At the risk of sounding like a politically incorrect boob, I have a secret to admit: I like Sam’s Club. Let me amend that: I love Sam’s Club.

I know, I know; Sam Walton was the devil incarnate. His empire caused the entire downfall of American life and civilization as we know it. Wal-Mart (which I have never taken a shine to) and Sam’s Club have been vilified as uncaring and tyrannical employers who refuse to provide healthcare insurance and a decent wage. (If this were the case, why is it that so many of the employees at our local Sam’s have been there 20 years or more?) The nerve of that guy, Sam Walton, offering products to consumers at a lower cost than his competitors! What the hell was he thinking?

I’ve been a Sam’s Club convert since the mid 1990s when my son suffered a growth spurt and began to devour everything in sight. It’s rather costly to provide that volume of food to growing children. (It is 13 years later, and he still eats everything in sight. Thank goodness his metabolism can handle it.)

Even though my little birdies are now flying out of the nest, and I don’t really have a need to keep a ready supply of bulk food, I’m not giving up my membership any time soon. I use my card to procure business products, but it’s also the go-to store for home items, as well.

I love the cheap (I mean thrifty) super-soft Charmin and the jumbo box of Bounce dryer sheets. My husband breaks glassware on a regular basis and replacements are cheaper at Sam’s. Where else can I get lemons and romaine lettuce for very little money? Special K? Tuna? One time, they had a one-pound jar of cocktail sauce for 52 cents.

Incidentally, I’ve never had a bad steak from Sam’s, and they actually have a pretty good selection of wine and champagne at a significant discount from other nearby vendors. This, from our local small-ish Sam’s, which is not one of those super-duper ones that are acres larger.

My favorite time to shop is during business member hours (7 to 10 a.m.) during the workweek. The store is relatively quiet and you can drop in and make your way out easily. I had forgotten how chaotic a weekend trip to Sam’s Club could be until last Saturday afternoon, when I decided to brave the masses. It was the only available time slot I had, and I had to feed the urge to go.

You need special skills to survive a Saturday excursion to Sam's Club. If you decide to venture in during the weekend, just remember thousands of other people have the same idea and they are going to be there at the precisely same time as you. There’s no in-and-out quickly on a Saturday, so just resign yourself to spending a lot more time navigating the aisles.