I Want Swag Blog

Sometimes pleasant surprises come in the mail in the form of free product coupons. This week I received 3 free product coupons for PC Smokin’ Stampede Pork Back Ribs, cheddar cheese and PC Orange Juice.

I was wondering why the SuperStore would send these coupons for no apparent reason, but then I read their little message. It was to compensate shoppers for their inconvenience while they were renovating. I wasn’t inconvenienced at all but it was a really a nice gesture on their part, especially since the coupons are for quality products. They didn’t have to do it, but from my point of view, this is one of the best ways to market a store or bunch of products plus keep your customers loyal and happy at the same time.

Now I only wish the big banks would do these nice little things for their customers instead of lining their employees’ pockets with fat bonus checks!!! What has your big bank done for you lately?

During the holiday season and sometimes during the rest of the year, grocery stores offer extra points when you purchase their store brand products. By accumulating these points, you can save extra money. Let me explain what I mean using a real-life example.

In Canada, Loblaw Company operates large grocery stores and Superstores. Their product brand goes by the name of President Choice products which are as good or better than brand-name products, and usually at a lower price. During the Christmas holiday season, they have a “3 times the points”  on their President Choice products. So if you buy a product that costs say $2.99, normally you get aproximately 30 points, but during the promotion period you end up receiving 90 points. That’s a lot of extra points that you can be receiving and later redeemable for free groceries.

So my point is, when you see such promotions, if you like the product, buy it over the brand name and you’ll save in the long-run. Sometimes it makes sense to stockpile a product or buy a few extra weeks of product if you can.

One great way to save money is to buy products with attached coupons. Now you’re obviously not going to go out and buy a product just to get the coupon. What you will be doing is buying the brand of product that will offer you an added benefit like a money-saving coupon or a free product offer. This coupon can be used towards the price reduction of a future similar purchase or the purchase of a different yet complimentary product.

Let’s take an example that I like. I like to buy healthy cereals. There’s one in particular that offers a cut-out coupon for fat-free yoghurt. So what I like to do is buy several boxes of this product so that I can have the chance to redeem these coupons for several free packages of this yoghurt. If you buy yoghurt on a weekly basis, this is money in your pocket! You’re looking at a product with a value just over $3. If not, it’s a free and healthy food alternative for you.

So when you go shopping, you may want to take a closer look at what extra money-saving opportunities a particular product brand may offer over its competition.