I stopped shopping at Sam’s Club and this is what I learned

Big box stores like Costco and Sam’s Club are known for their exclusive products and services that are only available to paying members. When entering the store, you usually have to show your valid membership card or go directly to customer service to request membership.

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At Sam’s Club, annual membership fees range from $50 to $110, but sometimes there are discount offers that reduce the base fee to $25 (for new members). While Sam’s Club can be a great place to save on bulk groceries, electronics, personal care products, and more, a membership may still not be the best idea for everyone.

Cara Mitchell, an administrative assistant and mother of two who lives in the Knoxville area, stopped shopping at Sam’s Club several years ago. She says to take advantage of savings on items, you have to shop there regularly and limit yourself to buying things you need and will use — which has been challenging for her family. Here are three lessons Mitchell shares after canceling her membership at the wholesale club.

We spent way too much in the store

Sam’s Club stores are often huge, and like any other shopping paradise, there are numerous ways to spend money and tick off your list.

“Most people I know joke about it, but we found it nearly impossible to visit our local Sam’s Club just for one thing and then leave,” Mitchell says. “We often found ourselves walking the aisles, trying samples, stopping to see what people were selling in the tech department, and more.”

Mitchell says visiting the store on weekends was a major ordeal for her family. She admits they didn’t shop there often, and when they did, she was always surprised or overwhelmed by all the new products and deals.

“It was always busy with other shoppers and I often felt pressured to buy more things for whatever reason,” Mitchell added. “At Sam’s Club, we could easily cross off our weekly shopping list.”

We are now experiencing less food waste

“We don’t have a big family. My husband and I have two children and they eat very differently, so sometimes it was hard to justify buying a box of 40 granola bars when maybe only one or two people would eat them.”

Mitchell says she has encountered this problem many times and thinks bulk buying may not be the best solution for some families, especially if stockpiling is not a priority.

“While it sounds like you’re saving money up front by buying family packs of chicken and getting four bottles of shower gel at the same time,” Mitchell said, “I found that we were throwing away some of the things we bought, especially food, because they would eventually go bad if we didn’t eat them fast enough.”

Now, she says, there is less food waste in her household because they shop at stores like Walmart and Kroger and compare prices. She likes that Kroger offers a lot of in-store discounts and BOGO deals. Plus, you can transfer coupons to your account and save by scanning your free loyalty card at checkout.

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Time saving through all-in-one service and food options was nice

What Mitchell misses about Sam’s Club is the fact that you can get almost everything you need in one place, whether it’s clothing, groceries, patio furniture, personal care products or car repairs.

“That’s the only thing I miss because the clothes were really affordable and I shopped at some of their Christmas sales and bought my kids some toys for Christmas there,” Mitchell said. “Overall, though, we mostly used the membership for groceries and unfortunately we didn’t save and benefit as much in that area.”

A club membership helps you set goals for what you want to buy or what you want to use the store for. Determine how and if you can really save on the things you need for your household. If you take out a membership for 12 months, you can always check after a year whether or not you want to renew.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I stopped shopping at Sam’s Club and here’s what I learned