An Intro to the Boots Advantage Card App (and a Boots Haul)

My Boots Advantage Card is probably the most overused – yet oddly well looked after – card in my wallet, even ahead of my bank card.  I’ve had the same card from day one (never lost it; the same can’t be said for my bank card which wanders off on average once a year) and it’s a card I use religiously and have saved literally hundreds of pounds with.  Boots is where I spend such a large chunk of my money, so I tend to buy favourably from Boots to make the most of my Advantage Card Points.  Since Teddy’s arrival I’ve also been buying the majority of his bits and bobs from there, including nappies, nappy bin liners and a lot of his fruit pots.  It’s a cliche, but it really does all add up and I’ve managed to treat myself on many occasions by just paying with points and it doesn’t take long at all to build them up again; in fact a couple of years ago I had a £100 spending spree using just points.  If you don’t have a Boots Advantage Card you are seriously missing out, as not only are there points to be gained, there are also a lot of card-holder offers as well as the magazine that’s free to card-holders, so considering it’s a free card it’s well worth getting.

Today I thought I’d give you a quick look at the new Boots Advantage Card app which is designed to make saving even easier.  You know those kiosks for card-holders in Boots store that always has someone on them taking absolutely ages when you’re in a hurry? The app delivers all the benefits of the kiosk whilst sitting happily within your phone! It’s a great help for planning your purchases to ensure you get the best deals whilst keeping an eye on your Advantage Card balance.  Once you log in to the app (which you need to register with your details and card info) you’ll be presented with an up to date balance of points 3 tabs to tell you what’s happening at Boots.  There’s a news and events tab to show you any new releases of interest (and I’m assuming upcoming events, but I’ve only had the app for a couple of weeks and there were no events), and the two main tabs for me which are Best Offers at Boots – a general offers tab that tells you what deals are on such as “3for2” deals and similar promos and lastly the Offers Just For Me tab which displays any current offers that are most relevant to your particular shopping habits.  The great thing about this is that you can really work out what’s best to buy and save some real money if you plan well.  Plus, as your Advantage Card details are registered to your app, you can load the offers directly on to your card beforehand which not only means you don’t have to remember to get your phone out when you’re at the till, it’s also extremely helpful if your local Boots is in a rubbish signal area like mine!

Boots very kindly sent me a voucher to use at my local store to test out the app and how I could go about making savings.  I took a slightly “Supermarket Sweep” approach to the shopping which was probably unnecessary, but good fun nonetheless.  I used the app to plan my purchases and decided to go for a mix of stocking up on essentials, trying out some new basics and enjoying a couple of treats too. I took full advantage of the offers available through the app and I used them to stock up on cotton wool (they do double-faced pads which are brilliant and really firm so they don’t fall apart) as there was a buy one get one half price deal on them, plus I also took advantage of the Pampers offer which saved me a fiver.  I also picked up some toothpaste, hair removal cream (had to wear a swimming costume yesterday for an event, so needs must) and a Garnier Moisture Match that I’ve been meaning to try for ages.

Then on to the make-up binging! I’ve been wanting to try the YSL Baby Doll Kiss & Blush for a while, so I picked up shade 2.  Do you remember a week or so ago when I proclaimed that orangey shades were the way forward for me and lipstick? I clearly haven’t knocked the pink habit yet as you can see, since I picked up 3 lip products, all pink…There was a L’Oreal 3for2 deal on, so I grabbed one of their Glam Shine Crayons as well as the last two black shades of the Superliner Perfect Slims as there seems to be a shortage of them and I’ve been trying to find one for a friend, so I got one for me and one for her, with her one being free in the deal.  There was also a Maybelline buy one get one half price deal on, so I picked up the Baby Skin Primer as I still haven’t tried it, and the most beautiful shade of pink lipgloss, because apparently I don’t have enough pink lip products; honestly I think there’s something wrong with me…

I also picked up quite a few fruit pots for Teddy (he loves them mixed with porridge) and my total came to just under £95.  However, I saved £17.60 on the total bill which is a huge amount and it’s definitely a lot more than I usually manage to save, no matter how savvy I attempt to be!  This proves that with a bit of planning and by taking full advantage of the app, you can save quite a bit on everything from everyday essentials to pay-day splurges.  The app is completely free so there’s no reason not to download it, plus you can use it to do your Boots shopping and collect your purchases the next day, so it’s a very handy tool to have.  Head to the app page at Boots here – link – for more info.

*Products paid for with PR voucher