Tag Archives: cards

April 16, 2023 · 8:25 am

The Never-Ending Hunt for Points and Rewards

A stack of reward cards from loyalty programsIn 2016, I wrote a blog post called “With This Many Loyalty Cards, How Loyal Can You Be?”

The story was based on the plethora of cards and reward programs that we were offered to pledge our loyalty with a store chain in exchange for points and rewards.

Despite the freebies associated with the programs, don’t we all know that some of those perks come at a price? Homework!

When inflation started to rise, I admit I started watching flyers and offers even more carefully in order to try to stretch our food dollars, whether through sale prices or through bonus points which can later be redeemed like cash.

Fortunately, in retirement, I actually have time to read flyers carefully, cover to cover, rather than scan through them like a squirrel on a caffeine rush. Continue reading →

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December 12, 2021 · 7:55 am

The Continuing Joy of Christmas Cards

A red envelope addressed to Santa ClausI first started sending Christmas cards during my university years. To me, not only was it a welcomed break from studying for my December exams, but it was also a way for the borderline extrovert in me to stay in touch with friends and family back in the dark ages before social media was invented.

I viewed the tradition of exchanging Christmas cards as an opportunity to reach out to the extended family and friends I would not have a chance to see over the holidays, to say “I’m thinking about you and I hope that you are doing well!”

I also sent cards to the people and businesses that made my life a little easier throughout the year, who helped me along life’s journey. They were an opportunity to express my gratitude and my professional respect.

Exchanging Christmas cards was also a way to keep up with friends who moved away or who were equally busy with their careers or new families.

I am pleased to say that no matter how busy I got over the years, I maintained the tradition. Taking the time to send a card to acknowledge long standing friendships or to say hello over the miles was something that I held near and dear to my heart. Continue reading →

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December 6, 2020 · 8:22 am

My Long-Standing Fascination with the Mail

When I was a child, I loved getting mail. It didn’t happen often, but when an envelope showed up with my name on it, I knew I could tear into it (before I knew what a letter opener was) and enjoy whatever was inside.

My first pieces of mail were birthday and Christmas cards, which always brought me supreme joy. Not too long after that, I had a few pen pals with whom I loved exchanging news from our respective parts of the world.

It didn’t really matter what it was. If it landed in our mailbox and had my name on it, it always had a bit of a surprise factor to it. It always warmed my heart and made me smile to think that someone was thinking of me and took the time to send me a note.

I wonder if that sentiment is what inspired me to reciprocate and to get into the routine of sending birthday and Christmas cards as I got older. Perhaps the mail service was also an opportunity for the emerging writer in me to break from the university or corporate writing routine, and to write letters for the pure fun of it… I know some people will disagree with me on that, but yes, I think it’s fun.

When I think back, I don’t fully understand why I was so fascinated with mail when I was a kid. I don’t know if it’s because it made me feel part of some sort of exclusive club to which I had been accepted as the mail was something I saw as typically reserved for grown-ups.

If I remember correctly, I think I twisted my Mom’s arm into getting me a subscription to “Vidéo Presse”, a popular French magazine for kids back in the day, not just for the content, but also for an additional piece of mail in my name. Continue reading →

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April 3, 2016 · 10:54 am

With This Many Loyalty Cards, How Loyal Can You Be?

Reward CardsDo you remember the episode of the TV sitcom “Seinfeld” when George Costanza’s wallet explodes from the multitude of items he had filed away in it? Some days, I feel that could be me just from the quantity of reward and loyalty cards I have accumulated over the years.

Just this past week, I was in a rush to leave the house to go see a movie and found myself deep diving through the kitchen counter pile of flyers, lists, receipts and other miscellaneous orphaned items, to look for my movie loyalty card. Fortunately I found it in time, despite the needle in the haystack factor.

I have loyalty cards for airlines, hotels, department stores, grocery stores and pharmacies. I have cards to earn me free coffee, free pet food and free dry cleaning, to name a few.

As you can see by the stack of cards in the picture, I am a member of a multitude of loyalty programs, but frankly I am not as loyal to them as they may think. I confess, I have been seeing other stores behind their back.

Out of all of those cards, only two of them are always in my wallet. Maybe five get rotated in and out of the wallet regularly (…when I remember to). The rest, I try to keep as organized as possible by placing them all in a business card keeper (…when I remember to).

Talk about a house of cards, Continue reading →

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