<p>And free air pressure checks (and tire inflation). To me that’s worth the membership price.</p>
<p>I agree that there is a lot of overlap between Sam’s Club and Costco, but where it doesn’t overlap I prefer Costco. So here are some things we get at Costco (some of which might be available at Sam’s Club); in fact we just went yesterday and there are only two of us:</p>
<p>Forever Stamps (a lot of people don’t realize they carry these for less than you can get at the post office)
paper towels
toilet paper
plastic jar of unsalted mix nuts
cinnamon (I’ve gotten so used to the Costco brand, that I truly dislike what I get at my regular grocery store - I eat a lot of cinnamon - probably a good 1/2-1 teaspoon a day)
eggs
blueberries
strawberries
blackberries
fresh (unfrozen) chicken breasts and thighs
pork roasts
quinoa
cans of organic black beans
cans of organic diced tomatoes (I just discovered an awesome one-pan quinoa recipe last week that I plan on making every week now that uses black beans, diced tomatoes and quinoa)
batteries
gasoline
CoQ10 (or other vitamins/supplements)
string cheese
coffee (H drinks a lot)
salmon (H divides it up and freezes it in one serving ziplock bags for nights I’m not eating at home)
Quaker oatmeal
Tillamook cheese
ready-prepared quinoa salad
dental floss
polarized sunglasses
roasted chickens</p>
<p>I’m sure there’s more, and some of these things we may only buy once or twice a year, but we do have the storage space to keep things that are non-perishable. </p>
<p>Protein drinks, supplements/vitamins, contact fluid and other toiletries, TP, paper towels, some meats/cheeses, lunch-sized packaged snacks (crackers, etc.), party food/drinks, and miscellaneous electronics, books, gifts. Probably can do just as well price-wise if one watches the sales at regular stores. </p>
<p>I used to have both Costco and Sams, but gave up Sams (owned by Wal Mart) several years ago. Love their giant bag of boom chicka boom popcorn, raspberries and flowers, among other things.</p>
<p>I have both Sams and Costco memberships. There is some overlap. Right now, Sams is a lot closer to my home, so I go there more often. TP, paper towels, pet food, rotisserie chix, frozen chix breasts, half and half, butter, K-cups, etc, are some of the more regular purchases. Gasoline! Toiletries! My cart is always very full when I check out.</p>
<p>Bought a pair of nice inexpensive Santoku-style knives at Sam’s that Costco doesn’t carry. Gave one to a friend and the one I kept is one of my favorite knives. I think I paid $10 or so for it. </p>
<p>Have noticed the clothing at Costco tends to be higher end brands than Sam’s. There really isn’t much I prefer from Sam’s over Costco. They do have cardstock and Costco doesn’t. Have bought some of that. </p>
<p>teriwtt - Can you post (or DM me) that recipe for quinoa, tomatoes and black beans? I have a 3 lb. bag of quinoa with sprouted rice that I got from Costco, and I’d love a new recipe. </p>
<p>Apologies for hi-jacking…</p>
<p>No problem… I have it handy since I’m making it tonight.</p>
<p>One-Pan Mexican Quinoa</p>
<p>1 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, minced
1 C. vegetable broth
1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 C. corn kernels
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t cumin
Kosher sale and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
juice of 1 lime
2 T. chopped fresh cilantro leaves</p>
<p>Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.<br>
Add garlic and jalapeño, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, tomatoes, corn, chili powder, and cumin; season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat an desire until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes.<br>
Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro.<br>
Serve immediately.</p>
<p>It made enough for two nights for us, although H used some flour tortillas we had around the second night to extend his a bit. I just ate it like it was. </p>
<p>(Notes - I didn’t have regular chili powder on hand the first time I made this, so I used chipotle chili powder and halved the amount. I also deseeded the jalapeño. I don’t like my stuff really spicy - my mouth is very sensitive! This still had some kick to it. When I was at Costco, though, they didn’t have fire-roasted tomatoes, and I did buy regular chili powder there, so I’m going to use more than a 1/2 t. of chili powder this time, since I have regular chili powder now and that will hopefully make up for some of the heat lost by not using fire-roasted diced tomatoes).</p>
<p>Aren’t the clubs basically the same as far as their offerings? I buy mescalun salad mix, tires, eggs, milk, Bisquick, the cupcakes were great to bring to the classroom for bdays/ Halloween & VD. The chicken wings, hot dogs & steaks are nice for cooking large quantities on the grill for family gatherings. Granola bars, chips, hummus, juice boxes for lunch boxes. I still think that Costco is nicer because of its deli. Or is that BJs?</p>
<p>Costco has good roasted whole chickens but dont recall any deli. Have never been to a BJs. The closest one is about 45 min away. Is it worth the trip?</p>
<p>We mostly do grocery & gas at BJ’s, which is close, but we still also have Costco.
I was a SAM’s member for a while before BJ’s opened - pretty good deals too.
I like that BJ’s takes coupons (don’t remember if SAM’s does) and that BJ’s & SAM’s will mark some seasonal stuff down.
I like Costco’s return policy and their ink refills and some stuff you can only get there.</p>
<p>I have both a Sam’s and a Costco membership and keep saying that I’m going to give one up. Probably Sam’s because it’s just a little further and there are fewer of them, but my membership expires in the fall and that’s when they have their 8 pack of caramel apples for $4.99 and I can’t give those up yet even with only two of us in the house if the kids keep stopping by.</p>
<p>They do mostly overlap what Costco carries but they have some benefits. The containers of heavy cream, eggs, and broccoli are smaller so more useful for our smaller family. They have these wonderful smaller croissants that I love. They have, in my opinion, a better choice of seasonal items than Costco does. I bought my grandkids Christmas gifts at Sam’s. </p>
<p>Replaced all 3 old tvs, at costco as well as
Fish individually wrapped and fresh fruit, etc
Costco is 2 hours away with nice mountain outing on a Sunday.
I guess my comparison is Walmart is to Target as Sams is to Costco</p>
<p>If the question were between Sam’s and Costco, I would go with Costco. But the question was whether one should join Sam’s if that’s the only option and I’m all for joining it. It does save a bunch if you can control the impulse buying or the need to buy huge quantities of things yuo won’t use up or can’t store. But for us, it still saves money even with the Costco membership in addition. </p>
<p>I certainly recommend trying it with the promotional offer.</p>
<p>I know that for empty-nesters, buying in bulk can seem wasteful, but if you have a friend who is in the same boat, you can split some of the purchases. Or, better yet, if you know someone who is financially struggling, buy in bulk, and leave a care pkg on their doorstep of un-opened items that you can split.</p>
<p>I often go to Sams or Costco before I’m going to see my younger son whose school is about an hour away. I purchase things that can easily be split and stock him up.</p>