Category: b2c

5 Easy Cooking Ideas for Kids

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If you’re in the middle of spending more time at home, your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry are likely fuller than they’ve been in weeks. Rather than focusing on the “why” behind the increase of food to enjoy at home, think of this as an opportunity to explore the kitchen with your kids. From meals to enjoy for breakfast, lunch, or dinner to sweet treats to whip up together, we’re sharing five quick and easy ways to inspire you and your kids to have fun in the kitchen.

5 Easy Cooking Ideas for Kids:

Try a New Recipe:  

Every family has their favorite go-to recipes, so mix things up and try something new! To make this more fun for your kids, encourage them to choose the recipe you will all try together. Maybe it’s not a new recipe at all but instead enjoying breakfast for dinner, for example. Delish has plenty of kid-friendly recipes for any type of eater, so make sure to take a peek.

Cupcake Decorating:

Cupcakes are fun and easy to make no matter the reason, and days spent at home are definitely a reason for some levity! Mix up the batter together and bake your cupcakes. Then encourage your kids to ice cupcakes themselves. If you have vanilla icing on hand, consider adding food coloring to make things more fun. Fruit is also a great thing to use to make faces, and you can always add candy. What will your kids create on their cupcakes?

Chopped Challenge:

At Shopkick HQ, “Chopped” is one of our favorite cooking shows! A Chopped Challenge is a fun and easy way to make your kids feel like they’re competing on the show. The directions are simple: pull three random ingredients from your freezer, refrigerator, or pantry, and encourage your kids to get creative as they decide what dish they want to make. Next, set a timer and get cooking. Once the dishes are complete, make sure to have a taste test to decide on the winner! For a little more direction: consider creating the challenge after specific meal times.

Cookies:

Like cupcakes, cookies are always a great idea! If you have favorites you look forward to during the holiday season, now is a great a time as any for them to make a comeback. You can also try something new! If you’re looking for a great recipe source, Sally’s Baking Addiction blog has incredible recipes that never disappoint. Of course, sugar cookies are always welcome, and kids can have fun decorating them as well.

Pizza:

Every day likely feels like Friday, so tonight sounds like a pizza night! Purchase pre-made dough (or make your favorite recipe), and divide the dough so each member of your family can create a personal pizza. Then, add your favorites from sauce and cheese to toppings galore! For an added layer of fun, do a taste test and decide which pizza turned out the best. P.S: English muffin pizzas are always a hit too! Top with your go-to options, then bake at 375-degrees for 10 minutes.

How do you like to cook together? Let us know on Facebook!

P.S: Yesterday, we shared five simple and easy crafts to do with kids!

Use one shopping app to make money at your favorite stores

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When I was little, my mom had a plastic case to store all the coupons she cut out of the newspaper. Her coupon case was red and inside it looked like a miniature file cabinet with little tabs for all the different stores that she and I shopped at all the time. When she got to the cash register at many of these stores, she would put on her glasses and tab through, looking for the perfect coupons to match her purchases. I was a little kid then, but I remember thinking: “there has to be a better way!” 

Thankfully, nowadays, there is a better way. If you’re a savvy tech-friendly shopper like me, you have moved on from using coupons, and instead, you’re using a shopping app to make money. A lot of stores have their own shopping apps or rewards programs, which you can pull out at the register just like my mom used to do with her coupons. The apps for specific stores are fine, but they’re really just like fancy coupons in my opinion. I prefer to use one shopping app that can be used at my favorite stores. 

If you’d like to reduce the number of apps you have to use to make money or earn rewards points at stores, you’ll definitely want to check out what I have to say. 

How to Use One Shopping App to Make Money

As I mentioned before, there are a number of store-specific shopping apps that reward you for being loyal to one store; these are fine but not as versatile as I’d like. That’s why my favorite type of shopping app to make money is a shopping rewards app, which—as the name implies—gives you rewards for shopping!

Find a Shopping Rewards App That Works for You

use a shopping app to make moneyOne challenge with shopping rewards apps is that there are quite a few out there, which is why I suggest putting some thought into what would make you want to use a shopping rewards app each time you go shopping—which is very important because, in order to really maximize your rewards, you need to use the app frequently.

I like shopping apps that work with both Android and Apple smartphones. I have an iPhone but I like to share different deals with my mom who has a Samsung Galaxy. I also like a shopping app that works both in stores and when I shop online. I’m about 50:50 when it comes to how much shopping I do in-person versus online, and so I need an app that works for both. Finally, I want a shopping app that’s fun to use! That way I don’t have to try hard to remind myself to use it when I go to the store. 

Give Shopkick a Try

With all of that in mind, my favorite shopping app is this app called Shopkick! In my opinion, it’s the perfect shopping app to make money at your favorite stores. The way that Shopkick works is that it gives you points it calls “kicks” for doing things you do when you shop already, things like walking into the store, scanning barcodes on items, and making purchases both in-store and online. Once you’ve earned enough kicks, you can trade them in for store gift cards—which are just as good as cash. I’ve redeemed some of my gift cards to restock my groceries for the week or buy household items. 

My favorite thing about Shopkick is that it turns every trip to the store—in person or online—into a fun scavenger hunt to earn kicks. Once I started using Shopkick, I found myself actually looking forward to shopping. I also love that I’m rewarded for learning about new products by watching videos on the app. Not only is Shopkick fun, but it’s also helpful; the “Discover” tab in the app is great when you need recipe inspiration or want to learn about new products.  

My favorite thing about Shopkick is that it turns every trip to the store—in person or online—into a fun scavenger hunt to earn kicks.

Shopkick really is an amazing thing—a single shopping app to make money in the form of gift cards that can be redeemed at your favorite stores. If you already have shopping apps you love, you can even pair Shopkick alongside them to earn kicks through Shopkick while claiming discounts or points through other apps. Shopkick is also available for both Android and Apple smartphones, and you can use it for both online shopping and when you go out to the physical store. That kind of versatility is just so valuable, and I can’t say enough good things about it.

It’s time to get your kicks with one shopping app at your favorite stores! Shopkick makes shopping a rewarding experience. Download the app today and start earning kicks today! 

Image courtesy of Dean Drobot

5 Easy At-Home Craft Ideas for Kids

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If you’re like us, you’re suddenly spending a lot more time at home. And, you’ve likely had more than one moment in which you (or your kids) asked what to do next. So, we thought we would launch a new series of five easy things you and your kids can do together. From crafting to cooking and even outdoor fun, we think there’s something for everyone in our top five ideas for each category.

First up: let’s dive into five easy crafts to do at home!

5 Easy At-Home Crafts for Kids:

Homemade Play Dough:

For an added layer of creative fun, try your hand at making Play Dough at home! With flour, salt, water, and food coloring or paint, Play Dough proves to be a simple and easy thing to make at home. With 1.7+ million views, we recommend following the recipe and instructions found in this YouTube video by Sea Lemon.

Shaving Cream Marble Art:

Marble art is abstract, so it’s impossible to create pieces a “right” or “wrong” way! Whether you have young kids who enjoy sensory play or older kids happy to try any craft, creating marble art with help from shaving cream and food coloring is sure to please. Simply add white shaving cream to a tray, spread evenly, add drops of food coloring, swirl together with a toothpick or stirring stick, and place your paper on top to create your masterpiece. Here’s a great tutorial with more information from Alice and Lois.

Friendship Bracelets:

Did you grow up making friendship bracelets every summer? Teach your kids this vintage and fun art! Rather than explaining all of the different designs you can make, we recommend checking out this blog by DIY Projects for Teens or this video by A Girl and a Glue Gun. Both have step-by-step instructions with visuals. Purchase thread and enjoy! P.S: While kids can’t see friends, making bracelets for them and dropping off finished creations in mailboxes is a wonderful way to still feel connected.

Cool Whip Bath Painting:

Think about making bath time more fun with painting! Cool Whip acts as a great base for paint. Simply separate Cool Whip into cups, add a few drops of food coloring, and mix together. In minutes, your kids have paint they can use in the tub that’s completely washable. Busy Toddler mentioned this has provided many minutes of fun for toddlers who can sometimes be hard to keep entertained!

Coloring:

Don’t forget about coloring! Markers, colored pencils, and crayons can provide hours of entertainment, and there have also been studies done that suggest coloring helps to lower anxiety (adults: we’re looking at you!). If you type “coloring book pages” into your search bar, plenty of free printables will pop up if you don’t have coloring books on hand. You can also color freeform on computer paper. Think about hanging up your pages on your front door and windows to help to brighten the sights your neighbors can see while walking through your community.

Let us know what you and your family are doing together on Facebook! Don’t forget: we’re all in this together!

P.S.: We think our schedules will resume again soon, so save these ideas for a rainy or snowy day when you’re back inside once more.

The 5 best shopping apps to save money on groceries

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The 5 best shopping apps to save money on groceries

I’ll never forget the day I discovered that I could save money on groceries by using an app. At the time, I was completely annoyed with spending so much money on groceries but it wasn’t like I could just stop buying them—trust me, my kids wouldn’t allow me to do that! I needed a quick and easy way to save that didn’t also require a lot of effort on my end. I’d looked into couponing but I knew I didn’t have the time to spend on searching through newspaper circulars to clip coupons. 

After sharing my frustration with my friends, one of them suggested I check out shopping apps; I had no clue where to begin. I did a quick Google search for the best shopping apps to save money on groceries and I came across a grand list of apps from which to choose. I knew all of them wouldn’t fit my lifestyle and needs so I decided to choose five and try one out each day while the kids were in school. I was surprised to learn that while many of these apps were designed differently, they all pretty much helped me accomplish the same goal of saving money on groceries.

If you’ve been looking for the best shopping apps to save money on groceries, you’re in luck. I decided to write down the five apps I chose to save the next person a little time. I hope you find them as helpful as I have.

5 Shopping Apps to Save Money on Groceries

1. Coupons.com

If you’re new to money-saving apps for groceries, Coupons.com is a great gateway app because it revolves around a familiar concept: coupons. If you’re ever used coupons, I’m sure you remember searching through newspapers for the best deals of the week, cutting them out with scissors, and carrying them along with you to the store. Or, perhaps you remember walking down the aisles and pulling the strips out of the coupon machines. Either way, this app features a familiar way to save.

Before Coupons.com was an app, it was a website for printing coupons. Now, it has evolved into an app that makes using coupons a bit easier. You can definitely still use the website to print out coupons if that’s your thing, but now you can also scan deals with the app and have the coupons applied at the register—paper-free!

Who Should Use This App:

Anyone who is new to shopping apps and wants a familiar system—like clipping coupons—as an entry point

2. Target Circle

You might remember the Target Cartwheel app, well now it’s called Circle. Basically the way this app works is that it rewards you for purchases made at Target. The more you purchase, the more rewards you receive. For me, shopping at Target isn’t a problem at all. The unfortunate part, for my budget, is that I end up spending way too much on other items; it kind of defeats the purpose of saving on groceries when I’m just going to use it as an excuse to spend the savings on something else.

But, if you have self-control and only shop for the items on your list, this app is great for you because you can redeem your earned rewards points on future grocery purchases. There’s one thing to note with store-branded apps like this one, they can obviously only be used at the store offering the program.

Who Should Use This App:

Loyal Target shoppers

3. Rakuten

The next app on my list is called Rakuten, but until recently, it was a site called eBates. For a long time, it was a great site to use for online shopping. It would basically give you cash back for online shopping from a variety of online stores—that’s now changed.

Under its new name, Rakuten has worked hard to offer its users cashback on purchases made in stores as well, and this includes groceries. You can’t use Rakuten at all grocery stores, but some places like Safeway, Walmart, and Sam’s Club offer deals through Rakuten. If you ask me, it’s still best for online shopping, which is how I primarily use it.

Who Should Use This App:

Online shoppers

4. Shopkick

When I came across this app, I knew it was special. Not only can you use the app when making purchases online, but it can also be used at almost every store. The way that Shopkick works is that it gives you rewards points—which it calls kicks—for doing things you do when you shop for groceries already, things like ordering groceries online, walking into stores, and making purchases. Once you’ve earned enough kicks, you can trade them in for gift cards that can be used on future purchases. 

Shopkick is so easy and simple to use; I don’t even have to think twice about opening the app to see where I can earn the most kicks. Even when I forget to open the app, I can still earn kicks for the purchases I’ve made with my linked Visa or MasterCard. And, whenever I need a bit of meal inspiration, I can count on Shopkick to provide me with recipes right through the app. The best part, though, is that Shopkick makes shopping so much more fun, turning basically any trip out to the store into a super fun scavenger hunt for points. Fun and savings—it doesn’t get much better than that!

Who Should Use This App:

Anyone who wants to save money on groceries both online and in the store.

5. SavingStar

SavingStar is another cashback shopping app worth adding to the list but it is a bit more complicated to use than the others. Because SavingStar is a rebate app, you’re only rewarded cashback on purchases that have an active rebate. This can be helpful if you find that most of the items on your list offer rebates but it’s likely to change on a regular basis.

To take advantage of SavingStar, you have either link a store loyalty card or submit receipts after you make purchases, similar to Checkout 51. Also like Checkout 51, you have to have earned at least $20 in rebates to cash out.

Who Should Use This App:

Shoppers looking to earn cashback on grocery purchases

Learning about shopping apps to save money on groceries has really changed my life—primarily by helping me stretch my budget but also because some of these apps have made shopping something I look forward to. For example, I look forward to discovering new recipes with Shopkick and searching for ways to earn kicks. It’s great fun and I can hardly remember how I used to go to the store without it.

I hope my list today is helpful for you. I recommend giving all of these apps a chance, but I especially recommend using Shopkick! It’s just the best of the shopping apps to save money on groceries.

It’s time to get your kicks! Shopkick makes shopping for groceries a rewarding experience by saving you money. Download the app today and start to get your kicks instantly!

Learn how to spend less money as a student in college with shopping apps

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I always hear people talk about how college is a learning experience that extends well beyond the lecture halls and libraries. Well, I can definitely attest to that! Since I’ve been in college, I’ve learned so much—how to manage my time, how to be more responsible, and my most recent lesson: how to spend less money as a student. 

You see, for the first time in my life, I’m completely responsible for my everyday essentials. And while I do love those random care packages from my mom filled with my favorite goodies, I know that I can’t expect them forever. I know that, eventually, I’ll have to learn to survive on a super tight budget like a real adult. 

So, here’s my advice if you want to learn how to spend less money as a student. And, the best part, you can do it right from your phone! 

How to Spend Less Money as a Student in College

There are so many ways to spend less money as a student in college. You could spend more time at the library, volunteer for community service when you would otherwise be going out spending money, and learn to love instant ramen noodles. I’ve tried all of these but I would still find myself going over budget when I went to the store. Thankfully, I discovered a way to spend less by downloading a shopping rewards app. 

Choose a Shopping Rewards App

While there are many types of apps that reward you for shopping, the best type can be used, without hassle, at a variety of stores. It should also make shopping easier and enjoyable; that way, you can incorporate it into your routine trips. You don’t want to dread having to use the app like you would a Chemistry 101 exam during the first month of the semester. So, if you make sure the shopping app you select is actually fun, you’ll always be sure to use it when you go out shopping for anything, from food to things for your dorm room like storage crates, desk lights, and rugs.

Use the Shopping Rewards App Frequently

how to spend less money as a studentWhen exploring the available options of shopping rewards app out there, I found Shopkick to work the best for me. How it works is simple. Once you download Shopkick, you have access to many of the most popular sites for shopping for the necessities—groceries, clothing, electronics, and more. You can shop directly through the app or visit participating stores to make purchases. The more you use Shopkick to do things like watch promotional videos, visit websites and physical stores, locate products in the store, and make purchases, the more rewards points you earn which are called “kicks.” You can also earn kicks for making purchases online through the app or with a Visa or MasterCard linked to your Shopkick account.     

Redeem Rewards from Frequent Use

Once you’ve earned enough kicks, you can trade those kicks in for gift cards to many of your favorite stores. Now, here comes to the best part: you can turn around and use those gifts to purchase the items you need in college—spending less money! 

Use Shopkick to Spend Less Money as a Student

What I like most about Shopkick, though, is that it’s a blast to use. Basically, Shopkick turns every trip to the store into a fun scavenger hunt for kicks. Shopping can sometimes be a hassle, especially when you have a million assignments due for a class, but with Shopkick, you’ll find yourself actually looking forward to going shopping. On top of that, you can use Shopkick for both your online and in-person shopping, which is especially convenient for those busy weeks when you don’t have time to make it to the store. Shopkick has definitely made it so much easier to spend less money as a student in college.

What I like most about Shopkick, though, is that it’s a blast to use.

So, there you have it, a brief cram session about how to spend less money as a student in college. I know you might not remember everything we discussed here today. But, if you remember one thing, I hope you remember to use Shopkick. In my opinion, there’s no better choice for earning rewards to spend less money when you go out shopping. 

It’s time to pass your test and learn to spend less money as a student in college! Shopkick makes shopping a rewarding experience! Download the app today and start earning your kicks today! 

Image courtesy of Dmytro Zinkevych

How to save money on groceries without coupons

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My friend Lisa has always had a deep appreciation for all things retro. She loves to go shopping at thrift stores for retro clothes—from 1950s dresses to leg warmers from the ‘80s. She has beautiful retro magazine covers framed and hanging all over her house. In fact, she even saves money on her groceries in a retro way: coupon clipping. When I came to her about wanting to save money on groceries, she recommended I give it a try. 

We’ve been friends for a long time so, of course, I trust her judgment; I decided to give coupon clipping a try. Man, was it a fail! I didn’t make it a full two weeks before I was completely over it; it took too much time and effort—sifting through newspapers and sales papers for the best deal and physically cutting them out to place in a binder, just to get to the store to have to spend even more time searching for the products on sale. I realized that I needed to learn how to save money on groceries without coupons. Then I remembered something I read online about a shopping rewards app for groceries and how much I could save without having to do the work of couponing.  

I shared the article with Lisa and while she was a bit hesitant to give up on her strategy, she said she’d give mine a try to return the favor. After about a month, Lisa told me how much time and money she’d saved by using a shopping rewards app instead of clipping coupons. 

If you’re tired of spending countless hours clipping coupons, you’ll definitely want to read on to learn how to save money on groceries without coupons.    

Say Good-Bye to Coupons and Hello to Shopping Rewards Apps

I definitely understood Lisa’s fondness for clipping coupons. She said—and I agreed—that it helps you relax and organize your shopping plan; I’ll give her that. But, in the end, shopping rewards apps were just so much more convenient. We all know how clipping coupons work, and, in fact, I’m sure many of us grew up doing it with our parents. Some of you, however, might be less familiar with shopping rewards apps, so I’ll explain how they work.

What Are Shopping Rewards Apps?

how to save money on groceries without couponsThere are many types of shopping rewards apps out there but the best ones allow you to earn points for things you do when you go out shopping already, things like walking into stores, scanning barcodes of products, and, of course, making purchases. The more activities you do or the more you spend, the more potential you have to earn points. Once you’ve earned enough points, you’re typically able to trade them in for some sort of reward like cash back or gift cards to use towards future purchases. 

Like coupons, shopping rewards apps can’t help you save money if you don’t use them. Having a shopping app that is fun to use makes you less likely to forget it when you go out to the store, and that means you’ll have the chance to earn points towards savings each and every time you shop! 

How to Save Money on Groceries Without Coupons 

My favorite shopping rewards app is called Shopkick; and, how it works is pretty simple. Shopkick gives you points—which it calls kicks—for things you do whenever you shop for groceries, things like ordering groceries online, walking into stores, scanning barcodes on items, and making purchases in-store. Once you get your kicks, you can then trade them in later for gift cards that you can use to purchase even more groceries—no coupons required. And, if I forget to open the app while shopping, no worries. By linking my Visa or MasterCard to my Shopkick account and making purchases, I can still earn kicks—maximizing my credit card rewards, too!   

There’s a lot to love about Shopkick. For example, if you’re ever in need of meal inspiration, there are tons of recipes featured within the “Discover” tab of the app, making planning meals a breeze! Another one of my favorite things about Shopkick is the way I can use it to order my groceries online with Walmart and receive 900 kicks! I can open the app and shop directly on Walmart’s site and have my groceries delivered or I can pick them up. It’s the perfect way to save money while also earning rewards points towards gift cards to use on future purchases. Shopkick even has a cool feature that gives me ideas for recipes, helping me plan ahead. Many of the recipes feature products that allow me to earn kicks towards gift cards when purchased together. Shopkick has definitely turned into my shopping companion; I take it everywhere I go!

Shopkick has definitely turned into my shopping companion; I take it everywhere I go!

Speaking of shopping companions, I ran into Lisa last week while out shopping for groceries and it was so funny because we were both scanning the same product to earn kicks on Shopkick. We looked up at each other and laughed. We were saving money and having fun while doing it! Shopkick has literally turned every trip out to the store into a fun scavenger hunt for points. It’s so fun to use and if you’re a competitive shopper like me, you’ll want to use it as much as possible to boost your savings.  

So there you have it, a way to save money on your groceries without coupons. And, Lisa and I both agree that when it comes to shopping, there’s no better way to do it than by using Shopkick!

It’s time to let go of the old way of shopping for the best deals and start earning kicks! Shopkick makes shopping a rewarding experience, and it’s the perfect way to save money on groceries without coupons. Download the app today and start getting your kicks instantly! 

Image courtesy of mangostock

3 ways to spend less money on groceries when you’re shopping on a budget

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When I’m planning my budget for each month I always look back over the previous month to see if there are any areas to improve. And of course, I always seem to go over my allotted budget for groceries; and I know exactly why that happens—my lack of planning. Then, once I’ve spent too much, I have to find ways to make my budget stretch in other areas. 

The only advantage of having to stretch my budget for the past few months is that I’ve been thinking of ways to spend less money on groceries. And, luckily for all of you, I’ve found a few ways that I’m happy to share so that you won’t have to make the same mistakes. 

How to Spend Less Money on Groceries

Plan Your List in Advance

When I was a kid, my parents would always say: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” If I’m being honest, at the time I didn’t think much of it, but now that I’m an adult, I find it invaluable. By keeping that saying in mind, I’ve figured out how I can spend less money on groceries. When I go to the store without a list, I end up buying items that don’t get used until months later. If I plan my shopping list in advance, even by meal sometimes, I only use the money that I planned to spend on groceries that month. Not only does this way of grocery shopping help me save money, but it also reduces the amount of food that goes to waste because of my impulsive buying. I’ve gotten so good at planning ahead, that I’ve even learned how to plan my meals around the items that are on sale. If there’s a discount on pasta sauce and noodles when purchased together, you can bet we’re having spaghetti!  

Order Groceries Online

how to spend less money on groceriesI have to be honest. When some of my favorite stores like Walmart began offering online grocery ordering, I was a bit reluctant. I’m the shopper who likes to pick up and look through the cartons of strawberries to make sure the ones at the bottom aren’t too soft and moldy. The thought of someone else just grabbing my groceries for me kind of weirded me out. “What if they don’t pick the brand I like?” “What if they don’t reach from the back and grab the milk with the furthest expiration date?” But, if I’m also being honest, because I finalize my grocery order online, I don’t have to worry about getting distracted and grabbing items that aren’t on my list. I even like that I can see my cart while shopping so if I feel something increases the bill by too much, I save it for next month.    

By ordering my groceries online, I’m able to spend less money on groceries and I can do it from the comfort of my own home. I don’t even have to leave my house when I choose the delivery option—saving money on groceries and gas!

By ordering my groceries online, I’m able to spend less money on groceries and I can do it from the comfort of my own home.

Download Shopkick

This last way to spend less money on groceries is actually my favorite because I can use it with the ways I mentioned above. This way is a shopping rewards app called Shopkick. The way that Shopkick works is simple. It gives you points—which it calls kicks—for things you do whenever you shop for groceries, things like ordering groceries online, walking into stores, scanning barcodes on items, and making purchases in-store. Once you get your kicks, you can then trade them in later for gift cards that you can use to purchase even more groceries, spending less money from your budget.

There’s a lot to love about Shopkick. However, one of my favorite things about it is the way I can use it to order my groceries online with Walmart and receive 900 kicks! I can open the app and shop directly on Walmart’s site and have my groceries delivered or I can pick them up. It’s the perfect way to spend less money while also earning rewards points towards gift cards to use on future purchases. Shopkick even has a cool feature that gives me ideas for recipes, helping me plan ahead. Many of the recipes feature products that allow me to earn kicks towards gift cards when purchased together.  

These three ways to spend less money on groceries have definitely been invaluable for me and my budget. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who wouldn’t want to spend less money on groceries, which is why I try to tell everyone I know about these methods. I want to spread the savings around as much as I can!

It’s time to spend less money on groceries while earning kicks! Shopkick makes shopping a rewarding experience. Download the app today so you can get in on the savings! 

Image courtesy of wavebreakmedia

3 ways to make money while shopping with friends

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When you’re as busy as I am, it can be hard to find time to spend with friends. Work, family, and just about everything else tends to get in the way. Thankfully, I’ve found a great way to spend more time with my friends while also running a few errands; and it’s definitely paid off. You see, we’ve always been the group of friends who bond over shopping. When we were teenagers, we would go to the mall and help each other pick out outfits. Now that we’re older, with families of our own, we don’t have much time to spend shopping. And, when we do find the time, we have to make our budgets stretch because we have more responsibilities; adulting, bleh. 

Recently, I’ve been looking into ways to make money while shopping with my friends and I was surprised to find that there are so many opportunities out there. Some of them allow you to earn money and others allow you to earn gift cards that are just as good as cash if you ask me. Of course, I couldn’t jump on every opportunity, so I decided to choose three that would fit into our busy schedules and also be a fun way to stretch our budgets. 

If you’re looking for ways to make money while shopping with your friends, you should check out what I discovered. 

How to Make Money While Shopping With Friends

how to make money while shoppingOne of the best pieces of advice I have for anyone who wants to make money while shopping with friends is that you should choose the best option that works for you. You don’t want to make the mistake and choose a way that takes the fun out of shopping, ruining your favorite hobby. Here are the three ways that I found to be both fun and rewarding. 

Become a Mystery Shopper

One way to make money while shopping with friends is by signing up to become a mystery shopper. A mystery shopper is someone who goes shopping at a store and evaluates the shopping experience, providing feedback on how to improve and make that experience better. This has been a concept for a long time, and becoming one now is a great way to make money while shopping with your friends.

There are a number of different ways to become a mystery shopper. You can find lists of mystery shopper opportunities online, but the fact is these opportunities change often. That’s why I suggest regularly conducting your own research. It takes a little bit of extra work, but it’s worth it to find the best mystery shopper opportunities available. One thing to note, though, is that you might not always be able to visit your favorite stores which may take the fun out of shopping. 

Shop for Others

Another great way to make money while shopping with friends is to work for services that make it possible for you to shop for others, and, obviously, get paid to do it. Like being a mystery shopper, there are different ways to do this. My personal favorite is a service called Instacart, which I also use as a customer. 

The way Instacart works is simple. It’s an app that people who are too busy to shop for themselves can download, order groceries, and have someone else do the actual shopping in-store and deliver it to their doorstep. I’ve definitely used this service as a customer before when I found that I was even too busy to shop. (I know, right? No one should ever be too busy to shop!) Now, I’ve been using it with my friends to shop for others and make money while doing it! It’s a great way to spend time with my friends and make extra money to support my own shopping habits.

Use Shopkick

This last way to make money while shopping with friends is actually my favorite. It’s an app called Shopkick, and the way it works is pretty straightforward. Shopkick is a shopping rewards app that gives you points—which it calls kicks—for things you do while you’re out shopping already. With Shopkick, you can earn kicks by doing things like walking into stores, scanning barcodes, and making purchases. You can then trade your kicks in for gift cards, which are just as good as cash!

The potential to earn rewards while shopping at my favorite stores is one of the things that makes Shopkick my favorite. I also like that you can combine Shopkick with both of the other ways to make money shopping with your friends that I mentioned before. Shopkick also brings an added layer of fun to shopping by turning every trip to the store into a fun scavenger hunt for points. And, I can’t forget to mention that Shopkick is so convenient that I can use it to shop online on my phone while chatting over coffee with my friends. 

The potential to earn rewards while shopping at my favorite stores is one of the things that makes Shopkick my favorite.

So, there you have it—three ways to make money while shopping with your friends. There’s nothing better than shopping, but the simple truth is that it can sometimes get a little expensive. That’s where these ways come in handy.

If you’re looking for a fun way to make money while shopping with friends, I highly recommend you download Shopkick. It’s made going shopping with my friends even more fun while at the same time helping me earn kicks toward gift cards to do even more shopping. 

It’s time to get your kicks! Shopkick is easily the best way to make money while shopping with friends. Download the app today and start to get your kicks instantly! 

Image courtesy of MaxStrogiy

How to maximize credit card rewards with Shopkick

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I’m usually the one in my group of friends with all the hacks when it comes to shopping. But after meeting up with my girls for lunch last week, I found out that I’ve yet to master the art of shopping. 

Somehow we got on the topic of credit cards and I told them that while I do have them, I’d always preferred using cash or my debit card to shop because I didn’t want to have to worry about paying it off later. They immediately told me that I was doing it all wrong and how much I was missing out. Since I love to shop, they told me how often I could be earning points towards cashback, gift cards, and frequent flier miles just for using a credit card to shop. I’m always down for getting the most out of my shopping trips, so I took their advice. And let me tell you, I’m definitely glad I did. I even found out how to maximize credit card rewards by using my favorite shopping app.

If you’ve been in the dark about credit card rewards like I have, you’ll definitely want to pay close attention while I tell you just how you can maximize credit card rewards by using a mobile shopping app.  

What I’ve Learned About Credit Card Rewards 

how to maximize credit card rewardsOne thing I’ve learned about maximizing credit card rewards is that there are so many different ways to do it; you just have to choose the method that works for you. For instance, I have a friend who travels regularly for work. She uses her own credit card to pay for her flights, hotels, and rental cars, and then she has her job reimburse her. This might seem like a lot, but she swears by it—insisting that this way, she gets to keep all the rewards that she earns from the initial purchases.

I don’t travel for work—and maybe you don’t either—and that’s okay because there are plenty of other opportunities to maximize your credit card rewards by making everyday purchases. One way that I’ve found that works for me is by using a shopping rewards apps—an app that I’ve downloaded and linked my credit card to in an effort to really maximize my rewards. 

The Best Type of Shopping App to Maximize Rewards

If you have never before heard of shopping rewards apps, that’s okay. It wasn’t too long ago that I hadn’t either, and now I consider myself a bit of an expert on how to combine shopping rewards apps with my credit card to really maximize my reward-earning potential. The first step is to understand what shopping rewards apps are available to you and how they work. There are several different kinds, ranging from apps that reward you for shopping at certain stores to apps that reward you for particular types of purchases such as gas or coffee.

The best type of shopping rewards app to link with your credit card is one you can use at several different stores—both online stores and physical locations. You can obviously use your credit card almost anywhere, so you’ll want to get a shopping rewards app that is equally as versatile; otherwise, you’ll be as my friends say, “missing out.” 

Maximize Credit Card Rewards with Shopkick

My favorite shopping rewards app is Shopkick. I’ve been using Shopkick for years but it wasn’t until recently that I decided to link my credit card with the app. You see, before, I was using Shopkick any time I went out shopping for the essentials because it’s so easy to use that I’ve incorporated it into my routine. Before leaving the house, I would look up nearby stores that were offering rewards points (also called “kicks” in the app). Some of these stores offer kicks for simply walking in. Then, I would open the app to see what products I could locate to scan for even more kicks; it’s like a fun scavenger hunt for rewards. Once I’d earned enough kicks, I could trade them in for a gift card to do even more shopping! 

Now that I’ve linked my credit card, I have the chance to earn even more rewards. The credit card that I use already gives me a percentage back on purchases, so by linking it with Shopkick, I’m rewarded for using the app too! Once I discovered this, I couldn’t wait to tell my friends how I’d taken their advice up a notch. They told me that they’d expected nothing less of me since I was the self-proclaimed “Master Shopper.”  

Now that I’ve linked my credit card, I have the chance to earn even more rewards.  

I know from experience that figuring out how to maximize credit card rewards can seem intimidating, but it’s really not. There are so many different programs these days that reward you for using credit cards. Whether you’re interested in earning points for travel or getting cash back on your purchases, there’s a program out there for you. If you’re looking for the best program, I highly recommend downloading Shopkick and linking your Visa or MasterCard. In no time at all, you’ll go from a newbie user to an expert at getting your kicks and, most importantly, trading those kicks for gift cards to do even more shopping to maximize your earning potential!

It’s time to get your kicks! Shopkick makes shopping a rewarding experience, helping you truly maximize your credit card rewards. Download the app today and boost your shopping budget! 

Image courtesy of Nattakorn_Maneerat

Wouldn’t it be fun to earn cashback when you shop? Learn how.

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I used to think there was nothing more fun than shopping. I loved going to stores, browsing for hours for new clothes, finding crazy deals on electronics—I loved the entire experience. I think that’s one of the reasons I’ve become such a dedicated shopper over the years. Though, I must admit, that my love for shopping has taken a toll on my budget now that I have more responsibilities as an adult. Thankfully, I recently discovered how to turn my love for shopping into a way to earn cashback. That’s right! There’s a way to earn cashback when you shop! 

Admittedly, this is an easy concept to love. It’s the same as shopping, but when you’re done, you earn cashback, or you earn rewards points towards things like gift cards—which are just as good as cash if you ask me. 

If you’re a dedicated shopper like me, wanting to shop without destroying your budget, you’re definitely want to read on to discover how to earn cashback when you shop!

How to Earn Cashback When You Shop

There are many ways to earn cashback when you shop. In fact, you’ve probably been doing it for years without even realizing it. Specials and promotions such as buy-one-get-one sales, rebates on electronics, or even customer loyalty programs all qualify as ways to earn cashback when you shop. The problem for me, however, is that these all occur too sporadically for my tastes. Luckily, there is a new way to earn cashback when you walk into a store to shop or even if you make an online purchase; it’s called a shopping rewards app. 

Learn About Shopping Rewards Apps

earn cashback when you shopIf you’re wondering what exactly is a shopping rewards app, the answer is simple—it’s an app that gives you rewards for shopping. The way a shopping rewards app generally works is that you download the app on your phone and use it every time you go shopping. There are several different types of shopping rewards apps—including store-specific apps and apps you can use at any participating store—which is why it’s so important to understand how they work.

The more you know about shopping rewards apps, the better job you can do selecting the perfect choice for your lifestyle. My personal favorite type of shopping rewards app is one that operates on a point-based system and can be used at many different stores—both online and physical stores. I also prefer a system that’s fun to use and doesn’t feel like work. I absolutely love shopping, and I don’t want my desire to earn cashback to change the experience for me in a way that leaves me less excited to shop.

Use Shopkick to Earn Cashback When You Shop

My personal favorite way to earn cashback while shopping is with an app called Shopkick. Shopkick is one of those apps that I described above; you can use it when you shop online as well as when you go into your favorite stores. Shopkick rewards you in “kicks” (points) for the things you already do while shopping such as walking into stores, scanning barcodes, watching promotional videos, and making purchases. 

I’ve tried other shopping rewards apps, and I can honestly say that Shopkick is by far my favorite. What I like most about Shopkick is that it turns the shopping experience into a fun scavenger hunt for kicks. You can invite friends to download the app and get in on the fun, too—earning you even more kicks. Once you’ve earned enough kicks, you can trade them in for gift cards, which are just as good as cash. Doesn’t that sound fun?

I’ve tried other shopping rewards apps, and I can honestly say that Shopkick is by far my favorite.

So, there you have it, my own personal fun and secret way to earn cashback when you shop. It’s especially useful for me since I love to refresh my wardrobe each season. And, what better way to shop than to do it to earn cashback? Earning cashback makes every trip to the store so worth it! 

If you’re looking for a fun way to earn cashback when you shop, check out Shopkick. I promise you’re going to love it so you should download the app today and start earning kicks! 

Image courtesy of Syda Productions

Find out how you can shop and earn rewards on your phone

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I remember when I was younger, I used to love to go to the mall. Shopping was my favorite hobby, and the mall was the easiest way for me to shop at so many different stores. I don’t want to tell you how old I am, but back then, online shopping was not really as common as it is now. These days, online shopping makes it so I have even more stores to choose from; and, thanks to my phone, these stores are right at my fingertips, wherever I go. 

In fact, some weeks I do more shopping on my phone than I do with my computer or in physical stores. This comes in handy, especially now that I’ve found out how to earn rewards for using my phone when I shop. That’s right! There’s a way to shop and earn rewards on your phone and it’s so simple and convenient.  

How to Earn Rewards on Your Phone

If you want to learn how to earn rewards on your phone, you must first understand that there are many different ways; you have to find the method that works best for you. I have some friends who use their phones to take online surveys to earn extra money. I have other friends who get paid to drive around to certain businesses and use their phones to take pictures of displays. They have the extra time so they don’t mind doing these extra activities, but for someone who’s a little busier, you may want to choose a way to earn rewards doing something you already do. For me, that thing is shopping. 

If shopping is your thing, you should consider downloading your favorite store’s app. Many stores have their own shopping apps that reward you for being a loyal customer. These are great, especially if you tend to go to the same store all the time. But for those of you who enjoy shopping at many different places, you’ll find yourself with tons of shopping apps and no way to keep track of all the points you’ve earned. Fortunately, there’s a solution for that.

Earn Rewards on Your Phone With Shopping Rewards Apps 

learn how to earn rewards on your phoneWhen it comes time to earn rewards on your phone, the best way to do it is with a shopping rewards app. It’s exactly what it sounds like—an app that rewards you for shopping. How most of these apps work is that they give you points for shopping, and for doing other things related to shopping as well, like walking into stores or scanning barcodes.

The best of these apps allow you to earn points for shopping at a variety of stores, online and physical stores. I know these days I really do a ton of shopping directly from my phone, so I need an app that will reward me for that.

The Best Shopping Rewards App

Of all the shopping rewards apps out there, my personal favorite is an app called Shopkick. You can use Shopkick to get rewards for both your in-person and online shopping, which includes shopping you do through your phone. The way Shopkick works is kind of like the system I described above. Shopkick gives you points called “kicks” for many of the tasks associated with shopping such as walking into stores, watching promotional videos, browsing products in-store, and, of course, making purchases. You can also earn kicks without ever having to put down your phone because Shopkick rewards you for shopping on your favorite sites directly through the app and for watching promotional videos. 

You can use Shopkick to get rewards for both your in-person and online shopping, which includes shopping you do through your phone.

Once you’ve earned enough points with Shopkick, you can trade them in for gift cards to do even more shopping! Aside from the rewards, another thing I really love about Shopkick is that it turns shopping into a fun scavenger hunt for points. I’ve always loved shopping, but I look forward to it even more now that I have Shopkick on my phone; I can’t recommend it enough.

Shopkick has changed both the amount of fun I have when I’m out at the store as well as the amount of savings I find myself coming home with. I use it every time I shop and it doesn’t even require much effort because I find myself shopping with my phone in-hand anyway.

If you’re ready to get rewarded for the shopping that you already do, I highly recommend you download the app and earn rewards on your phone. Shopkick makes shopping a rewarding experience no matter where or how you shop! 

Image courtesy of GP Studio

Check Out These 6 Online Shopping Rewards Programs. You Won’t Regret It!

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Check Out These 6 Online Shopping Rewards Programs. You Won’t Regret It!

Online shopping has truly changed my life! I’m sure like many of you, up until recently, I didn’t shop much online. I chose to stick to the old-fashioned way of shopping due to my fears of online security. However, in recent years, I’ve fallen in love with online shopping because of how convenient it makes shopping for someone as busy as I am. Do you know what else I love about online shopping? Online shopping rewards programs.

The discovery of online shopping rewards programs has made me love online shopping even more. There are so many different types of online shopping rewards programs and there are just as many ways to use them; trust me, I’ve tried them all! Now, I’m working hard to nail down my favorites, which I’ve listed for all of you to check out. 

My Six Favorite Online Shopping Rewards Programs

Amazon

Of all the online retailers out there, the one that has changed my life the most is Amazon. Amazon just makes it so easy to buy basically anything, from clothes to household items to food. However, what a lot of people don’t know is that there are small ways to save money while shopping at Amazon. Amazon’s online shopping rewards program comes in the form of its Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card which shoppers can use to earn a percentage back on purchases, saving them money in the future.

One of my favorite ways to save with Amazon is by subscribing to the items I buy all the time, such as paper towels, toilet paper, toothpaste, floss, etc. By subscribing, Amazon sends me new items whenever I’m about to run out, and I also save a few cents that add up in the end. Another thing I’m sure to keep in mind when shopping on Amazon is the fluctuating prices. Whether they fluctuate up or down, I’m always sure to find the best deal out there.

More About Amazon: 

  • It’s the largest online retailer in the world.
  • Amazon Prime lets you get many of your purchases delivered next day.
  • Prices can fluctuate, so stay diligent in checking for deals.
  • Subscribing to household goods you purchase regularly can save money.

Airline Shopping Portals

Another great online shopping rewards program comes in the form of airline shopping portals. Sounds futuristic, right? You see, there are several major airlines that award you with frequent flier miles when you make purchases through their online shopping portals. And, I probably don’t have to tell you, especially if you’re as budget-conscious as I am, that those miles add up over time.

The amount of value here can vary at times between participating retailers. Some of my favorites offer as many as six points per dollar, so spending $500, for example, can earn me roughly 3,000 miles. I can then use those miles toward a variety of redemptions, including a future flight. Jet Blue, United, Southwest Airlines, and American Airlines are just some of the airlines that offer these rewards. With American Airlines, in particular, free flights start at just 7,500 miles. I’ve been eyeing a round-trip flight to Hawaii and I’m so close!

More About Airline Shopping Portals:

  • They connect you to a variety of retailers.
  • Many purchases you make can earn you frequent flier miles.
  • You can trade those miles to use toward flights.
  • A variety of airlines offer this option.

Credit Cards

If you prefer to have your shopping rewards directly linked to your method of payment, this one is for you. Many credit card companies offer you rewards in the forms of cashback, percentages back, and points when you use them to shop at participating stores.

For example, with my Barclays card, for every dollar I spend, I get a point that represents 1% savings. If I buy groceries, I get two points, which turns into 2% savings. It really adds up fast with the amount of online shopping I do. Quite frankly, I think anyone who is doing online shopping without getting some percentage back on their purchases is making a big mistake. You don’t even have to think about using this one. It just does it all for you!

More About Credit Card Savings Programs:

  • These programs are versatile, allowing you to combine with many of the other programs on this list.
  • They give you points on your credit card account you can later redeem for money off your bill.
  • Credit companies such as Barclays, Wells Fargo, and Chase all offer variations of this.

Shopkick

Speaking of versatility, Shopkick is another online shopping rewards program that works with other programs on this list—it’s actually my favorite. I really like Shopkick because it turns all of my online shopping sessions into super fun scavenger hunts for points, which the app calls kicks. It’s super easy to use and the ways to earn kicks are often things I do every time I do my online shopping anyway.

Shopkick is a free mobile app that pays you to shop. The way it works is you download the app, use it to shop at featured online retailers, and earn kicks. If you watch a video to learn more about a product, you’ll get kicks. If you purchase a featured item, you’ll get kicks. Once you earn enough kicks, you can trade them for gift cards to a variety of stores.

More About Shopkick:

  • It turns all of your online shopping into a fun scavenger hunt for points.
  • It easily combines with many of the other apps on our list.
  • It gives you points you can trade for gift cards to a variety of stores—both online and physical.

Rakuten

Rakuten, which used to be an app called Ebates, is an app that I like to use to get cashback on the purchases that I make online, and only online because this one doesn’t work in stores. The way it works is pretty simple, too. You just download the Rakuen app, and then instead of doing your online shopping through another app or website, you do it through the Rakuten app instead. 

Here’s a pro tip: you can also add a Google Chrome extension to your web browser. What happens then, is that it adds a Rakuten cashback button that appears whenever you visit a site that has a deal to offer to you. If that’s not enough, Rakuten also has a feature called Coupon Magic, which even automatically applies coupons as you shop, giving you more cashback during the checkout process. 

More About Rakuten:

  • It’s an online-only shopping app.
  • You shop through Rakuten, rather than other apps.
  • You can add a Google Chrome extension to your browser that makes it even easier to save.

FlipGive

FlipGive is awesome because it doesn’t help you just save, it helps you save for a good cause. The way it works is that the online deals you find through FlipGive channels the money you are saving to a charitable cause. It takes your savings and it flips it to giving toward causes such a child’s doctor bills or to a local youth sports league.

Like some of the other programs on my list—specifically Big Crumbs and Rakuten—you make purchases through FlipGive’s online portal at any one of its affiliated online retailers. I’ve definitely used it to save money for me and my family with Warby Parker, for example, which is my favorite place to buy glasses online! And what’s even better is Warby Parker makes a 15% cash-back donation to the cause I pick.

More About FlipGive:

  • FlipGive is shopping for a good cause.
  • Users go through FlipGive’s online portal.
  • FlipGive and participating stores match your savings by giving a certain percentage to charity. 

As you can probably tell, I’ve used my fair share of online shopping rewards programs. But, of all of these apps, my favorite has to be Shopkick. Not only does it reward me for the shopping I planned to do anyway, but it also rewards me for learning about products that interest me. I love the versatility of Shopkick’s online shopping rewards program and I love the app’s in-store functionality, too! Whenever I feel like getting some fresh air and doing my shopping at a physical store, Shopkick comes in handy, turning a regular shopping trip into a rewarding experience!  

Of all the online shopping rewards programs out there, Shopkick makes for the most rewarding shopping experience. Download the app today and start earning kicks!