Thursday, March 20, 2014

More info on Sam's vs Costco

Just to clarify things a bit, I understand that Costco is all wonderful and so much better than Sam's Club in everyone's opinion and I have a Costco card in my pocket too... BUT!

Costco did not have any Group 31c batteries... They didn't even know what they were...  They fit almost all semi tractor trailer trucks....  And also happen to be what Freightliner used on my motorhome chassis as starting batteries...   

Sam's Club in Kansas doesn't carry the truck batteries either...  But for some reason the Sam's in the San Tan shopping mall does have them...  I don't think the auto repair bays out there will accept semi tractors, so I do not know why they happen to carry them...  Perhaps the manager had them requested by a customer so he began to carry them and they seem to sell...

I went all around three years ago, and tried to get the batteries back then...  They were available only if they were ordered and then it took a couple of days for them to come in...  Prices were upwards of $200 each...  This time I did find that Auto Zone had one battery, but would have to order the second one...  That would have meant that the two batteries were miss matched in age, which is quite bad for tandem applications...  Prices were $140 each...   Sam's were priced at $112.50..   So the $55 difference for 2 made Sam's the place of choice...

I now shop for one person, so these warehouse clubs do not carry half dozen cartons of eggs or single quarts of milk, like I now need.  I had no idea that my card didn't work in the store....  I only used it for gas, and it was working for that....  I haven't been in Costco for years either...

Costco is actually much closer to my house here in Arizona, but in Kansas the  Sam's is only about a mile away, so that is what gets renewed..  Well, unless they suddenly make me renew every six months..  LOL

Retired Rod

5 comments:

  1. We only have Costco here, (there's Walmart, but no Sam's) and it used to be we'd have to go in one direction for a location, but then maybe 15 years ago (totally guessing) they put up another location on the other side of town. Almost as far in the other direction, but at least there are other stopping off points in the vicinity.
    I think I've been in maybe three times in the year since we moved back to Canada. Unless it's a non perishable item, there's no way I'll be taking it home. There's just the two of us. Even then, we can only go through so much dish soap or whatever. I wonder sometimes if it's worth it keeping the membership, but every so often there's that one thing that you do find there that makes it worthwhile. Pardon for being long winded.

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  2. I shop at one of the neighborhood WalMart stores, which is only a couple of blocks from our house. They carry groceries, sundries, pet food, TP, etc. I just do it for the convenience. Gotta feed the birds and doggies!

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  3. LOL--Michael also buys his RV batteries at Sam's Club, Rod--even if we do think Costco is the best. Not sure where he will get batteries for the motorhome since we let our Sam's Club card expire???? We live so far out in the country and with our closet grocery store (22 miles) being a small, not very well stocked one, we do a LOT of shopping at Costco. We have a large pantry/room and a freezer and we travel to Billings with two large coolers usually.

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  4. We don't have a Sam's Club membership - there wasn't one in Billings when we lived there and we've just never gotten one since being on the road. Costco works good for us. I'll be curious to see if they tell you you have to renew when your old card would have died. Fun seeing you last night.

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  5. Never been to a Sam's Club, Rod - we're Costco addicts. I can't figure out how a nice guy like you ends up in so much trouble at all these various stores and agencies? You seem like a reasonable person from your blog and when we've met in person. Go figure!

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