Tips like these helped us pay off $127K in debt. You can read our story in Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After.
Every time you forget to use a rewards program a couponer cries. There are rewards programs for debit cards, frequently eating at restaurants, staying with a particular hotel chain, flying, and so much more. Whether you use them to spoil yourself with a treat or save them to use for gifts on birthdays or holidays – my favorite thing to do, you should be using rewards programs on a regular basis. Here are 7 of my favorite programs that take little time and help you cash in big!
Shopkicks
What it Is:
Shopkicks is a smart phone app that gives you “kicks” or reward points.
How it Works:
You can get “kicks” in a variety of ways, including merely walking into select stores. You can also receive rewards for referring friends, linking your credit or debit cards to the app and making purchases at participating stores. Lastly, you can scan items to receive extra points. Once you collect enough, you can “purchase” digital gift cards that are used straight from the app (no waiting for them to arrive via mail!).
Tips & Tricks:
After you sign up for an account here, you’ll be ready to go! You can quickly see where there are kicks available in your area once you open the app. “Walk In” kicks allow you to collect points for doing nothing but walking into the store. You will need to open the app and have an internet connection to receive them, though. Some gift cards require lower point totals so as you choose your rewards realize that all are not created equally. The Target $2 gift card is as little as 500 kicks which would not be difficult to snag after a trip or two to Target alone. Finally, if you ever choose to walk around the mall, be sure you collect the points as you pass by participating stores (which will be indicated in the Find Kicks Near Me section of the app).
Swagbucks
What it Is:
Swagbucks is an online search engine that rewards you for doing your basic internet investigation.
How it Works:
Instead of heading to your typical search engine head to Swagbucks to collect rewards for what you’d be doing already. You can also receive Swagbucks for referring others, watching videos, printing coupons, taking surveys, shopping online through their platform, and even playing games.
Tips & Tricks:
If you like, you can download a toolbar that makes it more organic to search using Swagbucks. Follow Swagbucks on Facebook to learn about codes that are released regularly to help you score even more free points. My favorite cash-in is the $5 Amazon gift card that can be used on merchandise, music, video, and more. You only need 500 Swagbucks to score one which you can do easily within in a month. I’ve earned hundreds of dollars in rewards over the years with Swagbucks including $900 worth of Apple gift cards. Share your referral link with people as much as possible to maximize your rewards.
My Starbucks Rewards
What it Is:
My Starbucks Rewards is a simple app and reward program that allows you to collect points for drinks.
How it Works:
You register any gift card (you can even buy one online for yourself to begin with) with your account and each time you purchase a beverage, you earn a “Star.” You can also receive stars for coffee purchased in grocery stores and during special promotions that Starbucks runs. You receive a free drink just for signing up and one on your birthday, too. Starbucks also releases special coupon codes for $2 off a beverage, 25% off food, and more on a routine basis.
Tips & Tricks:
I love this program so much that I shared many tips and tricks to best use it in The Best Ways to Save Money at Starbucks. I really like purchasing gift cards rather using my debit card because I can set a firm budget for how much I spend. Typically I buy the cheaper drinks to get to my free drink level. You can also use your rewards and earn “Stars” at Teavana tea.
My Coke Rewards
What it Is:
My Coke Rewards is an online rewards program that gives you points for enter the codes on the inside of packaging and caps.
How it Works:
Sign up for an account, find codes on the inside of packages, enter them regularly.
Tips & Tricks:
We rarely drink anything except water and coffee in our house but we have friends and family who are uninterested in entering their caps who give them to us on a regular basis. Set up an account here. You can enter 100 points worth of codes per week. The week rolls over on Monday so get into the habit of entering the points you have every week. Your points do disappear after 90 days of inactivity, so don’t forget to sign in on a regular basis and either enter or spend points. My favorite reward is the AMC movie ticket with drink coupon (will come straight to your email account) which clocks in at 485 points.
Disney Movie Rewards
What it Is:
Disney Movie Rewards is an online program that rewards you for purchasing Disney movies and seeing them in the theater. This program also occasionally releases free codes good for points.
How it Works:
Sign up for an account and any time you buy a Disney movie, you’ll find a code on the inside of the package to enter. You can also take a digital picture of ticket stubs to receive even more points.
Tips & Tricks:
Each month you should receive an “Mystery” Code as a part of the either email (it’s always at the bottom left hand corner so sometimes it’s easy to miss. On the Disney Movie Rewards Facebook page, codes are released on a regular basis. Don’t forge to keep ticket stubs, too. It’s a simple way to earn more points. My favorite reward is the Starbucks Gift card which you then register and use to earn more rewards at Starbucks, of course.
Pampers Gifts to Grow
What it Is:
Pampers Gifts to Grow is an online rewards program that allows you to enter codes from packaging on diapers. You can also earn points via free codes released online and by reading articles or occasionally watching videos.
How it Works:
Sign up for an account. When you purchase Pampers products like wipes, diapers, and training pants, you enter the codes in the packaging to snag free gift cards (my favorite is the Starbucks one!), baby items, magazine subscriptions, and more.
Tips & Tricks:
What’s that you say? You don’t have a baby. No one in our house has worn diapers in years. However, I still regularly enter codes (most of the time I find them on Freebies 4 Mom). This is a super simple program that really doesn’t require you to purchase products. The rewards do change on a regular basis so if you don’t see something you love, hold on to those points.
mPerks
What it Is:
mPerks is both an app and online interface that allows you to both digitally “clip” coupons and earn rewards for your regular purchases. You can also earn rewards for picking up prescriptions at Meijer and purchasing baby items.
How it Works:
Set up an account. Link your mobile phone number to an account and set a PIN. Go online or use the app to select coupons and rewards that you would want to receive. When you get ready to check out, use the payment kiosk mPerks option. Your coupons will come off automatically and your points for purchase will be logged without any extra leg work.
Tips & Tricks:
This really is a simple program that every Meijer shopper should be using. For other ideas for saving at Meijer, read: The Best Ways to Save Money at Meijer. By the way, you can also use Shopkicks at Meijer. Double bonus. You can literally scan items via the Meijer app as you put them into your cart and see if there is a coupon available for that item. The grocery rewards roll over on a monthly basis, so be sure to check them a day or two before the month ends and your points disappear. The Rewards can be easy to miss if you don’t look carefully. There are personalized rewards, pharmacy rewards, and baby rewards all available. Filling 5 prescriptions at Meijer can easily get you $10 off $10. This program is so unbelievably simple and a great money saver!
I’d love to know what your favorite rewards programs are! Leave them in the comments.
My book is now available: Slaying the Debt Dragon: How One Family Conquered Their Money Monster and Found an Inspired Happily Ever After. You can also check out Inspiration to Pay Off Debt: 30 Days of Encouragement from the Queen of Free on Kindle.
This post contains an affiliate link. That means when you get a great deal or maybe even something for free, you also help our family pay off our mortgage early. And for that, we royally thank you!
Donnyfan says
My favorite rewards program is KelloggsFamilyRewards. You register, then enter special codes from Kellogg’s family brands to your account. Brands include Keebler, Sunshine, Morningstar Farms and many Kelloggs items. You can save your points to redeem for gift cards, coupons, or other items. Kelloggs will send you emails with free bonus codes for you to enter, in addition to coupons and recipes. They also have special promos where you can get extra bonus points for entering codes from particular items (usually new products), or get free books or movie tickets from entering codes from specially marked boxes. This program is FREE. I use it to get coupons for their items, and match with sales in the stores to get many items for free, or close to it. Definitely look into it!