mommymilkies Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 I had a Sam's membership years ago that we used a few times a year. Now we're across the country and it's been 5 years. We eat very minimal processed foods. We are gluten free and try to eat free range or organic as much as possible. Other than pet supplies, we don't buy much in terms of household goods. But my budget is so super tight that I need to buy cheap things in bulk. Can anyone tell me if it is worth it to have a Sam's membership? TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Unless the Sam's where you live differs significantly from those where I live, I would not join. Here, it is naught but an over-sized Walmart. In contrast, I find useful organic products at Costco. (a double-edged advantage, and deeply annoying because after I joyfully have purchased certain things a few times, they are discontinued) (Some staples survive, such as some frozen organic vegetables actually grown in the U.S. Also the organic flour which I use to make our bread. Some others items also worth my while.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
---- Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 It has been for us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 The closest Sam's is 30 miles from us, but we did have a membership through our business until last year. We ended up walking out, buying nothing, the last 3-4 times we were there. We let the membership lapse. No, I don't think it's worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted February 3, 2013 Author Share Posted February 3, 2013 I would check the website and key in your zip for local prices and to see what's in stock. They carry some organic items, but I'm not sure it would be worth it for you. Good idea. I love Costco, but the closest is 3+ hours away! Sam's is 1.5 hours away, but we go to town once a week for lessons, so it's not out of our way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datgh Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Ours sells gas and is usually a minimum five cents cheaper than any other gas station around. It also happens to be on a route that we travel a few times a week so for us the gas savings pays for the membership. Dog food is cheaper as are batteries. We have even found some decent clothes. It might be worth going in as a guest one day and seeing if it is worth it. Healthy food choices are definitely not their thing for the most part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 I don't think it's worth it if you are a serious couponer. You can get much better deals on normal food with normal brands, if you match sales with coupons. YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted February 3, 2013 Author Share Posted February 3, 2013 I don't think it's worth it if you are a serious couponer. You can get much better deals on normal food with normal brands, if you match sales with coupons. YMMV. I don't have time for that. I also don't buy almost anything I ever find coupons for. Plus our local grocer started being a pita about any couponing or price-matching. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 It doesn't sound like it would be worth it to you. Not with the drive, for sure. You would use up a lot of gas just to drive there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBasil Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 My Sam's doesn't have a lot of organic products that I've noticed. I don't buy them and Sam's is helpful for meat, bread, household supplies, cheese, produce, diapers etc. but in most of those sections I can't recall seeing a single organic item. The fruits, organic or not, are usually in bad shape. Great veggies, but only a few are organic. That said, there are times when you can go in and buy when you are not a member. It might be worth it to look around. My parents live 30 minutes away and they have a Sam's in their town and the selection between the Sam's we go to and the one they go to does vary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caroljenn Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 I have a Sam's card now, and I'm glad. We have a gas station at our Sam's and I save up to 20 cents per gallon on gas compared to brand name gas. Sam's also has some clothing that I like- they have Eddie Bauer clothing now for women, and Nike tennis shoes, etc. Ours also has great deals on pillows, bedding, towels, small appliances, etc. Sometimes those savings are enough to pay for your membership. I also got a $10 gift card when I signed up, so that was great too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGHEALTHYMOM Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Ours is not worth it since it is a 45 minute drive, and even if I do go past it, I do not usually stop, since I would have to have an iced down cooler. It used to be my last stop. I am going to ask dh to cancel it. It is not worth it at all due to the time constraint, lack of organic foods, prices rising, and bulk items not being any cheaper than our local DG with $5 off coupon or local sales in a Discount ( mom and pop). This is really making me glad you asked! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted February 3, 2013 Author Share Posted February 3, 2013 It doesn't sound like it would be worth it to you. Not with the drive, for sure. You would use up a lot of gas just to drive there. I would only go when we're already in town, so it wouldn't actually cost me a cent! It's right by Aldi's where I already shop. ;) Thanks, ladies. I think I might try out a free day or just get a Costco membership for my mom and go when I'm in town once or twice a year. I know they have what I like. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 I prefer Costco. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klmama Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 It's worth it for us. Dh buys almost all of his casual and work clothing there at great prices. The food prices are good, for those things we do buy there. Seasonal items are usually priced well, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Sam's is close to my DD's ballet studio where I'm at 3x a week so I go to Sam's at least once/week. I like it, I think it's very worth it for me. We are GF also. Things that I buy consistently there: nuts, olive oil, spices, GF crackers (crunchmaster brand), rotisserie chicken, chicken sausage, salami, cheese, spring mix, spinach, broccoli, onions, mushrooms, seasonal fruit, bacon, eggs, milk, frozen chicken thighs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baseball mom Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 We have a Sam's membership and even though it is about an hour from us I am glad we have a membership. We just try to make sure to have a cooler in the back of the van, Some of the things we buy are fruit & veggies - not organic but better prices than I can get locally spices & condiments some cheeses sometimes meats olive oil washing detergent feminine products a really nice fleece jacket that looks like a NF but only cost $17 set of cookie sheets bar towels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somo_chickenlady Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 If you get the plus membership or whatever it is called, you can get a significant discount on their pharmacy. Same for gas. Those two things were worth the cost of membership for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 It's been several years since I have had a Sam's membership (there's not one near us at all), but one thing I noticed is that while I saved money per item/pound, because I had to buy such a large quantity of items, my grocery bill actually wasn't any lower. Like, I might have bought three jars of spaghetti sauce, when I'd only use one or two in that particular month's budget, so while I saved per jar, I never actually saw a reduction in my grocery spending. I might have meat/spaghetti sauce/butter/etc. for the next two or three months, but I'd still need to fill in the blanks at a regular grocery store. Does that make sense? It wouldn't have been helpful if I'd needed to cut down on the actual amount I spent per month. Then again, that was when I only had two children. With four, soon to be five, I probably would save money now, LOL. I looked into BJ's last summer, because they're the closest to us, and it would be worth the cost of membership. They were really nice about letting me come in and look around and take notes (I think they even gave me a free month of membership), so I would see if Sam's would let you do that as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitten18 Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 I forgot to comment on the gas. Our store has gas and it is usually about 18 cents a gallon less than other gas stations. Also, the laundry detergent thread made me remember that I buy laundry detergent (Ecos) and dish soap and dishwasher detergent (the Finish powerball tabs that actually work after they took the phosphates out of the detergents, they're much cheaper at Sam's). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted February 4, 2013 Share Posted February 4, 2013 Check prices online or via iphone/ipad app, then decide for your area and situation. For us it has been more than worth it, we carry a prime membership right now because of the bonus warranties for electronics and shopping hours. I like that I can use the app and know exactly what I will spend before I walk in the door. Buying in bulk is a necessity for us. I don't have the time to coupon, it isn't worth it in my area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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