Tips and Tricks to gaining more Optimum Points?

[westcoastblondie]

Hey Guys,

I'm just wondering if anyone has any tricks to gaining more Optimum points, faster.
I have VIB for things my niece and nephew and as much as I try to buy the things they say they're offering extra optimum points for, it just never seems to add up. At least not when there's redemption days. I've noticed there are people on this board that always seem to have a ton and always have an amount for the extra redemption days so I am wondering if there is any secrets to gaining more points faster?

[Valerey]

The quickest way for me is the 20x points events, or the 18,000 pts. I never miss those shopping days, and buy only what I will use. For those I spend around $100 (sometimes split into 2 shops so I can get more of the things with a limit of 2 or 4). I ALWAYS buy my eggs and Highliner fish there because the price is the same if not better than other stores, and so on the 20x days, I get LOTS of each of those as well as toilet paper and tissues. THe rest of what I spend is on food usually, and i ALWAYS lower my OOP with coupons. One 20x points day gets me between 20-30,000 points. Do this twice, and you have enough to redeem your 50,000.

[Mich649]

Read the SDM thread often, and keep an eye on the bonus points thread here on smart canucks. Last year, (in a booklet at SDM)there was a bonus points coupon for 10000 points when you bought a digital thermometer. I believe I read some people were buying one for $9.99 and using the coupon. Myself, I bought the one that was priced at $84.99 (I think?) and rang in at $19.99. There are alot of bonus points coupons for items that you can get almost free with coupons, as well . Get an extra card (for your husband/boyfriend/signifigant other/cat) so you can take advantage of bonus points that are only offered one per card. Just before christmas, there was an offer for buying $150.00 in gift cards, you received 8,000 bpts. You can buy visas, sdm cards, other stores, gas,etc., and receive the bpts (you can then use them yourself for christmas presents). There are many ways to accumulate points, but most importantly, read the sdm thread, as everyone here likes to share their points strategies!

[westcoastblondie]

Thanks for the responses guys! I've always tried to take advantage of the 20x points days and such but I don't know they've always fallen in between my pay days. I guess I'll need to be more smart when it comes to making sure that I can save enough for those days. I appreciate the suggestions, I'm definitely going to try and work harder at gaining these points because as far as I can see, SDM has the easiest means of getting rewards. I just need to figure it out better!

[Mich649]

Thanks for the responses guys! I've always tried to take advantage of the 20x points days and such but I don't know they've always fallen in between my pay days. I guess I'll need to be more smart when it comes to making sure that I can save enough for those days. I appreciate the suggestions, I'm definitely going to try and work harder at gaining these points because as far as I can see, SDM has the easiest means of getting rewards. I just need to figure it out better!

I used to find that I never had money for the bonus points events either, but then learned I could see the flyer early here on SC and usually somebody on here tips us off if there is one coming up. I also got used to buying a giftcard for SDM each pay ($25.00 or $50.00), using it for milk only, and then I had the balance for the events (helped with my oop).

[lealgen]

I do the following ... it's worked well for me. I was able to do a few redemptions last year including 6 at the MEGA redemption in Dec!

1. Use Bonus Coupons (especially on baby products)
2. Shop only during the "spend $50 get 20x Points" or "spend $75, get 18,500 points" events
3. Use the SDM Mastercard to pay for all purchases (including my bills)
4. Always buy SDM GC to pay for SDM purchases (Gc purchased with SDM mastercard)
5. Buy GCs during the November promo - "Buy 2 GCs worth $150, get 8000 points" event - I purchased GCs for 6 months worth of gas and some gcs for home renos!
6. If I need to buy an item at another store, I purchase a GC for that store at SDM (if they carry it) - ie recently I needed to buy a car seat at Babies R Us (approx $250). Instead of purchasing the car seat at BRU using my SDM Credit Card (which would give me 1250 points), I purchased a $250 GC for SDM using my SDM mastercard, and then used that $250 SDM GC to purchase a $250 BRU GC. This gave me 3750 points for using my SDM credit card and 2500 points for purchasing the SDM GC = 6,250 points instead of 1250 points. Walked out with an extra 5000 points!!

[torontogal12]

So you can use SDM GCs to buy GCs for other stores? I've tried to do this at other chains and it hasn't been allowed. But SDM allows it? Great tip


So realistically, you could buy SDM gift cards and use them to buy Loblaws gift cards, then get SDM points on Loblaws purchases?

I do the following ... it's worked well for me. I was able to do a few redemptions last year including 6 at the MEGA redemption in Dec!

1. Use Bonus Coupons (especially on baby products)
2. Shop only during the "spend $50 get 20x Points" or "spend $75, get 18,500 points" events
3. Use the SDM Mastercard to pay for all purchases (including my bills)
4. Always buy SDM GC to pay for SDM purchases (Gc purchased with SDM mastercard)
5. Buy GCs during the November promo - "Buy 2 GCs worth $150, get 8000 points" event - I purchased GCs for 6 months worth of gas and some gcs for home renos!
6. If I need to buy an item at another store, I purchase a GC for that store at SDM (if they carry it) - ie recently I needed to buy a car seat at Babies R Us (approx $250). Instead of purchasing the car seat at BRU using my SDM Credit Card (which would give me 1250 points), I purchased a $250 GC for SDM using my SDM mastercard, and then used that $250 SDM GC to purchase a $250 BRU GC. This gave me 3750 points for using my SDM credit card and 2500 points for purchasing the SDM GC = 6,250 points instead of 1250 points. Walked out with an extra 5000 points!!

[Panache70]

So you can use SDM GCs to buy GCs for other stores? I've tried to do this at other chains and it hasn't been allowed. But SDM allows it? Great tip


So realistically, you could buy SDM gift cards and use them to buy Loblaws gift cards, then get SDM points on Loblaws purchases?

Your mileage may vary on this. Personally, my store always gives me a hard time when I try to buy an SDM gift card with my SDM Mastercard. They have flat out told me that I also cannot buy another GC with an SDM GC.

Too much fraud they say... Many SDMs are individually owned so they tend to set their own rules...

[lealgen]

So you can use SDM GCs to buy GCs for other stores? I've tried to do this at other chains and it hasn't been allowed. But SDM allows it? Great tip


So realistically, you could buy SDM gift cards and use them to buy Loblaws gift cards, then get SDM points on Loblaws purchases?

The 2 SDM stores I go to allow me to buy a gift card with a gift card. I have gone to one location that didn't allow it, so I just don't shop there! Their loss!

My SDM doesn't have Loblaws gift cards (I wish they did), but they do have Esso, Home Depot, Toys are Us, Tim Hortons, and Swiss Chalet which I use!!

Note: I didn't get any points for purchasing the Toys R Us gift card. You only get points for purchasing SDM gift cards, except when they have the gift card promo in Nov.

[westcoastblondie]

I honestly didn't even think about gift cards. I could buy a gift card on my pay day and then save it for a 20x points day or whatever. Well, wait. If I bought like a $60 gift card (just to include taxes and such) for the spend 50 make 20x points days, could I use it and get points or does it have to be cash that you use on those days?

[windowwendy]

i have shoppers drug mart as part of my grocery shopping budget since i mostly buy milk butter and eggs on 20x points events. i buy 2 $50 when i divide up the rest of my money on the first pay of every month. then every 20x point events or 18500 when you spend $75 you are all set. on 20x point days i buy 4 bags of milk 2 butter and 2 eggs. that usually eats of $40 and the rest i look for deals that are the same price as the supermarket and if i can use coupons even better

[carlyincanada]

I honestly didn't even think about gift cards. I could buy a gift card on my pay day and then save it for a 20x points day or whatever. Well, wait. If I bought like a $60 gift card (just to include taxes and such) for the spend 50 make 20x points days, could I use it and get points or does it have to be cash that you use on those days?

Yes, you can use the sdm gc on 20x day or any day...same as cash.

Also you can get 20x even if your out of pocket amount is under $50...the trick is make
Sure your subtotal is over $50 before tax, then give your coupons.

With the right sales it works great...for example in the past Multibionta vitamins 30 ct were $9.99
Less $10 coupon...so free and got the points got 4 or 5 and milk, eggs and paid very little oop!

For the Tim card promos etc they require you to actually pay $50 oop so the above won't
Work....now a few got lucky and it worked...but it's rare.

[torontogal12]

What advice do you have for people whose SDMs don't sell groceries or are always sold out of stuff? I can never get to $50 on bonus points days because of this.

And another thing. I always read brags when people say they bought 4 bags of milk and 6 loaves of bread or something in large amounts. Well there's only 2 people in my house and we can't eat all that. We go through only 1 litre per week so it would be throwing money away. Are there ways someone in this situation could still get loads of points? I mean we can only buy so many creams, shampoos,toothpaste, and all that other stuff

[Poirot]

What advice do you have for people whose SDMs don't sell groceries or are always sold out of stuff? I can never get to $50 on bonus points days because of this.

And another thing. I always read brags when people say they bought 4 bags of milk and 6 loaves of bread or something in large amounts. Well there's only 2 people in my house and we can't eat all that. We go through only 1 litre per week so it would be throwing money away. Are there ways someone in this situation could still get loads of points? I mean we can only buy so many creams, shampoos,toothpaste, and all that other stuff

Volunteer to buy stuff for others so long as they pay you for the purchases.

[MamaF]

They also have many nonperishables that I buy. I have three teenagers, so I always get a case or two of Mr. Noodles, there are always cookies, canned fruit, etc. I also bought some Claritin last month, of course we didn't need it then but for three of us, we'll use a lot when that season does come up. Nicorette lozenges for my husband last time too. I always manage to find something Mine sells food, but there is a two bag limit on the milk, and the eggs are ALWAYS sold out those days by the time I get there