Plain Vanilla

I’ve used up a fair bit of bandwidth on this blog discussing the bluebird card and loading Visa gift cards onto it at Walmart.

This is the bread and butter of manufactured spend for me.  But this is not a Portland, Oregon specific Blog.

And this sequence might not be the the most convenient route for you.

Why do I say this?

It has to do with the regionalization of drugstore chains.

Now that I’ve got you spellbound, I will proceed.

You see there’s a more direct (read Walmartless)  route to loading your bluebird card.

It is the Vanilla Reload Card. And it looks like this.

It’s truly a beautiful thing. It’s got a low fee (3.95$ for $500 loaded) and the moment after you buy it you can load it directly onto your bluebird card via smart phone or computer.

No trips to Walmart. No wasted gas. No sweet chemical perfume of subway bread greeting you as you walk past the greeter.

So why is this not my chosen method for loading my Bluebird?

Because of the drugstores at my disposal here in Portland, Oregon.

Although we do have Walgreens Pharmacies which do have Vanilla Reloads, they do not accept credit cards for their purchase. (What are they, Free Masons?)

CVS stores both have vanilla reloads and do except credit cards. Unfortunately there are none of those north of the California Oregon border.

For brief time I was able to taste the sweet nectar of Vanilla Reload simplicity when 7/11 would allow their purchase with credit cards. But that train has left the station. (It’s got to be the Free Masons)

But the point is this. If you’re interested in the miles game and manufactured spending, and live in a locale with CVS drugstores, please check those out first.  Go with sweet vanilla.  You’ll find it very satisfying.

Just because Walmart has become a regular part of my life, does not mean it must become a part of yours.

(This public service announcement brought to you by your local farmers market.)

Take-home point: Vanilla Reload Cards are an excellent tool to have in your arsenal for manufactured spending via bluebird card. Unfortunately they are geography specific in terms of their availability for purchase with a credit card.