I've been to these stores once or twice before but have never had a membership. I am a big couponer and I just don't know if it's worth it for us?

The Costco is about 60 minutes away and the Sam's Club is only about 25 and I go that direction a lot more often. Are they pretty much the same?

I am mainly going to buy fruits, chicken, veggies, that sort of thing and I know I've heard how good Costco's produce is and how cheap it is, but would it be worth a membership just for that? And I don't really want to shop because I'll find more stuff I don't really need, kwim?

Any opinions would be great, we are a family of 4, with 2 small kids, lot of stockpiled food and freezers full already.

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

I don't shop Sam's even though it's minutes away because it's owned by Walmart (see my siggy). I DO shop Costco. Nearest one is about an hour away and I LOVE it! I couldn't do without a membership. Many things are cheaper and/or better than couponing. Not everything but many things. I know some people who really like Sam's but I can't tell you what they have. Costco's brand name, Kirkland, is usually a brand name with Costco's generic Kirkland on it at a much lower price. We recently had a thread on what to buy at Costco that could possibly help you..

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

>>>I am mainly going to buy fruits, chicken, veggies,<<<<


That is the main reason I chose Costco over Sam's.... better quality and prices.

Does anyone know if Costco will let you split a membership with someone outside your household? That is the only reason we have Sam's membership right now. My sister and I split a membership, which makes paying to shop a little more acceptable to me.

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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass
It's about learning to dance in the rain.

I shop at Sams. We don't have a Costco in our area. I usually get eggs, bread, wood pellets, chicken (they have the best seasoned cooked chicken for $4.97). Once in a while I will purchase a frozen food if its something we want to try. I also did some of my Christmas shopping there last year. They have good deals on movies, CDs and household items. I think you do need to know what you pay for the items in smaller quantity and compare the prices. Some items I have found are actually more expensive in bulk. I occasionally purchase clothing when its marked down.

I try not to go to Walmart, not so much that I never end up there, but not as much as most people. Anyway, if Costco was closer I would go there, but almost an hour away seems so much further than the Sam's Club. If it was better than it might not matter since I'd only go a couple times a month if that.

And I don't want to spend more trying to save money?

I;ll look up the other Costco thread I do remember everyone talking about the hams from there.

And I have a friend who has a Sam's membership, maybe I'll see if she has to go anytime soon and check it out.

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

With the move we finally have a Sam's (no Costco) and I'm loving it. Some things are not necessarily cheaper, but when shopping for a large family it is easier for me to buy things in bulk. Ours did have some of the better prices on meats and veggies in the area, and the fruits looked 10x better then those in the other supermarkets.

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Nicole

I have a couple of issues w/ Sam's (yeah, yeah, I know a lot of you are amazed by that...):
1) they are not consistent w/ the products they carry. What you buy one time, may not be there next time.
2) Stores are poorly organized, and a bit messy when compared to Costco.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

Same here. One day I was in there, and they were giving out samples of pigs in a blanket. Oh they were GOOOOOD. Well, the next week when I went in there, I was looking all over for them. I finally asked someone, and she said "oh, we don't carry those any more" HUH??? I was not so happy about that.

I did get a heavy duty hose for $25.xx, which DH said was good. The hose is 120' long, I think.

I got our Sam's membership when they were giving out the $25 gift cards, so membership was only $16. I just have a problem paying money to save money. You have to factor that into your "savings". I also think their prices could be WAYYYYYYY lower, WAY!!!!

I do like the unique items you can get there. I don't go very often, tho.

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

I'm almost sure you can split a Costco membership. I think my mom and my brother share one. I have a Costco about 3 miles from my house, and a Sam's about 25 miles. I've never even been in Sam's so I really don't know much about it. There are actually 3 Costco's between my house and Sam's, lol! I do like Costco but don't shop there a ton or on a regular basis. BUT I think the membership is worth it. The things I usually get there that are a great deal besides the regular groceries. . .birthday cakes, clothes (I always find something), children's coats, books and movies. . . .oh yeah gas too when I think of it. They also have some great plants at different times. I love the hanging baskets they will be getting in soon. They are huge and much nice than what you would find elsewhere for the same price.

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

I shop Sam's alot, (Closest Costco is like 150 miles or so) I do an awful lot of pictures wich are .15. I will always wander through the store and look at clearnace prices of stuff and usually end up with good deals. It is true you never know what they will carry, as they do have a turnover but alot of the stuff we buy there ihas been there for 10 years or so. Fruits/vegs and meat here are usually fresh and good. Bummed tha banannas went up to $1.28 for 3 pounds though. as we buy alot of those. I also buy my gas there as it is cheaper with a Sam;s card and ends up being .5-.10 or more cheaper than others in town. Tires are also cheaper. I paid for my membership when I bought tires!

The other major difference that I can think of is that Costco only takes cash, checks and American Express. They offer a good Amex card that gives you rewards. I have the biz one so I get 5% back on gas which REALLY adds up.

The last time I was in a Sam's (uh...8 years maybe?), they only credit card they took was Discover. That in itself bothered me because I hate Discover and had to get a card just to shop there (I detest writing checks). I'm not sure if Sam's has changed that or not???

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

Sam's takes debit/credit/check cards now. Also, Mastercard, I think.

OP - based on your description, I don't think it would be worth it for you. I have a Sam's membership which I share with my sister and I don't feel like I get much use out of it. I find that I can usually do better with coupons at Super Target or matching sales & coupons at Publix.

My biggest problem I have with Sam's is that a lot of the food is 'short dated'. I have to be really careful to check the expiration dates and make sure my family can eat up the food before it expires. My family also prefers specific flavors of certain items so value packages with more than one flavor often don't appeal to us.

Sarah.........mom to Jason & Devin

I tend to agree. We are also a family of four (two little ones) and we do shop @ Costco each week, but it's only 15 minutes from the hosue. Don't know that I'd be willing to drive the distance the OP is from the nearest store.

We will NEVER go back to Sam's Club if we can help it. Store near me is dirty, unorganized and the help is just plain useless. Ugggghhhhh!!!!

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I want to keep ALL of my paycheck and eliminate the pyramid scheme known as Social Security (there is no lockbox ). Do you want the same thing? www.fairtax.org

Costco does not allow you to share your membership card, you can only put your spouse on your card.

You can share the membership fee and go together and buy things and split the cost.

At Costco the Chicken is Foster Farms and it comes in a big huge package with tear offs that you put in the freezer.

The fruits and veggies are great you can afford organic at Costco. The bell peppers are beautiful and bright with color and flavor. All the produce I have tried whether fresh bagged or frozen is good and inexpensive.

I am going again tomorrow and bringing my friend in with me. She can buy stuff my membership will be credited with 2% and we can split some of the stuff like toothpaste etc. (you don't get a huge industrial size package of it lol you get a package with three or four tubes although I could picture it)

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Costco will accept Visa/MC Debit Cards. I love Costco and theirs is the only coffee I will drink. It's about a half hour away, but when I go I stock up on the coffee, and their meat is beyond compare. There is just nothing like the quality of their beef.

We have a BJ's less than a mile from the house that we do have a membership to and I do use for most things but I still go out of my way to Costco for those few things. OH! I forgot ..>BJ's will accept coupons!! Including if they have a coupon running for something and you have a mfg. coupon...you can use both!

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I have a costco business account and so does my friend(also co-worker), but also our husbands get a 2nd card as well and the account only costs us $50 for 4 cards. I would check into it for you and a friend.

I haven't made it yet because the weather was so nice I had to be outside. But today my friend Gina and I are going to Costco. Her husband calls it "the $200 store". That's about right! At least.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Our Costco will only accept Visa debit/cc if it is from certain bank networks.

I must add that Costco mails its members coupon booklets... they seem to be coming out monthly of late. There are a lot of great deals when you combine these with their regular prices.

I also like the quality of their produce, meats and cheeses. Many items are comparable to buying in store with a coupon. Plus, I find the quality of almost everything to be great.

They have a wonderful return policy... so if something isn't right, take it back.

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-Schane_dog

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