Everything you need to know about Prime Day

Prime Day is on the horizon! Whether you’re an Amazon addict or opportunist, you won’t want to miss these 36 hours of enormous savings.

Find all you need to know about this year’s legendary savings

Amazon’s annual Prime Day is one of the best shopping events of the year. Amazon Prime day starts at 12pm PT on July 16 and runs through 11:50pm PT on July 17. This year, Amazon Prime Day is bigger than ever with hundreds of thousands of unbeatable deals sitewide for all Prime members. New savings will be announced every day, and Prime members can shop new deals as often as every five minutes.

But remember! You need to be a Prime member to take advantage of these amazing deals.

Get a front row seat to the best deals of the year

Don’t miss out on Prime Day 2018. Sign up for Amazon Prime to get exclusive access to deals on Prime Day, along with great year-long perks. As a bonus, get a $20 Amazon.com gift card when you register for your first 12-month Amazon Prime membership through Shopkick.

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Coupon apps for groceries you would be crazy not to download

Coupon apps for groceries you would be crazy not to download

It feels nostalgic when I bring in the mail and there’s a booklet of paper coupons. When I was growing up, you could hardly get your mail or check your newspaper without finding them. But these days, however, whenever I happen to find a booklet of them in my mailbox, it feels like they were sent to me from another era. So much of what we do these days, from the way we shop to the way we save, is entirely online and digital.

However, I’ve recently found a modern way to use coupons just like we used to when I was a kid. It’s a new concept called coupon apps for groceries, and what it does is it takes the old coupon-clipping concept and modernizes it for the digital age. The general concept is the same—as are the great savings that you can find within it—but the way it works has been translated for our favorite devices, so we don’t have to handle paper coupons at all and can instead conduct the whole process with our tablets or phones.

Surprisingly, I found that not everyone has heard of coupon apps for groceries, which I think is a shame! That’s why today I want to talk about my favorite coupon apps for groceries that you would be absolutely crazy not to download. These are so simple and effective that I just can’t think of a single argument against using them unless of course, you have an odd aversion to saving money!

Use Coupon Apps for Groceries Through Loyalty Cards

CellFire

You know all of those customer loyalty cards that you signed up for and also carry around with you when you go out shopping? Well, this first selection on our list works by sending coupons directly to those customer loyalty cards. All you do when using this coupon app for groceries, is open it, go to the “My Cards” tab, and select the card you want. You can then scroll through and tap all the deals you can use.

Cellfire sends those deals to your loyalty card like magic. If there is a problem with Cellfire, however, it’s that of all the apps on our list, it has one of the most limited selections of participating stores. When there is a store on its list near you, however, Cellfire is well worth your time! At my local grocery store, for example, I recently found 21 coupons, many of which I was able to use in a single trip! That’s the type of value I’m looking for from my favorite grocery savings apps.

Coupons.com

Based on the name of this app, you can already tell that it’s an obvious fit for our list of coupon apps for groceries you would be crazy not to download. Quite frankly, Coupons.com is invaluable when it comes to saving on the groceries that you buy all the time. When you use this app, you get to choose from three different ways to collect your savings.

The first way is through an email coupon that you print and take with you to the store. This one is not my favorite, since it’s somewhat of a logistical hassle, at least in my house where one of my three boys has always used up the ink in our printer. The second way is by printing it directly from your mobile app, which gives me the same problem. The third is my preferred mechanism, and it lets you store the coupon on your loyalty card so you can scan it at checkout and save money instantly!

Grocery IQ

Grocery IQ is another coupon app for groceries that allows you to collect your deals through the loyalty card program that you may or may not have already signed up for at your local grocery store. This one, however, stands out from some of the others that we’re discussing here today. It’s actually best used if you’re the type of shopper who buys the same items each week.

The reason that it’s best for that type of situation is that with Grocery IQ, users start by making their grocery list. Next, the app works for them to match the items on their list with applicable coupons, automatically saving those same items for future usage. Finally, you can collect these coupons all the same ways that you collect your Coupons.com savings: by printing them out from your desktop or mobile device, or through your loyalty card program. My only word of caution here is to be prepared for this one to take a good amount of time to set up.

Use Coupon Apps for Groceries Through Rebates and Discounts

Checkout 51

This app is one of the overall simplest apps on the list. To use it, you just go grocery shopping as you normally would, and then once you’re done, you use Checkout 51 to upload a photograph of your receipt.

Checkout 51 then 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 do that, Checkout 51 will go ahead and mail you a receipt. Simple, right?

Coupon Cactus

With Coupon Cactus, you get discounts on certain items at participating stores. The big difference is here you can do it online, too. Isn’t that nice? Your savings either add up to a percentage of the total price—generally up to 30%—or savings come in the form of a set amount, like $2 off a featured product.

So, it pays to literally keep an eye on the fine print so you know what to expect from this great coupon app for groceries. Once your total savings from rebates and discounts reaches $10 or more, you can cash out via PayPal or get a check issued on a quarterly basis.

SnipSnap

You’d be crazy not to download this coupon app for groceries because of how much you can save with it through rebates. This one is like Coupon Cactus in that is has a fun old-school component to it, one that lets users take pictures of printed coupons, which it then transforms into digital, mobile-ready ones. It kind of recaptures the feel of clipping paper coupons, which is something that I personally enjoy a great deal if I happen to be in the mood.

Users can also browse online directories with SnipSnap and take advantage of coupons that their friends have “snipped” as well, turning it into a shared and social database for savings. This one doesn’t exactly pay, though. Instead, users save their rebate money at the time of purchase 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 clippings. To be honest, it’s a lot cleaner and easier to handle.

Use Coupon Apps for Groceries to Earn Shopping Rewards

eBates

Ebates is an app that lets you save by giving you shopping rewards and it actually has a special place in my heart because it was the first one I used when my kids were little. Basically, Ebates is a centralized platform where shoppers can search for deals and coupons that are offered by nearly 2,000 retailers. It’s also pretty handy when it comes to shopping online, which is something I’ve done more of in recent years.

Though, 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! And I’m going to talk more about one of those here soon. First, though, I want to stress that finding a grocery app to earn rewards for shopping that is also fun to use is key because then it’s much easier to remember to use it. At least for me that’s how it works!

SavingStar

I use SavingStar because it pays users to shop at grocery and drugstores. One thing I like about SavingStar is how versatile it is. In fact, more than 60,000 stores are part of SavingStar; they represent more than 100 retail chains.

Also, SavingStar is generally free to use, but you do have to be careful. If an account is inactive for 180 consecutive days, they will charge a fee of $3.99.

To take advantage of SavingStar, users either link their existing store loyalty cards to the app or submit receipts after they make purchases. Their savings add up and users can eventually cash out through PayPal, Upromise, or in the form of Starbucks, iTunes, or AMC Theater gift codes.

Shopkick

Of all the great coupon apps for groceries that you would be crazy not to download, it’s my personal opinion that you would be craziest not to download Shopkick. Shopkick is a shopping rewards app, and how it works is that it gives you rewards for many of the activities that you already do when you go out grocery shopping. With Shopkick, you get your first points just for walking into the grocery store, and then you can continue to earn more points by scanning certain items for more info and, of course, for making your purchases.

You can then trade those points in for gift cards, which are just as good as cash back if you ask me. The reason that Shopkick is my favorite, though, is that it turns every trip to the grocery store into a game, like a fun scavenger hunt for points. With three boys at home, I’m a regular at the grocery store. With Shopkick, I can take that time to see if I can top my previous point totals, saving a good amount of money in the process! It’s truly a win-win situation.

If passing up free money for shopping behaviors that you do anyway is crazy, then you’d definitely be crazy not to use these coupon apps for groceries, especially Shopkick, which not only saves you money but turns your trips to the store into a lot more fun. I know I felt crazy for not finding out about it sooner!

So don’t make the same mistake I did. Start using these great coupon apps to save on your grocery bills today. One of the great things about all of them is that they often work in tandem. For example, I like to use SnipSnap to reap the benefits of the occasional packet of coupons that arrive in the mail and then I also like to scan my receipt with the Shopkick app so that I can be rewarded even more. It’s a nice little system and I highly recommend that you give it a try!

Get one of the best coupon apps for groceries that you would be crazy not to download. 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 shopping online, join Shopkick on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for a little daily shopping inspiration.

How to get a free Starbucks eGift card for your next bestie coffee date

I must admit that I am a creature of habit. I know, it sounds so boring! But that’s just the way I’m wired. Anyway, because of this, I have a standing monthly coffee date with one of my oldest and dearest friends. Her name is Jeanette and we’ve actually known one another since grade school! Can you believe that? I pride myself on keeping in touch with my besties.

Anyway, Jeanette and I both just so happen to love Starbucks, from a plain cup of the blonde roast right on down to fancier things like mochas and—my personal favorite—flat whites. We’re also both in fun places in our lives now where we’re raising our families…while also managing the complicated budgets that go along with that. Long story short, the last time we met up, one of the main topics of conversation was whether or not we could find a way to earn a free Starbucks eGift card for our next bestie coffee date. And I’m happy to report that yes, I have found a great way to do just that!

In fact, this discovery has been so great for me, that I’m now using it to earn free Starbucks eGift cards, as well as gift cards to many of my other favorite stores. It’s been so great that I just have to share my discovery with all of you! So, get ready to be caffeinated, because I’m about to tell you about a fantastic and foolproof way that you can earn a free Starbucks eGift card for your next bestie coffee date, too!

How to Get a Free Starbucks eGift Card Through Shopping Rewards Apps

how to earn a free starbucks egift cardI haven’t even told my old friend Jeanette about this yet (I’m going to surprise her!), but I’m happy to share it with all of you because that’s how helpful it’s been for me. My secret for how to earn a free Starbucks eGift card is this simple new concept called a shopping rewards app, and how it works is that it gives you rewards for shopping. What kind of shopping? Basically, all of them! From clothes shopping to shopping for groceries!

There are a few different ways these apps work. Some of them are what I like to call coupon apps, and what they do is re-create the old clipping paper coupons experience, either by offering you a number of coupons to pick from online or letting you use the app to scan and store actual paper coupons that you come across on your own. The other type is a lot more fun because it rewards you for real-life activities that you do anyway when you’re shopping. I’ll go into more detail later, but essentially you just download the app, shop, and collect points that you can trade for free Starbucks eGift cards. Yes, it really is that easy!

The Best Shopping Rewards App to Earn Free Starbucks eGift Card

While there are quite a few shopping rewards apps to pick from, my absolute favorite one to use to earn free Starbucks eGift cards is Shopkick. How it works is that Shopkick gives you points for things like going into certain stores, scanning barcodes to learn more about certain products, and scanning your receipt once you’ve made your purchases. If it sounds like it turns all of your shopping trips to the store into a super fun scavenger hunt for points, that’s because it really does!

One other reason that Shopkick is my absolute favorite of all the various shopping rewards apps is that Shopkick also lets you earn points toward more free Starbucks eGift cards when you do your shopping online. I don’t know about you, but these days my shopping routine has turned into a hybrid between actual old-school, physical shopping and shopping online. What’s great about Shopkick is that it also rewards you for things like making purchases online, visiting certain online stores, and watching videos about certain products. I just love that kind of versatility!

Jeanette and I have been old friends for so long that we always have a million things to talk about when we see each other for coffee, but this time I have our first conversation topic all planned out. I’m going to smoothly and slyly offer to pay for the coffee with my eGift card, and then I’m going to mention how I earned it. That should get us off to the races and talking about shopping rewards apps.

And when it comes to shopping rewards apps, I just can’t stress enough that I highly recommend Shopkick. It’s super versatile, it works at almost all of my favorite stores that I frequent, and it turns every trip down those aisles into a super fun scavenger hunt for points. In fact, I’ve started to like my time with Shopkick so much that I can barely remember what life was like before I had it, much like my long-time friendship with Jeanette! I really hope that you heed my advice here and give Shopkick a spin for yourself. I just know that you’re going to love it as much as I do!

Get to know one of the best shopping rewards apps that you can use to get a free Starbucks eGift card for your next coffee date, as well as one of the 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 free 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 photoCD

3 ways to earn free Fandango tickets for a summer blockbuster bonanza

I have a secret to share today: I was kind of a nerd growing up. I was really into Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel comics—you name it. If it had capes or spaceships or crazy sci-fi ideas in it, I was a big fan. I remember back then my friends and I used to read a lot of comic books, and one thing we always talked about was how cool it would be if Hollywood started turning these stories and characters into movies. Well, as I’m sure you’ve probably noticed, that dream of ours has come true.

This summer has been a crazy one for blockbuster movies based on the nerdy stuff that I used to like as a kid. It started in the spring with Black Panther (which I loved!), and then it kept going with Avengers: Infinity War, Deadpool 2, and Solo: A Star Wars Story. In fact, there were so many cool comic book movies early this year, that I started to get a little behind. I’m not even ready for the next movie Ant-Man and the Wasp, but you know what would help me keep up a little better with all of this? Free Fandango tickets to the movies so I could see all these nerdy summer blockbusters without having to worry about my budget.

Thankfully, I’ve found some great ways to earn free Fandango tickets—three of them to be exact—and that’s what I want to share with all of you. Another thing that’s really surprised me about all these comic book movies is how much mainstream success they’ve had. I love that I can talk about Iron Man with my aunt, my neighbors, and my co-workers when 12 years ago none of them would have known Tony Stark from Adam. So, let’s get you all some free tickets so you can join me at the movies!

Earn Free Fandango Tickets by Signing Up for Fandango VIP+

free fandango tickets for the summerMy first suggestion for earning free Fandango tickets is to sign up for the Fandango VIP+ program, which you can do right on Fandango’s website. This is a pretty simple, tried-and-true customer loyalty points program. For every ticket you buy to a movie like Deadpool 2, you get 150 VIP+ points. Once you earn 600 points, you can unlock a new reward from Fandango.

My favorite reward for summers that are as full of blockbuster comic book movies as this one is, of course, free tickets, but there are other prizes too. Some of the other things that you can earn from Fandango VIP+ include movie gear, movies that you can stream at home, and other discounts on tickets through Fandango. If you use Fandango as often as I do (which is a lot), you’ll be earning these rewards in no time!

Earn Free Fandango Tickets by Finding Promotions

This one takes a little bit more effort, but it’s still very much worth it. You know when you’re out shopping at Target and they have all those movies for $12 or less near checkout? Well, keep an eye on the label of those because a lot of them have feature stickers advertising promotions that allow you to earn free Fandango tickets or discounted movies.

And it’s not just with the movies at Target. In fact, recently I’ve been keeping an eye out when I go grocery shopping and I’ve noticed chances to earn free Fandango tickets through promotions that come along with the purchase of different products. Some of the ones I’ve seen as of late include cereal, freezer bags, and yogurt. Just make sure to keep an eye out for them the next time you go shopping.

Earn Free Fandango Tickets With Shopkick

This last one, though, is my favorite way to earn free Fandango tickets. It’s called Shopkick, and how it works is that it’s an app that gives you points for things you do whenever you go out shopping, things like walking into the store, scanning barcodes to get more information about certain products, and scanning your receipts once you’ve made your purchases. There are also 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!

Now, instead of dreading my trips, I get excited about hunting through the aisles to maximize my points. It’s really cool!

Once you get enough of these points—which the app calls kicks—you can then trade them in for Fandango gift cards, or for gift cards to plenty of other stores. It’s entirely your choice. There are two main things that I like most about Shopkick. The first is versatility. Shopkick works at so many of my favorite stores, including my all-time favorite, Best Buy. The second is that Shopkick turns going into the store—something that used to feel like a total chore—into a fun scavenger hunt for points. Now, instead of dreading my trips, I get excited about hunting through the aisles to maximize my points. It’s really cool!     

So there you have it. Based on the success of these movies, I don’t think this trend of summer comic book blockbusters and old sci-fi is going anywhere soon, which means we’re all going to have to keep looking for new ways to score tickets. Unless we want to start missing some of them instead, which for me isn’t really an option.

While there are a few different ways to score free Fandango tickets I would highly recommend using Shopkick. It really is a great way to not only earn free Fandango tickets but to turn shopping into something that you actually look forward to, which in itself is totally worth it!

Ready to start having fun with your shopping while at the same time earning free Fandango tickets for your own summer blockbuster bonanza? 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 LightField Studios

What are good coupon apps to share with my friends?

Ever since I became a mom, I’ve come to have a much stronger appreciation for the phrase: it takes a village. The main reason is that I don’t know how I could have made it through the early years of motherhood without advice from my friends who’d already been through everything I was experiencing. They were able to pass down baby clothes but more than that they also gave me invaluable advice about when to call a doctor, how to feed, what to do when my new baby started crying in the night, and so on.

I don’t even remember now all the exact recommendations they gave me, I just know that never in a million years will I ever be able to pay all of my good friends back. That, however, will not stop me from trying! One of the best ways I’ve found to payback this advice is by giving my friends tips about good coupon apps. I’m pretty good about finding as many great ways as I can to save money while I’m out shopping, and sharing them with my friends (plus also all of you) is the least I can do to express my appreciation for all that advice they gave me as a new mother.

And I’m happy to share my opinions about good coupon apps with all of you, too! Not only can these save you money, but, who knows, maybe someday you too will need to give some of your friends the best advice about shopping that you can muster. That’s why today I would like to talk about good coupon apps to share with friends. Just like with raising kids, maximizing our savings at the store truly takes a village.

What Are Good Coupon Apps in General?

what are good coupon apps to shareBefore we get into good coupon apps to share with friends, we must first make sure that we have a standard operating definition of a coupon app. It’s hard, after all, to talk about what makes something a good app if some of us are confused by the very concept. Luckily, this isn’t all that hard of a concept to grasp, since as the name implies it’s based on old-school coupon clipping that most of us have been familiar with for years!

Simply put, a coupon app digitizes the experience of saving money while you’re out shopping at the store. For some of these apps, it means that you are literally taking pictures of or scanning the physical copies of coupons that come in the junk mail all the time. For others, it means you can access and benefit from a larger database of digital coupons online and selecting some of the best deals for you. My favorite type of digital coupon app, however, is one that gives you reward points for shopping behaviors that you do already each time you go out to the store, but more on that below!

What Are Good Coupon Apps to Share with My Friends?

My absolutely favorite digital coupon app is called Shopkick, and how it works is exactly as I described above: you go to the store like normal and you earn points for doing what you usually do there, including making purchases, scanning barcodes to learn more about certain items, and just walking into the store. Then you can trade those points that you earn in for gift cards that you can use at your favorite stores in the future to help save on your costs. It’s such a great way to save money that I just can’t tell my friends about it enough. 

I also really like Shopkick because hunting for points through the app turns all my little trips to the store into a scavenger hunt for savings. Sharing it with my friends has been a lot of fun, too, because now it’s like we’re all on one big team, working together to help maximize all of your savings! It’s really brought us closer together than we have been since we all got so busy with our kids, and that in itself makes it all worthwhile! Another great thing about Shopkick is that you can use it together with one of the more traditional coupon apps that I mentioned above, driving your savings up even higher!

Shopkick works at such a wide variety of stores, that I’m truly amazed at how much I’ve been able to save in my budget.

So, there you have it. I would say that Shopkick is a good coupon app to share with friends because it delivers more than just savings. Yes, it actually gives you a way to bond over your trips to the store, turning you into a team of shoppers who share where they found the most points. Saving is great, but sharing your victorious savings stories with your friends is just so much better!

I remember one of the best pieces of advice I got as a new mother was to make the most of all the money I spend on the kids, to look for deals on things like diapers, formula, baby food, toys, and, most especially, clothes, since they grow out of them so quick. Shopkick works at such a wide variety of stores, that I’m truly amazed at how much I’ve been able to save in my budget. Having my friends with me for the ride is a wonderful bonus, too.

Looking for a good coupon app that you can share with any and all of your best friends? 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 jovanmandic

How to get a Walmart eGift card to score the latest tech trends for free

I was thinking about Walmart recently, and how I’ve been shopping there for a pretty significant part of my life. See, I first started shopping there regularly when I was in college because they had the lowest prices on both toiletries and groceries (and also usually beer… but that’s another story). I stopped shopping there for a while as a young professional, but recently I’ve been drawn back to Walmart.

One of the main reasons for this is that I’ve figured out how to get a Walmart eGift card to help myself score the latest tech, which as I’ve talked about a few times in the past is an absolutely vital part of keeping up with the latest tech trends. Technology is, obviously, my favorite hobby, but it’s also one of the most expensive. To that end, I’m always looking for little ways to give my tech trends budget a boost, and I’ve discovered that figuring out how to get a Walmart eGift card is one of the most effective ways to do that.

That’s what I’d like to share with you today: my own secrets for how to get a Walmart eGift card to keep up with the latest tech trends. I may not be a penny-counting college student anymore, but I still love a good deal. With these strategies and subtle tips, keeping up with the latest tech trends becomes so much easier.

How to Get a Walmart eGift Card Tip 1: Savings Catcher

how to get a walmart egift card to score techBasically, there are two main ways that I’ve found that help me get a Walmart eGift card to spend on anything. But, of course, I generally use them to get new gadgets. The first way I’ve found to do this is through an app that Walmart offers itself: the Walmart Savings Catcher app, to be exact.

To really maximize the amount on the Walmart eGift cards that you earn, it’s pretty crucial to make sure you’re using the Walmart Savings Catcher app regularly. Savings Catcher rewards you by cross-referencing anything you buy from Walmart with the advertised prices of the same item at other retailers nearby. Then, if any of those other stores just so happen to have a lower price, Walmart delivers that difference back to you in the form of an eGift card. It’s really a great app because it gives you the peace of mind of knowing that you got the best possible deal.

And you don’t even have to be all that tech-savvy to use it because it’s pretty simple. Here’s how it works:

  • Scan your store receipt after you go shopping at Walmart: This is every bit as easy as it sounds. Once you get done with all of your shopping, just take out your phone, open the app, and scan the receipt.
  • Let Walmart compare the prices: You don’t actually have to do anything for this step; Walmart just goes ahead and compares what you paid with the advertised prices at all of its local competitors.
  • Enjoy your eGift card: If Walmart finds the same product someplace else for a lower advertised price, it will deliver the difference back to you, putting it right onto the balance of your eGift card account.

I often times forget that I even have this eGift card account. Then every so often when it comes time to head to Walmart to pick up the latest tech, I’ll remember, and I’ll go check to see how thoroughly it’s bolstered my budget. Sometimes it’s a lot, sometimes not so much, so to really push your savings, I suggest that you combine it with a third-party shopping app, which is what we’re about to discuss here next.

How to Get a Walmart eGift Card Tip 2: Shopkick Rewards App

This second method to get a Walmart eGift card is actually one that you can pair with the Savings Catcher app, which means you can use them both whenever you go shopping. The way this method works, though, is quite a bit different. Racking up eGift cards by using a third party shopping app, specifically my favorite, which is called Shopkick. How it works is that it gives you points for things to do when you’re out shopping already, things like making purchases, scanning the barcodes of certain items for more info, and even just walking into the store.

Then, you can trade those points in for gift cards. You can also use it at other stores, and then use those points to score gift cards at Walmart. It’s pretty flexible like that. I know for me personally I use it quite a bit at Best Buy, but it has such a big list of stores that I’m sure you’ll be able to find more than a few that you frequent. While I haven’t kept track of the exact amount of eGift card rewards I’ve earned through Shopkick, I know that pairing it with the Savings Catcher app has been an invaluable move for more ongoing efforts to purchase new tech.

With Shopkick, however, earning points has made my trips feel doubly productive, because it’s like I’m also playing a game while I’m there, a game that saves me money, and I’m a HUGE fan of that.

So yeah, those are the two best tips I have for how to get a Walmart eGift card so you can score the latest tech trends for free. They’re both apps, I know, but if you’re a tech connoisseur, that kind of thing is probably a bonus for you. I know it definitely is for me.

Overall, I like shopping with Shopkick quite a bit, and not just at Walmart. I’m not the biggest fan of going out to get groceries, because I usually have a pretty tight schedule. With Shopkick, however, earning points has made my trips feel doubly productive, because it’s like I’m also playing a game while I’m there, a game that saves me money, and I’m a HUGE fan of that.

Ready to start figuring out for yourself how to get a Walmart eGift card so you can score the latest tech trends for free? 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 bigtunaonline

The best money saving apps for shopping online and in-store

The best money saving apps for shopping online and in-store

One simple truth of shopping these days—at least in my humble opinion—is that overall it has become easier, and I think the reason for this is we now have more choices than we’ve ever had before. When I was a kid, for example, my mom basically had to spend almost her entire Sunday shopping, going to our local grocery store, and then running errands to other little shops where we lived to fill out the other things she needed, whether it was school supplies to help us with our homework or toiletries for the house.

These days, I have the luxury of being able to get so much of what I need online, and then filling out the rest of it with my trips to local stores, often at my leisure rather than as an all-day Sunday event every weekend. If you’re anything like me—and I suspect these days most people are—you use a nice mix of shopping online and in physical stores on a weekly or monthly basis. With all the options available to us now, it just makes good sense to do it this way. With that in mind, I think it’s time that we talk about the best money-saving apps for online and in-store shopping, some of which you can use for one type of shopping, some for the other, and, in rare cases, for both.

Shopping apps have become vital in terms of saving as much money as you can while you’re at the store and enhancing your experience when you’re in those aisles. If you find yourself regularly using a shopping app that only rewards you for one or the other—online shopping or in-person trips—well then, simply put, you’re losing out on half the benefits. So, to help you out, below you will find a great list of some of my personal favorite money-saving apps for shopping online and in-store. I highly recommend giving them a try. They will help you take your shopping game to new heights!

 

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Best Money Saving Apps for Shopping Online and In-Store

CamelCamelCamel

I suspect that like myself the online store that you frequent most is Amazon. Well, if that’s the case, 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 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 nature of prices on Amazon.

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, prices on Amazon often fluctuate, sometimes jumping by a pretty significant amount. 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 extrapolated over a long enough timeline, I’ve saved quite a bit of money shopping online at Amazon with the help of information from CamelCamelCamel.

Online: YES
In-Store: NO

Ebates

Ebates is a shopping portal that offers its users as much as 40 percent cash back on the purchases they make at its partner stores, which includes a healthy list of more than 2,000 options of places to shop. There are no points or anything like this involved. The way Ebates works is that it takes a simple percentage off at the time of checkout and gives it back to you in the form of cash. It’s a pretty rapid way to save money, one that I know I certainly appreciate. What can I say, sometimes you need to stretch your budget fast.

Ebates offers a browser extension like some of the other choices on our list—including CamelCamelCamel and Honey—and it’s a very useful extension. It makes it easy to remember and keep track of all the stores where you can use Ebates to save money. However, I should point out that many stores will only let you use one of these money-saving apps at a time, so when it comes to whether you should go with Honey, Ebates, or even one of our digital coupon apps, it’s best to take your time, do the math (ugh, I know), and carefully determine which app is the best for maximizing your savings.

Online: YES
In-Store: NO

Honey

Like CamelCamelCamel, Honey is also an online only browser plugin app, albeit one with a sweeter name. Honey works with Chrome or Firefox, and it automatically saves you money on your online shopping by applying any available coupon codes at the checkout stage of your shopping process. If you’re anything like me, whether you have a coupon or not, you always spend a second staring at the redeem code section wondering if you’re missing out on available savings. Well, what Honey does is ensures that you get any deals that are readily available.

When you have Honey installed, you simply see a popup while you’re checking out. Once you click that popup, Honey takes it from there, trying out all known coupon codes before ultimately applying the best available option for your bill. Another feature that I’ve grown quite fond of with Honey is that it offers a rewards program for a wide range of stores—3,700 online stores, last time I checked—giving you Honey Gold points that you can later redeem for free gift cards, which, as I’m sure you are well aware, are as good as cash!

Online: YES
In-Store: NO

SavingStar

SavingStar is a digital coupon app that pays users to shop at grocery and drugstores. What’s a digital coupon app? Well, it’s probably exactly what you think it is based on the name: an app that re-creates the experience of shopping in-person with coupons. You remember coupons, right? Those paper things your parents used to hang on the fridge with magnets and keep in that one junk drawer in your house? Well, they’re back—this time in digital form. So, say goodbye to any fears over papercuts!

More than 60,000 stores are part of SavingStar and they represent more than 100 retail chains. It’s generally free to use, but beware. If an account is inactive for 180 straight days, they will charge a fee of $3.99. To take advantage of SavingStar, users either link their existing store loyalty cards to the app or submit receipts after they make purchases. Their savings add up until they can eventually cash out through PayPal, Upromise, or even in the form of Starbucks, iTunes, or AMC Theater gift codes. If you frequently use loyalty rewards cards, this may be a great app for you. If your commitment to them is less than stellar, however, SavingStar may end up costing you money via its service fee.

Online: NO
In-Store: YES

SnipSnap

SnipSnap is in the same digital coupon app family as SavingStar, and it even has a similarly alliterative name, which has at times led me to confuse the two. The way SnipSnap works, however, is actually quite different. It’s more similar to the old school way of coupon collecting that used to necessitate going over paper ads and flyers with scissors and literally cutting out the coupons. With SnipSnap, you still have to do that, but instead of cutting them out you take pictures of the printed coupons with your phone. The app then converts them into easy-to-access, mobile-ready digital versions.

You can also use SnipSnap to browse online directories of digital coupons, thereby taking advantage of coupons that your friends have “snipped” as well. This one saves you money exactly the same way as a traditional coupon does—by reducing the price of your purchases at the time of checkout. The idea behind it is simple and much appreciated (at least by me anyway): that it’s exactly like using coupons used to be except that SnipSnap gives you a much cleaner and more efficient means of storing and using them. Say goodbye, in other words, to the old billfold that used to overflow with the edges of printed coupons.

Online: NO
In-Store: YES

Shopkick

Of all of the money-saving apps for shopping that I use both in the store and online, I’d have to say that Shopkick is my absolute favorite. I first began using this app as an in-store app that I used to save money whenever I went grocery shopping. I used Shopkick to get points—which Shopkick calls kicks—for normal shopping activities that I did each time I went to the store anyway, activities such as making purchases, scanning the barcodes on certain items, and even just walking into the store. Then, when I’d earned enough points, I was able to trade them in for gift cards to some of my favorite stores.

I eventually began to branch out with my Shopkick usage, using the app to collect points and earn gift cards while shopping at other places, including Target or Walmart, Best Buy, and some of my absolute favorite stores at the mall. That’s when I became aware of another major game-changer: it’s also possible to use Shopkick to get points for shopping online. Just like the app awards you points for the activities I mentioned earlier, it also gives you points for things like visiting certain online stores, viewing online products, making purchases, and watching videos, usually about cool new products. It even helps me save money before I even visit an online store because I can use Shopkick to score free online Amazon gift cards! Very cool.

Online: YES
In-Store: YES

I really don’t know how my mother (or anyone else) used to do all of our household’s shopping by just driving out to get things at traditional brick-and-mortar stores. I know she didn’t have another choice back then, but I’ve just become so thoroughly acclimated to my own special system of shopping both in-store and online. Now with these great money-saving apps for shopping online and in-store, I can add extra value to my system. Of course, I highly recommend you do the same.

And if I had to pick only one app to start with, I’d pick Shopkick. As you may have noticed, one thing that sets Shopkick apart is that it’s the rare app you can use both online and in-store, but more than that, it’s also super intuitive and easy to use, and—in my experience anyway—it provides the most value when you’re shopping both online and in-person. It’s also a whole lot of fun to use because it turns all your shopping experiences into fun scavenger hunts for points. I often find myself setting points goals and trying to beat them, and, to be quite honest with you, I wouldn’t be surprised if you ended up finding yourself doing the same thing, too!

Get one of the best money-saving apps for shopping both online and in-store. Download Shopkick’s free app today and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered how fun it is to shop with us!

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

Get Starbucks gift cards for free to help fuel your next shopping spree

My shopping time is not as readily available as it once was, thanks to the many new pressures that have been brought into my life by adulting. When I was younger, I used to do all-day shopping sprees with my friends, basically any weekend we felt like it or when we came across a particularly excellent sale. These days, those sort of all-day marathons are limited by my busy schedule, and, if I’m being totally honest, by my energy level as well. I just don’t have the unlimited energy to shop all day long like I once did—not without caffeine anyway.

I’m a coffee fiend when I’m out shopping now. In fact, if you run into me at the mall, no matter what time of year or whether it’s indoors or outdoors, I’m probably carrying a coffee—iced for the summer, steaming for the winter. It’s my shopping secret weapon most Saturdays, and just like I enjoy finding the best sales and deals on clothes and other things I’m out shopping for, I also enjoy finding ways to save money on my coffee. One of the most effective methods I’ve found for this is through using apps that help you earn Starbucks gift cards free.

Strange as it sounds, I think free coffee energizes me even more than the normal stuff does. I know, I know, it’s all in my head, right? Well, let me go ahead and share my secrets for how to get Starbucks gift cards for free with you today, and you can tell me if you notice some extra energy too!

How to Get Starbucks Gift Cards for Free With the Starbucks App

get starbucks gift cards freeOne of the most obvious ways to get Starbucks gift cards for free to help power you through your next all day shopping spree is by using the Starbucks app. The way this one works is super simple. Just download it, buy your Starbucks drinks like you usually do (I’m a vanilla almond milk latte drinker, myself), and earn free coffee.

Every time you make a purchase at Starbucks—which if you’re anything like me, it’s somewhat frequently—you earn a star, and once you get a certain amount of stars you can put them towards a free drink. Oh, and another nice little feature is that you also get a totally free Starbucks beverage on your birthday. All the gift cards you earn populate onto your app, too, so you don’t even have to carry around the actual plastic cards in your purse, which can be tough to remember sometimes when you head out shopping. Trust me.

How to Get Starbucks Gift Cards for Free by Taking Surveys

Taking free surveys through an app on your smartphone is another way to earn Starbucks gift cards for free. Groan. I know, but those type of survey apps actually do work, that’s why you hear so much about them. The survey app that I personally use is called MySurvey, which I like because it gives you both reward points as well as sweepstake entries. Basically, with MySurvey there’s always a chance you can win something bigger than a free cup of Joe.

Anyway, with most surveys, you’ll earn around 200 points, and you can also get an extra 150 points for each friend that you encourage to sign up, as long as they too go ahead and complete a certain number of surveys. You can redeem those points that you earn through taking surveys in the form of payouts via PayPal, Amazon, or—ding ding ding!—Starbucks gift cards. Last time I checked, it took 1,100 points to get a $10 Starbucks gift card.

How to Get Starbucks Gift Cards for Free by Shopping

I saved the best for last today. This app that helps you get Starbucks gift cards for free is my absolute favorite. It’s called Shopkick, and how it works is that it rewards you with gift cards for shopping. With Shopkick, you earn points for all the normal behaviors that you do each time you go to the store, behaviors like scanning barcodes on certain items to learn more about them, making purchases, and even just walking through the doors. And for those days when maybe you don’t have time or energy to go to the store, you can still get points from online shopping and video watching towards your next free Starbucks drink! You can then trade those points in for—that’s right—Starbucks gift cards, as well as other gift cards too.   

What I like about it the most though is that while earning you Starbucks to keep your energy levels up, it also turns the shopping experience into a game.

What I like about it the most though is that while earning you Starbucks to keep your energy levels up, it also turns the shopping experience into a game. Instead of thinking about how tired I sometimes get when I’m out in the aisles, I find myself consumed with getting as many points through Shopkick as I possibly can. Shopping basically turns from a draining activity into a really fun scavenger hunt for points. And, believe me, I want to find all the points that I possibly can!

So yes, while I don’t think science will ever back up my assertion that free coffee has a stronger kick to it than the stuff you pay for, I’d still like you to give my free recommendations for how to earn Starbucks gift cards for free a try. That way when you’re finished you can report back with your findings.

And hey, even if you don’t find free Starbucks to be any more energizing, the worst case scenario is that you still have a free beverage of your choice, and you could do much worse than that. After all, we are all getting older and keeping the energy up for a full day of shopping isn’t as easy as it used to be!

Start to get Starbucks gift cards for free so that you can have all the energy you need to fuel your next shopping spree. 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 free 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 photosvit

3 apps that help you save money when shopping with friends

One of my favorite activities to do with my girlfriends has always been shopping. I guess it started way back when I was just a little girl when my mom and aunt would take me and my cousins out shopping to our local mall. Then it continued when I went to high school, and a fun Friday night was all about searching for the best new tops at the mall. So many memories! The tradition of shopping with my friends has even followed me into adulthood.

These days, everyone in my circle seems to be living busy lives, and we can’t always find time to catch up over drinks, or brunch, or coffee like we used to. So what do we do? We find ourselves once again going shopping together! Even if it’s just out for groceries or for a quick run to Walmart or Target. We even shop together online. Oh, and like time, another thing that’s more limited these days than it once was is our budget. So, we obviously spend a lot of time trying to save as much money as we can once we hit those aisles, and, believe it or not, we’ve actually found some new technology to be helpful. That’s why today I want to talk about three apps that help you save money when shopping with friends.

3 apps that help you save moneyI’ve always loved shopping with my friends. It’s just so much more fun when you have someone to help you decide if you should purchase that cute top, or even to brag a little bit about the deal you got on shampoo last week. I also, of course, love saving money with helpful apps, I mean, who doesn’t? That’s why combining the two is such a no-brainer for me, and I’m 100 percent sure that you’ll love these apps, too!

Apps That Help You Save Money With Friends

#1: Bestie Shopping

I’m not quite from the generation that calls all of their friends “besties,” but I definitely know what the word means, which is why I want to talk about an app called Bestie Shopping. This app is basically a social media app for shoppers, and with it, you can follow stores you love, view products posted in many different categories, and—this is my favorite part—share your favorite items and deals with your friends.

The best part of Bestie Shopping is that it’s so easy to fit it into your schedule since it’s basically all online based. Like I mentioned above, one of the biggest challenges these days is to find time to actually go out shopping with your friends. Well, with Bestie Shopping you can recreate that old experience of going to the mall with your besties whenever and wherever with your phone. 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. This app helps you really save money and that’s a win-win!

#2: SnipSnap

The next entry on our list is an app that I like to use for shopping with my friends when we all have a little bit more time. It’s called SnipSnap, and the way that it works is you take photos of coupons from newspapers, junk mail, or circular ads, and the app converts those coupons into mobile, digital versions that you can redeem when you’re actually in the store with your phone or tablet.

What my friends and I like to do sometimes is set aside a whole afternoon (time permitting, of course), and meet up at one of our houses with all the coupons that we can find, usually also with coffee or wine, depending on the time of day. Then we pass around our coupons and start using SnipSnap to log them in our phones. Sometimes we head out shopping together afterward, but sometimes we also go our separate ways and use them later. It gives you that flexibility, which is also quite nice!

#3: Shopkick

The final app on our list today is also my favorite. It’s called Shopkick, and one of the main reasons that I love it so much is that you can basically use it to shop your way to free gift cards! How it works is pretty easy too. Basically, you just do the normal things you do when you go shopping, things like walking into the store, scanning certain items to get more information about them, and scanning your receipt after making purchases. In exchange, Shopkick gives you points that you can redeem later for free gift cards!

Shopkick is also a ton of fun to use with your friends. It basically turns every trip to the store into a scavenger hunt for points. Me and my ladies love to go out to the store together and share tips on where to find the items to scan that give you the most points. We also like to use Shopkick’s social media channels, where we can jump into threads that are filled with more tips about using the app, as well as a bunch of super fun memes and jokes. I just can’t recommend this one enough!

Those are just a few of the apps that help you save money with friends that I’ve found to be worthwhile. There are, of course, a ton more out there, and I’d encourage you to give some of them a shot! I really hope you’re able to gain the same experiences as I have.

Oh yeah, plus you can start earning gift cards that are just as good as cash. And I don’t know a shopper alive who’s not interested in doing that!

I’d also strongly suggest using Shopkick. It really does turn every trip out to the store these days into fun, whether you end up going with your friends or all on your lonesome. Oh yeah, plus you can start earning gift cards that are just as good as cash. And I don’t know a shopper alive who’s not interested in doing that!

Ready to start taking advantage of the best of these apps that help you save money the next time you’re out shopping with your friends? Just 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 FacebookTwitter, and Instagram for daily shopping inspiration.

Image courtesy stokkete

Stay entertained with kicks this summer from Fandango and Hulu

Check out two new places to earn kicks online through the Shopkick app! Get access to binge-worthy TV series and hit movies with a Hulu membership. Use Fandango to discover the hottest new movies this summer. Plus, earn kicks!

Lights, cameras, kicks!

Check out three new places to earn kicks online through the Shopkick app. Snag cutting-edge fashion on ASOS, discover hundreds of brands online on HSN, and find the latest looks for all women on Lane Bryant, all while earning kicks for your purchases. What’s not to love about getting rewarded for being fashionable?

Fandango – 3 kicks per $1

get kicks while enjoying movies with fandango

Check out the summer’s biggest blockbusters on Fandango! Plan your whole movie night from watching trailers, reading reviews, finding movie times, to buying tickets online. What’s more, you’ll earn kicks for every dollar spent when you shop through the Shopkick app.

 

Hulu – 1980 kicks

get kicks while enjoying tv with hulu and shopkick

Hulu brings all your TV to one central place. Hulu offers thousands of movies and TV shows, allowing you to watch your favorites anytime, anywhere. Plus, you can earn a whopping 1980 kicks when you join Hulu through the Shopkick app. What’s not to love about getting rewarded for getting entertained?

 

Happy shopkicking!

 

How it works

Shopkick rewards you for the shopping you already do. There are many easy ways to earn reward points (we call them kicks). Redeem your kicks for free gift cards and enjoy. It’s that easy! With a wide selection of gift cards available from Starbucks to Target, Sephora to Amazon, you can be sure to find the perfect gift card to treat yourself.

Don’t have Shopkick yet? Download it now and to start earning rewards today!

The Top Cash Back Apps for Techies in 2018

 

The Top Cash Back Apps for Techies in 2018

Part of being a techie is not just keeping up with all of the latest and greatest devices. That’s important, of course, but it’s also about following major tech companies, social media platforms, and app developers in the news. I kind of follow these companies like I do sports, looking out for the rookies that I think are going to become stars someday. I’ve even noticed that there’s a trajectory those companies tend to go through: they start with an idea, then they get funding, then they start developing their idea so that it also incorporates a public-facing component, and finally they find a way to generate revenue.

It’s a kind of tried and true trajectory of the tech development world at this point. What’s funny to me though, is that I recently realized that I’ve started to take a similar path as a technology and app user. Crazy, but true. This is my path: I discover or hear about a new app or device, I spend money to get it, I play around with it, and finally, I start to use it to make money. Sometimes that means using it to make my work day or my personal life more efficient, and other times it means exactly what it sounds like. This is especially true of cash back apps.

Now, you might just happen to be totally unfamiliar with the concept of cash back apps, and, believe me, that’s okay because that’s exactly what I’m going to talk about today. Cash back apps are exactly what they sound like: apps you can use to get cash back for certain activities. In fact, today I’m going to do you one better than simply sharing the definition with you. Today I’m going to be talking about some of the top cash back apps for techies in 2018. When you’re done, hopefully, you’ll find yourself on a path to earning some of your cash back.

 

The Top Cash Back Apps for Techies 2018: CoSign

One of the most common and classic tech success stories has to do with social media platforms. As the storyline goes, someone starts a website in a garage or on a college campus. At first, they think it’s just going to be for a certain group or type of person, and then all of a sudden it explodes and ends up being worth A TON of money. At various points, we saw this happen with Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram to name a few. I have to say though, my all-time personal favorite just so happens to be Instagram, because I love sharing my photos with friends. This is also why I like using CoSign because it is an app that offers rewards.

CoSign lets me get rewarded for upgrading pictures to social media, which, let’s face it, is something that I would be doing anyway. Using CoSign, I just tag images that I put up on Instagram (or on Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc.) with information about any products that just so happen to be in my pictures—stuff like my sweet new laptop bag for work, or my cool new sneakers that I only wear sometimes because I’m not trying to get them scuffed. With CoSign, you can tag tech products, books, movies, clothes—even food. Then, if your followers and friends happen to buy any of the items that you post, you get a commission of up to 35 percent, depending on the product, which CoSign then pays you out through PayPal or gift cards, which are as good as cash at stores.

 

#2 Gigwalk

Gigwalk is fairly new to me. I just started using it somewhat recently (keeping up with the best cash back apps for techies like me is a never-ending battle), and I like it quite a bit. With Gigwalk, you just open it up on your phone, and you get a map of the area around you, a map that has a bunch of pins on it. Each pin represents a task that you can do and get paid for, and these tasks can take you anywhere from as quick as three minutes to as long as an hour to complete.

The actual gigs on Gigwalk are pretty varied in terms of what they entail, but they basically all have to do with helping brands make sure that their products are visible. It’s kind of like the app is briefly contracting you as a field marketing rep. So, as a user, you might get asked to go out to a store and take pictures of how a certain company’s branded displays look, or you might be asked to go out and verify that certain prices are still clearly listed on retail shelves. For your troubles, you get rewarded by getting cash back. I don’t usually get up and leave my home to do any of these gigs, but I do glance at the available tasks whenever I happen to be out and about running errands or getting some quick exercise at work by going for a walk.

 

#3 Ipsos

When I was younger, I used to have a reputation around my house for having strong opinions. It didn’t really matter what we were talking about—dinner, movies, toys, cartoons—I usually had something to say to my mom and my sister about it. I guess that’s why I like the next cash back app for techies on the list so much. This one is called Ipsos, and it is focused on gauging public opinion, especially when it comes to finding out what the population thinks about some weightier topics such as advertising, politics, and other things that often tend to be hot sources of debate on the national level, you know, the things that your parents maybe told you not to discuss in mixed company.

The average user of Ipsos gets about eight survey invitations a month, which can be accepted or declined. Like I said, someone like me who has a long history of voicing his feelings is probably going to accept all eight, but how many you do in a given month is really left up to your discretion. Users can earn points for completing each survey, and those points can then be cashed in for prizes, including gift cards that are 100 percent as good as cash, especially seeing as you get to pick which store the gift cards are from. The number of points earned per survey depends on its length, difficulty, and other factors, such as what demographics you belong to. I guess Ipsos can tell what I like to talk about because I often find myself getting a lot of surveys about one of my favorite things: technology.

 

#4 Shopkick

I don’t try to play favorites with my devices and apps—mostly because I have way too many and that would be really hard—but I think of all the top cash back apps that I’ve been using to make money in 2018, my favorite is this app called Shopkick. I don’t hate shopping, but it’s also not my favorite thing in the world. The reason that Shopkick has become one of my favorite cash back apps is that it has actually helped me look forward to my trips out to the store. If you would have asked me if I thought something could ever make me excited to go out to the store a few years ago, I probably would have laughed. I just always used to see shopping as a hassle, something that takes up too much of my valuable time.

How this app works is actually pretty simple: you go out and you do all of the same things that you do whenever you go to the store, things like physically walking into the store, scanning the barcodes on certain products for more information, and, of course, making your purchases. Once you’re finished, just use the app to scan your receipt, and Shopkick then dishes out all the points that you earned that day for your efforts. You can then trade in your points for gift cards to many of your favorite stores, and, as I’m sure you are well aware of, those gift cards are just as good as cash. Another really cool thing about Shopkick is that it also just so happens to have a grocery list functionality, which is really helpful for someone like me, who hardly ever uses pencil and paper these days to make lists. Without a grocery list app on my phone, I’d be a million times more likely to forget all the things I needed.

Finally, one last thing that I really like about Shopkick is that I can use it to get rewards for both shopping online and in person. In those cases, instead of getting points for walking into a store or for scanning the barcodes on a certain item, I instead get my points for watching product videos online, and, of course, for also making purchases. There’s just so many ways to get cash back with Shopkick.

 

#5 Swagbucks

It’s not quite as good as Shopkick, but another cool cash back app for techies that I’ve been using a lot in 2018 is Swagbucks. Most of the ways to earn your cash back through Swagbucks are things that techies like me (and I’m guessing you too if you’re reading this) do online already, including searching, playing games, watching videos, and taking surveys. All you have to do is incorporate Swagbucks into your daily digital routine. It’s that easy.

For example, I open up the Swagbucks app, just as I would any of my social media apps, and check out the many ways to earn points. I might take a survey, watch an informational video, or do whatever else the app is awarding points for. Swagbucks doesn’t pay that great—usually just $0.01 to $0.36 per task—but if you’re always on your device, like me, that can add up. Once you get at least $3 you can cash out via PayPal or gift cards.

It’s amazing how much we can do from the palms of our hands with smartphones. In the early days of smartphones, I can remember being excited because I was able to check and send emails for work from anywhere. Nowadays, there’s so much more I can do, including using a wide array of cash back apps.

I like using all of them, and they’re all a valuable part of my efforts to get cash back from using my smartphone, but if I had to choose one, it would definitely be Shopkick. Not only is it the most effective, but it helped me—that’s right, me—start to look forward to going out to the store. Now that’s a piece of technology that I can get behind.

Get to know the many different ways that techies can get cash back using Shopkick and start collecting your points to trade in today. Download Shopkick’s free app and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered how much you can earn with the help of a free 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.

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30 kicks
6/8-6/10
brought to you by
100s of kicks
6/8 & 6/10 ONLY
1000s of kicks
6/8 & 6/10 ONLY
50 kicks
6/9
brought to you by
100 kicks
6/9 ONLY
100 kicks
6/9 ONLY
200 kicks
6/8-6/10
10 kicks/$1
6/8-6/10
200 kicks
6/8-6/10
8 kicks/$1
6/8-6/10
6 kicks/$1
6/8-6/10
6 kicks/$1
6/8-6/10
2 kicks/$1
*Scan your
Shopkick QR code
6/8-6/10
150 kicks
6/9 ONLY
2 kicks/$1
*Also at
Fabletics.com
6/8-6/10
2 kicks/$1
6/8-6/10
10 kicks/$1
6/8-6/10
6 kicks/$1
6/8-6/10
25 kicks
6/8-6/10
50 kicks
6/8 ONLY
brought to you by

 

BIG KICKS ONLINE
June 8-10

15 kicks/$1

15 kicks/$1

15 kicks/$1

15 kicks/$1

15 kicks/$1

25 kicks/$1

15 kicks/$1

15 kicks/$1

15 kicks/$1

15 kicks/$1

15 kicks/$1

15 kicks/$1

3500 kicks

1200 kicks

 

*Exclusions apply, check the app for details.

 

Happy shopkicking!

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