There is a groupon to join Sam’s for $25, while it looks like Costco is $125
Is Costco a hundred dollars better? How do Sam’s club compare?
I live an hour from both which is why I don’t belong to either, but it’s an easy drive and I would go if it was worthwhile
We originally belonged to Sam’s (was the first one here) then switched to Costco and have been there for years.
My theory is your membership is a year. If you decide to try that bargain of a membership you can always switch back after a year - or eat the $25 and go back to Costco before.
However I think the $125 must be for executive membership. I bought my D a basic membership for $60 last Christmas.
You can get a perfectly fine Costco membership for $60 without any promo. There are promos for the $120 membership you can find on line. With that one you get 2% cash back that defrays some expense. Depends how much you will purchase per month if it is worth it. Add the Costco credit card and you get more cash back. We more than make up the fee with it. Costco’s own products are rated well. There are many things we like. And we like Costco HR policies better so we go to Costco. Can’t compare really since we don’t shop Sam’s Club.
Agree that a Costco membership does not need to cost $125. From a choice perspective, it’s similar to your preference of Walmart vs. Target.
$125 for a Costco membership??? That must be the Executive Membership or something like that. Basic membership is $60.
I used to go to Sam’s but switched to Costco as there are probably 3 that I can shop at within 20 minutes of my home. I paid $60 for the basic membership.
When I shopped at Sam’s I pretty much stuck to groceries and basic household needs. Since switching to Costco, I’ve purchased a bed, patio furniture, etc. I have a friend who uses their travel offerings. Not sure what Sam’s offers in these areas or if that’s something you’re interested in buying.
I’ve belonged to both. I think that Costco has better produce, and better “extras” (non grocery things). I dropped my membership now but things like ski gloves and goggles, jackets, shoes, household items (electronic toothbrushes, bedding stuff) is what was making it worth the membership cost for me.
Mine was only 20 minutes away but I wasn’t using it for regular grocery shopping. I think it really depends on how many people you are shopping for, or if you have a ton of storage/freezer space. We’re down to 3 in the house and don’t have storage space, so getting the deals on the large quantities wasn’t worth it. Also I think that most of the deals are on packaged, name brand foods, so if you don’t buy a lot of those, it may not be worthwhile. It may be worth seeing if you can get a guest pass for one trip (should be free) to check it out!
We’ve belonged to both in the past. The selection, prices, and quality at Costco are better than those at Sam’s Club. Unfortunately, only Sam’s is a reasonable distance from us now.
Counterpoint: if you have to drive an hour to a Costco or Sams you might appreciate that you are buying in bulk and one trip will stock you with TP or whatever for the month.
I think if you think of perhaps making one monthly trip - and filling up on gas when you go you will find your membership worthwhile.
A trip to Costco during COVID is like a kid going on a trip to Disney World! 
It’s the height of my entertainment!!!
We used to belong to both and now only belong to Costco. We prefer their overall selection. Our local Sams closed, but we kept the membership because H got ridiculously low gas prices near work. Low enough that the savings paid for the membership. Now that he is retired, there is no reason to stick with Sams. But we love Costco!
We used to belong only to Sam’s Club, but the one closest to us closed. The only remaining club in our state is a 30-minute drive, so we joined Costco (a 20-minute drive), thinking we would let our Sam’s Club membership expire. That was 2-3 years ago and we still belong to both.
The cash back program at both clubs more than pays the membership fee (if I remember correctly, Costco will refund you the money if you do not purchase enough to cover the entire fee). We have a credit card for each club as well and get a nice check every year.
I have the $125 Costco membership but so far they have given me $60 back as a coupon every time I rejoined . I like their credit card- 4% off of gas at any gas station! I also think that our Costco is a more enjoyable shopping experience than our Sam’s which is an old tired building.
We slightly prefer Costco. But it’s 40 minutes away. We belong to Sam’s in our town, 10 minutes away in a handy location. It’s convenient plus it allows us opportunity to use the gas discount.
In your case, I’d say Sam’s due to cost difference.
I didn’t realize the cost wasn’t that different. It sounds like people like Costco better, the cost isn’t that big of a deal. I think I’ll join Costco
I have memberships in both. Costco is better in every way (it’s even closer) except two: 1) mobile app item scanning and checkout, and 2) curbside pickup. With the mobile app scanning and checkout, I don’t have to wait in line, especially when curbside pickup isn’t available or convenient. I joined Sam’s Club specially for these two reasons when COVID started to spread around here in the spring.
DH sounds like @1NJParent . He likes the mobile app item scanning and that’s where we get gas since it’s closest to our house. We do belong to both and have things we prefer at each. There are some dog products we get at Sam’s, but COSTCO is the preference for many food items. We still have a kid at home, so we do go through things.
I have memberships to both via my father’s business. Costco is more popular but lately I have been liking Sam’s Club much more. They have a better selection which I think is due to them having a wider distribution area because of the Walmart connection. For example, if you want packaged/sliced deli cheese Costco has one or two types of cheese while Sam’s has eight or nine choices. Same with snack items like chips. I noticed Costco’s prices are significantly higher on some identical deli items too.
Sam’s Club has an app where you can scan items with your phone, pay with a stored card, and then go directly to the exit. I have especially liked this feature during the pandemic as I can get in and out of the store quickly without having to unload my items.
If you are more into non-food items Costco does have higher end selections on things like furniture and clothing.
I’ve never used Sam’s club, so I can’t speak to it. Costco has started increasing its prices lately, but is still a good deal if your family goes to Costco multiple times per month + likes buying in bulk (cereal, chips, cheese etc.)
When we were Costco members years ago, we joked that it was the “$100 store”. (It was not near home, so we didn’t go often … stocked up on things.)
Now it’s closer to home, but food costs more. Also we tend to go there for party prep etc (pre covid anyway). So it can easily be the “$200 store”, especially if we also buy non-food items - sometime large containers of laundry detergent etc, occasionally gifts and impulse purchases.