If you haven't signed up for Flybuys then stop reading right now and go do it !!!! This is something you will not want to miss out on .
Did you sign up? I hope you did because today I'm going to talk about how I take advantage of their awesome rewards program! Recently I wrote a blog post called 'How To Get The Most From Rewards Programs' on my regular blog . It talks about why you should use rewards programs, especially when you have a family, and some tips you should take on to get the most out of it. You can really gain a lot from them if your smart and use the right ones.
Did you sign up? I hope you did because today I'm going to talk about how I take advantage of their awesome rewards program! Recently I wrote a blog post called 'How To Get The Most From Rewards Programs' on my regular blog . It talks about why you should use rewards programs, especially when you have a family, and some tips you should take on to get the most out of it. You can really gain a lot from them if your smart and use the right ones.
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(This is NOT a sponsored post. I just really want to share this wonderful program with other Mums out there so they can use this for their own families benefit)
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How Has It Worked For Me?
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My biggest rewards money maker by far is Flybuys. Last year I received hundreds of dollars back from redeeming my points. I spent that money on petrol, Christmas/birthday gifts and even some groceries when we had a short week. This year I have already redeemed $80 of points and purchased some Christmas/birthday gifts for Isabella (its going to be a OG Doll year this year in this house! lol).
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Since then I'm on track to receive another near $100 by the end of March. That $100 is made from a current offer I am on from Flybuys. If I spend at least $90 per week for the next 4 weeks at Coles (groceries) I receive 15,000 bonus points ($75). That's $75 made in just 4 weeks for shopping I need to do anyway, plus on top of that I am getting my usual spending points and extra bonus points for certain product choices. I will be looking to use that $100 free money to purchase some winter pants and jumpers for Joseph as he has grown out of everything! FREE MONEY PEOPLE, FREE MONEY !
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How You Can Do It Too
How You Can Do It Too
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Sign Up For Flybuys - If you havn't already sign up now. You can do it on line for free and you will have access to a print out that you can use as your card until your official card arrives in the mail. I would then also download the Flybuys app and log into your account there so you have your card on your phone to use.
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Get Extra Cards For Others In The House - This is a smart little move because if others are purchasing they can scan your card too for you to gain the points! All cards are attached to the one card so it is a family effort.
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Download The App - This was my smartest move at the end of last year. It is the reason I have been able to gain the extra points.
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Things the app does for you:
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> Shows You Current Offers - You choose which ones you want to activate and it keeps track of when they end. It also shows you any bonus offers eg special points you can have for different products & triple point opportunities. - This is especially great for me as I use to receive in the mail paper coupons, but always forgot to take them with me. So now having it on my phone I activate immediately and its always with me to remind me what bonus offers I have.
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> Activity Statement - The app shows you your activity statement to help you keep track and make sure you have received the points you should.
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> Redeem Your Points - With just a click you can redeem your points for physical items or choose to do what I do and that's convert them to Flybuys dollars. When you convert them to Flybuys dollars you are turning your Flybuys card into a eftpos card. You use this card and the money you have on there to pay for things in any stores attached to Flybuys eg Coles Myers stores such as Coles, Kmart, Target, Shell Petrol etc
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> See Your Flybuys Card & $ Balance - Once you have converted some points to Flybuy dollars you can once a day click at the top right hand corner of the app and check your balance. This is great if you have spent some money and you have forgotten how much is left on there. This is also where you click to access your cards barcode if you have forgotten your Flybuys card.
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Check Your Emails - This one is super important. You need to make sure you are receiving Flybuys & Coles emails. So make sure they are not blocked or going into your junk folder as they contain bonus offers such as the big one I just received for 15,000 points.
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Check Where You Can Collect Flybuys - Check on the website and regularly on the app for unique deals. Your main spots are Coles, Kmart, Target , Shell Petrol, First Choice, Budget Car Hire & NAB. At different times I receive deals for different health/car insurance, phone companies etc via email and on the app. So it's important to keep an eye on the emails and app to see what is on offer.
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Where I Collect The Most Points
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When deals pop up I collect a lot from Coles obviously doing groceries (see below on how I do that when I normally shop my bulk at Aldi). My next largest contributor is Kmart. Things are so cheap at Kmart so I buy a lot of household items, clothes, gifts etc from there. I do the odd clothing and gifts on sale shop at Target, then depending on the price of petrol I will get petrol at the Shell Petrol station (this however is very rare as there is quiet a difference between there and the usual place I go. The Shell petrol station is also more of a drive).
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How I work It With Groceries If I Shop Else Where - eg Aldi?
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If you watch my grocery hauls you will see that I usually get the bulk at Aldi but my 'fillers' (things I can't get or that are the same price ) at Coles via online click and collect . That way I still take advantage of cheaper prices staying in budget, but collect Flybuys where I can. Using click and collect also saves me time going into the store as you order online and then just drive to the store and they have it all ready for me packing it into my car :) So on regular weeks of no grand offers from Flybuys I still earn a few points.
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At times where I received grand offers such as the recent 15,000 bonus points I still need to shop smart in order for it to be worth it. Especially when some things are dearer than Aldi. On those weeks Coles becomes my main and Aldi becomes my filler.
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Here are some tips to make shopping for your Flybuys worth it:
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Meal Planning - This is the most important thing you can do! If you do not know what Meal Planning is then read 'Simple Meal Planning For Beginners' & 'Lunch Box Meal Planning' to get you started. Meal Planning will ensure you have a plan and do not get caught by those impulse buys! In this case too it will help you decide which store you will buy what at.
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Tools to help you for Meal Planning are FREE for VIP Lounge members. Find the latest discount code on the VIP Lounge Private Facebook Group to download these items from the shop FREE:
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Buy The Brands On Offer Within Reason - Flybuys will send you bonus point deals on certain brands weekly. Make sure you only buy what you need to ensure your not overspending and are still staying within your grocery budget. I do this by only purchasing the bonus offer products if they are something I need that week eg If I need pasta and there is a brand of pasta deal going then I will purchase the one that will give me the bonus points. If they are offering cat food and that is not something I would normally buy then I do not buy it as its extra money spent for no reason.
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However, I do take into account any price difference. If the pasta was $4 and my normal is $2 then I will not buy the one on offer. Its just not worth it unless the difference equals the points in most cases.
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If You Get A Grand Offer & Swap Stores - If you are like me and shop at Aldi for the cheaper prices and get your fillers at Coles, then you may be reluctant to do the alternative. However If I am going to receive $50+ as a bonus and the general minimum weekly spend required is $100 or less I will do my bulk at Coles and my fillers at Aldi. I just make sure I am very strict on my budget and meal planning by calculating the total cost specifically. I recommend doing Coles online ordering and either getting it delivered (that can cost) or doing click and collect. That way you get a calculation online to the total it is going to cost you. If you are going over your budget it gives you a chance to go back through and cut anything that is perhaps a sneaky impulse buy eg Tim Tams lol.
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What To Do If you Normally Shop Fortnightly/Monthly - Its important to still stay within your usual grocery budget. Shopping for a longer period of time will always save you money in comparison to weekly. However the Flybuys deals usually require you to shop weekly for them to be redeemed. In my case I am currently shopping fortnightly (see why here on this blog post) so what I do is plan my meals for the fortnight on my Meal Planning Sheet, but generally have the same main meals in both weeks. That way I am buying in bulk and also cooking in bulk to supply food for week 2. Doing this saves a lot of money. So as an example for that to work out financially you may see me on the grocery hauls spending $170 in week 1 and only $130 on week 2, still staying within my $300 fortnightly budget.
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My 2 Super Flybuy Collecting Tips
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Tip 1 - I honestly feel that because I do regularly activate offers that come through to me and continue to do the shops I continue to get great deals in return. I do not know the behind the scenes of the program, but I do know that it depends on how often your using it as to what offers they send through. Just because I got the 15,000 deal does not mean my friend got it too. The program tends to give more to people that really use it.
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Tip 2 - Even though I say be active on Flybuys also still only spend what is right for you. I have had offers come through to me that require spending $200 per week. My weekly budget is $150 per week ($300 on my fortnightly shop) so I do not even entertain that deal that comes through. I fond that eventually they offer me a lower spending requirement that I can actually use that benefits me.
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How I Smartly Spend My Flybuys
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It would be a waste of my shopping efforts If I wasted my Flybuys points on items I didnt need. I never redeem for products I will never use on the Flybuys site or do I did turn points into $ to spend silly items eg toys we don't need, alcohol (we do not drink much), buckets of sweets etc.
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I collect my points and spend on things we personally need as a family, but that are not necessarily a weekly normal spend.
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Here are some ways I spend my Flybuys points smartly:
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Birthday/Christmas Gifts - I mostly do for my own children but on the odd occasion for others that pop up unexpectedly. My main store to do that is Kmart and on the odd occasion Target if its on special.
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Clothing - At the start of a warmer or colder season I usually need new clothing of some sort for the kids. So just like I am doing right now with working those points to near $100 I have planned what I need to buy and even down to the exact item in the store.
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Special Occasions - In times such as Christmas, birthday parties, people over for meals etc its always great to have some points there to turn into Flybuys $ to help purchase food, decorations or treats.
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When I Need Things That Are At Non Flybuys Stores - It can be done! lol lol lol I do a sneaky swap around in a case like this. I pull cash from another area eg The grocery budget and spend my Flybuys $ there and then use the cash at the other store I need to shop at.
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So what do you think of Flybuys? Nothing would make me happier than to see more people take advantage of this rewards program and really reap the benefits. I have seen many friends redeem points they didn't know they even had (yes Jen I'm talking about you and your $200+ you had no idea about just before Christmas) it can really be a blessing when you need it. You just have to be aware of how to use it and be smart in your choices.... so what are you waiting for sign up to Flybuys now!
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Want To See My Grocery Shops?
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