The holiday season can be a great time to earn a few extra bucks, simply by maximizing on the money you are already spending. Here are a few ideas on how to get cash back and make money this holiday season!
1. Make Money While Grocery Shopping
Did you know you can install apps on your phone that will earn you cash back while you do your grocery shopping? Most of them only take a few minutes to check before or after each shopping trip! Here are a few of my favorites:
:: Ibotta – Super simple to use! Just buy your normal grocery items, submit your receipt and get cash back for select items.
:: Saving Star – Register your grocery loyalty cards, redeem offers and then shop. Saving Star automatically rewards you for buying items in the offers you redeemed.
:: Checkout 51– Check their weekly list before you shop. After you shop, submit your receipt and get paid. Any receipt over $60 earns you a chance to win $500.
:: Fetch Rewards – Simply scan each receipt (no loading coupons or anything!), and earn gift cards. My secret tip is to scan your receipts once every two weeks. If you wait this long, they’ll usually send you a bonus 200-300 point offer for your next scan.
2. Make Money While Shopping Online
Rakuten (previously Ebates) is a super-simple and popular way to earn cash back on your online purchases. When you sign up you’ll get $10 cash back immediately! Then share your link with friends and family on your social media or by email and you’ll get $25 for everyone who signs up and makes their first purchase.
Rakuten offers rewards for thousands online sites somewhere in the 5-10% cash back range, but some, like the Entertainment Book, earn you a whopping 17.5% cash back!!!
TopCashback is a growing site with millions of members that gives you access to thousands of cash back deals and coupon codes. Right now, new members can claim $10 off Zuilily. (There can be more than one per household too, woohoo! So if you already have an account, tell your spouse, neighbor, roommate or friend!)
Shopkick is unique because shopping can be done in-store or online, or you don’t even need to shop! Points can be earned for scanning items in the store. This is an app for your phone that rewards you with FREE gift cards for the shopping you already do at places like Target, Walmart, Best Buy, Walgreens, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, eBay, and Groupon. You can redeem points for FREE gift cards to Starbucks, Walmart, Sephora and more.
3. Sign up for a New Credit Card
Many credit cards will offer you sign-up bonuses. For instance, Discover is offering $50 statement credit to new customers—and there is not even a requirement on how much you need to spend to earn the credit.
4. Take Surveys
If you have a little extra time in the morning or evenings, sign up for a few quick survey opportunities. You can earn points to redeem gift cards or other prizes. I have tried most of these survey opportunities and have put my favorites toward the top of the list!
- PineCone Research :: Surveys earn you $3 each, and they’ll email you when you have a survey available. Occasionally, they will send you a product to test, too!
- RewardSurvey :: These surveys are short and simple! What’s unique about this one is you’ll redeem points for popular magazines, audio books, and gift vouchers for popular products.
- SurveyJunkie :: Some of these surveys pay as much as $75! One differentiator with Survey Junkie is that if you do not qualify for a survey, you still earn some points for it.
- VindaleResearch :: Some of these surveys earn you up to $50, plus you can get paid to review products. This one is also nice because you only get paid in cash.
- Survey Club :: Take Surveys and earn cash, sweepstakes and prizes for your participation. Earn cash for participating in online surveys, private panels, focus groups, clinical trials, in-home usage tests, online bulletin boards, taste tests, and mystery shopping studies.
5. Make Money for Searching Online and Reading Emails
Inbox Dollars will pay members to read e-mail, take surveys, play games, shop online, and more! Their advertisers want to hear YOUR opinions on every day products and services and will PAY you to try them.
Swagbucks will also pay you to read email, take surveys, play games, shop online, watch videos, and even search the web (this is my favorite perk that earns me enough gift cards to pay for most of our Christmas gifts each year!)
