Welcome to Cashback Hell: How Modern Rewards Programs Trap Us in a Loop of Spending
There is a distinct, intoxicating thrill that comes with seeing those three magic words flash across a notification banner: “You’ve earned cash back!”
It feels like finding a stray twenty-dollar bill in your winter coat—free money conjured out of thin air simply for buying the groceries or gas you were going to buy anyway. Modern consumer culture has elevated cashback programs, rewards credit cards, and browser-extension rebates to an art form. We pride ourselves on being financial optimizers, meticulously squeezing 2% here, 5% there, and stacking codes like high-stakes poker players.
But beneath the glossy veneer of free money lies a darker, more exhausting labyrinth: Cashback Hell.
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