Discount club memberships

[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. Granted this was like 15 years ago

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?"

[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.

[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.

[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!