{Guest Post} Go Grocery Shopping with Pennies at Bi-Lo with #NoFeeCoinstar

Did you know you can use Coinstar to convert your spare change into gift cards fee free? Today Barbara from Barbara's Beat shares her experience shopping with her daughter Patricia at Bi-Lo.


These days every penny counts. Especially when you have three kids like my daughter, Patricia. 

Last weekend when I was going to check out the no-fee Coinstar at Bi-Lo in Rutherfordton, N.C.,  I asked my daughter to take me. I took plenty of change for both of us to try Coinstar.

Since the Coinstar machine is at the front of the store, we asked the manager if we could take photos while we reviewed Coinstar. He was very nice and said no problem. With limited space we had a problem getting in the way of shoppers who were checking out, however. 

Following the directions provided by Coinstar, Patricia inserted the quarters and dimes I gave her into the machine. She waited until all of the coins were counted, then made her gift card selection. She chose a Bi-Lo gift card, so there was no fee. She planned to do some grocery shopping with the card.
"I couldn't believe how easy it was to exchange my coins for a gift card," Patricia said. "The machine offered step-by-step instructions that allowed me to choose what I wanted to exchange, dollars or coins. I was asked if I wanted to have the balance put on a Bi-Lo gift card, or purchase one of several other gift cards.  I even had the opportunity to donate the money I submitted to a charity."

We then went up and down almost every aisle. It was getting late and we had a long trip back home so we selected a register and put our groceries on the belt. The items were scanned, then Patricia handed over her coupons and BiLo gift card. The bottom line was a big surprise, because the balance left to pay was a little over $1. Not bad for a grocery shopping trip. 

Patricia likes to save money where she can, and taking loose change to Coinstar and having the option to exchange it for a gift card for groceries with no fee is a no-brainer. She's sold on the idea.

So, check your couches, your car and the bottom of your purse. Find all your loose change, and take it to a Coinstar near you. Maybe you, too, can buy some groceries for pennies.

Check out the rest of our shop.


Coinstar Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/Coinstar


Coinstar Twitter  https://twitter.com/#!/coinstar


Bi-Lo Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/BILOSuperSaver


Bi-Lo Twitter  https://twitter.com/#!/bilosupersaver


I have been paid (at Coinstar’s request) to try and blog about Coinstar’s products/services as part of a Collective Bias shopper insights study. All opinions are my own.

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