Join MyPoints

Here's a program I've recommended before. I've been a member of MyPoints for over 12 years now; I've probably scored a thousand dollars worth of gift cards from them, if not more. They will send you a few emails a day and basically, you just need to click through their links. That's it. You don't need to read a single ad  (once I'm done with the click, I just close the window and delete the email) and it takes about 10 seconds a day. Generally, you get 5 points for each link you click through. You will be surprised at how quickly these add up and how soon you'll qualify for a free gift card.

If you have lots and lots of free time, there are other ways to score points, like filling out surveys, clicking on offers, etc. I don't do these, but you might want to; your points will certainly rack up sooner.

I view programs like MyPoints as "passive income."  For very little effort over time, you get something substantial, like a $100 Sears gift card that you can use to upgrade your home.  If you need to put major effort into it, it's no longer passive; it's a pain in the neck, and your time is better spent working at an actual job.

One word of warning: if you're counting on redeeming a gift card from MyPoints to make a purchase, the gift cards take approximately 3-4 weeks to arrive (as opposed to gift cards from American Express or Visa rewards, which take less than a week). We had to postpone buying a washer while we were waiting for our $300 in Sears gift cards to arrive, but they were well worth the wait.  Remember, free usually = good.

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