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The alarm goes off at 7 a.m., and you slowly roll out of bed. You start the coffee and check your emails while your caffeinated elixir brews to perfection.

Just before bed last night, you mulled over purchasing a new set of wireless earbuds while they were on sale. This morning, you run across the email that says, “Hurry, sale ends today!” You pull out your credit card and make a quick purchase online to the tune of $115 before you miss your opportunity.

You walk 17 paces to your home office and fire up the work computer to start the day. You check your phone at 10 a.m. and realize you forgot to pay the registration fee for your upcoming virtual class. You quickly log in and enter your 16-digit credit card number, and hit submit. Whew! Thankfully you made the deadline for the discounted price of $300 instead of $500.

Before you know it, it’s lunchtime, and you’re starving. You’re down to bare bones in the fridge, and you need something quick and easy. In a few swift taps, you complete a lunch order online for your favorite $10 sushi deal, agree to the delivery charge of $5, and charge your card on file.

You plug away for the rest of the day and send your final email just before 4:30 p.m. Suddenly, you feel that familiar pain of hunger and again realize your fridge is empty.

You grab your coat, slip on your shoes, and head out the door to the grocery store. Just 30 minutes later, $110 poorer, and way more than you meant to buy, you’re home plating your food and finding your favorite show for a few minutes of downtime.

As you take the last bite of your heat and serve lasagna, you remember your credit card payment is due soon, but you can’t remember the date. You log in through your app, take a quick look, and realize not only is your payment due today, but you spent $540 today, too. Yikes! You add that to the payment due, logout, and firmly tell yourself you’re on a spending lockdown for the next week until payday.

Imagine if that $540 you just spent could earn you the same, double, or triple the amount in rewards points towards travel, cash back, merchandise, or more. Guess what? It can!

If your credit card or checking account card isn’t earning you rewards points for freebies, you’re missing out on an opportunity to turn everyday purchases into powerful perks.

What’s So Special About Earning Points?

Simply put, rewards points translate to currency in some way, whether it’s saving you money, getting you free things, or earning you money through redemptions for cash back.

Think about your typical day. What is the potential for you to spend money on things like eating out, groceries, gas, medications, and merchandise?

You may not spend money every single day, but you get the drift.

The best part about earning points is when you earn them for purchases you would already make. That’s what makes earning points so special. It’s an added perk!

Will Points Get Me Anything Worthwhile?

Absolutely. If you can imagine anything about accruing rewards points, you might guess it takes time, but it adds up quickly.

All of your purchases made by credit card or through a checking account debit card with the ability to make signature-based/non-pin transactions could be earning you perks like free or discounted travel, the latest gadgets, or gift cards to your favorite restaurants or retailers.

If you’re not already earning points on your purchases, you’re leaving money on the table.

What’s The Catch?

There is no “catch,” but different cards come with different point redemption features and various interest rates and fees.

If you’re new to the point earning world, you might want to start with exploring your options with your bank, or even better, your local credit union.

Why a credit union? Like banks, credit unions offer the same products and services, but often at lower interest rates and lower fees. Finding a point-earning credit card with a low annual percentage rate is a double win.

Checking Accounts Have A Point Feature, Too?

A point-earning checking account is an excellent option if you don’t want to acquire a credit card but you’re looking to earn points. It is especially true if there are no fees associated with the checking account or if the fee is waived when a certain number of transactions are performed each month.

If you’re savvy, you might explore having both point-earning accounts. If your financial institution offers a point-earning credit card and a point-earning checking account, you could be racking up on points from each.

What’s The Bottom Line?

Earning points is fun! If you are going to make purchases, you might as well earn points for valuable perks at the same time. We hope we’ve given you a point in the right direction – pun intended.