Easy to shop here, but know your prices.
Written: Feb 08 '03 (Updated Oct 12 '09)
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My mother started collecting Betty Crocker Points before I was born. Now I also collect them...it’s become a family tradition. This review focuses on the Betty Crocker Catalog and what you can purchase with your Betty Crocker Points.
Note: Betty Crocker has discontinued their Points program. The Betty Crocker online store is still open, but points can no longer be redeemed. During my last visit, I noticed that the store is powered by Cooking.com.
What Are Betty Crocker Points?
Betty Crocker offers a points program. You can find points on any Betty Crocker Product. For instance, on a package of Betty Crocker Super Moist cake mix, on the box top is a small rectangle with the number 5 on it. Cut this rectangle out to save it, and you have collected 5 Betty Crocker Points. Betty Crocker’s Rich & Creamy frosting has a rectangle with the number 10 on it, located on the back of the wrap-around label. This rectangle is worth 10 Betty Crocker Points. I keep my Betty Crocker Points on top of the refrigerator in a plastic container with a lid. That way I know where they are. It’s easy to lose track of all those small rectangles!
Products that include Betty Crocker Points are:
Betty Crocker Cake Mixes & Frostings
Betty Crocker Baking Mixes
Betty Crocker Main & Side Dishes
Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks
Gold Medal Flour
Robin Hood Flour
Red Brand Flour
Pop-Secret Microwave Popcorn
Bugles (corn snacks)
Nature Valley Granola Bars
General Mills Big G Cereals
How Do I Use All These Betty Crocker Points?
Now comes the fun part. All the points you’ve collected are worth money toward quality brand-name products. You can find these products in the Betty Crocker Catalog, which is available online or in print.
Viewing the Catalog Online
The website for Betty Crocker is www.bettycrocker.com – go there and you will see a link at the top of the page that says “Shop Our Catalogs”. Click this link. It brings you to a page that offers two catalog choices. Click on the catalog that says “Betty Crocker Catalog Shop with Points” to view products where you can apply your Betty Crocker points toward the purchase. Click the other catalog, “Making a Home Catalog” to shop without using Betty Crocker points. Once you’ve clicked on a catalog, a product listing appears. It’s a tough decision deciding how to use those precious points.
Receiving a Print Catalog
You can also browse a print version of the Betty Crocker Catalog. If you like to ponder decisions, and comparison shop, this may be the best choice for you. That way it’s easy to flip through the pages, circle products of interest, scribble notes. You can order the print catalog three ways.
1. On the Betty Crocker website, to the left there is a navigation menu. Click on “Request a Catalog”. Click a box to indicate which catalog you wish to receive in the mail. Then click “Continue”. Fill out your mailing information and click the “Continue” button. A Thank You
note appears giving you a confirmation number and informing you that the catalog will arrive in two to four weeks.
2. Request a catalog by writing to: Betty Crocker Catalog, P.O. Box 5000, Minneapolis, MN 55440-5000. Make sure you request the “Betty Crocker Catalog Shop with Points”.
3. Call Betty Crocker’s Customer Service phone number: 1-763-764-2212 (Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Central Time).
What Can I Buy with Betty Crocker Points?
A wide selection of products are available for purchase. Since Betty Crocker is known for its food products, most of the items for sale relate to cooking or the kitchen. They also offer other home-oriented products. Here are some examples:
Oneida flatware and serving sets (a huge variety of styles), chests to store flatware, dinnerware (Fiesta, Franciscan, Johnson Bros, Lenox, Pfalzgraff, Spode), Westbend & Zojirushi bread machines, Nordicware Bundt pans, Euro-Pro (toaster oven, mixer, deep fryer), cutlery (Betty Crocker, Diamond Edge, LaCuisine), T-Fal (a large assortment of cookware), KitchenAid culinary utensils, 3-tier cooling rack, an entire line of Betty Crocker kitchen gadgets and products as well as cookbooks.
Besides cooking-related items, Betty Crocker also offers furniture, step ladders, Euro-Pro vacuum cleaners, Euro-Pro sewing machines, Shark irons, a variety of scissors, calculator/timers, children’s toys (including Madeline, Thomas the Train, Disney, and products by Battat).
I recently purchased a T-Fal Perfection 4.4 Quart Deep Saute Pan using Betty Crocker Points. You can read a review of this pan by clicking on the link at the end of this review.
How Much Money Do I Save Using Betty Crocker Points?
Let’s use the T-Fal Perfection 4.4 Quart Covered Deep Saute Pan that I purchased as an example.
In the Betty Crocker Catalog, the Saute Pan is listed at a price of $57.95 without using points. Using 110 Betty Crocker Points reduces the price to $36.95. By comparison, I’ve found this same pan (with lid) at other online stores for $39.99. Many stores sell the saute pan without the lid at a cost of $29.99, but I wanted the pan with the lid.
Like most discount stores, know your prices before purchasing. Also add the shipping costs into the final amount paid so that you achieve a true cost comparison.
Here are a few more examples that I chose at random:
Nordicware Festival Bundt Pan
Betty Crocker Catalog without using points = $29.95
Betty Crocker Catalog using points = $20.95 50 points
Purchasing online from a different store = $27.95
Oneida Satin Sand Dune Flatware (setting for 4)
Betty Crocker Catalog without using points = $84.95
Betty Crocker Catalog using points = $33.95 150 points
Purchasing online from a different store = $34.99
Thomas the Tank Big 37-piece Train Set
Betty Crocker Catalog without using points = $54.95
Betty Crocker Catalog using points = $39.95 80 points
Purchasing online from a different store = $52.99
Euro-Pro Easy “Sewlution” Sewing Machine
Betty Crocker Catalog without using points = $289.95
Betty Crocker Catalog using points = $144.95 400 points
Purchasing online from a different store = $169.95
Redeeming Betty Crocker Points for Merchandise
The process is just like placing any catalog order. Choose the items you wish to purchase, select your method of payment (check or credit card -- American Express, Discover Card, MasterCard, Visa), include the address where the items are to be shipped and also include your Betty Crocker Points. When ordering from the print catalog, just enclose the Betty Crocker Points in the envelope provided. When ordering online or via phone, Betty Crocker sends a self-addressed envelope to mail them the Betty Crocker Points.
Here are the various Shipping & Handling fees: Up to $15.00 add $4.95 for shipping, Up to $35.00 add $6.95 for shipping, Up to $50.00 add $7.95 shipping ... Up to $200.00 add $18.95 for shipping, over $200.00 add 10% of the dollars spent for shipping. If you wish their “Quick Ship in 5 Business Day” option, add another $8.00 to the order. If shipping to different addresses, $5.00 is added for each additional address. Sales tax is only applied to deliveries going to Minnesota.
Betty Crocker offers a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. I’ve never had to return anything. The merchandise arrived within two weeks via the U.S. post office after placing my order. Betty Crocker states that some items ship directly from the manufacturer. The T-Fal pan arrived from Betty Crocker in the manufacturer box just as if I had purchased it in a store (no substitute packaging).
Box Tops for Education
A plus to ordering from the Betty Crocker Catalog is that they donate 2% of each sale to schools. This is a quote from the Betty Crocker website: Ð% of any catalog merchandise purchase will be given to schools in the form of Box Tops.” A neat feature is that, if you wish, you can choose a specific school from a list of participating schools so that your donation goes to that school. The schools collect the Box Tops and later redeems them for cash (many companies participate in this program). In this way, schools earn cash to purchase much needed items such as computers.
Summary
Know your prices before you shop the Betty Crocker Catalog. While there are good deals in the catalog, there are often other stores offering identical items at the same or lower cost. Always calculate the shipping cost into the total value of the item for a true price comparison. Another online store might offer free shipping, which would make a big difference in the total price of an item.
I purchased my T-Fal from the Betty Crocker Catalog because not too many stores offered the saute pan with the lid. Could I have purchased my T-Fal pan cheaper elsewhere? It depends on timing. Right now Amazon.com is offering free shipping on orders over $25.00, and the pan at Amazon costs $39.99. If I had only wanted the T-Fal Saute Pan, Amazon would have been less expensive since they offer free shipping. However, I purchased other merchandise with the T-Fal pan from the Betty Crocker Catalog and feel that I achieved the better deal going through Betty Crocker.
This is definitely a case of let the consumer be fully aware of all options before placing a purchase.
I hope you found this review useful.
Enjoy your day!
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
If you are interested in other kitchen item reviews, please read my reviews for the following by clicking on the links:
Calphalon Professional Nonstick II Sauce Pans
Maytag Gemini Double Oven Range
T-Fal Perfection 4.4 Quart Covered Deep Saute Pan
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Recommended:
Yes
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