BJs/Sams Club Memberships

[Anonymous]

Has anyone joined a wholesale club in anticipation of baby's arrival? We live in DC, about 30 min away from the closest one. Given gas prices and the travel time I am trying to figure out if it is worth joining. I think we would use it primarily for diapers and wipes. I guess my real question is how much do you end up saving by buying these items at a wholesale club. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Warehouse clubs are cost + 10%, so you save alot. An 18 pack of eggs at BJs is $1.99 and at Giant is $3.69. We get great lunch meat and cheese there as well for $5.00 a lbs vs. almost $8.00 a lb at the regular grocery stores. Books are always 50% off bestsellers vs. 20-30% at the big book chains. If you know prices, and you shop responsibly, you can save alot of money.

I have three kids and it is a lifesaver.

[Anonymous]

We were originally Costco members but switched to BJ's as they are much closer to our house. I found they have a much bigger selection of baby/toddler items than Costco does.

[Anonymous]

BJ's also accepts manufacturer's coupons so if you have a coupon for Huggies or Pampers or Luvs you can save some more bucks.

I had a free trial membership pass to BJs. It was ok. The selection wasn't great.

Not sure it is worth the 30 min drive and the membership fee - would you really break even, if at all?

We usually buy generic diapers from Target or Walmart anyways so we don't bother much with wholesale.

[Anonymous]

Sometimes you can find good prices on diapers and such at Toys R Us, but need a coupon to get as low as the BJs price. I am a nanny and usually volunteer to keep the baby items stocked. I have been buying diapers for one family or another for the last 7 or 8 years. I have yet to find a better price on baby stuff.

I also keep my own house stocked with frequently used dry goods from there. They are much cheaper there.

[Anonymous]

I like it, you just have to be careful of what you buy. For us we get diapers (Costco brand), chicken breast ($2 and change per lb), Organic salad mix, razors, and Lara bars. We of course get roped into other things when there.

For us it has been worth it, but I would not get it just for diapers and baby stuff.

[Anonymous]

Check out Amazon.com - they generally have good prices for things like diapers and wipes. And, if you sign up to auto refill your order on a regular basis, you get free shipping and an addition 15% discount. You can adjust or cancel the frequency of your refills at any time. It can be a huge time saver, no to mention the money you'll save in gas by not going out to the store.

[Anonymous]

Try getting a one day pass to the ones that are "closer" and see if there are other items of interest there for you to make the drive and membership worthwhile.. we drive about 20 or so minutes and it's really worth it.. we stock up on food, lawn care items, etc.. not just baby stuff.. i also try to combine that trip with a target or toys r us trip since neither of those stores are that near us and i'm not "just" going to costco.. chekc out gas prices (if your closest one sells too)- that's a savings (again, not enough for me to drive 20 minutes to get it but if my tank's half empty and they have the lowest price- i do refill)..