10 Hidden Ways To Save Money at BJ’s

BJ's Wholesale Club is known for offering cheap prices, amazing perks and plenty of ways to save money. Today, we'll show you all of them.
Updated November 20, 2017
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Takeaway Notes

Bj's Wholesale Club, or simply BJ's, is an American membership-only warehouse that offers cheap prices, amazing discounts and coupons that help their members save money while shopping. Founded in 1984, BJ's started as a discount department store and quickly grew into one of the leading membership warehouses in the US, with more than 200 clubs in 15 states.

Today, BJ's Wholesale offers a huge selection of products, ranging from electronics, auto insurance and health & beauty products, to cleaning supplies and groceries – all at affordable prices.

As you probably guessed, these amazing perks are only available to BJ’s members. With that being said, there are 5 types of memberships:

  • Promotional Memberships give you limited-time free access to BJ’s to experience all the perks the wholesale club has to offer. Basically, for a limited time you can shop there and determine whether it pays off to become a member. The free promotional membership comes with a Household Card (that is issued to a family member residing at the same residence) and a Primary Membership Card.
  • BJ’s Inner Circle® Membership($50) come with a Primary Membership Card and a Household Card. They have many perks, including up to 3 supplemental memberships that can be purchased for a lower price. In addition, you can always upgrade to the Perks Rewards Membership.
  • BJ’s Business Memberships ($50) provide a Primary Business Card and a Business Free Supplemental Card. It is oriented towards business and is not the main focus of this guide.
  • Military and College Memberships are created for college students and US Military veterans and active personnel, and offer a 30% discount on all membership fees, plus a $10 coupon.
  • BJ’s Perks Rewards Memberships ($100) come with many perks, which we’ll discuss in detail later in this guide.

And now, without further ado, let’s take a look at 10 ways to save money at BJ's Wholesale Club.

1. Purchase The Membership With a Discount

Every year there are many discounts on BJ's memberships that their employees have to accept. Therefore, before becoming a BJ's member, search the internet and try to find a great deal that will reduce the membership price and increase your savings. You should also check our website and see what BJ's coupons and discounts we have to offer. As an alternative, you can even split the membership fee with a friend or a family member.

2. Stick to Your List

We have all experienced impulsive shopping and bought things we haven’t planned and don’t really need. To avoid this, you must come prepared with a list of things you need, and stick to it. However, with more than 7,000 items displayed at BJ’s, this can be surprisingly difficult. There is a good chance that you’ll notice something you like and decide to purchase it.

But if your goal is to save money at BJ’s Warehouse Club, you simply can’t afford impulsive shopping. Therefore, it’s essential to enter the store with the right mindset and adhere to the list. Another even better approach is to shop online and only search for the things you need.

3. Get a BJ's Perks Rewards Membership

As we already know, the BJ's Perks Rewards Membership costs $100 annually. And even though this upfront cost can scare many people, we are here to tell you that the upgraded membership really pays off as the members receive 2% cash back on most of their online and in-store purchases. By doing simple math and calculating how often you shop, you can easily figure out how much money you’ll save in the long run.

In addition, BJ's Perks Rewards Members can apply for two different BJ's Perks MasterCards – BJ Perks Elite and BJ Perks Plus. They both offer 10 cents off per gallon of gas at BJ's, 2% cash back dining out, 2% cash back at Non-BJ’s Gas station and 1% cash back on purchases in other stores that accept MasterCards.

The only difference is that the Elite credit card gives 5% cash back on most in-store and online purchases made at BJ's, while the Plus credit card offers 3% cash back.  

4. Use BJ’s Coupons

The best way to save money at BJ's Wholesale Club is to use terrific BJ's coupons. In fact, BJ's is the only warehouse club that will accept manufacturer coupons as well, and you can even stack them with the in-club coupons to increase your savings.

You can find BJ's coupons in the company’s magazine called the BJ's Member Journal, on their website (once you register with an online account) and via email after you have signed up to receive the newsletter. You should also look for in-store coupons only available in the local club every two weeks. In addition, every member receives a monthly coupon book with 75 pages of BJ’s coupons, recipes, and news.

Therefore, if you want to save money at BJ’s Wholesale Club, look for coupons, clip them, and prepare them before for your next shopping trip.

If you are new to couponing, make sure to first get familiar with couponing terminology and abbreviations and avoid the most common mistakes.

5. Buy Store Brand Products

Whether it's diapers, fresh foods, paper products, or pet food, a good wholesale club usually offers high-quality products that are significantly cheaper compared to brand-name items. Therefore, if you want to save money at BJ’s Wholesale Club, you should start looking for their house brands called Berkley-Jensen and Wellsley Farms.

Berkley-Jensen is the BJ’s private-label brand that offers food and non-food products, while Wellsley Farms has a wide selection of dairy juices, produce, dairy products and fresh meals.

In addition, coupons are frequently offered for these in-store brands, which can increase your savings. Moreover, both brands are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you really have nothing to lose.

6. Buy In Bulk

Everyone knows that purchasing items in bulk has the potential to make the biggest savings, especially when it comes to shopping at wholesale clubs. If you find a great deal and maybe even have BJ's coupons, then it’s a smart decision to purchase the product in bulk for a low price. However, always calculate the price per unit to determine whether or not you’ll be saving money.

You should only buy items that you use on a daily basis or products that you can properly store and use for a long period of time. Be extra careful with perishable items as they can spoil and you’ll end up wasting money instead of saving it.

7. Get Cash Back On Online Purchases

If you are not using cash back websites while shopping online, you are simply wasting money. The biggest and most famous cash back site is Ebates, which works with more than 1,800 online stores, including BJ's Wholesale Club. However, to be honest, rebates at BJ's are lower compared to other stores and are typically only 1%.

If you are asking yourself, what’s the catch – well, there is none. Online stores pay a commission to Ebates for sending customers their way, and Ebates shares this commission with you by offering cash back.

Beside Ebates, there are also rebate mobile apps that work pretty much the same way. The most famous are Ibotta and Checkout 51 and you can use them for both in-store and online shopping. If you are interested in learning more about these rebate apps, then read our Rebate Guide.

8. Look for Price Reduction Signs

BJ's is not famous for displaying big flashy sale signs, so every time you notice a different sale sign, it means that the price is reduced. In general, these reductions are huge and you can save a lot of money if you purchase an item on sale. Unfortunately, there isn't an exact place where you can look for heavily discounted merchandise, but it is usually located on the end-caps of the pet care and personal care aisles. Sometimes you can even notice price reductions right down the aisle. We even managed to find a Facebook group that informs their members when items are reduced, so make sure to join and check it out from time to time.

9. Avoid Purchasing Samples

Even though the servers are lovely and the samples are a great way to entertain your kids and try something for free, you should never purchase the offered product unless you have a BJ's coupon for it. We are not saying that you shouldn't try it – by all means go for it, but have the willpower to walk away even if you like the taste.

10. Eat at BJ's

If you don’t mind eating sub sandwiches, hot dogs, and pizza for lunch or dinner, then you can eat at BJ's and save some money. In general, the prices in the in-store cafes are absurdly low, so if you get hungry while shopping, take a break and fill your stomach. After all, you know that no one can make a good decision on an empty stomach.

Takeaway Notes

Honing your shopping skills has become a necessity that can save you a lot of money in today’s expensive world. Luckily for you, by following the above-mentioned tips you can easily save money at BJ's Wholesale Club and purchase more products for less money.

Don’t forget to come to the store with a list of items you want to purchase and avoid the number one mistake – impulsive shopping. Whenever you see a good deal, opt for bulk shopping, but make sure to first calculate the price per unit.

In addition, look for coupons -- both BJ's and manufacturers -- and stack them to reduce already cheap prices. To save even more money, start using cash back websites like Ebates or rebate smartphone apps like Ibotta. And finally, start purchasing store brand products that are cheaper than brand-name items, while offering the same quality.

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