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Kansas City, MO. - The Walmart Supercenter and Sam’s Club are less than a mile apart in my city.

But for most shoppers, the distance isn’t the determining factor in which store to shop at. Instead, it comes down to which is cheaper: Walmart or Sam’s Club?

For some, the answer may seem obvious.

1. Sam’s Club is obviously cheaper because members are willing to pay an annual membership to shop there — so the savings on bulk pricing must be bigger.
2. Walmart is obviously cheaper because you don’t have to pay for a membership or buy things in bulk.

However, it turns out that the answer of which is cheaper — Walmart or Sam’s Club — may not be so obvious after all.

Type of Shopping Trip

A basic Sam’s Club membership costs $50 a year. But whether it’s cheaper to shop at Walmart or Sam’s Club often depends on the kind of shopping trip you are taking.

For example, do you plan on stocking up on several household essentials to last you for weeks or even months, or just grab a few individual items here and there to get you by until your next shopping trip?

So, you have to start by asking yourself: What kind of shopping trip am I making?

Better for Bulk Purchases

According to an article from the Motley Fool, “Sam’s Club is often cheaper than Walmart due to its bulk pricing.” Therefore, if you are planning to stock up on a lot of items, then shopping at Sam’s Club will likely be cheaper.

The above article uses Kit Kat bars as an example.

Buying an individual Kit Kat bar at Walmart means that you would pay about $1.32. However, a bulk pack of 36 Kit Kat bars from Sam’s Club is $33.98. That comes out to about $0.94 per Kit Kat.

Maybe you don’t plan on buying 36 Kit Kat bars. But the bulk pricing savings is similar on most items carried by both Walmart and Sam’s Club.

So, when you do need to buy items in bulk, Sam’s Club is usually the winner.

Better for Individual Items

The Motley Fool article goes on to say that, “When you don’t need an item in bulk, Walmart may be your better bet, though.” That means if you just need to buy some individual items, then you will likely save more money by going to Walmart.

The article uses boys’ swimming trunks as an example.

The author was able to find the same pair of swim trunks for sale at both stores. While Sam’s Club was charging $9.98, Walmart was only charging $7.80. That’s a big price difference.

I will add that you can still find individual items at Sam’s Club that are cheaper than Walmart. But overall, the later is usually better when buying individual items on a shopping trip.

Who Wins on Pricing: Walmart or Sam’s Club?

When deciding which store will help you save more money, it really comes down to your shopping needs and preferences.

If you have the space to store several weeks or months worth of items for your household, then the amount of money you can save on bulk pricing makes Sam’s Club more affordable than Walmart. Even when considering the annual membership fee.

However, if you don’t really have a lot of room for storage — or you only need to buy some individual items — then Walmart is probably your better bet for saving money. Plus, when you shop at Walmart, there are no annual membership fees.

The next time you make a list for a typical shopping trip, do some comparison shopping between the two stores to see which one will save you more money.

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