Reward Cards

reward cards can be a big help in the drive to save money, however you should be careful about how you view the card. Firstly, there is the danger of the 'spend more to save more' philosophy - you must ask yourself: 'in taking advantage of this extra reward point offer, am I going to spend more than I normally would?'. In essence, by being attracted to offers that involve gaining points on your reward card, has your weekly expenditure increased? or can you forfeit another purchase? the biggest rewards are offered on luxury goods, ie. stuff you don't need!

Secondly, you should be aware that using the reward card helps the shop to build up a profile of what you buy. You will get vouchers for more expensive dog food if you tend to buy a cheaper brand - all clever tactics to get you to increase your spending.

Reward cards are great if you can take advantage of them without unwittingly increasing your spending.