Rewards Cards USA

Three Essentials when in Southern California.

When next you find yourself in the USA, don't forget to ask when you are at the check outs for a rewards card.

I didn't bother at first, until some keen VONS SUPERMARKET check out guy simply handed me a card when I replied that I didn't have one. Checking the receipt I could see that my $33 spend had been reduced to $24 !

Well ... my interest was sharpened from there on ....... surely this wasn't limited to VONS ?

Later I noticed in RALPHS SUPERMARKET that Clif bars were reduced from $1.40 to 99¢

But only for customers with a rewards card. This time I asked for one. Sure enough, I was charged 99¢ for the bars. Woo hoo ... we had about 30 of 'em !

These are big savings .... why not take advantage of them, wherever and whenever possible.

RITE AID is a huge pharmacy chain .... prescriptions, shampoo, bottled water, even food and CANDY !

Now most supermarket candy is in HUGE packs that are just way over the top. But RITE AID has small packs that are perfect to buy loads of for gifts. Valentines day ones where still on the shelf, reduced, and Easter versions where available too .... Kit and I loaded up and, of course, with my RITE AID card, we got rewards prices !!

View from Villa Brasil

Opposite there is a laundrette and a local cafe, with wi-fi ..... and the large, 22oz chai is pretty good too.

Villa Brasil Motel is a brightly decorated, little motel on Washington Blvd, Culver City. Easy to get to, with off street parking, close to freeways (what isn't in LA?), and not expensive. For this trip I had secured the upstairs apartment, with a full kitchen and plenty of room with 3 beds for a couple of riders, or even a family of four. Certainly plenty of room for just me and my Cervelo R3. My flight arrived at 6.00am on Monday and before I knew it, I had cleared customs, picked up the car hire shuttle and was driving the streets of LA.

Barry's Tea

Hmm .... Classic Blend too.

Just up the road from the Villa Brasil Motel, where I stay in LA, is Samosa House. Not only Indian food, but a well stocked grocery. Gathering ingredients to make chai I spotted this packet of tea. Well ...... who would have thought that Barry's Tea, from Ireland, could be found in a Culver City Indian grocery ?