"Points" programs

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scottydl

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Anyone else out there collect "points" from various products, and redeem them for stuff?  I have been a member of MyPoints.com for several years, and earn points for website visits and online purchases at certain places (if I link through the Mypoints website).  The best redemption I've gotten there is a stack of gas cards ($175 worth) that I used last year in the RV.  I did have to let the points accumulate over a year or two, but it was worth it in the end.

Lately I've been collecting Coke points off of Coca-Cola product packages and entering them online.  I mostly get the point codes from work and other people, rarely from my own house.  ;)  My goal is to see how many points I can get without ever actually buying Coke products myself.  P.S. If you drink Coke products and don't use the codes yourself, send them to me!  ;D

Lastly my bank (National City) started awarding points a couple years ago for banking activity, similar to credit card programs that have been around for years.  But this way doesn't require credit purchases, I just get points for using my bank card, paying bills online, writing checks, and about every other banking transaction that exists.  I let those accumulate for quite awhile and traded them in for gas cards also.

Just wondered about everyone else's "points" habits.
 
Yep - I just got $125 in gas cards from my BP card, I paid for my rental cars when I went to Hawaii a few years ago using CitiBank points.  I got gift cards for Christmas presents using my Discover card points....I am cheap and if I can charge something on a card that I keep paid off and earn free stuff, why not?
 
We use "points" credit cards for almost everything.  In the last little bit, we've gotten 2 plane tickets to Barbados and a hotel stay in Ft. Lauderdale.  Paying for 3-week luxury cruises with a CC will get you a bunch of points, fast!
 
rjf7g said:
I am cheap and if I can charge something on a card that I keep paid off and earn free stuff, why not?

I'm with you there!  Obviously you lose if you are paying interest on a card by holding a balance... the "points" of whatever variety will never make up for that.  But if you are paying off every month for stuff you would buy anyway, go for it.  And that also is why I like our checking account points.  I really do not spend a penny more and I still earn them.  When we used to rely on a cash-back American Express card for everyday shopping, we still paid off in full every month but I found the monthly payoff getting bigger and bigger since it was easier to lose track of spending.
 
We stopped using our debit card for most purchases last year and started using a credit card instead -- which we pay off every month.

As a result, we saved significantly on Christmas this year.  We redeemed our points for gift cards which we used as gifts for our kids and their spouses.  ;D
 
We don't have any points program cards, just cash back.  We, too, pay our balance every month and accept the cash back that the card company gives us.  I can not understand why anyone would pay the usurious interest rates on a credit card.  To us, it's an interest free, short term loan only.
 
We also use the credit card but pay off the balance every month.  From what I am told it can really get expensive to carry over a balance.
 
It can. Once upon a time in another life, I experienced how bad it could be ::)  Then I divorced her :D  Now I use two cash back cards to charge the usual day to day stuff that we have to buy anyway.  One card gives us 3% back on fuel and resturants, and the other gives us 2% back on grocerys and fuel.  1% on anything else you buy.  It is all paid off every month so no finances charges.  I just bank the cash back and put it back into the budget.  It's a great way to get a little back without changing your lifestyle.

Sarge
 
Boy, after reading the preceding posts, I'm wondering where this recession (depression) is that I've been reading about. 
 
Lou (onaquest) said:
Boy, after reading the preceding posts, I'm wondering where this recession (depression) is that I've been reading about. 

It's in the mainstream media, and that's about it.  ::)  Okay so times may be tough for some, but it's not nearly as bad as those who "inform" us would like to make it seem.  There will always be ups and downs in the market.  We're in a down right now, but it'll go back up like it has every other time in history.
 

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