Discount club memberships

[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.
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, () 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. 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-recip...998/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.