You've finished your grocery list and come in $50 under budget, and at Sam's Club, that money can go a long way in scooping up some useful picks. You can make the most of your membership by knowing which items to look for to really stretch your dollar.
From household staples to convenient food finds, these picks can help turn leftover grocery money into products you'll actually use. The biggest savings often come from buying necessities in larger quantities, especially when the per-unit cost is lower than what you'd pay for smaller packages at other retailers.
These are the best purchases for under $50 from Sam's Club.
Editor's note: Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location.
- 18-29
- 30-39
- 40-49
- 50-59
- 60-69
- 70-79
- 80+
Member's Mark Paper Towels
Price: $20.93
You're always going to need paper towels, and buying them in bulk can save you a few extra bucks every week.
Comparatively, grabbing the biggest pack from Aldi costs $17.35 for a 12-pack, while Sam's Club gets you three extra rolls for about $3 more.
The Sam's Club pack contains 15 mega rolls with 150 sheets per roll, or 2,250 sheets total. Sam's Club also lists the pack as equivalent to 30 regular rolls, giving you plenty of paper towels for kitchen messes, spills, and everyday cleanup. The Member's Mark towels have a 4.9-star rating from more than 150,000 ratings, which makes the bulk buy even more appealing. At $20.93, you're paying roughly $1.40 per mega roll, so the extra rolls can make the higher upfront cost worthwhile.
Member's Mark Seasoned Rotisserie Chicken
Price: $4.98
Everybody loves the convenience and affordability of picking up a fully cooked chicken.
Each rotisserie chicken weighs approximately three pounds, making it roughly $1.66 per pound.
That's a lot of ready-to-eat food for less than five bucks. You can serve the chicken as the centerpiece of dinner, pull the meat apart for sandwiches, or use it in salads, soups, tacos, and casseroles. Sam's Club lists the chicken with a 4.7-star rating from more than 73,000 ratings, so you're not alone in looking to the deli counter for a budget-friendly shortcut. The low price also makes it easier to stretch one purchase across multiple meals instead of buying separate proteins throughout the week.
Era Active Stainfighter Liquid Laundry Detergent
Price: $13.94
It's a sign of the times that an increasing number of grocery stores are putting basic necessities behind lock and key, and laundry detergent is one of the more recent additions to the locked cabinets of groceries.
Anything worth locking up is probably worth stocking up, however, and Era is an underappreciated detergent. This deal gets you 200 ounces, and that's better than Aldi's best deal — $8.79 for 100 oz. of comparable detergent.
The Sam's Club bottle is enough for 146 loads, which brings the cost to less than 10 cents per load. That makes the larger bottle particularly useful for households that go through detergent quickly. Sam's Club also lists Era with a 4.8-star rating from more than 2,500 reviews. If you're already going to spend money on something you use several times a week, getting more loads from one purchase can help keep laundry costs from creeping higher.
Cascade Total Clean ActionPacs Dishwasher Detergent
Price: $19.98
Sometimes name-brand products are worth it, and Cascade is one of those. This size contains 95 "ActionPacs" which comes out to about 18 cents per load of dishes.
On the surface, it may seem cheaper to use dishwashing gel, but it's not as effective, so you often end up having to run the dishwasher twice in a row or hand-scrub dishes that didn't get fully clean.
Each ActionPac is designed for one dishwasher load, so the 95-count package can handle a lot of dirty dishes before you need to buy detergent again. The formula is designed to tackle grease and dried-on food, and Sam's Club gives it a 4.8-star rating across more than 1,000 ratings. At about 18 cents per load, the upfront cost is easier to justify when one pod can get the job done without requiring extra detergent or another wash cycle.
Scrub Daddy Sponges
Price: $12.88
If you don't have a dishwasher, you'll want to switch to Scrub Daddy sponges. While $2.15 per sponge seems a bit high, there are a few reasons these are better than your average rectangular sponge.
That smiley face isn't just decorative, spoons fit perfectly into the "mouth" and the spiky "hair" adds scrubbing power for tougher areas. The circular shape is also a perfect fit to clean the sides of cups and glasses. The design makes it easier to tackle dishes, cookware, and hard-to-reach spots without constantly repositioning the sponge. When you're washing dishes by hand every day, those small design details can make cleanup faster and less frustrating. The six-pack also gives you multiple sponges to rotate through, so you don't have to replace one every time it starts looking worn.
Member's Mark Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
Price: $10.83
Did you know Sam's Club makes freshly squeezed orange juice in-store every day? This isn't the cheapest option, but it's just about the only way to get fresh-squeezed OJ, short of doing it yourself.
If you're already spending money on orange juice, the fresh-squeezed option can make a Sam's Club run feel a little more special without sending you to a specialty grocery store. It's also an easy refrigerator staple for breakfast, weekend brunch, or recipes that call for orange juice. The fresh-squeezed option can be especially appealing if you prefer the taste of juice that hasn't been sitting on a grocery store shelf for days. And because it's ready to pour, you get the convenience of store-bought juice without having to buy a bag of oranges and squeeze them yourself. For shoppers who want something a little fresher without adding another stop to the grocery list, it can be a worthwhile splurge.
Member's Mark 24-Piece Glass Food Storage Set By Glasslock
Price: $24.98
Store your leftover bulk buys in these glass containers to extend the life of your groceries. With over 8,000 5-star reviews, customers love this glass food storage set.
The 24-piece set includes 12 glass containers and 12 airtight, leak-proof lids, giving you plenty of options for leftovers, meal prep, and storing bulk groceries. At $24.98, you're paying just over $2 per container-and-lid combination. That's a useful way to spend some leftover grocery money on something reusable instead of repeatedly buying disposable storage bags and containers. The different container sizes also make it easier to portion meals, pack lunches, or store smaller leftovers without wasting space in the refrigerator. Having a dedicated set on hand can be especially useful after a big grocery run, when you're trying to break down bulk purchases into manageable portions and keep food organized.
Member's Mark Nonfat Instant Dry Milk
Price: $19.98
Instant milk is a great item to have on hand for emergencies, whether it's for your morning coffee needing creamer or a supply chain interruption. It lasts a very long time when properly stored, so you can be prepared to cook at home in the face of a pandemic, natural disaster, or whatever life throws at you for a few years with this 70.4-ounce bag, which makes about 22 quarts of milk.
It's also useful for everyday cooking and baking, so you don't have to reserve it solely for emergencies. Keep some in your pantry for recipes that call for milk, or mix up a batch when you don't want to make a trip to the grocery store. Having a shelf-stable option on hand can also help you get more use out of bulk grocery trips and avoid scrambling for basic ingredients when stores are out of stock.
Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion Set
Price: $16.48
Are you still dealing with dry, tight skin after every shower? If you spot Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Lotion at Sam's Club for less than you'd pay at Target (where a single bottle runs $9.99), it might be time to stock up.
This fragrance-free formula helps replenish your skin's natural moisture barrier while absorbing quickly, which is a big help during the winter months.
The Sam's Club set includes two 18-ounce bottles plus an 8-ounce travel-size tube, giving you 44 ounces of lotion for the price. That makes the larger bottles useful for keeping at home while the smaller tube can go in a purse, gym bag, or suitcase. Sam's Club gives the set a 4.8-star rating from more than 6,000 ratings. For a household that regularly goes through lotion, buying the bundle can be an easier way to keep a staple on hand without paying the higher per-bottle cost of smaller purchases.
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Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuit Mix
Price: $8.48
If you love Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits, you can make them at home. Sam's Club has a 4-pack of the biscuit mix, which makes about 40 biscuits.
That's enough to keep a batch on hand for family dinners, holiday meals, or whenever you're craving the restaurant favorite without making a trip out. The mix is also an easy way to turn a basic meal into something that feels a little more special without spending much time in the kitchen. At $8.48 for the four-pack, you're paying just over $2 per box of mix, making it a convenient pantry staple for anyone who likes to keep an easy side dish on hand.
Secret Dry Spray Women's Antiperspirant Deodorant
Price: $14.98
This deodorant currently costs $8 at Target, so this 3-pack from Sam's Club is a great deal at less than $5 per can. If you're already shopping for household essentials, picking up personal-care products in bulk can be an easy way to stretch your budget without buying anything you don't need.
The Sam's Club pack includes three 4.1-ounce cans in Vanilla, Wild Rose, and Waterlily scents. At $14.98, that works out to about $4.99 per can, making the bulk pack a straightforward way to lower the cost of each can. Sam's Club lists the product at 4.6 stars from more than 5,000 ratings, and the formula offers 48-hour sweat and odor protection. If deodorant is something you buy regularly, having three cans on hand means you can avoid making a separate trip when you run out. It's a simple bulk buy that can help keep everyday personal-care spending in check.
Lysol Disinfectant Spray
Price: $15.98
There's nothing worse than running out of cleaning supplies at the same time your budget is tightening. Stock up on disinfectant when you have a couple of extra dollars so that you'll be able to keep a clean house no matter what.
A single 19-ounce can of Lysol costs about $8 at Target, so grabbing Sam's Club's three-pack brings the price to just over $5 per can. Buying three at once means you'll have extra cans ready to go instead of paying full price for a single can when you run out. It's a practical bulk purchase if you regularly use disinfectant around the house, and the savings can add up when you're buying cleaning supplies throughout the year. Stocking up on household staples when the per-unit price is lower can also help you make better use of your grocery budget.
O-Cedar EasyWring Power Microfiber Spin Mop + 2 Refills
Price: $43.54
Swiffer mops may be convenient, but the price on refills can get out of hand. When you've got some extra cash, switch to a reusable system that lets you fill a container with your own cleaning solution and comes with three machine-washable mop pads. It will save you money month after month.
The Sam's Club set includes the EasyWring Power Spin Mop System, a telescoping handle, and three mop-head refills. The bucket also has a foot pedal for hands-free wringing, and the microfiber mop is designed for hard floors including hardwood, tile, laminate, and vinyl. Sam's Club gives the set a 4.4-star rating from nearly 400 ratings. At $43.54, it's one of the pricier picks on this list, but the reusable design can make more financial sense over time than continually buying disposable mop pads.
Olay Fresh Outlast Body Wash
Price: $15.98
When you've got a little extra in your budget, it's always nice to grab some high-quality bath products. Olay body wash comes in luxurious scents that keep your skin clean and healthy with replenishing vitamins in their formula.
Their Fresh Outlast line retails for $10.99 per bottle at Target, but grabbing a two-pack from Sam's Club lets you try different scents for just about $8 per bottle. That saves you about $3 per bottle compared with buying them individually at Target, or roughly $6 on the two-pack. It's also a practical way to stock up on an everyday essential without filling your cart with more than you need. If Olay is already part of your regular shower routine, buying two at a time can help lower your per-bottle cost while giving you another bottle ready to go when the first one runs out.
Bottom line
When you're on a tight budget, an extra $50 after grocery shopping can be a chance to make a purchase that will help you keep saving money into the future. It can help you get ahead of a paycheck-to-paycheck budget, even while struggling to tackle rising grocery costs.
Picking up bulk discounted products from Sam's Club can cost more upfront, but will save you money over time when you don't have to replace household necessities as often.
The trick is to spend that extra $50 on things you were going to buy anyway. Paper towels, laundry detergent, dishwasher pods, cleaning supplies, personal-care products, and food staples can all earn their place in your cart when the bulk price makes sense. Instead of treating leftover money as an excuse to splurge, use it to get ahead on necessities. That way, your $50 can keep working for your budget long after your grocery trip is over.
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