I was recently given a challenge. I love a good challenge. A holiday’s are btter in the club challenge. I was challenged to shop at Sam’s Club to see what delicious deals and produce I can uncover for my holiday spread! Sam’s Club can really help reduce the holiday frenzy. It is a great one-stop place to get all of your holiday needs.
Before I went shopping at Sam’s Club, I had a plan.
I am a planner. Usually, I always have one get together during the holiday’s where I only serve appetizers. I find it easy for entertaining. Some items can be done a head of time and other just don’t take a lot of time or work. So I went with the theme of small bites when I went shopping.
First, on my list is small sandwiches for my party so I went right over to the bakery section of Sam’s. Their bakery section has 60 new bakery items. I decided to pick up some small croissants (20 count  x 2 for $5.49 each) and yeast dinner rolls (36 count for $4.38).
While I was in the bakery, I saw some items I wanted to grab for dessert.
There were so many yummy choices but here is what I settled on. Â I chose some mini brownie bites for $5.99 and a holiday cake ball platter for $14.98. With the brownie bites, I figured I could serve them like this cute idea I found on Pinterest with a little Santa Hat on top made from a strawberry and the cake balls were already to go. They include red velvet, chocolate and coconut.
I also found these great Mission green spinach tortillas in this area of Sam’s. You can get 2 packages for $4.98. So I grabbed 1 of the spinach to make these tortilla pinwheels and a regular one for another night of burritos for my family dinner. Plus, I picked up a bag of Stacy’s pita chips for $4.98. I plan on serving these with hummus.
Next, I moved over to the meat department where I found some boneless pork ribs for $1.99 p/lb. So I grabbed a package that was $11.01. I am going to use this to make shredded pork to serve on the yeast dinner rolls. Then I spotted their ready made chicken salad for $4.78 a pound. This would be one less item I would need to make but I will throw in some dried cranberries (which I have at home) to make it more festive. They make the chicken salad with their delicious rotisserie chickens. I picked up a package that was $10.13. I will serve this on the croissants.
I also snagged a shrimp tray over here for $14.98 along with some Sabra hummus for $5.98. The shrimp is already to go with cocktail sauce and I will serve up the hummus with the pita chips and some veggies.
Now it was on to the produce section. Here I picked up some –
- broccoli florets (2 lbs for $2.74)
- sugar snap peas (24 oz for $4.78)
- baby bell peppers (1.5 lbs. for $5.98)
- mini carrots (3 lbs. for $2.97)
- mini cucumbers (2 lb. for $3.98)
I will use all of these to make a veggie tray to serve with the hummus and some veggie dip (recipe is in my Real Mom Kitchen cookbook) I plan on making. They do have ready made veggie trays you can get from Sam’s but I elected to make my own. I had to get some strawberries (2 lbs. for $4.13) too for the brownie bite Santa Hats! The great thing about getting you fresh foods like produce, meat, seafood, and bakery items from Sam’s is they have a 200% guarantee. This means if you aren’t satisfied with an item purchased Sam’s Club will refund the purchase price and replace the product.
Over in the refrigerated section, I added some meatballs (6 lbs. for $14.98) , little smokies (3 lb. for $6.98), and cream puffs ($7.98) to my shopping cart. I plan on making sweet and savory saucy meatballs with the meatballs and my smokies with the little smokies. I also grabbed some whipping cream for $3.98. (This is for those Santa Hat Brownie Bites!)
Last I pick up some Yoshida’s Sweet and Sour Sauce for $6.28 (used to make my smokies) along with paper products – napkins ($6.78), cups ($7.96), and plates ($9.12). So my grand total for all of my purchases before tax was 177.03. I thought that was quite good for everything I got. I will have plenty of food. Plus, it will be a stress free party.
You can also pick up other items to serve up the food at your party.
I recently got the Crock-Pot entertaining system. I plan on using it for my pulled pork, meatballs, and smokies! They also have this 4 Tier Accordion Server and 5 Tier Buffet Server. Sam’s is providing a 5 Tier Buffet server for one lucky RMK reader! To enter, see the rafflecopter widget below. My good friends over at Stockpiling Moms were also given this challenge and will be sharing their post tomorrow over on their site. So pop on over tomorrow to their site to see what they did and have another change to win a great giveaway!
Disclosure: I was given a $250 gift card to Sam’s Club for my participation, but as always my opinions are 100% my own.
88 comments
i buy gifts months ahead of time. i make sure we all have plenty of time off work and school. i make sure i am as organized as possible and i also remember that it’s not the end of the world if things don’t go accordingly.
I buy gifts all year around so I would have something on hand to give
I make lists to keep myself on track, shop online to avoid the crowds, and try to do as much as possible ahead of time.
A lot of online shopping for me this year I love Sam’s!
Well, this year I’m not doing very well with avoid the holiday frenzy! One thing that helps me distress is getting outside for a walk in the fresh air every day. It may seem like a waste of valuable time, but it helps to reenergize and focus. Also make lists.
shop online instead of stores except the one i work in!
I prep in advance as much as I can
I make lists and gone over it at least 4 times. List making makes me feel more in control and I tend to do it for everything. lol
I make lots of lists and love when I can combine trips to cross everything off my list!
we have potlucks
thanks for the giveaway
I plan waaaaay in advance, make lots of lists and have a backup plan for everything.
We do pot lucks for our holiday meals, so that no one is stuck with all the work!
I start Christmas prep early in the year, including advents, new treat recipes that we try twice a week etc. so that come December 1st I can relax and enjoy! I love the holidays!
. stockpilingmoms sent me over here. great giveaway. thank you
I try to plan ahead with sticking to my lists and using my crockpot.
I love the holiday preparations!
I try to have many of my meals made ahead of time… spaghetti sauce, soups, breads. That way I have time to cook and bake what I want with the grandkids without worrying about meals.
This year, I let hubby do most of the major shopping for our boys, since he’s better at picking out the guns, machetes, etc. that they want.
i spread it out over two months instead of just one. and i’m one of those people that’s been known to pick up a christmas present in july and hide it in a closet for months! helps spread the budget a bit.
How great would that look with assorted cookies and finger desserts?
I love those rotisserie chickens. Such a good deal for the price.
take advantage of free home shipping when available!
Shop online!
I try to get my shopping done before the big holiday rush and shop online whenever possible
Plan early enlist help and go simple
I try to do as much as I can ahead. Most things I can make early and freeze.
I make lists and I try to make as much food (and goodies!) as early as possible, utilizing my freezer for storage.
I pay attention to what things are just stressing me out or what brings us actual joy.
I try to focus in my kiddos and plan ahead so that I can truly enjoy the time with them.
I reduce the holiday frenzy by shopping early and keeping holiday dinners simple with a main dish or two and a few sides.
I share the love everyone brings a dish or two. Everyone helps with clean up and a good glass of wine helps
[…] another chance to win? Head over to our friend Laura’s Blog – Real Mom Kitchen for another […]
Fun!
I always have a list, it helps keeps me organized and on time with our holiday plans.
I try to involve my kids more that they are getting older. It gives them a greater appreciation.
I try and do as much as possible ahead of the big day!
Plus I have a husband who decorates the tree !
shop and wrap ahead
Make a plan, and stick to it as much as possible! Doesn’t always work, but I have a starting point and a plan that I can easily get back on track with!
I ordered many of my gifts online this year. Easier than trying to navigate a store with a very active 16 month old, I can do it anytime (day or night), and I’ll admit – it is fun to get packages at the door! 🙂 Happy Holidays!
Everyone chips in and helps. I do a lot on online ordering and of course Sam’s Club. Best Wishes and God’s Blessings!
Shop ahead as much as possible
I make a Christmas gift list and spreadsheet to shop and track spending.
I try and stay organized. I use every minute to its fullest.
I try to buy as many gifts as I can online
i start baking & freezing as early as i can
Visiting Sam’s Club is a great adventure – never know what goodies and bargains you will find!
I always have everyone bring a dish to share and I also do whatever I can in advance.
Lots of planning and lots of lists!
I buy lots of convenience items like you did. Helps a lot with prepping.
Plan ahead and use paper plates.
Can I come to your party? Your spread looks wonderful. Think I’ll have to head to Sam’s this week!
This buffet server is so great!!
I plan and prepare weeks in advance to try to prevent any issues.
I love appetizer evenings. I am also a big fan of prep-ahead and enhancing store-bought. Your choices have some great ideas!
I cook ahead of time as much as possible…freezer cooking and slow cookers are my friends!
Make a list and check it twice. If preparing a lot of food I pull all ingredients out ti make sure I have everything.
I also serve only appetizers when my family comes for Christmas. It is easy to prep, easy to clean up and yummy to eat! Plus most of us get a big Christmas dinner at other Christmas gatherings, so we don’t miss the big traditional meal.
Have Christmas on Christmas Day…the festivities begin on Wednesday of this week with visits from our of town guests! YIKES! I am so not ready!!!
I try to plan well and then just let go when something has to be changed.
we do a lot of traveling so our house stays nice and clean!
Having a child with autism has taught me life is easier if we plan ahead. This is especially helpful during the holidays.
Having a child with autism has taught me to plan ahead for everything. It’s especially helpful to practice this during the holidays.
We travel during the holidays as a family! No buying gifts, and cooking leisurely!
When shopping, I make a list and stick to it.
I definitely try to prep ahead!
Love Sams! I shop at Sam’s, cook as much as I can ahead and freeze!
I try to keep the holiday frenzy to a minimum by spending quality time with my almost two-year old and helping him discover the joy of the season 🙂
To reduce stress I stagger my party preparation over 2 days so things that can be done ahead are finished and ready fpr easy assembly on party day
I am impressed with what you chose!
I try to prep ahead and use half homemade with half store bought:)
I’d love to win this!
I have a list of easy and quick dishes and make ahead dishes I keep on hand so there’s no stress figuring out what to cook at the last minute!
We all bring our favorite dishes for our holiday dinner, so not just one person has to make all the goodies! I also try to get all the wrapping done early.
I try to plan out things to make the holidays less stressful. I can wrap presents while the kids are at school, make neighborhood treats on the weekend and deliver them when my family is all together.
I try to keep my expectations realistic. My house will never look like it belongs in a magazine spread and my party planning skills will never rival Martha Stewart’s, but if my family and friends feel welcome and have fun, that’s all I need.
I try to do a lot of things ahead of time and then just sit back and not get too caught up in feeling like I have to do all this fun stuff with my kids. Just enjoy the moment and focus on simple things!
Have a laid back attitude. Things will get delayed, extra bodies will show up, no big deal.
I try scale down any preparations during the holiday. I Simplify as much as possible.
I let my kids help with everything! It’s a lot less stressful when I expect things to get messy instead of unplanned accidents!
I like to make as many things as I can in advance, so I’m not so stressed the day of the party!
I make cookie dough and pie shells ahead of time then freeze them. It’s one less task I have to do and makes my time in the kitchen go smoother!
I think good planning helps make things much easier!
I love sams club. I know where I’ll be getting my party s8pplies
Great giveaway! I think getting everything you need at one time and for the best price really helps reduce frenzy and stress. What a pain to constantly have to run back out for an item!
When your hostess is stress-free, your guests will enjoy the event even more! I try to make as many food items/dishes ahead of time. I will make a list, and shop one day. Next day, prep the food, bake, and set the table. On the day of the event, prepare any fresh entrees and get myself ready!
How will you cook this pork???
Have you tried Hawaiian rolls?? Perfect for serving with such to larger crowds – and delicious!!!
I try to make simple dishes and do as much ahead of time as possible
Shopping at the big warehouse stores definitely ghelp reduce the party planning stress! I also like to get the presents wrapped and hidden early on (with a 3 and 1 year old around, they can’t just got under the tree).