Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Shop Till You ...Win a BBQ?

Corner Grocery Store
Corner Grocery Store (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The most irritating commercials on television these days advertise lotteries.

They never show people who win 50 million dollars giving some of it to charity or going off to work with the poor in Haiti.  They show selfish people having picnics on mountain tops or on an endless set of holidays wondering where they should go next.

And that is because lotteries are a form of taxation and the government doesn't care about your soul.

 

So cultivating my usual 'holier than thou' persona I have made a point of not buying lottery tickets. (Thin pinched nose in air.)

However, I do occasionally buy tickets on other things if the money is for a good cause and I like the item being sold.  (Cars for Hospice Niagara, Quilts to raise money by church ladies for various causes.)

I never win but I never feel my money is wasted either.

 

 
So I was über surprised to learn that I had won a $700 BBQ this week from the grocery store where I usually shop.

 

This isn't the first time I've won something from this grocery store.

 

I finally figured out that it is my shopping habits that increase my odds of winning. 

 

Like most people I have a card that they swipe each time that I make a purchase. 
 
Each time I do that I accumulate points that I can redeem for free food somewhere down the line if the world economy doesn't collapse and civilization as we know it doesn't end.

 

But I'm not and never have been a weekly shopper.  I go every day or two for a few things.

And each time I dutifully hand over my card to be swiped.

 

And evidently the grocery store throws the card numbers in a hat and has random draws.

 

Jeesh. 

 

My number must go into the hat a bizzillion times.

 

The point of this longish blog, my hungry friends, is that you may want to change your shopping habits.
 
 
 

 

And by the way, anybody want to buy a BBQ?
 
 

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7 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Hey, I won a BBQ once too! About 30 years ago at a local donut shop in Winnipeg where I went for coffee every Saturday morning. I sold mine as well since I lived in an apartment and wasn't interested in BBQing. So congrats to you and enjoy the proceeds, Francie!

They say that lottery tickets are really a tax on the stupid but I believe in paying my taxes, so My Rare One and I buy a single Lotto Max ticket every week. C'mon, $50 million Big One, c'mon!!!!!

The Dancing Crone said...

If you need new gloves Debra let me know. I'll sell that ol' bbq and send you the $.

Katharine said...

Wow Congrats! I need to find out where you shop...I haven't won anything in a long time!:)

Magaly Guerrero said...

I don't buy lottery tickets (Papi, if you are reading this, of course I buy the numbers of my birthday, weight, last menstrual date) yes, my father is convinced I buy tickets every week, but I don't. Mostly because, well, I never remember and I'm cheap. I do buy raffles and things from friends who are collecting money for whatever. The last I bought was from the local AIDS Community Resources. I didn't wind free condoms for a year. Bomber ;-(

Anyhoo, your post made me think of Barfly's latest post: http://www.sssporchparty.com/2012/08/ye-haw-i-show-do-like-that-butt-maam.html

Teehee! Congrats on the win ;-)

P.S. I hope you know how much I adore you. Only that would explain the fact that I've type this damn word verification thing 3 times and still trying. I'm half-blind ;-(

Pandorah's Box said...

Well that was lucky! I am looking for a barbecue...but a cheap one...will you give it away for saaaayyy.....free maybe? :)

Just kidding!

CorvusCorax12 said...

congrats :)...hubby buys tickets religiously, I don't think of it. Now if he wins , i'll be there with bells on :D

Plowing Through Life (Martha) said...

Francie, that's great. Do you enjoy BBQing? Maybe I should change my shopping habits. I never win anything, darn it. I never pick up lottery tickets, but my husband does play once a week. We often discuss what amount would make us happy, and we'd be thrilled with just enough to get rid of our mortgage.