After 11 years as a loyal member, I've decided to let my Sam's Club membership lapse.
Why?
Location, location, location.
Convenience is everything to me these days, and while the Sam's Club is only about 15 minutes away, I'd just rather not make the trek.
I guess I'm at that point in my life, where I'm tired of nickel-and-diming everything.
I've only just recently come to grips with the fact that driving 8 miles there and 8 miles back just to save $.03 on gas isn't worth it. (The savings only amounts to a whole 50 cents!) If you're there shopping, or you're on that end of town anyway, then Sam's Club gas is definitely a good deal, but if you're not...
So, I'm perfectly content spending a couple pennies more here and there -- like at the local Kroger -- so long as I get the convenience of running in and running out, and keeping it under 3 miles of drive time.
HOWEVER, I am going to miss a few things at the trusty 'ol Sam's Club. They carry a handful of items that I just can't find elsewhere, or prices that just can't be beat, like:
... these full-size fillets of salmon are individually wrapped (vacuum-sealed!), and you get about 8 of them. (I never even liked salmon until I tried these!
2. Condiments, condiments, condiments.
- Jalepenos Like Jim, I like things hot, hot, hot! (LINK)
- Vlasic Pickles -- you can never have enough pickles!
- Ranch Dressing -- who can't use a 1 gallon tub of this stuff?!
- Kraft "real" mayonnaise (Thankfully, now I've got a new favorite mayonnaise: the upside down kind!)
3. Ink. As expensive as ink cartridges are these days, Sam's Club always had the best buy on ink for our Epson R300 and HP 810 color printers.
4. Members Mark laundry detergent. It's good stuff! Works as well as ERA -- that I used to use. And, it consistently gets great ratings from Consumer Reports!
5. Heavy-duty kitchen & lawn bags. These things are seriously heavy-duty, and I love the drawstring closures. Bags like this are cheaper at Sam's Club than anywhere else I've found.
6. Over the counter medications and supplements. Sam's always had the best buy on mega-sized bottles of aspirin, vitamins, and the Member's Mark version of Claritin-D (called Loratadine) worked better than Claritin, and cost much less!
7. Mega-sized rolls of paper goods like toilet paper, paper towels, napkins, and Kleenex.
8. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts. These are some big boobs... An excellent buy!
9. DiGiorno Pizza 3-packs. I'm not crazy about frozen pizza, but DiGiorno really bakes likes fresh-made pizza. And you can't beat three pizzas for less than $10.
10. Mack-daddy sized bags of potatoes, onions, fruits & vegetables.
A Word About Sam's Club Film Developing...
While I haven't used it for years (since we went digital), the Sam's Club prices for film developing are unbeatable. The quality is above average. The turnaround time is very quick. And you can get as many "sets" and "sizes" as you want -- doubles, triples, 3x5, 4x6, 5x7.
Still Longing For Blackened Salmon...
And if I had to pick just one thing... I'd have to say that the blackened salmon is the one thing that I'll miss the most. It's hard to find a flavor and a price you love. And I've never spotted these I haven't found these anywhere but Sam's Club.Oh well, perhaps I'll just have to try making my own (...though it's never quite the same).
Here's a blackening spice recipe I found:
- 5 tablespoons kosher salt
- 5 tablespoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon dry thyme
- 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
...And some more salmon recipes here.
RELATED:
Costco vs Sam's Club... Which Is Better?
Strategies For Shopping At Sam's Club
About Sam's Club Policies On Accepting Credit Cards
More Than One Way To Save With A Sam's Club Membership
Are Wholesale Clubs Like Sam's & Costco Worth The Money?
Times You're Actually Wasting Money When You Think You're Saving
Listen to Bud Light's Real Men of Genius "Mr. Supermarket Free Sample Guy":
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Thanks for the comments you made on this wonderful site! I was looking at the Member's Mark detergent because I wanted to compare before going out to buy, but wanted to make sure it worked well first. Thanks to you, I know what kind I will get next time! I have been a Sam's Club member for a while and love it, but don't always use the bulk stuff soon enough so I have to plan ahead on what to get. I love the chicken breast comment! Great site! Keep up the good work! Have a happy day!
Lynnette, Like you I am tired of nickle-and-diming everything. I used to shop at several different stores because each one had better prices for specific things. Now I go to no more than two stores and accept that I have paid a few pennies more BUT have more time for other things. I found it interesting that you wrote "Sam's Club gas is definitely a good deal" and "[their] prices that just can't be beat". I'd be curious to know if you still felt that way after knowing how many full-time (28 hours per week according to Sam's/Wal-Mart)Sam's and Wal-Mart employees that are on state tax dollars funded subsidy such as Medicaid & WIC. Just something you might check out.
Hi! I am a longitme fan of this site. We used to be members of Sam's Club but have since left. The reason for our departure is of similar nature; Sam's Club was a 20 minute drive in the opposite direction of all of our other errands. I do love Sam's Club, especially the food samples! We have since joined BJ's wholesale club. I love it. it's closer to our house and they have an optical department there. We get our contacts there for much cheaper than at the eye doctor's.
Hey! first of all, i love this site, its hilarious. i came on here lookin for the budweiser real men of genius commericials and now i cant leave! anyway, i was reading this sams club list, and i noticed that you said that you took sams version of claritin and it was better. well, i am a nurse and i wanted to point out that claritin IS loratadine. most people dont know that the brand name of medications is the EXACT same thing as the generic, just more expensive. the only difference in what you said you took is that claritin-D has a decongestant (like sudafed) in it, whereas if you just buy claritin or loratadine, you aren't getting the decongestant, but you could buy sudafed (or the generic!) and get the same effect. i NEVER buy brand name b/c you are literally just payin for the name, unless its a prescription and they dont have a generic yet. Anyway, thanks for listening, i like teaching! :) let me know if you have any questions. and thanks for the great website!
Deah