How have you saved using your AARP Rewards?

In May, 2020 I was involved in a automobile accident that left me with a vehicle that would soon be demolished. So, I went to a dealership to purchase a new vehicles. The combination of AARP and Pandemic incentives. I saved $3,000.00...Score

I earned $300 in Home Chef gift cards, which was fantastic. Are points-only gift cards ever coming back? Thanks.

I don't know exactly how much I've saved but most months it's around $75.   Sometimes less, sometimes more.   If I win any of the daily prizes, it's more.   Once when the program had weekly prizes, I got a wonderful $50 Michael's card and used it to buy storage boxes to pass my rock and shell collections along to the grands.   I usually choose restaurant cards and have had several free meals from Panera Bread and Carrabras.   Love those!   One month I got the Marshall's cards but haven't used that one yet.  I plan to make a trip to Home Goods which is also included on that one.

The banner includes donations I think so I'm not using that total to say how much I've saved.   I do like that we can support the feeding seniors AARP Foundation program with our points.  

Still hoping for some points only deals this month.   Everything above $10 was gone on October 1 by 6:30 a.m. EST when I looked.

I've not really used the new program, because so far I haven't really found anything available under the new program thats worth the trouble of acquiring.  The discount on the gift cards is too small to justify investing the remainder of the card cost.  I wish there were more special deals that you came up with, such as the Le Creuset items you featured a couple of years ago.  You also used to send out notices of special film viewings, but I've not seen those in several years. Obviously they couldn't be done right now.    If there were points only items available that would be worhtwhile.  

Before things were changed I use to buy $100.00 gift cards for $90.00. I loved being able to do that as I could then buy things on sell and make even more. It was also nice to use at restaurants. I have not been able to find those things anymore. Spending thousands of points for a $10.00 gift card seems senseless. It is a waste of time. I do use them to play games, but I have not won since things changed. When we could bid with the points, that was fun, until AARP started bidding for people. I could not get a bid in when that began. Of course we do not do that anymore either. Maybe when Covid19  ends I will begin traveling again. Maybe I can use them at that time. There is only one grocery store that is in my area and it is too far away for me to get a $10.00 gift card. I would spend that much on gas. Maybe you should go back to the $100.00 gift cards and get some for grocery stores like Walmart or Publix.

I’m sorry to read so many negative comments. I love the new rewards program! I feel I am truly being rewarded! This past year I have earned over $350 in rewards plus I get a workout in while watching fitness videos. Win-Win 🤗🥳

When it first came out, there were a couple of offers for free magazine subscriptions that I took advantage of. Now the magazine subscription are offered for a combination of points and cash, which is definitely not worth it since I can get the subscriptions for less at Amazon. I occasionally play the daily deal or a sweepstakes but have never won a thing. With the old system, I would regularly win some $5 cards at least to stores or restaurants that I would use. I truly dislike this new system, and, in my opinion, it's gotten worse over the last year, not better.

My husband and I often pair the gift cards for points with the gift cards for purchase; or the Daily Deals with the regular ones. Most recently we bought two $20 REI gift cards for $14 each, and a third $10 one for $8. This saved us $14, more than the price of our AARP membership. Another way we save is by taking advantage of signing up for emails for places we have gift cards. For example, Applebee’s provides a $5 coupon for doing so. Lastly, you can use coupons along with gift cards at most places. We recently did so at Burger King, as we had an Instant Win gift card.

I have never won anything from AARP since I've been a member but God bless you for your winnings. I hope you enjoyed your winnings. It's a blessing to win something.