Grocery Shop Club Cards - A little secret
June 19, 2007
Savings tip
You know those grocery club cards, right? For the few of you that don’t know what I’m talking about, several grocery store chains have a club card that entitles you to savings. Yeah yeah… I know there might be some privacy issues with them sharing the data with other parties, but all you have to do is put some random data and get the cards.
On average, my family saves between 10 and 20% every time we go grocery shopping. Over a year, that represents a couple of hundred dollars.
The discount is always presented near the original price. That’s to incentivize you to sign up for the card so they can market/resell your data to third party companies.
For example, this week on Albertsons (in SoCal):
- Kellogg’s, Quaker or Post CerealApple Juice - Regular Price: $3.00, with Club Card: 2 for $4.00
In the past I have always bought 2 to get the better deal, but recently, I’ve found out that you don’t actually have to purchase the total amount to be eligible for the discount. I can just purchase 1 for $2.00.
This is important because there are some items where the discount is advertised only for a large number of items, like:
- Gatorade - Regular Price: $1.59, with Club Card: 10 for $10.00
Normally I would skip on this, because I don’t need 10 bottles of Gatorade. But now I know that I can just buy one or two with my club card and still get the discount.
Another savings tip
Another great way to save money is to always check different grocery stores. Instead of just shopping at one grocery store, check other grocery stores frequently and only buy the products that are on sale. Most likely, in your next trip to a different grocery store, you’ll find different products on sale, so by visiting a different one every week, you should cover most of your grocery list.
I love steaks, and when we BBQ, we only grill Tri Tip. The problem is that normally, it is an expensive meat ($5.49+ / lb). But I know that there’s always some place selling it for $2.99 / lb. By checking each of the 3 grocery stores close to me, I’ve always found one store selling it for $2.99 / lb.
Not every item go on sale, but once you frequent the grocery shop long enough, you know the items that constantly go on sale and you can save a bundle.
* Image provided by iStockPhoto
Posted in 
SUBSCRIBE
Archives
Blogroll
Popular Posts
Site Admin
content rss
June 20th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
right you are. It’s all how the ad is worded for example if it’s a 2 fer, you can buy 1. On the other hand if it’s buy 1 get 1 free then you have to get both. Another catch is like coke was recently on sale around here for 4 for $11 get the fifth one free. So while you can buy 1 12 pack and get the deal, you aren’t getting the best deal because the real sell price is 5 for 11 rather then the 4 for 11. btw coke 12 packs regular price is 3.99.
As for the selling of personal info, not every company does this. Dillions/Kroger reportedly does. However a regional company in this part of the country (Kansas, Missouri/Oklahoma) known as Homeland (HAC, Inc) and the various names it operates under does not.
Still people give fake addresses and phone numbers, the problem with that is that you won’t get the copouns the company will mail you from time to time.
The point of the card is to save the company money and provide the customers using the card with greater savings. how?
simple if a company goes to the expense of sending copoun mailers out it will cost them more to send them to everyone in an area, even if the recipents does not shop at the store and maybe doesn’t even use the products being advertised. With the card however, they can send the same mailers out to just those that their computers say will buy that item as a result the customer can get bigger savings (for example instead of a 50 cent copoun it can be $1 or even $2).
June 20th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
That makes sense… I was under the wrong impression that the only reason they did that was to “track” your habits as well as to resell your data. Thanks for the info.
June 24th, 2007 at 4:42 am
[...] J2R showed us a secret that allows for more flexibility when using the grocery membership cards [...]
June 24th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
A little caveat here: Not all savings cards will let you only purchase part of the sale offer. One in particular around here requires that you purchase the whole deal or it’s the regular price. Be sure to check your grocer’s requirements on this. And make sure you do have your card with you. This particular one won’t even attempt to look you up to see if you’re in their system.
PetSmart, on the other hand, will look you up so you don’t have to show your actual card to them. I like that because I’m sometimes a ditz when it comes to remembering things.
June 24th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
yeah… Gotta check whether this applies to your grocery store before you go crazy
July 4th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
[...] Clever Dude: Frugality is more than just saving money Journey To Retirement: Grocery Shop Club Cards - A little secret Ask Mr Credit Card: Using My Reward Points to Save on My Summer Vacation TheLocoMono Website: How NOT to go to a Bar or a Club [...]
July 5th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
I always have the Vons and Ralphs ads in front of me when I do my shopping list. I look over both ads and see what I need versus what’s on sale at each store. I stop by the two stores buying the things that I need that are on sale. It takes a little bit of effort but the savings are huge!
August 21st, 2009 at 8:37 pm
[...] presents Grocery Shop Club Cards – A little secret | journey2retirement.com Blog posted at [...]