Friday, August 19, 2016

Avoid Breaking the Bank at Sam's Club

Our large family of 11 enjoys the bulk sizes and economic pricing of warehouse clubs like Sam’s Club.  Along with the mega-sized products, however, warehouse clubs can also present mega temptations to spend more than you intended.  For example: the sample stations that entice you to purchase new products, the seasonal items placed strategically in the main aisles, and the vendors calling out to you to stop by their booths.  All of these regularly caused me to spend more than I planned when I shopped the store onsite.  After several years of this pattern, I began looking for a better way to keep my budget intact.

Here’s how I shop our Sam’s Club now:


  • ·     I downloaded the Sam’s Club app on my iPhone, signed in, and made sure to select the Sam’s Club location where I shop.  Whenever I am close to running out of a stock item at home, I add it to my Shopping Cart and select “Pick Up in Club.”  The Shopping Cart saves all my items until I am ready to place my order.  This prevents me from forgetting the essentials.
  • ·      Before placing my order, I sign in to the Sam’s Club website and look over my “Easy Reorder” list.  This is a list of my previous purchases, which serves to jog my memory for anything I’ve overlooked.
  • ·      Once I feel that my list is complete, I place my order, choose my pick up time (as early as the next day), pay with a credit card, and submit the order.
  • ·      Sam’s Club then SHOPS THE ORDER FOR ME!  (for free!), and sends me an email and/or text message when the order is ready for pick up.
  • ·      Since my husband works in the same town as our Sam’s Club, he stops by after work on the scheduled pick up day, scans his membership card at the Order Pick Up Kiosk outside the store, and an employee brings out the entire order straight to his car!  It doesn’t get much easier than that J.  All of the essentials, none of the extras, and our budget on track!


If you love warehouse club shopping but have faced the same pitfalls we have, I hope these tips are helpful for you.