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Watch episode 2 of Shop Talk where CarrieMumsnet discusses how to reap those shopping rewards NOW CLOSED

103 replies

KatieBMumsnet · 22/10/2013 14:16

Last week MNers were asked whether they would spend £50 cash differently to £50 in reward points. Watch episode 2 of Shop Talk now to see if your comments made it on the show!



Barclaycard Freedom Rewards, in association with Mumsnet, have created a new weekly online chat show: Shop Talk. Over the next few weeks, they'll be looking for MNers' shopping tips and tricks on a range of topics.

Here's what Barclaycard have to say about the show: "Shop Talk is a weekly chat show where we tackle the big shopping stories that you're talking about. A different presenter will host each show each week and this week its Julia Bradbury. Two panellists, including shopping blogger Emily and Carrie from MNHQ, joined Julia to discuss what you can spend your rewards points on in preparation for the winter.


With regards to the Barclaycard Freedom Rewards credit card, Barclaycard say: You can redeem your freedom points at the broadest range of high street brands, as well as big online names, worthy causes and great places to spend time with your family. You can even choose how you redeem your rewards points, e.g. vouchers, gift cards, e vouchers etc.

Next week's Shop Talk, hosted by Ben Shephard: shopping online vs the high street, which do you think is best and why? Share your thoughts on next weeks thread here and you could win £150 worth of Apple Store vouchers.

Thanks,

MNHQ
OP posts:
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GetKnitted · 22/10/2013 23:07

We only use reward vouchers differently to cash when we can secure better value for them, e.g. £10 of tesco vouchers is £40 of food in Pizza Express. Of course we could eat at home for less than that, so it isn't true money saving, but it is a really nice way of getting the most out of loyalty points.

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skyeskyeskye · 22/10/2013 23:46

I use vouchers according to where they are from, so Tesco is used for Days Out, RAC membership etc. nectar points are used to buy clothes for DD.

If I had £50 cash it would give me more freedom to spend it where I like or to put it towards a holiday.

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dahville · 23/10/2013 04:39

We're generally pragmatic with our points, cashing in Tesco vouchers for extra vouchers and stocking up on baby products. Our points from our credit card get cashed in for M&S vouchers on a fairly regular basis.

£50 cash at the moment would probably go towards Christmas presents for the boys and would be more useful I think than rewards on a card. Rewards are fixed amounts for fixed places, cash can be spent at any store in any amount you want.

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gazzalw · 23/10/2013 10:37

I always think of money vouchers in an entirely different way to cash. Reward vouchers usually get saved for treats and family outings. Vouchers given as presides tend to gather dust in my wallet until I find something suitably special - no easy task!

Time was when £50 would seem like riches but sadly no more.
.

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sealight123 · 23/10/2013 10:48

If I essentially had £50 cash it would usually just go towards the main food shop, but if it was points we generally take a bit aside for a treat the family or my daughter can enjoy and...then spend the rest on the food shop....waaaahhh ...when did I become a responsible adult?

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stealthsquiggle · 23/10/2013 11:39

Yes - definitely different - £50 cash would vanish into the general finances, whereas £50 in vouchers would be "mad money" - to spend on something (either for me or for the DC, probably) that I would not otherwise have bought.

Rewards points in general get hoarded in this household - DH has loads of Amex points which I would love to get my hands on but is hesitant to spend them unless presented with a stupendous deal. I think that is the challenge with points/vouchers in general - they have a variable value depending on the deals on offer, so the temptation is always to wait for the next deal.

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HootyMcOwlface · 23/10/2013 11:56

£50 rewards would be used for a treat, £50 cash would just go into the joint account. For rewards we tend to double them up for a restaurant meal or a day out, whatever gives the best value. But this year we're thinking of using our Nectar points for Xmas items (probably a fair bit on booze and food!) as we're not going out so much.

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StillNoFuckingEyeDeer · 23/10/2013 12:16

I save my nectar and boots rewards points for my Christmas shopping.
Tesco points I try to get extra value out of them with the clubcard exchange, but I don't use them for anything I wouldn't normally buy.
I'd spend the extra £50 cash on the same things, but I just wouldn't have the bargain feel I get when using reward points.

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Willemdefoeismine · 23/10/2013 13:47

Cash would just get absorbed into everyday expenses whereas £50 rewards would be well and truly deliberated over before being spent on some type of treat activity for the family!

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Spirael · 23/10/2013 14:07

£50 cash would just disappear straight into the family funds to be used for a food shop or travel costs or something equally as mundane.

Vouchers tend to be hoarded and then put towards something on the wish list, depending on where they're for. If for a restaurant or similar, they're saved and used when we have a special occasion to celebrate anyway to bring the price down.

We're very boring!

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grape999 · 23/10/2013 14:30

Reward vouchers are just that = REWARDS! So we use ours for restaurants, cinemas, presents for the children etc. Cash is for day to day use. It sits in my purse until it has all gone, and I can never be sure on where it all went!

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ScreamingNaanAndGoryOn · 23/10/2013 15:07

I have a freedom rewards card and at first I saved the points to use on days out. Sadly this is where the vouchers fail as most places where you can use the leisure vouchers, there's a difference between the on-line price and a pay-on-the-door price and as you can't use the vouchers on line, it costs you more to get in if you want to use your voucher, than it would if you booked on line.

Now I'm probably just going to use them to get clothing or other shopping vouchers. Once I've managed to use up the useless Leisure ones I'm stuck with.

Cash is every day purchases. Points are there to spend on nice stuff for you!

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InMySpareTime · 23/10/2013 15:26

£50 vouchers would go towards buying Christmas presents, whereas £50 cash would be spent on a huge charity shopping spree. I could get a whole new wardrobe for £50.
My life is so far from "rock and roll" it's not even funny!

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mrscumberbatch · 23/10/2013 15:50

£50 cash wouldn't go far... Maybe put it towards work clothes or similar?

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Hanginggardenofboobylon · 23/10/2013 15:51

I use different rewards for different purposes. Supermarket rewards I just take off my normal shop as they are received. The rewards from my credit card I always convert into shopping vouchers and just spend on the next weekly shop.

The points I get from eg boots I tend to spend on 'treating' myself.

I can rarely be bothered to save the rewards up for long for something huge or to convert into eg. days out vouchers. I think this takes a degree of dedication and research that I simply don't possess!

Cash I agree is usually swallowed up, at least with vouchers it feels more tangible as a 'reward'

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BornToFolk · 23/10/2013 16:24

£50 cash would most likely go towards paying off a bit of my (not massive) credit card bill.

£50 reward vouchers would go towards a new pair of winter boots for me.

I quite often get reward vouchers from work, which can be used in a variety of places and I usually get Amazon vouchers so I've got credit i my account for ad hoc book purchases or birthday presents.

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clubnail · 23/10/2013 17:05

We save our Boots and Nectar points for spending in December. Don't shop at Tesco, I need to check out the points and deals. Mainly it feels like a chore having to sift through the various offers, why can't things just be priced reasonably to start with. When spending credit card points, we always go for vouchers for a shop we'd spend in anyway (e.g. B&Q) rather than their items online which though seem 'free' if buying with points, we are always better off getting the vouchers to spend at say B&Q then spending our own cash on the item at Amazon.

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RubySparks · 23/10/2013 18:17

I usually use Boots points near Christmas either for me or for gifts, Tesco vouchers we save up and use for bigger things like days out or last time was a mobile phone for my DD, vouchers often are worth double the cash so that was a bargain. Cash would likely just disappear on something like haircuts or clothes for kids!

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flamingtoaster · 23/10/2013 18:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Hopezibah · 23/10/2013 20:57

Reward vouchers always seem more special! I definitely put more thought into spending them and it is usually on a special treat either for myself or the family eg. a day out.

£50 cash would get put towards general shopping, bills etc and not for something special. That's why it is always nice to be able to earn rewards.

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MadMonkeys · 23/10/2013 21:11

There's not much difference really between cash and reward vouchers really, unless the vouchers are for somewhere where I can't get normal everyday stuff - then I'd use the vouchers as a bit of a treat.

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CheeryCherry · 23/10/2013 21:15

I guess if I had £50 cash I would spend it more quickly, probably on a treat or meal out or take away for all the family. Either that or it would just disappear in day to day spends.
If I have vouchers or points to cash in, I do think about it more carefully, saving them for holidays or Christmas or birthday presents.
So I think cash would be spent on us, vouchers are spent on others!

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CMOTDibbler · 23/10/2013 21:35

I like accumulating points because I save them up and use them on treats, wheras cash just gets spent on stuff

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trilbydoll · 23/10/2013 22:06

Agree with everyone else, cash just vanishes into the black hole that is our current account, but does justify a small frivolous spend of £10 or so.

Nectar points go on the Christmas shop but any other reward points go on treats or unnecessary stuff that i want but we really don't need.

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Kelloges0811 · 23/10/2013 22:48

I usually use my Tesco vouchers to eat out at restaurants and save my money off supermarket vouchers for a big shop for special occassions. When I have won vouchers I usually spend them to treat my children or husband, depending were they are for. I even spend money or vouchers I myself have been given for my birthday, to treat my children or pay bills. I would only really treat myself with vouchers if they were for something like a spa or pamper day were children would not be allowed. It's the first thing you think of as a 'Mother' and as a 'Wife' is 'How can I treat my children or husband?'

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