Shopping at SAMS

Ok, I was in total denial that shopping at SAMS was anything that could benefit me. First, I really love Kroger Clicklist and I wasn't prepared to take my children to the grocery store again. I have only had to do this once since starting on the SAMS journey, and I am avoiding it ever again. There are reasons that SAMS shopping makes sense for our family, and may not for yours, but here are some of the reasons I love shopping at SAMS.

Reasons I love to shop at SAMS:

• you can buy anything in there- literally. Now, I don't need everything in bulk size, but I love the fact that you can buy anything in there. I could wander for days. 
• Saving time- since I have started shopping here, I don't have to spend time online making my list for Kroger, or picking it up. Since I am buying in bulk things last so much longer, and I don't need things every week.
• Saving money- again, I buy everything in bulk so week to week I am buying different things and my grocery budget has been significantly lower than at Kroger
• We eat three meals a day at home- and several snacks- for five people- four of which are boys- we need a lot of food!
• We clean eat- SAMS is the perfect place to stock up on meat, veggies, and fruit. 

What I buy at SAMS: 

•  fruit- every week- grapes, bananas, strawberries, blueberries- once a month (apples, oranges)
• steam-able vegetable bags- these come 6 to a bag and will normally last a month. I buy broccoli, mixed veggies, green beans
• Potatoes- sweet and regular- a whole bag will last us about 3 weeks
• Rice
• seasonings that we use a lot
• Chicken
• Turkey meat
• Milk- only because the boys drink it and I just don't want to make two stops
• eggs
• Turkey bacon- their pack literally will last us about 3 months
• boys snacks- chips for lunches, fruit snacks, animal crackers, granola bars, pop-tarts, cookie packs, goldfish, popcorn, yogurt tubes
• bottle water
• juice boxes
• coffee 
• protein bars- I have to buy these every week, and they aren't a real great savings, but saves me from going to Walmart
• bread- two loaves will last me two weeks (for now, boys only eat one slice of bread sandwiches)
• frozen chicken nuggets for the boys
• pull-ups
• diapers
• wipes
• shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotions, etc. 

Really EVERYTHING! At first, I was just buying some things at SAMS and making a separate trip to Kroger. Every week that I go, I find something that I can buy there and save a trip to Kroger. I love things lasting several weeks at a time (or longer), and my grocery budget staying where it should. We budget $250 per week for groceries for 5 people and I normally stay in that with a trip to SAMS, and whatever odds and ends may come up during the week. Start shopping at SAMS!