Are Tesco Clubcard Deals worth it?

cheekyheath

I've got four kids, and for me it's definitely been worth using clubcard vouchers and Deals. Last year I took them all to Legoland for about £35, and we went to Whipsnade Zoo, and also to Hampton Court Palace. I also bought a Blockbuster video/dvd rental Deal. Altogether that lot would have cost me a pretty penny without the Deals and without my own income I'd have been loathe to spend so much on days out. I'm just about to start planning 2007 outings! :j

louisewestlake

mummytomoo&roo wrote:

louisewestlake wrote:

Last year we went to Centerparcs in Holland for about £400, again in August.

Could you tell me who you booked with please.

Many thanks in advance.:beer:

Sorry, I meant 2005, forgot we'd started a new year. We went with Cresta when you could book through them. Centerparcs were sold in 2005 or 2006 and Cresta stopped doing holidays there. However about 6 months ago, I received a mini brochure from them showing Centerparcs again. I rang them and the lady said they were doing holidays at a limited amount of parcs, but Tescos vouchers weren't being accepted for them at that time. Keeping my fingers crossed they might be back in deals in February. I the meantime, I believe Frenchlife do a Centerparcs in France, and someone else booked Centerparcs seperately, for £486 (the europe ones seem to be much cheaper than UK) and paid for Ferry with her vouchers. Hope this helps.

me4bargains

hambrook wrote:

I think 2007 will be an interesting year for Tesco Clubcard. With a number of companies pulling out of the scheme, some renegotiating the choice is becoming limited to holidays / days out, meals or services you could buy cheaper elsewhere (breakdown cover, car servicing, magazines).

Tesco also seem to be clamping down on the "grab a code that was not meant for you" so the 1000 point £50 shops have significantly reduced in the last quarter. Some of the claims in this thread would have made my eyes pop out if I was running the Clubcard scheme.

Personally we have used those codes to rack up points, only 1,000 a month on a single shop home delivery, but it has helped with a couple of nights at a hotel and a ferry crossing.

However for this year the food budget will me more tight so 'big shops for the sake of it' will be far less.

A friend said to me yesterday "Why drive to Tesco's to buy over washed old vegetables artificially maintained, when local, cheaper, better quality produce is half mile away at the local village greengrocer". She has a point. So we will buy the bulky items and value non-perishables from Tescos, but for the other stuff it is local shops and Lidl's for quality items.

"Have you ever tried asking your boss for a 30% pay rise? It's alot easier to shop smart and cut 30% off your food bill". Quote from Radio 4 February 2006 in an item discussing Aldi / Lidl / Netto and the flip mentality of the UK shopper versus the German shopper.

I agree I never ever buy my fruit and veg from tescos their prices are outrageous comaored to other outlets. I seldom buy my meat they either.
Instead I go to my local market for the former and my local butcher for the latter.
It takes more time but I do shave pounds of my shopping bill by doing so. unfotunelty a lot of us have been 'brainwashed' into believing the supermarkets are the cheapest for everything. Believe me this is not the case.
I go to tesco for the non-perishables and to take advantage of the BOGOFs

scuzz

I'm going to set the cat among the pigeons now and you're all going to jump on me

But I use my money of Tesco vouchers in store. I'm single, 23 and still live at home as I can't afford to buy a flat yet - I'm saving for that now. I don't read magazines as I have no interest in them, I don't go to theme parks very ofter - think the last time I went was 3-4 years ago - I don't go on holiday as my money's all going towards a flat and right now I don't need any furniture

As I'm the main earner in the house, I feel it's only right I help with buying the groceries etc. Therefore, the money off the food shop benefits me and my family a lot more.

Sorry to be controversial, but that's the way they work best for us

suekjw

scuzz wrote:

Sorry to be controversial, but that's the way they work best for us

Not controversiol, just sensible to your situation!

hambrook

scuzz wrote:

Sorry to be controversial, but that's the way they work best for us

Nah that's not controversial. Controversial try this...............

It never staggers me how much the UK food shopper wastes.

Part of the reason we take ages to accumulate Tesco Clubcard points is that we only spend £30 - £40 on groceries a week. We don't buy any "pierce 3 times and 5 minutes on full power meals. We buy all ingredients raw and cook meals (how original!). We are not great meat eaters and tend to use Beanfeast (or Asda's own brand) for lasagne, spag bol, sheperds pie, chill con carne. And buy fruit and veg at local shop or markets. Do you believe anyone when they say, "we dont have the time to cook" ? Most of our weekday meals are ready and on the table in 30 mins.

I have been stood behind people at the checkout who rack up £100+ on what looks like a weeks shopping. Full of brand name everything from double quilted extra fluffy duck feather toilet tissue to 12 bottles of 2 litre Coca Cola, not to mention the "Classic FM raised, endangered species, tucked in at night, linconshire extra special hot pot" Finest meals, branded washing powder etc............ and then a third of it hits the expiry date and its in the bin.

Staggering -yes, controversial - maybe, reality - Yes, as it's an observaion. Off topic - yeah, but the greed and "got to get this deal or I might lose" mind set just baffles me and is the core of this thread. Again thanks to the 2,000+ views since this started Saturday morning.

abijanzo

I have used Tesco Deals over the last 2 or 3 years to get free from MFI:

2 Double wardrobes
2 Chest of drawers
2 bedside cabinets
a childs wardrobe
a Large king sized heaadboard
a 2 seater sofa
a 2 seater bed settee
2 kitchen cabinets
an electric hob
A huge display unit
4 kitchen bar stools

I have never bought anything that I wasnt going to buy anyway and have mainly collected my points by using the 1000 point (or occasionally 1500!) codes for online grocery shopping. I have to do my food shopping online anyway so it really is money for nothing for me. I easily do 3 x £75 shops a month at tesco and I have three online accounts so only need one 1000 pointer voucher a month to collect £120 in deals on a £225 spend.

I have very occasionally bought wine/beer with a voucher from the wine department but only when we were having a party - maybe twice a year.
I've occasionally used an electrical store voucher too, but will ONLY buy from Tesco direct if I cant get it cheaper elsewhere.

I think the key is to see the points as an added bonus rather than something to chase. Although I've done free DVD trials for points etc. I wouldnt pay out unless it was a bargain to start with.

Not sure what I'll do now MFI deals are finishing though? Maybe save for a holiday.
I do agree that MFI is overpriced and I wouldnt dream of shopping there unless it was free! Weve been lucky that the items weve purchase have been decent quality but the customer service has been dire for the most part.
Heres to Tesco Deals:beer:

jubarnes26

It never staggers me how much the UK food shopper wastes.

Part of the reason we take ages to accumulate Tesco Clubcard points is that we only spend £30 - £40 on groceries a week. We don't buy any "pierce 3 times and 5 minutes on full power meals. We buy all ingredients raw and cook meals (how original!). We are not great meat eaters and tend to use Beanfeast (or Asda's own brand) for lasagne, spag bol, sheperds pie, chill con carne. And buy fruit and veg at local shop or markets. Do you believe anyone when they say, "we dont have the time to cook" ? Most of our weekday meals are ready and on the table in 30 mins.

I have been stood behind people at the checkout who rack up £100+ on what looks like a weeks shopping. Full of brand name everything from double quilted extra fluffy duck feather toilet tissue to 12 bottles of 2 litre Coca Cola, not to mention the "Classic FM raised, endangered species, tucked in at night, linconshire extra special hot pot" Finest meals, branded washing powder etc............ and then a third of it hits the expiry date and its in the bin.
I totally agree, i once had a conversation with a good friend of mine I told her i spent approx £40 - £50 a week on shopping her response was " I wouldnt know what to buy for that much" her shopping bill is approx £115 a week - I would not know what to put in my trolley to rack up that amount !! there is only so much 2 adults and 2 kids can eat !
My shopping is pretty basic & I tend to cook the good old staples of spag bol, shepherds pie , loads of veg's & fruit. I never wander down the sweets, coca cola or crisps aisle (well ok maybe once in a blue moon) and my kids drink squash.

With regards to the points chasing - i havent spent anymore in Tesco's than normal because of the points, if there is 1000 points for £75 spend I'll boost it up with BOGOFs of stuff that the family eats anyway and usually end up paying approx £50 or if no BOGOFs I'll get non perishables like washing powder, loo roll etc that'll reduce my shopping bill at a later date.

2 years ago I was lucky if i got £4 a quarter but now thanks to MSE in this quarter alone I have accumulated 14000 points so approx £600 in deals which will pay for the family holiday.

I think it's good to go for points if you have a target in mind and you are not getting carried away and spending money chasing them.

Rachie_B

hambrook wrote:

.

Part of the reason we take ages to accumulate Tesco Clubcard points is that we only spend £30 - £40 on groceries a week. We don't buy any "pierce 3 times and 5 minutes on full power meals. We buy all ingredients raw and cook meals (how original!). We are not great meat eaters and tend to use Beanfeast (or Asda's own brand) for lasagne, spag bol, sheperds pie, chill con carne. .

you would be better off buying veggie mince, or just using soya mince (flavoured with whatever you like as its bland on its own)

as beanfeast is not too good in the nutritional value

i used to use it a lot until i read on the OS board that its not good

sorry to go off topic;)

debnlee_2

i used my tesco vouchers to book our june holiday with haven the holiday cost us £600 because we used our vouchers how ever if we didnt use the vouchers it would have only cost us £300 half price you cant use the vouchers with offers. still not complaining free holiday out of it and weve got £430 in vouchers towards our august hoilday so looks like another freebie.:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: