Extra Money Anyone?

I know we are all like to have a little extra money. Who doesn't right. I was thinking about it this morning and I thought I would share one way I have earned $400 in the past year with no effort at all. Plus, it's not 'income' so it is not taxed! It's not a ton but it gives some room for fun things. Sorry it's a little long, but worth the read.

[PRE NOTE: I do not get anything from this. I am not trying to sell anyone a card by any means. I'm not just saying this because I work there either. I just truly love my card and have found a way for it to work for me. I don't want anyone to get into trouble. I figure we all have and know our limitations. I hope this helps though.]

Jason and I have a Discover Card that we use for all our purchases and pay it off every month. We earn 0.25% for the 1st $3000 spent in a year and 1% for everything over $3000. We also earn 5% throughout the year on different categories (like travel, restaurants/fast food, grocery stores, Rx, movies, department stores, etc.) throughout the year.
Some things we use it for include: gas, groceries, cell phone bill, cable, phone, internet, car and home maintenance items, kid things (diapers, clothes, etc.), and on. All the things we have to fork out dough for each month. I have even had some customers that I've worked with pay their utilities, mortgage, and other recurring monthly bills on their card to simple earn the Cashback Bonus.
The bonus is actual cash, but there are other options you can increase what you earn. For instance, I used $40 of my reward for Staples and got $50 in a gift card to there so I got an extra $10. There are so many different things I love about the card that I get for free I could go on, but I'll save you. If you want more you can always ask. :)
You can also go to www.discover.com for more information.
I was really shocked when I started doing this because I didn't realize how much money our family spent each month on everything. It really helped us to make sure we were spending money where we didn't need to.

TIPS THAT HAVE HELPED ME KEEP IN THE BLACK:
* Only use the card for things you would pay 'cash' for. (It adds up quickly)
- Stick to your budget!
* Track receipts just like a check book or debit card.
* Balance the statement to my register (aka receipts).
* Set up a direct payment so the full balance is paid every month on the same date and I know the money is already there.