~ Discount Diva ~ Breaking it Down ~ Session 5 ~ One Cereal Box at a Time ~ Kelloggs Family Rewards ~

The goals for the "Breaking it Down" series is to alert you to deals you may be missing and explaining deals / bonus' you may be passing up because you think there is a "catch" or it isn't worth it . Today's "Breaking it Down" will focus on Kellogg's Family Rewards ; What are they ? How does it work ? What do I get & Is there a catch ? You can follow this link "How Does it Work ?"  to read the exact words the Kellogg's company has used to explain the program . I will "Break it Down" using "Stacie Words" to explain it as well .

What are they ? - The majority of Kellogg's products are marked with the logo below . This logo is to indicate that inside or sometimes on the outside of the box there is a code that can be entered into your Family Rewards Account for points . Different products have different point values . When you enter the code they will show you the amount of points it was worth and your total accumulation up to that point .  This account is a free service and comes at no cost to you . You do not enter personal information such as credit card , social security , etc . You do enter information like your phone number , e-mail and mailing address . The reason for entering that information is so that they can mail you either electronically or physically the items you earn with your Family Rewards Points and from specially marked boxes . They also use your e-mail to give you updates concerning your account and to on occasion send you bonus codes just for being a member . Bonus codes cost you nothing and are calculated into your account just like a code you would find on a purchased product .

How Does it Work ? - On the Kellogg's Family Rewards page there is a link to their Rewards "Store"  . After you have entered your codes you then can use the points you collected as a form of "currency" . You can scroll through their "store" for books , bags , coupons , gift cards , charities , etc . You can donate your points toward a charity or use them to donate a book to a charity . All of that is further explained on the Schools & Charities  section of their page . I have used my code points to purchase 2 reusable tote bags . If you know me I am all about ~ Reduce ~ Reuse ~ Repurpose ~ items . I hate keeping up or throwing away all those plastic bags that groceries are usually put it so , I try to always take a reusable bag with me when shopping . I have also used them to get a $5.00 Starbucks gift card . Those aren't the only gifts I've received from the Kellogg's brand . When you become a member of the Kellogg's Family Rewards program you are periodically given "bonus" items that do not deduct from your points . This means you get a product with out loosing any points collected thus far . Some of those things in the past have been Shutterfly freebie codes for Shutterfly products like address labels , photo book and luggage tags . You know me , I LOVEEEEEEEEE a Shuttefly product particularly if it is FREE !

Items I have earned / been given by the Kellogg's
Family Rewards & Specially marked boxes include
Nicole by OPI Nail polish , $5.00 gift certificate for the concession
stand at the movie theater , and (not pictured) 1st grade activity sheets and
 three children's books . Items that I "purchased" using
points is 2 resuse tote bags and a $5.00 Starbucks gift card .

 

 What Do I Get ? - As I mentioned above , when you use your points as currency you can get anything from coupons all the way up to a Vera Bradley Tech Case . It all depends on how patient you can be while collecting points . I am unsure I will ever be able to hold out for the 32,000 points for a Vera Bradley case , but you never know ! In the picture above I display the items I have either "purchased" or been given from a specially marked box through the Kellogg's Company . As I said in the paragraph above with my points I have "purchased" 2 reusable tote bags and a $5.00 Starbucks gift card . When I entered codes that came from specially marked boxes I not only earned points , but I earned specialty items that aren't offered in the rewards "store" . When you enter a code from a specially marked Kellogg's box you earn points from your code and can potentially earn a item that is NOT deducted from your points total . Basically a 2 for 1 !!

Example of a Specially Marked Box
Kellogg's Specially marked boxes are anything ranging
from cereal to their new Special K items like the one above .

What's the catch ? - If you notice in the picture of a specially marked box above , there is a picture in the lower left of the box , noting Free Nicole by OPI nail polish . At a glance you may think there is a catch , but I am here to report there isn't . Different special offers require a different amount of codes entered . The Nicole by OPI offer for example is 3 specially marked box codes for 1 bottle or 5 specially marked box codes for 2 bottles or you can do like me and collect all 3 bottles . My motto on this matter is that if I am going to eat cereal anyway , then there might as well be a bonus . Ya know , other than nutritional value and what not . This is basically the adult version of a toy in your cereal box ! If you glance the varied cereals at the store you will notice on Kellogg's brand boxes special drawings/advertisements for books , nail polish , movie tickets , etc . This is how you attain those items . I didn't buy 5 boxes of specially marked cereal all at once , but I just made a mental note for the next time I went to the grocery to keep my eyes opened for a box that's specially marked . Like I said , I am gonna eat Fruit Loops anyway , I might as well earn a book too . The children's books I have earned have come in handy to pass along to some of my "nieces and nephews" .

Long story short - I received 2 tote bags , 3 bottles of nail polish , 2 gift cards , 3 children's books and several other Shutterfly items all for eating my breakfast......and sometimes a midnight snack . To me , collecting the codes ,and taking five minutes a week or every other week to enter all of them is worth it . Again , I am going to be eating cereal anyway , might as well get a prize from my cereal box . And as mentioned before codes can be found on Kellogg's products beyond cereal boxes . Special K chips , cereal bars , etc . have also had codes in them . Just remember to look for the Family Rewards logo when purchasing if you want to get a box with a code inside .

I hope that this little "Breaking it Down"  post was of some help to you . I hope that it will make your breakfast a little more pleasurable knowing that your box of cereal may also provide you with a fun gift !

What are some programs that you would like to see broken down ? Is there a bonus out there you think the rest of us are missing ? Are you already a member of the Kellogg's Family Rewards program ? What are some of the rewards you've attained ? What products do you purchase to earn points ? Please feel free to share in the comment section .