How to get paid to play games: Money-making apps for techies

Posted on July 27, 2018 by shopkick

I’ve been playing games since I was just a little guy. My first home game console was the original Nintendo Entertainment System (yeah, that’s how old I am), and from there I graduated onto bigger and better things like the Super Nintendo, the Nintendo 64, the Sony PlayStation, and so on right up to modern day. I guess you could say I’m a gamer.

Recently, though, I’ve actually figured out how to get paid to play games through money-making apps for techies. These are apps that you can use to get that old gaming challenge, while also earning money, money that you can spend on even more games!

Anyway, that’s what I’d like to talk about today: how to get paid to play games with money-making apps for techies. There are a few different ways to do this, but for our purposes, I’m going to focus on the one I’ve found most useful, before giving you advice about my favorite.

Get Paid to Play Games with Shopping Apps

As any experienced gamer will tell you, the key to beating any game is to stick with it. It’s the same thing for apps that let you get paid to play games. You don’t want apps that feel short-term or like a fad, especially not if you’re a techie like me and you pride yourself on staying up on all the modern techie trends. Because of that, I tend to get tired of certain apps quickly.

That’s why I think the best way to get paid to play games is to find an app that pays you to go shopping. Let’s face it, no matter how much we may dislike shopping, we all have to do it. That’s why the ideal money-making app for techies, in my opinion, is one that turns shopping into a game you actually want to play!

How Shopping Apps Work

Now that we’ve determined the best way to get paid to play games is through apps that turn shopping into a challenge to find savings, it’s time to talk about how these apps work. The good news is that my personal favorites are perfect for techies, of course, but they also have a pretty simple step-by-step process that non-techies can figure out quickly as well:

Earn points just by walking into a participating store
Purchase certain items, use the app to take a picture of your receipt, and get even more points.
Trade those points in for gift cards to your favorite stores.
Savor the savings.

Before you know it, all your shopping turns into a hunt for the biggest savings. Anyway, this next part is probably more crucial for techies, but the best shopping apps you can use to get paid to play games also let you earn rewards while shopping online. The differences between how these apps work for online shopping versus in-person shopping is pretty small, though. Here’s how using one of these shopping apps online works:

Visit an online store and get points
View select products and get more points
Make mobile purchases and get even more points
Watch videos and score points yet again
Trade those points in for gift cards to some of your favorite stores
Savor the savings

The Best Shopping App You Can Use to Get Paid to Play Games

Of all of the shopping apps out there, my personal favorite is Shopkick. That’s because it has more ways to score points than most of the other apps I’ve tried, and it has the most fun social media channels, too, which as any techie will tell you is super important when it comes to staying engaged. It’s a guilty pleasure, but I actually have a ton of fun looking at Shopkick’s goofy Facebook posts. Oh, and I should note that Shopkick is available for both Android and iPhone too, so you can get in on the action regardless of your device’s operating system.

Shopkick gives you points for all the usual shopping things you do: walking into the store, going down aisles browsing products, and making purchases. There are other ways to use it to make money, too. In fact, there are tons of ways that Shopkick users can earn rewards right from the app without even physically going 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 at stores like Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy, which is my personal favorite.

I know it’s a little unconventional, but I really do think the best method for how to get paid to play games is by using Shopkick, my personal favorite money-making app for techies. Like I said, it turns every trip to the store into a fun hunt for points. In fact, I like it so much that I’ve started to kind of look forward to my shopping trips—just a little bit.

The best part is trading in your Shopkick points for gift cards to your favorite stores, which for me usually means anywhere that sells all the latest and greatest technology.

The best part is trading in your Shopkick points for gift cards to your favorite stores, which for me usually means anywhere that sells all the latest and greatest technology. I know, I know, I probably spend a little too much time staying up to date with modern technology, but hey, it’s fun!

Ready to start having fun by getting paid to play games with a great money-making app for techies? 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 artiemedvedev

3 money-stretching apps that give cash back

Posted on July 25, 2018 by shopkick

One of the greatest feelings that you can feel happened to me yesterday: I put on a pair of jeans that I hadn’t worn in a long while and I found $20! I squealed so loud that my boys actually put down the video games they were playing in the other room to ask me what happened. After I told them, they asked if they could use the money to go get a new game from Redbox, but that’s beside the point. What I’d like to talk about today are money-stretching apps that give cash back, recreating this wonderful experience of finding money over again.

There really is nothing like finding money when you least expect it, and with the three apps on today’s list, you can get that feeling all the time. They’re all fairly different in nature. However, the one thing these all have in common is that they give you cash back for things you already do on the regular basis. Much like finding some cash in an old pair of pants, you don’t have to go out of your way to boost your budget with these!

I like some more than others, as you’ll see below, but I definitely recommend using them all, integrating them with your normal routines. That way the money will start to roll in without you even thinking about it. Jumping up and squealing like I did when I found that $20 is, of course, totally optional!

Apps That Give Cash Back No. 1: Walmart Savings Catcher App

The Walmart Savings Catcher App is a pretty great way to make sure you get the best possible price that you can when you shop at Walmart. Let’s face it, there are just some things that will be cheaper at Walmart, so if you’re anything like me, you find yourself there often. Once you get there, this app is easy to use. All you have to do is scan your receipt after you check out.

Then when you’re all finished, the app automatically checks the prices you paid against the prices that are currently being offered by other stores in the area. If there’s a case where you could have gotten a lower price somewhere else, Walmart gives you back that difference. Awesome, especially when you use it to shop for groceries!

Apps That Give Cash Back No. 2: App Trailers

App Trailers is free and fun. It’s also an app my boys and I enjoy together because it pays you to watch videos. I like it a lot, too, mostly because many of these videos are about something that’s very near and dear to my boys’ little hearts: video games.

Now, normally when they watch videos about video games with me, they’re calling me over from whatever thing around the house I’m busy with. App Trailers is a game changer because now I get paid for those interruptions. We’ve watched videos about games from EA, Rovio (which makes Angry Birds), and plenty of other companies that my guys know far more about than I do. The more videos you watch, the more points you earn. You can eventually trade those points in and get paid via PayPal or in Amazon gift cards.

Apps That Give Cash Back No. 3: Shopkick

I’ve saved my favorite of these apps that give cash back for last. It’s actually called Shopkick, and how it works is that it gives you money for an activity you do all the time, anyway: shopping. Yes, what Shopkick does is give you points for the things you do while you’re out shopping, things that range from simply walking into the store to going down aisles browsing products, and making purchases. I can then trade those points in for gift cards to all my favorite stores, which are as good as cash!

Another thing that I absolutely love about Shopkick is that it’s not just limited to in-person shopping at brick-and-mortar stores. There are 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!

Another thing that I absolutely love about Shopkick is that it’s not just limited to in-person shopping at brick-and-mortar stores.

To be honest, these apps have all become such a regular part of my budget and my routine, that I don’t even remember how I used to get by without them. I recommend them all.

As I said above though, the one I like the most is Shopkick. With three growing boys at home, I find myself out shopping all the time. Luckily with apps like Shopkick, I can get a little boost that makes it just a bit easier! If that’s not something to squeal about, I don’t know what is!

Get to know one of the best money-stretching apps that gives cash back, as well as one of the all-around 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 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 Olivier

The best 2018 back to school deals on your smartphone

Posted on July 23, 2018 by shopkick

I don’t know about you, but after a long summer at home with my three boys, I tend to have a whole lot of emotions about back-to-school shopping—both good and bad. I’m excited for them to be advancing into new things: new classes, new teachers, new lessons, new friends, etc. And I’m excited for myself, too, because let’s just say that things are a bit quieter around my house when school is in session. If you have kids, I bet you know exactly what I mean. I’m also excited for the guys to get some spiffy new clothes.

However, what I’m least excited about is all of the money we have to spend each year on new wardrobes plus, the mountain of school supplies that their exciting new classes require us to purchase. In recent years, I’ve found an exciting new way to make that cost a heck of a lot easier by using a shopping app. This helps to make sure I get the best back-to-school deals.

By all means, enjoy your newfound free time that comes with having the kids go back to class. But don’t get too bummed out by all the money you’re going to have to spend. By the time we’re done here today, you’ll have all the know-how and expertise on how to get the best back-to-school deals.

How to Get Back to School Deals on Your Smartphone

When I was a kid, we only got to shop for back-to-school clothes once the prices were discounted. I swear, my mom had an extra sense of knowing when the best back-to-school deals were and once she found them, she would swoop in like a hawk. We didn’t get to go to just any store we wanted—no—we got to go to the one my mom knew had the best prices!

Things are different nowadays, or at least for me, they are. I didn’t inherit my mom’s uncanny abilities to find the best back-to-school deals, but I do have newer technology that can help me generate those deals on my own. The concept I’m talking about is a shopping app that you can use to get rewards and deals for shopping that you do every day. Never heard of it? That’s okay, until recently neither had I. That’s why in the next section I’m going to explain what this concept is and how it works!

What is a Shopping App?

Simply put, a third-party shopping app is an app that you download to your phone and it helps you save money when you’re out shopping. Believe it or not, there’s a pretty wide variety of these apps, and as a result, you’ll have some choices about how you can save money. It really behooves you, though, to find the type that works best for you.

Here are the different types of shopping apps I’ve used in the past:

Coupon Apps: Coupon apps are basically digital approximations of old-school paper coupons. You either use them at checkout, while you shop online or after making a purchase. There are a lot of different apps, and some of them take money off your bill in advance while others funnel your savings into an account you can cash out later.
Store-Branded Apps: Store-branded apps are apps offered by big stores like Target, Best Buy or Walmart. Some of them give you points that you can cash in for gift cards, while others alert you to new sales and deals or automatically scan prices in your area to match the lowest.
Third-Party Shopping Apps: This last category is my favorite. These are special third apps that give you points for the shopping that you do every day, points that you can then trade in later for gift cards. In the next section, I’ll tell you about my personal favorite!

The Best Third-Party Shopping Apps for Back to School Deals

Now that you know about the different ways to get back-to-school deals on your smartphone, as well as what a third-party shopping app is, it’s time to talk about my personal favorite: Shopkick. How it works is super easy. You just go out to do your back-to-school shopping like you normally do, making sure that you’re going to one of the many stores that partner with the app. Then the app gives you rewards—which it calls kicks—for the things you do while you’re out shopping already, things like walking into stores, going down aisles browsing products, and making purchases. Then you trade your points in for gift cards. It’s that easy.

There are tons of ways that Shopkickers can earn rewards right from the app—no need to go anywhere.

But I think my overall favorite thing about Shopkick is you don’t even have to technically go anywhere to use it. In fact, there are 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 and Walmart. If you’re a modern, online shopper like me, you are going to love Shopkick, both for back-to-school deals and for the shopping you do on the regular basis.

I hope you learned a lot today, especially when it comes to using Shopkick to save money. Back-to-school time is one of my favorite parts of the year. Don’t get me wrong, I love it when my boys are around the house all summer, but it’s nice to see them engaged and excited about something new.

Once you start earning back-to-school deals with an amazing app like Shopkick, trust me, you’ll find yourself enjoying it even more. You’ll go from worrying about your budget to being excited about all the free time that’s headed your own way in the fall.

Looking for a way to earn the best back-to-school deals on your smartphone? 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 Rido81

Mom-approved cash back apps for groceries

Posted on July 18, 2018 by shopkick

For most of my life, I’ve considered shopping to be one of my favorite hobbies, although I think it’s important to note that not all shopping is created equal. There are, as far as I’m concerned, two main types of shopping. There’s the shopping I love to do for fun, which includes trips to boutiques, gallerias, and malls. Then there’s the shopping that I’m obligated to do for what I like to call life reasons. This involves trips to places like Walmart, Target, and, of course, out for groceries.

As a mom these days, I’ve found myself having to make far more of the second type of shopping trips than I get to of the first. And I’m happy to do it. I love my kids, and it actually makes the time I do get to spend shopping for clothes and the finer things all the more enjoyable. One battle I continually find myself having to wage, however, is with my budget. I just don’t have the money to spend on fancy shoes that I once did. I have, however, recently found a great ally in this fight, and today I want to share my new ally with you. That’s why today I want to tell you all about some mom-approved cash back apps for groceries.

With these apps, I’ve been able to earn quite a bit of cash back on my grocery shopping. That’s extra money that I’ve been able to put toward my old shopping hobby, making the most of my trips out searching for clothes. There are three main apps I use to do this, and I can’t wait to share them with you!

Mom-Approved Cash Back Apps for Groceries

#1: Checkout 51

Checkout 51 is a cash back app for groceries that you can use to plan your shopping trip before you ever set foot in the store. You just download the app and you can start to browse hundreds of listed offers. When you find one for a product you plan to buy, you simply select that offer, head out shopping, upload your receipt when you’re done, and enjoy your cash back! It really is that simple.

I especially like Checkout 51 because I’m able to have a nice little grocery shopping routine each Friday morning. Checkout 51 updates the offers it lists every Thursday night. This has made it easy for me to include the app into my weekly schedule. I just take a few moments before I get in my Jeep and head out to the store to find the best deals. The only catch is that with Checkout 51 you have to earn at least $20 before you can redeem your savings for cash back.

#2: SnipSnap

Do you remember those old-school paper coupons that we used to have to use if we ever wanted to save some money when we were shopping for groceries? I sure do. In fact, I still get them fairly regularly through junk mail and my Sunday newspaper, and with this app called SnipSnap, I’ve also found a way to start using them to get cash back on my shopping. SnipSnap is what’s known as a mobile coupon app, and you basically just use it to take pictures of printed coupons. SnipSnap then goes ahead and transforms them into digital, mobile-ready coupons that you can use when you go out to the store.

Like with Checkout 51, I’ve made SnipSnap part of my regular shopping routine. Every Sunday, I sit down with the advertisements that came during the week as well as with the stack from my Sunday paper, and I use SnipSnap to start scanning and storing coupons. It’s such an easy and efficient way to store coupons. I don’t know if I’d turn to coupons nearly as often if I still had to stuff the actual paper copies in my purse.

#3: Shopkick

The last mom-approved cash back app for groceries on our list today is called Shopkick, and it just so happens to be my favorite. How it works is that when you go out shopping for groceries, it gives you points for your normal shopping trip activities, including going down aisles browsing products, making purchases, and even just walking into the store. You can then trade those points in for gift cards to your favorite stores, which are just as good as cash back to me.

What’s especially great about Shopkick is that you can easily use it in tandem with the other two apps on our list. Basically, every week I get my deals from Checkout 51 and I scan my coupons with SnipSnap, and then I use Shopkick to get points on all my purchases. That kind of triple savings really adds up to a nice amount of extra money.

What’s especially great about Shopkick is that you can easily use it in tandem with the other two apps on our list.

Like I said at the start, I really do believe there are two specific types of shopping: utilitarian shopping and fun shopping. They don’t have to be mutually exclusive though. In fact, as I’ve seen in my life, money that you save on your groceries can be put to good use later when you go out shopping for fun.

You just have to have the right apps, apps like Checkout 51, SnipSnap, and—my personal favorite—Shopkick. They fit so easily into your daily routine, that if you’re anything like me, you’ll soon have trouble remembering what it was like before you started to use them!

Ready to start shopping with one of the best mom-approved cash back apps for groceries? Download Shopkick for free and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered how rewarding—and fun—shopping with us 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 GeorgeRudy

Prime Day starts now!

Posted on July 16, 2018 by shopkick

The biggest shopping event of the year for Amazon Prime members is here! Prime Day starts now and runs through 7/17/18. Get amazing kicks on eligible Amazon purchases made through the Shopkick app, and discover incredible deals on hundreds of thousands of items.

Don’t have an Amazon Prime membership yet? It’s not too late to sign up and take advantage of these instant savings!

Get AMAZING kicks through 7/17

Amazon Fashion

25 kicks per $1

was 5 kicks

Amazon Devices

25 kicks per $1

was 5 kicks

Amazon Home

25 kicks per $1

was 7 kicks

Check out the deals and big kicks now!

Happy shopkicking!

Don’t have Shopkick yet? Download and start earning your free gift card today!

How to save money on groceries: Apps that milk your budget

Posted on July 13, 2018 by shopkick

As you probably know by now, I’m the mother of three rambunctious but awesome young boys. They live life at a pretty fast pace, whether they’re running around our backyard or going from this month’s hot new video game to whatever the big fad at school is next month. My little guys are almost always in a big hurry for something. Lately, they’ve all been in a major rush to grow up. Not to take on adult responsibilities (none of them are at all interested in that, not yet, anyway), but to get taller.

In fact, I recently went down into our basement and found them trying to stretch to make themselves taller. It was so cute, but it also got me thinking about how fast they’d be growing up, which then got me thinking about their increasingly gigantic appetites, which then got me thinking about something else: ways to save money on groceries, and more specifically to save money on groceries with an app. These days there so many great shopping rewards apps out there, some of which are offered by the stores themselves, others that modernize the old coupon clipping experience, and—my personal favorite—those that give you gift cards for shopping habits you already have.

All of this can be a little overwhelming to the uninitiated shopper who’s trying to stretch her budget, which is why today I want to talk about my own strategies for how to save money on groceries with an app. Hopefully, you’ll find them to be just as helpful as I do!

How to Save Money on Groceries with an App

Tip No. 1: Consistency is Key

One of my most important tips for how to save money on groceries with an app is to find a way to do it that is consistent. This ties into a lesson I’m always trying to teach my boys. They’re always in such a hurry to do new things, to try out for the basketball team, to advance to the next grade, or even to beat this month’s hot new video game as soon as possible. Sometimes they get frustrated when these things take longer than they expect.

So, what I preach to them is to remain consistent. The same is true for stretching your budget with a great shopping app. If you don’t use it consistently, you won’t maximize the amount of rewards that you can earn with it. It’s as simple as that.

Tip No. 2: Online and Offline Points Are a Must

Another little tip when trying to save money on groceries with an app that I’ve learned from my boys is to make sure you find an app that helps you save money both online and off. My little guys get lost in their digital worlds so easily, that it always makes me think about how in 20 years even more of our lives will start to be lived online, and that includes grocery shopping.

I’ve started to do even more of my grocery shopping online, using programs like Amazon Pantry. This is especially the case when there are three soccer practices in a week, and I just can’t eke out the time I need to run to the store. A few clicks on Amazon and I can have chips for their lunches, Clif bars or breakfast cereals sent straight to our door. That’s why I need an app that also helps me save money when I’m shopping online. It’s absolutely vital.

Tip No. 3: Find the Perfect App

The last tip that I have for you today is also maybe the most obvious, but you simply must make sure that you find the perfect app. For me, that app is called Shopkick, and how it works is that it gives you points for the shopping activities that you already do every day, things like looking at products online, going down the aisle browsing products, and making purchases. You can then trade those points in for free gift cards.

What’s great about Shopkick is that it’s super easy to use, which makes it no problem to use it consistently.

What’s great about Shopkick is that it’s super easy to use, which makes it no problem to use it consistently. It also turns every trip to the grocery store into a fun little scavenger hunt for points. In other words, I enjoy using Shopkick so much, that it’s not even a chore to make sure I use it consistently. Oh, and it’s one of the best shopping apps out there for rewarding you for the grocery shopping that you do online. It’s just so versatile and fun! I highly recommend it!

With three growing boys at home, correctly managing my grocery shopping budget tends to be a never-ending battle, much like satisfying their appetites. However, with a great app like Shopkick, it all becomes so much easier.

The guys can’t wait to be taller, and I get that. I also know that there are going to be so many more grocery bills between where they are now and the day they reach their maximum heights. This can bring on a bit of anxiety sometimes, but with an app like Shopkick to help me save money, you know what? I think I’m ready to handle it.

Ready to start finding your own ways to save money on groceries with an app? Download Shopkick for free and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered how rewarding—and fun—shopping with us 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 stokkete

Dollar store coupon apps: Is it possible to save even more?

Posted on July 11, 2018 by shopkick

There are things you expect as a parent and things you have absolutely no idea about. This sounds kind of obvious, but it’s true. For example, my husband and I definitely expected to spend some sleepless nights rocking babies back to sleep when our boys were born, and, let me tell you, did we ever. However, there were other changes to our lifestyle of which we didn’t have the foggiest notion. For example, the stores that we find ourselves shopping at these days have literally changed a good deal.

We used to get all our groceries and household goods from our local grocery store. This, however, isn’t entirely necessary with three growing boys at home. There are things that we can get from dollar stores now that satisfy them just fine, like brown paper bags for their school lunches, snacks for when they’re home during the summer, and tons of other items. The fact is, we can save quite a bit of money these days. Though, if you’re like me, no matter where you shop, you wonder if it’s possible to save even more. Well, I’m here to tell you it is and that’s where dollar store coupon apps come in.

That’s what we’re going to talk about today, dollar store coupon apps, why you should make sure that you have one, and my favorite shopping app that you’ll love if you like extra savings. Dollar stores are a great way to save money when you have a growing family like we do, but why stop there? There are apps out there that can save you even more!

What are Dollar Store Coupon Apps?

Remember when you were a kid, and your parents used to literally take a pair of scissors and clip coupons out of newspaper ads? Well, I certainly do, and so the easiest way for me to explain what dollar store coupon apps are is to draw a comparison to that, except obviously this time around there aren’t messy things involved like stacks of newspapers, scissors, and paper cuts (ouch!).

Two of the major dollar store companies—Dollar General and Family Dollar—have coupon apps that allow you to use digital coupons in-store. These dollar store coupon apps are loaded with digital coupons, weekly ads, and all types of money-saving information. Who knew there was a way to get even greater dollar store deals?

Why You Need a Dollar Store Coupon App

If you’re asking yourself why you need a dollar store coupon app, the answer is pretty simple: to earn more savings, duh! Let’s face it, those of us who run out to the dollar store for things like cleaning spray, garbage bags, and little snacks aren’t doing it for the glamor. Obviously, we’re doing it to save. So, why not compound your savings even further?

Simply put, with a dollar store coupon app you can rack up even more savings each time you set foot in the dollar store.

If You Love Dollar Store Coupon Apps, You’ll Love This App

So, now that you’re familiar with dollar store coupon apps and why it makes all kinds of sense for you to have one, let’s take a look at another app that can help you save in a similar way at some of your favorite stores.

When it comes to taking my overall shopping game to the next level, I like to use a shopping rewards app called Shopkick. How it works is pretty simple. You just go do the things you do whenever you go out shopping, things like walking into stores, going down aisles browsing products, and making purchases. Then, Shopkick gives you points, which it calls kicks.

And if you don’t feel like going anywhere, there are also tons of ways to earn kicks right from the app. 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.

What’s really great about Shopkick is that it gives you points for the shopping you do at such a wide variety of stores. Once you’ve saved up enough of these points, you can trade them in for gift cards. For example, let’s say you go out shopping for groceries, you can earn points that eventually turn into the equivalent of cash.

It’s a pretty simple concept, every time you shop, the app gives you points.

I love my kids and I also love that I’ve had to get creative in finding new ways to shop for them while also racking up the savings. One of my favorites of those ways, as I noted above is Shopkick. I just can’t say enough good things about it and I really hope that you also give it a try.

It’s a pretty simple concept, every time you shop, the app gives you points. Earn enough points and you can trade them in for gift cards and receive cash back—cash that can be used at the dollar store, of course! You don’t even have to thank me when you’re done!

Ready to take your savings game to the next level by? Start using Shopkick today to earn gift cards for free. 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 Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping inspiration.

Image courtesy JohnKwan

2 fun shopping apps that save money and rack up rewards

Posted on July 9, 2018 by shopkick

My boys don’t really have the most expensive tastes. I mean, they like somewhat pricey things like video games and movies. What kids don’t? But they can also have tons and tons of fun just playing hide-and-seek with each other at the park. One of their favorite games to play is capture the flag, which in our house is more like capture the old t-shirt, and how it works is that one of them will hide a t-shirt and the other two will have to hunt around to find it. Whoever finds it first is the winner.

It’s simple, but they really do seem to have a blast playing it. It makes me happy because it’s totally free and keeps them busy for hours. It’s a win-win situation! It got me thinking recently how nice it would be if I could have the same amount of fun as an adult and also save money, too. Well, it turns out there is actually a way to do this with shopping apps that save money while also giving you a way to have fun at the same time.

Some of them do this by turning trips to the store into scavenger hunts for rewards points and others by letting you create a wish list for the items you’re most hoping to save money on. Whatever the means, the end is more or less the same: major savings while also having a whole lot more fun each time you go out shopping. I’m a huge fan, and I sincerely hope you like these apps as much as I do!

Fun Shopping Apps That Save Money

#1: Flipp

The first shopping app that saves money is called Flipp, which right off the bat even has a fun name…and also reminds me of the last time one of my boys got injured, but that’s a story for another time. The way Flipp works is great for those of us who like to make wishlists. Basically, with Flipp you make a list of all the items out there that you’re hoping to buy and the app uses that list to show you what stores you can find those items at and for the best prices.

It’s really fun to use because this app helps you find things like clothes and electronics that you’ve been coveting for a while at prices you never expected to find them. It’s a great way to essentially alert yourself to when items on your own personal wishlist have become more attainable with better prices. At least, that’s how I use it, and I’ve had quite a bit of luck saving money with Flipp while also racking up major rewards!

#2: Shopkick

This app on my list is the most fun. It’s a shopping rewards app called Shopkick, and how it works is that it gives you points for many of the activities you do each time you go shopping. These activities include scanning the barcodes of certain items to get more information, making purchases, and even just walking into the store. You can then trade those points that you earn through Shopkick in for gift cards to all of your favorite stores.

And if you don’t feel like going anywhere, there are also tons of ways to earn kicks right from the app.

This is a whole lot of fun because it basically turns every trip out shopping into a scavenger hunt for points. If you’ve ever felt like shopping is a boring chore, say goodbye to that. With Shopkick, you’ll instead find yourself looking forward to going shopping so that you can hunt down all the best deals while also having a ton of fun!

So, there you have it. As a mother of three imaginative boys, I think I’m a pretty good resource for finding ways to have fun. The ways I talked about above are among my favorites because they also help me save money while I’m out shopping too, which for obvious reasons is another thing I’ve become quite good at, especially when it comes to groceries.

One last piece of advice: Shopkick is easily combined with the other app I mentioned here. You just simply use them both at the same time, thereby doubling your savings. While both of these apps are great, I just don’t know if I could live without Shopkick. Or, at least how I could shop without it. It’s become that vital to my budget and the fun I have with it has become equally as vital to my shopping routine!

Ready to start using fun shopping apps that save money while at the same time racking up the rewards? Start using Shopkick today to earn free gift cards to all of your favorite stores. 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 Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping inspiration.

Image courtesy Dean Drobot

Everything you need to know about Prime Day

Posted on July 3, 2018 by shopkick

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.

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

Posted on June 27, 2018 by shopkick

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

I 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

Posted on June 25, 2018 by shopkick

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+

My 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?

Posted on June 22, 2018 by shopkick

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?

Before 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