How to Save Money After You Shop

If you’re like me you love shopping. However, as a teacher, you have to watch how much you spend. I’m always looking for new ways to save money. We already talked about how to save money at the grocery store. Today I’m going to give you some tools to help you save money after you shop.

Save Money After You Shop

You get home from the store and empty all your bags. Put everything away where it goes, but don’t throw away your receipts. They can help you save even more money on the items you just purchased. There are several different apps that allow you to scan your receipt to get cash back if you bought certain products. These are some of my favorites.

1. Ebates

What I Love About Ebates:

• You get money back on things you’re already buying.
• You just click a button, and Ebates does the rest.
• After you make a qualifying purchase, the money is added to your account. You will receive a check in the mail the following month.

How It Works – 

1. Go to the Ebates website and create an account. You will get $10 free when you make your first qualifying purchase.
2. When you’re shopping online, click on the Ebates button.
3. Shop as you normally would.
4. Ebates will add money to your account.

2. Ibotta

What I Love About Ibotta:

• They work with hundreds of grocery stores across the country.
• You can get money back on groceries or online purchases at hundreds of other retailers.
• There are special bonuses if you redeem a certain number of offers. 
• It is really easy to withdraw your money. You can send it directly to Paypal or get gift cards for popular stores. I’ve already made over $100 with Ibotta.

How It Works – 

1. Go to the Ibotta website and create an account. You will get $20 free just for signing up.
2. Download the Ibotta app on your phone. I would love it if you would use my referral code: eepppjy. 
3. Go to “Find Offers,” choose your store, and select the items you bought. 
4. Go to “Redeem” and take pictures of your receipt. 
5. You will receive an email when the money is added to your account.

3. Checkout 51

What I Love About Checkout 51:

• You don’t have to choose a store. Any receipt will work.
• There are offers for lots of popular brands. 
• You can get the money you earn through PayPal or a check mailed to your house.

How It Works – 

1. Go to the Checkout 51 website and create an account. 
2. Download the Checkout 51 app on your phone. 
3. Press the plus sign for all the items you purchased.
4. Go to “Redeem” and take pictures of your receipt. 
5. You will receive an email when the money is added to your account.

4. SavingStar

What I Love About SavingStar:

• You can add your grocery store card number into the SavingStar app. If that works for your grocery store, you don’t have to scan any receipts.
• You will get an email telling you when rebates have been added to your account.
• You can get the money you earn through a bank account deposit, PayPal, or a Starbucks, iTunes, or AMC Theaters eGift Card.

How It Works – 

1. Download the SavingStar app on your phone and set up an account. 
2. Click on any rebate offers you might buy. You have to do this before you go to the grocery store if you loaded your grocery store card number into the app. 
3. You will get an email when savings have been added to your account.

5. Fetch Rewards

What I Love About Fetch Rewards:

• I just started using Fetch Rewards, but I already love that I don’t have to choose offers. Just take pictures of your receipt, and the app checks for any available offers.
• You cash out your rewards for gift cards from lots of popular stores.

How It Works – 

1. Download the Fetch Rewards app on your phone and set up an account. Enter my referral code, J2VAB, to get 2,000 points.
2. Take pictures of your receipts. Points will be added to your account for any available offers.

Helpful Hints

I save hundreds of dollars using these apps each year. However, they can lead to spending more money if you try to buy items just to get the rebates. That’s why I wait until after I shop to check the apps. This works for all of them except SavingStar. 

When I get home from the grocery store, I look through the apps and select the items I bought. Then, I lay out my receipts and take the pictures. All of this takes only a few minutes, and the money is usually added to my account within a few minutes. 

Find out how to save money with coupons and by making a list.

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What Do You Think?

What are your favorite ways to save money?

Let me know in the comments below.

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