Determining Whether it is Worth Joining a Warehouse Club

The economy has caused many families to become incredibly frugal with their money. The question is whether it is worth joining a warehouse club such as Sam’s Club, Costco, or BJ’s Club. Some families decide to cancel the memberships to save money while others question if it is worth joining or not.

How do they decide if it is worth it? The best way is to really compare prices and let the whole family take part. Decide the type of items you would purchase at the warehouse. The purchases could be just your non perishables or your food only or a combination.

When making the decision about the items to purchase some things should be taken into consideration. Make sure the warehouse location is close enough that it is not going to be an ordeal to get there. If it is too far, you will never go and your current grocery store will always win. Even if it is 5-10 miles away, for many that is too long especially if there is heavy traffic normally during the time they would go.

Take your storage availability into account. The non perishable items need a place with easy access to retrieve when you run out. If you will be purchasing items that can be frozen, take a look at your freezer and the amount of room available.

Once the decision concerning items to be purchased is made, go to your regular grocery store and write down the items you will be purchasing, price and quantity included. Get the kids involved and let them keep track. They will enjoy doing the math at the end to find out which store offers a better deal. Only keep track of items you purchase on a consistent basis. Items such as trash bags, laundry detergent, toilet bowl cleaner, toilet paper, Kleenex or napkins. Next, go to the warehouse even if you are not a member. Many warehouse clubs allow you to look around before you join. Take the time to compare the same items with price and quantity. Stick to the items you looked at your grocery store.

If you find it is cheaper to purchase at the warehouse, then decide how often you would purchase those items. Is the savings enough to justify the membership cost?

It is easy to get caught up in the quantity and variety the warehouse stores have to offer. Take a list with you just like you do the grocery store and stick to it. It is easy to buy more than you planned and then you are defeating the purpose of saving. Obviously, occasionally there will be great deals on items that were not on your list, but make sure you really need them and have a place to store them.