Sams membership worth it

[pandemonium]

Hmm well they have a really good premade buffalo chicken wing sauce called
"Rickeys" and giant cans of cheddar and nacho cheese sauce's for five dollars and change that is good for nacho chips and hell at the regular store its like four dollars for a few ounces so if i throw half the can away im still ahead. Have you ever walked through a sams club and checked out all the stuff? There are many unique things that they get from time to time that are good.
Like someone else said you get great savings on pain relievers and things like that so you cant go wrong unless your like i used to be and didn't eat like i do know lol I remember when i didnt think i was getting my forty dollars worth, and then i probably wasn't buying enough but know i make out, maybe that's why i need a diet plan now lol.

 

[forluvofsmoke]

As for weather or not it's worth it: if you buy in bulk quantities and have a few kid's at home, yes. Meats seem to be good quality as well.

One thing I have noticed, especially on-line, walmart has certain items for less $ than sam's...same company, different store name...no membership at walmart and less $?...go figure...so, you still have to look at pricing if you are trying to save money when you can.

Eric

 

[solaryellow]

I have a membership to both Sam's and Costco. If I had to pick one, I would rather have a membership to Sam's than Costco. Sam's meats are much cheaper and better quality than Costco around here and even cheaper than local grocery stores. Costco seems to carry better quality home merchandise, fruits, and veggies though. Like Ron, I get a lot of supplies at Sam's. Steamer pans, aluminum foil, ziploc bags, etc.

 

[pineywoods]

We have a Sam's Club membership and I think we get our moneys worth out of it. We don't go often because we don't have one real close. You have to watch prices there some things that are a bargain and others are much cheaper elsewhere. I like the huge rolls of aluminum foil and foil pans that they carry. They carry spices in bigger containers than any of our local places. As long as you kinda remember what prices are other places you can do pretty well shopping there

 

[badfrog]

I am a Sam's member about 5 yrs now. We buy in bulk quite a bit both for home and business and church events, so the savings are pretty good. To me, the meat is good sometimes and sometimes not.
ESTABLISH a good relationship with your local butcher! I have been buying most of my meat from a local grocer's meat department for several years now and have a pretty good relationship with the butchers (I take them a bbq lunch fairly regularly). They will "special" label meat for me when i buy in bulk. Recently bought 100 lbs of butts with a shelf price of $1.79/lb - they marked it down to $.89/lbs - I take care of them, they take care of me!!! Point being, get to know your local butcher!

 

[timtimmay]

We walked through tonight. With the quantiy that people spend there I question why they charge a membership fee at all. I would think they would make much more profit by having more customers and no fees.

Some items look to be cheaper or the same at WM. Looks like I could save a few bucks on toilet paper and things like that, however space in my house is worth $$ too.

For the specifics of bbq, they have a the 40 lb bag of good lump (actual branches not scraps from the mill) for $17.

On meat in general quality looks good and prices are about .30 cheaer per lb, more if you buy it by the case, but I don't know what quantity that is.

 

[pineywoods]

Most of the cases of meat I have bought are 40-50 lbs not all but most.

 

[chef jeff tx]

I have a membership at both. Both were biz memberships but I have downgraded my Sam's back to a cheap regular membership because I rarely shop there any more.

If I do go to Sam's it's usually for plastic ware for my biz or because I forgot something or run out of 1 or 2 items so that it's not worth driving the 25 miles to Costco when Sam's is only 5 miles away. They are supposedly building a Costco less then a mile & a half from Mi Casa and when they do I'll be at Sam's even less.

We get most everything we need from Costco and only go to the regular stores for milk, juice, cereal, deli & produce. It's also less crowded and easier to get around at Costco. Bigger aisles and not nearly as many Demo people giving out samples at every intersection!!

I see a lot of folks here that are fans of their meat but the only meat I will buy at Sam's is the packaged Chappel Hill Sausage.

They must have different suppliers for different areas because the meat & poultry at my local store is HORRIBLE!! Most of what they have comes from Australia and is heavily injected.

The meat at the Costco's in the Houston area is better then what is available in any of the local big chain super markets (Randall's, Kroger, Brookshire Bros, HEB). It is as good or better then the local high end markets (Central Market, Rice, Whole Foods) and is considerably less expensive too.

So I guess what I'm saying is that a membership at the big box places is worth the $$ for lots of things and if I had to chose 1 over the other I'd go with Costco.

One plus for Sam's is that they have a Business Member only store here in Houston that carries a lot more food service related big bulk items, restaurant supplies, cleaning supplies and office supplies. No clothes, books, toys. No annoying crowds blocking up the aisles waiting to get a taste of everything.

 

[timtimmay]

So a case of butts would be 4-6 butts?


Thanks everyone for the info. I think we're going for it. Another plus is no one that responded here complained about bad service. On our tour tonight the place seemed much cleaner and more organized than walmart.

 

[pineywoods]

Butts that I get are usually double packed and around 50 lbs sometimes 45 and sometimes 55.
Briskets that I've gotten are packers single packed and around 50 lbs per case.
I think the last spare ribs I got were from Sam's and were between 30 and 40 lbs in the case and were 3 to a pack if I remember correctly.
I have not gotten chickens at Sams but the last case I got was 40-50 lbs
If I buy pork bellies locally they come 2 pieces/ 1 belly per box and are around 20 lbs. The last cases I got were from a different place and were 50-60 lbs per case.

You can always ask what the cases weigh and they'll usually give you a range like 30-40 or 40-50 or whatever then when you tell them you want one they get an exact weight at least thats how it works around here

 

[daddycookin]

i have a 3 y.o son so our membership is payed for by the cash we save on apple juice.2 gallons for 5 bucks not bad and i also use alot of it in my Q.also the savings on bulk t.p. will blow your mind lol.

 

[pandemonium]

that's the only thing i don't think is a deal, toilet paper and paper towels and plates don't seem like a deal to me, i cant see spending twenty bucks on tp at one time