Even though I have belonged to several different membership club stores over the years, I am usually unimpressed with the savings I find there. So, when I moved to a city with three different membership club stores, I had no plan to join one of them. I was previously a member of two of them, but had never even heard of the third. Luckily my friends gave me the 411 and now I'm sold.
BJ's is by far the best membership club store around. I quickly did the math and realized that their promise of "The savings on milk alone could pay for your membership" was indeed true. They consistently have the best price (by a long shot) on milk in town. They also have the best price on gas, which is a huge savings in no time.
BJ's is the only membership club that not only accepts manufacturer's coupons but has amazing store coupons as well. Members receive a monthly coupon book in the mail and there are additional coupons in the store. You can stack manufacturer and store coupons. Plus you can use up to three manufacturer coupons as long as there is more than one bar code in/on the product.
The membership comes in two levels: a regular or "Inner Circle" membership and a "BJ's Rewards" membership. The rewards membership costs more up front, but like the name suggests you earn 2% back on all purchases. These rewards are in the form of a coupon that can be used only at BJ's. To increase your savings, apply for the BJ's credit card which gives another 2% back on BJ's purchases (1% on purchases elsewhere) for a total of 4% back.
My favorite part, to tell the truth, is when they mark down fresh foods such as meat and cheese. I love the fresh ravioli but can't swallow the price - until it's marked down 50%. Then I stock up! It's best to go in the morning to get these markdown deals. Not everything at BJ's is a good savings but there really are rewards with this membership.
