Woot! I knew it was about time for the Sam’s Club Free Weekend to happen!
Stop by Sam’s Club August 3-5, 2012 for their Get In Free Weekend. Non-members are able to enjoy the same prices as members during this special weekend.
I’ve not found it a good deal to pay for a Sam’s Club membership, but I always go there during the yearly free weekend to pick up yeast in bulk as it’s a much better deal than I can get anywhere else locally.
Thanks, My Frugal Adventures!
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{ 28 comments... read them below or add one }
Awesome! We need to go to pick up a few things and this will help so much! Thanks for posting!
Thank you soooo much!! I’ve been praying for someone to go with, as there are a few things I purchase there. I let my membership run out because I couldn’t fit it in my budget.
I need yeast and a big bottle of vanilla!
Just FYI You can make your own fairly cheap! A big bottle of vodka and 1 or 2 vanilla beans, let it sit for a few weeks and it will be good to go. It lasts for years and you can keep topping it off with vodka and a new vanilla bean once in awhile. Cheaper and way better quality then the imitation stuff!
I make my own vanilla, too! Someone gave me the vodka to start, and bought the vanilla beans with my Amazon gift cards earned with Swagbucks. So totally free, and I have enough to last a long, long time.
TEXAS is AUGUST 17-19 (tax-free weekend). Take note of the different date fellow Texans!!
Since I live alone, I don’t need to shop at a warehouse store, however, our Sam’s sells gas at 20-30 cents per gallon less on average than other gas stations. I usually save $3-4 per tank. I also get a free second membership card, and I gave it to my Granddaughter so she can save money on gas. She drives to school, and has 2 part time jobs to drive back and forth to, and it really helps her save on gas. No one should be working hard to make money for college, and have to pay through the nose for gas. I think it is teaching her a valuable lesson on saving money by buying gas at Sams vs spending 30% more on groceries to get a 10 cent a gallon “discount” on a fill up at Kroger. Even if I just use the membership to save on gas, it is so worth the cost of membership.
Does Costco ever do this type of deal?
I don’t think so but before we bought our Costco membership they told us we were welcome to look around and check things out. I’ve also heard that if a Costco member buys you a gift card you can use this to shop at the store without a membership, however I don’t know how true it is as we always have to present our card at checkout.
It’s true! I have done it several times.
I heard/read that somewhere too. How does that work? If I got a $20 gift card, is that what I would show at the door? Would I also just be able to pay the difference on my card? That would help a lot.
Yes – at the door just tell the greeter you have a gift card and show it to him/her. At the register, when you are asked for your membership card, say you have a gift card and give it to the cashier. And then yes, you can just pay the difference. I think Costco only takes cash, debit cards, and American Express – anyone sure? – so just make sure you have the right form of payment. I don’t think you can use the store coupons without a membership card but I’m not positive about that either. Hope that helps!
I buy the majority of my groceries at Sam’s. Our regular grocery store prices are really high, and doesn’t offer double coupons, and I’ve found it to be the best solution for our family. I think prices vary a lot geographically, but they seem to be more consistent at Sam’s Club. I’m so used to the prices that I can pretty much know what I’m going to spend to the dollar before I go.
It also says that if you sign up for a new membership you’ll get a $10 or $20 gift certificate. Maybe this would help make it into some ppls budgets?
Thank you , for the oppurtunity to visit a Sam’s club. Thanks for posting
This should be the link to see the different dates for each state.
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/pagedetails/content.jsp?pageName=taxFree&iid=TryUsFree|August|TaxFree|TopBanner
Bread flour is another awesome deal at Sams Club.
Not sure about Sams, but I know Costco has awesome price on Quinoa. Might check when you go!
We signed up for a Sam’s membership with tax money. It was pricey but being military they gave us a gift card. I think it was $50. I know it was a good chunk of money. We have saved sooo much by shopping there and it has cut our budget down. It has been well worth the money for us. The only issue is where to stock the huge boxes of things between shopping trips. Plus, my boys love going on the weekends when they get to try different foods. It has made shopping more enjoyable.
Thanks for posting this. I was down to my last bag of bread flour and was planning to use a pass and pay the extra 10%. I will plan a mega stock up trip this time.
yay!!
I have a few things on my list that i would like to get 
The link made it sound as if this deal is only for students and their parents. Does anyone know if that is the case?
You can check prices online for items you typically purchase. Know your prices though!! I’ve found many things actually cost more at our local Sam’s. I recently purchased All laundry detergent with coupons at Gerbes for $8–the equal amount at Sam’s is about $12. The last time I went with a friend she thought she had a great deal on frozen mixed veggies–Sam’s price = 5lbs/$5 or $1/lb. Local grocery store (two doors down from our Sam’s) = $0.69 per 1 lb pkg on sale every 3-4 weeks. Yeast, olive oil, coffee creamer is much cheaper at Sam’s here.
Does anyone know how much a Sam’s card costs?
Yay! Time for more chicken salad! No one makes it like they do!
I’m surprised you haven’t decided to get one still, Crystal. I typically pay around $2 a pound for cheese, and you usually stock up on cheese at $3 a pound. I know you said there woud have to be more things to make it worth it to you, though.
I reevaluate it every year, and I still end up renewing my membership (I always let it lapse for a little while in between first). I love being able to make a loaf of french bread for .25 a loaf because I’ve bought the flour and yeast at Sam’s.
Here is my list for those who are looking for good deals:
http://theprudenthomemaker.com/index.php/frugal-living/shopping-wisely/sams-club
Has anyone tried to shop online during the free membership days? If so, was it fairly easy? It would cost me about $20 in gas to get to my closest Sams. I thought if I ordered online what I wanted and then had hubby pick it up on his way home from work, it would save me gas money. How does the “order online, pick up in store” thing work? Thanks.
Do you have to show any ID? Would I be able just to walk in, shop, and check out?
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