Charles H. Miller
Just because Sam’s Club is already offering great deals on thousands of products that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to save even more. Yes, there is room for additional cuts and here we want to discuss some of the things you can do to save money at the popular wholesale club.
We went through a number of different lists, some of which contain as much as 50 ways to save at Sam’s Club, and have picked those that make most sense. Cause making a shopping list isn’t really an advice for any particular store or wholesale club — you should have one at all times. Anyway, here are…
13 Ways to Save at Sam’s Club
Here’s how you can maximize your savings…
1. Know the plans and get the more expensive one
Sam’s Club offers two types of membership plans — the standard one (Sam’s Savings) which costs $45 per year, and the more premium Sam’s Plus plan that costs $100 per year and includes an additional perks like cash rewards, extra protection service plan, extra value drug list and more. Mentioned cash rewards will get you $10 for every $500 spent in qualifying purchases, up to $500 annually. There is also the Sam’s Business plan made for, guess, business. If you plan to spend at least $3,000 per year at Sam’s Club — get the Plus plan as it will practically pay itself off, leaving you all other perks to enjoy for free.
2. Save on membership costs
Before spending a single dime towards Sam’s Club membership, see if you can get it for less on sites like Groupon. The popular group-shopping site used to offer a 10% discount on both the standard and Plus plans. Alternatively, you can search for “save on sam’s club membership” on Google… Just don’t let the fact that you can’t find the deal stop you from joining Sam’s Club — it is worth every penny.
3. Use military or student incentives
Sam’s Club offers special deals for students and military personnel. At the time of writing this article, students joining or renewing their Sam’s Savings membership are offered a $15 gift card with their student ID. On the other hand, active and former U.S. military as well as their spouses can get a $10 gift card with a Sam’s Savings, Business or Plus Membership
4. Get free samples
There are times when Sam’s Club is giving away food samples when you can score almost a full meal just for showing up. Also, product samples are offered at many stores with “Freeosk” kiosks — simply scan your membership card to get them for free. These samples could also contain coupons to help you save on your next purchase. Or you can get a personalized photo mugs or a photo book.
5. Shop for everyday essentials
Sam’s Club is the place to buy essential everyday products (among other things) and save a ton along the way. In fact, they have a site dedicated to this category called Full Home Happy Home, offering items all of us need such as paper towels, laundry detergent, health and beauty items, and more. Right now, the company promises to deliver savings of up to $90 so it’s definitely worth checking out.
6. Go for the clearance items
You will want to start at the back of the store, where many of the best bargains are located. This is where Sam’s Club is putting seasonal items and other products that are not planned for restock. If you can’t find a clearance isle, ask your store’s associates about it.
7. Take Advantage of Free Health Screenings
Sam’s Club regularly hosts free health screenings for its members. Valued at $150, these screenings include blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose testing. You can find out when the next health screening will take place from the Sam’s Club Pharmacy page, by checking out the store’s free magazine, by subscribing to Sam’s Club newsletter or by keeping up with the company at social media.
8. Plus members get free prescription drugs
While we’re at health-related subjects, here’s another reason to go for the more premium Sam’s Plus membership — it offers five free prescriptions from the Sam’s Club Pharmacy offering. In addition, you can save up to 8 percent on brand-name medications, and anywhere between 10 and 30 percent on qualifying prescriptions purchased without insurance coverage.
9. Save on prescription glasses
Sam’s Club has a great deal for anyone who needs to buy more than one pair of prescription glasses, offering $40 off each additional pair of eyeglasses. Furthermore, Sam’s Plus members can get $50 off a regularly priced pair of glasses when they buy a one-year supply of contact lenses. Plus, there is a wide selection of discounted sunglasses for all members.
10. Check out “Shocking Values” deals and Auctions
The former are accessible from both SamsClub.com and the Sam’s Club app mobile, offering daily limited-time savings. While visiting this section at the Sam’s Club website, you can sign-up to receive these deals into your mailbox. As for the Auctions, here too you can shop for savings with most bids starting at $1. And for what it matters, proxy bidding is available.
11. Use coupons and pre-owned gift cards
Like with any other store, you’ll want to BYOC — Bring Your Own Coupons — so search for them online before visiting a local Sam’s Club or their website. Use sites like Retailmenot.com and Slickdeals.net for this. And for pre-owned gift cards, visit Gift Card Granny and Raise and see what they’ve got to help you shave a few additional percentage points off your Sam’s Club bill. (related: 7 Gift Card Hacks to Help You Save Money)
12. Use the Sam’s Club app
We’ve already recommended using the Sam’s Club app for accessing the “Shocking Values” deals — you can also use it to find mobile-exclusive deals that are not available outside the app. Plus, the app is an overall time-saver, allowing you to get your medicine prescription refilled while on the go, as well as to view club locations, hours, upcoming events and available services.
13. Consider a Sam’s Club Credit Card
As I’m writing this, the card comes with a sign-up bonus of $45 which is paid as a statement credit after you make a $100 purchase on SamsClub.com. Also, it offers 5% cash-back on gas on the first $6,000 spent per year (after that it’s 1%), 3% back on dining and travel and 1% cash-back on all other purchases. As long as you pay your bills in full and on-time, you won’t have to worry about the APR, which is in the 15.40% – 23.40% range.
Conclusion
The way we see things is you should NOT pay more than you have to, all the time. That’s the point of this article, and our whole website for that matter. So go through these tips and find the ones that work for you. Also, if you have some other useful trick to share, don’t hesitate to drop it in the comments form below. We love to learn new stuff. Thanks. 😉
