Not too long ago I wrote about bulk buying from Sam's Club and cooking from scratch, and how I save money ordering online and shopping once a week. Since then I've read several articles in the news media and on blogs discussing how warehouse shopping is not always cheaper, and you can frequently do better with coupons and dollar stores. Even FlyLady advises not to pay for the privilege of saving money at a warehouse. The warehouse stores are taking a pretty harsh beating this week.But, as with everything, there is no one, simple "right" answer. Warehouse clubs can have their place. So can discount stores and coupons.
For instance, one argument against warehouse stores is that you have to recoup the cost of the membership before you save money. Very, very true--just like you have to recoup the cost of your newspapers, magazines, and printer ink before calculating the savings with coupons.
In my case--and in my geographical area--I recoup the annual cost of my $35 membership in three months just from the saving of purchasing my milk, eggs, butter, and cheese from Sam's Club. If I buy about the same amount of milk, eggs, butter, and cheese every month, I save $105 a year. It works out in my favor to pay to shop there.
Another argument is you can buy the same products for less in discount stores or grocery stores, especially when using coupons and double-coupons. Yes, this is often true. If you regularly consume name-brand, prepackaged foods, then staying away from Costco and Sam's Club is very good advice; you will certainly pay more there. Often times even buying any store's generic brand is a better choice than shopping at a warehouse store.
I can make Sam's Club shopping work beyond my discount in dairy foods by 1)avoiding purchasing name-brand foods and 2)buying as little pre-packaged food as possible. I have found in my area that the only name-brand things that I normally buy--and that also happens to be the least expensive at Sam's Club--are canned pineapple and mandarin oranges. (I believe the fruit are both Dole brands.) Those price beats out even generic can prices, and I haven't been able to find those canned fruits at my few local discount stores. I also occasionally purchase Starbucks' whole bean coffee, but only at WalMart and with a coupon.
So, before ruling out warehouse stores completely, ascertain your own situation. Do the math on the products you buy most frequently. Keep a price book. Consider cooking as much from scratch as possible. Plan meals. Learn where coupons work and where generic brands work. Even look for restaurant deals and restaurant coupons that can make eating out cheaper than eating at home. (Those kind of deals happen sometimes!)
If you want to save money, you have to do the legwork. It does take more time in the beginning as you do research and set up your couponing/shopping/meal planning system. Just don't let anyone (including me, here) tell you there is one right way for everyone to go about it, and that one system is bad and another is good. There is a right way to save money...it's your way!
