As I’ve mentioned a few times, I’m the mother of three beautiful (and rambunctious) boys, and I do my best to teach them all that I can. Sometimes, though, my boys also teach me lessons.

Recently, for example, they reminded me of something I’d forgotten about as a busy adult: the importance of having fun! While sometimes it doesn’t seem like my boys can keep their attention on any one thing for more than a few minutes, when it comes playing, they can spend hours at it and not even blink!

Fun is important when it comes to sustaining interest, and I think we as adults don’t remember just how time can fly by when you’re engaged in something that’s actually fun. This, in my opinion, is a great lesson when it comes to figuring out the best apps for shopping deals. After all, you can get paid to shop with certain apps, but in order for that to happen, you have to actually use these apps. The more you use these apps, the more you can get paid, and the more fun you have when you’re using the apps, the more you’ll want to use them! So basically, more fun equals more money…and I think we can all get excited about that! That’s why today I want to talk about the best apps for shopping deals, as well as some of the top features you should look for when picking an app that’s actually going to be fun!

Fun Factor No. 1: The Best Apps for Shopping Deals Let You Earn Points

I swear, my boys can turn everything they do into some kind of competition. A storm recently knocked down a big tree branch in our backyard, and they spent an entire afternoon playing a game where they awarded each other points for jumping over it. This sounds silly, but it’s actually a great lesson for us.

There are a few different ways that shopping apps work—some give a discount at the register, others give you percentages off certain products—but in my experience, the best apps for shopping deals are the ones that award you points. That’s because you use those points however you choose. And, the ones that are the most fun of all give you points for completing different activities in the store and for shopping online at home, which turns your whole shopping experience into a game!

In my experience, the best apps for shopping deals are the ones that award you points.

Actually, the way my favorite works is that it turns each trip into a scavenger hunt for those points. I get points for going into certain stores, points for scanning barcodes to learn more about certain items, and, of course, points for making my purchases. I’m at the point now where I actually look forward to going out for groceries, clothes, or toiletries. It’s seriously that fun.

Fun Factor No. 2: The Best Apps for Shopping Deals Offer You Gift Cards

Birthdays and Christmas gifts are a source of all kinds of excitement for kids, and while we as adults don’t generally get as excited about gifts, there’s still something nice about getting a gift card. Well, in my opinion, the best apps for shopping deals are the ones that let you earn gift cards.

Those points we talked about in the last section are all well and good, but in order for you to really save money and get the most out of those shopping apps, you have to be able to trade those points in. I think it’s a lot of fun to earn gift cards to all your favorite stores, so you can give yourself a little Starbucks spontaneously as a treat for shopping. It’s fun to get paid in gift cards!

Fun Factor No. 3: The Best Apps for Shopping Deals Give Great Social Media

Another way my boys have fun is by sharing goofy memes and gifs with their friends on social media. And you know what? This is actually a way that I have fun, too. I just can’t get enough of the goofy jokes online.

I think that’s why it’s no coincidence that the shopping app I use the most is also the one that has the best and most active social media community. My personal favorite shopping app is called Shopkick, and it has one of the most fun social media channels on the Internet. I’ve shared so many laughs on their Facebook page, as well as practical shopping tips for using the app. The best apps for shopping deals seamlessly blend in fun, so you actually want to use them again and again, without having to force yourself to remember.

The best apps for shopping deals seamlessly blend in fun

Much like nobody has to remind my boys to play their Nintendo Switch, nobody has to remind me to use Shopkick when I go out to the store. I look forward to it because of all the factors we mentioned today.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been having fun using Shopkick and not even realized that I earned tons of points I could redeem for gift cards. I just look at my total points—or as the app calls them: kicks—and I often have way more than I thought. How fun is that!  

Ready to have some fun using one of the best apps for shopping deals? Download Shopkick for free and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered the rewards of shopping with us—and how fun trips to the store 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 mimagephotography