Coming To A Store Near You....Retail Surveillance

We already know that grocery stores use loyalty card programs, such as CVS ExtraCare, to keep tabs on what you buy. This helps them market more effectively, and facilitate coupon distribution, I assume. In fact, last weekend, I pulled up my CVS account to review their weekly ad and it showed me what I had bought in the last 6 to 18 months. Pretty crazy, but since it was highlighting current sales on these products, it was also useful for shopping planning.

I have been willing to give up some privacy to this end for as long as store cards have existed. However, I am not sure about this new idea. According to a Fox 5 News Report, the company that owns Chips Ahoy and other brands, Nabisco, wants to take their market research a step further.

What the story called "grocery spying" is just that. Now, when you shop at a store that has been equipped with this technology, it will record who is buying the product, tracking demographics such as sex, age, and products purchased to better target you. The story didn't say if Nabisco, or the affiliated store selling to you, would offer a coupon for your loss of privacy. I hope there'd be some benefit offered then. Otherwise, if you don't want to be spied on, shield yourself or buy an alternative product instead.

2015, the year this supposed technology will be introduced, is still a little ways off. Time will tell if consumers accept this intrusion if they perceive benefit. Otherwise, this, and other grocery store innovations, such as self-checkout, may not take off.

More tips for saving money at the pump

Yesterday, I mentioned a few different ways in which you could save money each time you buy gas.  Today, I will examine another which I have discussed in the past, Giant Food Store's Gas Rewards, and build upon it with yesterday's post.

For some time now, Giant grocery store (which is basically East Coast) has had a deal with Shell Oil called Gas Rewards.  The premise is very simple:  register with the program, shop at Giant, and earn points when you shop.  Points are earned at a rate of 1 point/$1 spent.  Once you hit a threshold of 100 points, that's good for $.10 off a gallon.  Shop a lot?  Rack up enough points and you can save up to $2.20/gallon in one visit!  Their website has a very helpful tutorial in case you need more explanation, but once you visit the gas station, pop in your Giant Bonus card and the price per gallon will go down as you redeem points. 

Here is the fun part.  Just as you can double dip using the Exxon/Mobil's Speedpass promotion using a gas rewards credit card, you can do the same with Giant's program.  Again, let's look at another example.  Using the national average of $3.85/gallon, and, assuming you have earned enough points in Giant's program, coupled with 5% cash back, your cost could be as little as $2.09/gallon!  You will feel like you entered a timewarp. 

There are some restrictions, of course.  Points are only good for 30 days, and since it takes 100 points for $.10/gallon savings, and with each point costing $1 in purchases, it would take about $2200 in grocery shopping a month to take full advantage of the program.  A bit challenging even for the largest of families.  Even without realizing the full savings ability, there is still a potential to shave money off each gallon--and, you would be buying the groceries anyway!  You might as well get something for them.

If you read this far, don't get discouraged if you don't have a Giant in your neighborhood.  There are other stores that have similar programs as well.  Just look for them and feel free to report back what you find.  I will list them in a future post.

Review: "Extreme Couponing"

If you haven't already, definitely check out the TLC show "Extreme Couponing," it may just change your perspective on shopping altogether.  In case you haven't heard, the 30 minute (well, more like 20 or less) show features so-called 'extreme' shoppers who are able to walk into a grocery store armed with coupons and walk out with carts of groceries--at about 90-100% off.  Yes, 100%.

Although the show is a little short on specifics, presumably to preserve the ability to continue facilitating the habits of  the shoppers, basically, these couponers spend hours at home clipping coupons and building their "stock."  Depending on the store, they employ strategies such as 'double coupons,' coupled with manufacturer's coupons, and other store sales.  Occasionally, the prices are so low that the store actually refunds them the difference because the shopper's coupons went over the price of the item. 

It's somewhat humorous, somewhat disturbing, and impressive all at once.  Finally, last night's show brought some sanity to the mix because the guy featured, the only one so far to have some benevolence for others, was going to donate his wares to troops overseas.

I am interested in how long this show can last.  They have had a couple of episodes, which were basically the same.  It may be giving the impression that eating bad food is ok, which is kind of irresponsible.  Several scenes showed piles of candy, highly sugary cereals, and tons of pizza, only to be followed by a woman buying 40 or so bottles of antacid.  One wonders if the diet has something to do with that.  I would like the show to take on CVS and see what magic can be performed with ExtraBucks.
Check out the show on Wednesdays at 9pm EDT.

Checking store receipts for bonus savings and offers

It's all too easy to throw away a store receipt after arriving at home (or before) with your purchases.  Everything checks out and nothing is broken, so you think "ok, I can throw out the receipt."  But, look closely at the bottom of them and you might notice special offers.  I noticed one the other day for CVS.  Just sign up for CVS emails and get a $4 coupon emailed to you.  That's $4 tax free, awesome!  Of course, with CVS, the bottom of the receipt also shows you how many ExtraBucks you might have earned on your shopping trip.  So, don't throw away the receipt until you check it.

I don't bother very often to respond to them, but fast-food restaurants especially seem to offer chances to win prizes for filling out surveys over the phone or on-line.  Prizes can be lucrative, usually around $1,000, so worth a few minutes of time.  The next time you finish your burger, look to see if there is a cryptic code at the bottom of the receipt a phone number to call.  Fill out the survey and you could be a winner. 

Rite Aid's new customer loyalty program

Rite Aid just launched a new customer loyalty program called Wellness Plus.  The program is free and easy to join.  Once a member, shoppers can immediately earn a $5 off $25 purchase coupon, as well as points towards additional savings. 

The savings are based on a tiered system, meaning, the more you spend, the greater the discount.  Once a member earns 125 points, they are eligible to save 10%, one-time, on non-prescription drug purchases.  At the silver level, which requires 500 points, members can save 10% off non-prescription drug purchases for the remainder of the year.  Finally, at the gold level, which requires, 1000 points, members can save 20% off their non-prescription drug purchases for the remainder of the year.

The analysis:  since there is no Rite Aid in my neighborhood, this won't disuade me from shopping at CVS.  In contrast to CVS, which earns a guaranteed 2% back on each purchase (and don't forget the Extra bucks), one has to spend quite a bit at Rite Aid to get a discount.  Moreover, unlike CVS, the details of the program stipulate that it cannot be combined with another offer, which might mean coupons as well.  But, I would still try using your coupons when making purchases (at any store). 

Here is some strategy, which will help you earn your 10 or 20% off quicker: be sure to fill your prescriptions at Rite Aid.  Prescriptions earn 25 points per dollar vs. 1 point per dollar for all other items.  One prescription might score you a 10% off pass really quickly.  In contrast, one would have to spend $500 or $1000 on non-prescription purchases to yield that discount.  The terms and conditions stipulate that Medicare/Medicaid subsidies are ineligible, as well as in NY/NJ, but if you have an allergy pill prescription that costs $5 after your health care kicks in, that's enough for a one-day 10% off pass. 

Join their program and let me know what you think of it.

YouTube videos on saving money

Thought I would try something different for a change.  Since YouTube has videos on just about any topic, I trolled it for consumer-related ones.  I came across this one about saving money with coupons.  There are many more like it, some professional looking, some broadcast news clips, and some more folksy in nature. 

This is short, just over two minutes, but one, which I haven't viewed yet, is over 20 minutes.  I am curious as to how much detail is involved with it. Perhaps they take us on a ride to the actual store, including drive time?

Enjoy

Don’t forget the in the-store coupons as well

Since most coupon hunting takes place either in the Sunday newspaper, or increasingly on-line (hint: search for "printable coupons"), a possibly overlooked hiding spot for valuable money savings is at the grocery store, supermarket, or drug store itself.  Specifically, CVS offers a handy, dual-function kiosk that serves as a price checker and a coupon dispenser.  As much fun as it is to scan my ExtraCare card, I never have scanned an item, you know, “to double check” the price.  Perhaps I should. 

Most of the time I have tried to use the kiosk for coupons I have been disappointed.  $1.50 off tampons or something I clearly do not need.  Lamenting at the waste of paper (one would think that CVS might want to give the option to print the coupon out or not), I am usually discouraged.  However, lately I have had a stroke of luck.  Not only has the coupon machine been working, but also it provided valuable savings that I used at the same store visit.  The first was the ExtraBucks that I was eligible for based on winter spending.  I did not realize you could print them out there, too.  And, the second was for $1 off paper products and I happened to be buying paper towels that night.

What is cool about CVS, at some locations, is the ability to do self-check out.  Sometimes it is slower than waiting in line, particularly if the machine jams up for whatever reason, but I have had success by and large.  And, don’t worry about not being able to use CVS coupons during self-check out, one can still scan those, too.

Long-time readers know that I love CVS and always feel like I got a good deal for my money.  You should, too.

CVS settlement with the Federal Trade Commission

A couple of days ago, I received a letter from the FTC saying that it had sued CVS Pharmacy for falsely claiming that its Air Shield product prevented colds.  While I didn't actively sign up for this lawsuit, the letter claims that "according to its records, I had purchased Air Shield."  Kind of scary.  FYI, if you don't know what Air Shield is, it's a knock-off of Air Borne, which also has faced a similar lawsuit.  Enclosed with the letter is a check for $24.81, which is pretty awesome of course.

I have always liked Air Shield and swear by the stuff.  It's cheaper than Air Borne and I like to make a cocktail of Air Shield and Theraflu when I am feeling a little if-y.  I will gladly cash the check and give up my right to sue them further.  You might want to check your mailbox to see if you have received a similar letter. 

The power of loyalty marketing

But, this is a great example of the power of loyalty marketing.  I am a huge fan of CVS ExtraBucks, and have written about them on many occasions such as here and here.  And, just the other day, I walked out of CVS having purchased two tubes of toothpaste for $.79 because I had a $2 ExtraCare buck receipt and Crest was offering a two-for-one deal, originally at $2.79.  Since I proceeded to use the self checkout, I kind of felt like CVS lost money on my transaction by having an employee stand there.  I don't think they saw the grin on my face as I left the store knowing what I had just pulled off, all on the up and up.

However, I also realized that the Feds (or others) are using this data.  Thus, one has to think about the privacy they are sacrificing for savings.  As long as one doesn't become a victim of identity theft (or some other malicious targeting) because of it, I don't mind signing up for these types of loyalty programs.  When you think about it, you already are tracked by your bank, the IRS, credit card companies, the health care industry, and many others.  It becomes very difficult to live "off the grid."  Just yesterday, the Centers for Disease Control used grocery store data to track the spread of salmonella.  Thus, your data is being used. 

100th Post Today

Thanks to the loyal readers who have read me from the beginning.  Today, I write my 100th post and hope to write another 100.  I appreciate your ideas, thoughts, and comments.  Without them, I would be writing to myself.

Tell me where you have saved money!

Grocery Store Shopping Strategy

Other than using grocery store loyalty cards, which I have discussed at length, there are other factors involved, seen, and unseen, that will influence your shopping behavior.  These may either work for or against you.  I recommend carrying a calculator to help you determine unit prices. 

If I had the time, I would conduct an identical survey of my own to back up what the Associated Press found.  Some of the article's focus is on strategies that stores have used for years that you might not be aware of, but others are more recent.  Read them, and how you can counter them, here.

I invite you to share with me your tips, tricks, and hints as well.

How To Save the Environment and Money Part II

No sooner had I discussed reducing the amount of catalogs and junk mail you receive did I see this article from the Consumerist website about bringing in your own bags and getting Extra Care bucks from CVS.  It's a great promotion: buy their 99 cent green tag bar code, bring in your own bag next time instead of using their ubiquitous plastic ones, and your fourth visit yields you some Extra Care bucks.  Loyal readers know that I love Extra Care bucks.  CVS is a little late on the act, though.  Other stores have been doing this for quite a while, Whole Foods, for example, has been doing this for years.  Since they don't call Whole Foods "Whole Paycheck" for nothing, a little kickback helps there, too.

The next time you are grocery shopping, see if your store offers a similar discount if you bring your own bags.  If they don't, suggest they start a program.

Store Cards Revisited

I have posted about grocery store loyalty cards before, but I wanted to remind you that sometimes stores don't prompt you to use them. Last night, I was at a grocery store and proceeded to check out and knew that one of my items, a loaf of bread, was $1 off with that store's loyalty card. I had o remind the cashier, or ask if you will, to input my telephone number. Voila! $1 savings. I am kind of wondering if stores are a little less apt to promote their cards during these challenging economic times. As you may know, grocery store profits are pretty thin already. That dollar to them represents quite a bit multiplied over and over again.

Grocery Shopping

If you are like me, going shopping just plain old stinks. The lines, the unfriendly customer service, and worst of all, having to spend money.

Though you may not have much choice in stores to shop, you do in most cases have the option of buying generic. This may not appeal to all readers, but for me, I can hardly tell the difference between most generic products and brand ones. Cereal being the only exception, and even then, it doesn't taste too much different.

Also when shopping, be sure to check out unit prices. These will be in the lower corner of the prices on the shelf, not on the package. Should there not be prices listed, bring a calculator and do some math. Divide the price by the size of the package and figure out its unit cost. Then, compare among the sizes of the product you are interested in. In many, if not all cases, bigger size means lower cost per unit. The exception I would bring up in the next section.

Many grocery stores have bonus cards or store reward cards. If they don't hype them the moment you walk in, ask a customer service representative or cashier. Chances are the big stores will have them. Back to our example with unit pricing. Often, stores will offer deals by using their loyalty or rewards cards. 2 for $1, 5 for $1.25, etc. On top of that, you can bring in coupons to work in addition to the cards further saving you money. Suddenly, that name brand of cereal or other product is not so expensive. Visit a store's website as well to see if they offer these cards. Buy the Sunday paper. $1.50 will be easily recuperated in savings.