Which Has the Cheapest Groceries: BJ’s, Costco or Sam’s Club?

Sam’s Club, which opened its first store in Midwest City, Oklahoma, in 1983, has a heavy concentration in Texas. Beyond grocery savings, the retailer makes it easy to save on membership fees, which are $50 for a basic membership and $110 for a plus membership. The latter gets you free shipping on most online items, free curbside pickup, 20 percent off a complete pair of prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses and 2 percent back on qualifying purchases. 

Kristin McGrath, RetailMeNot

“Sam’s Club is especially generous for membership offers for new members and often gives discounted membership the first year,” says Kristin McGrath, shopping expert with RetailMeNot. Currently, you can get $35 off your basic membership at Sam’s Club or $55 off the plus membership.  Another way to save on the membership at all of the warehouse retailers, says Trae Bodge, a shopping expert at TrueTrae.com, is to check online at deal sites to see if there are any money-off coupons.  

Beyond getting a discount on the membership, McGrath says a great way to save is to take advantage of all the other benefits your membership gives you. 

Second place: Costco ​

Costco, the largest of the warehouse stores, has 862 locations, 592 of which are in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Costco also has a two-tier membership program. The basic membership costs $60, and the executive will set you back $120. With the premium membership, you get an annual 2 percent reward up to $1,000 on qualified Costco, Costco.com and Costco Travel purchases and deeper discounts on Costco services such as check printing and roadside assistance for vehicles covered through the warehouse club’s auto insurance program. 

Although the savings at BJ’s and Costco are very similar, Costco was slightly cheaper. The closeness in prices could be because the two try not to jack up prices too much, instead focusing on making money through the membership fees, Dvorkin says. It’s the reason the warehouse clubs are strict about who can use the card and tend to regulate shoppers to ensure someone isn’t piggybacking off another member.

Dvorkin said shoppers who care about name brands will do better at Costco. To ensure you get the best savings, look at the cost per pound or unit cost. He says to go with a generic brand if possible. “Costco has Kirkland, which is typically as good quality as the name brands and typically manufactured by the name brands,” Dvorkin says. 

Third place: BJ’s 

​​With more than 210 clubs in 16 states from Maine to Florida, BJ’s is the smallest of the three and the most expensive, albeit by only $1.25 in our shopping comparison. Its membership costs $55 and $110. With the pricier option, you get 2 percent back in rewards on most BJ’s purchases, 5 cents off per gallon at BJ’s gas stations and two to three times back in rewards during special events. 

Trae Bodge, TrueTrae.com

When shopping at BJ’s or any warehouse store, Bodge says, think about how you consume things before stocking up. It’s also important to know the different shelf lives of products to make sure they won’t go to waste. Take liquid cleaning products for instance. You may think they will last forever, but they lose efficacy after a year. The same goes for spices and sunblock.