Is your wallet in desperate need of some fast cash? Too many trips to Applebee's slimming your bank account? Saving money is as easy as holding a cellphone. With these 4 free apps, you can save money at the grocery store while also earning sweet rewards.
1. Shopkick
Kick your shopping bills to the curb with Shopkick. This is an app that allows users to collect "kicks" to win fabulous prizes. From Target to Walmart these kicks can get you amazing gift cards to awesome grocery stores. If you're looking for something on the go, even Papa Johns and Starbucks knows that Shopkick is the app for you.
So how does it work? Well, there is a minimum one must reach in order to redeem any rewards; $2 for every 500 kicks. To give you a better idea, if you wanted a $10 gift card you would need 2,500 kicks. Each rebate on the grocery item will vary in the number of kicks, from 15 kicks to even 300! Free money? Yes, please.
Just by entering a store you'll be collecting kicks, or you can simply scan a QR code of a featured item. Bam, you just gained a boatload of cash.
2. Ibotta
Ibotta large pizza from Papa John's with the boatload of cash I made off this app. Ibotta knows where the popular restaurants are, but the rewards don't stop there. You can also redeem gift cards for grocery stores.
Once you figure out what items you want a rebate on, you click on it and it will unlock. The items purchased will be verified by scanning the QR code as well as photos of the original receipt. Then you will have cash into your account. Cha Ching.
As eager as you are to "withdraw cash" for your ramen noodle needs, you can't do that until you hit $20 or more in rewards. Your rewards then turn into electronic gift cards of your choice for places such as: Cabela's, Whole Foods Market, and Applebees. If you prefer another form of payment, you can receive it through either PayPal or Venmo. This option can give you money towards any food you desire.
3. MobiSave
Whale I just saved a few bucks, and that was a lot easier than I expected. The categories provided under "meals" makes it easy to navigate and save big.
You click on the item you want to get a rebate for and press "save." This will put the items in an easy folder that will show you all the groceries you want rebates for. To redeem you must take photos of your receipt, then the receipts will be under a submitted section that will go for approval. If approved, the money will be sent to your PayPal account.
Compared to other apps that give you the choice for gift cards, it can be helpful to only direct the money to PayPal. This can be so if you are on a tight budget if the money is only being directed to your bank account you'll be less likely to spend it.
#SpoonTip: The site is PayPal exclusive only.
4. Checkout 51
Ring Ring, what's that? The sound of you making more money? All you must do is tap on the Checkout 51 bell icon and this will notify you about all your possible bonus cash back offers. Think of this as stacking coupons in a store; you are getting additional savings for buying the same thing.
Checkout 51 is a very similar app to Ibotta. You are given different offers weekly, and those items are categorized into groups like Pantry and Snacks & Sweets. Starring items activates a rebate and then, when you're ready, you can upload your receipts through photos.
After uploading your receipts, you will receive a credit in your account. The company will then mail a check to you, but only when you achieve the $20 minimum. This is what makes Checkout 51 different from the other apps because they require a mailing address.
It may seem crazy that something that we carry around with us on a daily basis can save us so much money. With these 4 apps you can put some extra change in your pocket. If you're trying to figure out where to eat on a Friday night, that $20 gift card you earned might make your decision a whole lot easier.