Sam’s Club is one of the top membership warehouse clubs you can join to buy high-quality products at a low price. It allows you to get deals that you can’t find at your local grocery store or retailer because Sam’s Club buys its supplies in bulk. Instead of supplying every brand, they focus on putting the right products in bulk out at the right time to offer the best savings for their customers.
Even though everything at Sam’s Club is already competitively priced, there are still so many ways you can save big at Sam’s Club. We’ve put together the top money-saving hacks you need to know before your next trip to Sam’s Club.
1. Purchase The Club Membership to Sam’s Club
Before you can even start saving money at Sam’s Club, you need to first sign up for a yearly membership. The club membership starts at $45 a year, while the plus membership prices at $100 a year. There are more benefits that come with the plus card, such as optical, pharmacy, early shopping, free shipping, and cash rewards.
However, the benefits don’t make up for the additional fee you have to pay during the year unless you need one of those services mentioned above. To save a little extra money from the start, buy the Club Membership. Plus, at any time, you can upgrade your membership to the Plus if you feel like you need the additional value.
2. Know The Price Codes to Save Big
Stores will often use their own pricing structure in order to make it easier to label and sell their products. At Sam’s Club, discounted items will end in a .01 like .81, while full-priced items will end in .99. Sam’s Club will also use specific labels to offer insight into a product’s price. The breakdown is as follows:
- A – The letter A means that the item’s price won’t typically change because there are more than a few of its kind in stock.
- N – The letter N stands for never out. This item is not likely to go on sale because the item will always be in stock.
- C – The letter C stands for canceled, which means that the item likely won’t be restocked. These items will usually end up being marked down even lower to move products off the floor.
This coding system is important to remember so that you can make good purchasing decisions as you browse around Sam’s Club, knowing what will and will not go down in price anytime soon.
3. There are no Promo Codes or Coupons
While many retailers will offer special coupons or promotional codes, you won’t find that from Sam’s Club. There are no special promotional codes or coupons you can apply to your account from offline sources.
At Sam’s Club, all discounts or savings are automatically applied to your account. If you do find a site that offers online coupons for Sam’s Club, be cautious. They are most likely not real and will not be able to be used inside of a Sam’s Club store.
4. Instant Savings Will Save You Money
As a member of Sam’s Club, you’ll receive an instant discount on a wide range of products. You won’t need any coupons or discount codes to get these incredible deals. Instead, you’ll have them instantly applied to your account.
For instant savings, you can check online for these exceptional deals. You can choose to purchase them online or go straight to the store to pick these items up.
5. Sign up via Email to Receive Shocking Value Deals
Every day, there are a new set of items that are known as the Shocking Value. The webpage for shocking value items will show you these incredible deals. The products listed on this page are items that you’ll save between $5-$100 on, depending on the product.
By signing up for the e-mail, you’ll be among the first to know about these crazy savings. Like any good deal, they run out fast, so make sure to sign up for the emails at the top, left side of the page to be the first to gain these additional savings.
Sign up to Sam’s club email newsletter by visiting their official site and submitting your email address at the form located at the site’s footer.
6. Download the Sam’s Club App to Skip Long Lines
Anyone who has shopped at Sam’s Club knows how long the lines can be.
After you’ve already spent an hour or so walking around the warehouse searching for items, you’re ready to get out. Conveniently, it always seems that they’re understaffed at Sam’s Club, so long lines ensue. However, you can skip this entire process by downloading and using the Scan & Go Application from the Apple or Google play store.
This application lets shoppers purchase all of the items they have in their cart without having to stand in the long lines.
Once you’re ready to pay, simply scan all of your items through your phone and pay through the app. When you go to exit, an employee will check your receipt, and you’re all set and can skip standing on those long lines.
7. Save Money on Alcohol Even If Your Not A Member
All of the liquor, wine, and beer sold at Sam’s Club are already marked down 15-25%, which is an incredible amount of saving, especially if you’re buying in bulk for a wedding or family get-together.
However, due to a loophole in liquor licensing laws, Sam’s Club is not allowed to sell alcohol through their membership agreements, so anyone with or without a membership is free to purchase booze.
8. Shop at Wednesday for Discounted Prices
Vendors rent out space on the shelves at Sam’s Club. If the product isn’t selling well, or they pull out of the store, their items will get significantly marked down to move the product off the shelves.
These markdowns and audits usually happen on a Tuesday evening. If you want to get the best-discounted prices, try to shop on Wednesday mornings to get the best deals.
9. Shop Online without Needing a Membership
If you don’t plan on going into the store and just want to order products online, you can register to shop through the Sam’s Club website. You won’t need a membership to shop online.
However, you might miss out on some additional savings. You won’t get to enjoy benefits such as Club Pickup, and you’ll need to pay a 10% surcharge on everything you order.
10. Check Sam’s Club Frequently
Depending on your local Sam’s Club location, new products can get delivered to the store every 2-3 days. If you want to see new products or merchandise, it’s essential to shop at Sam’s Club frequently. Plus, the more you go, the more straightforward it is to navigate the store, so finding the newer products will be easier.
If you find a good deal, especially on an item marked as C, you want to grab it as soon as possible. Once it’s gone off the shelves, it won’t come back and will be replaced with a new vendor.
11. Return and Repurchase for Additional Markdowns
If you bought an item while it was low on stock, you may have purchased at a higher price point than you would have liked. If you find the item is now at a lower price, you can receive your money back.
All you need to do is head over to the customer service desk and ask them to do a return and buyback process. As long as there is still stock, you’ll be able to return and repurchase the items for a lower price point.
12. Select Club Pickup to Avoid Going Inside the Store
If you want to save money, it’s a great idea to have a shopping list and stick to it. However, that can be hard given how much stuff you can purchase at Sam’s Club.
By using the Club Pickup, you’re able to buy and order your items directly online. Once it’s ready, you’ll be notified via smartphone or e-mail. From there, you can pull up in front of the store, and the employees will load your order into your car.
13. Get Discount or Free Prescription Drugs
Did you know that your Sam’s Club membership could help you save on a bunch of different prescription drugs? While you can find thousands for a discounted price, there are five drugs that are offered completely free to Plus Members for a 30-day supply.
The drugs include Finasteride, Vitamin D 50,000 IU, Pioglitazone, Escitalopram and Donepezil. Make sure to check with your local Sam’s club store to make sure you’re eligible, as this is not offered in every state.
Spend Less at Sam’s Club with these Money Saving Hacks
With all of these fantastic ways to save at Sam’s Club, it can be hard to know where to start!
Apply these hacks into your daily shopping routine and watch the savings stack.
Which one of our tips was your favorite? Leave a comment below to let us know how these money-saving hacks worked out for you.
