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Started By
Message
TulaneLSU's guide to purchasing at Sam's Club versus Walmart
Posted on 6/13/23 at 2:32 pm
Posted on 6/13/23 at 2:32 pm
Dear Friends,
“You would make your Great Grandfather proud,” Mother told me this morning after I returned home from a trip with her to Sam’s and Walmart. Mother tells me I am the frugal one in our family, something for which Great Grandfather was known. He was of Scottish stock by way of North Carolina. Family legend has it that he, and I by extension, were descended from a great Covenanter who attempted to ban alcohol in Scotland. He owned a large sheep farm and made the finest jackets of the day. But many of his workers did not like him because he was meticulous in his record keepings and not a jot or tittle was passed without his keen awareness.
After waking around five this morning and having morning prayer with Mother, I suggested that we go to both stores today, not so much to shop but to focus on pricing items. My goal was to find out which items are better purchased at Walmart and which are better from Sam’s.
Mother initially was not interested. Yes, you know she gave me that look, that “TulaneLSU, do not drag me into your pointless journey look.” Sometimes, though, you have to look past negativity, pessimism, and rejection, and march onward, with the Cross of Jesus going on before! I persisted.
“Mother, today’s corporate age requires that consumers be vigilant. Corporations like Sam’s-Walmart do not see us as individuals or even families anymore. We are a numerical component of their Numerical System. Within this system, out of our desire for convenience, we cede our trust to the scales and listed prices, and they are not always fair. There is room for more graft than Sheriff Frank Clancy of the JP could have ever dreamed.”
Mother still was not convinced.
“Mother, consider how I am currently working on the undercover weighing operation, the one that will expose Sam’s unethical snow and king crab weighing system.”
She responded, “Are you still emailing Dateline NBC about them selling you 2.3 pounds of snow crabs with 2.7 pounds of water weight, packaged as five pounds of snow crab?”
“Yes, and the same thing happened with last week’s king crab weight. I bought 1.6 pounds of king crab to the tune of $48. When I took the legs out of the packaging, there were only 9 ounces of legs. Sam’s is stealing from us, the consumers, potentially millions every year. Not to mention Sam's is sourcing the king crab from Russia. Do we not have a boycott on Russian goods?
“Mother, my pressing concern is not just the crab weights. It is that our friends on the OT, friends like MeridianDog, OTIS, toff, andouille, Big Bill, and Degas, could be purchasing products at Sam’s they should be buying at Walmart and vice versa. So many Club members think they are automatically getting a better deal at Sam’s, but that is not always the case.”
“Well, if it could help MeridianDog, we should do it.”
With that, Mother agreed to join me on this pricing adventure. I hope you will find some of this information useful in your shopping outings.
DETERGENT
Sam’s: 170 oz of Tide HE for $24.98, or 14.7 cents per ounce
Walmart: 146 ounces of Tide Original for $19.94, or 13.66 cents per ounce
Sam’s: 195 oz of Members Mark orange bottle for $15.98, or 8.19 cents per ounce
Verdict: Toss-up
Members Mark is the way to go here, and the Members Mark is cheaper than Great Value. However, if you are purchasing name brand detergents, Walmart generally is cheaper. Mother once told me, “TulaneLSU, when it comes to household goods and hygienic products, Walmart is usually better than Sam’s.” Mother certainly knows best.
“You would make your Great Grandfather proud,” Mother told me this morning after I returned home from a trip with her to Sam’s and Walmart. Mother tells me I am the frugal one in our family, something for which Great Grandfather was known. He was of Scottish stock by way of North Carolina. Family legend has it that he, and I by extension, were descended from a great Covenanter who attempted to ban alcohol in Scotland. He owned a large sheep farm and made the finest jackets of the day. But many of his workers did not like him because he was meticulous in his record keepings and not a jot or tittle was passed without his keen awareness.
After waking around five this morning and having morning prayer with Mother, I suggested that we go to both stores today, not so much to shop but to focus on pricing items. My goal was to find out which items are better purchased at Walmart and which are better from Sam’s.
Mother initially was not interested. Yes, you know she gave me that look, that “TulaneLSU, do not drag me into your pointless journey look.” Sometimes, though, you have to look past negativity, pessimism, and rejection, and march onward, with the Cross of Jesus going on before! I persisted.
“Mother, today’s corporate age requires that consumers be vigilant. Corporations like Sam’s-Walmart do not see us as individuals or even families anymore. We are a numerical component of their Numerical System. Within this system, out of our desire for convenience, we cede our trust to the scales and listed prices, and they are not always fair. There is room for more graft than Sheriff Frank Clancy of the JP could have ever dreamed.”
Mother still was not convinced.
“Mother, consider how I am currently working on the undercover weighing operation, the one that will expose Sam’s unethical snow and king crab weighing system.”
She responded, “Are you still emailing Dateline NBC about them selling you 2.3 pounds of snow crabs with 2.7 pounds of water weight, packaged as five pounds of snow crab?”
“Yes, and the same thing happened with last week’s king crab weight. I bought 1.6 pounds of king crab to the tune of $48. When I took the legs out of the packaging, there were only 9 ounces of legs. Sam’s is stealing from us, the consumers, potentially millions every year. Not to mention Sam's is sourcing the king crab from Russia. Do we not have a boycott on Russian goods?
“Mother, my pressing concern is not just the crab weights. It is that our friends on the OT, friends like MeridianDog, OTIS, toff, andouille, Big Bill, and Degas, could be purchasing products at Sam’s they should be buying at Walmart and vice versa. So many Club members think they are automatically getting a better deal at Sam’s, but that is not always the case.”
“Well, if it could help MeridianDog, we should do it.”
With that, Mother agreed to join me on this pricing adventure. I hope you will find some of this information useful in your shopping outings.
DETERGENT
Sam’s: 170 oz of Tide HE for $24.98, or 14.7 cents per ounce
Walmart: 146 ounces of Tide Original for $19.94, or 13.66 cents per ounce
Sam’s: 195 oz of Members Mark orange bottle for $15.98, or 8.19 cents per ounce
Verdict: Toss-up
Members Mark is the way to go here, and the Members Mark is cheaper than Great Value. However, if you are purchasing name brand detergents, Walmart generally is cheaper. Mother once told me, “TulaneLSU, when it comes to household goods and hygienic products, Walmart is usually better than Sam’s.” Mother certainly knows best.
This post was edited on 6/13/23 at 2:50 pm
23
Posted on 6/13/23 at 2:32 pm to TulaneLSU
EGGS
Both Sam’s and Walmart sell Eggland’s Best, a mid-market product. They are not as good as free range eggs, but these eggs are better than Great Value, whose yolks are very runny and fragile and have a dull yellow color.
Sam’s: 18 Eggland’s Best eggs for $5.38, or 29.89 cents per egg.
Walmart: 12 Eggland’s Best eggs for $3.34, or 27.83 cents per egg.
Walmart GV 12 jumbo eggs for $1.98, or 16.5 cents per egg.
Verdict: Walmart
Do not assume that because you are getting 18 eggs rather than 12 eggs you are saving money. Convincing members that purchasing in bulk will save money is one tricky tactic Sam’s uses.
MILK
Sam’s: 2% gallon of milk for $3.58
Walmart: 2% gallon of milk for $3.77
Verdict: Sam’s
Not only is Sam’s milk cheaper, I think it tastes better. Is that better taste a product of the better packaging? I certainly prefer Sam’s milk packaging, as it is more compact, leading to lower shipping costs, which leads to less pollution, which leads to cleaner air and better health for everyone. When Sam’s introduced the rectangular milk cartons, if my memory serves me correctly, in 2008. At first, I did not like them because they went against decades of the old shape, but I now greatly prefer the rectangular packaging.
BREAD
Sam’s: 54oz Dave’s Killer Bread whole grains for $10.68, or 19.78 cents per ounce
Walmart: 27oz Dave’s Killer Bread whole grains for $5.98, or 22.15 cents per ounce
Verdict: Sam’s
Although the baker has a tattoo, I love his story. Imprisoned for 15 years, Dave decided to turn his life around when he got out of prison and took up baking, just as his parents had. With his brother and nephew, they have helped many people, including those who had served prison time, and make a very good tasting bread. As Trent Shelton, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said, “See my heart, not my past.” Indeed, Jesus calls us not only to visit the prisoners but to accept them and forgive them. That spirit seems to be alive with this bakery. I find that purchasing the two loaves from Sam’s, as long as you keep the second loaf in the fridge, to be the way to go. On the other hand, if you said paying 2.5 cents more per ounce was worth getting a fresher loaf, I would not say you are wrong.
BACON
Sam’s: 10.5 oz Hormel Black Label precooked bacon for $12.98, or $1.24 per ounce
Walmart: 2.52 oz Hormel Black Label precooked bacon for $4.48, or $1.78 per ounce
Verdict: Sam’s
It is not close. If you want precooked bacon, buy it at Sam’s, where it is 44% cheaper. The precooked bacon is one of the most significant price differences we found between Sam’s and Walmart. Hormel says that a 10.5 oz package of its precooked bacon is equivalent to four pounds of raw bacon, so just $3.25 /lb. I prefer the cooked mostly due to it being less work and clean. Cleaning all that bacon grease after cooking raw bacon is something that takes away from my writing and tours. If you are wanting uncooked bacon, we found that the raw Great Value compares favorably to the Sam’s raw bacon.
LUCKY CHARMS
Sam’s: 46 oz Lucky Charms $8.22, or 17.86 cents per ounce
Walmart: 29.1 oz Lucky Charms for $6.48, or 22.27 cents per ounce
Walmart: 48 oz Marshmallow Matey’s for $7.98, or 16.63 cents per ounce
Verdict: Walmart
Walmart? Walmart? But Sam’s is cheaper per ounce, I see some of you saying. While that is true, I recommend Walmart over Sam’s for cereal for two reasons. First, Sam’s does not accept manufacturer coupons, and if you are a cereal shopper, you know that coupons are essential if you are purchasing name brands. Second, Walmart has superior Great Value and cheaper brands. Great Value Magic Treasures are usually around 16 cents per ounce, and Marshmallow Matey’s are better and cheaper than them all. It is not unusual for me to sit down and in several large mixing bowls, go through 48 ounces of them in a sitting. Plus they are themed with pirates, not mythical, racist miniature Irish men.
FRESH MOZZARELLA
Sam’s: 32 oz BelGioso fresh mozzarella for $8.28, or 25.86 cents per ounce
Walmart: 16 oz BelGioso fresh mozzarella for $7.74, or 48.36 cents per ounce
Verdict: Sam’s
No one is going to confuse BelGioso fresh mozz, which I now pronounce “Moozt” and “Mootz-ah-rell” rather than “Mahtz,” which is a source of unending frustration and annoyance to Mother, not to mention confusion to local cheese purveyors, with Casa Della Mozzarella. Because we do not have any nearby quality cheesemakers, as they do in so many New York neighborhoods, we are pinched to use BelGioso for our fresh mozz. If you are buying fresh mozz, there is no better place in Louisiana to buy it than at Sam’s. It is significantly cheaper than everywhere else. It is 87% cheaper than Walmart! This item has the third biggest of all price differences between the two stores.
CHEDDAR CHEESE
Sam’s: 32 oz Members Mark mild cheddar for $6.98, or 21.81 cents per ounce
Walmart: 32 oz Great Value mild cheddar for $7.48, or 23.38 cents per ounce
Walmart: 32 oz Great Value mild cheddar for $7.32, or 22.86 cents per ounce
Verdict:
Sam’s. I believe this cheese product is a new offering at Sam’s. I have never seen the dual one pound bags for sale. Not only is the Sam’s cheese cheaper, while having the same great quality as that of Great Value, I would strongly suggest Sam’s here because this pre-cut cheese quickly begins to grow mold. Sure, you could purchase a one pound bag of the GV for $4, but then you are spending 50 cents more per pound.
Both Sam’s and Walmart sell Eggland’s Best, a mid-market product. They are not as good as free range eggs, but these eggs are better than Great Value, whose yolks are very runny and fragile and have a dull yellow color.
Sam’s: 18 Eggland’s Best eggs for $5.38, or 29.89 cents per egg.
Walmart: 12 Eggland’s Best eggs for $3.34, or 27.83 cents per egg.
Walmart GV 12 jumbo eggs for $1.98, or 16.5 cents per egg.
Verdict: Walmart
Do not assume that because you are getting 18 eggs rather than 12 eggs you are saving money. Convincing members that purchasing in bulk will save money is one tricky tactic Sam’s uses.
MILK
Sam’s: 2% gallon of milk for $3.58
Walmart: 2% gallon of milk for $3.77
Verdict: Sam’s
Not only is Sam’s milk cheaper, I think it tastes better. Is that better taste a product of the better packaging? I certainly prefer Sam’s milk packaging, as it is more compact, leading to lower shipping costs, which leads to less pollution, which leads to cleaner air and better health for everyone. When Sam’s introduced the rectangular milk cartons, if my memory serves me correctly, in 2008. At first, I did not like them because they went against decades of the old shape, but I now greatly prefer the rectangular packaging.
BREAD
Sam’s: 54oz Dave’s Killer Bread whole grains for $10.68, or 19.78 cents per ounce
Walmart: 27oz Dave’s Killer Bread whole grains for $5.98, or 22.15 cents per ounce
Verdict: Sam’s
Although the baker has a tattoo, I love his story. Imprisoned for 15 years, Dave decided to turn his life around when he got out of prison and took up baking, just as his parents had. With his brother and nephew, they have helped many people, including those who had served prison time, and make a very good tasting bread. As Trent Shelton, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said, “See my heart, not my past.” Indeed, Jesus calls us not only to visit the prisoners but to accept them and forgive them. That spirit seems to be alive with this bakery. I find that purchasing the two loaves from Sam’s, as long as you keep the second loaf in the fridge, to be the way to go. On the other hand, if you said paying 2.5 cents more per ounce was worth getting a fresher loaf, I would not say you are wrong.
BACON
Sam’s: 10.5 oz Hormel Black Label precooked bacon for $12.98, or $1.24 per ounce
Walmart: 2.52 oz Hormel Black Label precooked bacon for $4.48, or $1.78 per ounce
Verdict: Sam’s
It is not close. If you want precooked bacon, buy it at Sam’s, where it is 44% cheaper. The precooked bacon is one of the most significant price differences we found between Sam’s and Walmart. Hormel says that a 10.5 oz package of its precooked bacon is equivalent to four pounds of raw bacon, so just $3.25 /lb. I prefer the cooked mostly due to it being less work and clean. Cleaning all that bacon grease after cooking raw bacon is something that takes away from my writing and tours. If you are wanting uncooked bacon, we found that the raw Great Value compares favorably to the Sam’s raw bacon.
LUCKY CHARMS
Sam’s: 46 oz Lucky Charms $8.22, or 17.86 cents per ounce
Walmart: 29.1 oz Lucky Charms for $6.48, or 22.27 cents per ounce
Walmart: 48 oz Marshmallow Matey’s for $7.98, or 16.63 cents per ounce
Verdict: Walmart
Walmart? Walmart? But Sam’s is cheaper per ounce, I see some of you saying. While that is true, I recommend Walmart over Sam’s for cereal for two reasons. First, Sam’s does not accept manufacturer coupons, and if you are a cereal shopper, you know that coupons are essential if you are purchasing name brands. Second, Walmart has superior Great Value and cheaper brands. Great Value Magic Treasures are usually around 16 cents per ounce, and Marshmallow Matey’s are better and cheaper than them all. It is not unusual for me to sit down and in several large mixing bowls, go through 48 ounces of them in a sitting. Plus they are themed with pirates, not mythical, racist miniature Irish men.
FRESH MOZZARELLA
Sam’s: 32 oz BelGioso fresh mozzarella for $8.28, or 25.86 cents per ounce
Walmart: 16 oz BelGioso fresh mozzarella for $7.74, or 48.36 cents per ounce
Verdict: Sam’s
No one is going to confuse BelGioso fresh mozz, which I now pronounce “Moozt” and “Mootz-ah-rell” rather than “Mahtz,” which is a source of unending frustration and annoyance to Mother, not to mention confusion to local cheese purveyors, with Casa Della Mozzarella. Because we do not have any nearby quality cheesemakers, as they do in so many New York neighborhoods, we are pinched to use BelGioso for our fresh mozz. If you are buying fresh mozz, there is no better place in Louisiana to buy it than at Sam’s. It is significantly cheaper than everywhere else. It is 87% cheaper than Walmart! This item has the third biggest of all price differences between the two stores.
CHEDDAR CHEESE
Sam’s: 32 oz Members Mark mild cheddar for $6.98, or 21.81 cents per ounce
Walmart: 32 oz Great Value mild cheddar for $7.48, or 23.38 cents per ounce
Walmart: 32 oz Great Value mild cheddar for $7.32, or 22.86 cents per ounce
Verdict:
Sam’s. I believe this cheese product is a new offering at Sam’s. I have never seen the dual one pound bags for sale. Not only is the Sam’s cheese cheaper, while having the same great quality as that of Great Value, I would strongly suggest Sam’s here because this pre-cut cheese quickly begins to grow mold. Sure, you could purchase a one pound bag of the GV for $4, but then you are spending 50 cents more per pound.
This post was edited on 6/13/23 at 2:39 pm
Posted on 6/13/23 at 2:34 pm to TulaneLSU
Interesting way you started the thread and reserved the first spots: What does this tell us about you?
This post was edited on 6/13/23 at 2:45 pm
Posted on 6/13/23 at 2:36 pm to TulaneLSU
I'll share your tips with the butler so they can make smart choices when shopping.
Posted on 6/13/23 at 2:36 pm to TulaneLSU
Posted on 6/13/23 at 2:37 pm to TulaneLSU
quote:
guide to purchasing at Sam's Club versus Walmart
Things I care less than pride month for $600, corpse of Alex
Posted on 6/13/23 at 2:37 pm to TulaneLSU
quote:
guide to purchasing
Have some respect
Posted on 6/13/23 at 2:37 pm to TulaneLSU
quote:
“Mother, consider how I am currently working on the undercover weighing operation, the one that will expose Sam’s unethical snow and king crab weighing system.”
She responded, “Are you still emailing Dateline NBC about them selling you 2.3 pounds of snow crabs with 2.7 pounds of water weight, packaged as five pounds of snow crab?”
“Yes, and the same thing happened with last week’s king crab weight. I bought 1.6 pounds of king crab to the tune of $48. When I took the legs out of the packaging, there were only 9 ounces of legs. Sam’s is stealing from us, the consumers, potentially millions every year.
You're doing the Lord's work
Posted on 6/13/23 at 2:57 pm to TulaneLSU
Posted on 6/13/23 at 3:16 pm to TulaneLSU
Who has time to do all this.... much less read all this?
Posted on 6/13/23 at 3:17 pm to TulaneLSU
Friend,
Thank you for the informative post, it found me well. I would be interested to see how Rouse's compares if you and mother have the time.
Thanks
Thank you for the informative post, it found me well. I would be interested to see how Rouse's compares if you and mother have the time.
Thanks
Posted on 6/13/23 at 3:20 pm to TulaneLSU
Friend
It is past time to do Dollar General versus Dollar Tree versus Family Dollar for those who live in Livingston Parish.
It is past time to do Dollar General versus Dollar Tree versus Family Dollar for those who live in Livingston Parish.
Posted on 6/13/23 at 3:32 pm to TulaneLSU
quote:
Sam’s: 170 oz of Tide HE for $24.98, or 14.7 cents per ounce
$24.98/152 loads = 16.7 cents per load
quote:
Walmart: 146 ounces of Tide Original for $19.94, or 13.66 cents per ounce
$19.94/100 loads = 19.94 cents per load
quote:
Sam’s: 195 oz of Members Mark orange bottle for $15.98, or 8.19 cents per ounce
$15.98/152 loads = 10.5 cents per load
Per ounce is an OK measure, but unless each brand uses the same amount of detergent per load, then it's not apples to apples.
Posted on 6/13/23 at 5:40 pm to TulaneLSU
quote:
Yes, and the same thing happened with last week’s king crab weight. I bought 1.6 pounds of king crab to the tune of $48. When I took the legs out of the packaging, there were only 9 ounces of legs. Sam’s is stealing from us, the consumers, potentially millions every year. Not to mention Sam's is sourcing the king crab from Russia. Do we not have a boycott on Russian goods?
If I want crab, I will just go hunt down the nearest Casino buffet. The Slippa has their crab buffet priced at 49.99. Hollywood is the same. And the only other Casino on the coast with crab on the buffet on a consistent basis is Treasure Bay. Treasure Bay is the cheapest at around 45 a person. Only Hollywood allows children (under 21) in the Buffet area that serves crab.
By the way, I may have to visit the Palace which is the only casino on the coast which I have not visited, my apologies if they have crab.
Maybe I can do a Top 10 Casinos on the coast with food options on the Mississippi Gulf Coast of course there are only 11 casinos between Waveland and Biloxi.
This post was edited on 6/13/23 at 5:52 pm
Posted on 6/13/23 at 6:06 pm to TulaneLSU
Which Sam’s do you go to?
Posted on 6/13/23 at 7:31 pm to TulaneLSU
Since I took over grocery shopping from my wife, I have learned a few tricks that are used. I often see the same product at Sams and Walmart but slightly different sizes.
Jif peanut butter:
Sams, twin 48oz packs
Walmart, twin 40oz packs
There are many examples of this.
Sneaky merchandising makes it very hard to compare two stores on a lot of products. The Jif for example, if you did not read the label, you would assume it was the same size at both stores.
Jif peanut butter:
Sams, twin 48oz packs
Walmart, twin 40oz packs
There are many examples of this.
Sneaky merchandising makes it very hard to compare two stores on a lot of products. The Jif for example, if you did not read the label, you would assume it was the same size at both stores.
Posted on 6/13/23 at 7:40 pm to TulaneLSU
TulaneLSU 
Always informational and entertaining.
Best to Mother.
Always informational and entertaining. Best to Mother.
Posted on 6/13/23 at 7:52 pm to TulaneLSU
Friend,
Does mother approve of you squandering your precious gift of prose on media such as the O-T Lounge forum on Tigerdroppings.com? Surely she would view such an endeavor as a bootless errand.
Yours truly,
Bernard “Bernie” Bierman
Does mother approve of you squandering your precious gift of prose on media such as the O-T Lounge forum on Tigerdroppings.com? Surely she would view such an endeavor as a bootless errand.
Yours truly,
Bernard “Bernie” Bierman
This post was edited on 6/13/23 at 7:53 pm
Posted on 6/13/23 at 8:01 pm to TulaneLSU
Interesting and nicely presented. Always good for a few miles on my mouse wheel
Posted on 6/13/23 at 10:35 pm to TulaneLSU
quote:
guide to purchasing at Sam's Club versus Walmart
Major Kige vibes on this one
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