I love love, love spin class. My preference is generally to go about three times a week but, trust me, I would go waaay more if I could find the time. In fact, I’d be there basically every day if it was practical!

This explains why I recently had a crisis when my favorite spin studio moved to the other side of town after someone bought the old building it was in and decided to turn it into condos. I didn’t want to change studios! I had my favorite instructors, my favorite ladies to ride with, my favorite times to go… I even had a favorite bike! Following my spin-sters to the new location would have added so much drive time that I probably would have started missing sessions. So, I did what we all do when it comes time to find a new anything—I took to Yelp and Google Reviews to find nearby spin classes, then chose the most popular one.

The good news is, I’m really, truly happy at my new spot! The schedule is just as good as my old fave (maybe even better), the music is great and the sound system is fantastic, the instructors are intense but not too intense, and I’m even getting used to a new bike. The reviews also told me that this place is home to some of the friendliest riders around, and, guess what? They were right!

Of course, I miss my crew from my last spin studio, but I’m already making some great new friends here. I’m overall grateful I switched, and I’m super glad I could go online and easily find a place that other people in my community seemed to really like.

This is just one example from my own life of how I’ve recently discovered that popularity can be a good thing. There’s another one that I want to talk about today: retail shopping apps.

Retail shopping apps are incentive programs you use from your phone to get paid for the shopping you do already. I know, amazing right? Specifically, I want to get into which are the most popular free mobile shopping apps for earning rewards fast—maybe even as fast as I ride at my spin class! With that in mind, let’s take a look at what makes an app popular and why, starting with the features of my personal favorites.

Common Features of the Most Popular Mobile Shopping Apps

I admit that when Yelp, Google, and Amazon reviews first became a thing I was a little skeptical. I’ve always liked things that are just a bit outside of the mainstream and off the beaten path. What I quickly learned, though, is that even things outside the mainstream can score high in online reviews. To find them, you just had to know what qualities to search for. With restaurants, for instance, this meant looking out for adjectives like cozy, eclectic, charming, or little mom-and-pop.

In much the same way, I think it’s also important to look for basic features that are inherent to all of the best mobile shopping apps. Here are some common features that these apps simply must have:

• Compatible with both Android and iPhone: This one is a no-brainer. If an app is being ranked as among the most popular, it generally has to be available to users of both iPhones and Androids. It would be pretty hard to make any popularity list without being available to the largest number of users.
• Pays you to grocery shop: It’s no secret that my second favorite hobby (behind spin class, of course) is clothes shopping. But even someone who hits up Nordstrom Rack on a weekly basis like me still does more grocery shopping than anything else. We all have to eat after all, which makes getting paid to grocery shop a vital quality that all the most popular apps share.
• Works with multiple big retailers, both online and off: Any mobile shopping app worth having has to work with the stores that I frequent the most, like Walmart and Target. But, since it’s 2018, it’s also vital that, in addition to giving you points for shopping at brick-and-mortar stores, mobile shopping apps let you earn gift cards for shopping online.

Most Popular Mobile Shopping Apps Statistics

My personal favorite among the most popular mobile shopping apps is called Shopkick, and it has all the common features we mentioned above and then some. Don’t take just my word for it, though. Poking around online recently, I discovered statistics that show that in 2017, Shopkick was one of the most popular mobile shopping apps. When it came to apps you can use to get points at multiple stores, my personal favorite, Shopkick, is the most popular!

It’s easy to see why. If you’re not familiar, how Shopkick works is that it gives you points for shopping online or in-person for the things you already do during your normal shopping trips. If you’re in-person, this means you get points just for walking into a store, and for scanning the barcodes of certain items to get more info, and for taking pictures of your receipt after you’ve made your purchase. It’s a similar system for shopping online, except now you get points for visiting online stores, viewing products, watching informational videos, and for using your mobile phone to buy products. Easy! 

You get points just for walking into a store … and for taking pictures of
your receipt after you’ve made your purchase.

Change can be hard, but knowing what to look for and having crowdsourced info about the most popular options can make trying new and different things easier. Just look at me with all my new spin class ladies. You know how I know that these new ladies are becoming my friends? I’ve already got them using Shopkick! After spin class, we usually start by talking about how tough the day’s session was, then before you know it we’re into what our favorite recent specials on Shopkick have been. It’s a great way to bond!

Start using the most popular free mobile shopping app for earning rewards fast. Download Shopkick’s free app today and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered the rewards of shopping with a free sidekick.

And, if you love social media as much as you love your smartphone, join Shopkick on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for a little daily shopping inspiration.

Image courtesy stokkete.

I have a theory that, years ago, it was easier to pick favorites. At a recent dinner party, we were playing a game where we went around the table naming our favorite songs, favorite movies, favorite books, etc. It was a great way to spark conversation and get to know each other, but everyone had trouble limiting themselves to one favorite anything. Maybe it’s hard because nowadays we have so much access to information. We use music streaming services with thousands of songs, movie streaming apps with thousands of movies, and audiobook services with millions of titles.

I think this was easier before all of these amazing apps! In high school, even shopping came with fewer choices. Back then, I’d go to the local mall every Friday and visit a regular set of stores. We only learned about the sales when we arrived. Now, with the advent of mobile devices, I base my retail routine around shopping apps that give you credits for buying certain products and for going to certain stores. My rotation of stores for electronics, clothes, jewelry, and even grocery has become much broader.

This is a great thing! Variety is the spice of life—and also the best friend of any serious shopper. A teeny tiny problem has arisen, though: There are so many shopping apps that give you credits to choose from! Don’t worry though, today I want to talk about how to choose a shopping app that gives you credit at your favorite stores—one you will be certain to use over and over and over.

5 Qualities That All Shopping Apps That Give You Credits MUST Have

At that dinner party with the fun favorites game, the hardest question for me to answer was the one about my favorite song. I love listening to music and making playlists. In fact, I have a playlist for just about everything I do on a regular basis: driving, writing emails, spin class, unwinding at night on the sofa with a book and a glass of wine.

Luckily, when it comes to picking a favorite among all the shopping apps that give you credits, you can look for a standard set of qualities. Here are the ones I prioritize:

1. It’s free: This seems like a super simple concept, but it’s worth remembering: To save money, you shouldn’t have to pay any money up front. That’s counterintuitive. The best shopping apps are free.
2. It gives you credits at many stores: That dinner party helped me realize that variety is something we all treasure these days, and the best shopping apps are no different. With so many stores and shopping options out there, you want an app that gives you points for shopping at a wide variety of stores, whether that means rewarding you for the clothes you buy or paying you to shop for groceries.
3. It lets you earn points for various shopping activities: There are some apps that only give you points for purchases, but others let you earn points for all the things you do during a typical shopping trip. The best offer points for purchases and also let you get paid for scanning barcodes to learn about products, and even for just walking into a store!
4. It pays out in gift cards: There are many different ways that these apps can pay you for shopping. Some send a paper check in the mail (um, 2001 called, it wants its payment system back) and some go straight to your PayPal account. Personally, I like an app that pays out in gift cards to all my favorite stores, because it’s just so much more fun that way, which brings me to my next point…
5. It’s f-u-n. Fun, please and thank you: The way to really up your savings with these apps is to use them on a regular and consistent basis.The best way to do that is to make sure the one you use is a ton of fun! My favorite shopping apps not only get me cash back on my shopping but also turn every trip to the store into a fun little scavenger hunt for points. This makes it so easy to remember to use them while I’m out and about.

The Best of the Shopping Apps That Give You Credits

Now that we have a wide variety (sensing a theme here?) in the qualities we’re looking for, it’s time to pick the app that does the best job bringing them all together! For me, that app is Shopkick. I just love the way that Shopkick does all the things we mentioned above, like letting me earn credits for shopping for everything from juice to jeans. Best of all, how it works is super simple and easy. You get points for all the things you do when you’re out shopping, like buying products, scanning barcodes, and even just walking into the store!

Another thing I love about Shopkick is that it plays well with others. In other words, if you have trouble picking just one of the shopping apps that give you credits and instead want to use multiple rebate apps to maximize rewards, Shopkick is a great choice! Plus, their social media network is a great place to talk about the app, or about anything else really. Fair warning, you’ll want to spend lots of time on there. I know I have!

I think 2018 is going to be the hardest year yet to pick favorites, but with shopping apps there’s really only one choice for me: Shopkick. Obviously, I highly recommend you give it a try. Of course, as we’ve figured out today, variety is the spice of life. Your favorite doesn’t have to be my favorite, but I’d be happy if it was! That’s because the fun factor really increases when there are other kickers out there to discuss it with.

Ready to get to know your own favorite of the shopping apps that give you credits? Download Shopkick for free and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered the rewards of shopping with us.

And, if you love social media as much as you love your local Target, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping inspiration.

Image courtesy astremska.

Having three boys who are all pretty close in age can be a lot of fun. They’re always inventing games to play with each other, having loud and crazy video game sessions downstairs, and just making me laugh until my sides literally hurt.

I, of course, love that my boys get along so well, but sometimes wish they weren’t that close to each other, like when it’s cold season and, like clockwork, they all seem to get sick at the same. exact. time. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear they plan it! One starts with the sneezing, sniffles, and runny nose and, before I know it, there’s a chain reaction of sick boys curled up in blankets surrounded by Kleenex.

Doctors visits, prescriptions, and jug after jug after jug of Gatorade don’t fit into my regular monthly budget; I never really plan to spend as much as I do each winter at the pharmacy. Luckily, I’ve become quite the expert at which are the best pharmacy rewards program apps—and why!

These pharmacy programs can really help you find products you need on sale and earn rewards points you can trade in later for cash back in the form of gift cards. If your family is anything like mine, believe me, the day will come when you’ll be grateful you downloaded your pharmacy rewards program apps.

The Best Pharmacy Rewards Program Benefits and Mobile Apps

Our town has plenty of pharmacies for me to choose from when my boys get sick, from CVS to Walgreens to Target to our local grocery store—and I think I’ve tried them all. As a result, I’ve enrolled in a pharmacy rewards program at basically every one of the pharmacies within driving distance of my house.

The first step when trying to maximize your savings is to enroll in multiple rewards programs. Let’s start with the branded store-sponsored programs first before we get into shopping apps you can use at multiple locations. Here are the best pharmacy rewards programs available from specific stores:

• Walgreens Balance Rewards: This is a simple program that gives you points for making purchases at Walgreens. When you accumulate enough points, you can trade them in for savings. It doesn’t get much simpler than that! The program is available on an easy-to-use mobile app, too. Another great benefit of this program is that it gives you access to something called Register Rewards, which are coupons you earn at checkout, usually somewhat related to the things you just bought. They won’t save you money on your first stop, but if you’ve ever had three sniffly boys at home, you know that you’ll probably be back at Walgreens in a day or two and can redeem your savings then.
• CVS ExtraCare: We are fortunate enough to live directly across the street from a CVS. So close, in fact, that when one (or all) of the boys are under the weather, I can just buzz on over there and grab them the tissues, juice, or decongestant they need to feel better without even starting up my car. Oh, and with the CVS ExtraCare program, I can take advantage of some fantastic savings while I’m there—2% cash back on most purchases, to be exact. Almost every time you use your CVS ExtraCare card, you rack up rewards points. Then, those reward payouts are issued to you on a quarterly basis, coming as a nice little surprise on the first of January, April, July, and October. Like the Walgreens Balance Rewards program, this one is also available on a mobile app, making it super convenient. Maybe 2% seems small to you now, but, trust me, it really adds up—especially during cold and flu season!
• Target REDcard: This one is a little different than the other two programs because it’s also a credit or debit card, but if you go to Target as much as I do, it really would benefit you to sign up! With this card, you get these great benefits:
  • 5% savings in-store and online
  • Free shipping on most products you buy online
  • Access to an extended return policy
    

How to Pair the Best Pharmacy Rewards Program with a Shopping App

My boys make a really great team—when it’s not cold season anyway—but one team I like just as much is pairing a shopping rewards app with the programs offered directly by my favorite pharmacies. My pick for the best shopping rewards app is Shopkick, which can be paired with any of the best pharmacy rewards programs I described above.

How Shopkick works is just so simple: I go to Target or CVS or Walgreens to get my boys their meds (or anything else the house needs) and Shopkick gives me points for the things I do while I’m out shopping, like scanning barcodes for more info on featured products, making purchases, and even just walking into some stores. When I’ve earned enough points, called kicks, I can trade them in for gift cards to my favorite stores. And, I can do all this while enjoying the many benefits of the store-branded rewards programs. It basically doubles my savings!

When I’ve earned enough points, called kicks, I can trade them in for gift cards to my favorite stores. And, I can do all this while enjoying the many benefits of the store-branded rewards programs. It basically doubles my savings!

Obviously, I’m never happy to see my boys start to feel crummy, but having these great rewards program apps on my phone to help lessen the costs has been a real lifesaver for me and my budget. I honestly don’t remember how I used to get by without programs like Walgreens Balance Rewards, CVS ExtraCare, and my shopping sidekick, Shopkick.

I could go on and on about the benefits of the best pharmacy rewards programs out there, but I think I just heard one of my boys sneeze. Now I have to listen for any subsequent coughing or sniffling; it may be time to run to the store again and rack up some more pharmacy savings and rewards.

Ready to combine your favorite pharmacy rewards program with the best all-in-one shopping rewards app? Download Shopkick for free and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered the rewards of shopping with us.

And, if you love social media as much as you love your local Target, CVS, or Walgreens, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping inspiration.

Image courtesy leaf

The #1 New Year’s resolution among Shopkick users this year was to save money, with almost 65% of people we polled making this a goal in 2018!

But while many of us may still be feeling optimistic about our 2018 resolutions, many have also already dropped them to the curb. In fact, about 80% of us will forget our resolutions by week 6.

Let’s be honest: sometimes willpower is just not enough to stick to our plans in moments of weakness (looking at you, Starbucks!). Let us clue you in on a few secrets that will help you set your savings habits on auto-pilot and end your year with a bit more cash in the bank!

Spend less, save more

See how Shopkick can help users like Adriana M. meet their savings goals in 2018.

1. Buy in Bulk

Sites like Boxed and Jet.com offer amazing deals on everyday products when you buy in bulk, all delivered right to your door – it’s like Costco from home!

Stock up on staples you know you’ll go through like pasta sauce, healthy snacks (the more you have in the house, the more you’ll have to stick to that other healthy eating goal), or…wine, anyone?

Plus, get kicks for every $1 you spend on Boxed or Jet.com when you buy through Shopkick. Saving money for saving money? Inception!

Check out our roundup of some of the best bulk buys in the app this week.

2. Cook at Home

Research shows people spend an average of $2,000 a year on buying lunch alone! Add that to dinner for a family of 4 every night, and you can imagine how much you would be able to add to that piggy bank if you opted to make your meals instead.

Need the tools to get started, or maybe just re-inspired? Check out these great kitchen appliances from Walmart.com, as well as some other at-home sidekicks that will save you money over time when you make things like coffee and seltzer water on your own, too.

3. Make More Money to Save Money!

We know it sounds crazy, but the best way to save more money is to actually to make more money. So hypercharge those kicks and get paid for what you already do – shop!

Shopkick users rack up kicks to cash in for gift cards for everything from checking into stores and scanning products, to making online purchases, or even simply watching videos.

“Shopkick has been like a part-time job for me,” says April Mahoney from Houston, Texas. “It has helped me make money to buy items for myself and my business, as well as Christmas gifts for family.”

The best part? Shopkickers who save don’t have to sacrifice all their little indulgences or take away from their savings to do so!

Sarah Johnson from Bristol, TN, for example, plans to save money without having to give up her love of shopping. “The more I earn in gift cards the easier it will be to stick to a budget, because momma loves to shop.”

We’re with you Sarah!

Many Shopkickers use their gift cards to fund their annual Starbucks budget, while others save up for family vacations to Disney World with little to nothing out of pocket. After all, the third most popular resolution among Shopkickers this year? Enjoy life to the fullest.

So set a goal, earn more kicks, and save your paycheck for the important things.

Get Started

Visit the app to check out the latest kicks and start working toward your savings goal this year. Don’t have the app? Download it here to join the fun and start earning your free gift cards!

How are you using Shopkick to stick to your New Year’s Resolutions this year? Follow us on Facebook and let us know!