Earning a Good Deal!

So is it still a "freebie" if you have to do something to get it? Call me gullible, but if it is only taking a few minutes of my time or is connected to something I am going to buy or where I would shop anyway - yep! It's definitely a deal!

I have a few examples of how I get some of these deals, but please feel free to share your own favorites! (And readers are from a variety of states, so even if they are local to you, we might find similar offerings in our areas!)

First of all, I am a diehard Diet Coke (and preferable Diet Coke with lime) drinker (hey, it could be worse...Bud Lite?) I save every 20oz bottle cap and box tabs from Coke products to enter the blurry little codes on www.mycokerewards.com. If you are a regular consumer of their products, points add up quickly. My son earned free game rentals at Blockbuster as well as a telescope. I've earned lots of free video rentals as well as over 3000 points for Holiday Inn's frequent traveler program and a few year-long magazine subscriptions. OK, so it isn't worth doing if you don't consume a lot of the product, but if you do, the added minutes to log your points on at the site are well worth the added goodies.

Store "club" cards are a "no-brainer" - if you shop someplace regularly, you have nothing to lose by earning their points. At Safeway, I earn United Frequent Flyer miles; at Fry's I earn Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks merchandise and tickets; at CVS and Walgreen's I earn "bucks" to spend at their stores. And in addition, the cards typically get me better deals on merchandise and coupons in the mail which are often tailored specifically to my personal buying habits. Petco gives me a free bag of dog food for every 10 I purchase...and so on! Do check the rules of each card though as some, such as Barnes & Noble require a membership fee to get their card...it can be really worthwhile, but only if you shop there frequently; a $25 annual fee gets you 10% off all store items as well as at their in-store coffee shops. I don't change my shopping habits around the cards, but I sure make good use of the ones available at my favorite retailers!

What about you? Suggestions?