How I did it: I got something in the mail one day from one of my credit cards which obviously wasn't a bill. When I opened it up, I found that I had earned a few thousand "points" on their rewards program. I didn't even know my card had such a thing. I checked to see what I could redeem it for and an iPod Shuffle was one of the choices. I still use it, even though it's old. It's kinda like what Luke Skywalker says about R2D2: "this little droid and I have been through a lot of rough times together."

Nowadays, if I found that I had that many points earned I would probably redeem them for gas or food giftcards--something practical. But I don't regret it for a second.

Lessons & tips: If you have credit cards or a bank that offers reward points, check your balance and see what you can redeem them for.

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Mar 11, 2010, 05:05AM PST | 0 comments | 1 cheer