Click 'n' Pull
Recently someone an a 'frugal living' blog was asking who had a Sam's Club membership, and asking if the savings was worth the membership fee. I have to say that for me, the answer is a resounding, "Yes"!
I've shopped at Sam's Clubs for years. When we lived in Alaska, they were cheaper by far than any of the other grocery stores on many items--anyone out there who's ever lived in Alaska, you know how expensive everything is there--at least 50% more than in the lower 48! So when I was looking at available affiliate ads to put on my site, I jumped at the chance to apply for a Sam's ad. And while looking at their on-line shopping, guess what I found? The coolest thing, called, "Click 'n' Pull".
To do "Click 'n' Pull" you have first have a Sam's Club membership, which you can apply for right on-line. If you already have a membership, register your card to set up an on-line account with Sam's. (It takes all of 30 seconds). Locate your Sam's Club by entering in your zip code, and choosing the store you want to use. Then shop the "click and pull" section of Sam's online. Make sure when you add things to your cart that you put what quantity you want. Then check out with your cyber cart (no payment due at that point). Staff at your local Sam's Club will pull your order for you, all you have to do is go the customer service desk and pay for it. They will email you when your order is ready for pick-up, but the website states that if you get your order in by 5:00 p.m. one day, you can pick it up by 7:00 a.m. the next day for a business member, or 9:00 a.m. for an advantage member.
Is that not the coolest thing? Perfect for someone with small kids, or someone who is disabled, or who just doesn't have a lot of free time! I love this idea! I haven't used it yet, but I am definitely going to test it out.
If you'd like to purchase a membership, order something on-line, or do the Click 'n' Pull, clicking through from the ad on the sidebar will help support this site.
And lest you think I only bring up Sam's because of the ad, I've been shopping at Sam's Clubs for years. I got my first Sam's Club membership many years ago, before my son was born (he's 21 now!). I let it lapse for a while, then reapplied, and have had a membership at Sam's since 1991.
When I first got my Sam's membership, I lived about 50 miles away from the nearest Sam's warehouse store, so a trip to Sam's was not a regular part of my grocery shopping, but a "several times a year" stock-up trip. I lived in a small town, and there were two reasons I liked shopping at Sam's. First of all, the prices were decent--maybe not the same as a steeply discounted sale item, but at or slightly below the everyday prices at the local small grocery stores I had regular access to. The second, and for me most important reason to shop at Sam's, is that Sam's stocked items that I just couldn't find in my small town. And what's more, I could afford to stock up. We would take an ice chest, maybe two, and fill it with frozen things, stock up on cereal, peanut butter, canned vegetables, and whatever we could find that I knew I would use regularly. It was not uncommon even then for us to spend $100 a trip at Sam's for our stockpile. (more like $200 now, when we're at home) It still saved us money, though, because our weekly budget was smaller for weeks afterward while we used out of the stockpile .
Another way it saved me money was because it kept me out of the fast food lines after work. Just knowing that I already had what I needed at home to make a meal helped me resist that siren call. Even then, I loved what I call "home cooked" convenience food, and things that helped me make my own home-cooked convenience foods--frozen entrees, boneless skinless chicken, or frozen chubs of ground meat, that I could use to make a good dinner for my family.
My situation is little different right now. I live in a city with many multiple sources of groceries and household items. I've discovered couponing and sale-chasing with a vengeance. I'm not working an outside job at the moment, so I do have a little more discretionary time, not just to cook, but to shop for the best bargains, too. So, given the change in my circumstances, do I still go to Sam's Club? You betcha.
Do I still buy the same things I used to there? Yes and no. I live in an apartment, and the only freezer I have is the one over my refrigerator, so I don't stockpile frozen entrees. Because I live only a couple of miles away from one of the cleanest, nicest Sam's Clubs I've ever been in, I can go more often, so I buy smaller quantities. I don't automatically buy something just because it's there, I never did that anyway. I look at prices, I think about how often those same things come up on sale, and whether it's something that I regularly have coupons for. If it's an item I know the local stores use frequently as a loss leader, I don't buy it at Sam's. If not, I do.
There are still things that I can find at Sam's that I can't always find at the grocery stores. Boneless skinless chicken thighs, for example. You can use these for anything that you might use boneless skinless breasts for, but I think they make a moister, tastier end product than boneless skinless breasts. Lots of other frozen products, too, that are just not to be found in the freezer section of many stores. Most Sam's Clubs have nice fresh meat and produce sections these days. (I can remember when Sam's did not have these--I'm old!) Some weeks when there aren't any good sales elsewhere, I go to Sam's for my regular shopping. I recently bought a huge pack of fresh boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloins for way less than what I would have paid anywhere else (sorry, I don't remember the price, I just remember how impressed I was at my deal!). They also always have lots of good "party food" featured during the holidays, both fresh and frozen.
Besides groceries, over the years we've bought everything from books and movies, to gift items, to all kinds of household products. When my first "newlywed" cheap set of pots wore out, my next "inexpensive" set came from Sam's. They were white enameled with a pretty pink & purple flower design on the side. I thought they would do me for a couple of years until I could afford something better. Three of the pots and two of the lids are still in use, almost twenty years later! At any rate, Sam's is definitely worth it for me. Check it out, and see if it might be for you, too.
Happy shopping, until next time...
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