Sometimes I feel like I’m living in a virtual world, and I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. These days, there are just so many of us out there who work online, play games online, and who most certainly have friends that they only contact through social media channels online—at least I know that I do. And I think these are all great things. In fact, some of my closest friends in real life are friends that I first met online.

And friendships are not the only new thing I’ve been making in the digital world lately. In fact, thanks to a little poking around, I’ve recently discovered apps that pay you real money for your real-life activities. These apps are exactly what they sound like. Although they obviously exist solely on your phone or another compatible device, they basically track your real-life activities and give you rewards, generally in the form of cash, for the things you do every day. Isn’t that a great concept?

So, I figure why not share it with all of you fine people out there today? In fact, you might like these apps that pay you real money for real-life activities just as much as I do. After all, what’s not to like about turning the things you do every day into some nice bonus income? With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of my favorites.

Apps that Pay You Real Money #1: Gigwalk

Gigwalk is what’s known as an in-person app because, in order to use it to make real money, you have to complete tasks in person. The way it works is that let’s say you’re out for a walk, and you open up Gigwalk and see a pin at a store in your community. You simply click that pin and it gives you a task to complete.

These tasks are usually so simple that you can spend a few minutes knocking them out before continuing on your way. Examples include seeing if a brand display has been set up properly, or even doing a quick bit of inventory for a certain product. Depending on how involved the tasks are you can make anywhere from $3 to $100 per gig (although in my experience it’s generally much closer to $3). Once you complete those gigs and your work is approved, you can then get paid real money via PayPal.

Apps that Pay You Real Money #2: Field Agent

Field Agent is another one of those apps that pay you real money. Much like with Gigwalk, with Field Agent, you may find yourself doing things like checking out store displays or making sure things are priced correctly as you go for a walk or head out to shop.

Sometimes, you can even use it in tandem with Gigwalk, doing two tasks at the same store! I know I have in the past, and it’s been really productive for me. Oh, and just like Gigwalk, Field Agent pays you for your work starting at $3, and it lets you cash out and collect your money via PayPal. Basically, my advice is that if you’re using one of these, you should just go right ahead and sign up for the other. That way you don’t miss out on any chances to earn real money.

Apps that Pay You Real Money #3: Shopkick

I think of all the apps that pay you real money for real-life activities, my favorite is Shopkick. Shopkick is actually what’s known as a shopping rewards app, and how it works is that it gives you points for shopping activities that you do each time you go to the store anyway, activities like buying certain products, scanning barcodes while you’re browsing to get more information, and even just walking into the store. You can then trade those points in for gift cards, which, let’s be honest here, are the same thing as real money.

What I like the most about Shopkick, however, is that it’s turned my sometimes routine shopping trips into a whole lot of fun!

What I like the most about Shopkick, however, is that it’s turned my sometimes routine shopping trips into a whole lot of fun! Instead of a chore, every time I hit those aisles it feels like I’m on a fun scavenger hunt for points to earn as many rewards as I possibly can. I’ve even become a regular on Shopkick’s Facebook page, where I share tips, jokes, and whatever else with fellow users. I like Shopkick so much that I honestly can’t remember all that well what going to the store used to be like before I started using it—though I’m sure I wasn’t nearly this engaged. That’s why overall Shopkick is my favorite of this bunch.

The last thing I want to tell you is that I’ve been using all three of these apps for some time now, and they’ve helped me add a nice little boost to my budget, especially Shopkick. I’ve also just now started to share them with my many friends online, and they seem to be enjoying them as well! At least, they certainly seem to be awfully grateful for the advice.

So, there you have it: three great apps that pay you real money for real-life activities. I suggest using them all, of course, but if you have to select just one I would highly advise going with Shopkick. Let’s face it, no matter what you do you’re going to have to make somewhat regular trips to the store, and with Shopkick those trips become not only a way to earn yourself some rewards, but to also make every stroll down the aisles a whole heck of a lot more fun!

Looking for the coolest apps that pay you real money for real-life activities, especially one that can help you make your routine shopping trips more fun? 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.

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Hey everyone, I think it’s time we talk about easy money. It sounds great, right? But what does that really mean? In my own experience as a mom raising three boys and trying to keep my monthly budget tight, easy money tends to mean anything that reduces my spending. This happens through reduced prices, rebates, and—my personal favorite—apps that help you save money on purchases.

In my world, there’s no easier way to save money than by getting rewarded to do things like grocery shop, which, with three growing boys at home, has basically become a second job. If that sounds too good to be true, just wait! Today I’m here to share my three all-time favorite, easy money apps that pay you to grocery shop.

Getting Easy Money with Couponing Apps

There’s a whole category of apps—digital couponing apps—that are largely replacing those paper coupons of yore. My favorite of the bunch is SnipSnap, which lets users take pictures of printed coupons and then transforms those into digital, mobile-ready ones. 

With SnipSnap, I just go over the ads that come in the mail or in the newspaper and take pictures of all the ones I want to use. I don’t have to cut them out like I did in the past, and I don’t have to jam them into my cluttered purse, where I face a risk of eventually losing them. I can also browse an online directory of coupons my friends have snipped, and I can download and use those, too. It’s a free and easy-to-use coupon experience, minus the risk of papercuts!

Superstore Savings: The Walmart Savings Catcher App

I divide my time pretty evenly between the stores where I live, including my own local grocery store, Target, and Walmart. I’ve found though, that the Walmart Savings Catcher App is a pretty great way to make sure I get the best possible price that I can at Walmart. It’s easy to use, too. All you have to do is scan your receipt after your regular trip to Walmart.

When you’re done, the app checks the prices you paid against the prices that are currently being offered by other stores in the area. If there’s an instance where you could have gotten a lower price somewhere else, Walmart gives you back that difference. Basically, remember those ads that used to say we’ll match the lowest price? What this app does is find the lowest price for you, and then it goes ahead and matches it.

The Best of the Easy Money Apps: Shopkick

Those other two apps are great, but my all-time favorite of the apps that pay you to grocery shop is Shopkick. Shopkick turns every trip down the grocery aisle into a kind of scavenger hunt for rewards points, called kicks. Scan the barcodes on certain items and get kicks. Scan your receipt after making certain purchases, get even more kicks. Sometimes, you can even collect points just for walking through the doors of certain stores! You can then trade those points in for gift cards to some of your favorite stores.

In my opinion, those gift cards are easy money. The app also has a feature that allows you to make a grocery list of everything you need before you get to the store, and when you add an item to the list it will tell you about eligible sales and rebates. It makes planning my grocery runs way easier.

In my opinion, those gift cards are easy money.

While Shopkick is my favorite of these so-called easy money apps, I should note that I really love to use all three apps at once. All three are really easy to use, and they also save me money. I use my digital couponing app to save money at the register, scan my receipts at Walmart to make sure I get the lowest prices and use Shopkick to collect points to trade in for gift cards! I guess you could say that when it comes to making easy money, apps for grocery shopping are the way to go.

Get to know one of the best easy money apps that pay you to grocery shop, 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 Wavebreak Media Ltd

My boys are of the age where they are starting to discover things about life that make my job as a parent more complicated. That’s right, they’ve discovered the wonders of electronics and Best Buy! They are just collectively freaking out about all the new gadgets, video games, and gear they’re finding. I love to see them so passionate about innovation and tech—it’s the future after all!—but I don’t think my wallet will ever be the same.

I have, however, found some effective ways to mitigate their budding love of all things digital—specifically, the Best Buy rewards points program. The rewards program is free and easy to join using your email address, and once you’re set up, you get points for every Best Buy purchase: up to 1.25 points for every dollar you spend, depending on your membership level. Once you get 250 points, you can trade them in for a $5 Best Buy reward certificate. It doesn’t sound like much, but when you have three tech-obsessed boys at home like me, it really adds up!

By their nature, electronics can often be expensive. So, to satiate my boys and make sure my bank account doesn’t implode, I’ve had to find other ways to earn Best Buy rewards points on a budget. Not to brag, but I think I’ve come up with some good ones. That’s why today it is my pleasure to share with all of you a couple of my favorite techniques!

Maximize on Best Buy Rewards Points with Sales

The first and simplest technique—at least in my humble opinion—is to keep your eye out for sales. I know that spending $1,500 on a new TV nets you far more points than spending $500, but if you can’t afford that $1,500 TV you won’t be getting any points at all. Keeping your eyes open for great sales at Best Buy is a fantastic way to afford more electronics, which, of course, then earns you more Best Buy rewards points.

Here are some of the places I like to keep my eyes out for sales at Best Buy:

• The Best Buy Ad: This sounds super old school, but each week I still like to browse the Best Buy ad that comes in the Sunday paper. My family still gets one of those—what can I say, I’m traditional like that—but even if you don’t get the paper, you can easily browse the ad on Best Buy’s website, taking in all the great sale prices they have to offer.
• The Best Buy Go Mobile App: The Best Buy Go Mobile app does a great job of serving as a resource for the store’s sales. With it, you can browse Best Buy’s daily deals, the aforementioned weekly ad, clearance sales, and even open-box discounts. That way you know what kind of great sale price you’re getting before you even head out to the store.
• Social Media: If you keep your eyes on Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit, you can also find many users who love to share info and tips on Best Buy sales, both for purchases in your area as well as online. We’re all in this together, so why not use some communication?

Double Up On Best Buy Rewards Points With a Shopping App

I think the most effective way I’ve found to earn Best Buy rewards points is by using a third-party shopping rewards app like Shopkick. The app awards you points for certain behaviors you do while you’re shopping, things like scanning the barcodes on products to get more info, scanning your receipts after you’ve made purchases, and—my personal favorite—just for walking into the store! You can then trade those Shopkick points in for Best Buy gift cards (or gift cards to many of your other favorite stores), making them as good as cash back.

Let’s face it, technology is an integral part of our daily lives, but it’s also still pretty expensive, especially for those of us with kids.

The best part of all of this is that you can combine Shopkick with the Best Buy rewards program which essentially doubles your earnings! Oh, and you can also use Shopkick online. It’s really comprehensive and easy to use, which is why I can’t recommend it enough.

Let’s face it, technology is an integral part of our daily lives, but it’s also still pretty expensive, especially for those of us with kids. Fortunately, by monitoring sales and also using my favorite rewards app, Shopkick, I’ve been able to find great ways to make the most of sales, rack up Best Buy rewards points, and earn gift cards with all my purchases. At least technology, and apps like Shopkick, can help turn our trips to Best Buy into extra savings. What a wonderful time to be a shopper!

Looking for the perfect app that will help you earn Best Buy rewards points on a budget? Download Shopkick for free, give it a whirl, 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 Jonathan Weiss