I wait every year for the month of December.
Why?
So I can cash in my Coke Rewards Points.
If you have a soda monkey on your back(or on the backs of those you love and feed), you can drink Coke products, save the codes up until December and then start cashing them out. We don't go through Coke products nearly as much as we use to when all 3 kids were at home and younger. #2 Son prefers his poison in the form of Mt. Dew and the other 2 don't drink soda much anymore. I will have a Coke now and again but my heart beats for Dr. Pepper if I have to have soda.
Even if you don't drink it much, you can still scavenge codes from friends, co-workers, social gatherings where they serve said products or even from trash cans everywhere you go.
If you see an empty coke bottle with a cap being thrown away, grab that cap. The code inside it is worth 3 points. See someone throwing out a 12 pack carton? Grab the flap where the carton is perforated for the code on back of that, which is worth 10 points.
You have to keep your points "active" throughout the year once you enter them on the Coke website. This means you have to add codes for points at least once every 3 months, or Coke will expire all your points accumulated on their website.
Throughout the year, Coke "may" offer deals and specials.....like one time offers on gifts or a lower "price" on a reward(meaning you have to spend less points to get something). Be sure and sign up to receive their emails or check their Facebook page often to take advantage of these type of specials.
And then once a year in December, MyCokeRewards runs lots of specials. Usually they put the Free 12 packs of Coke products on sale in December sometimes for 30 points(instead of 300 points!).
Many people wait for this all year to get scads of Free Coke coupons. (If you get your codes by not drinking the stuff, they DO have rewards for things other than soda too.)
This past December Coke changed it up and held a "12 Days of Christmas" Deal. Every day they offered a different Reward(Limit 1)and on the 12th day the Deal was Free 12 packs of Coke Qs for 30 points with a Limit of 4 packs/rewards.
Only, Coke decided to change it to Limit of 1 at the last minute, after advertising for 2 weeks that the Limit was 4.
And people pulled a Peter Finch in "Network", got mad as hell and let Coke and everyone in the civilized world know of their displeasure over this marketing gaff.
So Coke decided to let everyone get unlimited number of free Coke Qs for their points a day or two later but didn't advertise it.
But many people missed it and they got even hotter over this.
Let's just say that this whole thing was a big ball of f**ked-upness and a marketing dept. nightmare for Coke.
Along with the screwy Promotion this year, Coke also had a sweepstakes/game Deal. For 3 points, you could play a game and have the chance of winning prizes, with a limit of 5 tries per day.
After I had used up most of my points on those Free Coke Qs, I went ahead and threw about 30 points away on the sweepstakes.
I find that it helps when I try to win something, that it makes me not take it so seriously and get "worked up" when I don't win, if I consider any money/points/etc. I use to be just throwing it away.
It also helps make it more awesome if I actually happen to win something! lolol
So here is my Coke haul for 2012 with the few points I manage to scrape together in 2012.
I snagged 5 FREE Coke 12 packs during the Free Q fiasco days.
I also won twice in the sweepstakes--1 x 20 oz. bottle of Coke(wow! what a prize!!!) and 1 x Prize Pack of 2 AMC Movie tickets and 2 Large Sodas(I bet if I were to price them out, the sodas cost more than the movie tickets).
I will add here that Coke products(12 packs and 2 liters)are part of the Rite-Aid January Promotion(count toward your $100 in purchases)AND give a $2+Up Reward wyb3 12 packs this week(this may be regional). This is a way to stretch out the benefit of these Free item Qs if you shop Rite-Aid this month.......and I am sure Wags and CVS also have deals coming up that give you a reward back when you redeem your Free Coke coupons. Just keep your eyes peeled for them!
Just another way to be thrifty if you have to indulge your carbonated self.
Sluggy
With us not drinking soda anymore I missed my coke points. But all three kids collect them at school and bring them home so we get to use them without buying the soda. This is perfectly legitiment in my books since someone purchased them.
ReplyDeleteMy son kept track this year and I know he got two of the domino's cards but not sure what else. I swear them bring more home from working at a school, being at college or going to high school then we could ever drink!!
We have cut way down since #2 Son discovered girls. Now he is calorie conscience.lol
DeleteI just got my first ever rewards code from the Coke I bought yesterday while grocery shopping. I don't think I'll drink enough to add up to anything over the year, but maybe I will see some just lying around in recycling bins.
ReplyDeleteThey add up if you keep at it.
DeleteI let my points expire in 2001 and was so mad at myself that I did not participate in 2012.
ReplyDeleteTime to get over it I guess!
I let mine expire one year.....it burned my biscuit. lol
DeleteI let mine expire once and was just so burned up. I look in the trash barrels when I pump gas. I ONLY get what I see on top. I am sure friends see me and figure I am digging around. I would, but it seems nasty with guys throwing in all sort of spit cups. ewwww~~~gagging thinking of it.
ReplyDeleteThere are always plenty of Cokes in schools. I used to snag the tops. Once, I stopped at the dumpster of a restaurant because I saw two 12-pack containers hanging out of the top of the dumpster.
I get WIRED for my grandson and Country Living for myself. I bought an interet coupon for $5 off Domino pizza, and could not figure out how it works. However, someone told me to use the code when paying at the end of ordering.
And, I get the free 12-packs of Cokes, too. i must pay better attention to December specials on mycokerewards.
It's a great way to get some free stuff, if it's stuff you need/can use. Just a little effort needed. Frugal comes in all shapes and sized. ;-)
DeleteI don't care, you should be doing the happy dance over your BIG win!!!
ReplyDeleteI have to chuckle SA....my movie ticket package?....the closest AMC theater to me is an hour away!lolol
DeleteBut thanks and come join me in dancing!
Wow! That is an awesome Coked up success!
ReplyDeleteOh wow.....somebody called me Coked up.....and NOT the person I thought would....lolol
DeleteSweet deals. Here in canada the icoke rewards have been getting lamer every month. Used to be able to get giftcards, magazine subscriptions, etc. Now they have stupid screen savers and music downloads. Brutal!!! I still collect points hoping they will one day post good rewards.
ReplyDeleteI have no shame in scrounging for coke lids to get points. One year at canada's wonderland(theme park) I found tons of lids on the ground. Highlite of my day much to my sons embarrassment :)