This Hidden Sam’s Club Benefit is the Ultimate Time Saver
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here.
This post is sponsored by Sam’s Club, however, all opinions and time saved with the Sam’s Club Pick-up service is 100% my own.
The first time I heard of a grocery pick-up service, I thought, That’s cool, but there’s probably a fee, and they can’t do refrigerated stuff. It will still be inconvenient, so forget it.
Besides, what happens when you get to the store and need to buy any last-minute items you {oops!} forgot to put on your list?
Since someone else does all the shopping for you, there’s little-to-no flexibility with a service like this. Instead, you order online, arrive at the store, pick up your items, and leave. A quick in-store detour for a forgotten ingredient negates the time you would have saved otherwise.
At least…that’s what I used to think.
My opinion completely changed when I heard Sam’s Club had their own version of a grocery pick-up service.
Unlike the regular grocery store, I have a very specific list of 10-12 items that I purchase only from Sam’s Club, which means I don’t have to worry about missing out on a special deal. I’ve already price-checked these items against my local grocers, and rarely add anything extra to the list.
I mean, I guess I could impulse-buy a box of 64 granola bars, but it’s not likely!
My Grocery Pick-Up Experiment
Naturally, then, the Sam’s Club Pick-Up Program seemed like the perfect candidate for me to try out my first grocery pick-up service. As I combed through the details on their website, I was shocked at all the features. They can do refrigerated stuff? Even frozen foods? With no added fee?
Lesson learned: Sometimes things that seem too-good-to-be-true turn out to be true.
So I did it.
Instead of spending 30-40 minutes in the store, trying to remember which aisle held what I was looking for from my list, all I did was place my order online {which took me 5 minutes max}, drive to the store, pick up my purchases, and load them into my car.
From the moment I pulled into the parking lot to the moment I pulled out with my groceries, the entire experience took less than 10 minutes.
Needless to say, I’m a fan. And I’m pretty sure you will be too.
How to Know if the Sam’s Club Pick-up Program is For You
Here’s the thing—if you enjoy spending an hour or two navigating a big box store, wandering those massive store aisles looking for the one item you need, or trying new items you see along the way, then you might be sorry to miss out on that experience {which overwhelms me!}
However, if you:
- Rarely have enough time to get everything done
- Wish you could add more hours to your week
- Buy the same things over and over and rarely deviate from your list
…then the Sam’s Club Pick-up Service is a perfect fit for you.
How the Pick-up Program Works
From order to pick-up, Sam’s Club Pick-up service is very easy to use. Allow me to take you on a virtual tour of my own experience, so you know exactly how to navigate your way through everything the first time.
1. Order your items online at SamsClub.com or via the Sam’s Club app. All you have to do is add each item to your shopping cart, then pay online or in the store. However, if you choose to pay online, you earn the extra bonus of Ebates cash back. Score!
2. Decide on your pick-up date/time. Sam’s Club will hold your order up to two days, however, if you’re in a super time crunch, Same Day service is also available.
3. Receive a notification when your order is ready. You’ll receive an email or text, depending on which method of notification you chose at check-out.
4. Drive to the store and “check-in,” either on the app OR at the Sam’s Pick-up kiosk. This is the only thing I was confused about at first, but a quick chat with a Sam’s employee confirmed there’s no need to do both.
5. Walk to the Sam’s Club Pick-up area to find your cart. If you’re not sure where the Sam’s Club Pick-up is, just ask an employee. Also, if you ordered any frozen or refrigerated items, an employee will bring those up for you.
6. Load your items into your car. If you have a large purchase {such as for a church event or summer camp}, you bet an employee can help load those bigger items.
That’s it!
I can honestly say it will be rare for me NOT to use Sam’s Club Pick-up Service in the future. It’s just too easy and too convenient.
And the best part?
I’ll be able to invest the time I’m saving at the store into my business, my marriage, or my home {maybe I’ll finally work on that long list of house projects I can never seem to tackle!}.
If you want to try Sam’s Club Online ordering and Pick-up service but don’t yet have a membership, sign up HERE to receive a $20 Sam’s Club gift card as a special welcome bonus. You’ll also get a $20 instant savings coupon book, just for being a Creative Savings reader.
And if you’re on the fence about joining a warehouse club, know this—I pay for my own membership just in the money I save on toilet paper alone. So in my opinion, it’s totally worth it!
Have you ever tried Sam’s Club Pickup Service?
Disclosure: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Rest assured, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. Read my full disclosure policy here.
I love the pickup service when it works. I recently had two orders to pick up between one and two. Never got notified that it was ready, went in the store about 2:30 and shopped my own stuff. Tried to cancel the pickup orders on my way out. Found out I couldn’t cancel those orders but they said if I don’t pick him up within 24 hours after they’re ready they will cancel it and I’ll get the money back on my credit card 5-7 days later. Completely wasted my time on a day that I was in. A big hurry.