Redeem Air Miles For Gift Cards

I’m not much of a traveler these days, with a young family at home.  Still, I love collecting rewards through loyalty programs like Air Miles.  I can typically earn between 100 and 200 Air Miles every month by shopping at sponsor locations like Safeway and Shell, and then using my Air Miles credit card for most of my everyday spending.  But even though I’m racking up the points every month, I’m not saving up for a flight or a dream vacation.  I prefer to redeem Air Miles for gift cards to spend on movies, gas and groceries to help supplement my monthly budget.

Redeem Air Miles for Movie Gift Cards

Possibly the best value for your Air Miles rewards is to redeem Air Miles for movie gift cards.  A night at the movies isn’t cheap anymore, so treating yourself to some movie rewards is a great way to subsidize your entertainment costs.   For 175 Air Miles you get a movie package that includes 2 free admissions, 2 regular soft drinks, and 1 regular popcorn.  175 Air Miles is worth approximately $20, and considering it costs about $10 per movie ticket these days, you can see the great value you’re receiving with this redemption.

You can redeem Air Miles for movie gift cards to both Empire Theatres and Cineplex Theatres, making this one of the few rewards that are redeemable all across the country.  Single movie passes are also available for 75 Air Miles.

Redeem Air Miles for Gas Gift Cards

Although the movie gift cards are the best value, I see entertainment as more of a discretionary spending category.  My favorite way to redeem Air Miles is for gas gift cards.  For 175 Air Miles you get a $20 gas gift card to use at Shell gas stations.   I can typically earn enough Air Miles to get a $20 gas gift card every month, and last year I was able to subsidize my fuel purchases by earning $360 in gas gift cards from Air Miles.  Since I need to gas up my  car every week or two, I like that I can use my Air Miles to help offset my fuel expenses.

Redeem Air Miles for Groceries

One thing that remains a mystery to me is why you can’t redeem Air Miles for groceries at Safeway.  They are a sponsor location where you can earn a ton of bonus Air Miles through various promotions each month, yet they don’t offer any gift card rewards for their stores.  Unfortunately for shoppers in Western Canada there are no options available to redeem Air Miles for groceries.  Fortunately for those of us in Eastern Canada we have a few options at grocery stores and pharmacies:

• Metro – $20 gift card (175 Air Miles)
• Jean Coutu – $20 gift card (175 Air Miles)
• Sobey’s – $20 gift card (175 Air Miles)
• Rexall Pharma Plus – $25 gift card (225 Air Miles)

Like with the gas gift cards, groceries are something we just can’t live without.  It’s nice to be able to save $20 or $30 on your grocery budget each month just by cashing in your rewards points.

For those of you who don’t save up your Air Miles for traveling, what do you like to redeem Air Miles for?