Groupon is offering a year-long Sam’s Club Savings Membership plus a $20 Sam’s Club gift card for $45.00.
Note: This Sam’s Club deal also comes with 4 food vouchers, which is good for one sliced oven-roast turkey, one 8 ct. ciabatta rolls, one black bean five-layer dip, and one apple pie. Obviously kosher-keepers won’t be able to take advantage of those bonuses, but even without them, this is still a great deal. It’s like paying $25 for a one-year membership to Sam’s Club!
If any of you are Sam’s Club members, I’d love to know what’s on your must-buy-there list. How does it compare to my list of Top 7 Things to Buy at Costco (or the 5 things I never buy at Costco)?
Fine Print: Limit 1 per person • Valid for new Sam’s Club Members only • New Member is defined as someone who does not have a currently valid membership
I have been a Sam’s Club member for more than fifteen years. I should note that I have some personal conflict with that … I hate Walmart and all it stands for. I never shop at Walmart. I succumb to Sam’s Club for a couple of reasons, however. My budget truly appreciates the access to fresh produce and dairy products, among other things. Costco is just not convenient to me. A sixty mile trip for groceries or other items doesn’t work in my calendar (or budget) often enough to make a membership make sense. I have similar issues with Trader Joe’s. Both Nebraska locations are more than thirty miles away with a fair amount of urban, not freeway driving. So, I shop at Sam’s. Not every week, but often.
My first stop in-store is the magazine rack. All titles are 20-40% off the cover price. There are a couple I like that are newsstand only and do not have a subscription option so this is the best choice. Other print media and dvd’s, game discs, etc., are 15-40% off the list price, too.
Many of the items listed in your 7 Things I Always Buy at Costco post are similarly priced at Sam’s. Our “regular” Sam’s list includes:
– 32 oz NatureSweet grape tomatoes for $5.48
– 2 lb fresh broccoli florets for <$4
– 16 oz sliced mushrooms for <$3
– 1.5 lbs. mini bell peppers for $5
– 2 lbs. mini cucumbers for $5
– 16 oz organic mescalin for <$4
– 2 lbs. blueberries for $6 (were as low as $4 a box at peak of season)
– Fresh pineapples for $3
– Fresh strawberries for about 30% less than my local grocer … sometimes more
– 12 oz fresh raspberries for <$4
Produce prices vary depending on seasonality, but prices are almost always less than my local grocer. Only in the case of a major sale are the items listed above cheaper than at Sam's.
We also buy a fair amount of Dairy. Some examples:
– 12 count Oikos Greek yogurt for $9/Chobani for $10
– 35.3 oz FAGE plain Greek yogurt for $4.63 ($6.5 at the grocer next door)
– Kerrygold Dubliner Irish Cheddar for $7/lb
– 2 lbs Bel Gioioso fresh mozzarella for $9
– Parmigno Reggiano for $11/lb
Milk and eggs are cheaper than the supermarket next door, too, but I buy a local brand not available at Sam's.
Baking supplies are also cheaper (and available in larger quantities). We always buy Ghiradelli 60 bittersweet chips (36 oz for $8) at Sam's. Sam's does not have specialty flours like Ultraflour. Olive oil is also a steal for the basic, cooking variety (Bertolli Extra Light Extra Virgin – 68 oz/$12). I buy more specialty oils in smaller quantities elsewhere. Yeast (Fleischmann's 2lb/$4.74) is also a steal.
Sometimes I buy baby diapers/formula/wipes/food at Sam's as my back-up if my Amazon subscribe and save runs out before the next shipment.
Most Sam's clubs have gas stations now, too. My membership qualifies me for a $.05/gallon discount. The base price is similar to other local stations. I generally have better savings using my supermarket's gas incentive program than my discount at Sam's.
We do not buy a lot of "other" things at Sam's, though my sister got her mattress set for her guest room there a couple of months back and bought her chest freezer there as well.
I hope this helps. It has been an important part of our food budget planning, especially since my 5yo will eat her weight in berries and yogurt in a day.