Tip #4 - Pick your loyalties

Loyalty cards.  We all have them.  But do we get enough out of them?

Companies like us to get us to sign up to loyalty cards so they can track our spending habits.  To be honest, it's a creepy thought, and if you're not willing to sacrifice your "privacy" for some extra goodies, then this post should be ignored.

But if, like me, extra stuff for no extra dough is really enticing, then the land of loyalty cards can be riddled with potholes.  The problem is, if you are "loyal" to too many companies, you will never get the promised rewards because you will have spread yourself too thin.  So, with that said, here some useful tips and tricks to keep in mind in order to maximise your "earnings":

1. Stick to your loyalties: only keep one loyalty card per use (ex: gas, flights, train travel, pharmacies, supermarkets, etc), and stick, when possible, to retailers which use these cards.

2. Do your online research: don't buy anything online without first checking whether one of your loyalty cards will give you points for the purchase.  Loads of loyalty cards are connected with many companies, and will reward your everyday shopping simply for spending two minutes to go through their website first.

3. Use a credit card which is connected with one of your loyalties: Many loyalty cards have corresponding credit cards.  My advice here is to be choosy and careful. Pick the loyalty credit card which will reward you the most, and use it as your sole credit card for your normal everyday purchases.   Then, pay it off in full every month.  These cards normally have huge interest rates, so it must be used with care and only buy what you normally would.

4. Don't tap into your points too soon: By chipping away at the points, you may miss out on the opportunity to spend them on something bigger.  Point redemption levels often get more favourable the more points you have, so it pays to save them up!

Happy loyalty shopping, fellow frugals!