I love to shop but even more than that, I love getting rewards and cashback from my purchases. My personal goal is to always maximize each dollar that I spend by getting rewards like gift cards, cash back or airline miles from the money that I spend with retailers. I try to spend very wisely and intentionally but I feel even more comfortable with my purchases knowing that they went the extra mile. Below are a few of the apps that I use to maximize my purchasing power. These are also great sources of passive income to incorporate into your sources of income.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you.
Rakuten– I love Rakuten. It used to be called Ebates but its name changed not long ago. With Rakuten you can simply search for the retailer that you’d like to use through their website, activate the offer, then begin shopping. It’s that easy to use! They also have an app that gives the option to activate “in-store” purchases. Rakuten pays out any earnings on a quarterly basis through Paypal. Since I joined Rakuten a few years ago, I have earned over $1000 with Rakuten. I don’t buy a thing without going through Rakuten first. Learn how to get started on Rakuten.
Ibotta– Ibotta is a great app for getting cash back on grocery store purchases. The app displays product offers at various grocery stores like Kroger, Publix and Sprouts along with how much cash back you can get for purchasing that item. Once you purchase an eligible item, you’ll scan the item and your receipt and get cash added to your Ibotta account. Once you hit $20 you can initiate a transfer into your bank account. Check out Ibotta.
Dosh- Dosh is really great if you don’t like having to go in an app to get cash back. Once you add your cards in Dosh it’ll automatically give you cash back at their selected retailers. Learn more.
Upromise- Upromise is like Ibotta and Rakuten combined. The site was made to help parents save for college. Adults can also use it to save for their own education and/or use it to pay off student loans. To earn money, you must go through their website or app to activate purchases in order to receive cash back or you can go grocery shopping and get cash back on specific items. I’ve earned over $1000 through the years with Upromise. Sign up today.
Skymiles Dining– This site allows you to earn Delta Skymiles at different restaurants. You add your cards to your profile and you’ll automatically get cash back at restaurants that are within the program. The best part is, you don’t have to do anything. Just go to a restaurant and it’ll automatically gift you miles from that purchase. I love when I get an email stating I’ve been given miles for dining and I didn’t even know I was going to a partner restaurant. Chi Ching!
ReceiptPal– You can earn gift cards to places like Amazon and even Visa gift cards on ReeiptPal. You scan your receipts until you reach your reward goal then you can cash out for the gift card options that they have. Bonus: this app serves as a way for you to keep up with your receipts for personal reasons. Start scanning your receipts so that you don’t miss out.
Poshmark – Poshmark is a great app/website to sell clothes and even home decor that you no longer need. You can find everything from bathing suits to wedding dresses with very steep discounts on Poshmark. I have sold items and shopped on Poshmark. Use code: ITSKATREENA for $10 towards your first purchase.
Seated – This is a dining app available in select cities. It allows you to get a percentage of your dining bill back in rewards. The rewards can be converted to gift cards at some pretty great stores like Target and Sephora. Right now the app is only available in select cities. See if Seated is available in your area.
Mystery Shopping – This is a very fun way to make extra cash. As a mystery shopper, you’ll act a “retail spy” as you visit businesses to observe customer service, the way that services are rendered, the cleanliness of a place, food quality, etc. I created a pretty sizable income for myself when I started mystery shopping in college. I also received lots of free stuff from some of my favorite stores because I needed to either evaluate the product or the shopping experience from a consumer standpoint. There are tons of companies that you can sign up with to start mystery shopping. A few of my favorites are Second to None, Gigspot and Jancyn
Bonus: Local consignment store. I love consigning gently used clothes at my local consignment stores. It’s a great way to get rid of items that no longer serve you but still earn money from them. I’ve made about $600 from consigning in the past couple of years.
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