The Best Rewards Programs for 2015

I love free stuff. I’m by no means one of those people that spends all day scouting out freebies to fill every square inch of my house, but I am someone who takes advantage of a great rewards program when shopping at my favorite retailers.

Here are some of the best rewards programs for people like me who love a great deal, love beauty products and entertainment, and love racking up those points for a little something special.

Birchbox

If you are a frequent visitor of My Beauty Box Review, I have to assume you know about Birchbox. If not, this online store carries popular beauty and personal care products. They also have a world-renowned subscription box program that sends you around five deluxe samples from luxury brands each month for just $10. (The men’s subscription is $20 per month and worth it as well).

Each month you are given the opportunity to review your samples on the Birchbox site and earn 10 points per product for doing so. You can also accumulate points for referring friends, making online purchases and more. 100 points = $10 in store credit. Most Birchbox subscribers find the points program just as lucrative as the subscription itself.

Young Living

I love my essential oils and the Essential Rewards program was one of the reasons I chose Young Living as my source. This program allows you to earn 10-20% of your monthly ER order back in free credit that can be used on future purchases. Love that!

AMC Stubs

I go to the movies a lot – like once if not twice per month. That’s why I take advantage of the AMC Stubs program. I get $10 free for every $100 I spend. I get free concession upgrades. I can also purchase my tickets online or on the app without any fees. That came in handy for our Thanksgiving, Christmas and opening day showtimes that sold out quickly.  This one is $12 per year, but if you are a frequent movie-goer you will make that back in no time.

Walgreens

There are several reasons to join the Walgreens Balance Rewards program. As a member you have access to special savings in-store. You receive points for filling prescriptions and making purchases. Redeem these points for up to $50 off your next purchase. They have also added a Healthy Choices program which allows you to earn points for exercising, checking your blood pressure at the pharmacy and more.

JCPenney

My husband loves JCP. With their program you earn a $10 reward any time you spend $100 in a calendar month at JCPenney stores or jcp.com. This reward is limited to $10 unless you are also a JCP credit cardholder, then you can earn up to $100 in rewards per month.

Sephora

Who doesn’t love Sephora? They have just about everything. And they have an amazing Beauty Insiders program that gives you free stuff on your birthday and points for every dollar you spend on the site or in the store. Points can be redeemed on special products and beauty sets. If you are a big spender, spending $350 or $1,000 per year, you also have access to additional benefits and exclusive products.

Ebates

Ebates gives me cash back on my online purchases and can usually be stacked with several of the above programs. They also give me a bounty for referring friends. My total cash back is currently sitting at $473.26 over there and that makes me very happy.

While most places will accept your phone number if you don’t have your actual card with you, you can also use the KeyRing app. Just scan your card and your member number and barcode will be stored in your phone. Hand your smartphone over to the cashier for scanning at the applicable store.

Those are a few of the best rewards programs for those with similar shopping habits. What’s your favorite program?