Sam’s Club is one of the biggest stores around and that size can be overwhelming. In fact, most people are unable to take full advantage of the wonderful benefits because of that. They get swallowed up in all that size and end up shopping randomly. Rather than throwing away your money, how about we teach you some ways to save at Sam’s Club? Here are seven awesome tips to keep your purse just a bit heavier:
Secrets to Saving Money at Sam’s Club Warehouse Stores
Buy Member’s Mark Products
Member’s Mark is the brand that Sam’s Club markets their generics under. This brand name is extremely good and some even like it better than their counterparts. Of all the supermarket generics, Member’s Mark has the most quality. Needless to say it can save you tons of money being so much cheaper than the name brands.
Sign up to their website
The website is key because you can get all kinds of unadvertised specials. Knowing when the sales are coming and how you can take advantage of them is extremely important. Sign up and get notified when your favorite things are cheap and ready for bulk buying!
Everyday SamsClub.com has what they call Shocking Values. These change daily so Check This Page Frequently for some Great Deals!
Buy Discounted Gift Cards
Did you know that Sam’s Club Carries Discounted Gift Cards? They actually sell name brands like Cold Stone, Ruth’s Chris, Subway, Starbucks and more all at discounted prices. My store sells the $50 pack of Cold Stone Gift Cards for just $40 which is a 20% Discount. My store also carries the $100 pack of Ruth’s Chris Steak House Gift Cards for just $75! That’s a 25% Discount on a restaurant that is typically expensive. Even if you’re not planning on giving these as a gift this is a great way to save on a date night or a special family dinner.
These are great if you’re doing Gift Cards for teachers, typically they come in multi-packs so you can buy one multi-pack and then divide them into several gifts. You can see the different options available and Order Online! Most of the Gift Cards have Free Shipping!
Bulk up on Staples
Take advantage of the savings you get notified about by stocking up. Make sure they are items that will get used, but stock up. The staples are a particularly important product to do this with. If you find a monster bargain on something you eat or use regularly and it does not go bad, the savings can pile up quickly.
For example, this 4 lb. pack of Butter is just $10.18, that’s just under $2.30 per lb. which is a fantastic price on butter. Comparing unit prices is important but I’ve found that Sam’s has great prices on baking items and staples like Flour, Sugar, Butter, Milk & Eggs.
Freeze meats
Buying meats at Sam’s Club can save you a ton if you have a freezer you can store them in. They offer great deals and even discounted meat that when frozen, can be available to you for a very long time. Meats are expensive and the savings opportunities are huge here.
Ask your local produce manager what days they typically mark down meats. I’ve found that Wednesday and Thursday afternoons around 1pm are perfect for my stores, I can typically show up then and see what items are marked down so when I start running low on meat I try to plan that into my errands to swing buy and see what’s on sale that week.
Stick to the list
Why go into a huge store like this without a plan? Having a list can save your budget untold amounts of money. Make a list and stick to it no matter how tempted you get to shop around. I really have to stick to just purchasing food because I tend to want to buy all the great clothing deals, household items and paper goods that I might not really need :) Having a list helps keep me on track.
Shop as a group
Shopping as a group is great for many reasons. One huge one is that you can then buy bulk on items that go bad. Usually you don’t because you are afraid they will go bad before you can use them. With a group, you can split it up between you. Another advantage is that you can cover the store much better and not miss out on clearance and savings opportunities. Team up with another mom and let one of you watch the kids while the other one does the shopping, then meet back at someones house to divide up the items. You can get the warehouse savings without having to use the full size items when you shop this way!
Look for closeouts
Closeouts are key in Sam’s Club and can save you tons of cash. The thing is, you have to jump on them when you see them. The next shopper behind you will probably grab anything you leave behind. Sam’s Club cuts products seriously when they decide to discontinue a product. Grab them while you can and you will save tons of cash!
Look for Instant Savings
Make sure you look for Instant Savings at Sam’s Club. These are basically Coupons already loaded on to your card. Most have a limit between 3-5 items so you can stock up when you find a great deal on items you use! Most memberships include Instant Savings offers now so you can still get the basic Sam’s Savings Membership and still take advantage of the instant savings offers. I’ve gotten great deals on everything from Bottled Water to Popcorn, Yogurt and Fruit!
Typically these run for 2-4 weeks at a time, these are one of my new (EASY) ways to save, Basically it’s like Coupons on top of Warehouse Prices and for a limited time. I just stock up on items I know we will use and it’s really saved me so much money! Look for the New Lower Price and Instant Savings Signs, or check the website for all of this month’s deals!
Compare Unit Prices
Warehouse stores can be tricky, you don’t always know if you’re really getting a good deal unless you compare the unit prices. There are some items in the stores that are actually more than buying them at the grocery store while other items are a great deal. You can download our Stockpile Price List and use that as a guideline for comparing unit prices so that you know when you’ve found a good deal.
Sam’s lists the unit price in the bottom left corner of the item tag. That is a great way to easily identify the per unit price and compare. For example my stock up price on Gallon size storage bags is $0.067 so you can see this price per bag is comparable. Sometimes the total price can be tricky, you may think paying $1 per box is a good deal, but if you are paying $1 for 10 bags that’s actually 10¢ each. Just keep in mind that some items you may not need in bulk, so it’s always good to take into account how much you use of an item and if an item will expire or go bad.
Stick to Your Family Favorites
Don’t buy new items that you haven’t tried before at a Warehouse Club. If you end up not liking an item then you’ll have a lot more to eat up or throw out so I always recommend sticking to family favorites and items you know you will use and that your family loves! Then purchase smaller quantities of new items you want to try, this reduces the chance that you’ll be throwing out more money.
How do you save money at Sam’s Club? I’d love for you to leave a comment and let me know!
Anything ending in a one on the price amount is a clearance item. So, when I go to Sam’s I look for a one at the end of the price marked. I get great deals and save money that way. :)
if you have the Walmart savings catcher you can redeem your savings coupon at Sam’s that’s discount on top of bargain cha Ching!
Thank you for your great blog. No matter how old I get I’m constantly learning.
I pay a little more so I can go in early and not deal with crowds. The cards pays for it’s self with the marked down meats, marked down clothes, and other items. I get to before the crowds. I just bought a cookbook for $9.99 and found the same book at Target for $19.99.
So invest in the Sam’s plus card if you can. You get money back to pay toward your next year’s card and you get the VIP hours Monday through Friday saving you tons.
Also if you fine a 1 at the end of the price (Ex. 18.91) that means the item is marked down to clearance price and how ever many is the quantity, it will keep going down.