Comments on: Sams Club Trial Membership 2009

By: Mamamia

Mamamia — Sat, 30 May 2009 06:48:31 +0000

I love shopping at Sam’s and get more than my money’s-worth there. First off, we make sure to buy our gas there because it’s always cheaper than anywhere else around here. We also think the quality of their baked goods is astounding for the price. Where else can you get two huge loaves of FRESH whole wheat sandwhich bread for $3.50? Milk is cheap, so many good thinks to try while shopping. Albertsons, Ralphs or the other grocery chains don’t offer samples. You save by buying things you have actually tried and like. A tip for the folks with limited freezer space. One of the “sample ladies” by the freezer section taught me. She pointed out that one could fit a whole lot more in an ordinary household freezer if you take things out of boxes. it works like a charm for us. I cut out the directions and put them by the fridge so when it comes time to heat something up, I have them. Finally, who doesn’t love the INCREDIBLE Nathan’s hot dogs and huge soda fcr $1.50??? Can’t beat buying your family lunch for around $10!!!!! That alone is worth the membership.

By: Richie

Richie — Sat, 30 May 2009 06:09:48 +0000

Just another perk to point out – if you do get tires at Sams Club, don’t forget that they provide free rotation and balancing for the lifetime of the tires. I’m not sure if that service continues if you stop being a member, but considering that you need to get this done regularly anyway, it’s a good benefit. (and could quickly pay off the membership fee.)

By: Kate@LivingTheFrugalLife

Kate@LivingTheFrugalLife — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:21:02 +0000

Just a word of caution here. In order to recoup the cost of a $15 membership, you’ll probably need to spend something on the order of $300 just to break even. Follow me here…

Say that on average Sam’s prices are 5% lower than where you would normally shop. (I ran the numbers for BJ’s and the numbers weren’t even that good for the things I would typically buy.) Divide $15 by 5% and you come up with the $300. Will you spend more than that before Labor Day? Because until you break even, you see no advantage at all. If the savings average out at *less* than 5%, you’ll have to spend even more just to break even. If you drive farther to get to Sam’s than your regular store, add on expenses for extra gas and your time.

An example. Say you plan to save money through this deal by buying gasoline. The average price nationally in the US is currently $2.48/gallon. If Sam’s offers 5% savings, your price would be $2.356/gallon. To rack up $15 in savings you have to buy $300 worth of gas, or more than 127 gallons at such a price. Are you really going to use that much gas by Labor Day? That’s 7 or 8 refills on an empty tank in the average car – just to break even. If you have a long commute every day, you’re set – provided you’re really seeing a 5% savings. If you work from home, use public transit, or telecommute, you probably won’t break even on gas alone. Is it really the case that Sam’s beats average gas prices by as much as 5%? If not, you won’t reach a break even point until you spend even more money. And you only have three months to reach that break even point and then start saving.

After running such numbers for my consumption patterns and for our local warehouse club, I concluded it wasn’t worth it to me. I sometimes still shop there when they offer free trial memberships for a few weeks at a time. But I’m done paying for the privilege of shopping anywhere. The numbers don’t add up for us.

By: Bri

Bri — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:09:08 +0000

Just a heads up on furniture at Sam’s Club. My husband and I have both worked in furniture (I worked for a retail store and he worked for a wholesaler). My husbands company sold VERY low end furniture, the kind that won’t last very long and they sell A LOT to Sam’s Club. Also, we – unfortunately – know from experience that some of the brands they carry (namely Ashley) aren’t very well made. You are definitely going to get what you pay for with Sam’s Club.

It can be a great deal if you are outfitting an area of your home that doesn’t get a lot of use or if you don’t have small children/animals that are prone to marking up and being rough on furniture. But you definitely need to watch what you buy there.

By: The Half Assed Housewife

The Half Assed Housewife — Tue, 26 May 2009 17:20:19 +0000

Thanks for the headup on this one. You can print a one day pass here: http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?catg=14018&iid=TDM|Summer|15summer and use it when you go in to sign up for the $15 deal.

By: John

John — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:52:09 +0000

How are you suppose to get this deal? Website? Coupon? Just go in?

By: Stacey

Stacey — Tue, 26 May 2009 12:06:14 +0000

I wasn’t all that impressed with their prices – but you can really save on diapers and other baby disposables. We plan to get a membership again when we start our family.

You’ve got to be really careful. I was looking at their laundry detergent, ect. and comparing unit prices – if you’re willing to play the coupon/sale game, you can often come out ahead shopping at a regular store.

By: Abigail

Abigail — Tue, 26 May 2009 04:54:36 +0000

I am the second person on my mom’s membership. I love it! Kashi Go Lean Crunch, which I eat every morning, rarely goes on decent sale. Sam’s though, has two-bag packs (bigger than two regular cereal boxes put together) for around $7.70. In addition, it’s a great place for cheap milk. We get a gallon of milk for $1.77. Most store sales still can’t beat that price!

By: DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad

DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad — Tue, 26 May 2009 01:36:10 +0000

I have been meaning to check out Sam’s . . .

By: Sherry

Sherry — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:30:59 +0000

Thanx for the tip…with gas prices escalating, the membership will pay for itself!