably fun to just wander around the big store, pick up a few things, and buy Christmas gifts & such. lol

Do you have membership at any of them? Do they really save you money or is it just another grocery option for you? I'm wondering if I bought, for instance, a larger amount of beef or chicken and divide it up for the month (freezer) if that would save money...but I don't know what they charge anyway. What about canned veggies? Big savings? Or not? I've already been buying store brand chips and cookies these days. Don't know if the Warehouse clubs are even cheaper? Pasta? Potatoes? Onions? Bananas? Apples? Lunch meat? Cheese? Rice? Shampoo? Dish soap? Laundry detergent? Flour? Sugar?

Yep...exciting stuff. :unsure:

BJ's is 15 minutes from me. Sam's is 35 minutes away. Costco is 45 minutes away.

What do you think? What's your experience?
Thanks.
:wub:

[bestcee]

First: Most clubs will let you come in and walk around to check it out. That's your best option because it'll help you see if you personally would buy something there. Not everything is large bulk. Some of the items, like cereal, are just 2 regular boxes in 1 package. But, if you won't use the amount, it's not worth the money for you.

My experience:
I loved B.J.'s but it's been about 10 years since I was near one. It totally saved me money at that time. Currently, I have a Sam's Club membership. It's about 15 minutes away, Costco is 45 minutes.

Things I regularly buy at Sam's Club: flour, sugar, brown sugar, salads (in my area, it's cheaper to buy bagged salad than fresh lettuce sadly); chicken bouillon, mushrooms, lunch meat, cheese, toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, gas, treats (chips, granola bars, etc), cold cereal. And I like to buy my meat there. Lately, it's been cheaper to get it at Sam's than at my grocery stores (Kroger or Meijer). Chips I can usually get the name brand for the store brand price. My sister buys energy drinks and protein drinks because it's cheaper.

I make bread, so I haven't compared that price lately. A lot of things, I will check the price against sales at Kroger. Sometimes the sales are cheaper, sometimes not. But often, the quality is better at Sam's, so I'm sometimes willing to spend the extra for the quality.

Over the year, I do save the membership price, especially in gas. Sam's gas is routinely $0.10/gal cheaper, but has been as much as $0.40/gal cheaper.

[SweetChar]

Thanks, Courtney. :)

I just made a list of things I buy weekly/monthly. I think I'll head to BJ's this week with that list and see what kind of prices they have. Or...if the $20 advertisement I'm looking at is correct, I might just jump on board and sign up. lol I figure, BJ's is so much closer to me. If I do it and decided after a year that I'd rather try Sam's or Costco, I could cancel and switch.

I may make myself wait until I see inside BJs. That's what I *should* do. lol

[lovely1m]

We have Costco, it's in a much more convenient location for us than Sam's and there are no BJs around here. I buy lots of fresh veggies & fruit there. It's much cheaper. So are things like protein bars and shakes. We buy a lot of flavored water and other drinks. I also buy tortillas, chips, and fruit snacks here. Best deals by far.

[Tree City]

In our area, Sam's is too far of a drive. Costco is a better deal *for us* because of what we buy (and because of the distance). I've never been a member of BJ's but my neighbor loves it lol. We get fliers in the mail for a free trial, but I've never done it. But again, my neighbor loves it, and she always finds great deals! (Maybe I should do a trial!)
Gas: I refuse to wait in line for gas at Costco. I've never seen the line NOT out of the station's parking lot. I'm too impatient rofl! But every time I go, I look and I pray it's short. Nope, never. (Even when I was a SAHM and could go at different times of the day/week!) For my SUV, I'm afraid I'd eat up any savings just waiting to fill my tank lol.
As Courtney said, a little looky-loo might be nice. Do you have a friend(s) with a membership to any of them? Years ago, my mom came with me to Costco, and then to Sam's with my brother to compare. (No BJ's by her, so that wasn't in the cards.)

[SweetChar]

Thanks, ladies. You're swaying me towards a membership. lol
Sara, I know "someone" at my church has a membership to BJ's because I see packs of bakery cookies from there show up at events. lol

[tjscraps]

We don't have the other options, only Costco here, and we have a membership. We shop around, it's not always the best deal. We get lots of meat there, and lunch stuff, Becel, etc. We have the executive membership and our rebate covers the cost of the membership each year, so we keep going. We also get gas there - I commute to work, so it saves about $5-10 each fill when I go.

[MamaBee]

Do you have an Aldi's? That is where I save the most money on our groceries.

We have costco - and will be getting Sam's again when our 6mon lapse has completed. We like them for different reason, but if could only keep one - it would be Costco because it has a gas station, more organic and gluten free options and kirkland paper products are Kimberly Clark private label. I wouldn't say it saves me a ton of money - but I like the option of buying bulk so I don't shop as much. Sam's I like some of the more convenience items and they have smaller packaging options... but when the introductory rate ends, we let it go and wait until a better deal comes along.. where Costco, we keep renewing every year... they also have a deal that if you don't save at least the membership price, they will reimburse you the difference... not sure if that is still a time or maybe Sams has that too? we don't have bJ here.

[bcgal00]

Like Trina, I'm in Alberta Canada and we have a costco but not the other choices. I shop there at least once a month to stock up on bulk staples. I live close to 4 grocery stores and another good one 10 min away, so rotate between them to check sales. I have a cupboard in the garage for over-flow non-perishable grocery items so have a bit of room for stocking up.

[Brendazzle]

We live very close to Costco and were gifted a membership when we bought our house. We've since renewed it 3 times. It's great for gas, paper goods, and non-perishables. If we're cooking for company, meat and produce are great but we don't use it all up otherwise (and I am tired of forgetting leftovers in the deep freezer and then squashing them with my ice cream maker). We also stockpile the foods my picky kiddo likes. One of the best perks for us is the pharmacy - less so for prices than that they can usually get my kid's meds when CVS can't. Ours also has an optometrist and reasonably priced glasses. My husband is also team food court meal - the prices on pizza & hot dogs are so good he used to go on his work lunch break just for them.

[HavaDrPepper]

Sam's is the only option close to me and it is 25 minutes away.

I have a membership through my cousin and it is mainly used for paper products... toilet paper, kleenex, paper towels. Also, packages of all sizes of batteries, laundry detergent and cleaning supplies. In the past I have found some electronic items there as well.

But for food, it isn't really a great savings for me since so much is packaged in bulk and being single I don't really cook that much to use up the stuff.

Now my cousin has family (other side of the family) that lives near there so she will stop there whenever she goes to see them. She always gets gas there when she is nearby.

We used to make trips every 3 to 4 months to stock up on stuff but when the pandemic hit, those stopped. I think I have been there only once or twice since then and paper products which I needed were still being limited as to how much each person could buy. And, with my health issues from the fall of 2022 to this past April, I really wasn't up to even walking into the place, let alone walking around to see what they had.

I actually should decide if I even want to keep the membership before it renews again.

[aussiegirl]

We have a Costco membership. With 3 girls in college, it is helpful to stock up on things they need for a year away from home- shampoo, conditioner, laundry detergent, face wipes.

We go to Costco about 1 time a month (but their gas is much cheaper than anywhere else around us, so we go there to fill up as much as possible). Our "regulars" are- toilet paper, laundry detergent, face wipes (neutrogena or their store brand), razor blades, tortilla shells (so much cheaper than our grocery store, for a 2 pack), boneless chicken (it is sold in a 6 pack with 2 pieces in each pack. We cut them apart and can defrost what we need depending on if any of the girls are home from college or if it just the 3 of us), bagels (buy 1 get 1 free), Orange Chicken (we cook up some rice and cook this in the air fryer), dog food, yogurt, beef hotdogs. We may add other items depending on sales or new stuff or something that looks yummy at the time. We also shop their clothing and housewares. My husband buys his wiper blades for the cars here. It all depends on what you usually buy and it if is cheaper for you to buy it from Costco/Sam's etc. For us, it does save us money, but we also are very careful of not trying to spend more than if we got it from the regular grocery store!

[KristinCB]

Also in canada so the only option is costco. I"m pretty far from our closest one (about 2 hours) but I did go last month with my mom. You really can save a lot! If I was closer I would definitely take advantage of it more especially for the items dawn mentioned. Things like toilet paper are way more affordable. As is butter! I bought a taco kit in the deli with premade chicken etc when I was there and was kind of sad I can't get it that often

[JillW]

We have a Sam's membership and pay the higher cost to get free shipping. The nearest Sam's is about 60 minutes from our home. We make a "Sam's run" every other month or so. We stock up on meat - usually pork chops, beef roasts and other meats that my hubby puts in the smoker. We divide the chops into packs of 2 and cut up the roasts into smaller servings (for the 2 of us) - we use a food saver system and I date everything and then we stick it in the freezer.
We end up using the free shipping quite often through the year, buying our cleaning items, laundry care products, paper goods, brown sugar, sugar, coffee, etc. - delivered right to our front door. The shipping is usually very quick - usually within 3 days of placing the order.

I have to agree though, you can find some great deals @ Aldi's!!

[SweetChar]

Thanks for all your input, ladies. :wub:

Because it is so much closer to me (unfortunately in an opposite direction than I often go) I decided to get membership at BJ's. This morning while my youngest was at football practice, I walked through Walmart snapping pictures of things I often buy. So many pictures. lol After his practice, we drove out to BJ's. I had already paid for the membership online yesterday and needed to pick up the cards. We wandered around checking things out and I took pictures of their prices. I already found some things that are less expensive per unit (per ounce or what-have-you.) I made a spread sheet of items I often buy and have put most of the Walmart prices in. I haven't put BJ's prices yet. About to do that, I think. If I get a chance over the next couple of weeks, I might stop by Aldi and get their prices, too. I guess I'll just have to keep up with sales and prices as I move forward.

I saw so many things I wanted to buy at BJ's. :w00t: lol Went ahead and got a few while I was there.

[nietis]

We only have Sam's here, though it's like 30 mins drive, and we have 1 year membership. We usually buy apples, oatmeal, nuts/snacks, tissues and toilet papers there. But, we don't shop our weekly grocery there, because they sell mostly in bulk and I end up wasting too much of those perishables if we get them from Sam's. So, I still go to supermarket for weekly veggies & meat.

[allyanne]

We have a Costco membership, and we use it for toilet paper, paper towels, olive oil, coffee beans, frozen fruit, frozen sausage, and some fresh meats. I think if you stick to a list, you can definitely save money. I can't do a lot of processed/packaged/convenience foods because of the gluten, but I am often tempted to try new goodies when I'm shopping at Costco! I also love buying clothes, shoes, and household goods there, so that can be another pitfall. I usually do my regular shopping at Aldi, but then I go to the upscale grocery store nearby (where Aiden is a bagger and gets us triple loyalty points!) for gluten free items, things Aldi doesn't sell (like buttermilk and parsley) and I ALWAYS check out the marked-down meat section. I feel like that's where I score the best prices. They have the highest quality meat there, and I'm on a high protein diet, so this is a huge win. Usually it's stuff that is nearing or at its sell-by dates, but I either cook it all up and freeze it or freeze it that day. Like this week, they had 1 pound packages of ground sirloin for $1.99! I bought five of them, along with some clearanced ground pork, and I made two meatloaves to freeze and three pounds of GF meatballs to tuck into the freezer. Grocery prices ARE crazy high right now, so anything you can do to keep costs down is worth the time and effort. I'd say garden more, too, but that can backfire as a cost-effective strategy, haha. Ask me how I know!

I hope the BJ's membership works out to your benefit!

[jennschultz]

We have a Costco membership, and I'm not sure if it saves us money because we spend a ton of money when we go. However, for things like water, energy drinks, granola bars, meat- it's great! I also love the clothes there, which I can't believe I'm saying. But they have these skorts with built-in shorts that are stretchy and so comfortable! I live in them! They have casual ones and even some "dressier" ones for when I have to look presentable. LOL

[kelley]

I have a Costco membership, but the closest one is 90 minutes away, so we don't go often. When we do, we end up spending tons of money, but we also end up with some good deals and also lots of fun things to try. I honestly don't think it saves us money because we buy so many snacks and fun things when we go! But that is also a planning issue on my part. I usually just go in to see what they have/what looks good, and that is always a dangerous plan.

[bienejen]

We have a Sam's membership because it's the closest and most convenient. When I'm buying for lunches, trash bags, paper products, pop, cereal and pop tarts, I always buy there. Aldi is a great option for all the other every day things or quick trips. I've been happy with their store brands and they offer a 'twice as nice' (double your money back) on any item you're not happy with.

[Kiana]

We have both Sam's and Costco pretty close by. That being said, DD and DS are young adults and prepare their own food, so DH and I are the only two that eat together and don't need alot anymore....so our Costco membership is for paper products: toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, etc.