“One who takes the road less traveled earns the rewards most missed.”― Matshona Dhliwayo

Phew! Where does one start…lol! There is so much I could do differently and should, but for this post, I will focus on one. 

I could make better use of the loyalty programmes I belong to!

It probably seems odd, but the reality is that those loyalty benefits can extend your salary if you use them as intended. There are two loyalty programmes that I could be making the best use of.

My Banking Loyalty Programme

I love my bank. It is digitally savvy. I earn loyalty points every time I swipe my card. I will shop anyway, so why not earn points just for shopping? I earn extra points for filling up at the specified Petrol (Gas) station brand, shopping at specified stores, and, of course, having certain banking products. So earning them is relatively easy, although every year they make it a little more difficult :(. How does this stretch my salary? Well, I can

• Pay for petrol
• Shop at a popular Health and Beauty Store that is in every mall
• Pay for my online shopping at the most popular online stores
• Pay my monthly banking fees.
• Pay for flights and car hire
• Pay a fraction of the cost for certain courses on Udemy

The list of benefits is pretty long, and I usually allow the points to accumulate so that I have a backup for those months when I need to make an unexpected trip that knocks my petrol budget off. If I need to free up extra cash, I pay for my banking fees using points that month. I also use it for emergency pharmacy purchases.

My Medical Aid Loyalty Programme

The thing i like about the this loyalty programme is that is designed to encourage you to live a healthy lifestyle. 

• Exercising and meeting your fitness goals earns points
• Buying healthy food earns points, although I disagree with a few items on their list. The vast majority are fruits, veggies, complex carbs, proteins, and healthy fats.
• having Health numbers checked and staying with health guidelines
• getting your preventative check-ups done like mammograms and pap smears etc

And, of course, I get to use them for most of the same things as my banking loyalty programme.  I can convert the points to cash to pay my linked credit card. I also get excellent discounts on sportswear and equipment. 

I guess that’s what I will be doing tomorrow. I will be going through the programmes and playing how I will be maximising my points this year.

Do you belong to loyalty programmes? Do you make good use of them?

Thanks for popping by. Be blessed!