$900.01 Pot

So Albertson's is having this promotion thing where you get a stamp ("reward sticker") for every $10 of purchases. You save the stamps and put them on a card, and for every filled out card you can buy a Thomas brand pot or pan for just 1 penny. Remember Blue Chip Stamps? It's the same principle.

Each pot is worth a different amount of stamps. You need a card with 50 stamps for the smallest pot and the largest, a roasting pan, takes 110 stamps. And then once you get your card filled out you get your pot or pan for the penny.

I'm not sure what possessed me to start saving but I did. I decided I would go for what I originally thought was a saucier pan, but it turns out they are calling it a wok. It required a 90 stamp card.

It took me a little longer than I thought to save up the stamps, but the program did what it's designed to do and that is bring the suckers shoppers to the store to spend their money there. I don't normally do my major shopping at Albertson's anymore since I can get a lot more groceries for less at Winco. But because of the program I started doing all my shopping at Albertson's again. And of course if alcoholic beverages had been allowed to be included in the tally point for the stickers I would have had a complete set by now!

Upon reflection I have to say the only one this type of program is good for is the store! Just think... Basically I had to spend $900 in the store to have the privilege of buying a pot whose brand I had never heard of before for one penny. As one of my friends pointed out to me I could have gone to TJ Maxx and bought a similar type pot by a well known brand like Le Creuset or All-Clad for less than $200.

Don't tell anyone but I've started saving up my second card.