The "Other Money": What's in YOUR Wallet? *Closed - Use 2013 Thread*

NEW THREAD FOR 2013 HAS BEEN STARTED! PLEASE POST UPDATES THERE: http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/342366-...a/#post5287673






The Backstory:
Last summer, our family made an all-important decision. Things were changing at my job and, after much prayer and reflection, we decided the time was right for me to leave the corporate work world to stay at home with my dd as she prepares for school. I have plans to launch my own business at some point as was going to do it sooner than later to assist with things financially. Again, after much thought, it just seemed more right for me to fully focus on our family life, church ministry and finally take some time for myself-I actually use my gym membership now! I enjoy not being on the clock; we have a nice routine at home and fully embrace the peace that comes with not stressing to make a meal in 20 mins after work or having to pack in a ton of errands on the weekends. However long this period lasts, I'm enjoying it while I can!

In that light, I took a good look at all our savings from couponing and started looking at ways to pull more value from what I call “Other Money” – these are loyalty programs, paid surveys, consignment sales, garage sales; any and everything that could help offset our actual out of pocket costs with minimal effort and give us some fun money too!

And that’s when I realized that what we didn’t have in our bank account physically was coming to us in the form of rebate cheques, gift cards (Stouffers, Lean Cuisine, Airmiles), grocery vouchers (Airmiles), FPCs (various sources including RAOK’s) and a wad of extra cash from consignment sales. So, that’s how this all started in mid-2011 and I have Smartcanucks to thank for giving our family that gift. :flowers: I didn't know a lot of this info before SC and what I did know was "tip of the iceberg" stuff! With “Other Money” in my pocket, I’m content in this new way of contributing to the finances and I am constantly amazed at just how much we can still do on a limited budget.

Here’s what’s in/been in my “Other Money” wallet so far:

January
$25 Payal via Swagbucks
$10 SDM promotion
$10.14 Consignment Sales
$6.28 Finish Dishwasher Cleaner Mail in Rebate
$20 Gas voucher for Shell (via Airmiles)

Total:$71.42 :excited:

February
$10 SDM GC from Lean Cuisine pins
$10 PC GC from Stouffers Pins
$20 from Paypal via Swagbucks
$ 20 Zellers GC (redeemed points for $10 and a $10 promo card)
$15 Amazon.ca via Swagbucks (saving for Birthday and Christmas gifts)
$10 Walmart GC from Ontario Health Survey
$12.42 from Airwick MIR
$5 Bulk Barn GC from Valentine’s Promo
$28.25 Consignment Sales
$50 Focus group with Metroline Research Group

Total:$180.67 :omg::excited::excited:

March
$10 Prepaid MC from Kellogg's promo
$20 Metro grocery voucher
$100 SDM Bonus redemption
$10 SDM promo card
$10 Paypal via Superpoints
$25 Amazon.ca gc's via Swagbucks
$9.02 Air Wick scented oil mail in rebate

Total:$184.02

April
$25 Amazon.ca via Swagbucks
$20 paypal via Superpoints
$6.50 consignment sales (kids clothing)
$9 Physician's Formula MIR

What a wondeful blessing! Like I said, I’m just amazed by it all.
The next post will show a list of other money sources I’ve mentioned as well as others that are equally great and may prove to be workable for you too. Please add your ideas (and stories!) so we can enjoy the adventure together!

Airmiles Reward Miles: Earn airmiles at participating retailers including Metro, Shell, Rexall. Bonus miles events are held at Metro and Rexall throughout the year and FPCs count in your base total for bonus miles. Also, if you have a credit card like BMO Airmiles then you earn more miles for based on your spending. I’ve used these mainly to cash out for Metro vouchers, Shell gas vouchers and free car washes.

Here are two threads that give lots of valuable info re the Airmiles program:
http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/23424-s...-deals-canada/ (Operabob's thread)

http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/266628-airmiles-best-practices-canada/

SDM Optimum Points: You could not get me to shut up about this one! There’s an SDM forum on SC just for optimum point junkies and boy do we make the most of that program! I’ve brought home so much free stuff it’s beyond compare to any other loyalty program I’ve subscribed to. Check out all the details, discussions and FAQs here http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/shoppers-drug-mart/

HBC points: Even with Zellers closing soon, it’s a great program if you shop at the Bay and Home Outfitters. I shop mainly at Zellers and during one of their promos, I pocketed $80 in GCs just by buying drapes that I needed to get anyway. In the “coupons” forum of SC, you’ll find threads on the latest bonus points coupon(s) available and/or bonus point promotions available in-store.

PC Points: Upon signing up for my PC MasterCard I received free cookies (yum!) and later received bonus point coupons that eventually gave me $40 in free groceries and I’ve redeemed for another $20 since signing up last year. It’s a slow ascent to the next redemption but the points add up. Sign up here http://www.pcfinancial.ca

Swagbucks: Since joining last September, I have earned $75 in Paypal $ and $125 in Amazon.ca money! AWESOME!!!! You can sign up on swagbucks.com or if you wish to help another SCer earn extra points you can sign up using a referral link in SCers signatures. Popular rewards are Amazon.ca/.com e-gcs and Paypal $. Check out the SC thread http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/177371-...-stuff-canada/


***Earn Airmiles when spending your paypal or amazon.ca cash!*** air miles shops.ca (no spaces when you search) features many online shops at which you may pay for your purchase via paypal; amazon $ spent at amazon. If you login (requires your Airmiles card #) before making your purchase you could earn at least 1 airmile on your purchase. runs various bonus miles promos like 2x or 3x on a certain purchase level. Thanks to SCer alicia for this tip!

Consignment: I sell at both a children’s and women’s clothing consignment shop. I’ve earned more than $200 over the past year and it’s a great way to empty your closets and make a little extra money on the side. I also purchase items from the children’s store and they gave me an extra 20% of the account balance when I transfer the money to in-store credit. This $ topped up groceries, take-out nights and some fun money for each of us.

SCENE points - earn points either with black SCENE card when you pay for movies (also
get 10% off concession purchases) or with SCENCE debit card (red) offered at Scotiabank.
Get 100 points per transaction (not per ticket; e.g, if you buy two tickets, do two separate transactions). Limit of 200 points per membership per day. Receive 10% off movie tickets on Tuesdays. New members will receive a 250 points sign-up bonus.

SCENEtourage: Create a group of 3-10 friend/family members and earn bonus SCENE points. Earn 50 bonus points when 2 or more members of your SCENEtourage see a movie together (max. 50 bonus points per membership a day). Members must use their SCENE card at the same theatre within a 1-hour period or online during the same calendar day. Bonus points will be awarded within 48 hours. There are also on-going contest promos for SCENEtourage groups.

PINS/CODES: lots of products have pins/codes on them for rewards including:
Pampers - Create an account at pampers.ca; check out the SC thread http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/132368-...thread-canada/ for bonus codes and/or bonus point offers from the rewards program. Trade the points earned from codes for toys, photo albums, gc's and lots more!

Huggies - Create an account at enjoytheriderewards.com; check out the SC discussion thread http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/81758-h...thread-canada/ for any bonus codes and/or point offers. Use points earned from codes to play games/enter contests. Prizes range from GCs, toys, even FPCs for diapers/wipes products!!

Stouffers & Lean Cuisine - Create accounts at stouffers.ca and leancuisine.ca. You can earn 10pts per day just for signing into your Lean Cuisine rewards account. (Sorry, no bonus for signing in on Stouffers)

Kellogg's cereals -

iCoke: Don't toss those bottle caps (or if you did, hopefully an SCer found them!) The pins add up to some fine rewards from their website. Many on SC have bragged of their various swag and some have been lucky to find bottle caps in recycling bin walks or at work. There’s a thread on SC re iCoke http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/146018-...ow-canada-267/. Hope you get a nice reward out of it!

Mail in Rebates:
It all adds up...and fast! Check out the list and maybe you can find an item or two to cash in on: http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/104615-...ebates-canada/

Found Money: coley3 and SmackUTwice have both commented on saving those pennies you find on the ground and quarters from shopping carts et al. It might not be a ton but it does add up. In 9 months, coley3 had an extra $18 to spend - free to her! I'm starting a "found money" jar this year...total so far = $0.11! Hope to make that $11 or more!

Other (Trusted) Paid Surveys: Many SCers are doing surveys though a variety of sites and are cashing out pretty regularly! One SCer recommends checking out: Opinion Outpost (Paypal, USD) Toluna (Paypal, CDN), Legerweb (Cheque, CDN) and MySurvey (was TNS, Cheque, CDN), Ipsos iSay (Paypal, CDN). . Visit the “Paid Surveys” forum on SC http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/paid-surveys-mystery-shopping-canada/ to see if one fits your life. FYI: LikeNet closed down.
*I highly recommend Clixsense!

Disney Movie Rewards: fantastic rewards for entering movie codes from DVD's etc. They also send out a monthly newsletter with 5 points without having to enter a DVD code. SC thread: http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/106759-...ad-canada-130/

Chapmans Kids Club: Make an account at: http://www.kidsclub.ca/fast/english/ Play games to earn points. Each game gives you 0-50 points. You can order stuff in exchange for your points. Shipping is Free. Stuff You can get:Magnet, pens, notepad, pencil cases, highlighters, hat, t-shirt, coupon, bookmarks, cards, rulers, silly bands, lunch bags, apron. See discussion thread on SC: http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/49071-c...thread-canada/. I believe you also earn a certain amount of points (35?) for logging in daily! You can have accounts for each family member - up to 6.

Each calendar year, you can also request a coupon from Chapmans towards purchase of their products. It's been a one-time only $5 coupon for the past few years now. It covers $5 worth of Chapmans's products..in the summertime this could be 3 boxes of ice cream if you use it on a good sale day!!! *Value of coupon may change in 2013 but still a good coupon to have!

Gas points/cash: You're buying the gas anyway so be sure to also collect some points/cash for your efforts! Canadian Tire has bonus CT cash coupons (i.e. 8x ct cash when you buy gas), Esso/Shell/Petro give points (gotta have a rewards card). It all adds up, slowly but surely.

Birthday freebies: SC forum http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/special-occasion-freebies/ for various threads about free coupons/products/offers for birthdays. Most just require a quick registration/sign up on the company's website.
More sources will be added soon. Any that you share will also be added so it’s in a nice one-stop list! Thanks for reading!

Great thread.
So, in essence, you are doing your other business.
You are making money for the family - "working" the incentive programs.
WTG.

Great job! I am only able to work part-time so coupons, points, surveys etc definitely is my other part-time job and it has really paid off. Debt free, a savings account, Christmas, our wedding and Disneyland this Spring all because of my 'other' job.

That's great for you! Thanks for the tips! :flowers:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shwa Girl

Great thread.
So, in essence, you are doing your other business.
You are making money for the family - "working" the incentive programs.
WTG.

---

Great way to put it Shwa Girl! It is work...and it's soooo much fun!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tink30

Great job! I am only able to work part-time so coupons, points, surveys etc definitely is my other part-time job and it has really paid off. Debt free, a savings account, Christmas, our wedding and Disneyland this Spring all because of my 'other' job.

---

Wow, you've done well! Congratulations on reaching those goals!!! I look forward to a Disney vacation someday!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ippy

That's great for you! Thanks for the tips! :flowers:

---

Thanks and you're welcome!

I'm also signing up for Superpoints today...several SCers recommend it (info is in the Paid Surveys forum). Works kinda like Swagbucks though it might take a little longer to accumulate points and cash out. Every little bit helps and it's added to the daily "to do" list!

What a great thread!! Thanks for mentioning me. I still haven't spent my $18 and change in my "found money". I have started keeping track this year again. Its fun and adds up quick. Especially if you keep an eye out. Yesterday I found .01 at winners on a random table and a dime outside on the ground. Today a nickel on the floor when I was at the till at Wal-mart. By the end of the year it really adds up to something nice.

I am with several survey companies. Its a love hate relationship though. LOL. But it does add quite a bit of "other money" to my wallet. Sometimes I do a lot of them and then others I take a month off or only do one or two. They can be time consuming but you do get paid for that time eventually.

I love this thread you started savvyshopper. Can't wait to find more ways to make "other money".

great I redeemed $80 gas gc from airmiles

Awesome job! I do this too. In my monthly budget in Excel I have a section on te side where I track my points and what they roughly are equal to if I cashed them in. I also keep track ofmy PayPal/amazon totals. It really amazes me when this all adds up.

And on that note time to go add some more optimum points to my other money :)

Great idea! Its wonderful to see how much you saved, WTG!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by coley3

What a great thread!! Thanks for mentioning me. I still haven't spent my $18 and change in my "found money". I have started keeping track this year again. Its fun and adds up quick. Especially if you keep an eye out. Yesterday I found .01 at winners on a random table and a dime outside on the ground. Today a nickel on the floor when I was at the till at Wal-mart. By the end of the year it really adds up to something nice.

I am with several survey companies. Its a love hate relationship though. LOL. But it does add quite a bit of "other money" to my wallet. Sometimes I do a lot of them and then others I take a month off or only do one or two. They can be time consuming but you do get paid for that time eventually.

I love this thread you started savvyshopper. Can't wait to find more ways to make "other money".

---

Thanks coley3...your kids are adorable (avatar pic) by the way! I hear you on the survey companies, I've been reading up on them and they vary so much and some just make my head spin. I'll add to the list soon. I'm still at $0.11 in my Found Money jar! LOL.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Debvictoria

great I redeemed $80 gas gc from airmiles

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by alicia

Awesome job! I do this too. In my monthly budget in Excel I have a section on te side where I track my points and what they roughly are equal to if I cashed them in. I also keep track ofmy PayPal/amazon totals. It really amazes me when this all adds up.

And on that note time to go add some more optimum points to my other money :)

---

thanks alicia. Great job on your other money...the points programs are so great! I might start an excel sheet and upgrade from my notebook tracking!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by maliha44

Great idea! Its wonderful to see how much you saved, WTG!

---

Thanks maliha44!

For those who may not have done it yet, the Ontario Health Study is still open for participants. Here's a excerpt from a follow up email I got from them today:

Limited-time OHS Air Miles / Gift Card offers
If you’re thinking about encouraging your family and friends to join the Ontario Health Study, now is the ideal time. The OHS is currently offering two thank you gift offers to those who complete the Study’s questionnaire. If they fill out the questionnaire by March 15, they can choose a $10 gift card from one of 12 exciting retailers, ranging from Best Buy to Walmart. Or if they’re AIR MILES® collectors, they may want to choose 35 AIR MILES® reward miles as their thank you for participating. The AIR MILES® offer ends on March 20. Both of these offers can be found on our homepage at OntarioHealthStudy.ca.

This link takes you directly to the Gift Card offer page: https://ontariohealthstudy.ca/en/gift-card-offer

This one's for the Air Miles offer: https://ontariohealthstudy.ca/en/air-miles-offer

There's a thread on SC for it that covers some questions we had...will track it down and post here shortly. Found it! http://forum.smartcanucks.ca/273452-...-10-gc-canada/

I completed the survey without giving my health card # and from what others have shared, you can opt out of questions you don't wish to answer...near the end it asks for waist and hip measurements...yeah, I skipped that one! LOL!

anyone know where the sobeys bonus points thread is hidden.. I saw it last year.. all the weekly deals for bonus points at sobeys.. thanks for the hds up..

that's awesome! I already do quite a few of those listed. DH and I were talking about my superpoints acct and he said if it keeps up the way it has been it will be a nice chunk of change ;)

I had never done superpoints before. But when I went to sign up under savvyshopper it said my e-mail was already in use. So I guess I must have signed up at some point and didn't know it. So I guess I am trying this one now too. We'll see. It doesn't look too interesting to me though. My favorite survey company is web perspectives. It does take them awhile to process the points but once it does I usually have my money in paypal within 5 days. Plus I actually enjoy most of their surveys. I would be interested to hear what some of us regular SC'ers like for survey companies.

Also I am just getting into maximizing Sobeys bonus points. So anything helpful on that would be great too.