Tag Archives: Savings

All, Cash Back, Financial, Money Apps, Savings

Let’s Talk About Receipts

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Let me apologize ahead of time for the long post. As boring of a topic it may be for you, it’s actually profitable for me so I wanted to share a few points with you.

Let’s talk about receipts. You know that piece of paper that most of you either don’t take from the cashier or you just toss out right away. Do you know how bad I want to ask for your receipt? Seriously. It’s really awkward, so I don’t, but I’d like to.

If this is you, you’re literally throwing money away. Maybe not a lot, but it adds up. Eventually, it’s enough to pay for something you couldn’t afford before. Or maybe it will just be some extra pocket money. Either way, why not just take that receipt home and make some money off of it? Not to mention, with the cost of things going up these days, this helps to bring it back down. That’s how I think when I use my gas rewards points every month.

Okay, I got you take your receipt home. Now what? It depends on the type of person you are. I constantly change my routine. You can either just scan them right away, or place them somewhere till you have a few. Once you are ready, open the app and start scanning according to the instructions provided. They all seem to be slightly different.

I’ve tried most of them out and have a few favorites. Some of the apps let you link some of your loyalty cards, your email, or your Amazon accounts. I love this feature! Some let you forward receipts. There’s an app that makes you scan every single item purchased, which can be a bit much for me. Everyone is different so you may prefer that more than I do.

Oh, I know, it’s all just a pain in the butt no matter what. Who wants to bother with all that for a few cents? If it helps at all for you to know this, I do the bare minimum. I have all of my accounts linked for automated savings. Otherwise, I miss deadlines, I forget, I get overwhelmed, and so on. I often don’t stick to things for very long. Yet, so far, I’ve made a few hundred dollars back and I still continue to obsess over receipts.

I don’t expect to go through any of what I did when I first started out. I’ve spent so much time and effort trying out apps to get my money back any way I can. Then I share all the information I can with you. Also, I don’t just submit my receipts. I also use cash back credit cards, shop through cash back apps, use promotional codes, and more. Subscribe to follow my adventures of saving money.

Here’s just three of the many apps that I use for my receipts, along with some basic info. The links provided to each site are my affiliate links. In most cases, we both may receive a bonus when you use them to sign up. For more information about these or the other apps that I use, go to the Scan Receipts page.

  • Coupons . com

A lot of people know of the site Coupons.com for printing coupons. Now you can also get cash back from your shopping trips. You would need to add the digital coupons for each store you shop at. If your store loyalty card is linked, you’ll automatically receive a payment via PayPal when you shop. Some stores you will need to submit a picture of your receipt.

  • Fetch Rewards

Fetch Rewards lets you scan receipts, and also checks your email for digital receipts. This has been great for getting cash back from my Amazon purchases. I just added Giant as well. If you want to try them out, please use my referral link. My code is E4HFT.

  • Pogo

You don’t need to actually scan your receipts with Pogo. You can just link your Amazon, Walmart, PayPal, Walgreens, Target, and others. Every time the app picks up purchases, you’ll get a notification to claim your points. You can also take surveys, get location rewards, and more. Try Pogo with my referral link or use my code 7ZWBV, and connect an account.

To see the rest of the apps that I’m using, visit the Scan Receipts page.

For more financial information, see: Smile, Sparkle, Save!, Financial Basics, Money Saving Tips, Scan Receipts, Rebating, Savings Page, Extra Money Tips. Everything else can be found on the Site Map.

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Rebates Me

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Do you use RebatesMe to get cash back when shopping?

I created an account in February and received a $5 bonus. Then, I got a $1 bonus for installing the browser extension. Each time I place one of my Walmart orders, I click on RebatesMe to get 4.2% cash back. So far, I have accumulated $10.44.

Try them out with my referral link and you’ll get $5 too. My referral code is 4FTZTR. Thanks!

All, Awareness, Financial, Random, Updates

The Struggle Is Real

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The struggle really is real, and is a major pain in the buttocks. I nearly threw in the towel and accepted defeat, once again. I had all sorts of plans to share a whole lot of information, updates, financial tips, the freebies I receive, and so much more. I really do want to help everyone I can, without pestering them.

Except, I encounter a slew of roadblocks along the way of trying to do this. I admit that a lot of this is in my head, literally. I have OCD, ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, and on, and on. I’m in a never ending battle with my own self. My mind is constantly going in a ridiculous amount of directions at triple speeds, and I can barely catch up. It’s exhausting, mentally and physically. I also have a ton of stomach issues that are triggered by every little thing. Then add some memory loss, chronic pain, and myalgia to the mix.

Not to mention, of course, being Mom always takes precedence over everything. I have two daughters, our Emotional Support dog, and several fancy rats that keep me on my toes. My youngest daughter has Autism, Tourette’s, DMDD, among other things. I stay in close proximity to her at all times and am always on alert. So it’s sometimes hard to manage other things as well.

I’m not saying any of this as an excuse or for sympathy. A lot of times, in some ways, I actually feel awkward discussing it in general. Yet, I also do want people to know what I experience on a regular basis. I think it helps to know where people are coming from.

A lot of things seem to be a constant struggle for me. It doesn’t matter how tiny or ginormous the issue may be. Nothing really dictates my response to things. For example, a stack of dishes could fall and smash everywhere and I’ll say it’s totally okay, as long as no one was hurt. But God forbid a cup is out of place in the cabinet. I will wreak havoc and lose my mind.

This is just a general recap of most of my sharing experiences…

I find a deal (or even anything in general) that I want to share, and have to decide where to post it. I think how it should be from a central location that can be shared from, but sometimes jump to a different platform. I get hyper focused, putting more thought into it, dissecting it, rewriting again. I want to include as much information as possible, but not be too wordy. I get side tracked a few times, I rethink how to word things, I wonder if anyone will really look at it and if so, what will they think of it, or of even of me. I start to second guess myself, and then my life. I get side tracked again. When I click the app again on my phone, I end up swiping it away. It is either lost forever or saved in my drafts, where I might look at it much later in the future when I’m cleaning things up.

I know, it just sounds like I’m being ridiculous and I should get over it. Believe me, I’ve tried. I push myself all of the time. Sometimes, somehow the more I try, the worse it gets. I can easily become a huge train wreck in no time.

So, in an effort to share deals quickly and easily, without having a mental breakdown or worrying about spamming everyone, I think I may make a Telegram channel. I’m still working out other platforms, so who knows. I also thought about making a blog post for each deal, but I’m pretty sure that my email subscribers would hate me and they will quickly unsubscribe. That would make me extremely sad.

If I decide to use this new channel, my intention is to post often throughout the day. In most cases, that won’t happen. But if it does, it shouldn’t bother anyone too much since they specifically signed up to be inundated with all sorts of savings tips, deals, money makers, rebates, and more.

I suppose I’ll create it and see how I feel about it. Unless of course, no one uses it?

Please don’t let me fall down another rabbit hole…

Does anyone even use Telegram? What is your favorite app to get notifications? Do you have any suggestions for the best ways to share deals quick/often? Comment below with any tips you may have for me.

All, Financial, Savings

Amazon Treasure Truck

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Did you know that Amazon has a Treasure Truck?

What is the Treasure Truck?

Honestly, I initially envisioned this as the Amazon version of an ice cream truck driving through daily with all sorts of deals. It’s not quite like that.

This is what I have gathered from their site. Each day they will text you a new item being offered at a discounted rate. You can click the link to see if it’s still available, then order it. It is then shipped according to if you have Prime or not.

I originally heard about it in 2019 and signed up right away, but it wasn’t available yet in my area. I actually forgot about it until last month when I started receiving texts with their offers.

I most likely will not partake in any of the deals myself, but they may be of use to you or someone you know.

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A Few Updates

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A lot has been going on so I haven’t had a lot of time to even grasp my thoughts long enough to share anything here with anyone. But, I have actually been doing a lot of updates around my site.

I added a new page called Smile Sparkle Save. It’s really just a table of contents type of page for the financial section of my site. I’ve made quite a few updates throughout those pages as well. They include Financial Basics, Extra Money, Savings Tips, Scan Receipts, and Freebies.

I also recently started adding a few picture pages. If anyone isn’t aware, I used to do a lot of photography and promoting of several local bands in my area. That’s how this site even originated. It’s focus has since changed quite a bit. At first, I moved anything LadySkullshine related to a tiny section on the About page. After a little bit of thought though, I decided that I would add a bunch of my old pictures. I have a lot more to add when I have a moment.

Please take a look around and check out the new look so far. Let me know what you think. If you get lost or want to discover more pages, visit the Site Map.

Thank you!
– LadySkullshine

All, Updates

Be Back Soon

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I have been MIA here lately. I’ve done a few things behind the scenes here and there, but that’s about it. I’ve been extremely involved in a lot of other projects and things around the house. Once I get a few things taken care of, I really want to make a lot of updates here.

We got a new mattress for my daughters’ room, so we did some rearranging. Then we got a new cage for our pet rats. It’s a double setup so we can have both the girls and boys in it without them having babies. That was a bit of a catastrophe at first to put together. I got a bit overwhelmed and had a meltdown. Eventually we got it together and it is actually pretty awesome.

I’ve been doing some more reading lately too. Reading, research, and some tarot too. I actually read a lot. I used to read actual books, now it’s all online research. I used to listen a lot to audiobooks too. Every night at bedtime. I’m interested in a lot of different things. Nothing non fiction. Not since Stephen King back in the early 90’s maybe. As far as tarot, it’s just my Angel Guidance deck. Nothing major.

I’ve been trying to get on the ball with my couponing. I also definitely got a ton of freebie items in the meantime. Foot rests, coasters, cocktail shaker, wine tumbler, gold necklaces, bracelet and necklace set, tie dye kit, t-shirt, weighted blanket, plush robe, skull apron, keto bars, resistance bands, tactical flashlights, tote bag, rechargeable lighter, oven mitt set, pajamas, and more.

If you want to follow my madness, I try to post daily updates in my Facebook group and Instagram called Smile, Sparkle, Save!. I share the freebies I receive, ways to save money, and also ways to earn gift cards.

All, Updates

It’s Been A While

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I feel like I’m so very far behind on everything. Not having a laptop for about two weeks definitely set me back quite a bit. I think after that, everything just pretty much snowballed out of control. My last post was on January 8th. I knew it was a while, but didn’t realize it was that long.

I feel like a lot has gone on since then.

To start, a few of our pet rats have found new homes. The remaining ones are getting quite large, especially the boys. The girls haven’t tried to escape lately. I think this last cage repair might have finally did it. If you like, you can follow Malakai_the.rat.king‘s adventures on Instagram.

I haven’t been couponing. I slacked with scanning my receipts. However, I have been ordering lots of freebie items. I am in the process of organizing some upcoming projects, and I’m reevaluating of a lot of things in the financial realm. I’ve also been making some updates to my site.

I have a ginormous list of so many things I want to get done. I know the majority of it will just get bounced around in my head for quite a while. I have trouble remembering, or even retaining a thought process. It’s pretty bad. It doesn’t help that I’ve been out of my ADHD meds for over a week. My OCD doesn’t stand a chance these days.

I just hope to keep up my momentum. At least, things are still getting done.

Financial

Save On Amazon Prime

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I will admit that I am addicted to Amazon. Even when I’m not ordering my freebies or using coupon codes, I’m still shopping on there quite a bit. Of course, I have Prime so that I get free and fast shipping. There are other perks included like music, photo storage, and their video service. You can also add family and friends to your account so you can share these benefits, and maybe even the cost.

If you’re concerned about spending the extra $12.99 a month, you may be able to get it at a reduced rate. If you are a student, see if you qualify to pay $6.49. Only $5.99 a month, if you are an EBT/Medicaid recipient. If you want to skip paying for Prime altogether, keep your qualifying purchases over $25 each, and you’ll get free shipping.

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Smile, Sparkle, Save!

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No, I still haven’t changed the name. I’m not 100% sure that I absolutely want to. I have no issues with keeping it. I actually would rather not change it. I have used LadySkullshine as my username on everything for the past ten years.

It’s just that, it no longer really applies to my site content. Lady Skullshine originated when I was working with a lot of metal bands. Now, I’m sharing tips about saving money. It’s definitely a bit of a switch. The name doesn’t exactly scream “savings”.

I have a really hard time coming up with names. A lot of time and thought needs to go into it. Nothing I can think of really seems to fit. ‘Smile, Sparkle, Save’ is one of my favorites. I think it’s because I’ve always said “Smile, Sparkle, Shine”. That will probably be my new catchphrase lol. I’m just not sure it’s a great name to change it to.

So for now, the name will have to remain, with the happy catchphrase.

LadySkullshine
Smile, Sparkle, Save!

All, Financial, Updates

New Theme, Page, Updates

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If you haven’t noticed, I changed my site’s theme. I also rearranged some things and added a new page. I’m ridiculous! I’m constantly trying to make it better. I’m so OCD about everything, until my ADHD takes over.

Let me know what you think.
Feedback is always appreciated.

I really like the layout of this new theme on my laptop, but I’m not sure about the mobile view. That’s where I get tripped up. The menus and widgets show up differently. I should have checked the theme on all devices before I applied my changes, but I didn’t think about it at the time. I’ll most likely keep it for a while and experiment a bit.

What device you use the most when you’re visiting?
I can adjust more to the majority’s viewing preference.

I originally planned to add a coupon section to my Financial page, but things got out of hand. I ended up creating a new page for Savings Tips. I listed the steps that I take to help save money from before a transaction, to afterwards. I did my best to have it flow in that order. I have so much more information to add to both of these pages.

Follow me and subscribe for updates.
Thank you!

All, Financial, Updates

Coupon Mission: Update 3

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I feel like this should be a Bloopers edition….

It’s been over a week since my last update. I saved some money, but nothing went nearly as planned. Anxiety, stress, and memory lapses really did not help my mission.

Before I left the house, I prepared myself. I already had all my notes on each ad. I also wrote a list of the items I needed to buy there. When I folded it up, I could see my list. Then I clipped my coupons to the back. I did this with each ad, with the feeling that I was about to accomplish something.

With my organized stack in hand, I started at Dollar Tree. I planned to get Renuzit air freshers for $.67 each, with a buy 4 get 2 coupon. Except, I never brought the coupon and completely forget about it. When I grabbed the air fresheners, I couldn’t figure out why they weren’t marked down. I convinced myself that it will come down at the register. They didn’t, of course. But hey, I did grab a bag of Chex Mix that was much cheaper than Rite Aid.

I quickly moved on to Dollar General. They were out of a few of the items I needed. I grabbed what I could and checked out. As I put my cart away, I realized I left my coupons on the counter. So none of those were used. The cashier nicely said I could use them next time. I just smiled and agreed, as I beat myself up inside for being so mindless.

Next was Rite Aid. I’m not used to this store, so I struggled to find some things. I’m also not sure how much I really saved, compared to what I normally pay. Then, I bought the wrong razors. I had coupons for $5 & $4 off. Except one was for disposable razors, so scratch that. I still saved with their sales and my one coupon though. They were regularly $13.49, but I paid $6.14 each. Not too bad, considering. With this visit, I saved a total of $23.87. Plus I have $8 towards my next trip.

Giant was my last stop. It wasn’t as great as I wanted it to be. A few of my coupons were rejected. I also got confused over an Air Wick oil starter kit deal in the ad, listed at 2 for $6. There was no picture in the ad and no sales marked on the items. I found a kit for $13.99. I didn’t think it was right, but grabbed it anyway to ask the cashier. She had to get a manager, who approved it. Honestly, I think it was a misprint. I also had a $2 coupon, so I got 2 for $2 each! (Orig 2 x $13.99 [27.98], on sale 2 for $6 – $2 coupon = 2 for $4.) With this trip, I managed to save $75.64 off my bill of $352.02. That’s 21.49%. It’s a start.

Then of course, once I got home, I scanned all of my receipts with at least six different apps to get even more cash back.

I know I could have done a lot better. I’m still working on my process of doing things to be faster and more efficient. I really need to focus more. I learned that I need to print more coupons, take them with me, and remember to use them! Then I need to pay more attention to the details on the coupon and store rules. Also, I should probably compare prices a bit more. Stupid mistakes that I can easily work on. Baby steps.

Financial

Financial Babble

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Since my last coupon post, I have contacted about 30 more companies. I didn’t receive any more coupons through the mail since Monday. I broke out of my shell for a moment. I made a post in a neighborhood app and a Facebook neighborhood group requesting any unwanted coupons. I actually received a few responses. Oh and I contacted a nearby friend of mine who has great experience in couponing. I have a bit more confidence in my journey. That’s my coupon update, which I didn’t see a need for it’s own post.

In other financial news, I recently received a call from my credit card company regarding a lower rate. I called them back today and found out it was a fraud call. However, while I had them on the phone, I asked what offers were available to me. It didn’t cost anything, but a few extra minutes. They upgraded me to a higher rewards card, so I’ll be receiving more cash back. It was totally worth those few minutes.

Every single day, I’m working on our finances. Whether it’s ways to save money or make money. I rarely impulse buy. I will jump through hoops to save. Then of course, the best part, the shopping while knowing that we have the extra money to do so. It makes it all worth it. Especially knowing what it’s like to not have the money. I’m grateful for anything extra I can do to better my family. Every little bit really does help.

All, Financial, Updates

Coupon Mission: Update 2

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I don’t have much of an update, but I have made some progress.

So this weekend, I got the Sunday paper ads and coupons. I checked what deals I could get at Rite Aid and if it’s worth going through the trouble this week. It was, so I focused on their ad and what coupons I had on hand. I finally went shopping today and ended up spending $19.92 on Crest, ZZZQuil, 3 Pantene, and razors. I saved $22.37 between store deals and coupons. I also now have purchases tallying towards cash back. For example, spend $50 on P&G items and get $15 back. Not too terrible for my first trip back on the mega coupon wagon.

Yesterday, I received a stack of mail full of coupons from Daisy, Celestial Seasonings, Bush’s, Juicy Juice, Kelloggs, and Hostess. They also sent me letters advising of where I can get more coupons. I even got a few recipes too. I’m going to send out another batch of requests soon. Once I get through my list, I’ll post all of the companies that send me coupons.

The next thing I need to figure out is my plan for printing coupons. Since I rarely print, I have a subscription that allows me to print 15 pages a month for free. If I will be printing coupons, this will definitely increase fairly quickly.

Like I said, it’s not much of an update. But it is definitely progress.

All, Financial, Updates

Coupon Mission: Update 1

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I recently posted that I’m on a mission to be a for-real couponer. I already save money literally everywhere else in our household budget, so it’s time to take on that ever growing grocery bill.

Granted, I do buy a lot of items. My cart is always overflowing and I usually fill both refrigerators, freezers, pantry, cabinets, and then some. It just bothers me, knowing that I can save so much more. I use my store’s loyalty program and buy things on sale. I just really need to use more coupons. The issue is finding ones that we can actually use.

Since my last post, I have reached out to 46 companies requesting coupons. For the majority of them, I just had to fill out forms on their sites. I also created a new email address specifically for this. I’ve already received several responses. A bunch said they would mail coupons to me. Most of them advised that they could not send anything, but then they directed me to where I could get their coupons. Some companies post them on Facebook, while others are sent via their newsletters. I’ve also found some that have points programs. When I’m more organized, I can post more detailed information of what I’ve found.

I recently went grocery shopping and don’t have a ton of coupons, so I won’t have any major progress yet. I just have to stay focused and remember that the end results will make all of this worth it. I am also going to begin couponing at the pharmacy again. I did really well with it before. That will help me stay on track in the meantime.

For more ways to save money, visit the Financial Tips page.

All, Financial

Mission to Extreme Couponing

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I’ve been flip flopping with coupons over the years. I don’t mean using some coupons here and there to save a few bucks. I mean the legit couponing, where you pay virtually nothing. When I used them religiously, I did fairly well. But certain things have caused me to fall off the wagon.

There was a time when I clipped every coupon. I got the big hot pink binder to file them and a smaller one to take to the store. I wandered through the aisles, attempting to follow my list, while checking deals, and fumbling through a binder full of coupons. No matter how prepared I thought I was, it was very overwhelming for me and I could never manage it properly. I get confused, forget to use a coupon, or get stuck calculating if it was even worth using. By the end of the shopping trip, I saved very little, was super stressed, and didn’t even buy all the things I needed. I ditched the binders and used a small envelope organizer. That didn’t help at all. Eventually I realized it was causing me way too much anxiety. From then on, if I managed to use a coupon I would just appreciate the savings.

Sometime later, I started using the Krazy Coupon Lady site/app. It really helped me a lot, giving me some guidance to get a handle on the process. KCL shows you where to find deals, coupons, policies, etc. I was getting about 20 packs of newspapers every week. I focused on CVS since it was the pharmacy I used, it was familiar to me, and they always had decent deals to begin with. I made my list of items with notes, got my coupon stack, and went shopping. I actually was able to get nearly all of my items for free. On some trips, they even paid me.

This was a wonderful thing…when it worked. A lot of times, I would sabotage myself by screwing something up or getting side tracked. The store would be out of an item and I’d have to rethink things, then my anxiety would take over. I ended up slacking off. Then there was no CVS where I moved to. I have a Rite Aid, but never really attempted it there. Or anywhere else.

I’m tired of seeing $300 grocery shopping bills. It’s out of control. I do buy a decent amount of stuff to stock up and fill both of our refrigerators, freezers, and pantry. But still, this is a huge amount of money when I know for a fact I could save more.

I am on a mission to be a for real couponer. I save money literally everywhere else on our household budget. I’ve done some research and made some notes. I already do the majority of the following, but I do need to start contacting companies and purchase more papers. Let’s see how much I can save going forward. I’ll be keeping a closer eye on this.

  • Newspaper inserts.
  • Get extra newspapers from Dollar Tree for $1 each.
  • Print coupons from the manufacturer’s site.
  • Reach out to companies to send you coupons.
  • Use apps for cash back.
  • Use store loyalty programs.

For more ways to save money, visit the Financial Tips page.

All, Financial

Metromile

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I really dislike paying for car insurance. I completely understand the concept and it’s fabulous. My issue, is that I rarely drive so it seems ridiculous to pay so much money for it.

Months ago, I did multiple quotes online and spoke to others on the phone to get the best rate. The lowest I could get was about $60 a month through Root. So I tried them out for the six months and watched their rate increase to over $70 a month. Just before my policy ran out, we had purchased a second vehicle. We needed a backup but I cringed at having to add it to the insurance. I looked into it some options and managed to find a few companies that offered pay per mile plans. This was perfect!

After some research and quotes, I ended up signing up with Metromile. I chose the most basic coverage, state minimum. We are now paying a base rate per vehicle, plus the per mile rate. That ended up being $12.30 for the car and $18 for our truck. I had to pay the base rate up front for six months which was just over $100. Once you are set up, they send you an OBD reader so they can track your miles.

I just received my first bill after trying them for a month. It was $32.52 total, minus what I prepaid. So, I only owed $1.63 for the miles I drove. Now, that is even more fabulous. Not to mention, they also give me an Amazon gift card for each referral that I send them.

Want to save money on your car insurance?
Get your free quote from Metromile pay-per-mile insurance using my referral link http://fbuy.me/pkVrx.

For more savings like this, go to the Financial Tips page.

All, Financial

YouGov Pulse

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I’ve been working on getting more companies added to the Financial Tips page whenever I have a moment. YouGov Pulse VPN seemed to be a great one to add next. It’s an app that just runs in the background of your phone. Once in a while, I get a notification to reconnect it. Somehow my phone drops off. I think it’s because I have another similar app running so they are conflicting, but it hasn’t affected my earnings.

That’s literally all you need to do to accumulate points. I also receive emails on occasion to take a survey. They aren’t too lengthy and they pay out a decent amount of points. Since I’ve downloaded this, I’ve made $15. That’s pretty good since the most I do is a random survey.

Try it out with my referral link below and let me know what you think.
When you sign up and complete 4 surveys, we each get 2,000 points. https://today.yougov.com/refer/WktHlJgHs8IR26fxWx8YPA/

For similar apps that pay out, see the Financial Tips page.

All, Financial

Small Financial Tips – It All Adds Up

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Since everyone has been home looking for things to do, I figured it was a great time to share some of my savings tips and where you can make a few extra bucks. I’ve done the hard part. You can find the apps that I’ve been using on the Financial Tips page.

Scanning Receipts:

One way that I save money is by scanning all of my receipts, which then turns into points and cash. I am currently using five apps that have successfully paid me. I’m also using a 6th app on good faith. I’ve made approximately $105 to date, using this method. Since I’m saving my receipts anyway, I enter all the information into my spreadsheet for budgeting. It’s another one of my projects in progress, but at least all the data is there. It’s been interesting to see it along the way.

Cash Back via Apps/Sites:

Another great way to save some money, is to use the apps and sites that give you cash back. The percentage and time frame varies, but I’ve had success with one company in particular. So far, I’ve received $27.36 back using two apps. Also, check with your credit card companies. They will often give cash back as well. My bank gives a percentage off at certain retailers, while my credit card gives me back a percentage of my spending. I’ve received a decent amount back from this as well.

Playing Games:

My favorite so far, has been playing games. Previously, I was very anti-playing games. Now that I’ve been making money from it, I’ve changed my mind. As long as I can multitask and remind myself that I’m making money, then I can justify it. I’ve actually made $86 just playing mindless games.

Surveys and More:

I haven’t added them to my site yet, but there’s also several other ways to make some money. There’s surveys, which I’m always on the fence with. I don’t mind them and they definitely pay off, but they can be time consuming. There’s also apps that pay you to watch videos, click emails, and have so many other opportunities.

If you’re interested in making a few bucks, then click on my referral links. They are found on the Financial Tips page.

What apps / sites are you successfully using to increase your income?

All, Financial, Random

The Rewards Are The Reason

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Sometime soon, I plan to update the Financial Tips page. There’s several more sites to add that I’ve been using. I also realized that I added some that haven’t actually paid me yet. I tend to get side tracked and lose my train of thought. I really want to make a point to separate those that are legit, tried, and true.

That’s the whole point of sharing all this on my site. I’ve experienced not being paid, wasting too much time, contacting customer service multiple times, researching, and so forth. I have been doing the crappy part of the work and discovered what is right for me. Now, those that are interested can partake in the benefits part with me. All I ask is that my referral links and codes are used. Most of the time when you do this, both parties get some sort of extra rewards.

The rewards are absolutely the only reason I do any of this. I honestly never had any interest in playing games on my phone. Except for that time I was obsessed with Dragon Vale for a while, but that didn’t last long. I viewed anything unproductive as a complete waste of time and other things should be done instead. When I learned about being paid to play games, this finally intrigued me. I looked into several apps. One paid me, but then stopped accumulating points. I ran into all sorts of snags, but I have found one that has been pretty decent. It’s called Mistplay. So far, I made $40 and I’m just about to cash out another $25.

I am taking a break from testing out any extra apps at the moment. It’s time consuming and I want to check out a few other things. I definitely need to do more surveys. If you find the right ones, they actually can be profitable. They are a bit of a timed, focused commitment which I struggle with. I will add the ones I have been successful with at some point. My latest endeavor has been testing and receiving discounted and free Amazon items. There’s one site I’ve received several items from, but it’s not always successful. I am working on researching some other sites at the moment.

Are there any apps or sites that you are using to make or save a few extra bucks? Share what works for you and any referral codes you may have as well.