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Home » Coupons » Costco vs Sam’s Club vs Your Grocery Store

Costco vs Sam’s Club vs Your Grocery Store

Last Updated on September 24, 2018 by The Budget Diet Team

We are a reader supported blog and this page may contain affiliate links. When you buy something or sign-up through our links we may earn a small commission. All opinions in this article are the author's alone.

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Do warehouse clubs like Costco & Sam’s really save you money, or are you better off coupon clipping and visiting your local grocery?

costco or sam's
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I decided the best way to answer this question was to take a “field trip” to Costco, Sam’s Club & my local grocery. Here’s how I did my unscientific research:

  1. I compared unit prices (examples: price per ounce, price per pound, etc.)
  2. I selected a wide variety of items from each area of the store: produce, bakery, condiments, dairy, snacks, paper products, baking, meat, breakfast, health & beauty.
  3. If the local grocery had a store brand version of the product…I added that price to my comparison chart.
  4. I came home & made a giant spreadsheet with lots of columns to sort out all of the data.
ALSO READ: Are Warehouse Clubs Really Cheaper?

Now…rather than adding my lengthy spreadsheet to this post, I’ll just give you the results…

Sam’s vs Costco:
Overall, their prices are about the same.
Example: Quaker Chewy Granola Bars
Costco 17 cents per bar
Sam’s 16 cents per bar

Warehouse Clubs vs Grocery
The warehouse clubs win!
Example: Quaker Chewy Granola Bars
Costco 17 cents per bar
Sam’s 16 cents per bar
H-E-B Grocery 20 cents per bar

Warehouse Clubs name brands vs Grocery store brands
It’s a tie!
Example: Quaker Chewy Granola Bars
Costco 17 cents per bar
Sam’s 16 cents per bar
H-E-B 20 cents per bar
H-E-B store brand 18 cents per bar

Warehouse Clubs vs Grocery using coupons
For most products, it was a tie HOWEVER there were many items that could be purchased cheaper using The Grocery Game method (buying items on sale with a coupon).

So, here’s my advice:

If you have room to store bulk items, and you’ll use those items before they expire…shop at warehouse clubs. DO NOT spend your money on the packaged prepared foods…no savings on those yummy things they love for you to sample! It’s always cheaper to cook from scratch.

If you don’t have the space for bulk items, and you hate clipping coupons…stick to buying store brands at your local grocery.

If you don’t have the space for bulk items, and you’re a coupon queen…give The Grocery Game a try!

Happy Grocery Shopping!

ALSO READ: Is a Sams Club Membership Worth It? A Review and Our Take
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Grocery Bill Too High? |

[…] Shop Warehouse Clubs – Deals exist at warehouse clubs but duds do too! This is another case where you really need to know your cost per unit, so you can compare that box of 40 granola bars with the box of 10 granola bars at your grocery. Check out my price comparison field trip to Costco and Sam’s. […]

Reply
8 years ago
Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half | The Budget Diet

[…] Shop Warehouse Clubs – Deals exist at warehouse clubs but duds do too! This is another case where you really need to know your cost per unit, so you can compare that box of 40 granola bars with the box of 10 granola bars at your grocery. Check out my price comparison field trip to Costco and Sam’s. […]

Reply
8 years ago
Cut Your Spending by $400 a Month! | The Budget Diet

[…] cheese and sugar. This is where the real savings are. Remember, everything is not cheaper at a warehouse club. • Stop buying bottled water! A case of bottled water is about $5 per week, $20 a month and $240 […]

Reply
8 years ago
Resolution Solution - Cut Food Costs | The Budget Diet

[…] Shop Costco or Sam’s for staples like milk, eggs, butter, cheese and sugar. This is where the real savings are. Check out the results of my field trip to Costco and Sam’s. […]

Reply
9 years ago

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