Christmas in July? Yes! Start planning ahead for all the Christmas shopping! Today I am here to share with you how we save extra money all year. This allows us to buy gifts for our family and close friends. I love gifting to others. I usually start my Christmas shopping around October. It sometimes takes me a while to find the perfect gift for loved ones.
So when do I start saving? December for the next year! Let me explain!
I save money using these tips all year long. In November, I collect all the money and purchase gifts. Once I collect that money, I immediately start over again to save for the next year!
The biggest thing I do to save money for Christmas is to use my credit cards that earn cash back. BEWARE I have very specific suggestions when selecting a credit card! I’ll be posting about that soon!
I use my credit card for pretty much all of my expenses that are not standard bills. Gas, groceries, clothing, online shopping, dining out, coffee, literally everything. I have one credit card that gets 1.5% cash back so I primarily use it. I have a second one that is 1% cash back so my husband uses it. (I spend more so I get the one with more cash back!)
By the time November rolls around, I usually have around $1,000!!!! This takes care of 90% of our Christmas gift shopping. I also use several apps to earn extra cash for the rest of the Christmas gifts as well as food for family gatherings.
There are 5 apps I use all year long to save extra money. The amount of time this takes is maybe 5 minutes a week! Well worth it!
#1 Ibotta
Most people have heard of Ibotta. If you have heard of it and haven’t given it a try yet, do it! Trust me!
It’s only July and I have $42.89 in my Ibotta account. And throughout the time I have had the app I have earned $988.30 total! All for buying groceries I was already spending money on!
Tips for Ibotta
- Browse the apps and offers before you go to the store. Make a list of things you want. Include the number you need to purchase if there is a required quantity.
- Stock up! Typically offers can be redeemed multiple times. If you get an offer on one of your favorite products, buy the limit. This way, you aren’t paying full price on your next shopping trip.
- Cross check offers with coupons! I primarily shop at Kroger and they have a cashback program and digital coupons. My favorite thing is when I find something with an Ibotta offer, a Kroger cashback offer, AND coupons. Typically however I only get two out of three of those but that is still a great deal!
- USE THE ONLINE SHOPPING FEATURE!!!!
- I order our cat’s food and litter from Chewy.com and I usually get 2% cash back just by ordering it through Ibotta! It is the same cost as ordering without Ibotta and I get cash for Christmas!
- Invite your friends and family! Ibotta offers referral bonuses!
#2 Upside
Upside is quickly gaining popularity. People have discovered it is a great way to save on these terribly rising gas prices! Upside works by offering you cash back on gas and other purchases!
I currently have $26 in my Upside account and have made $95 since starting the app last year!
While Upside does have cashback offers for non-gas purchases, I personally have only used it for gas. However if you used it for other purchases you could make even more money! You simply check in at the gas station on the app. You purchase your gas. You push a button once you have paid. Easy as that! No receipts required!
I drive 56 miles a day to work and back so I often get gas once or twice a week! Gas prices have increased so much over the last few years. This has been such an easy way for me to get a few extra dollars a month!
#3 Fetch
Fetch is a very popular cashback app! Fetch works by taking pictures of your receipts after shopping and uploading them to your account. Fetch then awards you coins based on those purchases. Points can then be redeemed for gift cards. Typically I select an Amazon gift card because I make most online gift purchases from Amazon. There are a lot of different gift card options. If you don’t shop at Amazon, you can still find a way to use your points!
I currently have enough in my account for $150 in gift cards. I have redeemed $450 in gift cards so far!
#4 Reciept Hog
While the first three apps have a lot of popularity, you may not have heard of this one! Receipt Hog is actually the first app I started using to start making extra money! I have had this app for 5 years now and I still use it every time I make a purchase!
Receipt Hog works by awarding you coins and sweepstakes entries for submitting pictures of your receipts. You also get awarded slot spins. You use them on a digital slot machine where you can win more coins and money. They also do daily trip winners. While I haven’t won any trips, I have won 2,000 extra points on one spin!
You can submit any reciept on this app and the points and sweeps will vary based on type of store. I currently have 4,904 coins which is redeemable for $25 via Amazon, Paypal, or Visa. I have earned $205 total since using the app. My goal for this app is to get a $40 gift card each year.
#5 Receipt Pal
Receipt Pal is another lesser known app for earning money. Receipt pal works similar to Receipt Hog in that all you have to do is submit pictures of your reciepts!
Receipt Pal awards you points for reciepts however the amount does not vary. You get 5 cards per week that you fill with 4 reciepts each. Each card earns you 100 points. So if you are a major shopper you could earn up to 500 points a week! I only go to the grocery store once a week. I also get gas once or twice a week. My regular shopping receipts are only about 3 or 4 a week. However, I make sure to upload all of those receipts any time I go SHOPPING SHOPPING. This helps to get those cards filled!
I currently have 4,700 points which can get me a $10 gift card. I am very close to the next level to get a $15 gift card! You can also link your email account to scan for online receipts!
That’s it! That is how I save money all year long to buy Christmas gifts for our family and close loved ones!
Have any other money saving tips? Let me know!