It seems there are two camps of shoppers in this world, those who LOVE wholesale clubs (they go regularly whether it’s once per month/per week/per quarter) and those who wouldn’t step foot in one.
In my conversations, the division is directly related to the membership fees charged by these companies to “let” you shop their discounted prices. Honestly, the absurdity!
Ooops, I am personally a BIG fan of wholesale clubs…here’s the rationale and 6 reasons you might want to try it, too!
1) Lifetime product replacements!
:: If you’ve EVER had an expensive household appliance or electronics suddenly just quit working, you will LOVE the return policy at wholesale clubs! Our digital camera did just this about two weeks ago. Now, this camera was 4 YEARS old, well used and well loved! We walked into Sam’s Club with our original box and all the accessories that came with it (you just have to get used to saving these things!) and walked out with a brand spankin’ new camera…a MUCH better version than we had…and money to spare! We’ve also done this at Costco when the watch my husband bought me for our 10th Anniversary broke after just a year. I took it in and they refunded my money in cash! One thing to note is that they do have a different return policy for PC’s but it’s still pretty good and the best part is that you DO NOT have to purchase a warrantly plan (except on computers – I’d recommend it).
2) SAVING $260 a year on MILK!
:: On a good day I happen upon good milk prices at my “regular” stores but I can always count on lower prices at wholesale clubs. For my family, who goes through 5 gallons a week easily, this is savings of $260 a year
3) You CAN afford to buy organics!
:: Now, I don’t by any stretch of the imagination suggest that you buy all your organics at wholesale clubs BUT, meat is one I would recommend wholeheartedly! You are not only getting the volume discount, you are also getting the buying power discount! Wholesale clubs buy for less and sell for less and meat is always cheaper in bulk!! This is a great way to slip organi meats into your family’s diet without handing over a lot of cash
4) Ditto on the above for MOST fruits and vegetables
If your family doesn’t eat large quantities, ask a friend or family member to split it with you…the produce at wholesale clubs is typically top notch!
5) Discounted merchandise!
:: I love the book store ambiance…laid back, mellow, read at your leisure…but not the prices and who doesn’t love a day at the mall?? Well, when everything is $30+ I can only stand to window shop so much! Wholesale clubs offer name brand clothing in a wide range of sizes for FAR less than department stores (30%-50% less). Books are also a steal at wholesale clubs. Last year for Christmas I wanted the cookbook by Jessica Seinfeld “Deceptively Delicious”. It was pretty popular and at B&N it was $25. Chrissy had her husband pick up a copy one evening for that price. The next week I was at Costco and saw it for $14.95!!! Savings of 40%
6) It’s snack time!
:: Samples, samples, samples! Especially on the weekends but I’ve encountered them during the week, too!
So – if a membership costs you $50 a year (that’s the most expensive basic membership I believe) and you can save a $1 a gallon on milk alone (which you can freeze by the way, cutting down on special trips just to validate your membership!), you only have to buy 1 gallon a week to pay for the membership and you get all the other perks for FREE!!!
For us, it’s a WIN…we save money and have fun 🙂
Here are links to the three largest wholesale clubs in the US
BJ’s – would be my first choice since they accept MFC’s but I don’t know enough about their other policies
Costco – WONDERFUL!
Sam’s Club – DITTO!
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