Do Your Bill Collectors Pay You?!

Have you ever heard the saying, "There's no such thing as free money"? I have and I'm not sure if I totally agree with that statement. 

Credit card companies have always offered cash-back cards that pay a teeny tiny fraction of what you charged during the year. Sometimes these deals come with a hefty interest rate attached to them.  It's not uncommon now to see debit cards offering the same kind of benefits.

My buddy FICO seems to think we need to rebuild our relationship before he signs off on a new credit card for me. No problem. I've always preferred cash. 

I just prefer to have a little bit more of it these days...

But what if you could get cash back for the stuff you really need? You know, those necessary incidentals you can't live without. Like electricity.

You're looking at an example of said program. 

Yep. For the second year in a row, my electric provider  has rewarded my expenditures. Last year it was a Visa® debit card for $50 (I went straight to MAC and bought some foundation...probably spent the rest on necklaces and/or earrings!). 

This time around it was $81.16 (I was in desperate need of a power cord for my laptop...The Girl and I had been sharing hers for months and frankly, I was tired of the dirty looks every time I asked to use it).

Oh - that reminds me. I got an Aluratek universal power cord from Fry's. Trying to decide which one to buy was a pain. So many choices and mixed reviews. I went with Aluratek because once I got to the store, out of all the brands I researched, it was the only one that hadn't been restocked due to returns. If nobody's bringing it back - it must work. I haven't had any problems with thus far.

One last thing about the power cord. It was actually cheaper at Wal-Mart, but they only sold it online. Fry's matched Wal-Mart's price so I saved $10. May as well stretch this free money as far as it'll go! 

I had $27.05 left on the card. After the gawd awful experience with the car dealership, I deserve these. So I got em:

images courtesy of target.com

I don't know what excites me more...free money or the free shopping sprees that come with!

Reading this hasn't been a total waste of time. Let me sum it up for you:

• read your mail: I still get all of mine the old fashion way - in my hard copy mailbox. There's something about holding the "Special Offer For Preferred Customers" in my hands and being able to read the fine print.
• ask for the money: Just because a business doesn't promote a loyalty reward program, that doesn't mean they don't have one. It may not be in the form of cash-back to spend at your leisure, but if you can get a credit on your bill it's definitely worth it. 
• money doesn't grow on trees: Believe me. I've searched high and low for one bearing such fruit. Even if the money is free, don't be frivolous. Comparison shop, grab your coupons, and spend wisely.