Is it worth the money to invest in a Sam’s Club membership? This is a very good question that many frugal people ask. I can’t answer that for you- it ‘s different for every person- but I thought I’d give an overview of what I have found to be cheaper than other retailers. With a large family and a Sam’s Club membership provided through my husband’s job, it definitely is a money saver in some areas for us.
1.) Prescriptions
I take a medicine that costs $11 /month at Sam’s. At other retailers, this same exact medication would cost up to $25. (Another trick I use to save money on this prescription- I am prescribed double the dose I actually take, then I split the pill in half. The double dose costs about 50 cents more per month, yet it lasts me twice as long! Check with your doctor to see if this is a possibility.)
Sometimes I still use CVS because the drive-through is convenient (especially if I have to unload 4 kids, after unloading all of them at the pediatrician!) but Sam’s is definitely a money-saver in this area.
2.) Snack bar food
Now granted snack bar food isn’t the healthiest in the world, but sometimes you just need a big salty pretzel, ya know? And where else can you get said pretzel and a large drink for $1.78? It also helps to occupy the little ones while I’m shopping.
Sam’s “take and bake” pizzas are also really, really good. For around $8, I can feed my family of 5 (the littlest one doesn’t eat a whole piece just yet!) on one of these pizzas. They’re huge! The three-meat is our family’s favorite. And if I’m running really short on time, I can pick one up that’s already hot for about $1 more.
3.) Personal care items
These are not always cheaper than other stores, especially if you’re using coupons. However, I recently picked up this 4-count of Dove Deoderant. (3 full size + one travel size for $6.88) which comes to $1.72 a stick. Not bad for not having to clip coupons!
This deal on Suave shampoo and conditioner is also really good- each are 40 oz. and it’s $6.98 for both of them- about 17 cents an ounce.
4.) Spices and condiments
As an avid cook, I’m always buying spices and Sam’s is just really the best place I’ve found.
This 19.5 ounce container of black pepper corns is $7.98, and a comparable size of garlic powder is about $4. Now if you’re just cooking for one or two, these seem (and are!) huge, but if you have room, you can store them in the freezer to keep them fresh for longer.
25 pounds of salt for less than $4, anyone? I haven’t bitten the bullet and bought this yet, but my goodness, that is only 15.9 cents a pound!
If you love Olive Garden dressing, you can pick up a 2 pack here for about $7. This is a favorite in our family!
5.) Clothing
Sam’s sells Carter’s brand baby clothing, and oftentimes the outfits are even cheaper than they are at the Carter’s store. This adorable outfit is $7 and I’ve seen comparable outfits at Carter’s for around $10.
This dress- which I went back and forth on if I wanted it, was $11.99. I ended up not purchasing it and now I wish I had!
I am sure that prices vary from store to store, but there are definitely items that are cheaper at Sam’s. Figure in the cost of the yearly fee to determine if a membership is right for you.
Do you have a Sam’s Club membership? Do you buy anything at Sam’s (or Costco)? What are your favorites?
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About Kelli Hays
Nuts and dried fruits are also cheaper at Sam’s than anywhere else. And so are maple syrup, peanut butter, olive oil, sour cream (3 or 5 lbs) sliced and grated cheeses. Tubs of spinach too.
Oh yes I buy the spinach a lot when I go in there- forgot about that! 🙂
We had the benefit of a free Sam’s Club membership for a year. I’ve not yet decided if it’s worth it to re-buy it as it’s fairly far out of my normal route now, but our biggest money savings were in large blocks of cheddar/mozzarella cheese (3-5 lbs each) which we would cut and then freeze. (The texture gets funky, but if you’re using it for shredding, it’s no big deal.) Butter, dried cherries (WOW a GREAT deal!), yeast, and some meat.
Hi Erin! Yes, the cheese is a great deal, too! I’m thinking I need to do another post with other items people have mentioned. 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
I shop at Sam’s for some things. I buy the Zyrtec tablets and you get 2 bottles of 50 for around $37 which is a really good price.
Laurie, that is a great deal! I need to look into that since Ben has really bad allergies.
Frozen foods like bags of chicken breast and veggies are cheaper for sure. However I decided against a membership store because everytime I walked in I assumed everything was cheaper so I bought more than I normally would. I’m sure I will rethink as my family grows!
Teressa, that is so true! I also have to account for the fact that every time I go in, there’s a cute baby outfit that finds its way into my cart. 🙂
Thanks for this! I sometimes wonder if my BJ’s membership is worth it, but we get a pretty good deal on their store-brand formula. I had forgotten that I do enjoy the snack bar as well 🙂 I also find the ibuprofen (and related products) to be a much better deal than regular stores.