How I make $150 extra a month by reading emails!

Photo by: Taxcredits.net

Every time I post on Facebook about getting my FREE Wal-Mart or Home Depot gift cards in the mail, I am always asked how I get them. These aren’t measly $5 gift cards, I usually get $200 or more when I cash them in (which is usually every other month).

I figured it was time to make a post about it!

I do it by trading in points (which I earn for free) from clicking on links in emails that are sent to me by MyPoints and by doing my regular shopping online when I shop at Amazon and other stores (more about that below).

The main collection of my points comes from clicking on links that are sent to me from MyPoints which is typically just 2-3 a day. Literally takes me less than 15 seconds to open all the emails and click the links. Each link is worth 5 points and the points add up really quick.

I have been a MyPoints member for YEARS; actually, I think I have been with them for about a decade now! It truly is free and I trade in the points for gift cards at Wal-Mart and Home Depot.

Don’t worry, there are hundreds of stores you can choose to receive your gift card from. You can even choose to trade the points in for travel and hotel vouchers (I have done this as well to take FREE trips)!

If you want your points to rack up faster, install the browser plugin that will allow you to not only earn points for searching but will also alert you if you are on a site that is a MyPoints affiliate. You simply earn points for shopping on that site.

There are major retailers that are partnered up with MyPoints like Amazon and Wal-Mart so there is a good chance that if you shop at an online store regularly, you could be earning points by doing so.

I typically trade in my points either every other month for anywhere from $100-$300 worth of gift cards, which adds up to about an average of $1500 a year! =) And since I do most of my grocery shopping at Walmart, I get Walmart gift cards and then use the money I would have used for groceries somewhere else.

Signing up is simple and can be done here.

After signing up, add any other email addresses you may use when shopping. Oh, and if you are a couponer you can earn points for printing out and using coupons!

It’s simple to sign up and get started:

Visit MyPoints.com to create an account.

Make sure to confirm your email address.

Download the browser app from the site (so you are notified if you are shopping on a site where you can earn points).

Start earning points.

Once you’ve created your account you can start earning points in many ways:

Clicking on offers sent to your email (this is where the majority of my points come from)

Participate in market research surveys

Shopping the brands on MyPoints website including Wal-Mart, Amazon, etc..

Playing MyPoints games

Printing Coupons

Purchasing gift cards

Watching Videos

Participating in the daily poll

Once you are ready to redeem your points, you can redeem them for:

Redeem for gift cards from your favorite stores

Redeem for cash sent to your Paypal account or your VISA prepaid card

Redeem for travel related gift cards or travel miles

This is seriously the easiest and simplest way to earn extra money! Granted I don’t trade it in for cash, but trading the points in for gift cards where I shop regularly at (like Wal-Mart for grocery shopping) takes the burden off and allows me to spend that cash elsewhere that I would have used.