Online Coupons
Many stores now offer online coupons that are taken off at the register automatically. Once you have joined the reward program for the store, then you go to their website and add coupons to your account. When you check out at the store you will either scan the rewards card or enter your phone number for the coupons to be applied to your receipt. Always be sure to read the size and quantity requirement stated on the coupon so you select the correct item or the coupon will not work. I personally have used online coupons at Kroger, Walgreens, CVS, and local grocery stores but there are a lot more stores that offer some type of online coupons. It is one of my favorite ways to save money, because it is easy and immediate savings. I don’t have to clip, print, or bring coupons to the store. Once the coupons are put in your account they stay there until you use them or they expire, so you don’t even have to worry about cleaning out your expired coupons, they just disappear.
I have used Coupons.com for a long time, but I used to have to print my coupons out and take them to the store. Now there is an app. It doesn’t seem to have as many coupons available and the stores where you can use them are limited, but once they process the receipt, they immediately send the savings to my Paypal account. There is no minimum amount that is needed to receive the savings, I have had deposits as small as 50 cents put in my account. They do require you to select the coupon before you purchase the product. If you forget and try to select it after the purchase, they will refuse to redeem the coupon. Most of the coupons are just like normal coupons, 50 cents or $1 off, but there are some that will be $2-5 off and I have even seen $10 and $25 off larger ticket items.
Money Back Apps
There are a lot of apps that you can download on your phone to save money on stuff you are going to buy anyway. Some give you money back on certain items you purchase after your store visit. Others reward you for the receipt because they want to know what you buy. They all work a little different, but most require you to select offers before you shop, purchase the item(s) listed, then once you get home, you take a picture of your receipt and sometimes scan the items. Once your purchase has been validated, you earn points or cash back depending on the site. It reminds me of the paper rebates my mom had to mail in when I was a kid, but so much easier. I will list some I use below along with a general summary of how they work. Please take the time to read the information and details on each app so you understand how they work so you can get the rewards you want. Some offer referral bonuses to their users to encourage people to spread the word about the app. If you sign up using my referral code and complete your first offer, I will get a referral bonus which helps to support this blog. For more information, please read my Disclosure and Privacy Policy.
1. Ibotta is one of the easiest to use and offers online savings and money back from your in store purchases. Once you have downloaded the app, you choose the offers that you want to use at your selected store. After you make your purchases, you will take a picture of the receipt at most stores or scan the code on a Walmart receipt. Use my referral code, virdemk, and you can get a $10 welcome bonus when you complete your first offer. Sign up at Ibotta to start saving money.
2.
Checkout 51 offers money back offers from your in store purchases. Once you download the app, you can see the offers available which are updated every Thursday. Some items are only available at specific stores but most can be purchased at any store. Make sure to check the details to see what the size, quantity, and location requirements are before purchasing so you aren’t disappointed later. Go to
Checkout 51 for more information or to download the app.
3. SavingStar offers money back offers from your in store purchases. This app offers different ways to save, they have the regular money back on a particular item, but they also have Always on Rewards which is a group of products that you earn a percentage of the purchase price each time you purchase one, and One or Many which is a larger money back amount when you spend a set amount on a certain group of products during a specified time period (such as $8 back when you spend $30). Sign up at
Saving Star to get started.
4. Fetch Rewards awards points every time certain brands appear on your receipt. There are also bonus offers that give larger point amounts when those items are purchased. They add new brands and change the special offers so make sure to check often to make sure you know what is available. Just take a picture of your receipt and submit. Once the receipt has been processed, you will get a listing of how many points you earned and if something was missed, you can add the missing items and ask for the receipt to be reviewed. They have been very good to add my points earned when I had to correct a receipt. Use my referral code, VP6QE and you will get 2000 Fetch Points after you complete your first receipt. Download at Fetch Rewards to watch the points start adding up.
5.
Shopkick is a little different. There are 3 ways to earn kicks in the stores, this is what they call their point system. You can earn kicks just by entering certain stores, by scanning the barcode on specific items in the store, or by purchasing specific products and scanning the receipt. It it pretty easy to add up points if you check-in and scan products in the stores regularly, but the app requires you to keep your WiFi and Bluetooth on to work properly, this is how they locate you in the store. I don’t keep my Bluetooth on all the time because it seems to drain the battery on my phone, so sometimes I forget to check-in and scan items. They also have online and card linking options, but I haven’t used them. I have only had the app a few months and have earned enough for a $25 gift card. When you sign up at
Shopkick and complete a walk-in or a scan within the first 7 days, we will both receive 250 kicks.
6.
Receipt Hog is a coin earning app that I have been using for several years. It is very easy and requires very little time. You take a picture of most of your receipts and earn either coins or spins depending on the kind of receipt. Receipts from stores that sell groceries, health items, beauty products and more earn coins based on how the total amount spent on that receipt, from 5 – 20 coins per receipt up to 100 coins per week, then each receipt earns 5 coins up to 20 per week. Receipts from other retailers such as clothing stores, home improvement, and more earn spins for the Hog Slots which gives you the chance to win more coins. All accepted receipts also earn a sweepstakes entry including restaurant receipts as well. Sign up at
Receipt Hog to start earning coins.
For more ways to save money, check out How I Save Money at Kroger and What’s the Deal at Aldi?
