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Warehouse Shopping
With everything costing more, we are looking for ways to reduce our expenses. We are considering joining a shopping club (Sam’s or BJ’s) but are not sure if there is enough of a cost savings to justify the cost of membership and the extra mileage to get to store. Do you have an opinion on wholesale shopping clubs and cost savings?


Comments
We're a member of Costco. The one in Raleigh isn't too far from us so it's not a big trip and we definitely make back the $50 membership on the gas savings alone. It's usually 10 or 15 cents less than other gas stations. Don't know about BJ's or Sam's.
We buy a lot of water, paper products, frozen berries there as well. And the milk is cheap - less than $3 per gallon. Plus they have lots of samples - can't tell you how many times my daughter basically ate lunch there off the free samples.
I think it's worth it.
We are members of both BJ's and Costco. They both accept manufacturer's coupons and offer their own booklets of coupons mailed out periodically. I have found this to be a real plus in shopping with them. Additionally, I feel that warehouse shopping cuts down on the amount of time and money you spend (I go "grocery" shopping every 3 -4 months) because the bulk products last longer. It is also a great idea to have a freezer.
Thanks for the feedback ladies. The hubby and I are going to chek out the BJ's near his office. If we decide to sign up he can pick up items on his way home from work - saves on gas and time in the store for me :)
I think Costco by far is the best. They tend to have the better quality products over the other warehouse stores, and slindenf is right on the money with the gas prices. Also if you purchase the Executive membership, $100, you get 2% back on all purchases, including the gas. Our rebate check every year pays for the membership fee and then some!
I like Costco, too. And I like that it pays its employees well.
I'm a fan of Costco. I was a member of BJs for years, but think Costco has more options and better meat. It's a little out of the way for us (we live near Garner) but we only go when we need to restock on big things.