"RC" wrote in message
On the whole however I've never understood these buying clubs - like
Sam's for instance. I know the answer is always MONEY, but it seems
to me a place like Sam's (I think Costco might be another example of
the clubs) would make more money if they did away with the membership
fee and exclusivity and just let everyone shop there.


For the longest time I thought it was silly to spend money to join a club to
spend more money. Then I went to a BJ's once and I've been a happy member
for many years now. While it costs $40 to join, I save that many times
over. When I bought my TV, it was $100 cheaper than any of the discounters
like Best Buy. Every time I fill a propane tank, I save $7 over the local
places. I can save a bundle on quality meats compared to the supermarket.
Whole pork loins are $1.89, a buck cheaper than Stop & Shop and we use about
one a month for a savings of a bout $8. Not everything is a big savings but
if you know prices and keep an eye out for the right stuff, you can save a
lot of money over a year.