Yours loyally, Elisabeth.

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Today I spent nearly an hour online, signing up for loyalty cards.

As a university student, it seems I am pretty much obligated to be broke for most of this year. However, I’m not so keen on this idea, having things I need to pay for (ok, mostly WANT to pay for – I still live at home). So my solution?

ALL THE LOYALTY CARDS.

I already had Flybuys, Priceline, Cinebuzz and my personal favourite, Boost, and today I added Everyday Rewards, MyerOne, Strandbags and Dymocks. Perhaps most alarmingly, I actually found myself reading an article on the A Current Affairs website about the best loyalty cards. For shame, Liz. A Current Affair? For shame.

But I have to admit there is something sort of addictive about lovely shiny plastic cards saving you money, even if you do have to spend an exorbitant amount to actually gain any points. Free things? Yes! Things to fill the card spots in my wallet? Double yes!

So far my Boost card has been well and truly worth it – I’ve had at least 5 or 6 free Boost juices and two free ones on my birthday. And I’m liking my Cinebuzz card – free movies just for going to the movies? Yay! Can’t wait till my card upgrades to VIP status and I start earning points even more quickly!

Alarmingly, that number of free Boosts I have spent upwards of $300 on Boost over the past 3 years. And the fact that I am even eligible for VIP status says a lot about my discretionary spending habits – you have to see a lot of movies to get that. I get the feeling that though loyalty cards make you feel like you’re saving, in the end, the company gains a lot more – your choice to shop at their store rather than another, and plenty of personal information about your spending habits.

So perhaps my loyalty cards won’t save me that much money in the end, and maybe they do mean that people are using my information to fuel our consumer-driven society… but they are fun, and if they mean I can get a free juice once or twice a year, I’m a nearly broke student. So I’m keen.