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

[KatieBMumsnet]

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

[OPeaches]

Rewards are for treats. For example, we save our tesco ones for a yearly family trip to a Hilton family hotel, and my boots vouchers are always used for luxury brand makeup or perfume. £50 cash would be far more likely to be used for normal everyday expenses.
So, rewards = treats
cash = mundane

[firawla]

I like to spend rewards points on days out over the summer eg legoland etc so normally save them for that

[Snapespeare]

I spend reward points on family days out. Money gets swallowed up servicing which ever debt is the most pressing.

[androbbob]

If I got an extra £50 it could quite easily be swept up in the usual day to day expenses. However, a night at a budget hotel or a family meal out would be a real treat.

Reward vouchers would probably be used for holiday treats - trip to zoo or theme park, as we have done with our Tesco vouchers. Boots points get spent on me!!

[pussinwellyboots]

I like having vouchers as I think of them as 'treat' money - for eating out, days out etc.....cash just disappears into family life used for - window cleaner/school trips/charity donations (never ending sponsored events!) etc....

[ThePortlyPinUp]

If I had £50 in reward vouchers I'd spend it on some clothing bits and bobs for my dd's, if I had £50 cash I'd treat them to a day out over half term.

Rewards points we use as just free bigger bits when shopping, ie clothing, electrically, toys etc. Things that we wouldn't ordinarily buy in with our shopping.

[Mamafratelli]

I always use rewards for treats. After all they are unexpected and not budgeted for. Cash jus seems to go in the pot for general spends. I see rewards as a lovely extra.

[k8vincent]

Reward points tend to go towards days out - Legoland this year. £50 cash and I'd buy my DH a better birthday present than the socks and pens he is likely to get at the moment!

[vincenta]

As others mentioned before we usually spen cash on food shopping. For points and vouchers it usually depends, what kind of vouchers and what kind of points. Sometimes i buy some clothes,home items, toys. Tesco vouchers we usually tro to save and than exchange for restaurant vouchers.

[ouryve]

We treat them about the same. We don't get enough Tesco points to regularly trade them up for anything, as we very rarely shop there. Our Nectar points get used to pay for a Sainsburys shop, more often than not. I get cashback on my credit card, and it just goes towards paying off that month's balance. DH spends a bit more than me on his card, so usually treats himself to something.

[HoneyDragon]

£50 cash would go on household necessities

Rewards points would be spent on treats.

Because reward points are never a certainty it's nice to use them for pleasure.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

£50 cash - if it was just for me, it would be used to buy myself some new Benetint and Porefessional, both of which I want but just can't justify. Really though, it would be more likely to just be used at the supermarket, or on train fares.

£50 worth of points would be more likely to used as a treat - for example, we'll use our Nectar points to buy a 'posh' Christmas pudding etc.

[telsa]

I tend to use vouchers for special purchase, for me or others, such as birthday presents, theatre tickets etc. Don't like to blow them on normal things. Silly really.
£50 cash would go on food, I should think. usually does,

[SuzySuzSuz]

Cash would get eaten up with the usual household monthly expenses where as reward points do get more thought into them!

It depends on where they are for - if for grocery stores then they'd probably be used towards the usual shop and would have some extra treats, Christmas bits and pieces added in.

If for anywhere else we'd look at upcoming birthday, events etc and see where they could be spent best.

[Murdermysteryreader]

I use vouchers for treats, presents and to make meals out a bit more affordable. I like seeing which ones are good value eg Tesco, where you can get extra worth for them. I have used Barclycard ones and redeemed them for Waitrose vouchers ( which just took a bit off my shop) Cafe Rouge vouchers which reduced a meal of a meal a bit and Dedendhams vouchers. These were over the last 2 or so years. The one I liked best was Dedengams vouchers as I actually treated myself to something entirely from vouchers - eg picture frames rather than just nibbling a bit off the bill.

[hytheliz]

I tend to use reward points in a practical yet special way...for example using it to pay for a Eurotunnel crossing for a special family day out whereas if I had £50 cash, I'd just use it on everyday essentials like groceries.

[Tikkamasala]

As with most people who replied, cash would end up on general spending, whereas vouchers would be more of a "treat" thing. Though I am bad with my Tesco vouchers, always intending to trade them in to get more value e.g. Restaurant vouchers, days out, but then forget to do it! The vouchers that I do always build up are boots which often go on Christmas presents.

[Dancealot]

I like to use reward points and vouchers for treats rather than every day goods. My last lot of vouchers/points was spent on perfume and underwear- lovely!

[mercibucket]

I prefer cash as I always think points are better saved for special occasions. Daft really. I would choose a cash back card over a reward card for that reason

[Lent1l]

£50 in my wallet - unless actually as a £50 note - would just get spent on the shopping, car park, playgroup, basically just as money from the cash machine does. A £50 note would be more like a voucher to me and these get spent differently, they are rare so would be put to one side and careful consideration would be given to what kind of treat would be bought with it. Depending on how we came into the money or voucher then it might be a treat for Mummy, or a Mummy and Daddy treat or a whole family treat. So maybe a pampering day for Mummy or a meal for two or a trip somewhere as a family using the money as the spends for the day. We are lucky enough that an extra £50 doesn't have to go on bills and essentials but at the same time not so well off that we don't treat it as the extra amount for special use that it would be to us.

[Ruby6918]

i try and save my point up for something special, i use the tesco double rewards vouchers rather than use small vouchers on an every day basis, i collect points on superdrug and boots too and keep them so i have something to fall back on for a birthday present or a special ift, if i get cash it would just disappear quickly and i wouldnt even remember what id spent it on, i watch out for extra beauty points with debenhams as often if you spend say 40.0 they will give you 7.50 in points so it can be worth the wait, i always use the same garage so i can get my nectar points too

[UserError]

I try to save my reward points and vouchers and I encourage my family to do the same. My mum used to use her Tesco vouchers to deduct money from the main shop and she was amazed when I explained she could save them, increase their value through the reward program and use them for meals out.

Our vouchers do tend to be used on family treats, rather than on normal every-day expenditure. Cash is cash and goes on essentials. It's much harder to get into the mindset that you're allowed to spend cash on a treat, when you know that it could pay towards a bill or those new clothes your ever-growing child needs. Vouchers are usually seen in this household as a bonus, so it's easier to allow ourselves to spend them on treats.

[BigGapMum]

As many others have said already, cash just included in normal household expenses, but the way I look at it is that it frees up money at a later date, that we can use for non essentials.

A value in reward points is more of a hassle as you have to put in effort to choose a way to cash them in. I'm a practical kind of girl, so to only have luxury items is not much of an incentive for me. I would prefer to use reward points to get something that I would have been likely to buy anyway.