14 Sam’s Club Items I Never Thought I’d Buy (But Now I Always Do)

We all know the usual ways to save money at Sam's Club: rotisserie chicken, canned goods, pantry essentials, and dairy products. But once you look beyond the usual suspects, you'll discover the true worth of your membership because the deals just keep coming — even from unexpected places.

The following are some of my favorite items that you might not think about when you're rushing through the aisles, checking off your shopping list. But once you try them, like me, you'll be sold on Sam's Club's quality and price.

Sam's Club raised its annual fees in May 2026, to $60 for a Club membership and $120 for Plus, so it pays to know where the real value is hiding.

Editor's note: Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location.

Smart Drivers, Smarter Savings.

Compare car insurance rates in Ohio

See if lower rates are available

Currently Insured?

Yes

No

Multiple Cars?

Yes

No

Homeowner

Yes

No

Age

30-39

• 18-29
• 30-39
• 40-49
• 50-59
• 60-69
• 70-79
• 80+

Compare Quotes

By clicking the button above, I understand and agree that this site uses site visit recording technology (provided by Trusted Form, Jornaya, and Microsoft Clarity) Privacy Policy

Smart Drivers, Smarter Savings.

Great News! We’ve located some excellent quote options just for you.

Where can we send you info and recommendations?

Enter Email

Bundle Home & Auto to Save More?

Yes

No

Active Military?

No

Yes

Compare Quotes

By clicking the button above, I understand and agree that this site uses site visit recording technology (provided by Trusted Form, Jornaya, and Microsoft Clarity) Privacy Policy

Price: $25.17

If you're skipping Sam's Club sushi, you're missing out. Sam's Club employs its own sushi chef. The sushi is delicious and so much cheaper than you'll ever find in a restaurant (or even other grocery stores).Sold under the Member's Mark by FujiSan label, the tray is made fresh daily, and each order comes with soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi.

The party platter has 44 pieces, including California, spicy California, tempura shrimp, and California crunch rolls, as well as four pieces of ebi shrimp nigiri — enough to feed the family.

Sam's Club says a serving is three or four pieces, so one tray can feed about 11 to 14 guests. With thousands of reviews and a 4.5-star average on the Sam's Club website, many shoppers say it tastes as fresh as restaurant sushi.

Price: $7.98

You might not think of the spice rack as a place to save on groceries at Sam's Club, but because you're buying spices and seasonings in bulk, you get great savings.

For instance, you'd pay around $0.73 per ounce at the grocery store for Montreal steak seasoning, but Sam's Club's original price is just $0.26 per ounce — only a third of the price!

Sam's Club carries the McCormick Grill Mates version in a 29-ounce restaurant-size container, which should last through a lot of steaks and burgers. 

The blend of coarse salt, black and red pepper, garlic, onion and paprika is gluten-free and made with no added MSG. Reviewers say they also sprinkle it on chicken, fish, roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli. 

Price: $6.18/lb

Ground beef under $7 a pound is tough to find in general these days, let alone the organic, grass-fed variety.

Sam's Club is famous for its quality meats, so you can rest assured this beef has high-quality nutrition and taste, all for cheaper than you can get elsewhere, where the price per pound is typically higher.

Its 85/15 lean-to-fat ratio delivers 21 grams of protein per serving. Reviewers say it has enough fat to stay juicy, and they like that it comes in 1-pound packages that are easy to freeze. Several say the price beats organic grass-fed beef at other local stores.

Price: Varies

While Sam's scan-and-go option makes it easy to get in and out of the store quickly, don't leave before you gas up.

Member fuel pricing is available with both Club and Plus memberships, and you'll need to scan your membership card or use the app at the pump. Stations typically offer regular, premium and diesel, though not every club has one.

Sam's Club gas is anywhere from $0.05 to $0.50 cheaper than gas elsewhere. If you gas up at Sam's regularly, this can easily justify the cost of a yearly membership.

At the current $60 Club fee, saving 10 cents a gallon means you'd break even after about 600 gallons, or roughly 40 fill-ups of a 15-gallon tank.

Price: $14.98

Sam's has some of the lowest prices on nuts you'll find anywhere — even compared to Costco and specialty online retailers. These flavorful nuts are lightly salted with sea salt and make a great, healthy snack to keep in your pantry.

The Member's Mark Roasted Whole Cashews with Sea Salt come in a 33-ounce jar, which works out to about 45 cents an ounce at the listed price. 

The ingredient list is short: cashews, peanut oil and sea salt, which is worth noting if anyone in your home has a peanut allergy. 

The jar is also kosher. Beyond snacking, you can fold the cashews into muffin or cookie batter or sprinkle them over ice cream and brownies. 

Price: Varies

Sam's Club offers most of your usual tire brands: Michelin, Firestone, Goodyear, etc. The prices alone are similar to what you'd pay elsewhere, but there are frequent discounts of $70-$100 if you buy all four tires at once.

Sam's Club Plus members also get half off tire installation ($40). The tires come with four-year hazard protection and roadside assistance, as well as free lifetime balance, rotation, and flat repair.

Installation normally runs $20 per tire for most vehicles through the Premium Tire Installation Package, so the Plus discount on a set of four brings the total from $80 to $40. The package also covers new valve stems, a TPMS reset and disposal of your old tires. Keep in mind the lifetime services last only as long as your membership stays active

Price: $14.97

Medicine isn't cheap, but it's a lot more so when you buy it in bulk. For example, cetirizine (the generic for Zyrtec over-the-counter allergy medication) is only $0.04 each when you buy it at Sam's versus $0.21 each when you buy it at Walmart.

The Member's Mark Allergy Relief tablets come in a 400-count bottle, and each tablet contains 10 milligrams of cetirizine HCl, the same active ingredient as Zyrtec. One tablet provides up to 24 hours of relief from sneezing, a runny nose and itchy, watery eyes. Many reviewers say they can't tell the difference from the name brand.

Sam's over-the-counter inventory includes many common over-the-counter medicines like cough syrup, ibuprofen, vitamins, and more.

Price: $3.98

We love refillable bottles the most, but when you need disposable bottled water, shop at Sam's Club to pay as little as possible.

At $3.98 for a 40-pack of 16.9-ounce Member's Mark Purified Water bottles, you'll pay about 10 cents a bottle.

Compared to Costco, Walmart, Kroger, and just about everywhere else, Sam's Club comes in at the lowest price per bottle. And there's not much of a quality distinction—it's just water.

The mineral-enhanced water comes in BPA-free bottles that are 100% recyclable and made with an average of 20% post-consumer recycled content. Keep a case in the car, toss bottles into lunchboxes or set some out for guests at your next party.

Price: $9.98

If you love ketchup but loathe high fructose corn syrup, Heinz has this recipe just for you. It's made with cane sugar instead, and Sam's Club has it at under $5 for each huge 44-ounce bottle.

Sam's Club only allows you to buy two bottles at a time, whereas Costco requires you to buy three at a higher price.

It comes in upside-down squeeze bottles with flip caps, and it contains no artificial sweeteners. Sam's Club reviewers say it has a smooth texture that isn't runny, and some note the two-pack price is comparable to grocery store sale prices. At roughly 11 cents an ounce, it's an easy swap for burgers, fries and hot dogs.

Price: $8.78

Many people buy almond butter to prevent allergic reactions to peanut butter, but this creamy stuff doesn't need to replace the Skippy to earn a place in your cupboard.

With a slightly sweet yet salty flavor (with no sugar added), almond butter is great for toast, sandwiches, treats, or by the spoonful. Sam's prices are similar to those in the grocery store, but you get a lot more butter for your buck at the warehouse.

The Member's Mark 24-ounce jar is made with just two ingredients, dry-roasted almonds and salt, and it's non-GMO and gluten-free, with 7 grams of protein per serving. Because there are no fillers, the oil naturally separates, so stir it well before using. One caveat: The label says it may contain traces of peanuts, which matters if you're buying it because of a peanut allergy.

Price: $2.38

When you're making a salad for a crowd, this bagged mix is a must-have. Other bagged salads usually cost more, and you have to pick up multiple bags to get anywhere near enough. Sam's solves both these issues by offering this two-pound bag of lettuce, carrots, and cabbage for just over $2.

Sold as Garden Salad, the 2-pound bag blends crisp iceberg lettuce, red cabbage and shredded carrots and holds about 11 servings. By comparison, Walmart's Marketside Classic Iceberg Salad, a similar blend, was recently listed at $3.77 for a 24-ounce bag. If you don't use it all at once, just clip the bag shut and refrigerate the rest.

Price: $9.96

Don't let the label on the bag fool you — these precooked chicken strips are great in just about everything and seriously reduce the cooking time of your meals.

It comes out to about $2.50 per pound; it's hard even to get raw chicken at that price, let alone perfectly seasoned, cooked, and ready-to-heat-and-eat meat. It's a great way to save money on groceries and make a variety of meals throughout the week. 

Toss them into quesadillas, tacos, burrito bowls, salads, pasta or fried rice, or heat them in a skillet with sliced bell peppers and onions for a quick fajita night. Heat only what you need and store the rest according to the package directions.

Price: $3.08

You may not have realized that Sam's Club even sells ice. If you have the space in your freezer for 16 pounds of it, it's the same price as you'd get for 10 pounds at the gas station — perfect for keeping large coolers of drinks cold during summer barbeques.

The 16-pound bags, sold under brands like Reddy Ice, contain food-grade cubed ice, so you can use it in cups and pitchers, not just coolers. Sam's Club reviewers note that many other stores charge about $2 for a 7-pound bag. 

To make your ice last longer, keep coolers in the shade and use one for drinks and another for food so the lids get opened less often.

Price: $19.98

If you use Cascade dishwasher tabs, Sam's Club has one of the best deals around. These tabs work out to be just $0.19 each currently (or $0.28 if you opt for the premium variety); the best you're likely to get at other retailers is around $0.27 each.

Unlike most food items, you don't have to worry about buying dishwasher pods in bulk because they don't go bad.

Sam's Club carries Cascade Total Clean ActionPacs in a 95-count tub, formulated with Dawn to tackle grease and starchy messes like pasta, oatmeal and rice. 

The premium Cascade Platinum Plus ActionPacs are made to skip the pre-wash and help prevent hard-water filming. Either way, there's nothing to measure: Just drop a pod in the dispenser.

A Sam's Club membership is a gift that keeps on giving. Not only can you save on everyday essentials, but you can also get extras you may not have thought about, like killer deals on tires, sushi platters, and gas, at a reasonable price.

Sam's Club warehouses and memberships lure us with some of the common gems, like $5 rotisserie chicken and great deals on bulk pantry staples, but rest assured that there are still treasured finds waiting to be discovered.

Even with the new $60 Club fee, regular gas fill-ups, a set of tires and a few party platters can help the membership pay for itself. If you upgrade to Plus, you'll also earn 2% back in Sam's Cash on qualifying in-club purchases, up to $750 a year.