Albertsons is running a fantastic promotion right now: Buy $100 in participating gift cards in one transaction, Get a $20 Catalina ($20 coupon to use on your next transaction). The Catalina expires in one week and the promotion is running through June 21.
UPDATE: You can only redeem the $20 Catalina at an Albertsons store.
The possibilities are really endless with this promotion and one could easily get carried away purchasing gift cards just to get the Catalina. Here are some things to keep in mind:
:: Be mindful of your family’s budget. Don’t purchase something, anything, that you do not currently have the cash for. If your entertainment budget for the month is $50, don’t buy $100 worth of restaurant cards. It’s not a deal if you can’t afford it.
:: Purchase for budget items you have already planned. Think about upcoming vacations — are you planning to fly Southwest? Are you going to Disneyland? Will you eat out? Think about what you need to purchase in the next few months — back-to-school clothes? School supplies? Wedding, Father’s Day, graduation, teacher thank-you, and birthday gifts?
:: Make a plan for the $20 Catalinas before you do the deal (remember, it expires one week from the day it prints!). The $20 Catalina is only a “deal” if you are spending it intentionally. What items do you immediately need? What items do you regularly eat/use that rarely go on sale? What can you stock-up on? How can you use the $20 Catalina with a sale promotion and double coupons starting Sunday? You can use manufacturer’s coupons along with a Catalina.
I find it difficult to wisely spend $20 at Albertsons, so I need to make a concrete plan of what to buy or I’ll end up wasting it on comfort food and bananas on the expiration date.
Also note that this promotion runs through June 21, so it’s best to space out your gift card transactions and not do them all on one day. This way you don’t have to use all your cats within 7 days, which will be difficult for many of us.
Keeping these things in mind, here are the available gift cards that we found at our local Albertsons (I’m assuming selection varies by location). I’ve noted some items you may be able purchase that will help your family’s budget (remember, it’s only a good deal if you truly need it and have the cash for it NOW):
TRAVEL
- Southwest Airlines
- Marriott
- Disneyland Park Pass
RETAIL
- Barnes & Noble
- Bass Pro
- Best Buy
- Toys ‘R Us/Babies ‘R Us — baby food
- Build-A-Bear
- Game Stop
- Office Max — back to school deals
- Staples — back to school deals
- World Market — Wednesday coffee deal
- Justice
- Sports Authority
- REI
- Cabelas
- Nike
- Disney Stores
- Foot Locker
- Fashion Bug
- Express
- Michael’s
- Sears
- JoAnn’s
- K-Mart — back to school deals
- Lowe’s — gardening, landscaping projects
- Home Depot – gardening, landscaping projects
- Pottery Barn
- Bebe
- Claire’s
- Sephora
- Aeropostale
- Land’s End — sale & clearance swim suits!
- Pac Sun
- Bloomingdales
- JC Penny
- Talbots
- American Eagle
- DSW
- Motherhood Maternity
- Macy’s
- Bed, Bath & Beyond
- Nordstrom
- Lane Bryant
- Bath & Body Works
- T.J. Maxx
RESTAURANTS – Think about restaurants that regularly release useful coupons.
- Tully’s
- McCormick & Schmidts
- Cheesecake Factory
- Jamba Juice
- Cold Stone Creamry
- Subway
- Jack-n-the-Box
- Outback Steakhouse
- Applebees
- Olive Garden
- Chili’s
- Starbucks
- P.F. Chang’s
- Red Lobster
- IHOP
- Old Chicago
- Pizza Hut
- McDonald’s
- Baja Fresh
- Red Robin
- Rock Bottom
FUEL
- Shell
- Arco
SERVICES
- Jiffy Lube
ONLINE
- Amazon — diaper deals!
- iTunes
- Overstock.com
- eBay — getting extra coupons
- NBA Store
ENTERTAINMENT
- Regal Cinemas
- Fandango
- Ticketmaster
Now it’s your turn! What is your plan for this promotion?
{ 71 comments… read them below or add one }
Home Depot all the way!!! Planning on remodeling a bathroom in the fall & some landscaping as well!
We are taking a trip in July and I had planned on loading up my Starbucks card for the trip. I think I’ll buy a Starbucks card and a Jiffy Lube card in anticipation of our trip.
GAS! IM gonna fill up my tank either way
can you use the twenty dollar catalina on another gift card transaction?
I want to know answer on this one too
The catalina can not be used on “money orders, gift cards, alcohol, tobacco, prescriptions, stamps, fuel, garbage stickers (?), transportation, amusement, I-PASS and convenience store purchases.”
Beautiful!! Very well said I enjoyed reading every bit of it. I’m very glad that I found your Blog and I follow it regularly.
Think I’m getting gas gift cards as well. Thinking of buying a couple hundred dollars of Sears, since we’re looking at purchasing a freezer. My issue thought is spending all that money at Albie’s in such a short amount of time! I’ve gotten so dang frugal I can’t imagine dropping $40-60 at one store now!
I was wondering what cards would be included….thanks so much for the list! I’m going to pass this along to readers of The Northwest Camper who want to fill up their fuel tanks and get camping groceries paid for
I’m wondering if this purchase will count to the 5 cents off gallon of gas for each $50 you spend?? So, .10 cents in gas discounts for each $100 spent??
When does this promotion expire?
If anyone is going to Disneyland in CA, there is a McCormick and Schmicks in the Garden Grove complex with amazing happy hour deals.
Full size burgers and other items for 3.00!
Kids can’t sit at the actual bar, but they can be at tables in the bar area.
You could get at least two meals out of a 50.00 gift card…assuming you avoid buying fancy drinks for everyone.
My husband is a general contractor… we’re going to town on the Home Depot cards! Now to figure out what we’ll spend the catalina on…
I’m confused. I went to Albertsons today and bought $300 worth of gift cards (home depot, bed bath and beyond, starbucks & amazon) and unfortunately I went to a check stand that didn’t have a catalina machine. When I asked about it they said it only applies to the gift cards pictured…Any ideas on this one?
Find your receipt (remember it’s $60 you’re looking for even if you have to check the trash) and your club card (I hope you used it!) and call 1 888 826 8766 they should be able to help you. If you did not used your club card you’re out of luck
Thank You!! I have all of the above:)
Couldn’t she return the cards and get a refund and try again?
When we went my husband didn’t use his Albertsons card so our catalina didn’t print and customer service just wrote it up as a rain check. It was way easier than calling anyone!
Laryssa-not true for Albertsons. Alby’s does not include Visa, Amex and Albertsons gift cards. The Safeway deal is different–it is only for the ones pictured in the ad.
Is the Safeway deal regional? I haven’t seen an ad for it at Safeway.
When does this promo end? It would be great to spread out the cats a little, esp if the rumor that we are getting doubles for a few weeks is true!
Promo period: 6/05/11 to 6/21/11
Our Albie’s ad states the promotion runs through 6/18 – I would double check in the store to make sure you won’t miss out if you are planning another transaction toward the end of the promo period.
I know for sure Im going to get a shell card maybe 2. Getting ready to go on a trip for my 10 year Wedding Anniversary to a SPA!!!
Two words, Christmas gifts!!!
Is a catalina like this considered a coupon? A few weeks ago I got Albertson’s coupons in the mail for $3/$30 purchase, but it is after all other coupons and discounts. I’m wondering if I would be able to combine these and possibly get some meat products? Well, I know I could combine them, but I’m wondering about order of use I guess…..
Catalinas are recognized in the register system like cash. Your total must be at least $20 after all coupons & discounts, then the Cat is scanned, bringing your total down by $20.
I’ve done this deal a couple times. I’m an Amazon Prime member since my family lives on the other side of the country. I bought a couple $100 amazon cards. I’m hoping having the gift cards ready for Christmas will reduce my stress come holiday shopping time.
I need new dress pants but have been making excuses why I shouldn’t buy them so I bought $100 for Express. (Beware of the Express clothing store cards- tax/fee was applied.)
As for the $20 OYNO coupons I am buying things I need and I haven’t stockpiled yet. I’ve been getting seafood, produce, and specialty items that rarely go on sale.
We had some house projects planned. Other than Tide (sale ended Tuesday), here are some things that are reasonably priced at my Albertson’s.
Alaskan cod, $4.99/lb at the fish counter this week
strawberries $2.50/lb
Hunt’s Snack Pack pudding $1 (good filler item to get to $20!)
Tillamook medium cheddar, 2 lb $6.49 (I know it’s more than Winco or Fred Meyer, but we’re spending monopoly money)
check saline solution/allergy medication your family uses in the pharmacy
watermelon $0.59/lb
fresh pineapple $1.99 ea
vegetable starts $1.50
Hope that helps!
grapes $2.99/lb
bananas $0.69/lb
chicken, whole and parts, on sale this week
I had a horrible experience trying to buy ice cream and milk with an evening manager- apparently dairy is a glitch in the system and the catalina is rejected. I ended up writing a letter to the regular store manager, but be aware of the dairy glitch if you have an “unfriendly” store
Can you use more than 1 catalina in the same transaction?
I bought $75 Amazon gift cards because we regularly buy our diapers/diaper genie refills/etc on Amazon, so this is money that would get spent within the next two months anyway! I also bought a $25 Best Buy gift card to go toward my sis in law’s birthday gift at the end of this week.
I paired my $20 cat w/ my $5 off $25 email savings coupon, and a few other coupons for meat/etc that I had. I was really happy with my purchases! I ended up with 4lbs hamburger and 5lbs bacon, as well as a bunch of other items for $3.43 out of pocket. Not bad.
That said, thank you for this post! I almost never take advantage of gift card deals because they don’t fit in the budget. We had a little extra money this month though, so it worked in my favor!
I bought $100 Southwest Airline gift card …which works because I am headed to my class reuunion later this year. I will use the catalina towards purchasing meat. I may take advantage of the promo and buy gas cards….great deal…
I posted this question on Albertson’s facebook page tonight as well, but don’t expect to hear answer from them until sometime tomorrow.
I went in to a Boise-area Albie’s today to scout out what cards might be available intending to get some and get the $20 cats for this weekends shopping trip. Because there is so little info in the weekly ad about this promo I asked an employee (who then went and talked to the store mgr) if ANY of the gift cards in the display could be purchased for the promo (other than Visa, Amex, etc.) The mgr told me only those 6 giftcards pictured in the ad were part of the promo. This just doesn’t seem right.
Am I understanding correctly from above entries, that I CAN purchase any of the gift cards on the display (other than those excluded per the ad)?? I hate it when the stores are not well informed!
Help, please. Thanks.
From what I read online, any except those excluded work. I purchased Home Depot and it worked. Others have purchased Southwest, Disney and Lowe’s. Be sure to use your Albertson’s card or it WON’T work.
I went to albertson at 5850 N.E. PRESCOTT Portland, OR 97218. Bought $25 Amazon, $25 Bestbuy, $25 Regal, $25 World Market. There were issues w/ one card not being activated and NO CAT printed. I am supposed to get in touch w/ the bookeeper (so to speak) at Albertsons tomorrow to get all the 4 cards refunded.
I had trouble with the Cost Plus gift cards also, wanted 4 of them them..But none would activate…
for anyone else, if you don’t get your 20.00 Cat, I would tell them you don’t want the cards..And you will dispute it with the Credit Card company if they don’t issue a refund or give you a store gift card for 20.00.
Why should we have to call all over explain till we are blue in the face and hope someone takes care of it…I’m tired of these uninformed, unhelpful cashiers and CS people…
They say non-Refundable, but they have a way….I’ve made Safeway do it before….
Amen!
Can you use the $20 catalina at Fred Meyer? I only shop sales at Albertson’s, and never spend more than $5 or so. Thanks!
I’m wondering the same thing???? I’d love to take the $20 CAT to Fred Meyers and have it taken off my weekly grocery bill. I only shop at Albertson’s when they have doubles….
Hi Angela, I think we would all appreciate it if you would please post your plan on how to spend your Catalina! Thank you for all your hard work on this, you are awesome!
Hmmm… That would require some planning on my part, which is not my strong suit…
Since Safeway is now accepting other store’s manufacturer coupons, would they accept these?
I believe they will-haven’t tried it personally though.
No, this is a store coupon, not a manufacturers coupon…so can’t use it at Fred Meyers either. It also states one coupon per transaction per day on the catalina.
Does Albies do propane refills? If so, I would use the catalina for propane and seafood.
Can you purchase these gift cards with a credit card? I use my Soutwest Airlines credit card to rack up miles and then pay it off at the end of the month. I don’t want to use cash.
Yes pay it off at the end of the month, that is the only way to use a credit card!
We’ve charged everything to the Ax card over the past 20+ years, the miles do add up!
I think catalinas might exclude “fluid dairy.”
I know you can’t buy milk with register rewards.
Angela, do you know?
Pretty excited about the fuel! We are going on a road trip this weekend and needed to get snacks too! Works out well for us!
These are STORE catalinas (not manufacturer) so I strongly believe they will NOT be accepted by Fred Meyer or Safeway. Also, they are for any item (with some exceptions) in the store, not for a specific product.
Adding to my previous post about what is reasonable to buy with it, my Albertson’s has canning jars for $9.79 (half pint regular mouth jars) to $13.xx (quart wide mouth jars) per dozen. I bought some wide mouth pint jars ($11.89) that I’ll need for canning. Again, not as cheap as Walmart or Bimart, but far more useful than comfort food.
Good luck finding the Gas cards,
I called every store in the Portland/Hillsboro area, out of stock or don’t carry them.
And no one has any idea when and if they will get them in stock.
How disappointing is that?
I read in a budget book at the library that gift cards are a great way to keep on top of your budget. Like gas, buy a gift card for the gas station you shop at and you wont be temped to use the money somewhere else. Grocery stores too, but with all the stores I shop at I won’t be doing that one, I think the gas one is probably the only one I would use.
Also if you are a big starbucks fan I heard that they have a free drink on your birthday but only for those who use a gift card and every time you refill it you get a free drink. If I am not mistaken…better look into it first but my friend has gift cards for her and her kids so they can all get free drinks. plus a great way to budget your coffee if you have to have it because when the card is empty you are done for the month
you do get a free drink for your b-day, plus a free drink after every 15-20 gift card purchases. this is why i keep a starbucks gift card; when i go there, which isn’t often, i put money on the card first and then buy the drink with the card so i eventually accumulate enough for a free drink.
i wish you got a free drink every time you reloaded the card, but alas, no.
Is there a fee associated with purchasing a gift card? How much will that offset my catalina savings? For instance, if I buy four different gift cards (totaling $100) and they each have a $5 fee, then I wouldn’t save anything — right? I don’t usually purchase gift cards, so I would appreciate any advice. Thanks.
Also — I love this site and check it every day!
the only gift cards that have fees are the american express, mastercard and visa ones…and they are excluded from the deal
No fee on the cards (except those that aren’t eligible for the catalina, Visa Mastercard and Amex) No expiration either.
My husband bought $100 Home Depot yesterday and there wasn’t a fee. And he even forgot to use his Albertsons card but the catalina still printed.
Whoo Hoo! I’m so excited!
I purchased three bookshelves from Amazon for our living room that we were saving up for anyway… and now can figure out how to best spend $40 in two trips at Albertsons. I’m thinking meat for the freezer in addition to the sales.
I went looking for the gas cards. They called all the stores in Vancouver area. One manager said they pulled all the gas cards. To bad=(. Let me know if anyone finds gas cards at their store. Thanks !
how rude! If Albertsons is offering a promotion they should not be pulling items off the rack! Very disappointed.
That is Rude, which store and who was the manager that said that???…I’ll call and make a stink about it….
Has anyone tried to do this deal with the 3day Disney Parkhoppers?? I am seeing conflicting info on this…
http://www.thriftyandthriving.com/2011/06/disney-on-a-budget-work-that-albertsons-gift-card-promo/ Thrifty & Thriving has a great write up
I wish I had the money to get in on this but hopefully there will be something left on Friday! Since Sears cards are included, right now at Sears they have a promotion where you get a $25 award card when you spend $50 or more in men’s apparel (6/10 to 6/19) and the award card is valid from 6/20 to 7/17. I am starting to get my son ready for middle school next year and this will help with our back to school shopping. How I miss the days of shopping in the children’s section! Anyway, anything helps right?!
I’m going to buy a gas card. My husband commutes to work so that gift card would be of great use!
What is the expiration date for the catalina promotion? I was going to Albertson’s today so thought I would check before I tried it.
The Expiry date is conflicting, the signs in the store say 6/18, but while I was in the store there was a advert playing over the intercom and it says (Said 6/21), as stated above.
I think all gas cards are wiped out! I just called Keizer, Albany, Wilsonville, and Bend and they either dont carry them, are out, or pulled them due to activation problems. Sad.
Has anyone found gas cards in the Portland area? I went to the Troutdale store today and they didn’t have any.
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