x
Breaking News
More () »

9 ways to save (or earn) money on everyday purchases

You can earn money by saving your receipts and uploading them to various apps.
A sample of the ibotta offers from July 3, 2018

KUSA - Who doesn't enjoy saving money or better yet, earning money?

I use a lot of Apps and websites to help me save or even earn money on everyday purchases. I'm sharing them below so you can use them too.

ibotta App

ibotta is a Denver based company that pays you for shopping. I have been using the App since 2014 and since then I have earned more than $200. That might not seem like much over four years, but when you consider most it was earned about 25 cents at a time things have really added up.

All you have to do is browse the App, select offers and then buy them at a participating store. Submit your receipt by taking a picture and watch your earnings grow. Offers are constantly changing. Many are brand or product specific, but there are plenty of generic offers, where you can earn money for buying any box of cereal, or any item at participating store.

It doesn't end there. They also have percentage back offers. For example, last month, I earned $5 on a laptop I purchased at Best Buy, just by having the store clerk scan the App prior to paying.

You have to reach $20 before you can withdraw the crash from your account.

Fetch Rewards

Fetch Rewards is an app that allows you to earn points for purchasing specific brands which can then be redeemed for gift cards. I just recently started using the app and have already reached the 3,000 point minimum for a reward.

Fetch Rewards

At 3,000 points you can receive a gift card for $3. Earn 50,000 points and you can get gift cards worth $50.

Similar to ibotta you make purchases and then upload your receipts by taking a photo. You'll earn points for every item you purchase at any store from the 250+ popular brands in the app. They include Kraft, Lipton, Suave, Heinz, Dove and many more.

Amazon Prime subscribe and save

Consider joining Amazon Prime and taking advantage of their subscribe and save program. You can save 5 percent by opting for a recurring delivery. You'll get an email every month reminding you of your order and allowing you to make changes or skip the order altogether. If you reach a minimum number of items for delivery you can save 15 percent.

I take advantage of the program to buy diapers and baby wipes. This month's delivery of a 160 count package of Luvs size 4 diapers cost me $27.68 including taxes. The same item is listed on Walmart's website for $35.88.

The program can save you money and is super convenient, however, there is an annual fee of $119 for Amazon Prime so you'll have to decide if the benefits are worth it to you.

EBATES

I never shop online without checking for cash back potential. As mentioned earlier, you can earn a percentage back on purchases through ibotta, but EBATES is also an option. You can download their app or use their desktop site.

Offers on EBATES

Through EBATES, I have earned just shy of $27 by simply shopping online. You can get a percentage back on purchases made by following links to retailers from the EBATES site. The percentages are typically 1 to 2 percent but can go up from there, especially around the holidays.

Once you've earned more than $5 you'll automatically be mailed a big fat check. (that's what they call it)

Coupons.com and app

The app allows you to add coupons, but in most cases instead of getting a discount like a traditional coupon, you earn cash which is then deposited into a PayPal account which you link with the app. Similar to the other apps, you just purchase the items and submit your photo by taking a picture.

You can also print paper coupons to be used in store.

Checkout 51

The app works just like ibotta. You add offers, upload your receipt and earn cash back. Once you have earned $20 you can request a check. Just like the others, there are some brand-specific offers as well as generic ones.

Target Cartwheel and REDcard

Through the Target app you can add Cartwheel discounts. They include manufacturer coupons for products and percentage discounts offered by Target. You have to search the deal and add the ones you want to use. They show up instantly so if you add a deal while you're shopping it'll be ready to use at checkout.

Target Cartwheel

I'm not big on credit cards, so I love that Target offers the REDcard debit card. It's a separate physical card that you link with your existing debit card or checking account. You can still take advantage of the 5 percent REDCard discount on all purchases but don't have to go in debt to do it.

REDCard holders are also eligible for free shipping when purchases are made using the card online. Similar to Amazon's subscribe and save, REDcard holders can sign up for recurring delivery and save 15 percent on baby items.

Southwest Rapid Reward credit card (or other airline discount programs)

This is the one credit card that I use. We use the card to pay many of our monthly bills and then pay the card off each month.

Cardholders earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all purchases. Two points are earned for every $1 spent on Southwest purchases and Rapid Rewards Hotel and car rental partner purchases. You can also earn 40,000 bonus points if you spend $1,000 in the first three months of opening the account. There's a 3,000 point bonus every year on your cardmember anniversary.

We used points to purchases three plane tickets from Denver to Pittsburgh earlier this year and only paid a total of $33.60. (The points will not cover the 9/11 security fees.)

Be aware there is a $69 annual fee, but when you consider how much three plane tickets would have cost, it's well worth it to me.

If you prefer another airline, check to see if they offer a similar program. Nerdwallet has a good comparison of cards.

Walmart Savings Catcher

I don't shop at Walmart all that often, but if I do I make sure to scan my receipts into their Savings Catcher App.

It will automatically check for sales at competing retailers and then load the difference on a store gift card. I haven't used my rewards yet but I've earned about $10.

These apps are not endorsed by 9NEWS they're simply ways I've found to save or earn money. There are plenty more but I wanted to keep the list to 9.

Have another way to save or a story idea? Email me at janet.oravetz@9news.com

Before You Leave, Check This Out