That is my question--
I need to know if their prices are that much better to warrant spending the $40 for membership. At my local grocery, the Betty Crocker cake mix I use costs $1.39 regular price. Powdered sugar is the same price for a 2 pound bag.
I can drive about 30 minutes to a Super Wal Mart or about an hour to get to Sam's. However, I do make that hour drive at least a couple of times a month because my daughter takes dance class in that same city.
I usually do at least two or three cakes a month and next weekend I have TWO wedding cakes.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!!

Jennifer

TOO SAM'S!!

Mine doesn't sell cake mixes-I go to super walmart for that, but here are some of my prices.....

7 lb bag of p. sugar for $4.35
Boxes for 11x15 2 piece nice and sturdy-50 for 30.00 and some change
I get pecans, sugar, gheridelli choc. melts (at holidays)

As long as your making the trip anyway I think you will see savings in P sugar alone.

If yours happens to have a bakery--they will sell anything they use from boxes to frozen cakes.

my local sams don't sell cake mix either they use to, at one time but they only had it once, i buy my powered sugar there everytime i go down that way i pay:
2.63 for 4lbs
crisco (before change) 5.63 for a big tub
i sometimes buy there icing from the bakery if i'm in a bind
27.00 a bucket
i also buy nuts, chcoclate chips, sugar, and other items i may need
but for me its worth it because my mom does not drive so i have my dads second card they only thing i have to do is take my mom .

My powdered sugar is $3.67 for a 7 lb bag! I have also bought cocoa powder, pecans and chocolate chips on occasion, but not on a regular basis!

My Sam's also sells the buckets of icing, but I've not been that desperate yet, LOL!

If you have a friend that would split the membership cost it might be profitable for both of you. Our membership is $35 a year. My husband is the primary card holder and I have the secondary card, but I think it can be in any name (you might need to check to make sure on that!)

Thanks for the advice!! I'm going to town tomorrow and I think I'll stop in and sign up!!

Yeah I was very happy to find that! You can buy the bottoms and lids seperately, depending on your need. The bottom is very sturdy corigated cardboard and it stores flat until you fold it. The top has a window and also stores flat. Great price too!

The price diff on Crisco alone (between Sam's and Walmart) is worth it!

Powdered sugar Sam's...: $3.69 / 7 lb bag = $0.527/lb
Powdered sugar Walmart: $1.26 / 2 lb bag = $0.630/lb


Other items I use in catering, but listing them just for illustrative purposes:

#10 can chocolate pudding - Sam's:.......$3.17/can
#10 can chocolate pudding - GFS: .........$3.79/can

#10 can Nacho Cheese - Sam's:....... $4.86
#10 can Nacho Cheese - GFS:.......... $6.99

Disposable 1/2 steam pan - Sam's: 30 pkg / $7.88 = $0.263 each pan
Disposable 1/2 steam pan - GFS: buy one at a time at $0.99 each pan

The biggest advantage to me to having a business membership is being able to shop between 7:00 am. and 10:00 am., before they open to the public. Quick in and out, no long lines ... just people like me who are trying to get what they need so we can get back and run a business. THAT is worth the $40 alone!!!!!!!!!!!

dupl thread ... see also other responses at http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-450933-.html

Well, I'm definitely going to get my membership going tomorrow! I pay .85 for 1 plain flimsy box to fit a 9x13 cake without the board at the only cake supply shop around--which happens to be in the same town as Sam's! It sounds like a great deal just for powdered sugar, shortening and boxes even if I didn't buy anything else (yeah, right!).

Thanks again for all the great information! All you guys here at CC are GREAT!!!!!!!!!

Jennifer

Sorry about the double post--computer was being weird and I didn't realize it!

Jennifer

i didnt have time to read this whole post but I thought I would respond because I am so aggravated with sams its down right damn ridculous. I go there to see if a membership is worth getting..

My Sams doesnt sale :

-all purpose flour
- Crisco
- Marshmellows

The 3 things I use the most. ARG!

My Sam's does not sell those 3 either!

I don't use Sam's, but I do have a Costco membership. The main things I buy there are butter, chocolate chips, pecans, powder sugar & vegetable oil. See if they have a trial membership to help you decide if it is worth it for you. I feel warehouse club prices are definitely worth the membership cost.

I go to sams, not just for baking but for paper towels, cleaning supplies, diapers... spices.. oh the spices for cooking are such a good bargain. Eggs there are cheap too especially if you use a lot for making cakes, cream cheese is a deal big giant blocks for next to nothing and it's not a no name brand. I split my membership with my sister in law, the last names have to be the same, and really they want it in a house hold, but well since we have the same last name they didn't really care so it broke down to under twenty dollars each for us, we just got the regular membership, not the business. However, if you do a business one you can put a whole other family or person on it... so it might be worth checking out
You will save money I buy all my pasta and canned goods there and just store them away. Juice boxes for the kids... apple sauce, peanutbutter, jelly lol everything!
Hope you have lots of storage
Jen

lord, lord, how i wish sams or costco sold cake mixes!!! especially the ones with the "box tops for education", cause i could do some serious donating that way...

here's the stuff that i get at sams/costco:

philadelphia cream cheese
powdered sugar
regular sugar
brown sugar
crisco
25 lb all purpose flour
oil (wesson)
butter quarters
whipping cream
sour cream
eggs (36)
milk
ghiradelli chips
nuts
organic strawberry preserves
nutella
saran wrap
foil wrap
wax paper
ziploc bags
disposable gloves
vanilla
evaporated milk
paper towels
KAHLUA, VODKA, GODIVA, BAILEY'S IRISH, ETC


not to mention almost any clothes that go on my family's backs (ralph lauren, dockers, polo, nike, etc)!! along with shoes, vacuum cleaners, KITCHEN AID MIXERS, etc....it's a great place to do christmas shopping! we bought both of our 47" flat screens from there. we also go around lunch time, eat some samples, and then eat lunch at the food counter for less than $6, for a family of 3, and some of the best hotdogs or biggest pizza you could ever buy.

sams and costco is our family outing every week...sad, i know!!!!! i think i'd be at a loss without them!!

DEFINITELY WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

My sam's sells all-purpose flour. It is like 5.43 (or something close -- the price is in my spreadsheet at home) for a 35 lb bag!
The powerdered sugar is the same cheap price everyone else is quoting but it is 2.12 for a 2 lb bag at the grocery store!!
Also, butter is much cheaper for me at sam's.

My Sam's doesn't sell a lot of the items listed: boxes, cake mixes, marshmallows, frosting, etc.

This Sam's will let you wander around and check things out before you open a membership. I would bring a list of the items you are most interested in and do a cost comparison before you make a firm decision.

Another advantage to being a business member .... their cust svc dept has a business member rep who will try to order anything for you that they can. So ask them for cake mixes. They cannot get anything that is a walmart brand (I asked).

I was there this morning ... here's a big one. Milk is $3.16 a gallon. I pay over $2 for a HALF gallon at walmart.

And Sam's will sell supplies too.. cake boxes, etc.

i'm not sure if any of you have one, but here in NY we have a BJ's wholesale. it's similar to Sam's, but carries a few different things. i just bought a membership and found that for $4.99 i could get a package of 6 cakes mixes! there were 3 yellow and 3 devil's food. the brand, i believe was DH. they also sell PS (can't remember the price, though). if you're also not sure about getting a membership somewhere, ask if they have a free trial membership. this way you can check it out for 60-90 days (depending on the store) for free and see if you could benefit from a year membership.

Im sure they arent hiding them. I will ask them though if they will consider ordering them. If you go to the website and put in the Savannah GA store you will see that they dont sell it, but they do sale AP flour in Hilton Head SC, the closest place ( a few hours) is Florence SC. I actually MADE my own marshmallows tonight.. they actually taste better AND its really easy!

I bought PS there this a.m. - 7lb/$4.13. My aunt has a business account there and she got a card for me.

I'll never understand Wal-Mart/Sam's logic.