Anyone who knows me knows that I talk about shopping at the gym, at lunch with friends, at my office, and even on my Facebook and my Twitter feeds! I love shopping, and I might love even more the conversations I have about my favorite stores, upcoming sales, and the best ways to find discounts. Probably my newest obsession to talk about is in-store branded apps!

Shopping apps are basically everywhere nowadays and, if you’re anything like me, you probably have a hard time even remembering what it was like before we used them. If you’ve never heard of these apps, first of all, where have you been? Second, wow, are you in for a treat! Shopping apps are the best way today for shoppers to save money! The best way to explain them—and I’ve had practice doing that, believe me—is to compare them to those old store loyalty programs. Basically, these are apps that give you rewards for making certain purchases. There’s a huge variety out there, but today I want to hone in on just one: the Walmart Savings Catcher app!  

What is the Walmart Savings Catcher App?

Of all the apps that individual stores offer to their loyal shoppers, the Walmart Savings Catcher app stands out. What this app does is cross-reference your Walmart purchases with the advertised prices of the same item at all the local retailers in your town. Then, if any of those other stores have a lower price on the merchandise, Walmart delivers the difference back to you. It’s a great app to use because it gives you peace of mind that you got the absolute best deal.

It’s also popular because it’s super easy to use. Here’s how it works:

• Scan your store receipt after you go shopping at Walmart: This is exactly what it sounds like. Once you finish your shopping at Walmart, just take out your phone, open the app, and scan your receipt.
• Let Walmart compare the prices: You don’t actually have to do anything here because Walmart will compare what you paid to the advertised prices at all the local competitors.
• Enjoy your savings: If Walmart finds that someplace else locally had a lower advertised price, it will deliver the difference back to you in the form of a gift card.

It’s this simplicity and ease of use that, in my humble opinion, makes the Walmart Savings Catcher app one of the best apps to make cash to bolster your budget. But, there are other ways to make it even more rewarding.

Walmart Savings Catcher + Other Shopping Apps = More $$$

I know I said I was going to focus on just one shopping rewards app, but the truth is there’s actually a way to get extra savings out of the Walmart Savings Catcher app, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t teach you how to maximize your rewards while using it! As it turns out, you can double dip (sort of) on all those Walmart savings if you combine the app with one of my favorite shopping rewards apps.

The app is called Shopkick and it is great because it perfectly augments the Walmart Savings Catcher app. How Shopkick works is that you use it to get points just for walking into a Walmart, for scanning the barcodes of certain products to get more information, and for scanning your receipt after you’ve made your purchases—which you’re going to be doing anyway at Walmart. With Shopkick, you get points for all those activities which you can eventually trade in for gift cards. So, not only are you getting the guaranteed lowest price on everything you buy at Walmart, you’re also earning reward points that you can turn into future gift cards to buy more of the things you love, at places like Walmart!

Not only are you getting the guaranteed lowest price on everything you buy at Walmart, you’re also earning reward points that you can turn into future gift cards to buy more of the things you love.

Of course, Shopkick is not limited to just Walmart. It’s also a great third-party savings app to combine with the apps from other stores, including Whole Foods and Target. Put simply, the Walmart Savings Catcher app is absolutely great, but it’s even better when you combine it with Shopkick!

One thing I’ve learned from my chats with friends about the best ways to use apps to save on shopping is that after they get all of this information, they usually become anxious to go out and start taking advantage of these apps! So, with that in mind, I’ll leave you to it. If you want to talk at some point later, though, I’m always available. I just love love love hearing about success stories that involve Shopkick.

Learn how you can combine the Walmart Savings Catcher app with Shopkick today to save even more money. Download Shopkick’s free app and get ready to be wowed. Welcome to the fun, Shopkicker!

If you’re as social media savvy as you are shopping savvy, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping fun.

Image courtesy Walmart

Let’s be real: dealing with receipts can be a total mess. For years, I had no system. At first, I tossed them as soon as I left the store. Then came the floating receipts phase — my purse was their playground. Eventually, they all got stuffed into my car’s glove box until it overflowed (oops). But now? I’ve upgraded my game. Not only do I have a filing cabinet to keep things tidy (hello, tax season!), but I’ve also discovered a way to actually make money back from those little slips of paper. Enter: shopping rewards apps!

If you’ve never heard of scanning receipts to earn rewards, let me tell you — it’s a total game-changer. It’s super simple: shop, save your receipt, scan it into an app, and boom, you start racking up points. With those points, you can snag free gift cards, discounts, or even cash back. Seriously, why leave free money on the table?

In this post, I’ll share how these apps work, why they’re worth your time, and why my personal fave, Shopkick, is the ultimate tool to make shopping even more rewarding. Ready to make your receipts work for you? Let’s dive in!

Why Scanning Receipts is a Smart Shopper’s Secret Weapon

Shopping is fun, but saving money while you do it? Even better. Scanning your receipts with shopping apps isn’t just about keeping track of purchases — it’s about turning everyday buys into big-time benefits. Think about it: you’re already spending money on things you need, so why not earn something extra along the way?

Here’s why this method rocks:

• Effortless Rewards: All you need is your receipt and a few minutes. Snap a photo, upload it, and you’re done
• Free Stuff: Points can be traded for gift cards to your favorite stores — Starbucks, Amazon, Target, you name it!
• Cash Back Perks: Some apps even give you cold, hard cash just for shopping
• Budget-Friendly Fun: Save on future purchases without cutting into your current budget

It’s basically free money for doing what you’re already doing — shopping. And let’s face it, who doesn’t love getting something for free?

The Inside Scoop: How Shopping Rewards Apps Work

Curious how these magical apps turn your receipts into rewards? Let me break it down for you in three super-easy steps:

1. Shop Like You Always Do: Head to your favorite stores, grab the items on your list, and save your receipt
2. Scan Your Receipt: Open your app, snap a photo of your receipt, and upload it. The app reads the info and rewards you with points for qualifying purchases
3. Redeem Your Rewards: Watch your points add up and exchange them for gift cards, discounts, or cash back

That’s it. Seriously — it’s that simple! Some apps, like Shopkick, even let you earn extra points for fun stuff like scanning barcodes in-store or shopping online. With so many ways to earn, you’ll be cashing in on rewards in no time.

Why Shopkick is the Best of the Best

When it comes to shopping rewards apps, there’s one name that stands out from the rest: Shopkick. Why? Because it’s not just an app — it’s a whole vibe. Shopkick makes earning rewards fun, easy, and ridiculously satisfying.

Here’s what makes Shopkick a standout:

• Multiple Ways to Earn: Points aren’t just for scanning receipts. You can earn kicks (that’s what Shopkick calls points) by walking into stores, scanning barcodes, watching videos, and shopping online
• No Purchase Necessary: Yep, you can earn kicks without spending a dime — just for exploring your favorite stores
• Amazing Rewards: Redeem your kicks for free gift cards to all the places you already love
• Engaging Community: Their social media presence on Facebook and Instagram is full of tips, laughs, and shopping inspo

It’s no wonder Shopkick feels like getting paid to shop — it actually does pay you! Plus, it’s easy to use and makes saving money feel like a game.

Join the Fun and Start Saving!

So, what are you waiting for? Don’t let those receipts go to waste. Join the Shopkick community today and turn every trip to the store into an opportunity to save — and have fun while you’re at it. Your wallet (and your wish list) will thank you!

I may be a pretty skilled grocery shopper these days, but it wasn’t always that way. In fact, when I was younger, I went to the store one time without a list and totally forgot everything I needed. Did I say one time? Because it was really probably way closer to six or seven times.

Luckily, those days are behind me now, and that’s in large part thanks to my handy dandy iPhone. My smartphone—which let’s face it, I carry with me everywhere—put a stop to my forgetting things and impulse buys. For years, I used to put my list in my notes app, but then I discovered something even better: There are shopping list apps for iPhone that can help you organize your grocery store runs even better.

I’ve been asking around (mostly to the guys I play pickup ball with at the park once a month), and hardly anyone has heard about this, which is why I want to talk about it here today. I’ve also discovered that the all-time best shopping list app for iPhone is one that can help you save money when you’re at the store, too. Organized and cheaper? That’s right. Here’s everything you need to know.

What Are Shopping List Apps for iPhone?

Shopping list apps sound like a simple concept, but developers have actually used some really cool tech to make things complex. The best shopping lists apps have databases where you can enter products you normally buy and then just add them to your list without having to type out the whole product. Even better, some of these apps are shareable, so that you can make it accessible to your roommate, significant other, family, or whoever you share shopping duties with.

These days, there’s more than just one shopping list app for iPhone. In fact, there are actually several. Some are just simple apps with checkboxes. Others let you make a list straight from a recipe. And, I even found one that pays me money while I shop!

The Best Shopping List App for iPhone

After trying many of the dozens of shopping list apps for iPhone, I narrowed my favorites down to just a few, although in all honesty there’s only one that I absolutely have to use each and every single time I head to any store.

Let’s take a look at the shopping list apps for iPhone that I think every shopper should know about:

• BigOven: Like all my favorite shopping list apps for iPhone, BigOven does quite a bit more than just make it simpler for you to create a shopping list, although it also does that, of course. BigOven is, fundamentally, a recipe app that lets you easily find recipes for meals to cook later and then auto-populate your list with the items you’ll need. It’s a really great and useful tool for a guy like me who doesn’t mind cooking every so often but who almost never has the time to look up new recipes then parse them into shopping lists.
• Cozi Family Organizer: This is one of those list-sharing apps that helps make sure the entire family is on the same page. Cozi helps coordinate and communicate schedules with multiple people, track grocery lists, manage to-do lists, plan ahead for dinner, and more. It’s such a cool and efficient way to delegate and divvy up any and all shopping responsibilities, which is how we use it in my house. Someone might throw “gallon of milk” on our ongoing list via Cozi Family Organizer, and then the next time someone has to run out for literally any reason, they’ll snag the milk. Easy!
• Shopkick: This last app is easily my favorite of all. It’s called Shopkick, and it does so much more than just make it easier for you to create lists (although, again, it also does that). What Shopkick does is make every trip to the store into a fun game to save money. In the big picture, Shopkick gives you points—called kicks—for simple shopping behaviors, like buying products, scanning the barcodes on certain products for more information, and even just walking into the store. Then, you can turn those points into gift cards to your favorite stores. The shopping list portion of the app is an added plus. Not only can you use it to make a list of things you need, when you add certain items to your list, like pasta sauce, for instance, Shopkick will show you which brands or products are offering extra kicks for purchase. How fun is that?!

Basically, I love Shopkick and because of it, I’m actively engaged when I’m at the store now. I highly recommend it to anyone, from those who just need to make a simple list to others who are hoping to save money. It’s also a great choice for people who don’t generally do the shopping because the app can help guide you through the aisles by telling you which products are available to scan for kicks. Essentially, it’ll turn your list into a cashback kind of venture, which is truly a beautiful thing.

Ready to get organized and save money at the same time with the coolest shopping list app for iPhone? 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 using your smartphone to stay up on social media, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping inspiration.

Image courtesy Dean Drobot

I like to keep my budget using an online spreadsheet. Each month I enter in estimations for how much my husband and I will need for food, clothing, school supplies for the boys, and a few more categories. Some of these categories I like, some of them are just on there because they absolutely have to be. One of my favorite expense categories, though, is the one I just label as fun.

This one is for all the little things that we do to relax, things like taking the boys out for a surprise ice cream, picking up a new board game that we can all play as a family or even for the rare date night when my husband and I are able to magically find time to sneak away and go do dinner and a movie downtown (crazy, I know!). That fun category, in my fun-loving opinion, can never be big enough. That’s why today I want to talk about digital coupon apps for Android that can help to stretch your budget.

Speaking for myself, I know digital coupon apps have been an absolute revelation, one that has been so good for my fun budget that I’d feel bad if I kept them to myself a moment longer. So get ready, because today I’m going to tell you all about what these apps do well, and which ones are my favorites!

What Are Digital Coupon Apps for Android?

There are a few different ways that digital coupon apps for Android work, but the basic idea behind them all is that you essentially get paid to shop either through a reward system or through saving money right at the register! For someone like me—who has three growing boys that have impossible appetites and bodies determined to outgrow all their clothes ASAP—this is absolutely crucial.

Here are the two types of shopping apps that I just can’t live without nowadays:

• Rewards apps: These apps generally give you points for the shopping activities you do already, things like scanning barcodes to get more information, making purchases, and sometimes even just walking into a store. When you get enough points, you can then cash them out for money or for free gift cards. With the amount of shopping I personally have to do, I always go the gift card route. I like that because I can use my gift cards to buy things like clothes, groceries, toiletries and school supplies while redirecting the cash to my fun budget. But that’s just my system—I’m sure you’ll find something great that works for you, too!
• Couponing apps: These apps are a bit more like the paper coupon systems we all used for years before smartphone apps took over. When you buy certain things at the register, you get them at a discount. The way you identify these things can vary depending on the app. There’s one, for instance, that announces new deals each week at midnight on Thursday like clockwork, while others require you to page through flyers online and circle and clip coupons you find there just like you used to with scissors. Either way, the end result is a lower bill and more funds for the all-important fun budget! All with the help of your handy-dandy Android device…isn’t that cool?

The Digital Coupon App Android Users Love

As someone who has been using digital coupon app for Android for a while now, I’ve actually found a favorite. And you know what the best part of it is? With the best, I’m able to use two apps together to maximize my rewards!

Here’s how I use two apps together to set aside more funds in my fun budget:

• SnipSnap: This is a really cool couponing apps that lets users take pictures of printed coupons, which it then transforms into digital, mobile-ready ones. With SnipSnap, I can browse online directories and take advantage of coupons that my friends have “snipped” too, which makes it feel a bit social. This is one of those apps where the savings come at the register, and the idea is that coupons can all be easily kept in one digital space, instead of having an overflowing little billfold stuffed with paper cutouts. Or a junk drawer where you stuff all of them, just like I used to have back in the day!
• Shopkick: Now we come to my all-time favorite digital coupon app for Android: Shopkick! There are a few different reasons that I love Shopkick, and chief among them is that how it works is just so easy. In the simplest terms, with Shopkick you get points—called kicks—for walking into the store, for scanning certain products, and for snapping a pic of your receipt. You can then trade those points in for gift cards to all your favorite stores. See? Easy! And you can even use it online, where you get points for visiting online retailers, watching videos about certain products, and, of course, buying them! Plus it combines super easily with SnipSnap and with plenty of other cool coupon apps as well! I can’t recommend it enough.

I know today we were talking about apps for Android, mostly because that’s the device I use. But for all you folks out there who use iPhones, SnipSnap and Shopkick is also available on iOS. I know because I also participate in Shopkick’s super cool social media streams, especially on Facebook, where I find myself sharing tips and also jokes with tons of other users just like me!

Using [Shopkick] turns every trip to the store into a scavenger hunt…

I really hope I’ve inspired you to join the Shopkick fun! Using it turns every trip to the store into a scavenger hunt, kind of like a game, and my philosophy with games has always been the more the merrier!

Learn more about the absolute best digital coupon app for Android and start boosting your own fun budget today! Download Shopkick’s free app and get ready to be wowed. Welcome to the fun!

If you’re as social media savvy as you are shopping savvy, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping fun and inspiration.

Image courtesy JacobLund

My dad is kind of one of those old-school dads who, these days, I think only is represented in the movies and on TV. When I was growing up he always had his favorite recliner, he never missed watching his favorite football team’s big game, and he used to get lost like a little kid whenever he had to do the grocery shopping for us.

He’s retired now, and we’ve had a few good laughs at how shopping-averse he used to be, and how he just couldn’t seem to ever find what we were looking for in those aisles, no matter how clearly labeled they were. Luckily, I think the dads in my generation are a bit more savvy about shopping, even if a few guys I know are just as shopping-averse. But they all agree  that there’s nothing like finding the lowest prices. That’s why today I want to share some tips about grocery coupon apps for Android.

These are apps that bring some serious savings to the shopping process. Some of them are, surprisingly, a lot of fun to use, turning trips to the grocery store into a hunt for points you can redeem for savings and rewards. So, what’s the best grocery coupon app, Android aficionados? Let me tell you about some that are super valuable.

Grocery Coupon Apps for Android

Android apps that make you money while you shop are a relatively new development, so before we get into my favorites, let’s talk about how the best retail and grocery coupon apps for Android work.

Basically, the best grocery coupon app—Android or iPhone compatible—gives you points for the things you do when you’re out shopping already, like scanning barcodes to get more info, making purchases, and even walking into the actual brick-and-mortar stores. For the online crowd, some of these apps give you points for that kind of shopping, too. Here, however, you get points for visiting online stores, watching videos about certain products, and, of course, making purchases.

There are also grocery coupon apps for Android that function more like traditional coupons. These apps give you a certain dollar amount or percentage off at the register. Either way—whether you get points and rewards or use digital coupons—you really can’t go wrong. When you’re done with all that shopping that you’re averse to, you’ll still have accrued some serious savings, and that always feels good.

The Best Grocery Coupon App: Androids and iPhones Make Shopping Easier

To be totally honest, I don’t really love grocery shopping, so I’m the type of shopper who gets in and out of a store as fast as possible. Shopping feels like an obstacle between me and my priorities, although I can tell you that I like it a whole lot more now that I’ve discovered that I can make money shopping using free Android and iPhone apps.

There are actually three grocery coupon apps that I especially like:

• Coupon Cactus: Coupon Cactus is a lot like those old paper coupons (which my dad never even tried to use): You get certain discounts on certain items at certain stores. The big difference is here you can do it online, too. Your savings sometimes adds up to a percentage of the total price—generally up to 30%—or to a set amount, like $2 off a featured product. Once you those savings reach $10 or more, you can cash out via PayPal, or get a check issued on a quarterly basis.
• SavingStar: SavingStar is another digital coupon app that pays users to shop at grocery and drugstores. What’s really cool is that more than 60,000 stores are part of SavingStar, and overall they represent more than 100 retail chains. It’s generally free to use, but beware: If an account is inactive for 180 straight days, they will charge a fee of $3.99. To take advantage of SavingStar, users either link their existing store loyalty cards to the app or submit receipts after they make purchases. The savings add up until the user can eventually cash out through PayPal, Upromise, or in the form of Starbucks, iTunes, or AMC Theatre gift codes. Again, I’m a PayPal guy, but sometimes I’ll go with AMC Theatre if there’s a new Marvel movie coming out that I want to catch.
• Shopkick: My favorite shopping rewards app is, hands down, Shopkick. It’s also the one I recommend to my dad friends who dislike shopping. This app gives users points—called kicks—for the kind of shopping they would be doing anyway, like making purchases, scanning barcodes of items, and even just walking into some favorite stores. How it works is incredibly simple, too, which you’d know is a good thing if you’d ever met my friends.
  
  To put it simply, I’m a fan. Basically, Shopkick turns shopping into an actual game, like a scavenger hunt, and it’s really social. They keep a great community vibe on their social media, and users get awarded kicks when they refer friends who sign up. Users trade in kicks and get paid in gift cards to the stores they love to shop, or where they love to splurge—say on a quick cup of joe at Starbucks.

Those are, in my humble opinion, the best grocery coupon apps for Android. I should point out though that all of these work on iPhone, too. So, whether you’re a dad who doesn’t like going to the store (like mine), or one who actually enjoys shopping but would like to up your savings game, Shopkick is the app I would most strongly recommend. It has that perfect balance of great savings and fun, which turns shopping from a hassle into something you can actually look forward to, even if just a tiny bit.

Ready to get in on some of the best grocery coupon apps for iPhone and Android? 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 using your smartphone to stay up on social media, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping inspiration.

Image courtesy Jale Ibrak

There is one love that’s been with me my entire life: fast food. Whether I’m at the airport or just grabbing a quick bite on the go, fast food for me is comfort food, and it’s convenient and, well, I could go on and on.

Now, over the years my fast food palate has gotten a bit more refined (I realize how that sounds.) When I was a kid I was all about the burgers and fries, but these days I’m pretty open to new things, from burrito bowls to grab-and-go sushi from high-end supermarkets. The only thing is, at a certain point, the fancier stuff starts to add up. Don’t worry, though! There’s a way to keep this from hurting your wallet, and you can easily download it with your smartphone. I am talking, of course, about using a coupon app for fast food.

I’ve talked in the past about how retail shopping apps save money, but today I want to shift gears and apply the same lens to tech that helps you get savings when you purchase fast food. I know I’m not the only one out there who loves to grab a quick bite on the go, just like I know I’m not the only one who would enjoy saving money when I do! So, with all that in mind, let’s take a look at the best free smartphone coupon apps for fast food connoisseurs!

The Basics: Using Coupon Apps for Fast Food

In case you aren’t familiar, coupon apps for fast food are, obviously, apps you download to a mobile device—generally a tablet or a phone because, let’s face it, you’re not going to be hauling your computer out at the drive-thru. The point of fast food is the speed and convenience, and, I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty much always in a hurry when I eat it.

Anyway, once you have the app, the easiest way for me to explain how to use it is by comparing it to the many apps out there that make it easier to get cash back on groceries or other purchases like electronics or clothing. These apps, the ones I use anyway, are all basically split into two groups: couponing apps and shopping rewards apps.

Coupon Apps for Fast Food Discounts

Apps like Coupon Sherpa, Valpak, or GeoQpons offer discounted prices meant to entice you to go to certain restaurants. The way they distribute these deals may work differently from app to app. Coupon Sherpa, for example, has a list of promo codes or print out coupons for you to browse, while GeoQpons sends you alerts about deals based on your location. Regardless, the basics are the same: these are apps that let you pay lower prices at time of checkout, saving you money on fast food that way.

Rewards-based Apps for Fast Food Discounts

These are apps that generally award you points for doing the things you normally do at a fast food restaurant, like making purchases. Some of them even give you points for walking through the door! Then, when you save up enough points, you can trade them in for gift cards to your favorite restaurants, or even to your favorite retail and electronic stores. What’s really cool about these apps is that you can generally use them in tandem with the couponing apps. You don’t have to know anything about tech to figure out that using multiple apps will net you more savings than using just one.  

Making the Most of Your Coupon App for Fast Food

The best way to make the most of your coupon app for fast food is to pair it with one of my favorite rewards apps: Shopkick. Shopkick is one of those apps that I mentioned above that starts giving you points as soon as you step inside a restaurant, or, in the case of some stores, pull up to the drive-thru. How it works is that you get points for doing these things, and then you can trade those points in for gift cards.

The best way to make the most of your coupon app for fast food is to pair it with one of my favorite rewards apps: Shopkick.

This is actually ideal for someone like me, who always feels like he’s somehow cheating or splurging when he buys fast food. To be honest, paying for it with a gift card takes a lot of the sting off. Hey, I’m not saying it makes sense, just that it makes me feel way less guilty, and that’s a good thing! I also like how using Shopkick is like a game. I’m personally a big Xbox and fantasy football guy, so Shopkick’s system of awarding points really helps me to stay engaged. The other coupon apps for fast food are great and all, but a lot of times I’m liable to just forget they exist. Not with Shopkick.

So, there you have it, an informational look at the best coupon apps for fast food, plus a little bit about my personal favorite. Whether you eat fast food often, find it a guilty pleasure, or indulge because you’re in a hurry or it’s the closest options, these coupon apps make fast food even cheaper. Ultimately, that’s money you can turn around on your gym membership, so you can sweat your burrito off!

Get to know one of the best apps for fast food discounts—and for tons of other products, too. Download Shopkick’s free app today and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered how much you can earn with the help of a free shopping sidekick.

And, if you’re on social media catching up with friends, be sure to also join Shopkick on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for a little daily fun and inspiration.

Photo courtesy Ruslan Sitarchuk.

There are some things in the world that are mighty and bottomless. Okay, okay, mostly I’m referring to the stomachs of the three growing boys at home. I swear, as soon as I get home with groceries, they pounce and before I know it, half of what I’ve just bought is gone!

Yes, it really is a never-ending battle to keep these awesome little guys fed, whether it be with cereal or sandwiches or even ice cream! This means my need to find ways to save on groceries is also mighty and bottomless, which is why I think I’ve become such an expert on the top apps for making cash to bolster your budget—including some of my all-time faves, like those that pay you to grocery shop.

If I were to graph it, you’d probably see that my knowledge of these apps is directly proportional to my boys’ heights. Too funny! Anyway, thanks to all this research and knowledge, I’ve been saving quite a bit of money on grocery shopping, shopping at other stores, and even on workouts! Today, I’d like to share this knowledge with you. After all, I know I’m not the only one with growing kids at home.

Top Apps for Making Cash No. 1: Pact

To properly make a weekly grocery run that can feed growing kids, you need to be in shape. You need to be able to bend down and get the cereal from the lowest shelves, to carry a near-infinite stack of canned goods, and to haul bag after bag of groceries in from the car. You know, if the guys are really into a video game, they aren’t going to come out and help!

This is part of the reason Pact easily makes my list of top apps for making cash. Pact works by giving you cash for achieving your fitness goals. You just download the app on your device, make a pact with it to exercise more or eat healthily, and then you use the app to track your goals, earning on average between $0.30 and $5.00 every week for achieving your goals. The app also keeps you honest by making you verify your activities through GPS, photos, and other services. It’s really great!

Top Apps for Making Cash No. 2: AppTrailers

A proper grocery trip that brings home enough food to (briefly) satisfy the stomachs of a trio of growing boys tends to take a long time. I, however, have found a way to maximize my efficiency by using one of the top apps for making cash when I’m out in the aisles.

The one I’m talking about now is called AppTrailers, and what it does is pay you to watch trailers about new apps. Each of those trailers takes about 30 seconds. I usually set my phone on my cart next to grocery my list and watch these as I navigate the aisles. I’m also a big fan of watching when I’m at my gym on the treadmill. For each trailer I watch, I get 500 points, which is equivalent to $0.50. I can then redeem points for gift cards or cash via PayPal. We’ve talked about this in the past but using multiple apps really is the best way to up your shopping game!

Top Apps for Making Cash No. 3: Shopkick

The third and final app on my list today also happens to be the most effective—and my all-time favorite among the top apps for making cash. It’s an app called Shopkick and, to be frank, I just absolutely love it! How it works is pretty simple: Shopkick gives you points for your normal everyday shopping activities, including walking into stores, scanning the barcodes on certain items for more information, and, of course, making purchases. If you’re shopping online, it also gives you points for visiting certain online stores, watching videos about certain products, and, once again, making purchases.

You can trade these points in for gift cards to all your favorite stores, including places like Target and Walmart, which are both great spots to get your boys food and the school supplies they’re always waiting until the last minute to let you know that they need. I’ve been using Shopkick for a while now, and it’s honestly saved me more than I can even count! Especially given the amount of food it takes to feed my guys.

I’ve been using Shopkick for a while now, and it’s honestly saved me more than I can even count!

Even before I had my kids, I was always looking for ways to squeeze some more bucks out of my budget. Years ago, I did this through things like paper coupons and savings club cards. Nowadays, I can do it just by pressing a few buttons on my phone. So, whether or not you have three boys at home, all of these top apps for making cash are great options for saving money.

The only real challenge, to be perfectly honest, is remembering to use these apps, and sticking with them. This isn’t really a problem when it comes to Shopkick because it turns every trip online or down the aisles into a fun little hunt for points—not unlike the ways my boys scavenge in my cabinets for food. Just kidding … sorta!

Learn how you too can get paid to grocery shop with one of the top apps for making cash. Download Shopkick’s free app and get ready to be wowed. Welcome to the fun, Shopkicker!

If you’re as social media savvy as you are shopping savvy, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping fun.

Image courtesy Wavebreak Media Ltd

I was at the grocery store recently and happened to run into an old girlfriend I hadn’t seen since, gosh, it must have been high school! We got to talking about what’s going on with us, and pretty soon that turned into talking about old times. It was kind of late at night, and both of us were just barely getting some shopping in, which reminded us of how we used to stay up late cramming for finals. In fact, the only way we got through some of our tougher exams was by studying together, making flash cards, and turning our sessions into a little game.

“Wouldn’t it be fun,” my friend said, “if we could do our shopping that way, too? If we could just turn it into a little game?” I told her that yes it would and that in fact, with some of the new game-like shopping apps for Android, we could make our trips to the store into games!

My friend hadn’t heard of shopping apps for Android which, to be totally honest, took me a bit by surprise. She asked me to explain, which was easy because these apps are just so much more fun with friends. That’s why today I’d like to share the concept with all of you! Before we know it, we can all be out there having fun and saving money together.

How Game-Like Shopping Apps for Android Work

The first thing you need to know about shopping apps for Android is how they work. All my favorites have a pretty simple step-by-step process:

• Walk into certain stores, and get points.
• Scan the barcodes of select products to get information, and get more points.
• Purchase certain items with a linked card, or purchase certain items and use the app to take a picture of your receipt, and get even more points!
• Trade those points in for gift cards to your favorite stores.
• Savor the savings!

Also—and this is crucial nowadays—many of these shopping apps for Android also let you earn rewards while shopping online. The differences between how these apps work for online shopping versus in-person shopping is minute. Here’s how using a shopping app online works:

• Visit certain online stores, and get points.
• View select products, and get more points.
• Make mobile purchases, and get even more points!
• Watch certain videos and score points yet again.
• Trade those points in for gift cards to all your favorite stores.
• Really savor the savings!

See? Super easy! And, because you can use shopping apps for Android online as well as in-person, it’s easier than ever to get paid to shop.

Having Fun with Shopping Apps for Android

One of the things I stressed to my friend is that in order to get the most money back with these apps, you have to make sure you use them regularly. In my humble opinion, the best way to do this is to make sure you pick a shopping app for Android that is genuinely fun. That way you won’t have to make yourself to use it because you’ll be excited to bust it out each and every time you hit the store.

The ideal app should be one that turns shopping into a scavenger hunt for points by giving you a ton of different ways to score points. Another thing that’s really important is that the app has a vibrant and fun social media community, like a Facebook feed where you can also have a good time chatting with other folks who enjoy using the app too, swapping tips on how to get more points, or even just trading funny memes and jokes about life.

Here’s a list of game-like shopping apps you can share with friends, including ones that work like the savings apps I described above, plus some ideas to broaden your selection:

• Shopkick: This one is great because it turns every trip to the store into a scavenger hunt for points that you can then trade in for gift cards. Share it with your friends so you can get together later to swap tips and advice! This app really is a blast to use as it provides so many cool opportunities to score points.

• eBay: As far as I’m concerned, eBay is the original game-like shopping app. With its simple bid system, every purchase can be like a competition! And yeah, it’s no fun to miss out on something you really want, but it’s a ton of fun to win an auction.

• The RealReal: This one is sort of like a game because it’s an aggregate site for pre-owned luxury items, meaning you can get really fancy stuff at a discount. But if you’re too slow, you’ll miss out! My friends and I sometimes like to just browse through The RealReal together and check out all the pre-owned luxury items people are looking to sell.
• Giftagram: This app is perfect for holiday gift giving games like White Elephant or Secret Santa, especially if you want to play long distance! You can use Giftagram to pick out a present, then you simply enter the recipient’s email and phone number, and the service sends it to them! Plus, you can use it to send gifts from the U.S. to Canada and vice versa, which is very cool.

Of all of these, my personal favorite is Shopkick. That’s because it has more ways to score points than most of the other apps I’ve tried, and it has the most fun social media channels. In fact, I have so much fun looking at Shopkick’s goofy Facebook posts. Oh, and I should note that Shopkick is available for iPhone too, so you can get even more friends in on the fun.

Really though, the main point is that Shopkick is one of the best shopping apps for Android because it turns so much of your shopping time—both online and in person—into a fun game you can share with your friends. As I said above, with an app like Shopkick, you don’t have to remember to use it because you’ll find yourself actually looking forward to breaking it out at the store.

My friend and I actually made tentative plans to get together and do some shopping next week, or at least to get together for a coffee and talk about the deals we’ve been finding with our apps. What a great way to also stay in touch!

Start having more fun with shopping apps for your Android or iPhone by using Shopkick. Download the free shopping rewards app and join a community of loyal Shopkickers who’ve already discovered the fun of shopping with us!

And, if you love social media as much as you love your smartphone, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Image courtesy Daniel Ernst.

I’ve never enjoyed working out. At least not going to the gym or using a treadmill or lifting weights. I do, however, like fitness classes. That’s why my two favorite types of exercise classes are definitely yoga and spin, and I love how different they are. Yoga is all about slowing down, focusing on breathing, and balance, while spin is super intense. It’s just go, go, go!

Shopping can be this way, too. There’s your hurried shopping when you just need to get in, get out, and get home. Then, there’s the kind of shopping where you slow down, relax and enjoy the hunt. While I could never pick a favorite between yoga and spin class, I can easily say my favorite shopping is the slower variety, especially when it means I get to make the most of it at stores with customer loyalty programs. For years, I was power shopping—and trying to find discounts and sales in a hurry—and in the process missing out on the real savings built-in to customer loyalty programs. That’s why today I’m here to help you slow down, breathe like you’re doing yoga, and learn more about some popular stores with customer loyalty programs (that you’ve likely been shopping at for years) and how they can save you money.

Grocery Stores with Customer Loyalty Programs

Of all the stores I’ve power shopped over the years, grocery stores are where I rush the most. In fact, I’ve even found myself heading home from yoga, feeling super at peace and relaxed, and still rushing through the grocery aisles.

That can be a problem, though, because there are tons and tons of grocery stores with customer loyalty programs. Most feature a grocery store rewards cards which you swipe at checkout and lowers your bill. If you’re not using these, you’re leaving money on the table.

There are also some larger chain grocery stores that have loyalty programs that are a bit less well known, especially if you’re always rushing through the aisles. The Walmart Savings Catcher, for example, helps loyal Walmart shoppers ensure they’re always getting the lowest possible price. With this program, you just scan your Walmart receipt after a visit, and it compares what you paid to the prices at top competitors in the area. If there’s a difference, the program rewards it back to you.

That’s just one example, though. Target, as well as regional grocery stores such as Safeway and H-E-B, also offer similar loyalty rewards. It’s just up to you to take the time to slow down and ask. Oh, and there are also ways to use third-party shopping apps to get paid to grocery shop, but more on that later!

Department Stores with Customer Loyalty Programs

It’s way easier for me to take it slow with my shopping at department stores, kind of like how it’s way easier to relax with the yoga instructor at my studio that doesn’t make us do as many of the one-legged flying poses! The wide selection and the great deals at stores like Nordstrom and Macy’s just lend themselves to a nice, leisurely stroll through the racks.

While the details vary by store, all the most common department stores, including Sears, J.C. Penney, Kohl’s, Nordstrom, Macy’s, and Saks have their own variation of a customer loyalty program. Macy’s, for example, has a program that basically ensures you get a discount on everything you buy there, while Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack have one that gives you a gift card after you spend a certain amount. That one is also nice because it entitles you to free tailoring!

They, of course, don’t publicize them as well as the grocery stores do, but that’s okay. Because if you’ve learned anything from me today, it’s that the next time you’re out shopping, you’re going to take your time, breath like you’re in yoga, and ask the clerks at the stores about customer loyalty programs so you don’t miss out!

DIY Customer Loyalty Programs

These programs at department stores and grocery stores are all well and good, and you should definitely be using them to get deals and save money, but there’s one method I think is a cut above all the rest: making your own customer loyalty program.

It sounds impossible, I know, but you can actually do it by using an app that makes you money while you shop. There are many of these types of apps to choose from, believe it or not, and they tend to work at most (if not all) of my favorite stores. How they work is simple: they give you points for shopping activities you do anyway (think scanning barcodes for more info or buying certain products) which you trade for gift cards you can use on your next visit.

One of the best parts is that you can actually combine these apps with the other store loyalty programs

There’s seriously no better loyalty program than that. One of the best parts is that you can actually combine these apps with the other store loyalty programs I just told you about. My personal favorite is an app called Shopkick, which I like because it gives you the most opportunities to win points. In fact, with Shopkick, you get points just for walking into the store! Plus, it has a really fun social media community if you’re into Instagram of Facebook (and, these days, who isn’t?).

So, there you have it, a great list of stores with customer loyalty programs, plus a great way to augment those programs by also using one of my very favorite shopping apps. That combination approach really is key, much like the focus of my exercise routine is doing both spin class and yoga. Sure, I could stick to just one, but the benefits are even greater when I do both!

Learn how you can start getting paid to grocery shop before your next trip down the aisle. Download Shopkick’s free app and get ready to be wowed. Welcome to the fun, Shopkicker!

If you’re as social media savvy as you are shopping savvy, join us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily shopping fun.

Image courtesy pressmaster

New Year’s Eve is my favorite holiday. I just absolutely love it. The reason is twofold: 1) I’m a well-known party aficionado and there’s no better night for a good party and 2) the next day is the perfect opportunity for a fresh start.

A fresh start on what, you might ask? Well, on whatever you can think of! As usual, this year I have a few resolutions. You know, all the regulars like hitting the gym more often, taking more time for myself, starting a new hobby, and, of course, saving more money. What’s a little different this year, though, is how I’m planning to turn that resolution into a reality. My plan is to use shopping apps to get free gift cards. Go ahead, say wow. I know, I had to take a moment when I first learned that I could get paid to shop. You just go shopping, do the tasks or activities the apps award points for, and then trade your points in for gift cards!

So, how does this boost my 2018 budget? Well, as I see it, I have to shop for things like groceries anyway. So, basically, I use my shopping apps when I hit the supermarket, then I get rewarded in gift cards for my purchases, and then I use those gift cards to buy myself something nice. (Ok, I use them to buy something I was going to buy anyway, like my Starbucks fave, a flat white.) But instead of doling out cash for my coffee, I get it for free. All because I bought my daily groceries.

I use my shopping apps when I hit the supermarket, then I get rewarded in gift cards for my purchases, and then I use those gift cards to buy myself something nice.

Still, my New Year’s resolution is a little more complex than just “use shopping apps.” I want to use shopping apps to get free gift cards more often than last year. (And spend less on things I was going to buy anyway.) So, I came up with a plan to help me make that goal, like sharing my successes and keeping myself accountable because, obviously, the more we use these apps, the more gift cards we can earn! So, buckle up, I’m going to share all three parts of my newest New Year’s resolution with you.

Resolution No. 1: Get Social When Using Apps to Get Free Gift Cards

In my experience, the key to getting the biggest possible boost to your budget by using apps to get free gift cards is making sure that you actually have fun when you’re using those apps. The more fun they are, the more you use them. If you aren’t excited to use these shopping apps, you might even quit them altogether.

You know what makes things more fun? Doing them with your friends! That’s why I tell all my ladies about my favorite shopping rewards app. Sometimes, this results in us hitting the aisles together; other times we’ll just get together to swap store stories (kind of like war stories, but about shopping). Sometimes, it even means trading shopping tips via Facebook or Instagram with friends who are far away. It actually doesn’t matter exactly how you’re being social while you’re using one of these shopping apps, it just matters that you’re having fun doing it. Best of all, some of the best shopping rewards apps give you extra points when friends sign up!

Resolution No. 2: Use My Apps to Get Free Gift Cards When Shopping Online

When it comes to my favorite tech trends, having a shopping app to get free gift cards is second only to being able to buy anything I want online. I mean, where I live we recently had a major snowstorm, and when I noticed we were low on dishwasher pods it was Amazon to the rescue.

That’s why it’s important to make sure my shopping app works for online purchases. Why? Because if I’m going to buy my dishwasher soap in the store and get points for it, then I also want to be able to get those points if I buy dishwasher pods online. Just because so much of my shopping has moved to the web—hello kitty litter and toilet paper via delivery—doesn’t mean I should sacrifice rewards points. Otherwise, I’d be missing out on a big chunk of free gift cards!

Resolution No. 3: Use Apps to Get Free Gift Cards, Then Share My Success

On top of always wanting to boost my budget and save more money during the New Year, I’m also trying to go to the gym more. This year, I’m even trying some new fitness classes, like spin and hot yoga.

My favorite part is when I get home after a workout and my family asks how I’m doing, if I rode harder, if I held my poses longer, you name it. It’s a great way to keep myself accountable! So I thought, why have that excitement stop at the gym? Why not find a way to share my successes online with my shopping app as well? And you know what I found? My personal favorite shopping app has a thriving social media community where users share their success stories every day. I don’t know about you, but nothing makes me want to get back out there and use my shopping apps more than hearing about the successes others are having. And, of course, the more I use my apps, the more I save!

Making Resolutions Stick: The Best Shopping Apps to Get Free Gift Cards

Now what you probably want to know is what my favorite shopping rewards app is. Well, there are actually a few different shopping apps to get free gift cards to pick from, but to accomplish each of my three New Year’s resolutions, I think one stands out as working the best. I’m talking about Shopkick! It’s already been really easy to get all my ladies using this one, mostly because how it works is just so easy. In the simplest terms, with Shopkick you get points—called kicks—for walking into the store, for scanning certain products, and for snapping a pic of your receipt. You can then trade those points in for gift cards to all your favorite stores. See? Easy!

Also, every time one of my friends signs up and uses Shopkick, I get 250 free kicks! And, Shopkick gives you points for your online shopping, too, which is another reason it’s the perfect app to help me with my budget resolutions. You get kicks for visiting certain stores online, for viewing select products, and for making mobile purchases and watching certain videos. Again, suuuuper easy. Plus, because Shopkick has a really great online community through Facebook and other social media, there’s a great incentive to keep using it and also to make good on my third and final resolution: sharing my successes!

You get kicks for visiting certain stores online, for viewing select products, and for making mobile purchases and watching certain videos.

I hope this has all been helpful for you, and I hope you have a great New Year, filled with totally dominating each and every one of your own resolutions. And finally, I hope to see you soon on Shopkick’s Facebook page telling me and, the rest of the great crew there, about your many, many, many successes!

Learn how you can start taking action toward your own New Year’s resolution to boost your budget and save some money. Download Shopkick’s free app and get ready to be wowed. Welcome to the fun!

If you’re as social media savvy as you are shopping savvy, join us on Twitter or Instagram for daily shopping fun and inspiration.

Image courtesy bernardbodo

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.