Mainly if you buy in bulk, but do compare the prices against Walmart. Both do carry slightly different products. I have both and remember if you go to Canada they do have Cosco their which you can use.

I dunno which is best.. I just canceled my membership at Sam's club.. It is just too darned far to drive anymore for me... 60 miles one way... and costco is about the same the other way...So, I guess I won't be going to either one..

Kitt

I love Costco...we don't have Sams Club here.

I used to have a mambership for both places. Costco had a couple of food items that Sam's didn't have that I bought to take to work for parties. When my membership at Costco's expired I didn't renew because there isn't one near where I live. I have a Sam's membership and a handy Sam's Club just a few blocks from home.

I used to belong to both....had many problems with Costco, and Sam's wasn't close.
I've belonged to BJ's for a few years now. Better then the other two put together.

I'm opposite of Terri--love Sam's, don't have a Costco around here.

Have a Sam's membership but it's a two hr drive from here, so only go once or twice a year whenever DH has an app't with his eye doctor. I don't really find that much that we can use. Mostly for automotive stuff for the farm.

No Costco close, nearest one is about 4 hrs away at St. Louis area and we never go that direction.

Used to have Sam's. Both are a waste of money in my book. Know your prices and you'll do far better shopping elsewhere. One caveat, if you have a small convenience store or something they handle some things you can get that most wholesalers won't waste their time selling to you. For home use, not worth it. I've comparison priced both and they're expensive. The very few specialty items can be had elsewhere and save the $40 or $50/year.

Have a Costco, BJ's and Sam's Club membership. Costco is by far the best, BJ's the worst and Sam's in between. Unfortunately, BJ's is within minutes of our home so we shop there more often, but I can defintiely tell a difference in prices between them and Costco. Shredded mozarella cheese costs $4 more for the same package, and Cheesecake Factory cheesecakes are $2 more. Don't like BJ's meats except for their rotisserie chicken. Used to like Costco meat, but they began cutting things like pork chops and round steak waaaayyyy too thick so I just buy my meat from my local grocery store.

I find it that it depends on the products you normally buy and it's also a regional thing.

I live close to both and I once had both memberships. I found out that most of my purchase was food and household items. In this area, I prefer Sam's quality food more than Costco. So, I ended up not continue with Costco membership.

I also like Sam's flower arrange area where someone can arrange flowers for you. Our Costco doesn't have that. Sam's also have more choices for flowers.

One other thing I love from Sam is their pastry, especially love their cookies.

So, it's actually what you'd be buying from these stores that would help with what you'd prefer.

Well I don't pay for my membership I'm the secondary on my mom's..and we have an executive. I get the 2% back check from the purchases and she get's the 2% back on her Costco Amex..I also use our membership number for purchasing for our Local Little League April-July for business delivery. But even if I did buy a membership..it's worth it..But I have thought about also buying a regular membership for my husband to have, so he can stop for me since he drives by on his commute.
There are things at Costco, that save me several dollars each over grocery store/Walmart prices..if they even have the items.
I buy cheeses, sugars, organic items, butter, chips, 100% juice Capri Suns, frozen chicken wings, pork loins, ribeyes and some produce. We also purchase clothing, especially for hubby and oldest son. I usually shop at Costco 2x a month. It's 33 miles from my door to Costco..(Oh yeah we sometimes get gas there too..) LOL

We got to Costco. You simply can't beat their prices for formula and diapers. The savings alone paid for the membership. I just replaced a broken pair of glasses for half the price of lenscrafters. They also have really good fresh fruit. Oh, and Carters clothes for the kids, bulk meat for freezing, huge rolls of wrapping paper, OTC medicines, snacks. We got lots of stuff there. Their prescription medicines aren't cheaper though.

both every week...sam's because they carry the size of bottled water dh likes, and for some strange reason, saltine crackers you can't find at costco. we also purchase pampers there for dd2. love the ground beef.

costco for about everything else...

We don't have a Sam's here. I don't shop Costco as much as others do, but there a few things I always buy there, and I love their optical dept. I also get my digital pictures printed there as well.

Sheryl in Oregon

We have both close to us. My parent's belong to Costco and we belong to Sam's.
I do love Costco's toilet paper, so have always gotten her to get me that. They both sell the large bag of pancake mix, but it's cheaper at Sam's so I get that for her.

I have her card and have gone in to see if they have things that Sam's doesn't, and they have more books and dvd's than Sam's carries. I bought a couple books I was looking for there.

Our Sam's isn't nearly as busy, which we like. The crowds are horrid at Costco. I know Sam's offers a weekend where non-members can shop to encourage new members, so watch and see if Costco offers the same and go and see.

I only know Costco. I know I probably don't exactly save money but I like the additional shopping options. The meat is better than most of the meat I can find in my local grocery stores. The vanilla and yeast are cheap. Bagged salad is cheap too. I just bought a toaster oven for $40, about half the price I saw it sold elsewhere.

There have been very few products from Costco that disappointed me. I don't care for their rotisserie chicken. It had an odd taste. I didn't like their garlic either. The cloves were all very, very small.

I doubt one store is 'better' than the other. You can't just walk in Costco to check it out but you can get a guest pass to look (but not buy).

Through most of my over 70 years I've been under the (apparently mistaken, or at least, misguided) impression that I've been doing a retailer a favour by walking in through his/her door.

Many of them do a lot of expensive advertising in an attempt to seduce me into doing just that.

Maybe, instead of so much expensive advertising, they should track what I purchase per year ... and pay me a percentage just before Christmas: beat the "membership" stores at their own game!

Pay me (even eventually) to enter their store ...

... rather than charge me ... before they allow me to enter!

When a retailer tells me that I must pay him for the privilege of entering his wonderful store ... lacking a large amount of proof to the contrary ... there's a really strong possibility that I'll tell him/her what s/he can do with that idea!!!

About a buck a week ... and if I don't go for three weeks or so ... I don't get a three-week extension of the limit at the far end. If it's 50 bucks for a year, I'd better save over a buck a week during my visits: I don't get a card eligible for 50 punches! And if I make only two visits, it had better be over 25 bucks, each trip.

But s/he got his/hers, up front ... I have to work out my own savings ... later.

For some of us old farts, living alone, and more inclined to downsize, rather than build our stockpile of stuff (to fill that oversized house) it gets difficult to justify (i.e. recoup) the initial outlay.

I'm somewhat disinclined to even tell you that, if you're travelling the freeway Detroit/Windsor or Port Huron/Sarnia to Toronto/Buffalo, there's a Costco within sight of the road at London's major exit ... and a Sam's a few miles away (plus several Wal-Marts).

Bringing you shiploads of consumer stuff from China, with money traded at artificial exchange rate, and piling up mountains of U.S. bonds, much of it in gov't. coffers, which they can make available to chosen corporations ...

... to buy up the remnants of a bankrupt GM ... or Chrysler ... or Ford.

To build more vehicles in the U.S.?

Not bloody likely!!

Or ... build a pipeline from the depleting oilfields of Alberta ... to a Pacific port in B.C. ... to ship that oil to distant parts.

Our choice of where we spend your consumer dollars ...

... has repercussions!

Given increasing numbers of Free Trade agreements, erasing the borders that corporations find so inconvenient ...

... if we want to continue to manufacture in the U.S./Canada - we have to become more competitive, i.e. more similar standard of living to that found in the rest of the world.

If we insist on continuing to live so much higher on the hog than that enjoyed by the rest of the world ... they'll continue to out-compete our factories, businesses and workers.

We've been squandering our advantages - they're getting depleted.

ole joyful

Thanks for the comments, everyone.

We typically go to Sam's about once a month and the savings are tremendous. I may spend a larger chunk of cash in one setting, but I'm saving a significant amount over the long-run by buying in bulk. Milk is something like $2.75 at Sam's ... no grocery can get close, I think the best price locally is around $3.65. The last store which doubled coupons, closed in the spring, and Wal-Mart is actually higher than the grocery stores on staples like bread, pasta, coffee ... and the groceries, except when they have a REALLY GOOD SALE (which doesn't happen often), are higher than the warehouse stores. I do like both Wal-Mart and local groceries (which are actually giant chains) for their produce. With just two humans here, we don't need a 20-lb. bag of potatoes ... but when that bag is cheaper than a 10-lb bag locally, it makes sense to buy it.

I commute 25 miles to work, and both Sam's and CostCo have stores that I can go to on my way home if I vary my route by just a little.

I've heard very good comments about the CostCo (Kirkland's) brand of dog food ... and with all these rescues, we really need to save $$ where we can and still provide a quality food for them. We do mix in fresh meat daily, so also need to save on that when we can, and Wal-Mart gives us that savings. So you can see, we do shop around, and try to combine trips whenever possible to save on gas.

We're going to CostCo today and see if they'll allow a one-day pass to purchase items and if not, will probably go ahead and join. Our membership at Sam's isnt due for awhile, so we'll be able to switch back and forth for the next few months and see which place gives us the best return on our membership fee.

We don't have a Sam's club here so we go to Costco. We have saved a ton on expensive items like TVs. Also they have the cheapest prescription prices here. At Longs it cost $125 for generic and at Costco it was $14. And we get 2-3% back on Costco purchases, and 2% back on our Costco/Amex card on all purchases.
Clare

I've only been to Costco once, but we are members at Sam's, we love it! Hubby shudders with fear when I say the "S" word tho! LOL!!! We only go a few times a year and when we do our bill is usually fairly high...last time was last weekend, $700. But I buy nearly all my cleaning supplies there, from PineSol to laundry to dishwasher. Also buy my Splenda and a few other of that type of food there. After buying my cleaning supplies there I just can't pay what they want at our local grocer, the sasvings on those alone saves me more than the annual fee.

We have memberships at both Sam's and Costco. I prefer Costco for vegetables and meats, the quality is so much better than Sam's. I love the Campari tomatoes, small peppers, small English cucumbers, haricots, the chicken breasts are packed 2 to a package so they are ready for the freezer, just tear at the perforated line and the beeef tenderloins are better than at Sam's. About the only thing I get at Sam's now is cat litter, Costco doesn't carry the brand we like!

I don't have a Costco or Sam's nearby. Went to BJ's once, using a free pass, not impressed. What do you do with a giant box of pancake mix? I did buy a nice clock for my kitchen.

My family has had to express mail me Cosco's Kirkland brand chocolate covered raisins! I would join just to have access to those things but there are no Coscos near us. There are
Sam's Clubs but they don't have the raisinettes and I don't need to buy in bulk for 2 people.

We once had a Sams membership thru DH's work. I really hated the atmosphere-especially having to dig out my card before entering. I still don't understand the logic in that, but it was the long slow lines that drove me away. Now I go to BJ's-no long lines, several do it yourself checkouts, you can use COUPONS, and walk right in the door without stopping to dig out your card. They also sell items in smaller quantities like 1 gallon of milk or a quart of half & half.My membership ends up being free with the 2% back rewards membership. Hey-if anyone wants to buy or renew a BJ's membership-DS's school is selling them at a $10 discount ($35 for a regular card-$70 for a rewards card with 2% back). These are not only a $10 discount, but also a 15 month membership vs. a 12 month. PM me if interested. You can renew your card any time, it doesn't have to be expired. His school gets $5 back per membership-I make nothing and don't work for BJ's.

Well, we went ahead and joined, I expected that.

There are two stores in the area, we went to the one closest to home (the other store is closer to where I work.) This one was an old furniture store, and the atmosphere inside is just that ... an old store. While I think they could spruce it up some, I actually appreciate re-using a standing building rather than either letting it set empty, or tearing it down just to build something new.

But it was a good trip, and they had comparable prices to Sam's. I bought the dogfood, and our dogs are liking it ok ... I also bought several other Kirkland's brand items, and are liking them (particularly the bar soap, it really smells GOOD!). In the meat department, I like the packaging of the chicken but the amounts are smaller than I get at Sam's. The hamburger was really fresh and priced just under Sam's. I really liked that Butterball turkeys were on clearance for 49-cents a lb.! LOL! bought two for the freezer. Didn't like the setup for books at all (just laying on tables rather than on shelves) but the prices were good.

So in the end, they have pretty much everything we want/need and are closer ... I'll be looking forward to another visit, not on a holiday, where it's not so crowded and we can spend a little more time walking around.