how i continue to save my family money

Please note- there may be some referral links in here. I tried to specify where!

We did our big Disney trip back at the end of September! I funded this entire trip through money-making apps, Swagbucks, and selling stuff we had no use for at garage sales. There was no greater feeling than returning home after an amazing vacation and not worrying about the impending credit card bill! If anyone is interested, I can do a breakdown of our expenses to help you plan for/budget your own Disney World vacation.

Anyway, since that trip, my husband returned to school full-time to become a teacher. That means were are solidly in the one-income family camp. I budgeted diligently in 2019 and used that / the lack of substitute teaching income he would now be bringing in to make our 2020 budget more realistic. And let me tell you: thinks are tight. Granted, our monthly budget includes squirreling away savings earmarked for specific funds--such as unexpected car repairs, local day camps, a small amount for travel, etc. In any case, I knew we would have to watch every single cent this year. While I haven't been as religious about using Swagbucks as I did when I had a savings goal (Disney) in mind, I like knowing I had a little bit of an extra buffer outside of our savings account. We do hope to take another big vacation (my 7-year-old has read all 7 Harry Potter books since Christmas, so we are thinking a split stay between Universal/a few days at Disney) eventually, but between my husband's school and ultimately (hopefully) him finding a full-time teaching job right after, the earliest we could do it would be summer 2022. So if I can even slowly start saving for the prospect of that, it would just be a bonus.

So what do I do now? Swagbucks can absolutely be time consuming. I'm not nearly as obsessed with hitting my daily goal each day so I dabble where I am able. That being said, I've already cashed out $180 just from Swagbucks in 2020. As far as much less time consuming apps, these are what I have been using regularly:

1. Achievement. This is an app that you sync with your Fitbit (or other similar fitness tracker) app and it passively earns points which can be cashed out to $10 in PayPal once you hit 10,000. It is a slow earner, but you don't really have to do anything specific with it. If you open it periodically there are short bonus surveys which can lead to more lucrative offerings. For instance, I was offered a spot in a clinical study about the flu in 2020. Just by answering brief surveys through an Achievement portal, my flu study could net me up to $106 depending on how diligently I participate this year. 

2. Ibotta (referral link if you use code beavlaf at registration). To use Ibotta, you search for stores you normally shop at (mostly grocery stores) and clip coupons in the app for products you plan to buy. When you complete your purchase you upload a snap of your receipt and receive credit back. This can be cashed out once you hit $20 to PayPal, Venmo, or a variety of gift cards. So far I've earned $667.42 just by using it!

3. ReceiptHog. This is an app that you just snap a picture of any receipt you receive and it uploads to the app. You earn coins for receipts and you can also earn bonus surveys for extra coins. These coins can be cashed out to Amazon or Visa gift cards or PayPal. Since I began using this app I have earned $80 and I am on the cusp of earning another $25. 

4. Fetch Rewards (referral link, use code FB2WH during sign-up to get a bonus $2). This is similar to ReceiptHog except it's only for stores that sell groceries. You cash out to a variety of gift cards ranging from Amazon to Dunkin to Target (and a lot more). So far I've earned $53 and I am almost to another $10 reward.

5. ReceiptPal (referral link, we both get bonus points if you use it to sign up). This is just like ReceiptHog except you are limited to how many receipts you can upload per week. You can cash out to Amazon or other retail gift cards. I couldn't quickly figure out how much I have earned from this app since I began using it, but I currently have enough for a $10 reward (I am saving until I hit $50) and I believe I earned over $25 last year.

6. Coinout. Same idea as ReceiptPal. Snap pics of any receipt and get coins which can be cashed out to PayPal, your bank or a gift card. So far I have over $5 in it and I cashed out $15 last year. 

7. Rakuten (formerly ebates. Referral link - you'll get a $10 welcome bonus if you use it and spend $25). I installed the Rakuten button for my browser and it alerts me whenever a site has a cashback option. You simply click to activate the cash back and then do your online shopping. Once a quarter they either cut you a check or send it to your PayPal. My lifetime earnings are $457.41 and that's just for doing online shopping like I normally would.

8. Shopkick (referral link, use code KIND845803 to get bonus kicks when you sign up). You open this app before walking into stores to get walk-in kicks and you can scan specified barcodes in stores to earn kicks also. These can be cashed out to PayPal or gift cards. I haven't been nearly as diligent using this since we did Disney but I do still open it when I walk into stores that have kicks available. I've cashed out $85 since I began using this app.

9. Drop (referral link, use code xc2te to get $5 in credit). I have been using this app way more since we came back from Disney. The reason is because I do a ton of Walmart Grocery pickup. If you place the pickup order through Drop, you earn 3000 points ($3) each time! These points can be cashed out to gift cards like Gap, Macy's, Domino's, etc. I have found the easiest way to use it is to build my grocery pickup order on my computer (while logged into my Walmart account) and then just submitting the order through Drop. I've earned $30 already and I am $2 away from an additional $30. You do have to link a credit card to this app for it to work, but I have had zero issues with security since I began using it early last year.

I know this seems like a lot of work, but snapping receipts takes me less than a minute total across all the apps. When you are living close to paycheck to paycheck, it is easy enough to get in the habit of using these. The pay-off has been worth it for me and it's a great way to make a little extra money.

Money Making App Spotlight: Drop

If you're familiar with Dosh, Drop is a similar concept. You download the app, create an account and link a credit card. When you create your account, though, you get to select 5 retailers that you shop at the most to get an even higher percentage of cash back on your transactions. The best part? The options are amazing! Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, Whole Foods, Target, Trader Joe's, Lyft, etc. Then every time you use your linked card at those locations, you earn points towards gift cards. Link the card once and periodically check in to redeem and that's it! They do have extra "power" offers where you can earn extra (for instance, $40 back at Blue Apron) that are always changing, but this is totally not required. Plus, if you sign up with my referral link, you will get $5 automatically when you link your first card.

Money Making App Spotlight: Shopkick

Shopkick is an app that's a pretty slow earner (at least for me) but is really easy to use (once you form the habit!). Essentially, you earn 'kicks' for things like walking into a store, scanning specific product barcodes, watching short video clips, and sometimes buying specific items. These kicks can be redeemed for gift cards to places like Walmart, Amazon, TJ Maxx, Target, Disney, etc.

I use Shopkick the most at Target when we are already there doing our regular shopping. I almost always get a walk-in (15-50 kicks usually) for having the app open while entering the store, then I can usually get up to 400 or so kicks per visit by scanning specified item barcodes.

Also, every day, I click into the Discover section of the Shopkick app. There will be short video clips (less than 30 seconds) in here that have a kick value associated with them. There are always 3 quick kicks available per day and usually there will be one or two more videos for 3-5 kicks as well.

I've already earned one $25 Disney gift card and I am more than 80% of the way to my second. If you use my referral and complete your first walk-in or scan within 7 days of joining, we will both earn 250 kicks.

Money Making App Spotlight: Dosh

The last app I'm going to focus on for now is Dosh. Dosh is similar to Ebates but on local purchases. For Dosh, you create an account and link your credit card. If you make a purchase at an establishment that is part of Dosh and use your linked credit card, you will automatically get cash back. If you download the app using my referral link and link a credit card, you will automatically get $5. Once you get to $25, you can transfer your balance to your bank account.

Money Making App Spotlight: Achievement

Achievement is the easiest app to use. It is a very slow earner, but it is an earner nonetheless. If you have a fitness tracker (I have this Fitbit and I LOVE it), Achievement syncs to your tracker app and imports your data. You get points for activities--including logging food and water intake, sleep and weight--and once you get to 10,000 points you can redeem for $10 PayPal or direct deposit. You never actually have to open the Achievement app if you don't want to, though they do offer occasional surveys (usually just one yes or no question) for some extra points if you do. I love the passivity of the app but ability to redeem for real money. So far I've only redeemed once, though I am close to redeeming a second time. For next to no effort, though, I'll take it!

Money Making App Spotlight: Ibotta

Ibotta is just slightly more intensive than Receipt Hog or Fetch Rewards. Ibotta serves as a mobile coupon source. They have approved retailers that get offers for specific products. The way I use Ibotta is I make a grocery list (most of the offers are food-related) and before I go I always check the Ibotta app to see if there are any coupons for anything I need to buy. If so, I will write down the details on my grocery list (because sometimes it's more cost effective to buy a store brand even with the Ibotta offers) for reference later. I will also note if there are specific terms (sometimes the coupons may require you to buy more than 1 or there is a limit on how many times you can redeem it) that may influence my decision. After I go shopping, if there is any overlap in what I bought and Ibotta, I just take a photo of my receipt and upload it to Ibotta.

Ibotta is more than just a grocery store app, though. You can also shop through the app online and get a certain percent back on your purchases. When I need to make an online purchase, I always compare Ibotta's cash back with Ebates and Swagbucks, which I will go into later. Once you hit $20, you can cash out to PayPal, Venmo, or a variety of gift cards. If you use my referral link to sign up, you will earn $10 after redeeming some offers. I started actively using Ibotta last summer and I've already gotten nearly $340 back.

Money Making App Spotlight: Fetch Rewards

Fetch Rewards is very similar to Receipt Hog in that you are just taking a picture of a receipt and uploading it to an app. Unlike Receipt Hog, though, Fetch only takes grocery store receipts (or stores like Target where groceries are sold). Fetch is affiliated with specific brands, so you get rewards for purchasing those brands (these brands include Cape Cod, Hershey's, Pepperidge Farms, and Quaker). However, even if you do not purchase an affiliated brand, you often get rewarded just for submitting your receipt. Just like Receipt Hog, Fetch uses points which convert to gift cards. To earn a $3 gift card you will need 3000 points. Gift cards include Amazon, Target, CVS, Kohls, and so many more. If you use my referral code, FB2WH, when you sign up, you will earn 2000 points when you scan your first receipt. So far I have redeemed $30 worth of gift cards from Fetch Rewards.

Money Making App Spotlight: Receipt Hog

Receipt Hog is probably the easiest app I use to make money. All you have to do is take a photo of a receipt and upload it in the app. You get rewarded for each receipt, so I make an effort to upload every single one (groceries, gas stations, restaurants--you can upload any of them). You technically earn coins can be redeemed to PayPal or an Amazon or Visa gift card. To get to $5, you need 1000 coins, but considering it takes less than 30 seconds to upload each receipt, this adds up fast. You may also be offered slots or surveys to earn extra coins based on your purchases. If you wait to redeem your coins, the coin per dollar ratio improves (for instance, instead of needing 3000 coins to get $15, you only need 2900). Just by uploading receipts, I seem to earn about $5/month on Receipt Hog. If any of you have ever done the National Consumer Panel scanner system (which was the biggest waste of my time ever) - this is NOTHING like that.