Reaping the rewards of smart shopping

With the price of gasoline creeping upwards and even the most essential grocery items following suit, consumers need to stretch their dollars even further than ever, it seems. Reward programs, “team buying” and “coupon stacking” are just a few of the ways Canadian shoppers are creatively fighting back in the stores, and this week we’re highlighting these smart consumer trends as part of a three-part series on saving you money.

A simple piece of plastic can give you just a little edge at the cash register. But according to Canada’s Rewards expert Patrick Sojka, getting the most out of loyalty programs is all about playing your cards right.

“There are so many different cards that really there’s too many out there and you need to pick one or two of each,” said Sojka.

But if you’re like Lindsay Smith, that’s easier said than done.

“You’re on the spot a lot of the time,” Smith said, “At the cash register or at the till, you know “˜Sign up for this and you’ll eventually get something in return.’”

Smith has a card for practically everything, but after almost five years of collecting, none of her clutter has paid off.

“Air Miles I’ve never redeemed, no, nope I haven’t really redeemed anything yet,” she laughed, as she thumbed through her wallet.

According to Sojka, the best loyalty rewards programs in Canada involve travel miles. Consumers should look for programs with lots of partners both on the earning and the redemption side.

Also, keep an eye out for opportunities to “double dip” with a loyalty credit card: if you go into a store and earn regular points or miles on your purchase, use a credit care for that same program, so you earn those extra miles.

“By focusing on one program and getting a credit card to tie into the program is a great way to de-clutter your wallet,” Sojka advised.

But Sojka warns shoppers to pay off their credit cards immediately, so they collect all the points, miles and rewards, but none of the interest.

And focus on the big rewards, and avoid the overstuffed wallet syndrome by ignoring small programs like "buy ten get one free” cards.