Shopping with Peanut Allergies - Don't Accept the Coupons

Do you ever wonder who does the marketing things at the supermarket. The ones where you get coupons at the end of your transaction with your receipt. These coupons are supposed to be coordinated with your club card account so you get discounts on products you use.

I went to the market today to get things for our vacation next week. We are going camping for one night and then heading down to visit Grandma and Grampoo (Natalie named him Grampoo when she first learned to talk, and it just seems to fit) for 3 days. Last time we went down to visit we made the unfortunate discovery that Conor is severely severely allergic to cats, and can not set foot in the Grandparents house where 2 cats now reside. I can not wait to discover what else he is severely allergic to this time.

Anyways we live in a small town. If we go over a hill for about 7 miles, you are in a very big town, but I am way too lazy to go over the hill just to go to a grocery store. So I go to our local grocery store which is part of a big chain, but truly one of the worst grocery stores ever. Some days they have certain products, other days they don't. Different weeks, different products are in different places in the store. It is kind of like playing hide and seek with your groceries every time you go in. Some weeks there is no chicken, some weeks no beef, some weeks both, but you just never know. It is kind of exciting, like playing the lottery each time you enter the store. Also they have 3 express lanes, but only seem to open them when the store is empty...

Anyways, so I was having a good day at the local chain grocery store. I found most of the things I needed in record time, and it was empty so tons of registers were open. As I was finished checking out, the woman at the register handed me a coupon even before she gave me the receipt. She looked down slowly and said "Oh look, here is a coupon for you....Wow, you can get buy one get one free on Planters Peanuts Products." She tried to hand me the coupon and I just started laughing. Where in the world did this supermarket chain, with their electronic club card get the idea that I would want a coupon for PEANUTS!! I have not purchased peanuts/nuts or any product even made in a facility with peanuts/nuts in over 2 years. Could this all be a big conspiracy on the part of Mr. Peanut to make me go crazy? Maybe they should donate all the money they spend trying to market research their customers to food allergy research.

The checker looked at me baffled, as I probably not so nicely refused the really great coupon. I told her she could keep it, but I sure hope she does not come near our house with her 2 for 1 peanut products.

Suddenly driving 7 miles over a windy hill does not seem so bad..