My keychain is full of little plastic tags that double as minicards for various merchants: Best Buy, Borders, Comfort One Shoes, CVS, DC Library, Giant, Utrecht's Art Smart card. This list doesn't include all the cards that I've signed up for but that have fallen off when the thin area of card around the hole breaks. And it doesn't include the ones that I carry around in my billfold and do not string up with my keys: BooksAMillion, Blockbuster.
I'm coming to the conclusion that there's really only one of these cards that is worth the annoyance of lugging it around: Safeway's. Not only do I get a discount on house brand specials every time I swipe my Safeway card, but also after so many visits, depending on how much I've spent, I get a free GAS CARD, worth about $6 at a BP gas station. The store specials are worth a lot of $ day to day on items that I actually buy there. Unlike store coupons, which are mostly good for stuff I never buy (Oreos, hot dog buns, Cap'n Crunch), Safeway gives its card-carrying customers deals on things like fruit, vegetables, chicken, steak, frozen peas, toilet paper, dish soap, mouthwash....you get the idea. It saves real money on real food and basic needs.
Other cards give me a foot or two of receipt tape with specials for things I never buy: cosmetics and shampoo come to mind. It's not that I don't wash my hair. My hair is so fine and thin, using plain old Ivory soap kind of bulks it up.
One card, which shall be nameless, is totally annoying. You never get any discounts when you use it. If you want any price breaks, you have to read the receipt and then go to their website and print off coupons, which you then have to haul back to the store. Hello, merchant, baby....it costs me money to print those coupons. Put them on the receipt!! Or better yet, just give me a little discount every time I buy something, no matter what, at the store.
The library thingy is handy, although there's no money changing hands. I can't remember that long, complicated library card number every time I check out a book.
I make all my purchases on my Visa card that gives me cash back. That way I only have to carry one card and make an entry in just one place in my Money account. Also, if my purse were to get stolen (God forbid) I would only have to make one call to one business to cancel the card.
ReplyDeleteI do carry a Safeway and Fry's card for my grocery purchases to get the discounts, though. I still charge them to Visa.
I like those little teensy cards made just for hanging on keyrings. I love them. Not only do they give me discounts, but they help me find my keys. Always a challenge! And bulk helps!
ReplyDeleteShoot...above anonymous was me. Cat
ReplyDelete