That would be the Optimum points game. (For those of you without Shopper's Drug Mart, Optimum points are their loyalty rewards, and you may recall that back in February I ignored the icky feeling that my regular soul complained about and redeemed 40,000 points for a lot o' stuff.)
This time, the game was a 20x the points when you spend at least fifty bucks deal. So I think to myself, I think: I'm planning to get some of my groceries at Shopper's anyway, and - Lannis will be proud - the Duracell re-chargeable batteries are on sale, with the charger. That's fifty dollars right there.
My Shopper's list said: coffee (on sale), milk, batteries and charger, and (for real) "butter, lots of".
And then, it happened.
I went alone. I looked through my coupon list. I looked at the 20x the points sign. And did this:
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High on getting free stuff, my cheapskate soul went home (and, I imagine, drank a coffee and read an actual book) and my regular soul went to to Sobeys and did this:
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In total, my points and coupons perfect storm cost us $223.61. But - and call me cheater if you want to - not all of that is coming out of my grocery budget. When I write out those things, I come out at $143.37. Which is why The Pantry Pre-Challenge is still on. More on that tomorrow.