PS: It Doesn’t Involve MLMs or Taking Surveys!
Having two kids and living in a single-income household, it can be difficult to scrape up any money to save. Before we had kids, we both worked and we had a decent savings account that covered trips and incidentals. Now, it’s hard to stretch thin enough to save very much while living in such an expensive town where tourism and rent continues to rise with no signs of slowing. Occasionally we will have a side job or something that will bring us enough to put away, and as soon as we do, something needs fixing. Ah, the serendipity of it all.
That’s not a problem anymore, though. Now, we actually have a date night fund and everything! We are able to spend money on the things we want to without spending our actual income. I know what you’re thinking, “She probably made something to sell or joined an MLM. It didn’t just happen overnight.” However, that is not the case, here, and it did actually happen almost overnight.
I recently found these two apps that give me money back for buying things I already buy, like gas and groceries. It’s literally FREE MONEY. Who could refuse that? Here’s what happened. A few months ago, I had a friend share their success with an app they were using and how it provided them a little wiggle room in their budget. I asked for more info and they sent me a link to download an app called iBotta.
At first glance, this app seemed too good to be true and I dismissed my friend’s success with it as “the exception to the rule.” I reluctantly downloaded it and made an account and it sat on my phone unused for almost a whole month. Then one day, I saw it and decided to give it a shot before deleting it. So I dug up my grocery receipt from my overstuffed purse that may as well be straight out of Mary Poppins, and I followed the simple instructions. I cross-referenced my receipt with these virtual rebates and selected the ones that applied to my receipt. Then, I clicked the “Redeem” button and photographed my receipt. It automatically detected most of what was on my receipt, and I tapped on the offers it missed. Once it was done, I submitted it and within the hour, my account already had $7.50 on it from one, small grocery trip and WITHOUT prior planning.
The next time I used the app after another grocery visit, I repeated the simple steps and submitted my receipt and got back $9.00! I looked into how I was getting so much and discovered that this app actually has “bonus money” you can earn from buying certain products together or a few different products from the same brand. So on top of the $2.00 I got back from buying Gain laundry pods and the $1.00 I got from buying Gain Flings as well, I also got an extra $2.00 for (unknowingly) completing the Gain Bonus. That’s $5 back for two items I was buying every so often anyway. After the second time, I was completely convinced that my friend was not the exception, they were the rule! It’s totally normal to earn back at least $5.00 on a grocery receipt for a family of four, and also totally possible to make twice that back, depending on what you buy.
An incredible money-saving perk to this app is that it CAN be combined with store sales, BOGO’s, Manufacturer coupons AND store coupons! How incredible is that? You can really stretch your dollars and get the most bang for your buck by couponing and using this app at the same time. When I do this, I actually scan the app before hand for deals I may not typically buy but I have coupons and store sales for. Sometimes, I end up in the green and actually make money on combination purchases like this. Even now, I still can’t believe how this user-friendly app has changed atmosphere in our house simply by alleviating some financial stress.
The app is a must-have for anyone wanting to start a savings account, but if you want to save even MORE money on stuff you already buy, then add to this app another called Get Upside. This app uses a similar concept as iBotta, but it’s for gas. That’s right. You can earn money back on gas, too!
Here’s how it works. Once you download the app, you fill in the information and create your account. Then, when you are ready to fill up your tank, you simply open the app and it will pull up a map of wherever you are and show all the participating gas stations around you. It shows you their prices and how much you can get back per-gallon. This amount is typically anywhere from six to twenty-five cents, however if you use my code ALYSSA9746, you will get an extra FIFTEEN cents per gallon back on top of what the gas station is offering. Once you tap one and tap “Claim”, you’ll have FOUR hours to redeem the offer before it expires. After you have filled up, be sure to get a receipt! Open the app and select “Upload Receipt.” You may have to double check that the photo picked up everything on the receipt. After that, submit the receipt and in no time at all, you’ll have money sitting in your account! Simple as that! With the Get Upside App, I made just over $7 on my first fill up, my husband made over $9 on his, and since he used my friend referral code, I was able to clear $5 on my second fill up.
So why do gas stations offer “rebates” on gas? They are competing for your business. They want you to use their gas station as opposed to other nearby stations, so they are willing to pay you to buy from them. I recommend using this anytime you need any amount of gas, but to maximize your money back on your first fill up, I would wait for an empty tank to really cash in on the extra fifteen cents per-gallon my code offers you! They also have incentives or “bonuses” if you will that you can earn. By referring friends to the app, you can earn more on your own next fill up when they redeem their first receipt AND you can earn money for every purchase they make in the future. That’s more money in your hand!
Both apps have multiple ways you can select to cash out your account, but my husband and I use my Paypal. It’s quick, it’s easy and it’s a great way to save up money on the side.
Remember, it’s already August. Now is the perfect time to start setting money aside for holiday shopping, and with these apps, you don’t even have to set any aside. Just earn while you continue to do the things you already do every week and watch the money grow. Happy saving!
If you’d like to try out iBotta for yourself, click here and apply code: mgvnosm
If you’d like to try the Get Upside app, click here and apply code ALYSSA9746
This is NOT a sponsored post. My opinions and experiences with these apps are all true and written at my own discretion. I have no affiliation with either company other than as a customer.
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