Optimum Prime

Double Bubble

Just injecting myself if I could into your early week routine for a moment? You may remember that last year I had admonished myself for missing a big offer that was subsequently added to the weekly Optimum cycle. This was not here last Thursday morning! I am not sure I

Ta Da

From zero to hero in 27 weeks. That's right, October 9, 2024, I had 1009 points. That's one dollar's worth. We also had a basement full of non-perishables and some very nice (and free) new perennials in the yard! This past Tuesday, we went

Front Page News

Maddie and I usually work through the Optimum portal when preparing the list each week. We can see the flyers, the offers and by clicking on "more info" you flow through to the Zehr's site with search parameter already queued up. Zehr's has been

Mea Culpa

The Price is Not Right Rule If you need to spend $15 on butter to receive 3000 points, you notice that I always show an extra dollar on the chart.  That's because on that deal, butter will invariably be $4.99. They make it hard to hit right

Gaming the System

My buddies had admonished me against discussing the Optimum Program at my local watering hole. I understand. If someone is a bird watcher, you don't want to hear about their latest ruffled grouse sighting every time you stop for a beer. The other day, in a loud clear

His Nibs

SWMBO needs cream, so off I go on my morning 2000 steps to Zehr’s.  Midway down the sidewalk, a small red object rested.  Looks like a mini battery clip?  Ten feet away, I see another one? I roll it over with my boot, but it’s not hollow?  It

Art for Arts' Sake

My mantra during the last couple of years has been "Biden is not smart enough to be president". I'm was a Biden fan, but his messaging was horrific and folks are getting their fake news unfiltered these days. If you don't manage your message

Boycott

Captain Charles Cunningham Boycott was an English land agent in 19th-century Ireland. Apparently, he was not a nice man. Working for an absentee landlord, Boycott refused to lower rents and began attempting to evict tenants. The local Irish Land League refused to work on his land, buy goods from his

The Squeaky Wheel

When my phone throws a fit and won't sync to the Mazda, I end up listening to broadcast radio. I'm still a CFNY guy. The morning show yesterday featured a UK man. who is brilliant (as they would say). He had a pothole in front of

Human Obedience School

Best Laid Plans So, I sort of got hoisted on my own petard last week. Nothing too exciting for us in any flyer, but I had that huge birthday offer from Shoppers. Spend $50 for 20K in points? That's a straight 40% off. So, I spent $50.18,

A Flag That Didn't Need To Be Waved

Canada has a new political superstar. If you are not among the millions of Canadian (and Americans) who have viewed the Charlie Angus speech given in the House of Commons on December 10th of last year, you owe it to yourself. He talks about Trump disrespecting and lying about Canada,

In A Pig's Eye

If you wanted to poke your finger in the eye of a certain misogynistic pig from down south, I saw an article from Yahoo Canada about how to shop for Canadian groceries   Of course, they went off the deep end and produced a nine-page list with such well known brands

Pay The Lady February 12, 2025

Like Trump, Rob Ford does not seem to understand how tariffs work?  That doesn’t mean he is not a player.  He got a new hat, screamed to the rooftops, pulled US liquor off the shelves, sent out a “vote for me” cheque for $200 (with my money), and called

Oh, the horror (part deux) February 5, 2025

I fail to understand how the lucky bitch (who I lovingly reference as: she who must be obeyed) has once again used her obviously inferior fishing skills to eke out a narrow victory in our annual fishing excursion. I caught A fish. On the last morning of the last day.

Oh, the horror January 29, 2025

I have to start off this week with some sad news.  It might only be Phil Brueckner and I, but for us, Cherry Blossoms are a religion.  Hershey’s Canada grew out of the Walter M. Lowney Company founded in Boston in 1883.  That company operated a series of chocolate

"ONE" January 22, 2025

Please do not be alarmed. This is not me in the photo. I did not buy a wife beater. I know that many of you instantly assumed that I posted a picture of myself doing reverse lunges, that is not the case. If you look closely, I think you will

Feigned Outrage

It's really the reason that I started writing these newsletters. Every time I saw some snowflake shouting about food prices, it bothered me that they don't do the slightest thing (things that were second nature a generation ago) to reduce their grocery bill. They bleat, they

Optimum Prime (Week Ending December 18, 2024)

Merry Christmas!  Early in 2025, my new site will be online.  Access will fall into two groups.  The basic subscription is what you have been seeing every week.  What I do and how I do it along with related and unrelated content that I hope you find interesting.  The second

Customer Motivation (December 11, 2024)

I would suggest that there are not too many areas where we trail the US in policy but this disturbed me at the time, so I did some digging.  Malcom Gladwell has written seven New York Times best sellers in a row.  He was on CNN promoting his new book.

Expensive Goldfish (Week Ending December 4, 2024)

My Optimum Week Upon sober reflection, I didn’t go for the two basket PC air fryer that was at the top of the Black Friday deals.  It’s always the nine-cent thermistor made in China that ends the life of one of these cheap appliances.  This one had the

The History of Soup (Week Ending November 27, 2024)

Good Morning!  I had this well researched diatribe on how Poilievre is using his Axe the Tax campaign to further his Canadian version of The Big Lie.   Pee Pee is thinking:   If Pepto Abysmal can convince 75 million Americans to not believe their own eyes when his mob stormed the

Winner winner, chicken dinner (Week Ending November 20, 2024)

My Optimum Week I took my own advice and circled back to My Offers on Tuesday.  There was a Flash Sale, BOGO on Old Spice shampoo (which I use).  I whipped into Shoppers and saved $18 on two big bottles.  Then popped across the road to Zehr’s.  We got

Episode 2 (I got to second base last night ... and it's not what you think)

January 11, 2024 The real magic on what I am selling is best visualized if you think in terms on a major league baseball hitter. When you step up to the plate, five different things can happen. Frequently, the pitcher retires you at the plate. If you hit the ball,

Start Here - Episode 1 (Home Economics circa 1973)

January 3, 2024 Hi - Welcome to Optimum Prime coming to you from Mitchz Kitchen.  I'm Mitch and this is Maddie. SWMBO (she who must be obeyed) calls her Monster! I am not sure why. I consider her perfect in every way. Let's face it.  Businesses