10 Best Grocery Items To Buy at Sam’s Club Before School Starts

The fall 2024 school semester is almost here! Whether you’re a parent shopping for groceries to make lunches for the kids or a college student who needs to stock the dormitory fridge with groceries, Sam’s Club has everything you need to shop in bulk on a budget and leave knowing you got the most bang for your buck.

GOBankingRates reviewed some of the most popular items to shop at Sam’s Club for going back to class. Many grocery essentials in this roundup are even on sale! Keep reading to find out which 10 grocery items you need to shop before school starts at Sam’s Club.

• Price: $9.86

You’ll never skip over the most important meal of the day when you have Eggo 60-count homestyle waffles stocked in your freezer. 

We did a little math to determine how much money members save when they purchase Eggo waffles in bulk at Sam’s Club compared to smaller 10-count Eggo waffles sold at Target. Currently, 10-count boxes of Eggo waffles cost $3.39 at Target. If you wanted 60 waffles, you’d have to buy six boxes and spend a total of $20.34. The same purchase made at Sam’s Club means saving $10.

• Price: $7.28

Sam’s Club is currently running a few bulk peanut butter sales on name brands like Jif and Skippy. For back-to-school shoppers on tighter budgets, we recommend shopping for the Skippy creamy peanut butter two-pack.

Originally priced at $10.28, the $3 instant savings discount brings the total cost down to $7.28. Per 48-ounce jar, this means Sam’s Club members only pay $3.64 each. Don’t wait too long to shop though! The instant savings deal runs now through Aug. 19.

• Price: $4.48

Shopping two 30-ounce containers of Welch’s concord grape jelly for under $5 is a deal too good to pass up. Sam’s Club members also receive an extra 50 cents off their purchase now through Aug. 19.

• Price: $5.12

You got peanut butter and jelly on sale. Now all you need is bread to make sandwiches for school lunches.

Add Wonder classic white bread to your Sam’s Club shopping cart. This two-pack comes out to paying about $2.56 per bread loaf, which is actually cheaper than shopping for single loaves at big-box stores like Target and Walmart. Whatever bread you don’t use up on school lunches can also be put towards making quick weeknight dinners like grilled cheese sandwiches.

• Price: $13.98

If you haven’t shopped for applesauce yet, it’s time to grab a box of GoGo SqueeZ applesauce pouches. Now through Aug. 18, Sam’s Club members receive $2 off their purchase.

Inside every box are 32 pouches of applesauce which can be easily added into school lunches or as snacks after school lets out. After doing a little math, the cost per applesauce pouch comes out to about 44 cents.

• Price: $7.48

Fuel lunches with an extra side of protein when you shop Member’s Mark light string cheese at Sam’s Club. 

Each 36-count of individually wrapped string cheese is priced at $7.48 which costs less than similarly priced offerings at big-box retailers. As an example, Walmart’s Great Value light string cheese is now $2.67 for a 12-count bag. To get 36 individual string cheeses, shoppers would have to buy three packages. This puts their total spending at $8.01, which is still more expensive than the bulk Member’s Mark buy at Sam’s Club.

• Price: $11.68

Sam’s Club is currently running several sales on snack sized cookies, but the Nabisco sweet treats variety pack is the best deal for your money.

Now through Sept. 2, members receive $3 off instant savings on this 60-count package. Inside the box are 30 packs of Oreos, 20 packs of Chips Ahoy and 10 packs of Golden Oreos: enough varieties to please all the kiddos in your household.

• Price: $11.44

Now through Aug. 25, Sam’s Club members receive $2.50 off their purchase of Welch’s mixed fruit snacks. Add one of these 90-count boxes, or two, to your shopping cart to stock up for school lunches and snacks for after extracurricular activities.

• Price: $9.98

Who doesn’t love chocolate milk included with their school lunch? Sam’s Club members receive $2 instant savings when they shop for Nesquik chocolate milk beverages now through Sept. 2. 

There are 15 eight-ounce bottles inside every package. When we crunch the numbers, this comes out to spending about 67 cents per chocolate milk bottle.

• Price: $8.98

Whether you’re heading to a practice game or need drinks for school lunches, you’ll want to shop the Sam’s Club sale on the Capri Sun variety pack. Now through Aug. 18, members receive $1 off their purchase.

There are 40 Capri Sun pouches inside every box with 20 fruit punch, 10 strawberry kiwi and 10 Pacific cooler flavors. How much does this cost per pouch? A little quick math reveals Sam’s Club members pay about 22 cents for each Capri Sun drink.