7 Sam’s Club Food Items That Are a Waste of Money
Written by
Laura Beck
Edited by
Maria Concepcion
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Sam’s Club offers some great deals on pantry staples and household goods, but only some things on their shelves are smart buys. While the warehouse store tempts shoppers with bulk-sized packaging and low unit prices, sometimes you’re better off buying certain groceries elsewhere.
GOBankingRates uncovered seven food items at Sam’s Club that may not give you the savings or quality you expect.
Too Sweet Cereals
Skip the jumbo boxes of hyper-sugary kids’ cereals like Froot Loops and Apple Jacks at Sam’s Club. These cereals are loaded with sugar, lacking the nutrition that growing kids need. You’re better off buying healthier whole-grain cereals in normal sizes from your grocery store.
Banana Boat Sunscreen
Skip the Banana Boat sunscreen at Sam’s Club. A 3-pack of 6-ounce spray cans costs $16.68 – 93 cents per ounce. You can get better value at Costco with a 2-pack of 8-ounce sprays and an 8-ounce lotion for $18.99 – 79 cents per ounce. And most people don’t need large quantities of sunscreen anyway since it expires and loses effectiveness over time.
Member’s Mark Jelly
Don’t stock up on Member’s Mark jelly just because Sam’s Club sells it in bulk. Their store-brand jelly can’t compete with the quality and flavor of top national brands like Smucker’s and Welch’s. And most households won’t use giant jugs quickly enough before the jelly loses its fresh taste anyway.
Frozen Chicken Tacos
Pass on frozen chicken tacos from Sam’s Club that members report consistently underwhelming in flavor. Instead, you can buy freshly prepped refrigerated chicken tacos at grocery store deli counters for a similar price per portion with better ingredients and flavors.
Member’s Mark Peanut Butter
Avoid the oversized 48-ounce Member’s Mark peanut butter jars that will likely go bad before you finish them. Most national brands offer better flavor and texture, too. Given that you’ll need to store and use up almost 4 lbs of peanut butter quickly, skip Sam’s family-sized containers.
Poor Quality Store-Brand Cream Cheese
Sam’s Club stocks brick-sized 3-lb packages of Member’s Mark cream cheese, which is difficult for most households to use up before it spoils. And the quality can’t compare to beloved national brands like Philadelphia cream cheese. Considering most people use just a brick or two at a time, avoid Sam’s oversized, inferior house-brand cream cheese.
Forgettable Store-Bakery Cakes
Don’t plan your next celebration around a Sam’s Club bakery sheet cake. Reviews suggest frostings are overly sweet without depth of flavor, while cake layers turn out dry. For better execution of classics like chocolate and carrot cake, purchase from local supermarkets or standalone bakeries instead.
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