Today I want to share my thoughts on Sam’s Club and what I recommend buying. We used to shop at Sam’s Club all the time before we moved to Southern Utah years ago. I felt we needed to get “reacquainted,” so Mark and I headed to Sam’s Club near our home and went down every single aisle, looking at shelves and I took a lot of pictures.
An observation I made was that you may be able to get some of the items I’ve highlighted today cheaper at case lot sales if you have access to them, but for the most part, I felt the pricing was good.
In Utah and Nevada, we are blessed with case lot sales several times a year. My point is this, food prices are escalating, we all know that. We must stock up on food and it must be the food we will eat, not just the stuff that is on sale. I took a lot of pictures today so you won’t just read about what I recommend, you’ll see what I recommend buying.
Mark and I just moved back up to Northern Utah and they have Sam’s Club locations all over the place, making your shopping efforts all the more convenient.
Southern Utah had a Costco which we loved and we still have our membership with them. Here’s the deal, some things I can get at Costco, but some things I can only get through Sam’s Club via our daughter when she shops there.
We Signed Up Today
So, today I signed up and the store had a great deal, if you sign up before a certain date they will email you a $45.00 e-Card. Well, the membership fee for one person is $45.00 plus taxes and you can assign one extra person. So Mark and I will both have a card.
After reading the small print, I’ll be switching to the “Plus” membership because I’ll get a rebate check once a year based on the items we have purchased. The other thing is that you get “some” items shipped free with the cheaper membership, but for other items, you may have to pay a fee.
With the “Plus” membership more items are shipped for free. Please research which if any membership works best for you.
A few years ago, I learned from one of my loyal followers who I consider a great friend, Harry, who told me they ship for free over a certain amount with your paid membership. I knew we were planning on moving so I waited to join until we moved.
Sam’s Club Membership
Years ago we had a Sam’s Club membership, but boy things have changed and improved. This is why I decided to write about the advantages of getting a membership.
Mark and I pretty much have the Costco layout memorized and know the products they sell. Of course, every grocery store or big box store likes to confuse me when they move all the shelving and the tortillas are on the left side of the store and then they move them to the right side.
You have to laugh picturing this gray-haired lady wandering the store, right? Mark loves to ask the staff where stuff is, I like to wander and find the items I want myself. I guess that’s the “independent me” coming through.
One of the reasons I joined today is because I’m very concerned with our food chain, and I’m sure you are too! You know Matt always states “buy them cheap and stack them deep.” In other words, buy what you can at the cheapest price and stock up big time, again, as long as the items you’re buying will actually be used by your family!
In case you missed this post, 13 Things You Should Buy At Costco
Sam’s Club: What I Recommend Buying
I recommend reading the small print or asking their staff necessary questions before you decide to join Sam’s Club or another big box store. It may or may not make sense for you, but for me, it’s about buying in bulk.
What I Recommend to Stock From Sam’s Club
You may be able to get these items cheaper somewhere else, that’s awesome. But, this is what I recommend buying now. I feel strongly that our food chain is in deep trouble. I sure hope I’m wrong. Either way, we must have food and other items stored for our families just in case we need to put them to use in an emergency.
Today, I’m addressing items I feel may become in short supply. Stay tuned, this is just the beginning of what I recommend stocking up. We can do this my, friends, one package at a time.
Laundry Soap
There are certain things every family uses on a consistent basis, no matter what. Laundry soap is one of those things. We need to not only keep our bedding, clothing, towels, underwear, and other items fresh and clean for sanitary reasons, but also to help protect them and have them last longer.
Getting dirt and grime out of clothes is the key. Usually, the larger the container the lower the cost per ounce. Yes, you’ll pay a higher price overall, but the per load costs will be reduced.
You may wonder if I still make my own laundry detergent, yes, I do. But, sometimes I stock up a few boxes here and there of store-bought brands.
Dish Soap
Unless you’ve decided to go with disposable paper products at some point, we all have dishes that need to be washed. Growing up, many of us didn’t have the convenience of a dishwasher in the kitchen. I still remember having to wash and dry dishes by hand, and that’s ok.
I’m showing liquid dishwashing soap in the picture below because we will have to wash dishes daily, whether or not we have a dishwasher.
Paper Towels
Paper towels were in short supply just a few months ago, now they seem to be pretty easy to find. To try and save money on paper products, Mark and I have been using cloth diapers as a substitute for paper towels. It may seem crazy, but it’s worked for us.
There are times that we just want to use something to be thrown away, whether it’s to clean up greasy messes, something that will stain, or it’s a small cleanup task. We all need paper towels in the kitchen, garage, and maybe in the bathroom too.
Paper Plates
Trust me, we need these, we can’t waste our precious water to wash dishes if the emergency prompts us to minimize our water usage. Just this week a large city in Utah had a contaminated water issue. Everyone had to boil their water, or skip the water and use paper plates.
It’s also handy to have extra paper plates around for neighborhood get-togethers, camping, or a BBQ on the patio. You’ll have to decide the size plates that work for you.
They also come in colors and pretty designs, but plain and cheap is my motto, as long as they hold up and don’t dump the food on the floor. The Chinet brand is too “floppy” for me, but this is all the store had in stock. I would look for some coated plates.
Paper Cups
I like these cups because you can use them to serve a warm or cold drink. And they also have lids available. Just like the dialogue for paper plates above, having paper cups can prove very handy in a lot of situations. Again, they come in all sorts of sizes and colors, so you decide how much you want to spend. If you like plastic, that is also a choice available.
Plastic Silverware
If you are going to move to paper or plastic for plates and cups for a variety of reasons, you should also consider having plastic silverware in the pantry too. If clean water isn’t available, or you just want the convenience of disposable utensils from time to time, plastic makes sense.
Nothing says you can’t end up washing them if necessary, but knowing you have a supply to put to use in a pinch is a comforting feeling.
Toilet Paper
Just so you know, in recent months I have gone to Costco twice and they were out of toilet paper, and paper towels were nowhere to be found. My body needs lots of liquids during the day, so you know what that means. I have always had a few cases of toilet paper on storage shelves in my garage. I just can’t deal with the thought of not having it around.
Years ago I wrote a post about having “family” cloth around just in case, but there are certain times I really don’t want to see this week’s toilet activity on a cloth going into the clothes washer.
Be safe and sanitary, have plenty of toilet paper at your disposal!
Bleach
In case you missed my post on bleach, Bleach: Everything You Need to Know. Please only store what you can use within 9 -12 months. Clorox Bleach recommends replacing any bottle over 12 months of age.
Six months is the best time frame for storage. You decide if you want bleach that has a “scent” as part of the chemical makeup. If you plan to use any of your bleach to treat the water storage tanks you have, stay clear of scented varieties.
Baggies
To try and save some money on leftover food items, I’ve been stocking up on reusable plastic and glass food storage containers. Yes, they have to be washed, but I’m having to do multiple loads of dishes in my washer each week anyway.
But, there are times you want the convenience of storing in the fridge or freezer various food items to be eaten later. I really like the Ziplock brand since they come in so many different sizes, and the “lock” feature seems to last and be pretty foolproof.
Aluminum Foil
With all the cooking I do, I’d be in trouble if I ran out of aluminum foil. It not only saves time with the cleanup chores that come with oily/greasy foods but can help protect your cookware too.
I usually will put a few sheets on the bottom of my oven when cooking a casserole, just in case, it boils over. I also will use it to wrap up foods for freezer storage, they just seem to last longer that way.
Water
All my readers are probably tired of my always harping about water storage. It is just such a critical part of any emergency storage plan. I have a bunch of posts in the archive dealing with water storage, how to make the most of your space, container capacity, treatment, etc.
I really don’t suggest families rely on small bottled water containers as shown below, but it is one of the many choices we need to make. Based on your particular situation, it may be the only option, but be sure to have enough to support your family’s needs for a few days at the least.
Final Word
I hope you enjoyed my post today about Sam’s Club. We need to work on stocking up, and hopefully, we will find those items we need or want. Please keep prepping, we must. Teach your kids and grandkids to cook from scratch, this skill is critical. May God Bless this world, Linda
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