Sometime last year as I was casually scrolling through facebook I kept noticing articles from The Penny Hoarder.
Apparently several of my friends were following them so I clicked on an article. While I can’t remember the name of the article (sorry), it led me to download a couple of those money saving apps, namely ibotta and Shopkick.
I have been using both ibotta and Shopkick since Dec.; but so far I have gotten the most use out of ibotta, just because it has kind of become my go-to app.
ibotta works like this:
Various stores are listed within the app, including online stores.
When you click on a particular store you’ll see a list of products, with a rebate amount under them. (Additional products are added routinely.)
Click on the ones you plan to purchase.
(Think of ibotta like a game of bingo that pays!)
Once you have made your purchases all you have to do is scan your receipt using your smart phone and ibotta takes care of the rest.
Any rebates you receive are added to your account. Once you reach $20 in rebates you have the option of transferring your money to a gift card or something like PayPal.
So far I have earned about $70 since I started using the app, which probably doesn’t sound like much but that averages out to about $10 a month just for scanning receipts.
Who couldn’t use some extra pocket change?
Obviously you can earn more or less based on where you shop, how often you shop, and what products you purchase.
Certain stores, particularly online stores give you back a percentage based on what you buy and/or how much you spend.
I received almost $8 back from one store based on this system.
Fun Extras
Most weeks ibotta will give you $0.25 back on any item you purchase.
You can also earn money when a friend signs up on the app using your personal referral code. (Usually about $5 per friend)
Hint: My referral code is nxferfc.
If you sign up on the app using my code I will earn money and so will you!
You’ll automatically receive money just for signing up!
Using the app, you can also receive bonuses (in the form of cash) for completing certain tasks, ie purchasing certain featured items in a specified period of time.
If you are on facebook, any of your friends who use the app automatically become your team members.
The more cash your teammates earn, the more cash you have a chance to earn.
It’s a win- win!
Do I really get cash back?
Yes, you really do get cash with ibotta. I recently transferred $50 to an e-gift card and have already used it.
The bottom line is that there really is no downside to using ibotta. If you’re shopping anyway why not get money back for doing so?
Shopkick
Shopkick is quite a bit different from ibotta.
With Shopkick you earn points (kicks) for certain items while you shop. Some stores give you kicks just for walking in the door.
You can even earn kicks when shopping online.
Shopkick uses your location to give you a list of suggested stores nearby.
Click on the store you are shopping in from the list and you’ll see options for scanning and receipts.
The scanning option tells you which items to look for inside the store. Scan these items with your smartphone for kicks – no purchase necessary!
However, purchasing said items will earn you even more kicks!
Linking your credit/debit card to your Shopkick account will also earn you kicks when you make purchases with said card.
Once you have earned a certain number of kicks you can trade these in for gift cards and other rewards – 1.8 million kicks will get you a vespa!
Right now I am saving up my kicks to get a $25 Amazon gift card. I don’t have enough yet, mainly because I don’t scan items in stores that often, but I am getting close.
Earning kicks is fun and addictive though. The app even gives you chances to earn extra kicks each week just for watching short product videos.
You can also get kicks for inviting friends!
Hint: My referral code is CARD713807
Use my code when you sign up for Shopkick and we’ll both get kicks!
Fun Idea: Let the kids scan items in store for you while you shop in peace and earn kicks toward a future purchase!
Ultimately both of these apps are definitely worth your time, although ibotta probably takes substantially less of your time than Shopkick. Also it is much easier to earn money with ibotta!
If you have any other suggestions for cool money saving apps feel free to sound off in the comments!
Happy shopping!