Shopping Apps that Pay You to Shop

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People ask me all the time how I save money on groceries.  I share with them how I match sale ads with coupons, but I also share another secret.  I tell them how I use shopping apps that pay me to shop!  Yes, I really said, pay me to shop. 

There are several apps that pay you money for scanning items at the store, or give you money back for buying items that you were already going to be buying anyway. Here is the list of my favorites. 

My #1 app of choice is Ibotta.  Did you know that Ibotta not only works with most grocery stores, but also some restaurants, specialty stores and  movie theaters. They are frequently adding more places to their long list of companies they partner with.  It is easy to earn money with Ibotta. If you buy one of the items on their list, scan your receipt and UPC code, and within 24 hours they will put money in your account.  Currently if you register  for Ibotta here and accept your first offer within 10 days, you will earn a $2 bonus on top of the offer that was redeemed.  

A similar app that is relatively new to me is checkout 51. Instead of shopping at a specific store, each week, Checkout 51 has new cash back offers on specific items. If you buy something on their offer list, just click the offer, and scan your receipt.  I really like what I see about this app so far.  

Jingit  is a bit different, but also pays you to shop.  There are several ways you can earn money with Jingit.  Online you can watch  short ads, answer a couple of questions, and money will immediately be added to your account.  If you shop at Target, Walmart or Kroger, you can add more money to your account by scanning a few select items with your phone.  If you buy those items, you will earn even more.  Through the app you can get  Jingit Visa Debit card and then you can instantly spend the money you earn through the app. 

Another fun app that I enjoy using is Checkpoints.  For this app, you do not need to buy anything to earn points. When you enter a store, check into the app. You will then be given a handful of items to scan. Scan them, and the points will really start to add up. In addition to scanning items you can also play an instant win game, and possibly win up to 150,000 points. Exchange the points your earn for gift cards for many of your favorite stores such as Target and Amazon.  

Shopkick is another points app, that pays you to shop. You earn "kicks" when you check into your favorite stores. Earn more "kicks" when you scan or buy featured items Often you will receive coupons on items right to your cell phone that can be used while you are in the store. .   When you earn enough "kicks"  they can be exchanged for gift cards. 

Another thing that is great about these apps, you can pretty much use any or all of them every time you shop. 

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