When I was trying to figure out where to get a wholesale membership, I decided to take down and compare prices on 25 most commonly purchased items at both stores. Costco came about quite a bit less than Sam's Club, so if you make lots of purchases, this is the place to go. Some items were drastically less, like Frappuccinos for $7.80 at Costco and $10.88 at Sam's Club.
It's likely that many casual shoppers won't get their money's worth out of the high annual fee, especially compared to Sam's Club. In fact, most casual shoppers would do better buying their groceries and household items from discount grocery stores compared to wholesalers, because buying in bulk doesn't always mean cheaper.
It's less expensive for me to buy common items like eggs, flour, milk and vegetables that I had been buying at Costco from Aldi. Even in smaller quantities, the prices are actually lower and I don't have to pay for a membership, budget for very high bills on each grocery trip, or drive the longer distance to the warehouse.
more