Rewards programs

I am a fan of rewards programs that stores offer to their customers for free. I am a member of several of them including Shopko, Kmart/Sears, Hallmark Gold Crown and Best Buy. Each program is a little bit different, but great in their own ways. Recently at Kmart when I was checking out, the cashier told me that I won a prize! It was a 20 oz Coke - not a huge prize, but it's still cool winning something! Also, with the Kmart/Sears rewards for every dollar you spend you earn points and those points turn into dollars that you can redeem on a future purchase at the store. They also have bonus points every once in a while on certain items, so those points can rack up fast!

I also love Best Buy's reward program. We have bought some high ticket items at the store, such as laptops, SLR camera and a video camera. Their program works a lot like Kmart's, you earn points for every dollar you spend and those points turn into certificates to redeem on a future purchase.

The drawback to some of these programs is that it results in junk mail and e-mails. Some of them though include coupons and extra savings, so it can be worth it. So next time you're at a store and the cashier asks you if you want to sign up for a rewards program, I highly recommend it (as long as it's not a credit card or anything you need to pay for)!