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Groceries represent one of the most significant expenses in a family budget. At Milesopedia, we turn these everyday essentials into reward opportunities.
Our team of experts often conducts tests and comparisons to optimize their grocery strategy and maximize every dollar spent. This results in significant savings and thousands of points.
We show you how each team member benefits from unique advantages when shopping for groceries, based on their personal needs. Some use their preferred credit card to save money, while others take advantage of enticing promotions or a loyalty program that earns them valuable points.
Each has their own way!
Your shopping style? I love cooking at home and rarely eat out at restaurants. I buy my basic ingredients in very large quantities and store them in a well-organized pantry. For fresh produce like fruits and vegetables, I buy according to the specials.
Preferred Loyalty Programs: AIR MILES and TD Rewards points
Strategies: I do my grocery shopping mainly at Mayrand and an Asian grocery store that unfortunately do not accept Amex. I use my TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card to earn 6 points per dollar on my grocery purchases.
From time to time, I go to Super C and use my American Express Cobalt® Card, in addition to activating my personalized offers from the Moi program.
Finally, I scan my receipts in the AIR MILES app to receive bonus miles.
How I Reward Myself: I use my TD Rewards points to book accommodations on Expedia For TD and I transfer my American Express Membership Rewards points to Aeroplan and British Airways for flights. Additionally, I redeem my AIR MILES for Airbnb e-gift cards. This combination significantly reduces the cost of my travels.
Your shopping style? Super simple things, I don’t cook much and I don’t eat much, so I like to buy on sale.
Preferred Loyalty Programs: Scene+ at IGA and Voilà by IGA.
Strategies: Go to Reebee, check out the flyers for discounts. Most of the time, I accumulate points and therefore get a discount on my next purchases. However, sometimes with the Scene+ card, for example, I buy products with stamps (e.g., dishes, wine glasses).
How I Reward Myself: Getting free products in large quantities, because the free samples on Voilà by IGA are often very large formats (like the free Lindt chocolate, which is a full bag with about twenty chocolates inside).
Your shopping style? We are a family that rarely eats out at restaurants, as I cook at home most of the time. Our weekly menu is always guided by current specials, and we take advantage of discounts to stock up on non-perishable pantry items. Thanks to this approach, our grocery budget remains very well managed.
Preferred Loyalty Programs: NBC Rewards, Scene+ and TD Rewards points
Strategies: We primarily do our shopping at Maxi, Costco, and Asian grocery stores like T&T or Kim Phat, which generally do not accept American Express. In these cases, we use our National Bank World Elite Mastercard, which allows us to earn 5 times the points (except at Costco), quickly boosting our rewards.
We also take advantage of personalized promotions at IGA, combining specials with Scene+ offers that give between 10% and 20% back in points, while maximizing 6 times the points with our Scotia Gold American Express Card.
For Costco, I usually buy Costco gift cards with my TD First Class Travel® Visa Infinite* Card. It’s a convenient way to unlock welcome bonuses while building up a reserve of gift cards for the year.
How I Reward Myself: We have adopted a strategy focused on flexible travel points to enjoy an all-inclusive stay or a cruise at least once a year. Since our travel is already well optimized, we mainly focus our points on accommodations and experiences once we arrive. This approach offers us great freedom in choosing our destinations and the type of vacation we want to experience.
Your shopping style? I love to cook, and meals are created based on specials and weekly finds. I use the FoodHero app a lot for significant discounts. Several different grocery stores and liquidation stores are easily accessible near my home, and I shop around based on my needs.
Preferred Loyalty Programs: Scene+ at IGA, as well as PC Optimum at Maxi and Shoppers Drug Mart
Strategies:
These are habits to adopt:
How I Reward Myself:
There are two parts:
Your shopping style? I like it when it’s simple and I don’t have to overthink it; I always go to the grocery store near my home and almost always buy the same products.
Preferred Loyalty Programs: the Moi program at Super C/Metro, Scene+ occasionally at IGA, and AIR MILES
I like to hit a triple and maximize my return on every dollar spent:
Additionally, I really like to take advantage of occasional Scene+ offers that give bonus points on gift card purchases. So I take the opportunity to buy my gift cards at IGA. Often, these are Amazon, Spotify, Simons cards, and then I can pay with my Scotia Gold American Express Card to earn 6 points per dollar.
By maximizing my earned points and miles, I manage to:
Your shopping style? We live far from grocery stores and restaurants, so we like to stock up on our favourite products and make them last. When we visit the city, we use it as an opportunity to indulge in some delicious restaurant meals.
Preferred Rewards Program: American Express Membership Rewards.
Strategies: We are fortunate that the grocery stores near us accept American Express cards. We put all our purchases on the American Express Cobalt® Card to earn 5 points per dollar.
How I Reward Myself: We save the accumulated points to travel south in winter. Whether through American Express Travel, by using points as a statement credit, or by exchanging them for Aeroplan points when we aim for a business class ticket.
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