Discount club memberships

[Medusa]

I'll omit the name of the discount club because I don't want to denigrate any business, especially when my experience w/them is limited. I have to wonder, though, how much money is actually saved at these places. I bought a basic membership a couple of days ago because I found a patio umbrella that I wanted there; everywhere else was sold out already. It definitely was not discounted and by the time I paid for it plus the membership, I realized that perhaps the only good thing I could say about the experience is that I was able to locate what I wanted at that store. I'm put off by the idea of paying them money just so that I can pay them more money. However, I did buy the membership, so there it is.

After walking through the store, I doubt that I'll buy any groceries there. So many of the sizes are huge! Perhaps if you have a large family you can save some money but I live alone and it would take me forever to eat the cans of tuna, for ex., that I saw there. Jars of peanut butter that would be a tar pit for my Fur Posse. Good grief, who eats like that? Bags of cat food, forget about it. I could never lift them.

I scanned their jewelry dept. and didn't see anything out of the ordinary including discounts. As a matter of fact, most of it was priced higher than at jewelry stores. Same goes w/their patio furniture. Maybe it's items such as soft drinks and junk food that the deep discounts apply. I saw a woman w/a flat cart filled w/bottles of soda. I thought she might work there but no, she was making a purchase. Maybe it was for a social function, I don't know. I guess I was just overwhelmed by the store itself but I didn't see where any real money could be saved.

What say you?

[pomtzu]

I've been a member of Sam's for over 15 years, and I like it, for the most part. I know I've saved a ton of money, but then I'm not buying just for myself either. I've bought everything from jewelry to toilet paper, and everything in between. The biggest savings is on their meats and frozen goods I think. I buy the big packs of meat and then break them down to whatever size I want, and freeze them. I can buy two big chickens in a pack for less than I would spend for one in the grocery store. You can buy the smaller cans like tuna, but they're in packs of 8 so you might not want to buy that much. Peanut butter is a bigger jar than you would get at your regular grocery, and they're usually packed in 2's. You do have to watch prices tho, since I've found that some things are cheaper at Walmart, and at Walmart, you have more off brand labels to choose from which are going to be cheaper too. I get my prescriptions filled there too - usually a lot less than Rite Aide or Walgreens.
All in all, I've been satisfied with them, and I have saved big bucks over the years.

[aTailOf2Kitties]

I'm with you on the "paying for the priviledge to shop there" thing being kinda silly. I've heard lots of people say that unless you shop there a whole lot or need to stock up on stuff, you don't really save all that much overall. I remember years and years ago my parents received a free membership of some sort to Sam's Club but when we went to the store we could only buy certain things with that particular membership. My dad had the card and they were being real a-holes and not wanting to even let me and my mother in the store. :rolleyes: Granted this was like 15 years ago :p

[Medusa]

I don't have a big freezer so I don't buy too much meat. As I've gotten older, I find that I want meat less and less. (Now if I could just feel that way about simple carbohydrates. :rolleyes: ) I guess I'm spoiled from shopping at Giant Eagle. Their grocery prices are really good and the fuel perks are great. I buy gift cards to Lowe's, Bed Bath and Beyond, etc. because I shop there so much, then those purchases add up and my gas perks increase. I got 3 free fill ups in January from my Christmas shopping and I never pay more than around $.59 a gallon any more. So I doubt that I'd buy my groceries at the discount store but maybe I rushed to judgment and I'll give it another look when I have some time to kill. At least I found my patio umbrella! :D

[Medusa]

I'm with you on the "paying for the priviledge to shop there" thing being kinda silly. I've heard lots of people say that unless you shop there a whole lot or need to stock up on stuff, you don't really save all that much overall. I remember years and years ago my parents received a free membership of some sort to Sam's Club but when we went to the store we could only buy certain things with that particular membership. My dad had the card and they were being real a-holes and not wanting to even let me and my mother in the store. :rolleyes: Granted this was like 15 years ago :p

Eight or nine years ago I went into one to buy a membership as a Christmas gift and the person behind the counter told me that I couldn't buy one for someone else unless I joined first. I said "That's ridiculous!" and another person agreed w/me, so I was able to buy the gift membership. It left a bitter taste in my mouth, though, and I waited until just two days ago to buy a basic membership for myself. They already asked me today about upgrading and I said "How about letting me get used to even having it let alone using it before I upgrade?" :rolleyes:

[sparks19]

Yeah the idea is that you are buying bulk and paying bulk prices.

We shop at BJ's all the time.

The savings on diapers ALONE has paid for our membership ten fold. At the grocery store for 30 bucks you get about 75 diapers. At BJ's we were getting over 200 newborn diapers for $30.

Yeah we buy lots of stuff there. Meat... GREAT prices on their meat and we just seperate it into portions for one meal and then freeze it. so we only have to buy meat like once a month.

We also buy our shampoo, bodywash, toothpaste, deodorant and other such things there. We get 4 tubes of toothpaste for what you would pay for less than 2 at the grocery store. SAme with deodorant. and I can't beat the price of the bulk pack of feminine products :)

[Medusa]

That makes sense. I imagine you do save quite a bit on diapers and possibly baby food. However, it's been a looooong time since I had to buy that kind of stuff. LOL I think I'm at a disadvantage sometimes because I live alone. Even a loaf of bread goes stale or moldy before I can use it all unless I freeze it, which I don't like to do because it dries out. I've heard good things about their meat dept. though, so I'll have a look next time I go back. I bought a pot roast the other day and cut it into three pieces because unless I cook for guests, that's way too much meat for me.

[sparks19]

That makes sense. I imagine you do save quite a bit on diapers and possibly baby food. However, it's been a looooong time since I had to buy that kind of stuff. LOL

we never really considered a membership at a bulk club until we had to start buying diapers LOL. So now we tell all new parents that the best advice we can give them is buy diapers at BJ's lol.

But yeah ... it's the kind of place where you have to know how much it would cost you at the grocery store because some things are WAY more expensive then what you would pay at the grocery store. But for some things you just can't beat the price

[pomtzu]

Actually, I was kind of put off with them when I first joined, until I realized - hey - that pack of 24 rolls of toilet paper is gonna last a long time - and I won't have to buy it again for quite a while. It might seem like you're spending more money at first, but when you break it down by unit price, then you see the savings. Then of course there's the savings in time too - less time shopping since you don't need to buy items as often. Sometimes I can completely skip a week.

[Medusa]

Something I didn't see but I didn't look for either was produce. Do they carry it? I love fresh veggies and salads.

[sparks19]

Actually, I was kind of put off with them when I first joined, until I realized - hey - that pack of 24 rolls of toilet paper is gonna last a long time - and I won't have to buy it again for quite a while. It might seem like you're spending more money at first, but when you break it down by unit price, then you see the savings. Then of course there's the savings in time too - less time shopping since you don't need to buy items as often. Sometimes I can completely skip a week.

agreed

although the danger with that much TP... sometimes you think you have more left than you really do LOL

[caseysmom]

I have a membership at costco and sams, I like costco the best, the meat and produce are great. Great prices on cheese, meat, produce...

I am even ordering a refrigerator there. I love costco! We even bought our vacation to hawaii there!

[Moesha]

My sister bought the flowers for her wedding through Sam's Club. I don't think they have the floral department now though. I believe Costco does. Sam's also has a fabulous deal on Fresh Step litter. They have 40 pound buckets of it for just over $14. There are things that are way over priced there, but sometimes the deals you can find make the membership worth it. Right now I don't have a membership, so if my sister or my mom goes, sometimes I'll just tag a long with them. I do have enough rebate dollars saved on my Discover card to get a Sam's membership and a $10 gift card. I thought about doing that but haven't yet. I'll probably just keep shopping with someone else who has a card for awhile. Razor blade refills are another thing that are a huge savings at Sam's. I wish there was a Costco closer than Nashville because I just heard of these frozen fruit thingies that they have there that I want to try.

[pomtzu]

Something I didn't see but I didn't look for either was produce. Do they carry it? I love fresh veggies and salads.

Sam's does - I don't know about the others, but I would imagine they do.

Another thing Mary - if you know someone that might want to split some of the products with you, that would be a way to buy in bulk without having to keep an excess amount. I know of a few people who do that with canned goods, paper products - anything that you have to buy in bulk. They just split the product and split the cost.

[Seravieve]

I've been to both for years now.. I don't have a membership to either but my mom has one to Costco. She used to have one to Sam's, but she has since turned Anti-Walmart... so yea. I'll go with her every few weeks to check out their movie selection for my business... But there's no way J and I could use up any food item I'd buy from there. Their produce does look nice though, and I know my mom really likes it. And their flowers are nice, but its more of just a display, not a dept. Sam's here has a full floral dept. And their rotisserie chickens are awesome. Their movie selection is ok... Neither one carry any dog food we'd care to buy.. otherwise, I'd definitely go there for it, since it seems to be pretty cheap. J's brother has a Sam's membership, and I've gone with him a lot. He only has one to Sam's because there are more locations here than Costco's... so if there's a good buy (he sells movies too), he can go to multiple locations for them.

I think they really benefit larger households and business owners... It's definitely not worthwhile for people like us, just two mouths to feed.. Everything would go to waste before we'd get around to eating it. And I cook everything, too.

[Medusa]

Sam's does - I don't know about the others, but I would imagine they do.

Another thing Mary - if you know someone that might want to split some of the products with you, that would be a way to buy in bulk without having to keep an excess amount. I know of a few people who do that with canned goods, paper products - anything that you have to buy in bulk. They just split the product and split the cost.

A friend of mine knows how much I love rice; I could eat it daily. So she called and said that she bought some at Sam's, took what she needed and would give the rest to me. She brought me a 20 lb bag of rice in a burlap sack! Yes, it'll keep but c'mon! As nice as it was of her to do that, I thought that I'd do the same, take what I need and give the rest away. Well. I cooked some of the rice that night and it was awful! It tasted like dirt! And it was long grain basmati jasmine rice, too; my favorite. I can't in good conscience pass it on to anyone so now I either throw it out or eat 20 lbs. of rice that tastes like dirt. (I'm wondering if my friend passed it on to me because she didn't like it either. LOL :eek: )

[sparks19]

A friend of mine knows how much I love rice; I could eat it daily. So she called and said that she bought some at Sam's, took what she needed and would give the rest to me. She brought me a 20 lb bag of rice in a burlap sack! Yes, it'll keep but c'mon! As nice as it was of her to do that, I thought that I'd do the same, take what I need and give the rest away. Well. I cooked some of the rice that night and it was awful! It tasted like dirt! And it was long grain basmati jasmine rice, too; my favorite. I can't in good conscience pass it on to anyone so now I either throw it out or eat 20 lbs. of rice that tastes like dirt. (I'm wondering if my friend passed it on to me because she didn't like it either. LOL :eek: )

ever think of maybe donating it to a soup kitchen or anything?

[Medusa]

ever think of maybe donating it to a soup kitchen or anything?

Y'know, that's a great idea! Thanx!

[pomtzu]

A friend of mine knows how much I love rice; I could eat it daily. So she called and said that she bought some at Sam's, took what she needed and would give the rest to me. She brought me a 20 lb bag of rice in a burlap sack! Yes, it'll keep but c'mon! As nice as it was of her to do that, I thought that I'd do the same, take what I need and give the rest away. Well. I cooked some of the rice that night and it was awful! It tasted like dirt! And it was long grain basmati jasmine rice, too; my favorite. I can't in good conscience pass it on to anyone so now I either throw it out or eat 20 lbs. of rice that tastes like dirt. (I'm wondering if my friend passed it on to me because she didn't like it either. LOL :eek: )

Now that's a bit much!! Even I wouldn't buy that much. :eek: I was thinking more along the line of canned goods, paper products, even meats, to split the product and cost.

I think I'd have to toss what you have! :D

[Medusa]

Now that's a bit much!! Even I wouldn't buy that much. :eek: I was thinking more along the line of canned goods, paper products, even meats, to split the product and cost.

I think I'd have to toss what you have! :D

Well, Sparks came up w/the smart suggestion of donating it to a soup kitchen. Maybe if it's actually in soup so that it blends in w/other vegetables and/or some meat, the taste won't be so bad.

[Grace]

We belong to CostCo. Before that we were members at Sam's. We are retired - so just the two of us.

We shop about every 3-4 months, and most definitely we save lots of money. We buy the store brand of paper towels, chicken breasts in bulk and then freeze. Medications - sure do save on large bottles of glucosamine, Omega 3, calcium and the like. Just bought 2 years worth of low-dose aspirin for less than a 6 months supply at the local drugstore. Other items - V-8 juice, crackers, cans of tuna, ketchup, cereal, crackers, dishwash detergent - the list goes on. And CostCo does have produce.

We pretty much pay for the year's cost in one shopping visit.

[pomtzu]

Well, Sparks came up w/the smart suggestion of donating it to a soup kitchen. Maybe if it's actually in soup so that it blends in w/other vegetables and/or some meat, the taste won't be so bad.

LOL - I saw that after I posted. That's a good idea - soup, Spanish Rice, rice pudding. They could probably come up with a lot of ways to disguise the taste, but then it might not taste bad to people who are just hungry for a meal. Your tastes are just too refined. :D

[Medusa]

Your tastes are just too refined. :D

You're talking to a woman who still chews bubble gum.

[pomtzu]

You're talking to a woman who still chews bubble gum.

You can buy that in tubs at Sam's.....:D

[Medusa]

You can buy that in tubs at Sam's.....:D

Seriously? Double Bubble? (The original, not the soft stuff.)

[kitten645]

I have a Costco membership and I love it. I'm single so I can't buy the huge vats of things but here's my list:
Litter
TP
Paper Towels
Chicken Broth
English Muffins
Mushrooms
Books
Photo processing
Tires
Flowers

On top of all the savings, I have my little sister on my membership for free so she gets to use it as well.

As far as paying for a membership/club to something like Barnes & Nobel, I think that's ridiculous! You could never save as much as you do via Amazon or Borders that doesn't charge for membership.

[Grace]

As far as paying for a membership/club to something like Barnes & Nobel, I think that's ridiculous! You could never save as much as you do via Amazon or Borders that doesn't charge for membership.

You want to bet http://bestsmileys.com/lol/6.gif

I have a B&N membership, along with a B&N credit card. I buy books every month, and have saved a bundle - usually $1.50 to $2.00 per book, plus no S&H fees for over $25, and 5% off every purchase when using my credit card.

[Seravieve]

You want to bet http://bestsmileys.com/lol/6.gif

I have a B&N membership, along with a B&N credit card. I buy books every month, and have saved a bundle - usually $1.50 to $2.00 per book, plus no S&H fees for over $25, and 5% off every purchase when using my credit card.

LOL I have a B&N membership as well. Of course, for my movie business.. Saves a lot on some stuff.. And the free 3 day shipping is nice. Used in conjunction with the 10% live cashback, it's great.

[pomtzu]

Seriously? Double Bubble? (The original, not the soft stuff.)

Hmmm - I don't really remember. They have different kinds at different times. I used to buy a tub and take it to work, so half the office chomped bubble gum all day! :)

[smokey the elder]

LOL - I saw that after I posted. That's a good idea - soup, Spanish Rice, rice pudding. They could probably come up with a lot of ways to disguise the taste, but then it might not taste bad to people who are just hungry for a meal. Your tastes are just too refined. :D


Basmati rice in the burlap bag needs to be washed VERY thoroughly before cooking and eating it. I often find "friends" in there so have stopped buying it.

I have a BJ's card; I save a bundle on kitty litter and paper products. They have a good meat, produce and pre-made selection, with quite a lot of gourmet offerings. Bulk Lindor and Ce'Moi candy, too!:D

[Edwina's Secretary]

I have a B&N membership, along with a B&N credit card. I buy books every month, and have saved a bundle - usually $1.50 to $2.00 per book, plus no S&H fees for over $25, and 5% off every purchase when using my credit card.

I don't have the credit card (I prefer one with air miles :)) but I do have the B&N card. I like that I can go to the store, look around for books I might not have heard about, read a little of the book to decide -- and still get my discount.

I use it on line for books - such as for my book club - that I know I want.

I save more every year than the card costs.

[IRescue452]

I always thought Sam's prices were too high, I've been there a few times with friends. For what little I'd be saving on unit price, I'd be spending on membership fees, so it wouldn't make a difference. As far as the big tub of peanut butter, try filling 12 kongs a day and then tell me you have too much peanut butter.

[beeniesmom]

I have a BJ's and Sams membership.

I shop at each about 4 times a year and I do save a lot of money.
Some items are cheaper at one store and others at the other.

BJ's is great because they offer store coupons plus you can use manufacturers coupons. Yesterday I bought a package of cotonelle toilet paper and between store coupon and manufacturer coupon, it ended up being 7$ off.

I usually stock up on:

toilet paper
paper towels
dog treats
bottled water
peanut butter
olive oil
animal crackers
dishwasher detergent
handwashing detergent
toothpaste
femminine products
meat
frozen veggies
frozen fish
EVEN eggs.... so much cheaper than even walmart.

I have also started buying diapers there too. :D
They are a lot cheaper that way.

[Marigold2]

We have a Costco membership and a store 5 minutes from our home. I buy my gas there, it's always a few pennies cheaper. I purchase pizza there, one large baked pizza with the works for $9.99 and it's really, really good. Their roasted chicken is the best whole bird perfectly cooked is $4.99, huge cakes are $15.99. Salad is excellent, so is beef, hamburger is very easy to freeze, have bought tires, battery, and a host of other things there. Have been to BJ and Sam's and don't like as much as Costco. They have great prices on nuts, chips, flowers, trees, shrugs. I could go on and on. As far as rugular food it's just the two of us as well but for company or parties it is the best.

[sparks19]

We have a Costco membership and a store 5 minutes from our home. I buy my gas there, it's always a few pennies cheaper. I purchase pizza there, one large baked pizza with the works for $9.99 and it's really, really good. Their roasted chicken is the best whole bird perfectly cooked is $4.99, huge cakes are $15.99. Salad is excellent, so is beef, hamburger is very easy to freeze, have bought tires, battery, and a host of other things there. Have been to BJ and Sam's and don't like as much as Costco. They have great prices on nuts, chips, flowers, trees, shrugs. I could go on and on. As far as rugular food it's just the two of us as well but for company or parties it is the best.

OH yeah gas... didnt think of that. GAS is WAAAAAAAAAAAAY cheaper with your membership at BJ's. Most of the time it's seriously almost 10 cents cheaper than the local gas station.

[Medusa]

We have a Costco membership and a store 5 minutes from our home. I buy my gas there, it's always a few pennies cheaper. I purchase pizza there, one large baked pizza with the works for $9.99 and it's really, really good. Their roasted chicken is the best whole bird perfectly cooked is $4.99, huge cakes are $15.99. Salad is excellent, so is beef, hamburger is very easy to freeze, have bought tires, battery, and a host of other things there. Have been to BJ and Sam's and don't like as much as Costco. They have great prices on nuts, chips, flowers, trees, shrugs. I could go on and on. As far as rugular food it's just the two of us as well but for company or parties it is the best.


Yes, there are Costcos in CA and my son says they're great but there are none in my area.

[caseysmom]

Yes, there are Costcos in CA and my son says they're great but there are none in my area.

I thought there were costcos all over, we even shopped at one several times when we were in Hawaii. We bought all our snorkeling gear there.

[K9karen]

I've been a Sam's Club member for years. I just got a free trial membership card to Costco in the mail, but I'll have to find a location nearby. Same with BJ's.

When there were 5 of us here, we bought more at Sam's then I do now, with 3 of us. I'm a pretty savvy shopper and although I sometimes suffer from a serious bout of Oldtimers syndrome, for some reason, I can recall the *per unit/ounce/pound* of an item that I've seen at an Acme, (:rolleyes:) so I only buy specific things that we use all the time. Then these big bulk items only have to be bought every 1-2 months. The meat is OK, but I look for bargains elsewhere. I always buy their brand of boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenderlons, cook and freeze.

I bought the basmati rice in a burlap bag and gave 1/2 to our neighbor. I never noticed the dirt taste or seen *hitchhikers* so now I'm feeling squirmy. :D:p The $4.99 rotisserie chicken is yummy!! I buy a few and freeze them!

Anyway, I never get away without spending less than $70 and that's when I go with a short list! There's always something I see that I have to have. Unfortunately, I really am an impulsive shopper. Reminder to self: Stop shopping when starving.

[cassiesmom]

Another thing Mary - if you know someone that might want to split some of the products with you, that would be a way to buy in bulk without having to keep an excess amount. I know of a few people who do that with canned goods, paper products - anything that you have to buy in bulk. They just split the product and split the cost.


This is what my mom and my sister do with Costco, mostly with large packages of meat. Sometimes my mom even re-divides her portion with me. Works great for chicken breasts or a roast. My parents also got a great deal on car insurance by purchasing a Costco membership.

Did you see the article in Real Simple magazine about what to do with all those huge packages from the warehouse club?
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/food/five-tastiest-warehouse-club-buys-00000000008998/index.html

Sam's Club and Costco both have great bakery departments, too. When I was working at UnitedHealthcare and we needed a cake for an "occasion" that would feed a crowd, Costco was the bakery of choice.