Smart and Easy Ways to Save Money at Warehouse Clubs!
Is it no secret that we love shopping at our local BJ’s Wholesale Club, we have been members of other warehouse clubs (both national & local stores), but we have learned to accrue bigger savings at BJ’s Wholesale Club. Today I want to share with you 4 smart and easy ways to save money at warehouse clubs. The key to saving money at wholesale clubs is to stay in track:
Step 1: Wholesale Club Membership Fees!
Whether is Costco, Sam’s Club, BJ’s or your local Wholesale club, they all have annual membership fees. How to save on your wholesale club membership fee? If allowed by your wholesale club, you can share your membership with another family a savings of 50%. Another way to save on wholesale club membership fees is by purchasing your wholesale club membership from Groupon or Living Social.
Step 2: Know your prices!
Bigger is not necessarily better, wholesale clubs are known for bulk & bigger sizes, but that doesn’t mean that it is a bargain. Keep in mind how much products you are purchasing at your local grocery or pharmacy stores. Things you should purchase at wholesale clubs include: fruits & veggies, especially organic produce, wholesale clubs offer great prices on produce. One thing to keep in mind when purchasing produce is if you will be able to consume it all before they spoil. Another thing you should definitely purchase at wholesale clubs are rotisserie chickens, you can usually purchase a whole rotisserie chicken for under $6.00 compared to grocery store rotisserie that sell for more than $8. Things that are a no, no in my book: shampoo, deodorant, paper products, laundry detergent, cereals, can goods, pet products most of these items are best to purchase at your local grocery or pharmacy stores.
BJ’s Price Tag decoder:
- $0.99 = Regular price
- $0.00 or $0.90 = Cheapest price
Costco Price Tag decoder:
- $0.99 = full price
- $0.97 = deal decided by the manager
- $0.49 and $0.79 = manufacturer’s specials
- $0.00 = the goods are about to go
- (*) An asterisk = it’s discontinued and done
Step 3: Stick to your shopping list & use coupons!
This is basic, but sticking to your game plan is the best choice when buying at wholesale clubs, a list will ensure that you purchase only what you need to purchase & thus avoiding those extra expenses. Avoid browsing through the electronic & seasonal isles, those “deep” discount are hard to ignore if they are in front of you. One of the best ways to maximize your savings at BJ’s & Costco is using their in-store issue coupons, for example at BJ’s you can combine an in-store coupon & a manufacturer coupon to increase your savings even further.
Step 4: Consider Gas Prices & Know your membership benefits!
This is one of the main reasons we are BJ’s Wholesale club members, we gas up both of our cars at BJ’s gas stations. Generally, we save anywhere between $0.05 to $0.10 per gallon pumping gas with them, that is an average of about $30 savings per year. It is important for you to familiarize yourself with your membership benefits: not only would you be able to save both in-club & gas at the wholesale club gas station, but many wholesale club memberships go beyond the physical store, your benefits can range from automotive service, cruise line discounts & more.
Finally, don’t forget to arrange your items according to when they were purchased, you don’t want for your bulk items to go bad before you get to them. Are you a member of a wholesale club? How do you increase your savings at your wholesale club?
Here are some more tips about organization for you:
Achieve quick and easy pantry organization in a matter of hours!
Five Simple and Cute Organization Ideas for Kid’s Rooms!