Earn and Manage Fuel Saver Points at Kroger (part 1)
There are three ways to earn Fuel Saver points at Kroger: 50 points for each eligible prescription, 2 points for each dollar spent on gift cards, and one point for each dollar spent on groceries. Of course, all of these some with a little star * at the top, which usually means “I was just joking”. I have found, though, that the little star means something good in the case of each dollar spent for groceries.
Lets say I purchased two Progresso soups that are on sale for $1.25, down from $1.49 each. One eCoupon for 50 cents applies at checkout and I have a paper coupon for 50 cents off 2, which doubles. (1.25×2=2.50-1.5=1.00) Then we add the 2% GA tax for food and I pay $1.02. This would mean one point, right? Looking on my receit, this actually meant 3 points.
The way that the points are calculated brings another reason to use coupons, both paper and eCoupons. The sale price for that product is considered, but coupons are not represented in the equation. So I earned points as if I actually pulled $3 out of my pocket. Not all items bring points this easily, but on average, we have been actually spending 60 cents for each point earned. This has helped tremendously with earning the points needed to fill up the gas tank each month.
Add a comment February 17, 2009
Tags: eCoupons, fuel at Kroger, Fuel saver points, save on fuel
Save on Fuel at Kroger
Some Kroger stores have their own gas station where you can fill up your gas tank conveniently, without leaving the parking lot. The price for their gasoline is equal to or even lower than the price offered by RaceTrac, Shell, or QT in the same neighborhood. But Kroger goes one step further and makes it even more appealing to buy gas from them.
Use your shopper’s card and save 3 cents per gallon… but wait, there is more! For every 100 points earned by shopping in the grocery store, you can save 10 cents per galon of gas bought from their gas station. Still more, if you use your 1-2-3 Rewards Visa credit card, you can even save 15 cents per gallon of gas!
I applied for a Rewards credit card, but I was not accepted for one. So we are still only saving 10 cents per gallon. In our car, this means about $1.50 per fill up. Multiply this by an average of 4 times a month, for 30 months (which is how long we’ve been shopping at Kroger). So far so good, we probably saved about $180 by using fuel saver points at Kroger.
See how to get them and how to manage them in the next post.
Add a comment February 16, 2009
Tags: fuel at Kroger, Fuel saver points, save on fuel
eCoupons – Save More on Magazines
If you want to save a bunch of money on magazines, purchasing a subscription makes sense. However, if you want to try out one issue before commiting long term, ShortCuts eCoupon program at Kroger offers some savings.
Subscribe to ShortCuts and add $1.00 off coupons for Lucky, Brides, Bon Apetit Glamour, Self and GQ Magazine. Many of these magazines offer coupons and contests also, so your savings can go even further!
Add a comment February 16, 2009
Tags: coupons for magazines, eCoupons, magazine discount
Personalized Coupons – I Love You Too, Kroger
A pretty envelope featuring pink and red heart-shaped cookies was delivered the other day. “Personalized savings just for you” boasts on its front, in bold red letters. Great! Who doesn’t like free personalized coupons brought at the front door? A short (and sweet) message from the president of Kroger Atlanta explains the purpose of these coupons: Kroger wants us to be its Valentine.
Every once in a while, Kroger sends a booklet of “personalized coupons”. When going through the list however, I can’t help but wonder if someone actually sat down, looked at the items I usually purchase, then selected these coupons just for me. Because if this is actually the case, this person is probably overworked, overtired, and still suffering from a hangover. Unless, of course, ”personalized” means anybody who 1. still lives and 2. shops at Kroger. Sadly, though, the second condition could not possibly apply because these coupons were delivered in James’ name, yet we have not used James’ Kroger card in about 10 months.
Every single purchase that we make is recorded on that shopper’s card. Whoever can see that list knows more of the stuff I buy at Kroger than James does! We have not been purchasing cat food in a few months, yet we have been purchasing baby food. We have started to purchase organic fruits and vegetables instead of the regular ones. We have replaced junk food with fresh fruits and vegetables. I would expect that with all the software available today, a set of coupons that were actually personalized could easily be printed out and mailed. Why is this still not the case?
Nonetheless, these savings are greatly appreciated and we always use the coupon for Free eggs. So I guess I have to say it: Sure, Kroger, I will be your valentine.
Add a comment February 9, 2009
Tags: Kroger, mailed coupons, personalized coupons
Baby Food – Which Is Which and Which Is Best
Anybody who went to a baby shower had to taste some baby food. Ask James, he knows all the tastes of all the brands of baby food out there. He says that “brand name” baby foods (i.e. Gerber) are better than “non brand name”. Apparently, our baby doesn’t care what label is on the jar she is eating from. When it’s lunch time, there must be some food in her pink bowl, or else! So it’s up to mommy to find the best deals with the available resources.
Generally, “Gerber” baby foods are priced just a few cents per ounce more than “Beech Nut” foods. However, I have found more coupons for “Gerber” baby food than for “Beech Nut” baby food. Organics and baby food with DHA are more expensive than 1st step food, which is more expensive than 2nd step food.
Today however, I paid less per ounce of “Gerber” organic and DHA enhanced baby food than for the “Beech Nut” regular baby food. The “Gerber” organic and baby food with DHA were on sale from $1.30 down to $1.05. I had a coupon for $1.00 off 4 plastic containers with any type of food. This brought my price down to $0.80 per container. If they only made organic food enhanced with DHA!
Buying fresh fruits and vegetables and making homemade baby food is still cheaper than the jars of food. Just be careful of the no-no vegetables that might contain nitrates in your area (http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/nitratearticle.htm).
Add a comment February 6, 2009
Tags: baby food, Beech Nut, DHA, Gerber, Organic baby food, price comparison
Multigrain Cheerios – For FREE!
I took my baby to Kroger today. Our favorite hangout place. She gets lots of attention from other shoppers (“look at that cute baby”) and generously shares smiles left and right. I quicky walk down the aisles, scanning the yellow tags and mentally matching them with the coupons in my box. OK, here it is. I came for a specific item today: Multigrain Cheerios. I had some $0.50 off coupons for it and the picture on the coupon looked so good. I wanted to try this “healthy food”. It was on sale for $1.64 for a small box. At the register, the $0.75 eCoupon for Multigrain Cheerios applied, then, my $0.50 coupon doubled.
Oh, wait! I actually got paid to buy that box of “healthy cereals”. I made up for it by buying a second box (I just couldn’t resist paying $0.55 for a box)… and lots of other stuff. I was out of there before baby start acting up.
Add a comment February 6, 2009
eCoupons: The Best Of Both Worlds
If you want to get a decent price on your groceries at any store, including at Kroger, you must have a shopper’s card. This red piece of plastic can save you hundreds of dollars a year and it costs nothing to get one. The latest way you can make this card work for you is by addig eCoupons to it.
E-Coupons are discounts that will apply on select products at check-out. They require no clipping, storing, flipping through and finding. You won’t forget them home: if you have your card, you have your coupons. The best part is that these coupons, which can usually be found in printed form in the same period of time, can be used together with the paper coupons. Let’s say I had a $0.55 off coupon from Sunday’s newspaper. Then, I load a $0.55 ecoupon for the same product onto my card. Ta-daaaa! $1.10 off that product. How awesome is that!!
The system is not perfect and some problems do exist. Sometimes, these coupons will not apply to the respective product. Nobody can explain why, it’s just that “the system” has a mind of its own. This can be fixed by shooting a quick email to customer service and they will reinburse you for the value of that coupon, if you give them the receit number, shopper’s card number, and value of the coupon. Sometimes, the scanner will not recognize a scan bar and the cashier will manually put in the price. If this happens, again the coupon will not apply and you can’t prove to the customer support people that you actually purchased the right product for that coupon to apply. Lastly, these coupons do not double as the regular printed ones and you don’t have them in front of you when you shop, to see if they are still valid or if they expired.
Go online to Kroger.com. They have two digital coupon programs and they both require registration. Register to have access to both eSaver and P&G coupons. Make sure you input the correct card number, as all the cents off will be loaded onto your card. Then browse through the list of coupons they offer at the time and click “Add”. It’s that simple.
Add a comment February 5, 2009
Tags: coupons, customer service, eCoupons, eSaver, Kroger, shopper's card, shopping
I Shop At Kroger
The only other grocery store in my area in Publix. But I can walk to Kroger. I browse down the isles looking for the yellow tags that mark the sales. I quickly compare the price per ounce or per unit between the product on sale and the similar products on the shelf. Then I shuffle through my coupons in my mind then match the coupon with the sale. I know I have it. I just have to find it. This way I end up purchasing 15 bottles of shampoo, 3 bars of soap, 1 jar of peanut butter and 2 bags of frozen vegetables for less than $10.
All this browsing and matching is so addictive, I don’t even realize that I am leaving the store without the ingredients for tomorrow’s dinner.
Add a comment February 5, 2009
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