Of all the hobbies I have, I think photography is my favorite. I’m not an expert with a camera—not by any means—but as more features and higher resolutions have been added to smartphone cameras, I’ve dabbled more and more. Image stabilizers and filters have really made it easy for even novices like me to take high-quality photos. I recently discovered portrait mode on my iPhone, and I’ve never taken such elegant and beautiful photos of my kids. Now, if I could only get them to sit still…kidding!
I think one of the reasons I’ve gotten so good with my iPhone camera is that it goes with me everywhere. My phone is always in my hand or in my purse, and my purse is always at my side. I whip my phone out at a moment’s notice to take pictures of all kinds of things, from fireworks shows to amazing scenic vistas during our last vacation in Italy—even the absolutely nuts way that the baristas sometimes jot my name on my cup at Starbucks.
I really think I could have been a photographer in another life, but, alas, I don’t get paid for my pictures…at least not in the traditional sense. But, I recently found a way to use my phone’s camera to earn rewards that translate into real money. It’s not about taking high-quality photos or participating in a 7-day black-and-white challenge, but instead, I use my phone to take a picture of my receipt and then get money back for certain purchases.
Since I have my camera with me always, this has been a very cool discovery, one that I’d like to share with you today! Not to sound like one of those lame infomercials, but just follow these two easy steps for how to take pictures of your receipts and get money…
How to Take a Picture of Receipts and Get Money Step 1: Know Your Apps
One thing that kicked my photo habit into overdrive was my life-changing discovery of Instagram. Instagram was seriously a revelation because it combines so many of the things I love: taking photos, editing photos to make them look even better, sharing photos with friends, and getting to see the very cool photos all my friends are taking! It’s so many of my favorite smartphone features rolled up into one stylish app.
Sometimes I imagine what life would be like if I’d never discovered it, which brings me to first piece of advice: know your apps. When it comes to getting money by taking a picture of a receipt, first and foremost you need to know your shopping rewards apps.
Shopping rewards apps help you make money for things you buy anyway, and I use them so much now that they have become just another part of my shopping routine. How it works is super simple:
- I go shopping for groceries, electronics, clothes…you name it.
- I make my purchases.
- I go out to my SUV and snap a quick photo of my receipt with the shopping rewards app.
- I get points for certain purchases.
- When I save up enough of those points, I get money in the form of gift cards to my favorite stores.
See? Super simple!
How to Get Money by Taking Pictures of Receipts Step 2: Know the BEST Apps
Just like there are many different models of camera phones, which all have varying levels of quality, there are also different shopping rewards apps that let you take a picture of a receipt and get money for it. The one thing they all have in common is that they are capable of working the way I described above. Some, however, have other fantastic features, too.
My favorite is actually one called Shopkick, mostly because it’s far and away the most fun, but it also gives you multiple ways to earn points—points you can cash in later for gift cards to Best Buy, Target, Starbucks, Walmart, or plenty of your other favorite stores. With Shopkick, you get points, called kicks, for taking photos of your receipt, sure. But, you also get points for other things you do every time you go shopping, like simply walking into the store or finding certain products and then scanning the barcodes. You can also use it at A TON of different stores, including most of my favorites. And, if photos aren’t your thing, you can also use Shopkick to get paid for shopping online.
With Shopkick, you get points, called kicks, for taking photos of your receipt, sure. But, you also get points for other things you do every time you go shopping, like simply walking into the store or finding certain products and then scanning the barcodes.
Plus, Shopkick is fun! All my ladies are on it and we’re always trading tips about how to score the most points. When they’re not around, I like to head to Shopkick’s social media pages where I can share tips and jokes and even my favorite photos with the other Shopkickers. It helps me earn money and has introduced me to a fun community. You can’t beat that combo, amiright fellow moms?
So yes, taking artsy photos with your smartphone is great, but taking pictures of receipts and getting money is great, too—maybe even better. And shopping rewards apps make it all so easy. All you have to do is download them to your phone which, if you’re anything like me, means they’re with you everywhere—including whenever you’re out shopping. Think of it like Instagram, except that after you take a picture, you get money instead of likes!
Ready to use your smartphone to take pictures of your receipts and get money? Download Shopkick for free 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 stokkete
