By Diane Lee (WSPA)
Paying for a membership for places like Sam’s Club and Costco only makes sense if you get your money back in savings. Right now there’s a major discount on one store’s fees. And it got us thinking, how do you make sure you are getting your money’s worth.
First, the discount:
Here’s the Groupon link which offers:
A $140 premium membership at $45.
Oh, and buy the way, that includes a $20 gift card and $22 dollars in food certificates (see Groupon for details).
It expires May 4, so you have to act fast.
Jennifer Fradey bought the deal and even got a steeper discount.
“Really, all we put out was $3. And then Groupon too had a 20% off too so if you catch when they’ve got certain things, they’re paying you to come shop,” she said.
SMART SHOPPING STRATEGIES:
SHARE: Fradey’s says one of the best strategies to save is teaming up with her parents to split the big bulk items and the cost.
PRICING: Also, know the pricing. At Sam’s anything ending in one cent is on sale. At Costco it’s 97 cents.
And look for the “C” for canceled. Sam’s shoppers know that means the price is on it’s way down. George Roberts, the Manager at the Sam’s Club in Spartanburg explained what that means.
“When they {shoppers} see that C they’ll monitor that price to make sure they are getting the best deal on that product. It {the price} could go down even more”
And if it does, Sam’s will refund you if you bring in the receipt within 7 days.
DO THE MATH: Now, don’t assume because you’re buying in bulk that you’re getting the very best deal. Always check the unit price at the bottom of the sign For instance we found pampers going for $31.2 cents per diaper at Sam’s. A quick search on Walmart’s website, and you can get the same product for nearly 10 cents cheaper per diaper.
USE CLUB BRAND: Private labels will help you save more. Check out this $5 difference on the club version of Tylenol.
COUPONS: Costco and BJ’s accept club-sponsored coupons you can find online.
RESIST: Above all, avoid the power aisles with big ticket and season items that burst your budget. It always helps if you stick to a shopping list.