Sam's Club Prepping

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  • dudley0

    Nobody Important
    Rating - 100%
    99   0   0
    Mar 19, 2010
    3,725
    113
    Grant County
    Not close to a Sam's Club. Not sure if I have ever been in one. Is it worth the trip (maybe 40 minutes one way)?

    A quick glance shows two membership costs. Does the average shopper save enough to pay for the memberships?

    I buy some things in bulk, like TP in the biggest packs Meijer stocks.

    Just doing a quick look up online I see Charmin TP comes in at .23 per roll at Sam's and .24 per roll at Walmart. I noticed that Sam's does not have an exact match for sheet count as Walmart or Meijer does.

    So saving a penny per roll doesn't make it seem like it would be worth the trip, membership ect.

    Does Sam's have better deals in store? Did I just pick the wrong item to compare with?
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
    Emeritus
    Rating - 100%
    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
    191,809
    152
    Speedway area
    We do the Sams club thing and yes it is worth the trip. It about 20 minutes out from us.
    We have had to figure out what works best for us but there are some good deals to buying in bulk.
    We just re-uped the membership and actually got $40 back for the years savings over the price of the re-up.
    It is a bit of work to separate/store when everything you buy is in bigger boxes and quantity's.
    We get the terrorists winter coats and other expensive items there. The deals are pretty good.
    We bought all new floaty's and pool gear there last spring for less than half what it would cost elsewhere.

    We get all the disposable paper goods there. The savings are real.
    And it keeps us out of Wally-World.

    You just have to give it a try.
     

    ditcherman

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    22   0   0
    Dec 18, 2018
    7,607
    113
    In the country, hopefully.
    I believe you could go in and look around and then make the call. The customer service desk is inside past where the old man will take you to the ground if you don't show your membership card. (BTW, Costco stopped this ridiculous practice at the entrance.) Just tell them you need to sign up and then walk around. It's a 40 minute drive for us as well, probably to the same one you're talking about. We buy our dogs food there as it's pretty high quality and it's grain free, which makes a difference when you have big dogs, much less expensive than we could anywhere else. You won't buy a normal sized bottle of ketchup or whatever there, you might buy 2 or 4 wrapped together or 1 giant one. So make sure that works for you. They have the best deal on batteries, the chips we like, and a few other things.
    I would never in my life go there to save a penny per roll of TP, cause I'm not wired that way, but my wife has it down to a science. Some from Sams, some from Costco, some from Meier, etc.

    Sidenote; I was there yesterday at 11ish and it was the most pleasant (least crowded) experience I've ever had there. Talked to a buddy at 1ish and he said his wife was there, he had called her to see if the masses were rioting yet due to covid19, and she said it was the most crowded she'd ever seen it. Thought that was weird.
     

    jagee

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    24   0   0
    Jan 19, 2013
    44,414
    113
    New Palestine
    We have a family business membership. I go there for certain things, I feel it is saving me money but I've never calculated it out.

    The clothing section is hit and miss with good deals as well. I got a $60 sweater (still had the old tag on it) for $15. I stock up on water from there and breakfast items (cereal, granola bars, coffee, etc.) and whatever else I feel I need while I'm there.
     

    Usmccookie

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Jan 28, 2017
    5,838
    113
    nwi
    We have a business membership there. In the past year we're racked up about$300 in rewards. We went in Monday(?) And loading up on stuff we were missing from our prep. It was outrageous how much stuff I had to carry to the basement. My knees were not happy. Multivitamins were 250 ct for 10 or something stupid.
     

    dprimm

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Jan 13, 2013
    1,741
    83
    Just West of Indianapolis
    When pricing TP consider the Members Mark brand. Good enough for us.

    Lok online and do pricing to see how much you might save. Some things are stupid cheap. Some not so much.

    We do not do the premium membership as we don’t get enough In rewards to justify it.

    I am always shocked at how big the bill is. But is less than elsewhere for same amount.
     

    dvd1955

    Expert
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Apr 10, 2013
    783
    63
    Howard County
    We have the membership with the credit card, for the sole purpose of getting 5% refund for gas purchases at any gas station. It just so happens that locally, Sam's is usually the lowest price on gas. All the other stations seem to go up by 20 to 40 cents every week just before the weekend, then start back down on Monday. Sam's Club doesn't seem to play that game. Usually in late Feb., or early March, we get the refund check, take it to Sam's Club and they will cash it.

    As for the stuff inside the store, I don't see much in the way of bargains. You could just tell the gatekeeper that you are considering a membership and they'll let you in to look around. You have to have their card to buy anything.
     

    KittySlayer

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Jan 29, 2013
    6,473
    77
    Northeast IN
    Good prices on some things but you need to shop/compare per unit as what looks like a deal is not always a deal. Also ask yourself do you need and will you use the large quantity.

    For instance I got a 250 count bottle of generic Imodium that recently expired. Bottle price was about the same as a 36 count blister pack at the drug store. I knew going in the bottle would likely expire but when you are pooping your brains out you want a solution. This was an apocalypse prep item that if the SHTF I would have a solution for the runny "S". That and a couple cases of toilet paper.

    You can save some money but shop carefully. You can find some things that are hard to come by elsewhere. Works well for me and even if my boss didn't pay for my membership I would probably still have a membership.

    Looks like you have one until your yearly expiration -My wife just renewed our membership and was told they no longer offer a business membership

    I was told this morning that my early shopping hours no longer applied with my Business Card. They let it slide this morning but offered a Plus membership (plus more money). I will see what is available when I renew in April.
     

    Super Bee

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    10   0   0
    Nov 2, 2011
    4,798
    149
    Fort Wayne
    Our Sams Club and Costco are a mile apart here in Fort Wayne. I had memberships at both then narrowed it down to just Costco, we just like it better.
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
    Emeritus
    Rating - 100%
    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
    191,809
    152
    Speedway area
    Our Sams Club and Costco are a mile apart here in Fort Wayne. I had memberships at both then narrowed it down to just Costco, we just like it better.

    CKW and I are considering looking into Costco. Heard good things just hate to make the change. We can rip through Sams with a list and get out pretty easily as we know where everything is.
     

    Vigilant

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    21   0   0
    Jul 12, 2008
    11,659
    83
    Plainfield
    CKW and I are considering looking into Costco. Heard good things just hate to make the change. We can rip through Sams with a list and get out pretty easily as we know where everything is.
    Costco is definitely head and shoulders better over Sam’s, but it is more expensive. The quality of products is higher, especially the Kirkland brands compared to the Members/Sams products. I have the executive business and get a 2.5% cash back rebate every year that’s good for a shopping trip for free most years. You’d have to decide if the extra drive and membership cost would net out for you. For me, the superior quality of products is all I need.
     

    Vigilant

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    21   0   0
    Jul 12, 2008
    11,659
    83
    Plainfield
    An example of higher quality, doing some consulting work for a customer last year, a Sams Club Executive asked me about the aluminum foil we were using. It was Reynolds Wrap/Kirkland, she took a sample back to her club and came back sheepish, as she had argued they were the same. The Kirkland Reynolds Wrap is like rolled sheet metal vs. the Sam’s Reynolds which is super thin, the price difference was less than a dollar but weight difference was in pounds.
     

    churchmouse

    I still care....Really
    Emeritus
    Rating - 100%
    187   0   0
    Dec 7, 2011
    191,809
    152
    Speedway area
    Costco is definitely head and shoulders better over Sam’s, but it is more expensive. The quality of products is higher, especially the Kirkland brands compared to the Members/Sams products. I have the executive business and get a 2.5% cash back rebate every year that’s good for a shopping trip for free most years. You’d have to decide if the extra drive and membership cost would net out for you. For me, the superior quality of products is all I need.

    I have no problem paying for good products.
    We mainly buy food at sams. The occasional seasonal cloths for the kids as they doo put some OK stuff out at more than fair pricing. A lot of the coats/boots etc etc have lasted and are handed down as more little ones come along.

    I guess we just need to go look. The drive is not a lot farther.
     

    Trigger Time

    Air guitar master
    Rating - 98.6%
    204   3   0
    Aug 26, 2011
    40,112
    113
    SOUTH of Zombie city
    We have Sam's and Costco. They both offer a cash back membership but you need to spend at least 600 a year at each to make it worth it just to break even. Not hard to do.
    I like each place for different things. Buying in bulk is better for us.
     

    indyjohn

    PATRIOT
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    77   0   0
    Dec 26, 2010
    7,505
    77
    In the trees
    Take a look at Costco while you are comparing.

    We've been Sam's Club members for 10 years, there wasn't a Costco presence in SE Marion county at the time but there is now. My boss is a big Costco fan and he recently took me in for a tour.

    What I saw in the 45 minutes we were there (part of that time spent enjoying a 1/2 lb hot dog and drink for $2.00 or something like that) is that they both have all the items you want and are so close in price overall that it's a coin toss which one would be better. My perception is that Costco has a greater variety of things that you may want to buy over Sam's. But that doesn't matter if you are going for very specific supplies like dry goods, frozen food, basics.

    Costco wants $120 for the rewards membership and my boss is quick to point out that Costco has discount gas stations where Sam's does not.
     
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