BJs vs Sam's Club

[Garga]

BJs is 30 minutes from my house. A new Sam's Club is opening 20 minutes from my house in the town where I usually do my grocery shopping.

 

Three years ago, I bought a 3 year's supply of what I normally got at BJs so I could let my membership expire for a few years. This is what I bought:

 

Puff's Plus (coupon)

Chicken Bouillon (BJ brand)

Kitchen Trash bags (BJ brand)

Chlorox Wipes (coupon)

Arm and Hammer Laundry Detergent (coupon)

Liquid soap (whichever name brand with a coupon)

Dishwashing liquid (whichever name brand with a coupon)

Toilet Paper (BJ brand)

Paper towels (BJ brand)

 

That's about it. But as long as I had coupons or used the BJ brand, it was worth it.

 

I'm looking at the information for Sam's Club and I see that their coupons (which are called "Instant Savings" that are automatically loaded onto your card), are all for their brand and it doesn't tell me how long the Instant Savings last for.

 

So questions:

1. Is the Sam's Club brand as good as the name brand things I listed above? Or is the Sam's brand where the liquids are watered down and the tissues and trash bags are thin? Do they ever have coupons/Instant Savings for name brand stuff?

 

2. How long do the Instant Savings last? I don't want to have to go every month to get the next deal. Is it like only 3 things are on Instant Savings each month and I have to go there all the time to get the deals? Or are most things available with Instant Savings most of the time? I already go to two grocery stores every two weeks. I don't want to add a third. I want to go to the big store (BJs or Sam's) every 3 or 4 months at most.

 

3. Does BJs still send out those coupons?? It's been 3 years. Maybe they do this Instant Savings thing now, too, to save on paper/mailing costs. If you belong to BJs, do you get coupons that last for a couple of months for the above things (detergents, puff's plus, etc)

Edited June 14, 2017 by Garga_

[school17777]

I haven't belonged to Sam's in several years because I prefer BJs. BJs still mails out a monthly coupon book and they have a weekly/biweekly additional flyers at the store. Some coupons are clipless, but the majority aren't. There are also coupons for the things that you mentioned - different brands will have coupons each month.

 

If you ever make it to Wegman's, they have the family size of everything you mentioned at similar prices to BJs/Sam's or even cheaper, without having to pay for a membership. They also mail out monthly coupons, but you may not get coupons for those things that often. It might be worth it to go to Wegman's to stock up on that stuff every now and then, rather than joining Bjs or Sam's just for those things.

[JudoMom]

I use the following Sam's brand items:

Kitchen Trash bags
Clorox Wipes 
Laundry Detergent
Liquid soap

Dishwashing liquid (I use the premeasured packs)

Toilet Paper 
Paper towels 

 

We don't have BJ's, so I can't compare.  But these things are all excellent quality in the Sam's brand.  

They do have instant savings for name brand items as well.  The instant savings typically change monthly.  They mail out a booklet so you can see what they are.  

I have a Plus membership, which is $100/year.  However, they give reward dollars back once a year.  This year I got $200 back in reward dollars, so I used $100 to renew my membership, and another $100 towards a new Ninja blender, which had instant savings, so I paid $50 out of pocket.  I go to Sam's and one other store weekly, and with 4 teenage boys and 1 almost teen, it's where I do the majority of my shopping, so for me it's worth it.

[Amy in NH]

Sam's member here. I like the quality of their branded items. You cannot use manufacturers coupons there.

 

Shopped at BJs once on a friend's card and was not impressed. They didn't have much of what I wanted, and what they did have cost more. A couple of store brand items I bought there I did not care for.

[Guest]

I love Sam's. Their brand is good- I use most of the same as echoed above- paper towels, trash bags, wipes, ibuprofen and the like. My favorite feature is the Scan and Go app. I Scan my stuff as I put it in the cart, click check out, and poof. Done. No line. Just show the guy at the door my phone and he scans the barcode. It's the greatest thing ever. I wish all stores had it.

[JudoMom]

I love Sam's. Their brand is good- I use most of the same as echoed above- paper towels, trash bags, wipes, ibuprofen and the like. My favorite feature is the Scan and Go app. I Scan my stuff as I put it in the cart, click check out, and poof. Done. No line. Just show the guy at the door my phone and he scans the barcode. It's the greatest thing ever. I wish all stores had it.

Is it really that easy? If you decide against a scanned item, is it easy to remove?

[Lady Florida.]

Is it really that easy? If you decide against a scanned item, is it easy to remove?

Yes. You just delete it.

[Guest]

Yes. You just delete it.

 

What she said. :)

 

It's so easy. You just scan, and it you get more than one you just adjust the quantity. All of your reciepts are stored online so you don't have to keep track and don't end up with paper to throw away at home. I usually hand my phone to one of my kids and they're the scanner in charge while I push the cart. It has made it so much more enjoyable to shop there. I also like that it keeps a tab on how much I spent so there's no more surprise at the cash register if I didn't realize quite how many things I'd thrown in the cart. The running tally is a nice bonus. 

 

I honestly don't know why anyone stands in the line anymore. My kids and I discuss it every time we whiz past everyone out the door. 

 

Another option is to order online and then just pick up at the store. They'll have the cart ready for you and you just go to the special line to pay. I've only used that though once when I bought a smoker and it was too heavy for me to load and I wanted to surprise my husband. Anyway, lots of options. 

 

On a funny note- the first time I used the Scan & Go app my 4&5 year old started panicking when we passed the self check out we usually paid at and headed towards the door. "Mommy!!! You forgot to pay! We're going to get arrested! You're stealing!!!" I had to calm them down and explain we paid online. I swear they will have no concept of real money when they grow up. It's just magically done on Mommy's phone now! 

Edited June 15, 2017 by texasmom33

[scbusf]

I shop at Sam's Club on the app. Then, they get it ready and I pick it up. I don't have to walk around the store at all.

[umsami]

I've belonged to Sam's, BJs, and Costco all at the same time.  (Sad, I know.)  I prefer BJ's to Sam's for a lot of things--coupons, tons of sample ladies, the deli counter, more organic produce (at least at my store), etc.

Both, though, often have Groupon Membership deals for $25.

[JudoMom]

What she said. :)

 

It's so easy. You just scan, and it you get more than one you just adjust the quantity. All of your reciepts are stored online so you don't have to keep track and don't end up with paper to throw away at home. I usually hand my phone to one of my kids and they're the scanner in charge while I push the cart. It has made it so much more enjoyable to shop there. I also like that it keeps a tab on how much I spent so there's no more surprise at the cash register if I didn't realize quite how many things I'd thrown in the cart. The running tally is a nice bonus.

 

I honestly don't know why anyone stands in the line anymore. My kids and I discuss it every time we whiz past everyone out the door.

 

Another option is to order online and then just pick up at the store. They'll have the cart ready for you and you just go to the special line to pay. I've only used that though once when I bought a smoker and it was too heavy for me to load and I wanted to surprise my husband. Anyway, lots of options.

 

On a funny note- the first time I used the Scan & Go app my 4&5 year old started panicking when we passed the self check out we usually paid at and headed towards the door. "Mommy!!! You forgot to pay! We're going to get arrested! You're stealing!!!" I had to calm them down and explain we paid online. I swear they will have no concept of real money when they grow up. It's just magically done on Mommy's phone now!

You talked me into it. I'm going to give it a try this week.

 

I've done the pickup option, but it took awhile for someone to bring me my order (since I had cold items they had to pull it from the back fridge)and I was frustrated.

[Guest]

You talked me into it. I'm going to give it a try this week.

 

I've done the pickup option, but it took awhile for someone to bring me my order (since I had cold items they had to pull it from the back fridge)and I was frustrated.

 

Set up the app before you get to the store as much as you can. You'll need your Member ID and then all your credit card info. That will make it faster! The first time I found out about it I was pulled over at the side of Sam's frantically trying to set up an account with three kids and basket full of stuff. I couldn't remember my password and all of that so it took longer than I thought! But once it's set up you're all set for the future. 

[kewb]

Costco is my preferred.  BJ's if no Costco.  I will not give one thin dime of mine to the Walton family.

[Lady Florida.]

We've been BJ's members for years and used to like it better than Sams. We would occasionally get a Sams membership for a year or two then let it expire. Lately though we like Sams better. I don't know if it's because our BJ's store is old and they haven't updated it or if the quality of stuff at Sams has improved. I do like that you can use coupons at BJ's. Right now we have memberships at both but I'm not sure if we'll renew BJ's. BJ's is 30 minutes in one direction and Sams is 20 in another so the distance doesn't figure in our decision.

 

I love using scan & go at Sams.

Edited June 15, 2017 by Lady Florida.