Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
There are few brick-and-mortar stores capable of taking you from unprepared to WROL warlord the way that Sam’s Club can. Sam’s Club gives you access to bulk foods and resources that you can purchase the same day with and take home with your own hands.
With a couple hundred bucks you can literally put up a months’ worth of food for a family of four. Of course, food is just one category of preps available at Sam’s Club
We are going to look at a variety of categories of products at Sam’s Club that can enhance your preparedness level. Everything from backup power options to personal hygiene can be tossed into your cart or delivered right to your front door.
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Bulk Foods
At the core of every prepper’s food storage plan should be the purchasing and long-term storage of bulk foods. The price on this stuff is just too good to pass up. At Sam’s you can get 50 pounds of rice for under $25. Just one 50-lb bag of rice is nearly 83,000 calories!
You should plan for 2000 calories per person/per day when storing food for an emergency. How many days’ worth of food can you get out of one 50-lb bag of rice. Now, you cannot eat rice alone, but this is just an example of the importance of cost savings when buying in bulk and storing those foods long term.
- Beans
- Cornmeal
- Sugar
- Flour
- Salt
- Baking Mix
- Olive Oil
These are all long term food storage essentials.
Spices
Another great way to save money and to be better prepared for the duration of an extended emergency is to change how you buy spices. The time has come for you to start buying spices like an adult. Gone are the days of buying a half ounce of dried herbs and spices.
At Sam’s Club, you can buy 6-oz of chili powder, garlic, jerk seasoning and basically whatever else you use on a regular basis. Of course, this assumes that you are cooking at home. If you are not cooking at home…start cooking at home. You will be able to afford a literal armory once you stop getting Uber Eats delivered and going out to eat.
Water Storage
Sam’s Club sells a 4-gallon water cooler refill on pallets. If you have a family of 4 at home, then this is an absolute BOON for you. It makes water storage so easy because each one of those 4-gallon containers is basically a days’ worth of water storage.
Having your water in a larger container is also much better than contending with 4 gallons worth of water bottles to do things like fill a pot.
If you have room for a pallet, you can buy this stuff by the pallet and get a months’ worth of fresh drinking water delivered on a pallet.
Backup Power
The truth about America, hardy and gritty as we can be, is that we like electricity. We have things to power. Devices are crucial and when the power goes out, we get cranky! Sam’s Club has great deals on powerful gas generators. They also sell massive packs of batteries to store for headlamps, flashlights, lanterns, video game controllers and whatever else you might need them for.
Power banks are another solid find at Sam’s Club, and I have purchased laptop power banks, which are larger and much more powerful. These are expensive, but ours have been worth every penny when we need backup power.
Pet Food
Do you have a preparedness plan for your pets? How will your pet food levels look 30 days into a crisis? Sam’s Club has some of the best prices on bulk pet food. These pet foods are great to purchase and rotate.
You can keep two or three 30-lb bags of dog food stacked up in the home and then add to that when you use up a bag. This will ensure that you always have your own stockpile of pet food should an emergency strike.
Paper Goods
Will we ever forget the toilet paper apocalypse of 2020? Of all the crazy things that happened that year the quest for toilet paper, and the hoarding of it, like some kind of societal tick that we developed to deal with the reality of Covid and how poorly it was being handled.
So, we went to war over paper goods.
Sam’s Club sells massive packs of toilet paper. If you had a couple of these mega packs stored at your home, pre-2020, then fist fighting someone over Charmin would be low on your to do list.
Coffee
Look, the morning after a serious disaster or 3 weeks into a collapse, a cup of coffee is going to make a world of difference. Not only are you going to enjoy that coffee but your neighbors and the people you care about will also enjoy it.
Having a stockpile of coffee and a the proper off grid cooking implements to boil water means that you can become the defacto coffee shop in your community. With that comes the ability to barter, gather, plan and of course caffeinate at large.
Hygiene
In our world today hygiene is cheap and easy. It’s not that big of a deal to shower, shave, brush your teeth with ample clean water, and carry on with the day. If you prepare with those resources now, then you will be able to make a big difference.
With about $200 you can stockpile soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and razors. Take a large container or metal trash can with a lid and fill your stockpile cache up with all these items.
Sam’s Club is a one-stop shop to get everything you need for your personal hygiene. Write up a list and get your hygiene preps in order.
Medicines
There may be no better place to stock up on OTC medications like Sam’s Club. You can build an incredible stockpile.
Pain Relievers & Fever Reducers
Pain and fever are things that can both get out of control. The easiest way to deal with it all is to stockpile things like ibuprofen.
Allergy Medications
While allergies are rarely life threatening, they can be debilitating. Having medications to relieve the symptoms of seasonal allergies is very important.
Cough Medicine
Congestion and cough can lead to things like pneumonia so having medications stockpiled to deal with that is critical.
Digestive Aids
Lots of Americans suffer from some kind of digestive issues. If you have ever suffered from severe stomach upset, you know what a difference a Tums can make.
Vitamins and Supplements
It turns out vitamins and supplements are better medicine than most. Giving our body what it needs in terms of nutrition simply makes it work better and heal faster. You should supplement now and prepare to supplement when times are tough.
Sleep Aids
Many Americans struggle with sleep issues today. Can you imagine how hard it will be to sleep when the world has collapsed around us?
Smoking Cessation
What happens when all the cigarettes and nicotine fixes are gone? What do you think you can barter if someone needs nicotine? Also, think about what a benefit it would be to get someone to kick their addiction.
First Aid
Tourniquets and chest seals are not something you are going to find on the shelf at Sam’s Club but many of the staples of a great first aid kit can all be found at Sam’s Club. You can build your own first aid kit, or at least refill one, with many of the items at Sam’s.
- Rubbing Alcohol
- Neosporin
- Hydrocortisone
- Aquaphor
- Q Tips
- Band Aids
- Hydrogen Peroxide
These are just some examples of the items they sell that you could build your first aid kit with.
Fuel
One of the features of shopping a Sam’s Club location is that they have the very best gasoline prices out there. Club Members are the only ones allowed to use Sam’s Club pumps and get that great discounted price.
However, don’t just use this gasoline to fill up the fuel tank in your car. You should also use this as an opportunity to fill up gas tanks for long-term fuel storage. You can even purchase the Stabil that will preserve the gasoline.
Long term fuel storage is an important part of preparedness. Access to cheap gas makes that much easier.
Online Orders and Delivery
All of the incredible preps that you find in bulk at your local warehouse are simply the tip of the iceberg when it comes to shopping at Sam’s Club. Downloading the phone app gives you access to all kinds of items that are not available at your local store.
You can create an order for pickup, or you can place an order to be delivered right to your front door. Now you have almost no excuse not to be using Sam’s Club as a significant aid in your preparedness.
BONUS
Bulk Frozen Meats
For those who have large freezers, freeze driers or in-home canners, you might see the benefits of buying bulk meats from Sam’s Club. You can purchase cases of things like chicken breasts, pork loins and ribeye.
These cases of meat come at a great price and putting them up is going to see you better prepared should something happen to the supply chain or local supermarkets.
Conclusion
Buying in bulk from Sam’s Club is not only going to save you money but it will also press you to learn how to store all of the food effectively. You will be forced to rotate your stock or lose it. If you are buying bulk foods you can also try your hand at bucketing up long term food storage, which is a top tier prepper skill.
As the cost of living continues to rise and the world becomes increasingly uncertain, it is good to have an option where you can save money and increase how prepared you are for an emergency all at the same location.
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i buy canned goods and soup at aldi’s cheaper than at sams club.
Aldi’s might be good for certain items but if I’m not mistaken, they don’t carry name brands and overall have limited offerings, which is why they are cheaper. Save A Lot has the best selection of off brand canned vegetables for the cheapest price I’ve found.
FYI, Both flours and pancake mix have relatively short shelf lives. I think Mac n cheese does too. Just remind yourself to rotate to keep it g=fresh.
I would think that all great preppers would shop around and compare prices before they actually do the shopping. The real shopper is the one who also compares the internet pricing. This is a process of saving money and buying only the items that are needed. We also have a large storage area with items that we canned ourselves. (yummie). Don’t forget that a generator could be a god-send and that mobility is very important such as a vehicle that is serviced and fueled.
I found that’s cheaper to make your own mixes (pancakes, seasonings, soups). Buying a freezer drier might seem expensive but if family members buy it together it’d pay for itself.
Thank you for your good advice.
A Food dryer and if possible a dry freezer are great investments, especially now that we still have electricity.
Good idea don’t have 50 dollars just sitting around here will hopefully be able to stay were i am and then i hopefully can do this
I keep cash and especially Rolls of Quarters. So many things you could get from vending if the power is still on. Also keep you from having to pay $1 for something that’s cheaper.
Other important items could be instant potatoes, dry milk powder, evaporated milk, sardines, beef jerky, dried fruit, popcorn, cocoa powder, vanilla, wet wipes, soap, bottled water and candy.
Don’t forget the most important item…. toilet paper.
I traveled most of my adult life staying in hotels and using their toilet paper. I was stunned when I retired to find out wife and 2 small kids were using 2 large rolls (245 sheets per roll) each day. So 60 rolls per month. Anyway, it adds up and I have 400 rolls in storage now. It really uses a lot of space and you have to have it sealed because the mice love it. In a real SHTF world you should consider alternatives. In the Army we used leaves, corn leaves, banana leaves, etc. Know your leaves and don’t use poison ivy, oak, or sumac.
Corn starch, beef and chicken bouillon cubes, bisquick,
Another good investment and that it’d pay by itself is a food dryer. Buy in bulk and dry your own fruits and veggies. Then you can mason jar your own JAW meals.
I make my own “nutella” and save it in a vacuum sealed mason jar.
I shop at both and buy the large bags of potatoes, apples, pears, etc. to slice and dehydrate. That will leave a few for us to eat. Also here In North Alabama we will be picking those big beautiful strawberries in a couple of weeks out in the field. Nothing better than picking your own.
We have 3 Major supermarkets in my area and Aldi’s. I used to shop at Sam’s/Bj’s but have found that I can do just as well or better at the supermarket and not take a $350 hit to my checking account. The only thing I saw on your video that I could not beat by using seasonal sale promotions and loss leaders was the Rice. That was a wonderful price for 50 pounds of rice. ($15 if folks missed it) I might have to get a friend who has a BJ’s membership to pick me up 100 pounds.
Another factor that keeps me from buying such large quantities is the spoilage factor after you open that 3000 ounce bottle of oil. Will I be able to use it up (when rotating stock) before it spoils? A family might, but the 2 of us won’t, so I like to buy that type of thing in smaller containers so I don’t lose them to spoilage when I do open the oldest one. (remember you are using the OLDEST one each time, so the time til it goes bad is shorter than if you opened one fresh from the store with 2 years left to it’s expiration date) (And no, I don’t think the dates on the package are magic, just an indication of how much time you have to use it up….your nose will tell you the truth)
Great technique is FIFO or First In First Out with everything that has a spoilage or use by date. That includes anything you make at home and store. Even gas, other fuels, batteries, etc.. Set up shelves with items segregated and rotate appropriately.
Reading this list of foods made me think of something I read on another blog. In the process of “prepping” one must stop and think about the possibility of not having the utilities for cooking. If that becomes a reality a fireplace, barbeque, or propane stove would come in very handy. On the other hand, what if propane runs out?? What if a person DOES NOT own a “bug out” spot in the middle of nowhere? Or what if a person lives in or near a metro area where utilities are going to be questionable at best? Then what? May I suggest at least some survival foods in individual packages or in #10 cans. Some can be found at Wally World and “cup a noodle” meals can be found almost everywhere very cheap. My point here IS NOT to find fault with any suggestion or list. Rather, my point if to suggest we think OUTSIDE the box “just in çase”.
I have a plus membership at Sam’s Club that has additional discounts and a rebate program which more than pays for the membership renewal each year. I use whatever of the rebate that is left after renewal for a little extra stockpiling.
Or a designated wash cloth u can wash and reuse if not to grossed out in a servival mode or emergency no need to stock all that toiley
Sterno gel fuel cans. Used to cook and heat when other sources aren’t available. They have large packages of them in the catering section of store.
Allergies ARE life threatening (ask me how I know). You need to have an Epi-Pen. I carry 2 of them everywhere I go. Get a prescription from your doctor if you need one.