Fuel Points

Fred Meyer Fuel Points

These used to be called Kroger Fuel Points when we were back in ol’ SC, but the Kroger brand stores are called Fred Meyer out here. The difference is that they are a grocery stores plus a department store under one roof. Because they are part of the Kroger family, they offer the same fuel points deal – spend a buck and get a point, each hundred of points equals a dime off a gallon of gas at their pumps.

Back in Aiken we churned through points at the pump and zeroed out all we earned each month in that month. Fortunately the points are good in the month earned and are good until the end of the next month, which is where we are now using the points because of the pandemic and all we don’t drive enough to go through our monthly points in that month. Right now we are not even filling the tank of either car either. We go in the final days of the next month and put on average a half of a tank in one or the other car. Usually the Mini.

Today we ran to the store to get one item missed on our weekly shopping trip, parchment paper for those keeping track, and after we checked out we noticed that we were about 30 points shy of the next 100 point level, so we needed to spend a little over $30 at Freddy’s over the next couple of days.

If you have been following me on Instagram, or checking the IG widget on the right of the page, you will know that we have been running through jigsaw puzzles at a prodigious rate. One, to be killing time safely because of COVID and two, the fact that it is winter out and we have not adjusted to cold weather outdoor activities yet1. We have bought a few puzzles new, but have mostly been scouring the local thrift stores for bargains.

We had entered Fred Meyer at the opposite end that we usually do because it was the one closest to the gas pumps, we were using up December’s Fuel points to put a little over a half a tank of premium in the Mini. So instead of walking out the exit Donna made a beeline to the toy department so see about buying three 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzles to add to our stash of bargain puzzles awaiting solving. As it turned out the were Buy One, 1/2 Off The Second, so we ended up with 4 for the price of one.

And we ended up leaving the store with a full eight hundred four fuel points that we need to use before February 28th.

Tricky Fuel Point Math

We shop at Krogers where each dollar you spend gets turned into “Fuel Points.” Every buck equals 1 point and each 100 points equals 10¢ off a gallon of gas. Simple, Right? Not so much. Each prescription, whether a $4 generic or a $50 non-preferred, gets you 50 points. Buy a gift card and you get double points, but right now for the holidays we are in the middle of a two week period where you get 4x the points.

Points not used during the month are not lost, but carried over for one month in their own bucket. When you redeem your points for money off a gallon a gas it will take from last months points first if it is greater than the current month’s total. This is handy, in case you forget to fill up before the last day of the month, you can use them up in the first week or two of the next month.

At first we didn’t really pay attention to all this and just let the fuel points fall where they may, but when we noticed that sometimes a substantial amount of points were wasted at the end of the month, we changed our attitude. Now, we have gone so far the other way, that it borders on a game.

Tonight we needed a few things at the store, we needed to pick up 4 prescriptions and we needed some gas. When we left the house we had 176 points, add the 200 points for prescriptions, we are now up to 376. Our few items didn’t look like the $24 we needed to bump us up to the 40¢ off level, so we added a $25 Panera Bread gift card. Our total came to thirty five bucks and change.

Now our total points no stood at 486!?! Oh yeah, 4 times the points for the gift card. So now we need to spend $15 to put us over the next level. Donna says buy a $15 DD gift card. “Brilliant,” I say, “We can always use one of those.”

So I go back through the self check out line that I just came from and buy the $15 gift card. When I’m done I look at my new point total, 546. How the heck…? Then we both come to the same conclusion simultaneously, idiots, you don’t get the 15 points for the $15 and the 4x points, you just get the 4x points.

Donna says, “Well, go back and buy another $15 DD gift card and that 60 points will put us just over 600 level.” At first I refuse, but finally relent, under one condition, I get to go through a different check out line.

The Purples Whale’s low fuel light was on, so the 17 gallons of gas we got for $40, would have cost us $50 without that 60¢ discount.

My head hurt from all that cipherin’.