I <3 Smith's

I love Smith’s.

I buy most of my groceries and stuff from the Smith’s Marketplace down the hill from my house. They are just really great.

Today I got a big envelope full of coupons that are personalized for me—they’re coupons for things that I actually buy, including a couple coupons for free things that I normally buy, and then a bunch of coupons for discounts on products that I buy.

This time I got a coupon for a FREE box of Cheerios, a coupon for a FREE package of blueberries or strawberries, just like, fresh, from the produce department. And then I got coupons for: cereal, Weight Watchers cheese or cream cheese (I buy the cream cheese), butter, frozen vegetables, the kind of cat food that I buy for Paley, Stouffer’s entrees (I buy the lasagne), chocolate chips, fruit cups (I like mandarin oranges), graham crackers, Kraft mac&cheese, a Lowry’s marinade, and the kind of toothpaste that I buy (Colgate Total). All of the coupons are for precise things that I already buy (like, store brand coupons for things that I buy store brand, and brand coupons for things that I buy brands for), and they’re for useful amounts. They add up to $10.50 worth of coupons, plus the two free ones that are worth about…$3 for Cheerios and $3 for berries? They’re good through the middle of July.

This is the second time this has happened. The last batch of coupons was personalized for me too. These are way more useful than coupons for random things that I don’t normally buy, or coupons for things that cost more than what I normally buy so that unless I use them when the item is on sale, I don’t save.

Smith’s also sends me “special customer” little magazine things that always have a theme and a bunch of coupons. There was one for spring cleaning, and another one for frozen foods, and one other one… (I think I get them about every six weeks, maybe?) In those little booklets, there are usually several things I don’t buy and are spendier than I am, a few things that I do buy, and a couple things that are like, very general coupons, or things that almost anyone would buy. It’s nice.

Smith’s also has a student discount. If you sign up for their “Fresh Values” card with a student ID, they give you a special student Fresh Values card that automatically gives you 5% off of everything that you buy, every time.

Plus, I get gas rewards when I shop. So if I were driving, and if my Smith’s had one of the Smith’s gas stations (or if I just went to one), I would be getting various amounts off of my gas (sometimes it’s 5 cents/gallon, sometimes 15 cents, etc.).

And all of this stuff is kind of like, unadvertised, secret savings. They also have very competitive prices, excellent sales, and I often get good coupons from the little machine at the register. Sometimes those coupons are even for free things. Plus, like a month ago, they did a big thing where they lowered the prices on their produce, and now a bunch of their produce is CHEAP! Like, not just one or two things—a whole bunch of stuff! Plus, their workers are friendly and helpful, and super attentive. And their stores are clean. I just always have a great shopping experience when I go.

Anyway. It makes me feel like they value my business. I think they actually do.