Many times I have signed up for membership and loyalty programs only to be barraged with worthless emails and advertisements for years afterwards. In fact, every year or so I go through my email account and unsubscribe from at least five of these programs.
But some membership and loyalty rewards programs [1] are well worth joining because they offer high-value coupons or free samples and free products. Â Here are a few of these programs that I recommend you join, and some of the offers I have received from them in the past:
Borders Rewards
Have a voracious appetite for books? I know I do. This membership program offers periodic emails (probably 2-3 per month) with coupons for books. I wait for the 40% off high-value coupon before I shop, which is emailed to me probably once every other month. Another plus is for every $150 you spend at Borders, you get $5 Borders Bucks to spend in the store. Pair this together with a 40% coupon, and it can result in a free book. Finally, Borders members are also given other exclusive saving opportunities for other companies.
JCPenny’s
I do not shop at JCPenny’s often, but I signed up for the membership because several times a year they send a coupon in your email for $10 off of a $10 purchase. And they usually have one out at the same time as Black Friday [2]. You can basically go to the store, pick something up for a little over $10 (or several items from clearance), and get them for free!  You can also use the coupon code to shop online with the JCPenny subscription [3] (lower right hand corner for email updates).
Travelzoo
This is a newsletter that puts together 20 fantastic travel deals once a week and sends them to your email inbox. I snagged a trip to Jamaica for five days, four nights, that included airfare and the resort (with food and drinks), for $430 several years ago. That included taxes! This newsletter has expanded to include discounted Broadway and Las Vegas shows. Subscribe to Travelzoo [4].
Personal Finance picks of the week, selected by Kate:
Investing
- Investing in Dividend Paying Stocks [5]
- Stock Market Strategies: Trading In A Bull vs Bear Market [6]
- Review: Investing from Scratch [7]
Real Estate/Housing
- Canadian Apartment Investment Conference – REIT Executive Panel [8]
- Reduce Your Costs of Owning a Home
- We Refinanced Our Mortgage [9]
By the Numbers
- 12 Tips To Set Up A Home Office On A Shoestring [10]
- 12 Tips to Prevent Identity Theft [11]
- 6 Ways to Get Free Debt Help [12]