BJ’s Wholesale Club just opened a new store in our area so I knew I would want to check them out. And friends started asking me questions, mainly which wholesale club is the best value? We now have all three wholesale clubs in our area. Time for me to do some comparisons.
Everyone wants to make the most out of their dollars. So, let’s compare. You know you can trust me to get down to the nitty gritty of this! I won’t cover every product here, just key ones I think everyone might find helpful. And there’s a lot to cover here so stayed tuned for part 2 next week.
Paper goods
I once did a price comparison on various stores’ toilet papers and what I found was, it almost can’t be done! (check that out here)
Thankfully, it’s easier at the wholesale level as everyone offers just one big set. Since I know from previous experience that the store brand at Costco is my favorite and previously the best value, I only checked that one kind at each store.
At first glance, BJ’s and Costco are exactly the same price. But there’s more square footage of paper on the rolls of Costco toilet paper.
My husband even got in on my figuring and said based on length alone, there’s 50% more length on the Costco roll. We figure each person uses about the same amount no matter what brand they buy…so why not go for the most length and get more uses per roll? Score one point for Costco.
Lots of prices are just about equal
For store brand paper towels, plain store brand bottled water, the few produce I checked, ground medium roast coffee, select protein bars, select seasonings, and batteries, the price differences are negligible. Only the D, C, and 9V batteries are a little better at Sam’s than Costco (12c each battery), and I didn’t find them yet at BJ’s. A point to Sam’s.
The only baking item I checked so far is the almond flour. I don’t use a lot of it, but almond flour gets used the most in my house, and it is more expensive than standard wheat flour. Imagine my surprise when I found it to be 50c per pound cheaper at Costco than Sam’s (to be fair, Sam’s only carries the name brand Blue Diamond) and a whopping $1.84 per pound cheaper than the store brand at BJ’s. Another point for Costco.
Meat
Meat is probably the biggest single grocery purchase in any household. Because meat prices are generally high, even the smaller price differences can mean a lot.
Boneless Chuck Roast wasn’t offered at BJ’s, but Costco is 50c cheaper per pound than Sam’s at 5.49 per pound. I don’t even pay that. I wait and buy it at my Kroger when it’s on sale for $4.99 or less per pound. I’ll do some comparisons between the wholesale clubs and grocery stores soon so stay tuned.
I use a lot of ground beef so found this interesting. The big package of 88% ground beef (almost sirloin grade) is the same price as the 80% (ground chuck) at Sam’s. If you like making freezer meals or simply don’t wanna have to drain all the fat of this when you brown it, BJ’s wins a point here!
Pork Tenderloin is my very favorite. Costco and Sam’s offer it…BJ’s doesn’t. And it’s the same at both stores…2.99 per pound. I never buy it for more than this on sale in a grocery, and now I know I don’t have to wait on that sale. It’s available all the time at the wholesalers. Point to Costco and Sam’s.
Pork shoulder/Boston Butt (bone-in) is 20c cheaper per pound than Sam’s and 50c cheaper per pound than Costco…carnitas anyone? Point to BJ’s.
What about chicken?
BJ’s and Sam’s are 80c per pound cheaper than Costco on boneless skinless breasts…oooh deduct one point from Costco for that awful price. But the boneless skinless thighs are best at BJ’s or Costco (by 50c per pound) so I guess that evens it out. Rotisserie chickens (everyone’s favorite to buy at these stores) are exactly the same.
What’s the score? Who’s on top?
So far, in the points I’ve listed they’re neck and neck with Costco one point ahead. There’s so much more to choosing the best value membership for YOU though. Come back for the rest of the scoop!
In the meantime, you can see if there’s a BJ’s in your area here. Click top left on “You’re shopping…” and enter your zip code.
