Help Me Decide - Is this Sam’s Club Offer from LivingSocial a Good Deal?

October 22 by
Filed under: Deal or No Deal, Shopping 

Today’s offer from LivingSocial is a one-year membership to Sam’s Club plus a $20 Sam’s gift card, and $20 worth of grocery items for $42. According to the Sam’s Club website, the Advantage membership normally costs $40.

I am on the fence about this deal and I am hoping you can help me make a decision.

I’ve never been a Sam’s Club member, but I used to shop there several years ago with one of my college roommates who was a member. The idea of buying in bulk for an apartment full of guys was appealing back then. I remember some items having decent prices, but not all items were priced better than what I could find at Walmart or Target.

I am not sure that I would get the value out of a Sam’s Club membership at this stage in my life. If I need large quantities of food for a family party or get together with friends, I usually shop at GFS Marketplace.

I kind of have a hang-up with having to pay to shop somewhere. Is this a valid concern, or is the $40 for a membership worth it?

I would love to hear what Sam’s Club members and non-members think of this deal.  Please leave a comment and let me know if you think it is worth $40 for a membership at Sam’s!

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Comments

13 Comments on Help Me Decide - Is this Sam’s Club Offer from LivingSocial a Good Deal?

  1. Ara on Mon, 22nd Oct 2012 4:35 PM

    Please read the fine print that says that the offer should be activated in IL. So, its not beneficial to go all the way to IL for activation! If the activtion could have been done anywhere this would have been a great offer.

  2. Milwaukee Consumer on Mon, 22nd Oct 2012 4:40 PM

    Not true Ara! I think you need to switch your city to Milwaukee to see the details of the Milwaukee Sam’s Club offer. The fine print on the Milwaukee offer says “Offer must be activated at the 7701 W Calumet Road or the 600 N Springdale Road locations; However, once active, Sam’s membership is valid in all U.S. locations”.

  3. Natalie on Mon, 22nd Oct 2012 5:03 PM

    I am also on the fence because I save so much already between coupons at pick n save on double coupon day and the sweet deals at Aldi. There are some items that are cheaper at sam’s but you have to know prices when you’re shopping. It’s nearly a wash though either way so I may end up doing it. There are some decent seasonal & optical deals that may make it worth it. As long as you shop during low peak times and are aware of prices, it isn’t a bad deal!

  4. Milwaukee Consumer on Mon, 22nd Oct 2012 5:04 PM

    I feel the exact same way Natalie. The $40 worth of free items makes it worth it, but I am not sure if I would do it without those items. Actually, I am sure. I wouldn’t do it without those items.

  5. Mary on Mon, 22nd Oct 2012 5:05 PM

    Yes, it is a good deal. Not everything at Sam’s is bulk and you can find some great deals there. I have been a member on and off. The good news is that if at any time during your membership year you are not satisfied you get your entire membership fee reimbursed, so you have nothing to lose, plus you get the gift certificate and food vouchers. I have never seen them do a deal like this before!

  6. Amy on Mon, 22nd Oct 2012 5:45 PM

    Yes, we are the Plus members and we shop there (family of 4) every week. There is plenty of stuff that can be frozen (food). We also get extra deals for the Plus members, which I’ve used off and on. To pretty much get the membership for free for one year is worth trying it out. If you don’t think you’ve gotten enough out of it, don’t renew. I do know that Woodman’s is coming to Waukesha soon too. But I have found that even some stuff at Woodman’s can’t compare to Sam’s.

  7. Jean on Mon, 22nd Oct 2012 6:53 PM

    I would suggest taking it - that is a good deal and you can use the year to decide if you want to renew. The rotisserie chickens and pizzas are quite good so you will enjoy the food vouchers. I never thought I would pay a store so that I could shop there but honestly I buy more at Sams now that I have a membership then I ever thought I would and it’s not all items in bulk. The produce is usually good quality as is their bakery department. We drink a lot of a particular brand of bottled water - is a good deal at Sams. You won’t know if it’s worth it for you unless you try it for a year and see if the savings add up for what your household uses. You may be surprised. You really have nothing to lose with this offer.

  8. Christy Peters on Mon, 22nd Oct 2012 9:32 PM

    I just renewed my club membership and it was $35 not $40. And with the vouchers returning your money it is a deal. I don’t buy much there but Milk is often $1.69 and we go thru 4 gallons a week and the paper plates are $15 for a big double pack where at pick n save they are $8 for less then half of what you get at Sams. I also like their clearance area, anything ending in a 1 is the lowest it will ever be such as $18.91. Their sport teamed clothing is cheaper than Kohls and most of the time it is authentic not generic printed lines. Meat is often cheaper too I know like you need 5 lbs of chicken breasts but I do freezer cooking so this will make 2 or 3 recipies.

  9. Milwaukee Consumer on Mon, 22nd Oct 2012 10:24 PM

    Hmmmmmmm….when I went on the Sam’s Club website today it said that the price of a one-year membership was $40. Perhaps they offered you a discount to renew?

  10. Colleen B on Tue, 23rd Oct 2012 9:19 AM

    It depends on how you eat/shop. If you eat organic..well, the price is still a wash because of the free stuff but you might not get much out of this membership. If you eat conventional food, there are quite a few things that are cheaper than at the grocery store (even on sale). We don’t buy a lot there, but I feel like with the free gifts it makes it worth it to have the membership. And if you ever do pharmacy (and you have to pay for rx as opposed to have flat co-pays) or photo, they do have good prices as well.

  11. Laura on Tue, 23rd Oct 2012 1:17 PM

    I don’t think I can do any better at Sam’s than I already do at the local store’s in the area. Remember, that in addition to PNS, some of the smaller Sentry Foods and several of the Piggly Wiggly stores double coupons. I do get around the metro area a bit for work, so I can pick & chose where I shop and stick with the loss leaders. With that said, I do like to stop in at Sam’s when they have their free weekends where anyone can shop there. My biggest purchases are generic Zyrtec & generic Benadryl. I believe that they sell vitamins very cheaply as well.
    One thing about Sam’s though, it’s very easy to make impulse purchases there. What seems like a good deal when the sample lady is handing out something may not be such a deal when you get home.

  12. April on Tue, 23rd Oct 2012 3:04 PM

    Sam’s is a great membership, as with ANY store you need to know your prices. Many items are a great bargain, others not so much. The meat department has a better quality than you’ll find at any of the chains and the prices are comparable. They offer Wright’s bacon - maple and hickory in thick slices that is just awesome. The price on fruit is usually better than the chains - strawberries and raspberries especially. Try it out, with the free food offer you have nothing to lose! Some of the clothes are a real bargain too.

  13. Ramona Collins on Thu, 25th Oct 2012 4:25 PM

    Thank you all for your comments! If you have any questions regarding Sam’s Club membership, please feel free to email us at [email protected] with any additional questions. Thank you! – Ramona from Sam’s Club

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