How do you feel about those grocery store discount card programs? Albertson’s and Smith’s run these, where you get the normal deal with their card and pay a buck or two more if you don’t (yes, it is run that way not the opposite).
I never like giving my information to any companies. I refrained from doing so for a long time, and last winter gave in for a silly TV giveaway at a local nursery. What do you know, within a week I was getting telemarketed by Trend West (here in IF). I keep the telemarketing leash tight so I know it was because of that drawing.
So I have figured out or heard of three ways you can still take advantage of those silly ‘card club’ discounts.
One, fill out the card with entirely incorrect information. Wrong name, address, phone number, etc. Easy enough, though some people may feel guilty about essentially lying. I don’t understand this, since those companies won’t feel guilty about selling your information as much as they can (do they really appreciate their customers this way?)
Two, give the phone number of a friend who does have a card. One of my buddies apparently gets extra coupons or rebates or something based on his purchases, so he gets more by having as many people as possible give his phone number for a discount. One person takes the spam cannon assault and any possible associated discounts, and the others get the discount without becoming spam targets themselves. Everyone’s happy.
Three, I just heard today you can simply ask the cashier to scan the ‘house card’, which they use for people who claim to have forgotten their cards. I imagine most cashiers would ask for your phone number to get at the above scenario, so I am not sure how effective this works.
And maybe someday these grocers will quit playing games and focus on plain cheaper prices instead of marketing gimmics, like WinCo does. Until then, I hope these tips help you get your discounts without giving up your privacy.
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For one store, I found a card in a parking lot a long time ago, and have used it ever since. I don’t know whose it is, hopefully the owners don’t get tagged by all the funky purchases I make…
(When the competition started the same thing, I went ahead and signed up. Not sure why I didn’t worry so much about it, then.)
I heard the stores sell the purchase information also, to various companies who use that data for many different things.
Creepy.
Darlene, it is strange that most people do the same thing of being inconsistent when giving out our information to businesses.
Yes, the companies are selling our customer information. John Dvorak used to be in the mailing list business, and described the industry in this week’s or last week’s “This Week in Tech” podcast.
He pointed out for an example the guy practically giving away his video tutorials with all sorts of cash back gurantees. Dvorak said that guy’s main business was selling mailing lists, not selling the CD’s.
He said the going rate for names is about $20 a person, more if the list is a very strong source.
An example of a strong source was anyone who buys nose trimmers via mail order. Anyone who does that will likely spend lots of money on items they cannot easily get, so long as they can shop discreetly (like mail order or online shopping).
I have a simpler solution. Shop at WinCo. Their prices certainly beat those at Smith’s or Albertson’s, and most of the time, even Wal-Mart’s. Smith’s and Albertson’s have to do those hack discount cards because their products are grossly overpriced. Here’s the thing: I figured even with gas at three bucks a gallon, we save money doing our grocery shopping at WinCo in Idaho Falls, even though we live in Sugar City, a 60-mile round trip away. Of course, we limit our trips to twice a month. I took a WinCo receipt once to Albertson’s and Smiths, and figured with the stuff we buy — which isn’t a lot of processed foods — we save between $15 to $20 a trip. And we can get ten cents off a gallon for gas at WinCo’s pumps. Honestly, I don’t know why people shop anywhere else. You even get free entertainment in the form of the birds that live in the store year-round. Look for them above the produce section — the store has even put in birdhouses for them. And I’ve never seen bird droppings on the apples.
Agreed on WinCo. You have to deal with massive lines sometimes, but you can’t beat the price, and their have some really good bulk foods (cereals, granola, rice, etc.)
I quit shopping at Smiths years ago when they initiated their card. I started shopping at Albertsons but quit when they went to the same gimmick. I now shop at WinCo although it is twice the drive as it would be to Albertsons a few blocks away. Albertsons has become nothing more than a c-store for small purchases. You just have to remember to wash the bird do-do off your apples and produce from WinCo. We could use a couple more WinCo stores in town to relieve the congestion at the one we have.
Has anyone investigated the Winco “coin” program?…..I don’t know alot about it but I believe you get a coin if you cash your paycheck there. The coin can be used like cash on purchases. I think they are worth $25. Like I said, I only know enough to know there is some type of reward system for shopping there. If anyone knows how it works, I’d be interested to know.
You get those coins when you cash a check, but they are not worth $25. When you cash a check, $5 of it is given to you in a $5 coin that can be used on purchases in the store. For every $25 on your purchase, you can use a coin.
So if you’ve cashed 2 checks and have 2 of the coins, and your purchase is $50, you can use both coins to go towards your purchase.
Be careful there isn’t a baby in that bathwater! Some of you have vowed not to step foot in the Smith/Albertson type stores because of their gimmicks, cards and high prices. But the fact is that they often run big specials at or below their costs, merely to get shoppers into their stores. (See latest Consumers Report) I find that if I can discipline myself to purchase ONLY the specials, and do not have to drive far out of my way, I can get some real screamin’ deals!
I consider shopping around like weaving in traffic – sometimes it might seem like you’re gaining ground, but in the end, you are just wasting time.
I shop at WinCo exclusively and do very well, budget-wise. I used to shop around for gimmick sales and specials, but when I factored in gas and time wasted, it just ended up costing me more.
Plus, WinCo’s bulk food is just marvelous. You can’t beat a coffee tin full of Frosted Flakes for a buck fifty.
I hear you on that, Jeremy. I have thought numerous times of a website to track common grocery items, like the gas prices websites, but the ideas are too full of holes.
I heard a year or two back that Google was working on a mobile search tool where you scanned in a barcode (or entered it textually) and it would tell you the price of that item at all stores within a mile of your location.
In fact, a better way would be to have a list of common items you buy, with their barcodes, you upload your list to a site, and it returns up to 3 lists to go to 3 closest stores and what you’ll pay the cheapest at those 3 places.
Whatever happened to those services that grocery stores used to offer where you would go to their website, create a shopping list, pay with your CC and they would have them waiting for you when you pulled up?
Harmon’s in St. George used to do that and it seemed to be successful.
I missed WinCo so much in Utah. There is not really a similar store there (although for supermarket prices, card-free Harmons and Reams always beat out Albertsons or Smiths stores).
Albertsons.com offers online grocery shopping in some markets (ie the Wasatch Front, Boise), but not here in Eastern Idaho.