Sam’s Club is one of the most beloved bulk retailers in America. However, not everything on sale there is the best deal you can get. Here are 10 things you should always buy at Sam’s Club and 10 others you definitely shouldn’t.
At Sam’s Club, you can snag an 18-count Eggland’s Best large eggs for just $3.08 – a really great deal not even available at other club stores like Costco. And it also beats Walmart’s price of $3.84.
The rotisserie chicken is one of the many things you have to try at Sam’s Club. A tasty 3-pound chicken costs only $4.98, making it a steal compared to many other grocery stores, even Costco, where the chicken costs a penny more.
At Sam’s Club, 15 rolls of Member’s Mark Super Premium paper towels sell for $18.24. It can save you a few cents per roll when compared with the $14.97 you pay for 12 packs of Walmart’s Great Value brand. Though that doesn’t seem much, the more you buy, the more you save, and it’s unlikely that you’ll ever stop needing paper towels.
If you’re a snack lover, buying at Sam’s Club is a great call. For example, a 40-count pack of Lance crackers sells for under $7, or around $5.4 when there are Instant Savings available. Meanwhile, at Walmart, a 20-count pack of these crackers is on sale for (as much as) $5.18, almost double the cost.
Like diapers, baby wipes tend to get used quickly. Buying them in bulk is a smart move for parents. At Sam’s Club, Member’s Mark Premium 1,152-count baby wipes cost $19.96 per box – that’s less than $0.02 per wipe. Pretty good! Moreover, consumers have claimed that they are as good as, if not better than, name brands.
When it comes to buying sports drinks, there’s no better place to go than Sam’s Club. For instance, a variety pack of 28-pack,12 oz. Gatorade regularly goes for $12.98, around $0.46 per bottle, which is actually a penny less than Costco’s regular price for the same drinks. When there are Instant Savings, you can save even more!
The American Dental Association suggests we should change our toothbrush about every three months, and since unused toothbrushes don’t have an expiration date, why not save big by buying in bulk? A pack of eight toothbrushes costs around $10 at Sam’s Club, which is much cheaper than that from a drugstore or regular grocery store.
You can get a 10-pound bag of sugar at Sam’s club for as little as $5.48, which is around 15% to 20% less than what you would pay anywhere else. And it makes sense to buy this size even if you’re not planning on opening your own bakery business, since sugar won’t spoil as long as it’s properly stored.
Corn dogs, waffles, and other frozen foods can be stored in the fridge for a long time, and buying them at Sam’s Club can offer the biggest bang for your buck. A bag of 34 corn dogs is priced at just $12. That’s really hard to pass up for a parent who feeds a large family.
Sam’s Club offers a wide variety of tire brands at competitive prices. Plus, when you buy with your membership, you’ll get the best ‘all-in’ deal that includes lifetime tire balance and rotation, flat repair, waste tire disposal, and road hazard protection.
Bulk deals on soda are actually not a good buy at Sam’s Club because you may actually be overpaying. Those in the loop reveal that most supermarkets regard soda as a loss leader, which means they sell it below cost to attract customers into the store. Although soda is cheap at Sam’s Club, they still sell it at cost.
Another item to skip at Sam’s Club is bacon. But why? A recent bacon test from Consumer Reports has shown that Costco’s Kirkland Signature bacon shames its rivals in both price and quality. “The strips [from Kirkland] crisped up nicely, with a balance of fat and meat flavors, complemented by wood smoke and a hint of sweetness,” the test claims.
Warehouse clubs like Sam’s Club usually don’t put cereal on sale, and cereal can go stale quickly once exposed to air, so buying large quantities of it is not the best use of your grocery money. Instead, find bargains at traditional grocery stores, and you can spend even less by using coupons.
Well, who doesn’t love snuggling up to cute fluffy toys, especially the giant stuffed bear from Sam’s Club? However, before you pay, make sure your car is big enough to hold it. Otherwise, you may have to let him ride on the top of your car. That can be extremely embarrassing, and most importantly, pretty unsafe.
Don’t buy party supplies at Sam’s Club if you want to save time and money. For everything from disposable plates, straws, cups to decorations, you can go to dollar stores and get all of it at an even better price.
Be careful when you spot your favorite designer clothing at Sam’s Club! While most famous designers make less expensive summer lines for warehouse clubs, these lines are likely to be of lower quality. So, don’t expect the clothing to be long-lasting or well-made.
Stockpiling canned goods at Sam’s club may seem like a good deal at first glance, but it’s really not. Canned goods are often on sale at grocery stores, much cheaper than at warehouse stores. Besides that, they have more realistic package sizes there.
While a 51-ounce can of Folgers for $10 at Sam’s Club is really tempting, it’s best to avoid this kind of bargain, as it doesn’t taste as good if kept too long. Each time you open that can to make a pot, you’re letting oxygen in, which can suck the freshness out of your precious coffee.
If you choose to buy laundry detergent like Tide from Sam’s Club instead of the grocery store, you may end up paying more. This is especially true when there are sales and coupons available at your local grocery store.
Sam’s Club seems to offer electronics at reasonable prices, but there are many other places you can get better deals if you know when to buy. According to Consumer Reports, deep discounts usually come in November on or around Black Friday and two weeks before the Super Bowl.
