Most folks think of Sam's Club as a wholesale warehouse for buying bulk items, but there are a growing number of members using it entirely for their grocery shopping.
The grocery aisles are filled with deals that can be far better for shoppers than traditional grocery stores, and taking advantage of the great prices on food can really make a Sam's Club membership worth it.
See which Sam's Club groceries we've rated as better than buying at a traditional grocery store.
Editor's note: Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location.
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Member's Mark Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken
Price: $4.98
There's a reason everybody goes wild for Sam's Club rotisserie chicken — it's both delicious and affordable. If you walk into a Boston Market (if you happen to have one of the few locations left nearby) and ask for a whole chicken, they'll charge you $12.99. If you're in New York, they'll charge $16.
Purchase a whole, cooked chicken for under $5 instead, which will likely give you leftovers for even greater value.
Sam's Club's chicken is also rated 4.7 out of 5 stars across more than 73,000 ratings, so the low price doesn't appear to come at the expense of popularity. The chicken is marinated, seasoned, and roasted, and Sam's Club notes that it contains no antibiotics ever. At $4.98, you're getting a ready-to-eat main course that can stretch across several meals. Shred the leftovers for sandwiches, salads, tacos, or casseroles, and you can squeeze even more value out of one purchase.
Member's Mark All Butter Sandwich Croissants (12-count)
Price: $5.96
If you love the buttery, flaky croissants, you'll want to pick them up from the Sam's Club bakery. They have all the delicious flavor and texture of traditional croissants, but the ends are pinched to create a more circular roll rather than the traditional crescent shape, making them perfect for sandwiches.
The price on a dozen Costco croissants is $6.80, but they aren't as sandwich-friendly.
The Sam's Club package works out to just 50 cents per croissant, giving you 12 bakery-fresh options for less than the price of many individual pastries. The croissants are baked fresh in the club daily and are made with real butter. Sam's Club shoppers have also given them a 4.6-star rating from more than 11,000 ratings, which is a strong vote of confidence for a bakery item. Use them for breakfast sandwiches, lunch sliders, or an easy side with dinner. With a dozen in the package, you can feed a family or freeze extras instead of paying bakery prices one pastry at a time.
Rising Star Baking Supply Vanilla Bean Paste
Price: $12.98
The same brand at Target comes in half the size yet costs $11.29, so you'd pay $22.58 for the same 8 ounces. Buying the larger bottle from Rising Star Baking Supply saves you $9.60 for the equivalent amount, making it the better deal for stocking your pantry.
Made from Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans, agave, and pure vanilla extract, this 8-ounce bottle is sure to become a pantry staple. It can add rich vanilla flavor and the look of vanilla bean specks to baked goods, desserts, frostings, and other recipes. The larger bottle also gives you more vanilla bean paste to work with, which can be especially useful if you bake regularly.
Member's Mark Chicken Broth (6-pack)
Price: $7.98
There are a ton of different brands of chicken broth, but foodies say Sam's Club has the best one. If you don't have time to always have a pot of homemade broth simmering on the back burner, then Member's Mark is the next best option.
The name-brand product from Swanson for the same amount of chicken broth costs $13.87 at Walmart.
The savings become even more obvious when you break down the package. Member's Mark gives you six 32-ounce cartons for $7.98, or just $1.33 per carton. That's a lot of broth for less than $8, especially if you regularly make soups, sauces, casseroles, rice, or other recipes that call for broth. The product also carries a 4.8-star rating from more than 8,000 Sam's Club shoppers. Compared with the $13.87 price listed for the same six-carton quantity of Swanson, Member's Mark leaves nearly $6 in your pocket.
Member's Mark Chicken Taco Kit
Price: $5.48 per pound
While making tacos at home often sounds cheaper, sometimes when you factor in all the separate ingredients needed and the time to cook them up, it can feel like you should have just gone out.
That's why this taco kit from Sam's Club is so convenient. The kit includes already-cooked meat, lime crema sauce, salsa, cheese, limes, and a coleslaw salad topping, so you can go from zero to taco in under 15 minutes.
The convenience is where this kit really earns its spot on the list. Sam's Club prepares it fresh in the club, and the kit includes chicken, tortillas, lime crema sauce, salsa, coleslaw, cheese, and limes, so you're not left buying several separate ingredients. It costs $5.48 per pound, with an average package price of $16.44. The kit has a 4.4-star rating from more than 3,300 shoppers. For a busy weeknight, avoiding a grocery run for multiple taco ingredients can be worth nearly as much as the food savings themselves.
Member's Mark Breaded Mozzarella Sticks (72-count)
Price: $14.82
If mozzarella sticks are a staple in your freezer, then Sam's Club's Member's Mark version delivers great bang for your buck. In contrast, the popular TGI Fridays frozen mozzarella sticks cost $6.69 at Target and only include approximately 14 sticks.
The difference adds up quickly when you compare the number of servings. The Member's Mark package contains 72 mozzarella sticks for $14.82, or about 21 cents per stick. By comparison, buying five 14-stick packages at $6.69 each would cost $33.45 and still leave you with only about 70 sticks. The Sam's Club version also has a 4.4-star rating from more than 2,600 shoppers. If mozzarella sticks disappear quickly at your house, having a large bag in the freezer can save you from repeatedly paying convenience-store or restaurant prices for a quick snack.
Member's Mark Ultra Premium 2-Ply Toilet Paper (45 rolls)
Price: $24.76
Sam's Club toilet paper has a surprisingly large fan base, but if you compare prices, it's obvious why. Grabbing a 30-pack of Charmin costs $32.99 at Target, so switching to Member's Mark gets you 15 extra rolls for $8 less.
The value gets even better when you consider how much toilet paper you're getting for the money. The Member's Mark package contains 45 rolls with 235 sheets per roll, and the product has earned an impressive 4.8-star rating from more than 193,000 shoppers. At $24.76, you're paying about 55 cents per roll. That makes it easier to stock up on a household essential without making frequent trips to the grocery store or paying more for a smaller package. For families that go through toilet paper quickly, buying 45 rolls at once can also help stretch the household budget over time.
Member's Mark Double Smoked Thick Cut Bacon (2-pack)
Price: $18.84
Is there anything better in the morning than the smell of bacon wafting through the air? Sam's Club offers thick-cut double-smoked bacon for just $4.71 per pound.
That's even better than Aldi's pricing, which offers thick-cut hickory-smoked bacon for $6.89 but only delivers 24 ounces of the breakfast staple.
The Sam's Club package contains two 2-pound packs, giving you 4 pounds of bacon for $18.84. That's enough to keep a bacon-loving household stocked for quite a while, and the price works out to just $4.71 per pound. The bacon is hickory double-smoked and has a 4.5-star rating from more than 2,300 shoppers. It's also gluten-free and contains no artificial colors or artificial flavors. Use it for breakfast, BLTs, burgers, salads, or meal prep, and freeze one package if you don't plan to use all 4 pounds at once.
Member's Mark BBQ Baked Beans With Brisket
Price: $9.44
Nothing says BBQ like baked beans, but slow-cooking beans to perfection with tasty chunks of brisket for rich flavor can take too long on a busy schedule. The Member's Mark 40-ounce BBQ baked beans meld with brisket and use molasses and brown sugar for that Southern flavor.
Walmart offers a similar baked bean option, but charges $7.97 for only 32 ounces.
The larger Member's Mark container gives you 40 ounces of ready-to-serve beans, making it a convenient choice for cookouts, family dinners, or potlucks. It costs $9.44, or 24 cents per ounce, and has earned a 4.7-star rating from more than 5,500 shoppers. While the Walmart option has a lower sticker price, you're getting 8 fewer ounces, so the Member's Mark package gives you more food for the money. And because the beans are already prepared, you can spend less time waiting for a side dish and more time enjoying the meal.
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Member's Mark Indian Butter Chicken
Price: $14.93
Getting Indian takeout for the family can easily cost $15 or more per person, but you can get that same great taste in a family-size meal with Member's Mark Indian Butter Chicken.
It's already fully cooked, so it only needs to be reheated and gently layered over rice to recreate the restaurant experience at a fraction of the price.
The 32-ounce package costs $14.93 and has earned a 4.5-star rating from more than 3,300 Sam's Club shoppers. That makes it an easy option when you don't want to pay restaurant prices for multiple people. Serve it over rice to stretch the meal even further, or add naan and a simple vegetable side for a more complete dinner. Because the meal is already prepared, you're paying for convenience without having to budget for several restaurant entrées, delivery fees, or a tip.
Member's Mark Cauliflower Crust Cheese Pizza (2-pack)
Price: $11.63
Gluten-free meals can be difficult to find and expensive to buy pre-made, but on those nights you just can't cook, Sam's Club has your back with cauliflower crust pizza that works out to just under $6 per pie.
Kroger charges $7.99 each for their store-brand cauliflower crust pizza. That means you'd spend $15.98 for two pizzas at Kroger, compared with $11.63 for the two-pack at Sam's Club. That's a savings of $4.35, or about 27%, before you even factor in the convenience of having an easy meal waiting in the freezer.
It's a practical option for keeping a gluten-free pizza on hand for busy weeknights, last-minute dinners, or nights when cooking from scratch isn't on the agenda. For shoppers who regularly buy specialty foods, choosing a store-brand option in a larger pack can be an easy way to keep the grocery bill in check.
Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix (4-pack)
Price: $8.48
If you crave the cheesy, fluffy deliciousness of Red Lobster's signature biscuits, the brand's at-home mix delivers all the flavors of the iconic bread for a fraction of the price.
Grabbing four boxes from Target costs $11.56, and grabbing a dozen to go from Red Lobster will set you back $7.49 or more, depending on the location, making Sam's Club the far better deal.
The Sam's Club four-pack works out to $2.12 per box, and the mix has earned a 4.8-star rating from more than 2,600 shoppers. That's an easy way to keep the popular biscuit mix in your pantry without paying restaurant prices every time a craving hits. You can also make the biscuits at home alongside soups, pasta, seafood, or other weeknight dinners, making one package useful for more than a single meal. Just keep in mind that restaurant and retail prices can vary by location, so the exact savings will depend on where you shop
FujiSan California Roll
Price: $7.84
A little-known secret about Sam's Club: They have an in-store sushi chef who prepares fresh rolls every day. If you love sushi, you can save a good chunk of change by picking up the Japanese specialty at your local club instead of going out, and they offer more than just the typical California roll, too.
The Member's Mark by FujiSan California Roll contains 15 pieces for $7.84, or about 52 cents per piece. It has earned a 4.5-star rating from more than 2,800 shoppers, making it a popular choice for a quick sushi fix. You can also find other varieties, including spicy and California crunch rolls, if you want to switch things up. For shoppers who usually grab sushi as an impulse purchase while running errands, picking up a ready-made tray at Sam's Club can be an easy way to keep the bill from climbing to restaurant levels.
Bottom line
Knowing which items to add to your shopping list before you head to Sam's Club is a great way to save money on groceries.
If you need another reason to shop for groceries at Sam's Club, its Member's Mark line has already made a major ingredient change. Sam's Club says 100% of its Member's Mark food and beverage products now meet its "Made Without" standards, which eliminate more than 40 ingredients, including high-fructose corn syrup, aspartame, artificial flavors, and certified synthetic colors. For shoppers who want simpler ingredient lists without giving up the savings that come with a warehouse club, it's another reason to take a closer look at the private-label brand.
From bakery staples and prepared meals to household essentials, the bigger savings often come from knowing which Member's Mark products deliver more for your money. Buying in bulk isn't automatically a bargain, but these picks make a strong case for putting Sam's Club near the top of your grocery-shopping list.
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FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment.
Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
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