Just a few months ago Shane and I came to the conclusion that the only way we could put more money back into our pockets was if we only ate peanut butter and bread for a year straight because there was, "no way we could save any more on everything else in our lives." Then I discovered we could save more on our utilities. Then I cut our cell bill down drastically (see my blog on that here), etc, etc. I am constantly reading blogs with titles like, "How to save money on this" or "How I live well on $10,000 a year" because every time I think I know all the tricks of the trade, I find out I'm wrong!
I recently read a blog about saving at grocery stores. The writer said she doesn't coupon, but she does make money by taking pictures of her grocery receipts through a smartphone app. I did a little research and found not just on one, but FOUR different apps that pay people to take pictures of their receipts! (There are probably more than four apps; these are just the ones I found to be the most legit.) I decided to download and use all of them because though I'm probably not going to become wealthy by taking pictures of my receipts, it takes so little time and effort it's worth a try. I've had these apps on my phone for two weeks now and have made about $13 between all of them. If I keep going at that rate, I'll make about $300 a year for simply taking pictures of receipts of my day to day purchases!
Two of these apps are specifically for grocery related purchases, and the other two are for pretty much everything else. Here are the four different apps I'm using...
I recently read a blog about saving at grocery stores. The writer said she doesn't coupon, but she does make money by taking pictures of her grocery receipts through a smartphone app. I did a little research and found not just on one, but FOUR different apps that pay people to take pictures of their receipts! (There are probably more than four apps; these are just the ones I found to be the most legit.) I decided to download and use all of them because though I'm probably not going to become wealthy by taking pictures of my receipts, it takes so little time and effort it's worth a try. I've had these apps on my phone for two weeks now and have made about $13 between all of them. If I keep going at that rate, I'll make about $300 a year for simply taking pictures of receipts of my day to day purchases!
Two of these apps are specifically for grocery related purchases, and the other two are for pretty much everything else. Here are the four different apps I'm using...
Ibotta
I use ibotta for grocery purchase rebates, but they also have offers for shopping, restaurants, and other things. Since I've had this app, I have taken a trip to both Publix and Costco to get only the groceries I needed (ie: I did not buy anything for the sake of getting a reimbursement from ibotta). So far I have accumulated $4.60 from this app and once I hit $10, they will Paypal me the money. They have specific brand name things they will pay me for purchasing, but they also offer to pay for generic things, like any loaf of bread, or bananas.
Of the two grocery receipt apps I have, this one definitely has the highest payout. To earn my rebates I have to watch a short video ad, scan the bar codes of the items purchased, then take a pic and submit my receipt. The other receipt apps just have me taking a pic of my receipt, but I suppose this app pays more because they have me do the 3 step process.
*PS: If you download this app, join my team to help both of us make even more! Just sign up and type in the referral code: hiexetk)
Of the two grocery receipt apps I have, this one definitely has the highest payout. To earn my rebates I have to watch a short video ad, scan the bar codes of the items purchased, then take a pic and submit my receipt. The other receipt apps just have me taking a pic of my receipt, but I suppose this app pays more because they have me do the 3 step process.
*PS: If you download this app, join my team to help both of us make even more! Just sign up and type in the referral code: hiexetk)
Checkout 51
This is the other grocery app. Every week they let me pick my own offer, which is a generic, "We'll give you 25 cents to buy bananas, onions, or tomatoes" kind of thing. Basically, another app that pays me to actually buy what I need. I like that this app takes grocery purchases from anywhere, including Aldi! I have made $5 from them thus far and they will mail me a check once I hit $20. (I have more money here than I do with ibotta because I filled out a survey once I downloaded the app, and they gave me a $1 bonus for my first receipt submission).
Receipt Pal
This is definitely the easiest and most lenient app that pays for receipts. They pay for ANY receipt purchase I submit. All I have to do is take a pic of my receipt and send it. No telling them what I bought, how much I spent, nothing. The only requirement is that the purchase was made within (I think) 30 days of submitting a receipt. I have submitted 24 receipts thus far and almost have enough rewards to redeem 2 $1 Amazon gift cards.
Receipt Hog
This is like the "gamble using your receipts instead of actual money" app. They give me coins based on how much I spend at grocery stores, and slot spins for all other purchases. (They do not accept gas or restaurant receipts.) The slot spins are like the slots at casinos; Sometimes I get 10 coins, sometimes 0, but I have the chance to win $100 or a free shopping trip. It's kind of fun, but not something I'm really making a significant amount of money with. They will Paypal me $5 once I reach 1000 coins. Right now I have 394 coins.
*PS: download this app, and you and I both get 10 free slot spins if you use the referral code: hass5045.
*PS: download this app, and you and I both get 10 free slot spins if you use the referral code: hass5045.
Honestly, you can file these apps in a category titled, "Get rich slower than a snail slow," but you'd still be making money off something that takes little to no effort! Once I have a receipt, it takes me about 30 seconds per app to submit it for my rewards. It's not for everyone, but I think it's worth a try.