I Moved an Hour From the Nearest Sam's Club. Here's Why I Kept My Membership Anyway

Earlier this year, I bought a house and moved across the country. Overall, I'm very happy with the decision, but it's definitely taken some adjusting. This includes some big changes to our finances, including where and how we shop.

For example, before the move, I could get to Sam's Club in about 20 minutes. After the move, I have to drive about an hour (more with traffic) to reach the nearest Sam's Club store. (For those who might be curious, my closest Costco is even further away.)

While some folks may not consider that a deal-breaking distance, I certainly don't see myself driving a full hour just to shop at Sam's Club. So why don't I cancel my membership? As it turns out, living so far away doesn't actually impact how often I shop at Sam's Club.

I don't like going to the store anyway

Even when Sam's Club was within a reasonable driving distance, I probably only went there in person once a year. The vast majority of what we bought from Sam's Club was ordered online and shipped to our door then -- and that's what we still do now.

Don't get me wrong, I don't particularly mind shopping at Sam's Club. (I honestly get a little hit of dopamine from using Scan & Go to skip the usual check-out nonsense.) However, why put on "outside clothes" to go buy paper towels when I can just order them online in the comfort of my jammies?

Now, this only works for our family because we don't rely on Sam's Club for any of our fresh or frozen foods. (We get great deals at our local grocery stores by meal planning around sales and growing seasons.) Our Sam's Club membership is used mostly on pantry and home goods. And, of course, because of the free shipping that's included in our Plus membership.

The math on my annual membership fee

Anything that I pay a fee to use needs to be worth that fee. This applies to credit cards, streaming services, and yes, wholesale stores. If I had a regular Sam's Club membership, that fee would be $50 a year. With my Plus membership, it's $110 a year.

So, how do I get at least $110 in value from my Sam's Club membership? Here's a basic breakdown for last year:

• Household goods: I won't list our every toilet paper purchase, but I estimate we save about $50 a year on paper goods, cleaning products, and other household necessities.
• Coffee: Our house goes through a truly alarming (to me, no one else finds it strange) amount of coffee. We save about $0.05 per cup buying in bulk through Sam's Club, which amounts to least $36 a year.
• Snacks: A few of our favorite snacks are significantly cheaper through Sam's Club than anywhere else we've found. Altogether, we've shaved at least $50 a year off our snack budget thanks to shopping at Sam's Club.

And just like that, we're at $136 in value from my $110 membership. This is just the basics, though. We haven't even counted the random deals throughout the year, some of which can pay for a membership in and of themselves.

Sadly, Plus members don't earn Sam's Cash online

Experienced Plus members may have noticed I'm leaving something out: Sam's Cash. One of the big perks of a Plus membership is that you get 2% back (up to $500 a year) in Sam's Cash on most in-store purchases.

Unfortunately, that's where the earning stops -- the store.

Plus members aren't eligible to earn the bonus 2% Sam's Cash for online purchases. So, because all of my Sam's Club shopping happens online, I earn very little Sam's Cash each year.

On the bright side, I still earn plenty of rewards on those purchases thanks to my credit cards. I usually put Sam's Club purchases on whichever card has an active welcome bonus. If you're not working on a bonus, I suggest a good flat-rate rewards card, such as:

• Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card (see rates and fees)
• Citi Double Cash® Card
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees)

Unlike Costco, Sam's Club doesn't have any silly limits on credit card companies, so you can use any card you prefer. This makes it easier to maximize your rewards.

Whether you live right next door to Sam's Club or in the next state over, you can still get value from a membership. Just remember that there's no guarantee of value; everyone should crunch the numbers for themselves, every year, to ensure they're getting their money's worth.