Found Money

That never happens to me!  But, the other day I found $12.70 I didn't know I had. Whoop! LOL

Back in "pre-economy crash" days my bank offered a rewards type debit card. I could earn cash back (I think it was about 1%, maybe a little less, per dollar spent). I used it for as much as I could and earned about $25 a month in cash back that I could deposit straight back into my checking or savings (or take other types of rewards, gift cards, etc) and it cost me $25 annually to have the card, so I netted about $275 a year for doing nothing.  When they discontinued the program I had 1270 points earned, which from what I remember how the program worked I needed 2000 points in order "cash in" to transfer $20 into my checking. I had 1270 points left I couldn't do anything with........or so I have thought the last 4 or 5 years.

The link to the rewards has always still been on my online banking, underneath my account balances. I recall clicking on it several months after the program was stopped and got some message that my card didn't have rewards or something to that effect. I have always wondered why then those stupid 1270 points have still been there all these years later.

I guess I was bored or something over the weekend and clicked on it again and it went to a screen with options and one was "pay yourself back" so I clicked on it just for giggles and it took me to a screen that said 1270 points = $12.70. I clicked again and it let me cash it out! I put it in my savings account and then took a look around the rewards site. I found a section that said 2000 points is the minimum needed to cash out for $20, unless you have a debit card, then there is no minimum.

Then I clicked on "earn rewards", thinking, well there is no way for me to earn them, when my card doesn't give me points for using it anymore.  I was "kind of" wrong. If I shop online and go through that rewards site portal I can earn points per dollar spent that I can in turn get cash back.  Like Target is 2 pts/$1 and Lowes is 3 pts/$, JCP 5pt/$ and Textbooks.com 4pts/$ (great for DD's college textbook rentals!)  There are a few, like Walmart that are only 1pt/$, which is the same as I earn using my Paypal cash back debit card (but that one I can earn on any purchase, not just online).  It will definitely pay to start using that portal for times when I do online shopping, especially at Christmas, when I usually do most of my shopping online. I can be earning double and triple the rewards I am earning now with my Paypal debit card.  Like I always say: Every little bit helps.