Once again Theresa over a LoudounCountyLimbo got me thinking. I have always used Target gift cards to pay for other gift cards, especially Disney gift cards; however, I never gave it much thought to shuffle gift cards at other stores. I have seen it posted on hundreds of blogs where bloggers swapped out gift cards but I never paid that much attention. I think the reason I never jumped on board before is the initial $100 cost plus the activation fee. I hate activation fees. I think it like flushing money down the toilet. I always thought the initial $100 buy in was steep. In the past I would consider weekly gas purchases just the cost of working and cheap groceries were my savings. I just never connected the two together because of the initial high dollar buy in. But Theresa recently posted and I decided to give it ole college try.
1) Food Lion
Purchased $100 Visa Gift Card plus $5.95 activation fee = $105.95 OOP
Got back $15.00 catalina for future Food Lion purchase
2) Food Lion
Repeated deal in number 1
Purchased $100.00 Visa Gift card. Paid with $100 gift card in first transaction and $5.95 OOP
Got back a second $15.00 catalina on future Food Lion purchase
3) Harris Teeters for a cart of groceries that includes 2 gallons of milk. My eVic specials did not load over the weekend so I called HT in North Carolina where my weekend specials were loaded manually and I could use the specials anytime today.
Groceries - saved $73.49 and paid $26.30 = 74% savings (does not include Savings Star savings - see below)
Paid with Visa gift card from second transaction
Will get back $4.00 from Savings Star on Sunkist Tuna + .75cents for Pillsbury Pie Crust + .75 Betty Crocker Cake Mix + .50 Chex Mix + .50 Bisquick + $1.50 Pillsbury Cookie Dough + $1.00 on Chex Cereal + $1.00 King Hawaiian rolls = $10 back from Savings Star
4) Giant
Purchased $50.00 Shell Gift Card + (7) Powerade Zero 8packs which are part of the 400 gas point reward. Used (7) .75/1 MQ from CVS's Minic Clinic coupon book and coupon for 300 gas rewards points when you spend $50.00 or more
Total: $70.71. Used $70.70 that was left on the Visa gift card from transaction 2 and paid 1 cent OOP
Got back 700 points in gas rewards
In the end
Spent OOP 100 +5.95 + 5.95 + .01 = $111.91
What did I get for $111.91?
$30.00 in catalina for Food Lion to use towards groceries
$10 in rebate from Savings Star
$50.00 gas card
700 gas points (if we use 30 gallons like last time equals $12.00 savings at the pump)
(7) 8packs of Powerade Zero from Giant
Groceries at Harris Teeters that would have been over $100 but after coupons was $26.90
(1) Bisquick Shake and Pour
(2) Chex Mix Cereal
(2) Betty C Cake Mixes
(1) bag of Chex Mix
(4) Kelloggs Pop Tarts
(2) Ritz Crackers
(2) McCormick Vanilla
(2) packs of Hawaiian rolls
(1) pack of 50 Styrofoam bowls for hubby's work
(6) Starkist Tuna pouches
(2) Pantene Shampoo/Conditioners
(2) Pillsbury Pie Crust
(4) Pillsbury Cookie doughs
(2) Baileys Coffee Creamer
(2) HT Milk gallons
I could not stop doing that Food Lion deal! I bought the $100 Visa gift card 5 times with the same initial $100. Paid $29.75 in activation fees and got $75.00 worth of grocery catalinas!!
ReplyDeleteBecause of time constraints I could only do the deal at the closest Food Lion aka Hateful Food Lion. Two deals was all I could do before they put the kabash on it. Next time I will be better armed with information and do the deal earlier at trashy Food Lion. Trashy Food Lion parking lot is a hot catalina paper mess but customer service is nice and helpful. I am not complaining...I am very very appreciative of the savings :-) VERY Appreciative :-)
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