Surviving Christmas

The first program I am going to mention is MyPoints.com.


This site offers you a means to earn points for doing some things you do every day. You earn points by clicking a special link in emails they send you (5 points per email opened). Each of these offers allows you to earn even more points by taking advantage of a free trial, making a donation to your favorite charity, signing up for an online newsletter or purchasing their product.


You get the basic points whether you take advantage of the offer or not.

They offer surveys, too. You will earn 10 points when you click through to the survey – even if you don't qualify to take that survey! You will earn between 50 and 200 points for each survey you complete, as well.


You can also earn points by taking advantage of free and low-cost trial offers for goods and services, by playing online games (poker, slots, and a host of others), using their search engine when you surf online, doing simple (really – no-brainer type) tasks, listening to online radio and more.




You also earn points for shopping at your favorite stores through their site!! Of course, this applies all year, not just now, but this IS a Christmas site, after all!!


For instance, if you use the MyPoints site to shop at Wal-mart (you can schedule pick-up or have your order shipped to your house, sometimes for free), you will earn 8 points for every dollar you spend. Sometimes during special sales they offer 10 points per dollar.


Some of the places you can shop in addition to Wal-Mart are: Land's End, Barnes and Noble, Old Navy, Amazon and more.




MyPoints is free to join. You earn points for everything you do, and these are redeemable for rewards cards. Many of the stores you can shop at for cash back also offer their rewards cards through this program.


I usually opt for the Barnes cards, because I love to read, but I've also traded my points for cards to Red Lobsters, Outback Steakhouse and Chili's.


There are nearly 100 different cards you can choose from.


If you need money more than books, clothes or a night out, they also offer a VISA card.




You can get a reward card starting with as little as 1600 points. Given the way the program works, I have never done a trial offer or any other paid action, and still have gotten more than 5 cards.


MyPoints will send between 2 and 10 points emails per day. You choose whether or not to get the emails, and you choose whether you just want the 5-pointers (offers) or whether to get survey offers as well. I get them all, and it takes me about 2 minutes to click through on everything – 5 if I decide to try for the surveys.


You will not get the 10 points for the surveys that you don't qualify for just by opening the emails, you actually have to go through the (very short!) qualification process. Of course, if you do qualify, you can still choose to end it there and take your 10 points - or go on for the full points value – but you do have to go that far.


Being a member of several other sites that offer trials and other offers, I would trust the MyPoints system with these. I have not done any offers there that I can remember. But if you do these, be sure to read the FAQ about it. I write about this on another blog (GrannySue's Get Cash Now).


The offers are easy, but you have to keep track and you have to be sure that you know the details so that in the event you need to cancel, you have that information handy.




Like I said – I don't remember ever doing any cash offers at MyPoints. However, I have earned more than 30,000 points basically doing nothing. I've gotten more than $100 worth of rewards cards.


Just opening emails and surveys you can easily earn at least one $25 gift card each year.


However – with the holidays upon us, and retailers offering everything from 5 to 12 points per dollar to use this site to shop, well, you can see where that will lead!!


Plus, if you get into the habit of shopping your favorite retailers through MyPoints, you can earn and use those points all year round! This can be a MAJOR budget saver, and is a great way to do your Christmas (and much of your other) shopping!




I would be both honored and grateful if you would use my link should you decide to join this program!!


I am currently a pending affiliate for this program, so I will not be receiving any commissions from the site if you join now. Once I am approved, I will receive $1.00 for everyone that joins through that link.


However, if you request an email from me (NO AUTO-RESPONDERS – you have to sign up for that once I get it ready!), I will send you a link. I will not keep your email address.


If I send you an email directly from the site, they still do not have access to your address unless you sign up. I will get points if you join from that email.

Many Blessings
GrannySue

Remember to post a comment to let me know about your experiences with this program or to ask any questions you might have! I'm always here to help and can always use suggestions!