Warehouse Clubs | Pad Patter 9.17

[IntenseMagic]

I went to Sam's Club this afternoon, and I hadn't been there in a while. It tend to get overwhelmed when I do, and don't end up with much at all. Plus, I just don't have enough storage space for a lot of bulk items.
I'd love to pick up some great things, so I'm curious...

Do you shop at Sam's or Costco?
What are your go-tos when you go there?

All I ended up with was a Rotisserie Chicken, Celsius drinks, Pop Tarts, Choc Chip Cookies, Chips variety box, and Starbucks Pumpkin Spice K-Cups. I also got some Coke, cookies, and a coloring book because my granddaughter was with me.

I will say this...I LOVE Scan and Go

 

[HavaDrPepper]

Gosh, I haven't been to Sam's Club for maybe 2 years? Went in January of 2020 and stocked up on toilet paper, kleenex and paper towels. Then covid hit. My cousin and I usually would go twice a year. We did go in October of 2020 but at that time toilet paper was still restricted as to how many you could get. We did go again in May of 2021 and again in September of 2021 (according to my credit card that was my last visit!)

My go to when I do go are paper products, toilet paper and kleenex. Paper towels are only needed about every 3 years with those large packages. I do have an area in the basement to store these items so I load up when I go (was great during covid). The other thing I like to get there are batteries since you get bigger packages of them. Also, Cascade dishwasher tablets.

I don't get food since it is only me, but will get snacks or candy. I've also at times found nice sweatshirts, sweat pants or t-shirts.

 

[Karen]

I don't have any memberships like this, but one of my friends does and will let me go with her to Costco sometimes. I've found some really great deals on clothes there. Mostly cozy sweats and sweatshirts, but a few other sweaters too. I also found my favorite pair of winter gloves there. Mostly I just go to stock up on wine though. Lol.

 

[umyesh]

I shop at Costco regularly aka too often. My go-to’s are lettuce, baby spinach, Tillamook cheese block, mozzarella cheese block, Hippeas (chickpea puffs), nuts, jerky, paper towels, bottled waters, chicken, bacon, Cheerios, egg whites, and pizza from the food court.

 

[dotcomkari]

I had a membership at Sam's for awhile it was amazing for meats and household staples with laundry... trash bags.. tp.. and such...
But .. we don't have the fridge or freezer space for everything and with eric working most nights things were going to waste so it wasn't worth the money for us.

I tend to make shopping lists and buy whats on sale and cook from there . I like aldi and woodmans or Walmart.

 

[garrynkim]

I shop at Sam's Club weekly, as it is close by. I have a Costco membership too, but it is farther away and ALWAYS way to crowded for my liking. I go there maybe once ever couple of months.

 

[Memaw2Wm]

I recently re-upped my Costco membership, much to my granddaughter's delight b/c she gets the second card. Like Rene, I mostly shop for paper products, which also saved me when COVID hit. I also like to buy paperback books there b/c the prices are much lower than B&N, Target or Walmart.

I did go to Costco with a friend yesterday ... that was a bad, bad decision ... the check-out lines were horrid. Worst yet the zipper isn't working on the fleece jacket I bought, so I need to return it one night this week so that's a 30+ minute drive to get there. Gah!

 

[Kiana]

I love my Costco membership. We don't use it for food much. Mostly for like toilet paper, paper towels & plates, Kleenex, laundry stuff and ziploc bags it's perfect! lol
I also get my Orgain Plant Protein Shakes there.

We go about once a month or I buy online.

 

[keepscrappin]

Sam's Club is closer than Costco and I'm all about the scan and go.... love it! Costco needs to get an app to check out.

I always get a rotisserie chicken and bagged salad. Sam's is our go-to for fuel, tp, trash bags, paper goods, steaks, hamburger, spices, kind bars, contact solution, vitamins, sunscreen, chips and school lunch snacks.

 

[IntenseMagic]

Gosh, I haven't been to Sam's Club for maybe 2 years? Went in January of 2020 and stocked up on toilet paper, kleenex and paper towels. Then covid hit. My cousin and I usually would go twice a year. We did go in October of 2020 but at that time toilet paper was still restricted as to how many you could get. We did go again in May of 2021 and again in September of 2021 (according to my credit card that was my last visit!)

My go to when I do go are paper products, toilet paper and kleenex. Paper towels are only needed about every 3 years with those large packages. I do have an area in the basement to store these items so I load up when I go (was great during covid). The other thing I like to get there are batteries since you get bigger packages of them. Also, Cascade dishwasher tablets.

I don't get food since it is only me, but will get snacks or candy. I've also at times found nice sweatshirts, sweat pants or t-shirts.

Yes, to the batteries! I mean to pick up some of those and totally forgot!
I'd love to stock up more on toilet paper and paper towels, but I really need to create some storage space first lol.

I don't have any memberships like this, but one of my friends does and will let me go with her to Costco sometimes. I've found some really great deals on clothes there. Mostly cozy sweats and sweatshirts, but a few other sweaters too. I also found my favorite pair of winter gloves there. Mostly I just go to stock up on wine though. Lol.

I wanted to look through the clothes a bit more, but the little one wasn't as thrilled about it lol

I shop at Costco regularly aka too often. My go-to’s are lettuce, baby spinach, Tillamook cheese block, mozzarella cheese block, Hippeas (chickpea puffs), nuts, jerky, paper towels, bottled waters, chicken, bacon, Cheerios, egg whites, and pizza from the food court.

I didn't get a lot of time in the groceries because the little one only wanted to look at toys lol. I am def going to take a closer look at some of these things next time!!

I had a membership at Sam's for awhile it was amazing for meats and household staples with laundry... trash bags.. tp.. and such...
But .. we don't have the fridge or freezer space for everything and with eric working most nights things were going to waste so it wasn't worth the money for us.

I tend to make shopping lists and buy whats on sale and cook from there . I like aldi and woodmans or Walmart.

I don't have a whole lot of freezer space either, so big boxes of stuff are kind of out for me. I do the bulk of my grocery shopping with Walmart pick up lol. I need to look a little closer at the meat section next time I'm there!

 

[IntenseMagic]

I shop at Sam's Club weekly, as it is close by. I have a Costco membership too, but it is farther away and ALWAYS way to crowded for my liking. I go there maybe once ever couple of months.

I wish our Sam's was a little closer. It's about 25-30 minutes away.

I recently re-upped my Costco membership, much to my granddaughter's delight b/c she gets the second card. Like Rene, I mostly shop for paper products, which also saved me when COVID hit. I also like to buy paperback books there b/c the prices are much lower than B&N, Target or Walmart.

I did go to Costco with a friend yesterday ... that was a bad, bad decision ... the check-out lines were horrid. Worst yet the zipper isn't working on the fleece jacket I bought, so I need to return it one night this week so that's a 30+ minute drive to get there. Gah!

Oh man, hate you have to go back for a return!! I have never been to Costco because the closest one is like 2 hours away.

I love my Costco membership. We don't use it for food much. Mostly for like toilet paper, paper towels & plates, Kleenex, laundry stuff and ziploc bags it's perfect! lol
I also get my Orgain Plant Protein Shakes there.

We go about once a month or I buy online.

Oooh ziploc bags! I didn't think of those!! I will def check for that and the protein shakes next time!!

Sam's Club is closer than Costco and I'm all about the scan and go.... love it! Costco needs to get an app to check out.

I always get a rotisserie chicken and bagged salad. Sam's is our go-to for fuel, tp, trash bags, paper goods, steaks, hamburger, spices, kind bars, contact solution, vitamins, sunscreen, chips and school lunch snacks.

Scan and Go is fantastic and the last couple of times I've been there, no one is using it. They're missing out haha. I didn't think about the spices either! Def need to check those out next time!!

 

[bestcee]

I have Sam's Club. I go there, but I also order online and let them deliver to me.
Fun tip: You can buy some of Costco's non perishable stuff online, you just pay an extra 5% if you don't have a membership like me! I LOVE my bathrobe from there. In fact, Munchkin stole mine, so I ended up buying a second one from them a few years later!

At Sam's: Fuel. Plus, I buy meat chicken, beef, pork chops, sometimes a pork loin and make my own chops, roasts (cut the roasts in half or thirds for my fam, and freeze the rest); heavy cream, half and half, butter, Prime drink mix-ins (the hydration, not the energy drink), chips - especially tortilla chips, clothes (my husband loves their river shirts), socks, dog food and treats, cat litter (LOVE the lighter litter), gardening things like soil and planting buckets, salad, mushrooms, raw tortillas (better price than anywhere else!), poptarts, cereal (there's always a flavor on sale for under $5 at mine), oatmeal, flour (25lb bags), sugar, brown sugar, yeast, salt. Paper towels, contact solution, feminine supplies, toilet paper. Cleaning supplies like laundry detergent, all purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, vinegar and baking soda. Totally random list, I know. I would buy milk there but I dislike the container because some always gets stuck in it. Although, I like that it's tall and narrow for my fridge. And I find that eggs are usually cheaper on sale at Kroger. But I have bought them from Sam's before. Spices I tend to stick to ethnic stores or online.

I'm blessed to have a deep freezer and extra fridge in my basement, along with 5 galloon buckets for popcorn, flour, sugar, etc. Even when I had just the fridge, I would buy meat from Sam's because it was cheaper per pound, and better quality than our grocery stores. I have a Foodsaver for that purpose - flat pack all the things!

 

[estir_bune]

We have weekly Costco date nights! Every Friday we head to Costco - my husband loves their boneless prime ribeye steaks, and their chicken (so cheap). I go mainly for tofu, fruits and veg. They do sometimes have a good sourdough bread from their bakery. They have some of my favorite vegan cheese right now, Vevan. I also really like the Loma Linda (shelf stable) south western bowl for a rush dinner... If you like FlavorGod seasoning, our Costco has the buttery cinnamon roll flavor for almost 1/2 of what you pay online... Also great prices on wines & spirits!

 

[Lynnette]

I'm headed to Costco in just a few minutes! I get a ton of stuff there- too much to list! We don't have a lot of extra freezer and fridge space either but we are a household of six so we go through stuff pretty quick.
I don't have a Sam's membership but I noticed in my T-Moblie app they have a promo going on right now for a 1 year Sam's membership for $19.99 (new members only). So if you have T-Mobile that's a pretty good deal - I'm kind of tempted but not sure I'd use it since Costco is closer - and do I really need both??

 

[Memaw2Wm]

Fun tip: You can buy some of Costco's non perishable stuff online, you just pay an extra 5% if you don't have a membership like me! I

During the pandemic I let my Costco membership lapse b/c the warehouse closest to me never seemed to have toilet paper when I went and paper products are the #1 reason I shop there.

Anyhow I was ordering toilet paper and Kleenex online instead and paying the 5% surcharge, plus the $3 per item shipping charge. I thought the price of t.p went up $24.99 online, had been $19.99. Then a month or so ago I went to Costco with a friend and discovered a) plenty of t.p. again and b) it was still $19.99 in store.

Lesson is, Costco's online prices can be higher than their in store prices. I did the math and re-joined.

 

[bestcee]

Lesson is, Costco's online prices can be higher than their in store prices. I did the math and re-joined.

Our regular grocery store is the same quite often. It bugs me.

 

[IntenseMagic]

I have Sam's Club. I go there, but I also order online and let them deliver to me.
Fun tip: You can buy some of Costco's non perishable stuff online, you just pay an extra 5% if you don't have a membership like me! I LOVE my bathrobe from there. In fact, Munchkin stole mine, so I ended up buying a second one from them a few years later!

At Sam's: Fuel. Plus, I buy meat chicken, beef, pork chops, sometimes a pork loin and make my own chops, roasts (cut the roasts in half or thirds for my fam, and freeze the rest); heavy cream, half and half, butter, Prime drink mix-ins (the hydration, not the energy drink), chips - especially tortilla chips, clothes (my husband loves their river shirts), socks, dog food and treats, cat litter (LOVE the lighter litter), gardening things like soil and planting buckets, salad, mushrooms, raw tortillas (better price than anywhere else!), poptarts, cereal (there's always a flavor on sale for under $5 at mine), oatmeal, flour (25lb bags), sugar, brown sugar, yeast, salt. Paper towels, contact solution, feminine supplies, toilet paper. Cleaning supplies like laundry detergent, all purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, vinegar and baking soda. Totally random list, I know. I would buy milk there but I dislike the container because some always gets stuck in it. Although, I like that it's tall and narrow for my fridge. And I find that eggs are usually cheaper on sale at Kroger. But I have bought them from Sam's before. Spices I tend to stick to ethnic stores or online.

I'm blessed to have a deep freezer and extra fridge in my basement, along with 5 galloon buckets for popcorn, flour, sugar, etc. Even when I had just the fridge, I would buy meat from Sam's because it was cheaper per pound, and better quality than our grocery stores. I have a Foodsaver for that purpose - flat pack all the things!

Oh wow! Now I have lots of new things to keep an eye out for next time I go!! But yeah, definitely the fuel! I wish the 30 min I have to drive to get to it was at least in the direction of work or somewhere else I go, but it's in the total opposite direction lol. We did get cereal the time before last when we went.

We have weekly Costco date nights! Every Friday we head to Costco - my husband loves their boneless prime ribeye steaks, and their chicken (so cheap). I go mainly for tofu, fruits and veg. They do sometimes have a good sourdough bread from their bakery. They have some of my favorite vegan cheese right now, Vevan. I also really like the Loma Linda (shelf stable) south western bowl for a rush dinner... If you like FlavorGod seasoning, our Costco has the buttery cinnamon roll flavor for almost 1/2 of what you pay online... Also great prices on wines & spirits!

I wish we had a Costco, I'd love to compare.

I'm headed to Costco in just a few minutes! I get a ton of stuff there- too much to list! We don't have a lot of extra freezer and fridge space either but we are a household of six so we go through stuff pretty quick.
I don't have a Sam's membership but I noticed in my T-Moblie app they have a promo going on right now for a 1 year Sam's membership for $19.99 (new members only). So if you have T-Mobile that's a pretty good deal - I'm kind of tempted but not sure I'd use it since Costco is closer - and do I really need both??

I got my Sam's membership when they were running a $20 deal for teachers before school started. I'll have to keep my eye out for other deals when it's time to renew. I used to go more often back when all my kids were living at home because yeah, they can wipe it out in a hurry!!

 

[littlekiwi]

We have only just got a Costco in our city last year I think but as it is across the city from me (probably a good hour or more in traffic) and the fact there is only two of us with me also having food intolerances it just isn't worth it for me. My family prefer to shop the sales and clearance stuff at the grocery store, fruit and vegetable store and occasionally the reduced to clear store a couple of suburbs away.

 

[tiffany scraps]

I have memberships to both. I am thinking that next renewal - I will let my Costco membership go. I recently heard a comment that Costco's target is middle aged women with expendable income. (I don't really think I have expendable income but when it comes to Costco, I shop like I have expendable income sometimes.) I do find myself buying things there that I really don't "need." I don't seem to do this as much at Sam's. Strange but true. I think that not going to Costco will save our family quite a bit of money over the year. Don't know if this is really true for everyone, but for me it struck a note of truth and made me examine my spending there.