Saving Money at the Warehouse Club

As a stay at home mom I'm always looking for easy ways to maintain our lifestyle while saving money. One tool in my frugal kit is the warehouse club. We are members of Sam's Club, but I've been a member of Costco too, and I find them to be similar in price and products.

Sam's Club typically costs $45/year for a basic membership, while Costco is about $50/year.

I don't have a scientific method to my madness, but I do have a head for numbers and a desire to get a good deal. Prices fluctuate around the country. Something that is a bargain for me might not be a bargain for you. The key is to price check at various stores.

An assortment of items at the warehouse club are great values while many others cost more than the grocery store. Yes, you're buying in bulk, so if you don't bake much, the ten pound bag of flour won't make sense for you. Also, you need a place to store your overflow. If storage is tight, a warehouse club is not your friend. (I recommend Aldi's as the best quality and cheapest bare-bones grocery store for non-name brands.)

What I buy at the warehouse club:

1. Spices and baking supplies. Corn starch, bouillon cubes, flour, sugar, vanilla, taco seasoning, chili powder--I buy it all here for about half the price of the local grocery stores.

2. Toilet paper and paper towels. If you have a coupon and hit a sale, you'll find these products cheaper at your local grocery store. But if you're busy and want a high quality product, buy the warehouse brand (Kirkland or Member's Mark). I like their brands better than the store brands!

3. Razor blades and shampoo. Addicted to your Venus razor? The razor cartridges quickly sent me into sticker shock. Buying them in bulk at Sam's costs half of what they run at our local grocery stores. Half!! Razors alone pay the cost of my membership within a few months. Also, shampoo and conditioner is way cheaper if you buy the big bottles.

4. Trash bags, laundry detergent, dishwasher tabs. The savings isn't as great as on the razor blades, but it's still worth it.

5. Butter, cheese, cream. I bought four packages of butter (four sticks per package) for less than $7.49 yesterday. One package is $2.99 around here. That's a savings of $4.47.

6. Ground beef, chicken breasts, other meats. This really depends on the area you live in. Ground beef is a dollar per pound cheaper and chicken breasts are about forty to fifty cents a pound cheaper. The meat is high quality too.

7. Drink boxes. Capri Suns (in a four pack) average $1.65 a box. Our grocery stores sell them for $2.00 and $2.19. It adds up.

8. Name brand coffee. I grind my own when I'm there. A 2.5 pound bag of Bigby coffee costs a mere $12.98. That's a lot of coffee for the price.

9. Frozen snacks. If you have a house full of growing kids and teens, check out the frozen snack section at the warehouse club. Pizza rolls, hot pretzels, Bagel Bites, corn dogs--everything unhealthy and yummy--can be found cheaper here.

10. Magazines. Like to buy individual magazines? They're 30% off. Score!

While there are tons of great deals, there are also plenty of items that cost more.

I don't buy:

a. Soda. Way more expensive to buy name-brand soda at the warehouse club. Hit the sales at your grocery store.
b. Bakery items, except for homemade buns or french bread.
c. Fruit. Fruit looks wonderful at the warehouse club, but it's usually more cost-effective to buy this at your local market.
d. Bread and bagels. Maybe my perception is off, but our grocery store sells these products cheaper even when they aren't on sale.
e. Anything in a large package that I won't use. What good is a vat of salad dressing if I have to throw 3/4 of it away?

When my kids were babies, I bought diapers at Sam's Club. I don't know if they are still less expensive at the warehouse club or not. You'd have to look into it.

I'm sure I've missed things! If you're strategic, compare prices, and buy what you know you'll use, a warehouse club membership can be a terrific addition to your frugal toolbox.

Do you ever shop at Sam's Club or Costco? What are your tips?

Have a great day!!

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Consignment Shop: Fail!

Yesterday, I lugged a few bags of outgrown clothes to two consignment shops. Both are in a plaza about twenty minutes from my house, so instead of going home, I decided to wait out the hour and a half, browsing the other stores.



The first shop accepted none of the clothes. Surprising, since at least two items had been worn between zero and one time. Demoralized, I popped into Little Caesars to grab a $5 pizza (hello, lunch!), and texted my woes to a friend until the other store was ready for me. This time I earned $16.50 for around seven items. One of these was a brand new shirt for which I paid $14.95 pre-tax.

Yes, this was neglect on my part. Let's just say a certain child of mine clipped the tags, decided the sleeves were too short (he has long arms), and rather than promptly return the item, I let the tag-less shirt and receipt languish in my closet until the grace period ended.

As organized as I am, I've had many, many clothing fails for my family. Sometimes I buy the wrong size or style. Instead of taking an hour and returning the item, I get lazy and pretend it will magically skip back on its own. Hasn't happened yet, but I'm still hoping. Recovering some of the money back through consignment seemed like a good idea. It wasn't.

Between the lost time, the cost of the pizza, and the miniscule cash back, I consider the venture a failure.

From now on, I'm donating everything to charity. :)

Have you ever tried to consign items? Do you cringe at the "fails" you part ways with?

Have a terrific Wednesday!

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My Top Tips for Tent Camping

Every year my husband and I load up the kids and drive hours away to spend a week camping. We don't always go to the same place twice, but we do end up on Lake Michigan. Last week we enjoyed a week in Holland, Michigan. Gorgeous!

Not having a camper (or a truck to haul one!), we get close to nature and sleep in a tent. Don't gasp! It's okay, really. We've made tent camping as comfy and convenient as possible, and here's how:

1. Go to a campground with running water, electricity, and showers.

Taking a shower each day makes all the difference. Electricity is a must for us to save money. I can brew our coffee, make meals using an electric skillet, and charge our phones :)

2. Get off the ground. Invest in cots or blow-up mattresses.

Sleeping on the hard ground gets old after about one hour. Cots and blow-up mattresses make tent camping bearable. We found less expensive cots at Kmart one year for less than thirty dollars each. Or you can use coupons at sporting goods stores. We've been camping for almost ten years, so those initial costs were worth it.

 

3. Buy a screened-in tent to create a make-shift kitchen.

We found one at a garage sale for twenty bucks, and it's a life-saver. Ours isn't the easiest to put up, but it keeps critters out of the food and provides a little shelter from rain. There are newer models that go up with ease if you don't mind spending a little more.

4. Two coolers. One plastic bin. Electric skillet. Coffee maker. These are essential.

One cooler holds drinks. The other cooler holds food. The plastic bin is for your dry foods (prevents moisture, bugs, and other creatures). We cook most of our meals in the skillet or on a portable grill. A coffee maker is a must--even if you don't drink coffee. You can heat water to wash your dishes. :)

5. Tarps.

We've learned the hard way that you want a cheap blue tarp under your tent (keeps the bottom clean and the ground moisture out). You also want a tarp tied over your tent. Yes, your tent will say it's rain proof, but trust me, it isn't. Tarps keep you and your belongings dry. Use them!

6. Keep camping necessities in a bin to bring every time you camp.

Ours holds a knife, dish soap, matches, garbage bags, rope, a hatchet, a hammer, tarps, lanterns, a spatula, a small tub to wash dishes, and a dust pan. We also keep an extension cord and a power strip in there.

We bought a smaller vehicle last year, so we had to purchase a cargo topper for this camping trip. We also didn't have room for one of our coolers. We improvised by purchasing all of our drinks and a throw-away foam cooler when we got to the campsite. The plastic bin with all our little things? When we set up camp, we move all the contents into the trunk and stored our food in this bin.

Tent camping allows us to enjoy a week away for little cost. We make most of our meals, spend time exploring the cute little towns nearby and hanging out on the beach. We hike a lot, sit by a campfire every night, and we unplug. There's nothing better than complaining about my creaky body while sipping a hot cup of coffee with my husband each morning. The air, trees, and birds seep into my soul. It's the best!

Do you ever go camping? What do you love about it? Or if you don't, why not?

Have a fabulous Monday!

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