3 Signs It's Time to Cancel Your Sam's Club Membership

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For many people, joining a warehouse club store like Sam's Club is an easy decision. For $50 a year for a basic membership or $110 for an upgraded Plus membership, you get the benefit of access to low-cost groceries and household essentials that could save you serious money during the year.

But there may come a point when a Sam's Club membership no longer pays off. Here are a few signs that it's time to stop paying for a Sam's Club membership and spend your money on something else (or better yet, save it).

1. You haven't been shopping at the store very often

It's one thing to pay for Sam's Club access so you're able to shop there weekly and save money on many of your household needs. But if you can't remember the last time you set foot in your local Sam's Club store, then it may be time to stop paying the $50 or $110 you're currently spending.

It's easy enough to make back the cost of your membership -- even the more expensive Plus membership -- when you shop at Sam's Club on a biweekly or even monthly basis. But if you've only been to the store once since the start of 2024, that should tell you something.

2. You keep making impulse buys every time you shop

It's easy to see why shopping at Sam's Club might lead to unplanned purchases. The store sells so much more than groceries and paper towels. You may be tempted to buy anything from a new jacket to a new computer, depending on what catches your eye.

But remember, a big reason to join Sam's Club in the first place is to save money. If you find that shopping at Sam's Club means making an unplanned purchase every time you go, you're not helping your finances at all. So in that case, you're probably better off removing that temptation by sticking to a regular supermarket for your household essentials.

Sure, you might still buy a $5 carton of ice cream on a whim at a regular grocery store. But there's a big difference between that and a $200 gadget Sam's Club might lure you to purchase.

3. You no longer have convenient store access

Shopping at Sam's Club could work wonders for your household budget . But if you've moved and no longer have easy Sam's Club access, then it's probably not worth pushing yourself to shop there if it's really inconvenient.

It's one thing to take a 15-minute ride to Sam's Club to load up on household essentials. It's another thing to force yourself to sit in the car for 45 minutes.

Plus, in that situation, what you save on your purchases, you might spend on gas. If you've moved and no longer have a Sam's Club store nearby but still think you can benefit from warehouse club access, it could pay to see if you're closer to a Costco location and give it a try instead.

For many people, joining Sam's Club and hanging onto that membership is a solid financial decision. But if these situations apply to you, then it may be time to cancel that membership and find other ways to keep your fridge and pantry stocked.

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