How We Used Cash Back Apps To Pay For Travel

You’re already shopping, why not get paid for it?

Over the last several years, I’ve had quite a few people comment on how often we travel. We don’t always take huge vacations. But, as a family, we like to be on the go. We will spring for a weekend getaway to the beach or a hiking trip in the mountains. But our favorite is heading south to Disney World. My wife is a Disney travel agent, after all! (As a side note, go like her page: Walt Express Travel by Lauren)

The question I often get, though, is “how do you pay for it?” We set aside money in our monthly budget each month solely for our travel. But people are surprised when we tell them another trick of ours:

Cash back apps and websites

Yes, we have paid for vacations and spending money using these apps. I know that you’re probably thinking this is impossible, but it’s not. A few years ago, we decided we wanted to take a spontaneous trip to one of our favorite beach towns. We cashed out our earnings on one of the apps and paid for our hotel room for the weekend. We had a blast as a family.

So, how in the world do we pay for travel using cashback apps and websites?

Scanning Items In Store

One of our favorite apps to use is called Shopkicks. You can download this app through the app store and start earning money very easily. You can quickly rack up points, or “shopkicks” by scanning items in the store. The stores vary depending on your area. Most major retailers partner with Shopkicks to offer this opportunity. You will most likely see retailers such as Walmart, Target, Yankee Candle, Sam’s Club, Costco, and other major chain stores available.

This has become a fun game for our kids. We will see who can find the items first. It reminds me of a type of scavenger hunt. We will usually check out the app before we head into the store to get an idea of the items available and then go around racking up “shopkicks”. This has been a great way for us to find new brands and items that we may not have tried before.

If you are scanning items in the local stores, I want to encourage you to be courteous to other shoppers and employees. Don’t leave a mess in the stores. Put things back where you found them.

Purchasing Items

This is where we’ve racked up the most cashback. When purchasing items, we most frequently use Shopkicks or Ibotta. When you purchase an item that is on either app, you will earn a designated amount of cashback on those things. It works in a way similar to coupons. But instead of getting money off your order before you pay, you get the cashback in your account after the purchase.

So, how do you use it? Well, for Shopkicks, you merely walk into the store, purchase an item on the list for that store, and then submit your receipt afterward. With Ibotta, you go through the app beforehand and select the offers that you want to purchase. Afterward, you submit your receipt for your selected offers, and the cashback is credited to you.

With Ibotta, you can often buy multiples of the same item and get cash back. If you want to do something great, especially with the way things are in our communities with hunger, homelessness and other needs, here’s an idea. Buy multiples of the same item and donate the extras to the local food bank or homeless shelter. It never hurts to lend a helping hand to those in need!

In addition to those apps, we also use the website, Rakuten. Some of you may already be familiar with this website. But if not, you can use this website to get a percentage back on your purchases at various stores when shopping online. You will find most major online retailers on this website. We only use this website when purchasing items online.

Bonuses

Both Shopkicks and Ibotta offer bonuses on purchases periodically. For example, on Shopkicks, we recently took advantage of a bonus by purchasing Degree bath products. If you purchased an item from each of the men's and women’s categories, you received bonus shopkicks.

With Ibotta, you can earn bonuses by redeeming a certain number of offers throughout each month. They will also have bonuses targeted toward different brands. For example, purchase a product from a certain brand on two separate shopping trips and receive a bonus of $1. These bonuses may seem trivial, but they add up quickly.

Referring Friends and Family

One other way you can earn money through these cashback apps and websites is by inviting your friends and family. You’re making money by doing things you would normally do. Why not share the wealth with those you love most? Promotions are available throughout the year that sometimes offers bigger bounties for referring other users to these apps.

How Much Can You Make?

Okay, so I know what you may think, “How much money can you make on these apps and websites?” It really all depends on you. It varies depending on your shopping habits, the type, and brand of products you purchase, etc. My personal earnings through Ibotta and Shopkicks alone are well over $2000 over the last couple of years. My wife also uses these apps and websites and earns a considerable amount as well.

We will go through times where we are not as active on these apps and our earnings take a dip. But there are other months that make up for those downtimes. Last month, I made $81 on Ibotta alone.

I would urge you to avoid the trap of purchasing items just to get the cashback, though. Buy the things you need for yourself and your family or things you will donate to others. But don’t buy a ton of stuff that’s going to go to waste just to get cashback.

Final Words

These are fun little side hustles that may not earn a huge income. But they can come in handy when you need a little extra spending money. You can use it as spending money for your next vacation, Christmas, or even fund a DIY project at your home.

You’re most likely already doing these things regularly, so, WHY NOT GET PAID FOR IT?

What about you? What are some of your favorite ways to earn a little extra money?

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