# Sam's Club **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 17, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club/638064 "2012-10-17T20:44:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club/638064/21 "2012-10-19T00:20:12Z")
I’d say go, but take a list with you of the usual prices you pay for the stuff you’d normally buy at a grocery, hardware, book or electronics store. Then only buy things that are more than 10% cheaper compared to outside world prices. You’re still saving money, and you’ll have an idea how much the prices in Sam’s Club are. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club/638064/22 "2012-10-19T03:46:47Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > Don’t big stores have better variety than small ones?😉 This is generally the case when the “big” stores in the comparison refers to supermarkets, and the “small ones” refers to mom-and-pop grocery stores (or convenience stores). However, when you’re talking about the big box, bulk purchase membership stores there tends to be very little variety in what brands of any given item are available. For instance, when you’re looking for, say, peanut butter, there maybe only one brand on the shelf (possibly two, if the store carries their own brand). ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club/638064/23 "2012-10-19T18:13:44Z")
I hate all the fine print lately. It used to be only shady companies, As Seen on TV or whatever. Now it seems they are all doing it. I’m sure they will lose a lot of potential customers that are turned off over that 10% upcharge. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club/638064/24 "2012-10-19T18:43:38Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So go to the store and just look at the prices without buying anything. If it looks appealing, pay the membership fee and come back. But I think many people never save enough to recover the forty or fifty bucks they pay for a warehouse club membership. At Costco, I save twice that per year on baking potatoes only. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club/638064/25 "2012-10-19T18:54:02Z")
Damn, how many pounds of baking potatoes do you buy in a year? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club/638064/26 "2012-10-19T19:04:31Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Damn, how many pounds of baking potatoes do you buy in a year? I figure we (family of 4) go through a 20 pound bag every three weeks. At Costco a 20 pound bag is $10. 52/3 = 17ish, or about $170 of baking potatoes per year. The normal price for baking potatoes at the grocery store is about a buck a pound (89c / 99c). So, if I were to buy 340 pounds (17 purchases of 20 pounds each) at the grocery store it would cost approximately $340, for a savings of about $170 a year. Well worth the $55 dollar membership, on potatoes alone. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club/638064/27 "2012-10-19T19:09:36Z")
Heck, I probably save more than $55 a year just buying a gallon of milk every week at Costco. I think I save about $1.25 per jug. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club/638064/28 "2012-10-19T19:42:45Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > This is generally the case when the “big” stores in the comparison refers to supermarkets, and the “small ones” refers to mom-and-pop grocery stores (or convenience stores). > > However, when you’re talking about the big box, bulk purchase membership stores > there tends to be very little variety in what brands of any given item are available. For instance, when you’re looking for, say, peanut butter, there maybe only one brand on the shelf (possibly two, if the store carries their own brand). And there is often a limited number of items even from known brands. Costco sells big bags of Starbucks beans, but only French Roast. However, they carry some things you can’t get anywhere else, and they have a deal with a local bakery for bread which is better than any we’ve found around here. That along makes membership worth it. Our Costco checks cards on the way in. I don’t know what happens if you don’t have one. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club/638064/29 "2012-10-19T20:07:47Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Our Costco checks cards on the way in. I don’t know what happens if you don’t have one. They release the dogs. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2012, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club/638064/30 "2012-10-19T20:33:52Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > This is generally the case when the “big” stores in the comparison refers to supermarkets, and the “small ones” refers to mom-and-pop grocery stores (or convenience stores). > > However, when you’re talking about the big box, bulk purchase membership stores > there tends to be very little variety in what brands of any given item are available. For instance, when you’re looking for, say, peanut butter, there maybe only one brand on the shelf (possibly two, if the store carries their own brand). I was joking around with her username. Thus, 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club/638064/31 "2012-10-20T03:36:39Z")
:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club/638064/32 "2012-10-20T07:29:05Z")
I wish we had a Costco around here. They’re so much better than Sam’s Club and their employment practices are also much better. I try to avoid anything Walmart, so Sam’s Club is out. But the last time I was in there, it was pretty much the same stuff as Walmart, but in the bulk sizes and pretty much still as the same prices. I really think the difference between Walmart and Sam’s Club is that Sam’s Club warehouses are for those who are distracted by the posh surroundings of the average Walmart. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2012, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club/638064/33 "2012-10-20T07:48:15Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Our Costco checks cards on the way in. I don’t know what happens if you don’t have one. In my state (Michigan), tell them you’re going to buy beer/booze/drugs. No membership required per state law. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sams-club/638064.md?page=1)