How I Would Use Employer Benefits If My Coffee Maker Broke

If you’re like me, you like to start the day with a hot cup of coffee.

Programming my coffee maker at night so my coffee is brewed and waiting for me each morning is one of my guilty little pleasures. The smell of already brewed java wafting from my kitchen to my bedroom makes getting up oh so sweet, until the morning I woke up and didn’t smell the coffee.

I groggily made my way to the kitchen to be greeted with an empty coffee pot. Rubbing my eyes as I hit buttons and check the plug, I realize to my horror that my coffee maker died!

Feeling my mood quickly switch to one of grumpy despair, I heat up a mug of water in the microwave and grab an Irish tea bag to at least get some caffeine in me. While I have a full day ahead, my mind scrambles about what I can do to quickly rectify the crisis and reinstate my glorious little perk…fast!

So, I sit down with my tea and open my laptop. After reading my horoscope, my mind focuses on the task at hand.

I look across the icons of the shortcuts I’ve saved on my Internet homepage, click the icon for the discount program available through my husband’s employer’s medical plan (more on that later), type “coffee maker” in the search bar, see the brand I like and click it, and a number of deals come up that include saving up to 25% on the newest models, some extras included for free, cash back opportunities, free shipping and more.

Before my dog Finn gets up and starts whining to go outside, I pick the best offer for me, solve the problem and get my day back on track. The world is right once more!

Admittedly, I took some liberties in writing this – my coffee maker didn’t break. However, I did look up my coffee maker brand via the discount program site and found a number of savings opportunities that could reap bigger rewards than some popular online shopping sites. I also found a 7% discount on gift cards to the closest retail store in case I preferred shopping on-site.

What can you do right now to reap any discount program rewards that may be available to you?

1. See if your employer or your partner’s/spouse’s employer offers a discount program. Depending on what resources are available through an employer, you may be able to get the answer by calling its HR/Benefits call center; searching benefits content on its Intranet site; visiting its benefits portal; or asking someone on the HR team.   
2. Look closely at benefits offered under other plans available to you. I found our discount program when looking through a summary of our medical benefits.   
3. Set up an account on the discount program’s site. It took me less than a minute to provide the standard information (i.e., name, email address, etc.).
4. Add a shortcut to the site on your Internet homepage. I GOOGLED how to do this – it was easy. 
5. The next time you need to make a purchase, visit the discount program site FIRST. You may be pleasantly surprised at how this simple habit can save you time and money.

It’s important to note that employers do offer different types of discount programs. For example, in the past I worked for employers offering discounts on a couple of distinct categories of goods, including cars, cell phones, computers, and such.

While finding out whether you have access to a discount program can literally take just a few minutes, savings opportunities can really add up when you use it for everyday purchases or even big appliances, vacations, home repair services, and more. You just have to take the first step – find out what’s available through your employer or your spouse’s/partner’s employer today.

For more insights on what a discount/perk program can do for you, click here for answers to commonly asked questions.