The Common Assumption Shoppers Make At Sam's Club That's Costing Them (And What To Do Instead)

Founder Sam Walton welcomed people to the first Sam's Club in 1983, and shoppers have been visiting ever since. From its super-affordable rotisserie chickens, to the TikTok viral imitation crab legs, and platters of fresh-made, in-house sushi, the bulk retailer has lived up to its reputation for selling huge quantities of items at knock-down prices. However, you shouldn't assume that just because it's being sold at Sam's Club, you're getting the best deal possible. In fact, one expert shared that customers — yes, even the most faithful Club and Plus members — can save a little money if they just price-compare with other grocery stores.

Food Republic spoke to Alli Powell, owner of Grocery Getting Girl, who shared, "I've found shelf stable items like flour, rice, and coffee make sense to buy in bulk," especially if the price is right on these non-perishables. Take, for example, the Member's Mark Thai Jasmine Rice, which typically sells for $17.98 for a 25 pound bag, although price may vary by location. Discount grocer Aldi sells a 5 pound bag of jasmine rice for $6.85. Whereas Sam's Club's bag costs just 72 cents per pound, Aldi's comes out to $1.37 per pound. 

This process will also reveal when Sam's isn't the cheapest option. A six-pack of Barilla elbow macaroni sold in one pound boxes can be found for $8.52 at Sam's, comes out to 9 cents per pound. At Aldi, a two-pound box of a similar pasta product is sold for $2.09, totaling at just 7 cents per pound. The difference may be is small, but if you're budgeting, every little bit helps.

Price-comparing Sam's Club with your other grocery stores is one of the best ways to save your hard-earned money week in and week out. But how do you manage it, in real time, when you're actually standing in the store? While Sam's Club itself doesn't offer traditional price matching against other retailers, there are ways to quickly compare and ensure you snag the best deal around by sneaking a peak at competitor pricing. If you're shopping at Sam's Club and wondering if an item is cheaper at, say, Walmart, it's super easy to just pull up the Walmart app, locate a comparable item, and weigh the total price and the cost per ounce/pound at both stores. However, not every store has this info readily available online, so you may need to take trips to various grocers in order to gather truly accurate data. 

If you find that prices are exactly (or pretty much) the same after a quick comparison, you should still pause before loading certain bulk items into your cart at Sam's Club. Stop and consider how much of it you actually need — and how quickly it can spoil. With perishables like produce especially, you ought to proceed with caution. "...produce can be tricky to use it all before it goes bad, especially since there is so much of it," Alli Powell explained. While it is exciting to snag items like fruits and veggies at a good price, any potential savings will be all for naught if they rot before you use them all.