Author: shopkick

3 apps to make grocery shopping easier so you can have more time to hang with the girls

Posted on by shopkick

People love to talk about signs that you’re getting older and adulting, as some like to say. Things like knowing how insurance deductibles work, keeping a clean house, or not staying out super late on the weekends usually make the list of signs you’re getting older for most. For me, however, it’s sadly been that I just don’t have as much time to hang out with my girls as I used to. We used to do happy hour and brunch all the time, practically every week! But now we have partners, kids, and, of course, grocery shopping to worry about.

However, I’ve found ways to get around all that responsibility, especially the last one. What I’m talking about are apps to make grocery shopping easier so you can have more time to hang with the girls. I’ve picked out my three favorites to share with you. The details are different for each, but the end result is that you’ll feel like you’re getting as close to your girls as you were in the old days.

Basically, what I’m here to tell you today is that you can have your girl time and still get your grocery shopping done. All you have to do is download and familiarize yourself with these three great apps!

Apps to Make Grocery Shopping Easier No. 1: Bestie Shopping

The first app on our list is a special one, because of all the apps that make grocery shopping easier, Bestie Shopping combines shopping and hanging out. What a novel concept! It’s basically a social media app for shoppers. You can use it to follow stores you love, view products posted online, and—this is my favorite part—share your favorite items and deals with your friends.

The best thing about Bestie Shopping is that it’s easy to fit into your schedule because it’s online. You don’t have to make extra time to go anywhere different. I’ve been using Bestie Shopping for a while to create that old experience of going to a physical mall with my girls. Plus, I don’t know how many times one of my friends has pointed me in the direction of a great deal that helps me save money, too. Any time an app can help you save money, that’s a win-win!

Apps to Make Grocery Shopping Easier No. 2: Fooducate

3 apps to make grocery shopping easierAnother key part of being an adult is eating as healthy as you can. For me, that means taking the time to read the labels on certain products when I’m out grocery shopping. The more time I spend carefully going over the ingredients, the better I’m able to determine which foods I should eat. The problem is that all that time adds up!

With Fooducate, finding the health information you need while you’re grocery shopping becomes so much easier. The way Fooducate works is simple. Scan the barcodes on certain products in the grocery store and it gives you the highlights of the nutritional values, both good and bad. The app even lets you compare products by giving them both easy-to-understand letter grades. You can even use it find healthier alternatives and it’s quick!

Apps to Make Grocery Shopping Easier No. 3: Shopkick

The first two apps on this list are great, of course, but I think it’s pretty safe to say that this third one is my favorite app to make grocery shopping easier. It’s called Shopkick and how it works is pretty awesome. First, it has this really cool grocery shopping list functionality that makes it so much easier to plan all of your trips to the store. It helps you save money by giving you points for activities you do every time you go shopping anyway, activities like walking into the store, going down aisles browsing products, and making purchases.

You can then trade those points in for gift cards that are as good as cash. That’s right, you get paid to grocery shop. That’s not all, though. There are tons of ways that Shopkickers can earn rewards right from the app—no need to go anywhere. These include kicks for watching videos and instant surprise kicks from going on Easter egg hunts in the app. Users can also get amazing deals where you can earn big points and rewards by shopping on your phone at stores like Amazon, Walmart, and more!

Of all the apps on the list, Shopkick is definitely my favorite, mostly because not only does it make shopping quicker and easier with its list functionality, but because it also manages to save me money, too!

So there you have it, three of my favorite apps to make grocery shopping easier so I can have extra time with my girls. Of all the apps on the list, Shopkick is definitely my favorite, mostly because not only does it make shopping quicker and easier with its list functionality, but because it also manages to save me money, too! That’s a one-two combo of convenience that can’t be beat.

I highly recommend that you give it a try if you haven’t already. One underrated thing about Shopkick is that it’s also a lot of fun. The point system makes every trip to the store feel like a scavenger hunt for savings, and when you’re having fun—like I do each and every time I get to see my girls—the time really flies!  

Ready to start taking advantage of the best app to make grocery shopping easier? Well simply download Shopkick and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered the rewards of shopping with us!

And, if you love using your smartphone to stay up on social media, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping inspiration.

Image courtesy Rido81

Save money and earn kicks with Seattle’s Best Coffee

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If you were to ask someone whose presence is valuable to you why they enjoy their mornings, they will likely relate it to their routine. The quiet found when the world has yet to wake; time spent with their kids relishing in their morning routine; a workout that makes them feel alive; the first sip of their morning coffee. The takeaway: a morning routine can be something you crave. One of the easiest ways to kick start a new routine is by taking one single step. For us, the simplest step to take is to brew a cup of coffee we can’t wait to sip.

One brand of coffee we return to again and again is Seattle’s Best. After all, they truly did win an award in which they were dubbed Seattle’s Best Coffee. The honor stuck with them, and we can taste why.

From medium roasts, like Toasted Hazelnut or Breakfast Blend, to dark roasts, like 6th Avenue Bistro (you had us at “hint of chocolate”!), Henry’s Blend, or Port Alley Blend, Seattle’s Best Coffee procures only the best beans from Latin America in order for us to all experience the most delicious brews. Whether we’re opening a new K-Cup Pod of Seattle’s Best Coffee or we’re adding the last of our ground coffee into our pot to brew our final cup, the flavor never wavers.

So, what easy steps can you take to create a delicious cup every time?

Step 1: Freshness.

This has a surprisingly large impact on flavor. Begin with cold, filtered water and freshly roasted, properly stored coffeeStep 2: Grind. A medium grind (a texture similar to sand) will ensure the most even brewing for drip coffee pots. Most of Seattle’s Best Coffee comes pre-ground or in K-Cups, giving you a leg up on a perfectly brewed cup of coffee.

Step 2: Grind.

A medium grind (a texture similar to sand) will ensure the most even brewing for drip coffee pots. Most of Seattle’s Best Coffee comes pre-ground or in K-Cups, giving you a leg up on a perfectly brewed cup of coffee.

 

Step 3: Ratio.

One slightly rounded tablespoon of ground coffee for every 6 ounces of water will do the trick.You can always adjust to taste if you prefer your coffee stronger or more mellow.

 

Step 4: Enjoy.

Add your favorite combo of creamer and sugar or drink it straight and taste the difference!

 

 

 

Seattle’s Best and Shopkick have teamed up to help you stretch your dollar that much further. There’s joy in sipping a smooth cup of coffee, and there’s a sense of satisfaction found in knowing you’re saving because you’re drinking coffee you made at home rather than a cup purchased at a coffee shop. Whether you purchase ground coffee or K-Cup Pods from Seattle’s Best Coffee through Shopkick, you’re devoting your dollars to a budget friendly brand that still keeps flavor and taste at the forefront. Plus, you can save even more at select stores by opening Shopkick, scanning Seattle’s Best Coffee, and submitting your receipt when you purchase your go-to roast.

Don’t have Shopkick yet?

Download the app that makes earning free rewards easy and fun today!

How to get paid to play games: Money-making apps for techies

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I’ve been playing games since I was just a little guy. My first home game console was the original Nintendo Entertainment System (yeah, that’s how old I am), and from there I graduated onto bigger and better things like the Super Nintendo, the Nintendo 64, the Sony PlayStation, and so on right up to modern day. I guess you could say I’m a gamer.

Recently, though, I’ve actually figured out how to get paid to play games through money-making apps for techies. These are apps that you can use to get that old gaming challenge, while also earning money, money that you can spend on even more games!

Anyway, that’s what I’d like to talk about today: how to get paid to play games with money-making apps for techies. There are a few different ways to do this, but for our purposes, I’m going to focus on the one I’ve found most useful, before giving you advice about my favorite.

Get Paid to Play Games with Shopping Apps

ways to get paid to play gamesAs any experienced gamer will tell you, the key to beating any game is to stick with it. It’s the same thing for apps that let you get paid to play games. You don’t want apps that feel short-term or like a fad, especially not if you’re a techie like me and you pride yourself on staying up on all the modern techie trends. Because of that, I tend to get tired of certain apps quickly.

That’s why I think the best way to get paid to play games is to find an app that pays you to go shopping. Let’s face it, no matter how much we may dislike shopping, we all have to do it. That’s why the ideal money-making app for techies, in my opinion, is one that turns shopping into a game you actually want to play!

How Shopping Apps Work

Now that we’ve determined the best way to get paid to play games is through apps that turn shopping into a challenge to find savings, it’s time to talk about how these apps work. The good news is that my personal favorites are perfect for techies, of course, but they also have a pretty simple step-by-step process that non-techies can figure out quickly as well:

  • Earn points just by walking into a participating store
  • Purchase certain items, use the app to take a picture of your receipt, and get even more points.
  • Trade those points in for gift cards to your favorite stores.
  • Savor the savings.

Before you know it, all your shopping turns into a hunt for the biggest savings. Anyway, this next part is probably more crucial for techies, but the best shopping apps you can use to get paid to play games also let you earn rewards while shopping online. The differences between how these apps work for online shopping versus in-person shopping is pretty small, though. Here’s how using one of these shopping apps online works:

  • Visit an online store and get points
  • View select products and get more points
  • Make mobile purchases and get even more points
  • Watch videos and score points yet again
  • Trade those points in for gift cards to some of your favorite stores
  • Savor the savings

The Best Shopping App You Can Use to Get Paid to Play Games

Of all of the shopping apps out there, my personal favorite is Shopkick. That’s because it has more ways to score points than most of the other apps I’ve tried, and it has the most fun social media channels, too, which as any techie will tell you is super important when it comes to staying engaged. It’s a guilty pleasure, but I actually have a ton of fun looking at Shopkick’s goofy Facebook posts. Oh, and I should note that Shopkick is available for both Android and iPhone too, so you can get in on the action regardless of your device’s operating system.

Shopkick gives you points for all the usual shopping things you do: walking into the store, going down aisles browsing products, and making purchases. There are other ways to use it to make money, too. In fact, there are tons of ways that Shopkick users can earn rewards right from the app without even physically going anywhere. These include kicks for watching videos and instant surprise kicks from going on Easter egg hunts in the app. Users can also get amazing deals where you can earn big points and rewards by shopping at stores like Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy, which is my personal favorite.

I know it’s a little unconventional, but I really do think the best method for how to get paid to play games is by using Shopkick, my personal favorite money-making app for techies. Like I said, it turns every trip to the store into a fun hunt for points. In fact, I like it so much that I’ve started to kind of look forward to my shopping trips—just a little bit.

The best part is trading in your Shopkick points for gift cards to your favorite stores, which for me usually means anywhere that sells all the latest and greatest technology.

The best part is trading in your Shopkick points for gift cards to your favorite stores, which for me usually means anywhere that sells all the latest and greatest technology. I know, I know, I probably spend a little too much time staying up to date with modern technology, but hey, it’s fun!

Ready to start having fun by getting paid to play games with a great money-making app for techies? Download Shopkick for free and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered how rewarding—and fun—shopping can be!

And, if you love using your smartphone to stay up on social media, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping inspiration.

Image courtesy artiemedvedev

Brand Marketing Best Practices for the Digital Age of Shopping

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Brand Marketing Best Practices for the Digital Age of Shopping

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Brand marketing best practices in the digital space are all about adaptability. Brands must be able to pivot their strategies in the event campaigns are not performing as well as they should. This strategy requires the ability to break down campaigns into smaller segments—the information technology industry calls this concept agile innovation. By establishing the components of a marketing plan and treating them as separate, distinct steps, brands will be better prepared to change course as needed.

The best practices of marketing are similar across many industries, from CPG challenger brands to multinational QSR locations. These practices cover demographic targeting, message timing, platform selection, and audience engagement. These steps will help a brand build affinity in the right markets while allowing them to pivot as necessary to target new audiences.

 

Brand Marketing Best Practices: Using Data to Determine Demographics

Often, the success of a new product will be dependent on a small portion of the population. In one study, only about 1.5% of the consumers surveyed accounted for 80% of the purchases of a new product. These results indicate getting consumers to switch brands can be extremely difficult and doing so requires precise demographic targeting.

One issue which can make demographic targeting tricky is when the purchase decision maker and the end user aren’t the same. Consider the case of a breakfast cereal aimed at children. While the intended user of the product is a child, the purchaser of the product will likely be a parent. In this case, the brand needs to decide whose opinion will weigh the heaviest when it comes time to purchase. While the brand may want to primarily market to children, they must also find a way to reach out to the adults who make the purchase.

An excellent example of this strategy is viewed through General Mills cereal brand Lucky Charms. When refreshing the brand, they focused on gaining insight from existing customers on social media to come up with ideas. They sought out recommendations from adults and children alike on the addition of a new marshmallow and decided on a unicorn style. The leaders of the campaign decided to weight the opinions of children more heavily, as they were the target market. However, parents were not left out, it was found that receiving information about the nutritional value of the cereal would make them more comfortable with purchasing the product for children.

The brand targeted two demographics. They focused on children as the primary consumers of the cereal and parents as the decision makers. As such, children enjoyed gamified content while adults received critical information on nutrition. Understanding the diverse demographics for a particular product can also assist in determining the best platforms to reach those demographics.

Brand Marketing Best Practices: Choosing a Platform to Connect With Consumers

Often, brands use a multi-platform strategy to ensure they’re able to reach as many consumers as possible regarding products. Utilizing these platforms together is also an excellent choice for brands with multiple target demographics. Here are a few of the platform options available to brands—aside from their proprietary websites and apps.

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Video Platforms

Video advertising offers many advantages for gaining consumer engagement and brand awareness. Video receives 1200% more shares than text- or image-based content, making it an ideal multi-purpose platform. Brands can upload video to platforms themselves and then share those videos across social media or via shopping apps to significantly expand engagement.

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Third-Party Apps

A great example of a category of third-party apps that brands choose to work with is shopping apps. These apps allow consumers to gain rewards and other incentives in the store, which drives them to purchase products. This incentivized interaction is a strategy Shopkick uses as it allows brands to reach shoppers when they’re at the store, increasing the likelihood of purchase.

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Social Media

Social media is an obvious avenue which many brands use to increase their reach. The demographics of these platforms can be incredibly diverse as well, making them ideal for targeting multiple groups of consumers. Also, many social media sites add unique features which advertisers can use to engage with consumers. An excellent example of this comes from Snapchat, where advertisers use custom-built lenses to build brand awareness.

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Search Engine Marketing

In this strategy, brands will provide content on their websites which helps them rank higher on search engines like Bing and Google. SEM is particularly useful when consumers are seeking out a specific solution to a problem. For example, a brand that makes castor oil may target search phrases where castor oil acts as a good solution, like “growing longer eyelashes” or “healing dry skin.” Organic marketing through content allows brands to present their products as solutions, ensuring they are perceived as an authority on that problem by consumers.

These are just a few of the avenues brands should consider when rolling out a new campaign. One of the best ways to determine success is to test smaller scale marketing campaigns on various platforms before rolling out a full-scale campaign. Testing allows brands to find the right audiences which also increases marketing ROI.

 

Brand Marketing Best Practices: Timing a Campaign to Maximize Sales Conversion

Brands need to consider the two best times to reach consumers; when consumers will buy the products and when they will use the products. After all, consumers rarely go “impulse” grocery shopping. Before their trip to the store, they will probably make a list of the items they need or want. When they get to the store, they will make their final decision on those purchases.

Brands must reach consumers when they’re making their lists as well as when they’re at the store. Using a multi-platform approach is imperative for brands who want to reach consumers during both these critical periods. Standard websites, commercials, and social media can help support marketing efforts as the consumer is planning their shopping trip. Brands can leverage mobile apps which travel with the consumers to connect with them before they make purchase decisions.

Mobile engagement is also supportive for brands that wish to connect with consumers doing their shopping online. Even for CPG products, this is becoming more common, meaning brands must be prepared to support online shopping. When marketing towards digital shoppers, brands do not have to significantly change their strategies, as they can treat the digital shopping space the same way they would a retail space. The main component here is making it very easy for consumers to make purchases online through providing direct links to a brand’s or retailer’s sales pages for these products.

 

Brand Marketing Best Practices: Leveraging Ways to Engage Consumers in the Digital Space

Even if a brand finds the perfect demographic, creates the campaign at the right time, and releases it on the most effective platforms, these efforts will offer little return if the brand is unable to engage consumers. Engagement can come from a simple share of a piece of branded content to a consumer becoming an active buyer and advocate for the brand. Any positive interaction that occurs will improve the potential of a sale. Here are just a few ways many brands are improving interaction.

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Gamification

Gamification is a strategy seen across industries, where marketers take a common task and turn it into a gamified experience. Shopkick provides an excellent example of gamification in action. Using their smartphone, consumers can go on a digital scavenger hunt to find products in the store and scan UPCs. Making a rewards program fun encourages consumers to continue to participate and plan shopping trips around the app. When partnering with apps that offer this, brands can direct the consumers to their product in the store.

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Interactive Content

There are many ways brands can get consumers to engage with content, whether it’s merely embedding a poll in a website or video or allowing consumers to drive the story by selecting different marketing options. A campaign by Mended Little Hearts, which is a nonprofit designed to help children with congenital heart defects, shows how interactive components impact sales. The Give a Fuller Life campaign features a video where consumers watch a patient as he goes about his day. As the viewer makes donations, the footage improves and becomes more joyful, offering a heightened emotional return on the content.

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Leveraging Influencers

Influencers can help drive engagement for a brand by getting consumers excited about products. Bacardi Australia leveraged this when targeting several Australian communities with its #MojitoMoments campaign. The brand partnered with 60 area influencers who attended events at pubs, clubs, and bars in Australia. The influencers provided content through photos of specific drinks marked with the hashtag and as a result, gained 50,000 engagements at participating locations.

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Retargeting for Online Sales

Through the use of cookies, brands can track users who have visited their sites or looked for specific products in the past. They can then use these prior visits to deliver ads which share more information on products the customer previously browsed. This type of engagement has a high potential for sales, as the consumer is interested in these products.

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Proximity Marketing

Taking advantage of a consumer’s location when near products works well for improving sales in brick-and-mortar locations. For example, through mobile advertising, a brand can pinpoint a consumer’s location and let them know of deals relating to their products which may be in the consumer’s immediate area. This strategy is one many brands are leveraging through the use of beacons and other location technologies.

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Rewards

Rewards provide a better alternative for brands that don’t wish to use discounts. By offering rewards points (or in Shopkick’s case, kicks) brands provide a return on shopping without the need to give a discount. Rewards programs frequently have a higher perceived value than just their dollar amount, as they create an emotional connection between a brand and a consumer.

These are just a few ways to drive consumer engagement with a brand. By encouraging a consumer to interact with content, brands can build affinity, sales, and—in the long term—increase market share. Engagement is a critical component of any marketing initiative, so brands must be prepared to foster this.

Brand marketing best practices in the digital space should be broken down into demographics, platforms, timing, and engagement to ensure a brand is easily able to pivot should the strategy not prove successful initially. Using multiple strategies can help to boost audience awareness and improve engagement. These strategies can be adapted to improve sales in stores as well as online. The best brand marketing practices ensure consistent visibility and enhance sales potential for the life of a campaign.

Shopkick helps our partners improve the reach of their campaigns by connecting them with an active audience of household purchase decision makers through an innovative app. For more information about becoming a partner, contact us.

3 money-stretching apps that give cash back

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One of the greatest feelings that you can feel happened to me yesterday: I put on a pair of jeans that I hadn’t worn in a long while and I found $20! I squealed so loud that my boys actually put down the video games they were playing in the other room to ask me what happened. After I told them, they asked if they could use the money to go get a new game from Redbox, but that’s beside the point. What I’d like to talk about today are money-stretching apps that give cash back, recreating this wonderful experience of finding money over again.

There really is nothing like finding money when you least expect it, and with the three apps on today’s list, you can get that feeling all the time. They’re all fairly different in nature. However, the one thing these all have in common is that they give you cash back for things you already do on the regular basis. Much like finding some cash in an old pair of pants, you don’t have to go out of your way to boost your budget with these!

I like some more than others, as you’ll see below, but I definitely recommend using them all, integrating them with your normal routines. That way the money will start to roll in without you even thinking about it. Jumping up and squealing like I did when I found that $20 is, of course, totally optional!

Apps That Give Cash Back No. 1: Walmart Savings Catcher App

The Walmart Savings Catcher App is a pretty great way to make sure you get the best possible price that you can when you shop at Walmart. Let’s face it, there are just some things that will be cheaper at Walmart, so if you’re anything like me, you find yourself there often. Once you get there, this app is easy to use. All you have to do is scan your receipt after you check out.

Then when you’re all finished, the app automatically checks the prices you paid against the prices that are currently being offered by other stores in the area. If there’s a case where you could have gotten a lower price somewhere else, Walmart gives you back that difference. Awesome, especially when you use it to shop for groceries!

Apps That Give Cash Back No. 2: App Trailers

3 apps that give cash back

App Trailers is free and fun. It’s also an app my boys and I enjoy together because it pays you to watch videos. I like it a lot, too, mostly because many of these videos are about something that’s very near and dear to my boys’ little hearts: video games. 

Now, normally when they watch videos about video games with me, they’re calling me over from whatever thing around the house I’m busy with. App Trailers is a game changer because now I get paid for those interruptions. We’ve watched videos about games from EA, Rovio (which makes Angry Birds), and plenty of other companies that my guys know far more about than I do. The more videos you watch, the more points you earn. You can eventually trade those points in and get paid via PayPal or in Amazon gift cards.  

Apps That Give Cash Back No. 3: Shopkick

I’ve saved my favorite of these apps that give cash back for last. It’s actually called Shopkick, and how it works is that it gives you money for an activity you do all the time, anyway: shopping. Yes, what Shopkick does is give you points for the things you do while you’re out shopping, things that range from simply walking into the store to going down aisles browsing products, and making purchases. I can then trade those points in for gift cards to all my favorite stores, which are as good as cash!

Another thing that I absolutely love about Shopkick is that it’s not just limited to in-person shopping at brick-and-mortar stores. There are tons of ways that Shopkickers can earn rewards right from the app—no need to go anywhere. These include kicks for watching videos and instant surprise kicks from going on Easter egg hunts in the app. Users can also get amazing deals where you can earn big points and rewards by shopping on your phone at stores like Amazon, Walmart, and more!

Another thing that I absolutely love about Shopkick is that it’s not just limited to in-person shopping at brick-and-mortar stores.

To be honest, these apps have all become such a regular part of my budget and my routine, that I don’t even remember how I used to get by without them. I recommend them all.

As I said above though, the one I like the most is Shopkick. With three growing boys at home, I find myself out shopping all the time. Luckily with apps like Shopkick, I can get a little boost that makes it just a bit easier! If that’s not something to squeal about, I don’t know what is!

Get to know one of the best money-stretching apps that gives cash back, as well as one of the all-around best shopping apps period. Download Shopkick’s free app today and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered how much you can earn with the help of a shopping sidekick.

And, if you’re on social media catching up with friends, be sure to also join Shopkick on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for a little daily fun and inspiration.

Image courtesy Olivier

Make this summer epic and earn big kicks

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Get the most out of this summer! Explore the top activities near you on Groupon, or discover the best hotel for your next getaway on Booking.com with an epic 25 kicks per $1 spent.

Need to beat the heat? Stay cool with up to 15 kicks $1 spent on HSN and Fandango. You can also take advantage of AC in stores while earning kicks when you scan, buy, and submit receipts for select products.

Epic kicks online

get outside kayak beachGet Outside

25 kicks per $1

Get outside without breaking the bank and earn epic kicks on Groupon and Booking.com. Check out deals on top restaurants, getaways, or summer activities near you.

beat the heat kids on couch with popsiclesBeat the Heat

15 kicks per $1

Beat the heat with refreshingly big kicks on Fandango and HSN. Get to the movies to find respite from rising temps or try to stay cool by making your own popsicles or ice cream with the family.

Cool kicks in stores

Snag some AC time while earning kicks near you.

Teavana® Craft Iced Tea

Scan for 20 kicks and submit a receipt for 150 kicks at select stores.

 

Tyson® Chicken Nuggets or Strips

Scan for 10 kicks and submit a receipt for 100 kicks at Walmart.

 

Hillshire Farm® Lunch Meats

Scan for 10 kicks and submit a receipt for 100 kicks at Walmart.

 

Wasa Crispbread or Flatbread

Scan for 20 kicks and submit a receipt for 250 kicks at select stores.

 

Open the app to check out more kicks in stores near you!

Need to download the app?

Download Shopkick today to start earning your free gift card for the shopping you already do!

The best 2018 back to school deals on your smartphone

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I don’t know about you, but after a long summer at home with my three boys, I tend to have a whole lot of emotions about back-to-school shopping—both good and bad. I’m excited for them to be advancing into new things: new classes, new teachers, new lessons, new friends, etc. And I’m excited for myself, too, because let’s just say that things are a bit quieter around my house when school is in session. If you have kids, I bet you know exactly what I mean. I’m also excited for the guys to get some spiffy new clothes. 

However, what I’m least excited about is all of the money we have to spend each year on new wardrobes plus, the mountain of school supplies that their exciting new classes require us to purchase. In recent years, I’ve found an exciting new way to make that cost a heck of a lot easier by using a shopping app. This helps to make sure I get the best back-to-school deals.  

By all means, enjoy your newfound free time that comes with having the kids go back to class. But don’t get too bummed out by all the money you’re going to have to spend. By the time we’re done here today, you’ll have all the know-how and expertise on how to get the best back-to-school deals.

How to Get Back to School Deals on Your Smartphone

how to get back to school dealsWhen I was a kid, we only got to shop for back-to-school clothes once the prices were discounted. I swear, my mom had an extra sense of knowing when the best back-to-school deals were and once she found them, she would swoop in like a hawk. We didn’t get to go to just any store we wanted—no—we got to go to the one my mom knew had the best prices!

Things are different nowadays, or at least for me, they are. I didn’t inherit my mom’s uncanny abilities to find the best back-to-school deals, but I do have newer technology that can help me generate those deals on my own. The concept I’m talking about is a shopping app that you can use to get rewards and deals for shopping that you do every day. Never heard of it? That’s okay, until recently neither had I. That’s why in the next section I’m going to explain what this concept is and how it works!

What is a Shopping App?

Simply put, a third-party shopping app is an app that you download to your phone and it helps you save money when you’re out shopping. Believe it or not, there’s a pretty wide variety of these apps, and as a result, you’ll have some choices about how you can save money. It really behooves you, though, to find the type that works best for you.

Here are the different types of shopping apps I’ve used in the past:

  • Coupon Apps: Coupon apps are basically digital approximations of old-school paper coupons. You either use them at checkout, while you shop online or after making a purchase. There are a lot of different apps, and some of them take money off your bill in advance while others funnel your savings into an account you can cash out later.
  • Store-Branded Apps: Store-branded apps are apps offered by big stores like Target, Best Buy or Walmart. Some of them give you points that you can cash in for gift cards, while others alert you to new sales and deals or automatically scan prices in your area to match the lowest.
  • Third-Party Shopping Apps: This last category is my favorite. These are special third apps that give you points for the shopping that you do every day, points that you can then trade in later for gift cards. In the next section, I’ll tell you about my personal favorite!

The Best Third-Party Shopping Apps for Back to School Deals

Now that you know about the different ways to get back-to-school deals on your smartphone, as well as what a third-party shopping app is, it’s time to talk about my personal favorite: Shopkick. How it works is super easy. You just go out to do your back-to-school shopping like you normally do, making sure that you’re going to one of the many stores that partner with the app. Then the app gives you rewards—which it calls kicks—for the things you do while you’re out shopping already, things like walking into stores, going down aisles browsing products, and making purchases. Then you trade your points in for gift cards. It’s that easy.

There are tons of ways that Shopkickers can earn rewards right from the app—no need to go anywhere.

But I think my overall favorite thing about Shopkick is you don’t even have to technically go anywhere to use it. In fact, there are tons of ways that Shopkickers can earn rewards right from the app—no need to go anywhere. These include kicks for watching videos and instant surprise kicks from going on Easter egg hunts in the app. Users can also get amazing deals where you can earn big points and rewards by shopping on your phone at stores like Amazon and Walmart. If you’re a modern, online shopper like me, you are going to love Shopkick, both for back-to-school deals and for the shopping you do on the regular basis.

I hope you learned a lot today, especially when it comes to using Shopkick to save money. Back-to-school time is one of my favorite parts of the year. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when my boys are around the house all summer, but it’s nice to see them engaged and excited about something new.

Once you start earning back-to-school deals with an amazing app like Shopkick, trust me, you’ll find yourself enjoying it even more. You’ll go from worrying about your budget to being excited about all the free time that’s headed your own way in the fall.

Looking for a way to earn the best back-to-school deals on your smartphone? Download Shopkick for free and join a community of Shopkickers who love the rewards of shopping with us!

Or join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and check in every day on your phone, no matter where you are, to learn about the hottest, newest deals.

Image courtesy Rido81

How To Save Money Back To School Shopping

Posted on by shopkick

In a few weeks, summer vacation will be coming to a close, ushering in the fresh start of the year that every mom knows too well: Back To School season. While this can be an exciting time for you and your child, it can also lead to certain stresses, including the dreaded expense of it all. The school supplies shopping list seems to get longer and more specific each year, and that’s all before you factor in clothes, lunch supplies and bulk items for your child’s classroom. Coming in as a new mom to the grade school system (my boy is starting Kindergarten this year), I plan on cutting all the stress and hassle out of the back to school shopping experience by using these methods to save money while having fun.

1. Check Out Sales

The easiest way to begin shopping for Back To School is by first searching for and identifying the biggest back to school deals from retailers. These sales are particularly great when you are looking for school supplies, backpacks and clothing. Some of the best online retailers to check out this season are Walmart.com, Kohls.com, etc.

For the majority of my school supplies products such as crayons, pencils, markers, etc., I relied on rollback prices from Walmart.com. For backpacks and clothing, I shopped Kohls.com deals. I saved a generous amount considering most of their products are on sale.

2. Buy in Bulk

I’ve personally found that one of the biggest ongoing costs of the school year has always been lunch foods and snacks. After going over my budget in the past, I plan on staying on top of my expenses by purchasing lunch supplies and snacks in bulk. My favorite retailers to buy in bulk are Jet and Boxed. Purchasing Ziplocs, chips, Tupperware, drinks and other snack foods in bulk will save a generous amount in the long run.

Another reason I love to buy in bulk is to help provide supplies for my son’s teacher. Teachers often have to pay for all classroom decorations, paper supplies, and cleaning supplies for the whole year! To really show my appreciation, I love to buy a few bulk items to donate to the classroom such as paper towels, paper plates, cleaning supplies, and even some fresh-smelling scents to make the classroom more relaxing. I generally use Boxed for all my bulk items, and it’s great because you can get 2-day shipping.

3. Earn Money Back Through Shopping Apps

The last way I love to save money for back to school shopping is by actually getting money back for my purchases. There are different mobile apps that allow you to scan your receipts to earn gift cards. My favorite shopping app to use is Shopkick because not only do I get points (called kicks) for scanning receipts, I can also get points for just walking into stores, scanning items, and purchasing through online retailers. I generally make my purchases through Walmart, eBay, and Kohl’s. My kicks accumulate while I shop, so I can redeem my points for a Starbucks gift card to refuel after all that shopping!

Back to School shopping doesn’t have to be hard on your bank account. It’s meant to be fun, especially because you’re able to bond with your kids while preparing them to step back into the classroom for another great year of learning. Take the stress out of shopping while saving money by shopping sales, buying in bulk, and using shopping apps to get money back. These money-saving hacks have helped me tremendously as I get ready for my son to start Kindergarten this year. Now, it’s time to relax and soak up these final days of summer vacation and anticipate the exciting school year ahead! I know with just a little prep, he and I will be ready to take on his first day of school together. And, by using these money-saving shopping tips for your children’s school year, you will be too.

Happy shopkicking!

Download Shopkick today to start earning rewards towards a free gift card for the shopping you already do!

The 8 best cash back shopping apps to make every penny count

Posted on by shopkick

The 8 best cash back shopping apps to make every penny count

It sounds cliche, but when it comes to maximizing your budget and making sure that you’re saving all the money you can, every penny counts. I realized the truth about this recently because of my youngest son. He’s obsessed with video games (aren’t all kids these days?) and he wanted a Nintendo Switch, which is priced at about $300. That’s a lot of birthday money for a nine-year-old boy to save up, but I told him if he saved his money, maybe we could help him out.

Well, to my surprise he already had been saving his money, dating back to when we first got him a little novelty piggy bank when he was a kid. Honestly, I don’t know where it all came from, but he must have been saving change in it for a while because that thing was filled to the brim with quarters, dimes, nickels, a few silver dollars, and a good deal of pennies. When we counted it all out, our nine-year-old had more than $100! While we counted, he made sure we didn’t miss a penny and with cash back shopping apps, you can make all of your pennies count, too.

These shopping apps work through your phone and other mobile devices and they’re a lot more efficient and complex than stuffing actual pennies into a piggy bank like my son. Let’s take a look at the eight best cash back shopping apps to make every penny count!

The Best Cash Back Shopping Apps for Brick-and-Mortar Stores

CheckOut51

Of all the various apps here on our list today, I think CheckOut51 might be one of the simplest to use. See, with this app you just go out and do your grocery shopping as you normally would, and then once you’re finished, you use Checkout 51 to upload a photograph of your receipt. I like to make sure I do this in the front seat of my car before even leaving the parking lot at the store—that way I don’t forget.

Once you’re done scanning your receipt, Checkout 51 gives you rebates in the form of credit for any eligible items that you may have purchased. The money adds up quickly, which is good because you need to have $20 worth of saved credit in order to cash out. Once you decide to cash out, Checkout 51 will then go ahead and mail you a receipt. See! I told you it was simple.

SavingStar

SavingStar is also a fairly simple cash back shopping app. How it works is that it’s a digital coupon app that pays users to shop at grocery and drugstores. More than 60,000 participating stores are part of SavingStar, and within their ranks you will find more than 100 retail chains.

Most of the time, this app is free to use, but beware. If you get busy and leave your account inactive for 180 straight days, SavingStar will actually charge you a fee of $3.99. To take advantage of SavingStar, all you have to do is either link the app to an existing store loyalty card or submit receipts after you make purchases just like you do with CheckOut51. Again, these savings add up until you can eventually cash out through PayPal, Upromise, or in the form of Starbucks, iTunes, or AMC Theater gift codes.

SnipSnap

The way this one works is slightly different, in that it lets its users take pictures of printed coupons, which it transforms into digital, mobile-ready ones, thereby making them far more convenient to carry around and use. Users can also browse online directories and take advantage of coupons their friends have “snipped” as well.

This app doesn’t exactly pay, though. Instead, users save money like a traditional coupon. The idea is that coupons can all be easily kept in one digital space, instead of having an overflowing little billfold stuffed with paper cutouts.

The Best Cash Back Shopping Apps for Online Stores

CamelCamelCamel

If you’re anything like me, the online store that you frequent most is Amazon. I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with this app, which is called CamelCamelCamel. It doesn’t have much to do with riding through deserts, though. It’s actually a website and browser extension that shoppers can use to save money by tracking prices on Amazon. It’s really a pretty incredible resource, given the changing nature of prices on Amazon.

With CamelCamelCamel, you get access to charts and details for extensive price histories to almost every product listed for sale on Amazon. You can see the fluctuations and know when you should buy an item or when you should hold off until the price is reduced in the future. I’ve never tracked it enough to be able to tabulate an exact amount, but I know that over a long enough timeline, I’ve saved quite a bit of money shopping online at Amazon with the help of information from CamelCamelCamel. Just be warned that you can find yourself spending way more time than you expected looking through the charts!

Coupon Cactus

With Coupon Cactus, you can get discounts on certain items when you shop online. Your savings sometimes add up to a percentage of the total price, generally up to 30% or as a flat discount, such as $2 off a featured product. Once your savings balance hits $10 or more, you can then make a decision to cash out the money you’ve earned through PayPal or even to have a check issued to you on a quarterly basis.

Coupon Cactus also does this cool thing that I find really helpful where you can sort the savings offers on the site by the most popular or the newest, making it easy to find the deals that people like the most or the ones that have been added to the app since your last visit.

Ebates

You’d be crazy not to download this coupon app for groceries because of how much you can save with it through rebates. Ebates is a cash back shopping app that lets you save by giving you shopping rewards. Full disclosure, this one actually has a special place in my heart because it was the first one I used when I first started using apps that give you rewards.

Ebates is a centralized platform where shoppers can search for deals and coupons that are offered by nearly 2,000 retailers. It’s pretty awesome when it comes to shopping online, which is something I’d guess that we have all done much more of in recent years. To be totally honest, I haven’t used Ebates as much as of late because I’ve moved on to more comprehensive apps to bolster my budget. I’ve actually ended up seeking out newer apps, many of which are way more fun to use!

Pennyful

With three growing boys at home, I shop a lot. Between getting things for the kids, my husband, and on rare occasions even for myself, I’m always out shopping. Plus, I have to admit, I’ve always been one for a good sale. That’s why I use Pennyful, which requires that you hit a certain amount of savings or cash back before you can get paid. With my shopping habits, it’s easy to hit the mark. But, I’m also well aware that not everyone shops online as much as I do. For those who don’t, it’s possible to earn money shopping online with mobile apps that let you cash your total out without meeting a certain minimum threshold.

If this sounds like something that would work well for you, I highly recommend checking out Pennyful. Like Coupon Cactus, you just go online, make purchases at certain stores that are offering online coupons, and then you start to accumulate savings in an account that you can later cash out. And, they make it easy and fun to discover new products by dividing their offerings up into categories!

The Best Cash Back Shopping Apps for Both Online and Brick-and-Mortar Stores

Shopkick

I don’t know about you, but in 2018 my shopping habits have become a hybrid of both online and in-store shopping. There are some items that I just need to be able to get anywhere at any time with a quick click at my computer or mobile device, and there are others that I like to browse or see in person before making a final decision. That’s really where this last app comes in handy.

The beauty of Shopkick is that you can use it to get cash back on both your online and in-store shopping. You can even pair it with some of the other apps on my list because Shopkick rewards you for shopping through points (called kicks) for making purchases—or even watching product videos online. When I save up enough of these points, I can cash them in for gift cards. Shopkick even pays you to grocery shop, which is something I’m yet to figure out how to do online. Of all the mobile apps that allow you to earn money shopping online, Shopkick is the one you must have to take your shopping game to new levels.

So, there you have it, the eight best cash back shopping apps that you should use to make every single penny count. While you’re probably not saving up all the change you can find to get a Nintendo Switch, a few dollars of savings both online and in-store really does add up and make a significant difference in your budget.

I think that’s why my favorite on the list is Shopkick. You can use it when you go out shopping, or anywhere else for that matter. Simply put, there are tons of ways that Shopkickers can earn rewards right from the app—no need to go anywhere. These include kicks for watching videos and instant surprise kicks from going on Easter egg hunts in the app. Users can also get amazing deals where you can earn big points and rewards by shopping on your phone at stores like Amazon and Walmart. I highly recommend it!

Get one of the best cash back shopping apps that can help you make every last penny count. Download Shopkick’s free app today and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered the rewards of shopping with a free, smartphone app sidekick.

And, if you love social media as much as you love your smartphone, join Shopkick on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for a little daily shopping inspiration.