A PSA for booklovers

I was going to start this post with "Would you like to earn free book money?" but then I realized ( A ) it would sound like a bad infomercial and ( B ) that's pretty much the most rhetorical question ever.

So, here's how to get that free money for books.

First, get a Borders Rewards card. It's a membership thing, but you don't have to pay dues, and it doesn't give you a discount. Don't worry, though...the discount part comes later.

Now, just for getting the Rewards account, you'll be signed up to get coupons via email. The lowest value coupon I've ever had was 20% off one item, and I get those at least once a month. Around the holidays, they send out 30% and even 40% ones on a semi-regular basis.

To get the free money, sign up at e-Rewards.com to take online surveys. Yes, the surveys can be slightly annoying, but you get to tell them how many you want to receive per month, and I believe there's an interest survey at the beginning. You'll only make a bit of money at a time (usually 50 cents a survey, but I've seen them go up to $7.50), but it adds up. I only started doing the surveys every time I got one around the beginning of the year (and I only get 1 - 2 surveys per week), and I cashed out my first $15 reward in November and still have $19 in my account.

The rewards can be used at lots of places, but the reason I signed up--and the reason I'm writing this entry--is to get Borders Bucks. It looks like you can only get $15 in a given month, but $15 of books is still pretty sweet. I used my $15 in Borders Bucks and a 25% off coupon and got the Dark is Rising box set for just under $8, which was a steal.

I'll admit that at times the surveys can be irritating. My main complaint is that the majority of the surveys I get offer $5 and then tell me about halfway through that I don't fit the demographic they're looking for. Even partial surveys give you 50 cents, though, so I figure if I keep plugging away I could earn another box set in no time. So what are you waiting for? Go get free books!



Reading:  The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman

Playing:  Maybe This Christmas, Too?