Everyone wants to save money. But when inflation and the cost of living keep rising, finding ways to stretch your dollar becomes even more important.
Walmart saw the need for savings and revamped its membership program, Walmart+. But is it actually worth the cost?
Let’s see…
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What Is Walmart+?
Walmart+ is Walmart’s membership program, offering customers a variety of perks and benefits designed to make shopping more convenient while helping them save money.
The program launched in September 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the goal of catering to busy families and consumers looking for more convenient ways to shop.
But convenience is great—saving money is even better. So, what exactly does Walmart+ offer?
What Are the Benefits?
Free Delivery
One of the biggest perks of Walmart+ is free delivery.
We consumers love to hear the word free, but there are a few things to keep in mind. To take advantage of free delivery, you need to live within the delivery area of your local Walmart and select an eligible delivery time slot.
There is also a $35 minimum order requirement.
So, if you suddenly realize you’re out of your favorite chocolate bar, don’t expect Walmart to deliver one bar to your door for free. Come on now!
If you regularly purchase groceries and household essentials from Walmart, however, the delivery benefit could make the membership worthwhile.
Savings on Fuel
This one gets me excited. Have you seen the price of gas lately?
With Walmart+, members can save up to 10 cents per gallon on fuel at participating locations. Of course, the exact savings and participating locations can vary depending on where you live.
Some participating fuel stations include Exxon, Mobil, Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Murphy locations.
Ten cents may not sound like much at first, but remember the One One Penny philosophy: small savings can add up.
If you regularly fill up your car, those savings could make a noticeable difference over time.
One one penny, full wallet!
Paramount+ Savings
Now, this is where things get interesting.
You know how in math class they taught us that a positive plus a positive equals a positive?
Well, is Walmart+ plus Paramount+ a positive?
For some people, absolutely. For others, maybe not.
Walmart+ members can receive access to the Paramount+ Essential plan at no additional cost when they sign up through Walmart’s membership portal.
The Essential plan normally has a monthly cost when purchased directly through Paramount+. It includes ads, along with access to movies, television shows, CBS programming, and CBS News.
If you don’t mind watching a few ads, this could be a nice way to eliminate another monthly subscription from your budget.
And that’s a win in my book.
What If You Already Have Paramount+?
If you already pay for Paramount+, you may be wondering whether you can simply connect your existing subscription to Walmart+.
Unfortunately, you would generally need to wait until your existing Paramount+ subscription expires before signing up through Walmart+.
So, if you currently have a monthly or annual Paramount+ subscription, check your renewal date before making any changes.
The goal is to save money—not accidentally pay twice!
Scan & Go
Another convenient Walmart+ perk is Scan & Go.
With this feature, you can scan your items as you shop and keep track of your running total through the Walmart app.
This can be especially helpful if you’re trying to stick to a budget because you can see how much you’re spending before you get to the checkout.
Once you’re finished shopping, you can head to a participating self-checkout kiosk, complete your payment, and be on your way.
Less time at the register? I’ll take it.
Other Walmart+ Perks
Walmart+ offers several other benefits that may be useful depending on how often you shop at Walmart.
These include:
- Free online shipping on eligible purchases
- Exclusive access to promotions and deals
- Rewards that can be used toward future purchases
Keep in mind that Walmart rewards aren’t the same as cash back, so you can’t simply withdraw the rewards as cash.
However, the rewards can still help reduce the cost of future purchases. And if the rewards don’t expire, you have more flexibility in deciding when to use them.
So, Is Walmart+ Worth It?
Like most personal finance decisions, the answer is: it depends.
If you regularly shop at Walmart, use grocery delivery, purchase gas at participating stations, and would actually use the included Paramount+ benefit, Walmart+ could provide some meaningful savings.
But if you rarely shop at Walmart, don’t use delivery, don’t drive much, or wouldn’t use the other perks, the membership may not be worth adding to your monthly expenses.
Before signing up, take a minute to think about how you already spend your money.
Ask yourself:
How much would I realistically save each month?
If your estimated savings are greater than the cost of the membership, then Walmart+ may be worth your buck.
At One One Penny, we’re all about finding those little ways to make our money go further. Because sometimes, saving a few dollars here and a few dollars there can really add up.
One one penny, full wallet.
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