We are excited to add a weekly question and answer feature to Surviving the Stores!  It doesn’t matter if you are just starting to tighten your budget belt, or if you are a seasoned couponing veteran, there is always new information to be learned. This will be a great resource for everybody!  So if you have a question, don’t be afraid to ask - chances are there are plenty more people out there wondering the same thing 

Q: There are tons of rewards programs out there.  Which ones are actually worth the time it takes to join?

A: Rewards programs are great places to score high value (or FREE product) coupons as well as other nice perks!  Here are my favorites:

• MyCokeRewards- save the codes on the inside tab of your cases of coke products, or under the caps of the plastic bottles and enter them for points.  I use my points for FREE Coke Product 12-pks 99% of the time.  They also offer other prizes for reduced points on Wednesdays, so if you can remember to check it out, you can score some great deals there also! **You can get the most out of your FREE 12 pk coupons by using them with B2G3 FREE sales at Safeway or Safeway affiliate stores!**
• Pampers Gifts to Grow- even if you aren’t in the market for buying diapers, there are always tons of codes put out on the internet that you can redeem for prizes…and moms, don’t forget to enter the codes from your diaper and wipes packages.  You can enter them via text message to make it even easier!  The prizes range from toys, magazine subscriptions, bikes, etc.
• Huggies Enjoy the Ride- very similar to the Pampers program.  You can enter codes from your packages, plus there are many released on the internet.
• Lean Cuisine Delicious Rewards- I love this program because I frequently grab Lean Cuisines for a quick lunch or dinner.  Enter codes on the inside of your Lean Cuisine boxes and earn prizes such as free product coupons, cute kitchen gadgets, and my favorite…lunch bags!  They also have a section of their site where you can earn points by doing short surveys once a month.
• Stouffer’s Dinner Club- Very similar to the Lean Cuisine program…enter codes from packages, doing surveys, or sometimes free codes are released online.  I have used my points for free product coupons in the past.
• Nature Made Wellness Rewards- There is inevitably a great vitamin deal at one of the major drug stores at any given time…get even more out of those great deals by collecting points toward high value coupons.  I recently cashed in some points for a $7/1 coupon- that could mean 2 free bottles during the next great sale
• Starbucks Rewards- If you frequent Starbucks, make sure you buy gift cards and register them on their site.  You will earn a point for every purchase you make.  Points will accumulate and earn you free drinks  You will also be eligible for other perks like free refills, a free drink on your birthday, free syrup or soy milk in your drink and more!
• Disney Movie Rewards- Earn points by entering codes off Disney movie packages, movie tickets, or by finding codes on the internet.  Use your points towards Disney merchandise, gift cards, or occasional high value coupons!
• Swagbucks is a search engine similar to Google (it’s actually powered by Google and Ask.com). But instead of only getting the information you are looking for when you search, you get the opportunity to get points. And these points add up so that you can get gift cards!  There are quite a few ways to maximize your ability to earn points- read more about Swagbucks here!

We post the codes for many of the programs on our Facebook page so be sure to “Like” the Surviving The Stores Facebook page so that you can stay on top of the codes as they come out!

Do you belong to any great rewards programs?  Tell us about them!