Grocery Rewards that Just Make Cents

Over the years, I have chatted with many friends in Fernie about grocery store loyalty programs and realized there are still a lot of people who either are not collecting points or are not using them efficiently. With the cost of living constantly rising, it is important to make every penny count, especially when we all have to shop for groceries.

Both chain grocery stores in Fernie offer rewards programs, and when used correctly you can really reap the benefits. I have personally used my points for flights every year, and it does not mean you need to spend a lot of money to earn them. Quite cent sensible, right? The best part about these programs is that they are absolutely free to join.

Ways you can earn points
•    buying certain products
•    loading weekly personalized offers
•    spend threshold bonuses (for example: Spend $100, get 5,000 points)

Ways you can redeem points
•    groceries
•    gift cards
•    travel
•    merchandise or experiences

A few ways I collect points faster and make the most of my grocery budget:

1. Plan ahead and shop the flyer.
Each week some products come with big bonus points. I often use the flyer to help plan my meals for the next week.

2. Download the app and load the weekly offers.
By loading the weekly coupons or offers, you can earn bonus points on certain products. Without loading offers, the program earns points very slowly. I also try to only buy things I will actually use. Just because there are points attached does not always justify the purchase. Earning points is great, but it’s not a reason to spend more than you normally would.

Examples of offers:
•    Buy 2 products → +1,000 points
•    Spend $100 → +5,000 points
•    Buy a specific brand → +500 to 10,000 points

3. Link household accounts
People in the same household can link their cards together to collect points faster.

4. Watch for multiplier promotions
These promotions can significantly increase how many points you earn. For example, spending $150 might normally earn 150 points, but during a promotion it could earn 3,000 points or more.

Example promotions:
•    Spend $60 to $149 → 10 times points
•    Spend $150 to $299 → 20 times points
•    Spend $300 or more → 40 times points

5. Redeem points strategically
I try to redeem points during special grocery events or for travel, as travel redemptions can sometimes offer the best value.

What are the main differences between the two programs?
PC Optimum: Basically cash back for groceries. Simple and predictable. 10,000 points = $10. Can be collected at Loblaw brand store, Esso, Shoppers Drug Mart.

Save On More Rewards: Flexible rewards (travel, events, etc.). ~10,000pts = ~$15 groceries depending on how you redeem.

Personally, I treat points as bonus savings, or a bit of a game, not the reason I choose where to shop.
So, there you go, a brief summary. If you want to learn more, I would highly recommend reading up on each program. If you have not downloaded the grocery store apps yet, now might be a good time to start. Since most of us are already buying groceries every week, we might as well earn a few rewards along the way.

Happy collecting, and may the points be ever in your favour.