Sam's Club Membership worth it?

As you may or may not already know. We have a lot of dogs. So we go through a LOT of dog food. Up until now, I've had a contract with a supplier and was having bulk dog food shipped to me. Well, due to rising costs I was informed of this weekend, looks like we'll be switching back to our Purina Dog Chow once again (old reliable!). I typically purchase this at Walmart. I was online looking at a Sam's Club Membership and noticed that they carry a larger bag of this food for cheaper than Walmart. I sat down and did the math, and savings per year would almost pay the the membership fee twice! I am about 30-45 minutes from this store, so it would be a monthly trip only. Will it still be worth it after the gas spent to get there? I also see where I can place an order online the day before, and my store will have it ready for me to pickup when I go there. I just grab my order, pay for it, and go. Anyone do this? Other than my dogfood, what else is usually a good deal there? TP? Detergent?

[willow_girl]

I do not shop at Sam's Club as I do not like the way they treat all customers as potential shoplifters by checking your purchases against your receipt at the door. Sometimes the line backs up quite a bit, too, which is a further inconvenience.

[||Downhome||]

I buy mine there its there members mark store brand, comparable to purina dog chow even a simular bag, 50 lbs for 18.99 if I remember right.

alot of places dont even have large bags 30lbs tops and they want a min of 13 bucks,
the places that do have larger bags there only 44 lbs and the same price or more then the ones I get at sams,so I buy them at sams 4 at a time (I have three wgsds) though I go with a nieghbor who has a membership through work!

[RusticOkie]

We have a membership there (a gift) that we've used in the past for big ticket items. We have actually gotten tires for our truck there and been able to save quite a bit. We rarely use it otherwise because the nearest Sam's is an hours drive away. (as most things are out here).

[tinknal]

Great place to buy food in bulk. Flour, rice, sugar, etc. A 50 lb bag usually costs the same as 2 10 lb bags in a grocery store.

[Standupguy]

Dog food is a money saver there...also diapers if you have young ones..Its hit and miss on some items but overall the membership pays for itself after 3-4 months for me...

[mullberry]

No answer 100%. I say YES & NO shop & be careful what & how much you buy.

[suzyhomemaker09]

It helps to know your price comparisons, say for mixed spring greens for salad which we eat quite a bit of...never priced locally in any store other than Wally world ( there it's 4.88 for a 10 oz package and at Wally it's 3.98 for 1 lb in a package )
If at the end of your years membership you are not satisfied you can get a refund of the cost IIRC.
Again...know the prices of the items you are buying and you most likely will see savings.

[Wolf mom]

To me, Sam's Club is a glorified Walmart. Think quality..

As an alternative, I have a Costco card. Their Kirkland brand is a best buy in many items by Consumer Reports. I've saved 1/2 on auto insurance, 1/2 on prescription glasses - even more on their drug prescriptions.

Their Kirkland, no corn, 40# dog food is about $22.00.

The closest store is about 3 ours away from me, and I think it's worth driving that far.

[Vashti]

We're getting a Costco membership. Our nearest store is about 2.5 hours from us, but we're really looking forward to the bulk purchasing options. We also have a Sams, but have heard a lot of good things about Costco. The nearest LDS cannery is about 3 hrs away, so we'll probably do both on the same days.

[stormwalker]

I'm enjoying my Costco membership more than Sam's or BJ's.
I usually buy Iams, but I'm going to get the Kirkland's next time.
Their ingredients look spot on.
They have Frontline Plus at a very good price.
The quality seems better all around.
I bought my Dell computer there-which is why I can respond to your question!
I've almost stopped shopping at the regular grocery store!
There is something else to consider- Purina is no longer the same company it once was.
Nestle's bought Purina.
I don't buy their products, if I can help it.
I think the quality has dropped quite a bit.

[mrswright]

We belong because we run a concession stand and get our paper cups, etc. there. I rarely buy food that we use at home. We have purchased pet food there but I find I do just as well if not better at tractor supply.

[mtnmom5]

I used to have a Costco card when I made pizza to sell as a small home business, because I could get cheese so much cheaper there, but then I let it go again as I just didn't buy enough things in guantity to justify the membership cost - and I am with you, willow girl, I despise the wait on the way out.

[Danaus29]

I try to shop during the day at Sam's. But yes, I find the membership cost is worth it. Not for tires, just about every place here price matches, but baking goods and cheese are cheaper at Sam's than other stores. I got water softener salt for $3.50 for a 40 pound bag Saturday. Other things I get cheaper at Sam's are spices, cocoa, Domino sugar (yes, store brand is cheaper but I am not happy with WM or Meijer brand sugar), vanilla, rolled oats, Drumstick ice cream treats, candy bars, butter, and blue corn tortilla chips. I do price match and keep price per unit costs in mind. Some things are more expensive at Sam's and the produce, IMO is not always that great. Their price on first of the season blueberries can't be beat. Batteries are cheaper at Sam's, as long as you don't mind buying them in packages of 20 or more.

[plowjockey]

Some stuff at SC is actually higher than Walmart, or other stores.

They have great buys on quality ground beef, at really good prices. (at least at the store near us). We stock up on trash bags, scrubbing sponges, bulk stuff that is actually cheaper. We usually don't have 4 full shopping carts, like other shoppers.

Their fruits and vegatables are nothing special, IMO.

Take a road trip. You don't need a card to get in the door to look around. Most of the foods and staples are re-stocked regularily. so they should be there next visit, even months later.

[HOTW]

I buy trash bags, large bulk bags of food like rice and flour. You just have to know your prices. TP is a NoNo same with paper towels.Watch for things to go dirt cheap around holidays.. I have picked up great bargains on melting chocolate, candy but you have to be iwlling to wait and grab when it goes down in price. some things I do buy on impulse because of the cheap price. I find for the flour,sugar, rice alone it is worth it since we have noone around here that carries those in large sizes.

[Tiempo]

Originally Posted by Wolf mom

To me, Sam's Club is a glorified Walmart. Think quality..

As an alternative, I have a Costco card. Their Kirkland brand is a best buy in many items by Consumer Reports. I've saved 1/2 on auto insurance, 1/2 on prescription glasses - even more on their drug prescriptions.

Their Kirkland, no corn, 40# dog food is about $22.00.

The closest store is about 3 ours away from me, and I think it's worth driving that far.

I joined Costco earlier this year because a friend recommended their dog food.

It made our dogs close to impossible to live with the gas was so bad! I tried to give it time for their tummies to adjust, but after about 3 weeks or so I just couldn't take it any more

I found there wasn't much else there to make the trips worthwhile, so I canceled the membership.

[starjj]

I think it just depends on what you buy and if you need it in bulk. I don't need things in bulk there for it is not worth it to me although I have a card that was free and only because it was free. I have shopped there before but find much better deals elsewhere. I have never compared shopping in bulk for dog food though.

[NCLee]

We have a SC card and it pays for itself every year. There are a number of things we buy there that are less expensive than what we can find elsewhere. This includes some OTC meds.

I don't under stand the "quality" issue that someone brought up. I haven't found any difference in quality of brand name items regardless of where I buy them. Listerine mouthwash is Listerine mouthwash. Starkist tuna is Starkist. Etc.

Haven't found any problem with their 5 lb bags of frozen vegetables. Bananas are sometimes a little too green, but the ripen just fine in a few days.

Must be a difference between how clubs are managed. The one we visit has someone check the tape at the door. However, they do a quick glance over our cart and send us on our way. Usually takes less than a minute.

Lee

[Audrey]

We like Sam's! As others have said be aware of prices other places. But we buy most of our groceries there.