We partner with some awesome companies that offer products which can help our readers. If you make a purchase through one of our partner links, we may receive a commission at absolutely no additional cost to you! Please see my Policy & Disclosure page for full details.
There are so many interesting ways out there to help you save money or even reward you by scanning your receipts on everyday purchases.
Fetch Rewards is an app where you can actually earn free gift cards, magazines, Visa Prepaid Card, or donate to charity.
If you ever threw your receipts in the trash, think again!
Fetch Rewards will give you points just for scanning all your receipts. Those rewards points can then be converted to all those goodies mentioned above.
I use this app myself and I'm a fan! It's earned me over 21,000 points so far, which is about $21 just for simply scanning my receipts. Just doesn't get any simpler then Fetch Rewards.
Let's go over Fetch Rewards a bit more in detail so you can know the ins and outs of this app and how to make the most of it, shall we?
Fetch Rewards is a receipt scanning app which turns your receipts to points.
You can scan almost any receipt like some here:
Grocery receipts
Receipts from gas stations
Pharmacy receipts
Convenience store receipts
Retailer receipts
Receipts from restaurants
Wholesale club receipts
Liquor store receipts
Pet store receipts
The majority of the points you receive from receipts will most likely come from your grocery shopping receipts. Fetch Rewards have partnered up with many different participating brands and if you purchase from any of the brands listed on the app, you'll receive thousands of rewards points.
On the Fetch Rewards app, there's a tab called Discover, where you can check out all the deals they have to offer. Just the other day, I saw Fetch offer thousands of points for buying Sargento Cheese or even Huggies diapers.
The special offers within the Discover tab changes frequently so you'll get plenty of chances to purchase brands you actually buy.
Fetch Rewards
Free 2000 sign up bonus
Fetch Rewards is a free app that gets you free gift cards, magazines, and Visa Prepaid Card from groceries, brands, clothing, medication, online shopping, and so much more
There are over 2 million users who use this app and turn their receipts to rewards!
The Fetch Rewards app can be downloaded from the Apple Store for Apple users or Google Play Store if you have an android.
Users of the app seem to love it! The app has gotten a solid 4.8 out of 5 from over 1 million ratings from the Apple Store and 4.5 out of 5 stars with over 193,000 ratings from the Google Play Store.
From the Fetch app, you have the option of scanning your receipts to start earning points. You can also link up your Amazon account or email for digital receipts.
Is Fetch App legit?
Fetch Rewards has been around for 9 years now and according to Forbes, there's over 2 million people who use the Fetch App.
Fetch Rewards is a legitimate company that gives you rewards when you scan your receipts.
I myself have been using this app and it's so easy and straight forward to use.
Once you reach a minimum of 3,000 points, you can start redeeming for rewards. For an Amazon gift card, you'll need 3,500 points to get a $3 gift card.
If you receive your 2,000 bonus points using the referral code: 7JKFH, getting the extra 1,500 should be a piece of cake. Just start scanning any and all the receipts you get instead of throwing them in the trash.
How Fetch Rewards works
If you haven't downloaded the Fetch App yet, you can sign up with them here. It's so simple to use and we'll go over step-by-step on how to get started with this app.
First open the app, go to the Discover tab to check out any brands you're familiar with or purchase from. You'll receive the points as indicated if you purchase that item.
Click on the Camera icon to snap a picture of your receipt.
You can also link up your Amazon account and email to earn points for e-receipts.
How to enter the Fetch Rewards referral code
When you first sign up with Fetch, you may be given an option to input a referral code. In that case, enter 7JKFH to get your 2,000 points.
If you somehow miss the part to enter the code, you can always go to the Me tab and go to Refer a friend to enter the code.
Keep in mind that you should enter the Fetch Rewards referral code prior to the scanning of your first receipt to be eligible for the 2,000 sign up points.
Earning Fetch Rewards points
Earning some Fetch points is super easy.
There's 4 main ways to earn points fast:
Get your 2,000 sign up bonus points
Scan all your receipts to start accruing points
Check out the Discover tab to see the special offers for buying certain brands
Refer your friends and family to earn bonus points
How to redeem Fetch Rewards points
You can redeem your Fetch points once you reach 3,000. This should be easy to do especially if you've received the 2,000 bonus points.
To redeem the points, head to the Rewards tab where you can choose from a variety of gift cards, a Visa Prepaid Card, magazines, or donate to charity.
To give you an idea, here are some free rewards you could get:
Gift cards - Amazon, Starbucks, Target, CVS, Ulta, UBER, GAP, Applebee's, and more
Magazines - Better Homes & Garden, EatingWell, InStyle, Parents, People, Shape, and more
Donation - American Cancer Society, Charity Choice, Clean Water Fund, World of Children, and more
Redeem points for money with a Visa Prepaid Card
Fetch Rewards Referral Program
Once you've signed up and start using the app, you can also refer your friends and family which will get you and them both 2,000 points.
Keep in mind that in order for the both of you to receive the 2,000 bonus points, they must input your unique referral code prior to scanning their first receipt.
Where can I find my referral code?
If you want to start referring Fetch Rewards, you can simply head over to the Me tab and go to the Referral Code section to get your unique code.
FAQ
How old can receipts be for Fetch?
You can upload all shopping receipts from purchases as long as it is within 14 days. Also, keep in mind that you can upload 35 receipts within a 7 day period.
What receipts can I scan on Fetch?
You can only scan physical receipts into the app. This doesn't include sales slips, invoices, or printed electronic receipts.
For e-receipts, just link your email or Amazon account to have your digital receipts count.
Is the Fetch Rewards referral code worth it?
Absolutely! Fetch Rewards will get you 2,000 points just for signing up as long as you have a referral code. Also, you should input the code prior to the submission of your first receipt to get the bonus points.
It's one of the easiest ways to earn 2,000 points fast which equals to $2.
Fetch Rewards is such an easy app to use and it takes just seconds to scan your shopping receipts for points.
Takeaway
Fetch Rewards is a great and easy to use app if you want to turn your receipts into rewards. You can literally never spend any money on gift cards anymore if you're using Fetch Rewards.
The Fetch Rewards referral code will get you 2,000 points to start off with, which is awesome!
This app is a great app to use along with other cash back or rewards apps for scanning receipts like Ibotta, ReceiptPal, and GetUpside.
Overall, Fetch is one of the easiest apps to start earning rewards where you can start earning points within seconds, it's definitely worth giving a try!
You may be wondering how to maximize your points using a Fetch Rewards Hack.
Don't worry, we'll go over some super simple tips you can use right away to get the most points possible. More points = more money!
For those of you who don't know what Fetch Rewards is, it's a receipt scanning app that gives you points which you can redeem for rewards in the form of free gift cards, free magazines, Visa prepaid card, or donate to charity.
There is a Fetch Rewards hack that can help you maximize your points to get you earning more and faster. You can simply sign up if you're a new user to quickly get your first 2,000 points which is about $2. You can also find quick ways to earn thousands of points from a simple grocery shopping trip.
There are a few other ways to maximize your point earnings with the Fetch Rewards App so we'll go ahead and dive right in.
We partner with some awesome companies that offer products which can help our readers. If you make a purchase through one of our partner links, we may receive a commission at absolutely no additional cost to you! Please see my Policy & Disclosure page for full details.
If you've never used Fetch Rewards App before, you probably have a lot of questions about it. It's a very simple receipt scanning app that I've been using myself which has been awesome.
Have you ever gotten your grocery receipts and thrown it in the trash? Well, think again! You're probably throwing money away!
With Fetch Rewards, you can scan receipts and in turn receive points which you can redeem for free gift cards, free yearly magazine subscriptions, or donate to charity, which ultimately helps you save money.
If you're skeptical about Fetch Rewards, don't worry, I'll break it down for you and you'll decide if it's worth your time or not.
What is Fetch Rewards?
Fetch Rewards is a receipt scanning app that allows you to earn bonus points. You can basically scan any receipt to earn points. However, you will most likely earn the most points when you scan your grocery receipts.
You can earn points when you buy from certain participating brands as seen on the Fetch App.
For instance, on the Discover tab of the app, you'll see the points offered for buying certain brands from toilet paper, food, shaving products, magazines, hygiene products, restaurants, and so much more. What's even better is that these items always seem change up.
Fetch Rewards is a legitimate company and they've been around for 9 years now.
Users seem to love them too! In the Apple App Store, they have 1.3 million ratings with an average score of 4.8 out of 5 stars. In the Google Play Store, over 193,000 rated Fetch Rewards a 4.5 out of 5 which is still really good!
What's great about the Fetch App is that you can scan any receipt including digital receipts. It's incredibly easy and fast to use. It literally takes me 2 seconds to scan my receipt and receive points.
Another plus about Fetch Rewards is how incredibly fast you get your points. It's instant. You don't have to wait around for the receipt to be processed to get your points.
Once you scan the receipt, you know immediately how much points you get.
Fetch Rewards
Free 2000 sign up bonus
Fetch Rewards is a free app that gets you free gift cards, magazines, and Visa Prepaid Card from groceries, brands, clothing, medication, online shopping, and so much more
There are over 2 million users who use this app and turn their receipts to rewards!
Fetch Rewards is a legitimate company that's been around for 9 years so far. On Forbes, they state there are over 2 million people who use this receipt scanning app.
Just from the Apple App Store alone, there are over 1 million ratings with an average score of 4.8 out of 5.
I personally use this app myself for all my receipts and have earned 21,000 points so far ($21). I could basically get myself a free tank of gas just from scanning my receipts.
I know for a fact, I could probably earn way more points but I don't go through the Discover tab to check brands as much as I should. Ugh.. I've got to stop being lazy!
Fetch Rewards is totally legit and actually so easy to use.
Is Fetch Rewards App safe?
With any app you may wonder how safe is it to use? Rest assured, Fetch Rewards App is very safe to use and here's why:
Fetch Rewards doesn't collect your bank info - The only way to redeem your points for cash is with a Visa Prepaid Card which you don't have to provide any bank information for that.
You need verification in order to redeem rewards - For additional security measures, Fetch Rewards will text you or email you a verification code when you redeem your gift cards. This way, only you have the ability for redemption.
Always create a strong and unique password with any app to make sure your account doesn't get hacked. This goes for any app, sign up, etc.
How does Fetch Rewards Work? Step-By-Step Guide
If you haven't downloaded the Fetch App yet, you can sign up with them here. It's so simple to use and we'll go over step-by-step on how to get started with this app.
First open the app, go to the Discover tab to check out any brands you're familiar with or purchase from. You'll receive the points as indicated if you purchase that item.
Click on the Camera icon to snap a picture of your receipt.
You can also link up your Amazon account and email to get points for e-receipts.
What Stores Does Fetch Rewards Work With?
The great part about Fetch Rewards is that you can upload any receipt from a store. Here's just a quick example of a few:
Grocery receipts
Gas receipts
Pharmacy receipts
Convenience store receipts
Retailer receipts
Restaurant receipts
Wholesale club receipts
Liquor store receipts
Pet store receipts
But keep in mind that the majority of your points will most likely come from your grocery receipts or from the specific brands you bought from within the Discover tab.
What Receipts Can I Scan on Fetch?
You can basically scan all sorts of receipts to the Fetch App for some points. However, here's a few things to keep in mind:
The receipts have to be submitted within 14 days of the checkout date.
Only physical receipts from stores can be scanned to the Fetch Rewards app. This doesn't include sales slips, invoices, or printed electronic receipts.
You can only submit receipts from the United States.
Fetch Rewards Hack: Special offers, referrals, and Ereceipts
Now that we've gotten the basics of what Fetch Rewards is about and how to use it, let's get to the good stuff! There are some hacks and tips I've learned along the way which can help you earn points fast!
Also, once you reach 3,500 points, you can redeem it for a $3 Amazon gift card. Earning that extra 1,500 points should be a piece of cake once you start scanning in your grocery shopping receipts.
I received 2,698 points from Walmart once for buying Scott's Toilet Paper spending just $25.96. Scott's TP had a huge bonus at the time I purchased it. So always check the Discover tab to view bonus offers.
Fetch Rewards Hack with Special Offers
Fetch Rewards will give you special offers when you buy certain brands. You could earn thousands of extra points when you scroll through the list and pick the products to buy from participating brands.
The Special Offers section will be in your Discover tab within the app.
There's a range from items and brands to choose from which include:
Food items
Magazines
Pet products
Hygiene products
Restaurants
Medication
and so much more, changes often
So, if you want to start earning extra points, always check out the Special Offers section prior to your next shopping trip.
Fetch Rewards Hack: Get 10000 Points
This little Fetch Rewards Hack can get you 10,000 points on the Fetch App easily! The best and easiest way to earn all those Fetch points is by checking out the Discover tab and / or referring your friends and family.
Just today, I see a ton of points being offered if you purchase Huggies diapers, cheese, hygiene products, and snacks. If your family eats cheese, you can pick up some Sargento cheese products and collect 5,750 points just from the cheese alone.
If you pick up some Huggies diapers, you can collect 2,000 points and 1,000 more if you pick up some brownie snacks, which will give you 8,750 points just from a simple shopping trip.
These offers will change often so you'll have plenty of other opportunities to earn thousands of points from different brands and products.
If you add just 1 friend or family member, that'll get you 2,000 points.
If you purchased these brands and refer a friend or family, you could see 10,750 points or more depending on the other brands you buy and other receipts you scan.
Ereceipts
Fetch Rewards has an option to link up your Amazon account or email and it will automatically give you points on all your receipts from online purchases.
The best part about this option is that you literally don't have to scan anything in.
Just link up your accounts once and Fetch Rewards does the rest for you.
You can connect your accounts by simply heading over to the Me section.
How to receive payment from Fetch Rewards
Currently, Fetch Rewards offers users points for all their receipts. Once you have at least 3,000 points accumulated, you can redeem them for:
Gift cards
Visa Prepaid Card
Magazine subscriptions
Donate to charity
To redeem your points, you an head over to the Rewards tab where you can pick and choose your payment option.
Redeem Your Fetch Points for Gift Cards
Fetch Rewards offers tons of gift cards for point redemption.
Do you ever come across a certain time where you need to get a co-worker or acquaintance something but are not really sure what to get them? Gift cards can be perfect for that, better yet, a free one!
The gift cards range from retail, restaurants, travel, Visa Prepaid Card, fashion, health, beauty, pets, and so much more
Some gift cards you may be familiar with:
Amazon
Starbucks
Target
CVS
Dunkin
Ulta
Airbnb
Hotels.com
Uber
Banana Republic
GAP
Applebee's
Carrabba's
Chili's
and so much more
Redeem your points for magazines
If you like reading magazines then you're going to get an awesome deal with Fetch Rewards points.
We all know how pricey magazines can be, you can end up paying anywhere from $5-$7 per magazine when you're waiting on line at the grocery store.
Also, yearly subscriptions to certain magazines can range from $20 to $80.
Get this, some magazines offered on Fetch Rewards are only 5,000 points = $5 for 12 issues (1 year). How awesome is that?
I have seen some of the magazines change but for the most part, they offer the usual.
Here are some you may have heard of:
Better Homes & Garden
EatingWell
Entertainment Weekly
InStyle
Parents
People
Shape
Redeem points for money
There is no direct way to convert your points into cash with Fetch Rewards. However, they do have a Visa Prepaid Card option where you can actually earn money from converting your points.
First, head over to Rewards section and go to the Cash cards tab.
From there you can choose from a $5, $10, $25, or $50 prepaid card.
Things to keep in mind when going for this option:
You'll receive the reward in your email
Must use the funds within 7 months
2% Non-U.S. Currency Transaction fee if you use it to purchase something that's not in USD
Redeem points for charity
A very nice option that Fetch Rewards offers is redeeming your points to give back to charity.
If you're in the giving spirit, there's a few great charities you can choose from:
American Cancer Society
Charity Choice
Clean Water Fund
Equal Justice Initiative
Habitat for Humanity
Ride 2 Recovery
The Nature Conservancy
World of Children
The least you can donate is $3 = 3,000 points.
Is Fetch Rewards app worth it?
So, after all this info you may be wondering if Fetch Rewards is even worth your time.
In my opinion, the Fetch App is part of my receipt scanning routine among other apps I use like Ibotta, ReceiptPal, and GetUpside. It's super easy to use, which is what I love about it.
I'm sure for those who will always check the Discover tab and purchase the brands being offered, they will score major points.
Besides Fetch Rewards, you can use other receipt scanning apps too.
Here's a quick breakdown of the pros and cons for this app and you can decide if you should try it or not.
pros
cons
2,000 sign up bonus
Points can range from 5 to thousands depending on the type of receipt
Scan practically any receipt
Unable to get funds directly
So easy to use
Most points will come from grocery receipts
Get free gift cards, Visa Prepaid Card, Magazines, or donate to charity
Cell
Besides not being able to directly get cash from Fetch, it's still worth using to get rewards for scanning your receipts.
Is Fetch Rewards Better Than Ibotta?
For those of you who have never heard of Ibotta, it's another grocery receipt snapping app that's very popular and helps save money by getting you cash back on purchases.
Ibotta has paid it's users over 800 million so far and counting.
With Ibotta, you get to choose from countless number of stores and pick your items you plan to purchase and get real cash back into your Ibotta account.
You get to choose from so many items and stores to get cash back from. They also offer in-store and online cash back options.
Ibotta has over 1,000 participating stores where you can get money back from.
Here are some:
Walmart
Target
Kroger
Costco
Sam's Club
Aldi
Banana Republic
Hotels.com
Countless others
In my opinion, I like Ibotta so much more because I make a lot more money back compared to the Fetch App. With Ibotta, I can withdraw money straight into my PayPal account which is awesome while Fetch Rewards doesn't have that option.
It's all about getting the most from your receipts, plus it's all free money and bonus points you could earn.
FAQ
How can I get free Fetch points?
In order to get free points, the easiest way would be to sign up as a new user which would get you 2,000 free points.
Once, you have the app, scroll through the Discover tab to see if you will be purchasing any items on your next shopping trip from the list. This can get you thousands of extra free points for doing your regular shopping.
Next, you can get even more free points if you refer any friends and family.
How do you earn Fetch Rewards fast?
The fastest way to earn points is to start scanning all your receipts within 14 days of your purchase.
You can earn anywhere from 5 points to thousands of points just from 1 receipt.
Start scanning receipts from:
Grocery store
Gas
Pharmacy
Convenience stores
Retailer stores
Restaurants
Wholesale clubs
Liquor stores
Pet stores
How do you enter codes on Fetch Rewards?
Fetch Rewards
Free 2000 sign up bonus
Fetch Rewards is a free app that gets you free gift cards, magazines, and Visa Prepaid Card from groceries, brands, clothing, medication, online shopping, and so much more
There are over 2 million users who use this app and turn their receipts to rewards!
When you first sign up with Fetch Rewards, you may be given an option to input a referral code. In that case, enter 7JKFH to get your 2,000 points.
If you somehow miss the part to enter the code, you can always go to the Me tab and go to Refer a friend to enter the code.
Keep in mind that you should enter the referral code prior to the scanning of your first receipt to be eligible for the 2,000 sign up points.
How many Fetch points equal a dollar?
Every 1,000 Fetch Rewards points equals a dollar. Once you reach 3,000 points, you can start redeeming it in the Rewards section.
Does Fetch take online receipts?
Yes, you can link up your Amazon account or email for Fetch Rewards to automatically process your receipts and give you points.
This way, there's no need for scanning any receipts, let the app do the work for you.
How long does it take to get your gift card from Fetch Rewards?
It will take about 3 days for you to receive your gift card from Fetch Rewards.
How Does Fetch Rewards Make Money?
You may be wondering where is Fetch Rewards getting all their money to pay its users? Fetch Rewards gets paid by brands (like General Mills or Dove) whenever a consumer purchases any of their brands.
What do I do if I don't get my points?
If you didn't receive your points from a purchase, here's what you can do:
Head over to the Activity tab
Find your receipt
On the bottom, there should be an option to Correct Receipt
You'll only get 3 days from when you submitted the receipt to correct it.
Once you submit your correction, it'll take Fetch Rewards 24 hours to approve or deny it.
Do my points expire?
Unfortunately, yes the points on the Fetch App will expire if there is no activity with the app for 90 days. This means, if you don't scan a single receipt into the app and have points remaining, it will expire.
How many receipts can I upload?
There is a limit to how many receipts you can upload to Fetch. You can upload 35 receipts in a 7 day period and receipts that submitted within 14 days of purchase will be accepted.
Is there a time limit for submitting receipts?
Yes, you will have 14 days from the date of purchase to submit your receipt to Fetch.
Can long receipts be processed?
Sometimes we can end up getting a receipt that's really long but don't worry. Fetch Rewards allows you to take multiple pictures of the receipt to make sure you get all the information in.
Is Fetch Rewards worth it?
Fetch Rewards can help you save money and earn major bonus points just to scan receipts and purchase items you would do normally anyway. Plus, it's super easy to use and it allows you to basically submit any type of receipt.
While I wouldn't just rely on Fetch Rewards App alone for rewards, it's a great addition to your cash back earning routine with apps like Ibotta, ReceiptPal, GetUside.
There's nothing better than to one day have enough points to get yourself some free coffee, free movie tickets, free Amazon gift card, and so much more.
If you have a few seconds to spare then Fetch Rewards is definitely worth trying out!
With all the cash back apps out there, you may be wondering "Is Ibotta legit?". Does it really get you money back as it claims? The answer is yes! Ibotta is legit and you can earn money back each time you shop.
Using Ibotta can get you some real cash back on your purchases, especially when shopping for groceries. So instead of throwing away free money, giving Ibotta a try can help you save more!
Ibotta is very easy to use and there's actually different ways you can get even more cash back.
I personally use Ibotta myself and love this app when it comes to getting free money back on my purchases.
Let me show you how Ibotta works and I'll go over all the ways you can maximize your savings with this app.
We partner with some awesome companies that offer products which can help our readers. If you make a purchase through one of our partner links, we may receive a commission at absolutely no additional cost to you! Please see my Policy & Disclosure page for full details.
So, if you're wondering if Ibotta is legit rest assured that it's a legitimate free app that pays its users to earn cash on their everyday purchases from groceries, online shopping, bonuses, and more.
To date, Ibotta has paid it's users $860 million! Can you believe that? There's over 1.2 million ratings from the Apple App Store with a solid 4.8 out of 5, can't get any better than that!
The Ibotta app also has great ratings on the Google Play Store, where it has an average score of 4.5 out of 5 from over 530,000 ratings.
Ibotta
Free $20 welcome bonus
Ibotta is a free app that gets you real cash back on your purchases from groceries, brands, clothing, medication, online shopping, and so much more
Average use of Ibotta could bring you $240 a year or more - aside from your free $20 welcome bonus - Ibotta has paid it's users over $860 million so far
Ibotta will give you cash back on certain items you purchase through one of their 1,000+ participating major retailers.
You can get free cash back when you purchase grocery items, pet food, health products, clothes, and so much more.
There's a few ways to get extra money back once you sign up and start your Ibotta account.
Once you sign up with Ibotta and download the free phone app (and claim your free $20 sign up bonus), you'll have a few options to start getting your free cash back.
Getting free money back with Ibotta is so easy, we'll cover some of the ways below.
In store Purchases
Ibotta will get you money back when you're shopping for groceries.
Besides just groceries, you could also earn cash back at over 300 participating retail chains which include restaurants, movie theaters, convenience stores, home improvement centers, pet stores, and pharmacies.
Some stores you may be familiar with:
Aldi
Costco
Dollar Tree
Kroger
Target
Whole Foods Market
PetSmart
Walmart
Hobby Lobby
Rite Aid
Banana Republic
Express
Gap
300 more!
Once you've found the store you plan to do in-store shopping at, choose the items you plan to buy, add it to your Ibotta list, and once you get your receipt, scan into the app to get your cash back.
Linking your store loyalty card
If you want to skip scanning your receipt, an easy way to do this is to link up your store loyalty card with the Ibotta app.
Keep in mind that not all the stores will have this feature within the app. If the store you plan to shop at does have this feature, it will say "Link Account" when you go click on the store name within the app.
Once you link your loyalty card and shop in store, the cashier will scan your card. Ibotta will then automatically process your purchase information and match up and offers you have added to your list.
You will receive cash back automatically without scanning any receipts just as long as you scan your store loyalty card at the register.
Scan your receipt by taking a photo
The second way to get your cash back with Ibotta is by taking a quick photo of your receipt to submit it.
If your receipt is long, don't worry, you can take multiple snapshots to ensure you're able to submit the entire receipt.
Ibotta will be able to read your receipt and match it up with the offers you've added to your list to get you cash back.
Some receipts even come with a QR code which looks like a square box with a bunch of random dots on the bottom of the receipt. So instead of snapping the entire receipt, you can simply take a photo of the QR code and Ibotta will receive the information from your purchase and match up your offers.
Save When Online shopping
If you do some online shopping too then Ibotta's also got you covered. You can choose from any one of the hundreds of participating online retailers from food delivery, clothing, travel sites, and so much more where you can save money from.
Some of the online stores you can choose from are:
Banana Republic
BestBuy
Chewy
Expedia
Express
Forever 21
Gap
Hotels
Lowes
Orbitz
ULTA
Zappos
The process to get cash back when shopping at your favorite online retailers is super easy.
First you'll find the online store you plan to make a purchase from, then click on "Shop" on the Ibotta app or on desktop, you will be forwarded to the online store's website.
From there, you make your purchase as usual. Behind the scenes, Ibotta will get you cash back for your purchase.
Is Ibotta legit?
Yes, Ibotta is a completely legit app and will get you real money back for your everyday purchases.
Ibotta has been around for 9 years now and have paid it's users $860 million so far!
Also, Ibotta partners up with many major retailers that I'm sure those mega companies wouldn't join forces with Ibotta if their company is not legitimate.
I personally use Ibotta every time I go to the grocery store or even when I shop online and I just love seeing the notification each time I'm due to get some money into my account.
How much you earn with the Ibotta app is completely up to you. If you're just an average user then you can expect to make back around $25 a month, depending on your purchases and how consistently you use the app.
Rather than throwing perfectly good money down the drain, why not get your money back on things you would normally buy anyway.
That extra $25 a month or more can definitely come in handy one of these days when you want to get your office some coffee, get gas, give out gift cards for acquaintances, and more.
Step-by-step guide to using Ibotta
Ibotta made it super simple to use their app or desktop version. I'll go ahead and walk you through how to get started.
Sign up for Ibotta
First, you'll need to sign up and create your Ibotta account. You'll even qualify for their sweet $20 sign up bonus, only valid for first time users.
You can sign up straight from your phone or desktop.
Download the Ibotta app
If you have Apple, go on over to the App Store and if you have Android, go to the Google Play area. Find Ibotta and download it to start using it from your phone.
Install the Ibotta Google Chrome extension
If you're on desktop, you'll be able to download the Ibotta Chrome extension to get money back when you shop online.
Submit your receipt to Ibotta
Once you've got your Ibotta account and app installed, launch the app.
Find your store where you plan to make a purchase from
Pick out the items you plan to buy and add it to your list
Head to the store and purchase all necessary items
Once you get your receipt, upload it to Ibotta
You'll see a notification right away telling you how much you're earning back
Link store loyalty cards
When you link your store loyalty card with Ibotta, you won't have to scan your receipts to get money back.
All you need to do is choose your offers from Ibotta, make sure the cashier scans your store loyalty card when you purchase, and earn extra cash back from Ibotta.
Ibotta $20 Sign up Bonus
Ibotta is upping their sign up bonus!
It used to be $10 but now they're offering $20 for a sign up bonus (only for new users). They'll give you about 30 days from when you first start the app to claim the $20 worth of offers.
Can I make money with Ibotta?
Yes, you absolutely can make money back with Ibotta.
Ibotta really works and gets you cash back for your purchases from in-store or online.
So, instead of throwing away free money, use Ibotta to help get you money back. Each dollar adds up over time. I've earned over $140 with Ibotta so far and I love it!
Here's 3 most common ways to earn the most with Ibotta:
Get cash back on your purchases- You'll make money back from your purchases from in-store as long as you choose your offers in Ibotta and scan your receipt or link up your store loyalty account card. You'll also get cash back from online purchases made easy with the Ibotta Chrome extension.
Refer your friends and family- Ibotta will give you bonuses for their referral program when you get a friend or family member to join.
Ibotta loves bonuses- When you start using Ibotta, you'll start to see a lot of bonus offers on the home screen of the Ibotta app. Basically, Ibotta will give you even more cash to complete bonuses in the time frame they have noted. Also, check your e-mails because Ibotta sends random bonus offers which are not always available in their app and it requires you to activate it from the e-mail link.
How much money can you make with Ibotta?
The amount of money you make with Ibotta depends on the offers you choose within the app, your online shopping activity, how often you shop in-store, and how consistent you are with using the app.
For average users, you can expect to earn back $25 a month.
However, I have seen instances where people earn hundreds and thousands with Ibotta too so it all really depends on if you make the most out of the app.
What gift cards can I get from Ibotta?
If you're ready to cash out your money with Ibotta, you'll get to choose from cash if you have a PayPal account, Venmo, and gift cards to over 50 different stores.
Gift card options:
Amazon
Target
Walmart
Starbucks
iTunes
Sephora
Among 50 others
Does Ibotta really give you money?
Yes, Ibotta really gives you cold hard cash back for your in-store and online purchases. Also, they pay you $20 for signing up as a new user, referring friends and family, bonuses, and working as a team.
Ibotta does offer many ways for you to save money and earn cash back.
How do you get your money from Ibotta?
Retrieving your money from Ibotta is simple.
Visit your Account from the Ibotta app and click on "Withdraw Earnings"
Next, you'll get the option to choose your payment method.
You can add your bank account, link your PayPal or Venmo, or choose from 50 different gift cards.
How long does it take to get my money from Ibotta?
If you choose to receive your payment with your linked PayPal account or Venmo, you'll receive it within minutes.
If you'd rather receive a gift card, you'll receive an e-mail containing your digital gift card within 24 hours.
What is the minimum to withdraw from Ibotta?
You'll need a minimum of $20 in order to withdraw from Ibotta with the PayPal/Venmo method.
The same goes for gift cards, you'll need a minimum of $20 for some of the gift cards. There are other gift cards that require a $25 minimum to claim it.
However, with the $20 sign up bonus that Ibottais offering, you should get at least the minimum covered in no time at all.
Does PayPal charge for Ibotta?
Nope, PayPal will not charge you a fee when you withdraw Ibotta earnings, which is awesome!
What is the best way to use Ibotta?
To get the most out of this cash back app, here are the best ways to use Ibotta:
Claim offers to earn cash back from the Ibotta app when you're shopping in-store.
Use the Ibotta Chrome extension when shopping online to get money back from purchases.
Link your store loyalty accounts so that you don't need to scan your receipt.
Earn even more by completing the bonus offers from within the app.
Activate bonus offers sent from Ibotta to your email.
Refer friends and family to earn bonus cash.
Earn more when you're in a team. Referring your friends and family will automatically group you into a team. As a team, you all will qualify for teamwork bonus offers.
Is the Ibotta app safe to use?
Yes, Ibotta app is safe to useas they state that all payment information is protected with 256-bit bank-level encryption.
If you still would like further protection when using Ibotta, you have the option of:
Phone verification when using the app
Enable Face ID for passwords
Create a strong password
Tips and tricks to get the most with Ibotta
To get the most out of your money with Ibotta, there's a few tips and tricks that can help you save money and bring in cash.
Get free items from the dollar stores
I enjoy visiting dollar stores from time to time and pick up random things. For the most part, a majority of the items will be $1 more or less.
Ibotta actually has offers for the Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar.
The cash back offers range from cents to $3 cash back for certain items. Some items could probably be picked up for free!
For instance, Ibotta could be offering $1 cash back for deodorant which you've purchased for $1, basically getting you that item for free.
Combine cash back offers
You will claim offers to redeem with Ibotta to earn cash back. However, you can combine offers together to get extra money back.
Within the app, if you go to the "Earn More" tab, you'll see additional offers for multiple brands.
These extra offers stacks on top of the ones you've already chosen to get you saving money.
Stack coupons with Ibotta
You can use store or manufacturer's coupons combined with the offer you're claiming to get even more savings.
It's great that Ibotta will still give you cash back for offers even though you've used an actual coupon.
Where is Ibotta hidden bonus?
Ibotta will often send you hidden bonuses that you can't otherwise find within the app. You'll receive an email from Ibotta telling you about the bonus offer which you'll have to activate.
Once activated, you'll see it in in the "Earn More" section within the app.
Create a team
When you refer your friends and family to the Ibotta App, you'll automatically form a team.
As a team, you will all be eligible to participate in team bonuses. Once you all achieve the requirements, everyone in the team will get the teamwork bonus in addition to all other cash back offers and bonuses.
Earning more bonuses
Don't forget to check the "Earn more with bonuses" area on the home screen of the app. From there, you'll see additional bonuses you can qualify for to earn even more money.
Check the "Earn More" tab within the app to check additional bonuses and additional cash back when buying certain brands.
What is the best cash back app?
So you may be wondering what is the best cash back app to use? Besides Ibotta, there's Fetch Rewards, GetUpside, Swagbucks, and Rakuten.
You can check different cash back offers on Swagbucks and Rakuten to see where you can get the most out of your money.
With scanning receipts, after scanning it to Ibotta, you can then use Fetch Rewards to submit it there for even more points.
You can also get cash back at the pump and restaurants with GetUpside.
Overall, there's a lot of cash back apps out there and instead of just sticking with 1, use as many as you can to get the most cash back.
On the plus side, these cash back apps and sites give you sign up bonuses for free which is just plain awesome! Who can complain with more free money?
The app which comes close to Ibotta is Fetch Rewards.
Fetch Rewards is a receipt scanning app which gives you points. You can submit your receipts for groceries, clothes, gas, food, pharmacy, and more.
The bulk of your points will most likely be earned when you upload receipts from your grocery shopping trip. Fetch Rewards has so many participating brands like:
Tropicana
Yoplait
Scott
Clorox
Sargento
Kodiak
and so many more
The difference between Ibotta and Fetch Rewards is that you don't have to pick out specific items to earn points with Fetch Rewards unlike Ibotta.
Just simply scan your entire receipt and the app will detect the brands you've purchased from the store and credit you with appropriate points.
For simplicity purposes, Fetch Rewards is a good receipt scanning app for store purchases.
However, you won't get real money back unlike Ibotta. You can redeem your points for gift cards and magazine subscriptions.
Is Fetch Rewards better than Ibotta?
In my opinion, I think you will earn more cash back from purchases using Ibotta.
With Fetch Rewards, you'll only redeem your points for gift cards or magazine instead of PayPal like Ibotta offers.
In terms of getting money back, Ibotta is the way to go over Fetch Rewards.
However, this shouldn't stop you from using both! Double your points!
Take your receipt, submit it to Ibotta for cash back and use it for Fetch Rewards to earn more points.
To learn how to get the most points with Fetch, read my other article:
Yes, Ibotta does really give you money in the form of cash which you can redeem via your PayPal account, Venmo account, deposit into your bank, or gift cards.
Is it safe to give Ibotta your bank account information?
You may be wondering "Is Ibotta legit and safe?" Especially if payment information is involved.
Yes, Ibotta states that all payment information is protected with 256-bit bank-level encryption and they take security seriously.
Rest assured that the only time you would provide any bank account information is when you want to transfer your Ibotta funds to your bank account.
There's also alternate options to get your payment via PayPal, Venmo, and gift cards.
Is Ibotta free?
Yep, Ibotta is completely free to use!
What's the catch with Ibotta?
Basically, "the catch" with Ibotta is they'll give you money back or gift cards in exchange to monitor and share the consumer's shopping habits. If this idea feels a bit much for you, it's similar to shopping online at Amazon or any other store.
Have you shopped online and noticed the "Recommended or Related" section? Companies will use your purchase history to recommend similar products to meet your needs.
Basically, they use this consumer information for marketing purposes.
Is Ibotta worth the trouble?
Actually, using Ibotta is no trouble at all! It's very simple and easy to use.
Takes only a few minutes to scan the app for products you plan to buy from your grocery list, once you get your receipt, scan it, and get your cash back.
It's one of my favorite money saving apps to use when I shop because I actually don't have patience to sit there clipping coupons.
Do you pay taxes on Ibotta?
Nope, Ibotta will not send you any tax forms because the cash back you receive is considered coupons.
How do you get $20 on Ibotta?
Ibotta
Free $20 welcome bonus
Ibotta is a free app that gets you real cash back on your purchases from groceries, brands, clothing, medication, online shopping, and so much more
Average use of Ibotta could bring you $240 a year or more - aside from your free $20 welcome bonus - Ibotta has paid it's users over $860 million so far
Getting your $20 sign up bonus on Ibotta is really easy.
You have to be a new user, sign up for Ibotta, claim your offers within 30 days to get the credit applied to your account.
Can you use coupons and Ibotta?
Yes, the best part about using Ibotta is that you can stack other coupons and still get the full cash back offer amount. This gets you even more savings on your purchases.
Can you scan a receipt twice on Ibotta?
Yes, you can scan a receipt twice on Ibotta as long as it's within 7 days from the date of purchase. Also, if you submit your receipt twice, it should be for the missed offers and not to re-submit for offers already claimed.
So is Ibotta legit and worth it?
I hope this post answered your concerns if you were wondering "is Ibotta legit and worth using?"
Overall, Ibotta is an awesome way to earn money when you make purchases in-store or online purchases.
It's nice to go on a grocery shopping trip, use Ibotta, and get back more money every single time. Each dollar counts and adds up over time.
With Ibotta, there's so many different ways to maximize your cash back like when you grocery shop, do some online shopping, buying certain brands, getting extra bonuses, joining a team to earn more bonuses, and don't forget the $20 sign up bonus too!
By using Ibotta, you'll start earning more money which you can use for a free grocery shopping trip, gas for the car, send gift cards for friends and family, free lunch, and so much more.
So far, I've earned over $140 with Ibotta just by using the app and that's definitely nothing to scoff at.
Ibotta is definitely worth trying out, especially since you could get the $20 welcome bonus, why not?
If you're interested in finding out more ways to make free side cash online or on your phone, check out my other articles:
Being that we're in the digital age now, there's so many ways to make money online or with our phones, it's amazing. One of the ways to make some cash is to watch ads for money.
Who knew one could actually make money watching ads?
Being able to get paid to watch ads sounds a bit too easy doesn't it?
I was also a bit skeptical at first but after actually seeing first hand results, it's legit!
If you've got a little bit of spare time you can definitely make money online or on your phone by watching ads and videos.
Watching ads for a bit of cash is super easy to do but as long as you keep your expectations within reason, this can be a good way to earn extra cash each month.
At this point you may be wondering how to even go about watching ads for money and how much can you earn?
There's about 17 super easy ways to watch ads and short videos for money so let's go ahead and find out how it all works and how to get started.
We partner with some awesome companies that offer products which can help our readers. If you make a purchase through one of our partner links, we may receive a commission at absolutely no additional cost to you! Please see my Policy & Disclosure page for full details.
There are numerous amount of apps and sites out there that will pay you to watch online content and videos. You can join certain sites where you get to watch ads or a video and earn points or cash for doing so.
There are also ways where you can have ads displayed on your phone's lock screen and get paid for that too.
On your spare time, you could make money watching ads while you're waiting on line when shopping, doing the laundry, or waiting to pick up your kid's from school.
To actually get paid for watching ads for money, you'll have to sign up to one or many websites as you'd like to start.
The process is really simple.
Basically, a lot of the sites that offer you points or cash to watch ads will have a particular section to navigate to. From there you'll be able to pick and choose which ads or videos you'd like to watch.
The great part about these sites is that besides getting paid to watch ads, you'll get plenty of other choices to earn points or money like playing games, taking surveys and quizzes, trying apps, and so much more.
So if you're into watching videos to pass time or need something to keep you preoccupied, why not actually get paid for watching ads and videos, amongst other things if you'd like.
You'll discover 17 of the most easiest ways where you can watch ads for money.
How much money can you make watching ads?
How much money you may earn watching video ads is dependent on the time you put into it. When signing up to certain sites, you'll get sign up bonuses which can easily add up to nearly $45 on your first month. Then, you can expect to earn any where from $5 to $25 on a monthly basis or even more.
It may not be much but some of the sites that offer ads for money have other options to make extra money too. On some sites you can play games, take surveys and quizzes, and all sorts of other stuff. You can actually make hundreds more if you decide to work on the other activities provided by the sites.
Let's get into all the ways you can earn some money watching ads.
17 Top-Rated apps for getting paid to watch ads
Swagbucks
Swagbucks is an online rewards website where you can watch short video ads and receive points in return. The points called Swagbucks is converted into money where you can cash it out via PayPal, check, or gift cards.
You can watch a variety of different ads from lifestyle, sports, entertainment, news, and more. Besides watching ads, there's other ways to earn points. You can also play games, take surveys, scan your receipt, shop online, try different apps, and so much more.
Swagbucks could be considered one of the most popular survey sites next to Survey Junkie but they offer so many ways to earn money besides only watching videos.
I've earned over $200 using Swagbucks and it's one of my favorite ways to make a bit of extra money on the side. It's actually one of my favorite ways to make money online when I have a bit a free time on my hands.
Swagbucks offers $10 as a sign up bonus, which is awesome.
InboxDollars is another rewards website where you can get paid money for watching ads or a short video. One thing that sets InboxDollars apart from other rewards sites is that it shows you exactly how much you'll earn for completing an activity instead of showing it to you in points.
The amount you will make watching ads with InboxDollars isn't much but they also offer other ways to earn like taking surveys, playing games, scanning receipts, and more.
Once you earn at least $30, you'll be able to cash it out via PayPal, ePayment, or a check in the mail. It can take around 10 to 16 business days for the checks to arrive.
On the plus side, InboxDollars offers $5 just for joining.
MyPoints is similar to Swagbucks and Inbox Dollars where you can earn money while watching ads. You can watch an entertaining video like gossip from Hollywood or watch a Golden Globes coverage.
There are other ways to earn with MyPoints besides watching videos as well. You can play games, fill out surveys, try coupons, and more.
Payment Method: PayPal cash, Visa prepaid card, gift cards, or travel miles.
Minimum Payment Threshold: Once you earn $3, you can redeem the earnings for free PayPal cash or a Visa prepaid card, choose from 70+ gift cards, or travel miles.
PrizeRebel is a website where you can get paid money fast, usually within 24 hours.
You can get paid to watch videos, make internet searches, take surveys, or refer others.
If you stay active with this site, you can work your way up towards their loyalty system which gets you even more points on the same tasks the higher up you go.
Ibotta is a popular money back app when you're shopping for groceries and other items. Some offers you may claim come with a short ad you'll have to watch. If you watch an ad for that offer, you may earn up to $1 or more depending what the offer consists of.
It's a super easy way to earn some money back on your purchases. Ibotta is offering a $20 welcome bonus when you sign up and redeem qualifying offers within 30 days.
Slidejoy is app for Android phone where you allow it to show an ad on your phones' lock screen in exchange for cash rewards.
Once you have it running, you'll see a news story or promotion on your phone's lock screen. You'll get the option to learn more about the ad, view another ad, or return to your home screen.
The good part about Slidejoy is that you don't necessarily have to engage with the ad. It will automatically register each time you unlock your phone to see the ad.
Basically, you won't get paid to watch ads, instead just leave it running on your phone's lock screen to get paid passively.
The company says you can get paid as much as $15 a month just by unlocking your phone as usual.
Payment Method: Cash via PayPal, or donate to charity
ScreenLift is another app that pays you to display an ad on your lock screen. You don't need to interact with the ad to get paid.
You can except to make around $20 a month with ScreenLift. The money can definitely come in handy when you're trying to get a free cup of coffee or lunch for the month for literally doing nothing.
Payment Method: Cash via PayPal, gift cards for Google Play, Amazon, or Wal-Mart.
Minimum Payout Threshold: 1,500 points which is $1
iRazoo is rewards website where you can earn points for doing simple things like watch ads for money.
You'll also get to share your opinion on ads, movie and app trailers, cooking tutorials, and more. There's more than 50 channels of content and the inventory changes daily.
Just like other reward sites, you can earn points for doing additional tasks like read emails, entering promo codes, and completing other offers.
Payment Method: Cash via PayPal and gift cards
Minimum Payout Threshold: At least 3000 points which can get you a $5 gift card or $20 minimum to be able to cash out to PayPal.
Nielsen is a company that's considered one of the largest consumer research firms in America. They have a program called Nielsen Families where they pay households monthly to allow the company to track their TV viewing, also to fill out surveys about the TV habits.
Nielsen will send out this information (confidential) to networks so that they can determine which shows to pull or continue to show.
Also, keep in mind that if you wanted to participate with Nielsen Families, it's only done by invite-only. There really is no way to sign up for it but just to be on the lookout for an invitation in the mail. Nielsen sends about 1 million invites per year so chances to qualify for participation isn't as slim after all.
Besides ads, you can get paid to signup for websites, listen to the radio, complete certain tasks on their offerwall, complete surveys, enter contests, refer other users, and so much more.
FusionCash is another website where you can get paid to watch ads. There's also other tasks which you can earn from like playing games, completing surveys, trying out apps, or signing up for offers.
FusionCash is offering a $5 welcome bonus only for new members. The minimum payout you'll need is $25 where you can receive it via PayPal, check or by direct deposit.
Payment Method: Cash via PayPal, direct deposit, and check.
Overall, there are plenty of sites or apps out there where you get paid to watch video ads. So if you have a bit of spare time on your hands, you can definitely use the time to make money online or from your phone.
It may actually be one of the easiest ways to make money on the side.
The only drawback is, you may not be swimming in hundreds or thousands from watching ads and videos alone.
However, many of these sites like Swagbucks, InboxDollars, MyPoints, and others have multiple options to earn additional money or points. If you don't mind playing games on your phone, completing tasks, trying apps, browsing the web, or taking surveys, you'll get options to earn more money that way.
I personally have earned over $200 with Swagbucks alone, which is awesome! Who can complain with an extra couple of hundred?
So bottom line is, keep a realistic expectation when trying to get paid to watch ads or videos. You will make better use of your time by completing the other tasks for money when using these sites.
Also, keep in mind that watching these ads and videos is a good way to pass time and earn a bit of money. You can also earn some side cash that can definitely come in handy later down the line but definitely don't expect to quit your day job for this!
Overall, I hope you discovered so many ways to watch ads for money which can ultimately help earn you some cash in times of boredom, good luck!
Ibotta is an awesome cash back app that gets you real money back each time you shop at your favorite stores. Ibotta is even offering an awesome $20 welcome bonus just for signing up and trying them out. You'll love this app, just as much as I do !
You'll get 30 days from the first time you register to claim your $20 worth of offers.
We partner with some awesome companies that offer products which can help our readers. If you make a purchase through one of our partner links, we may receive a commission at absolutely no additional cost to you! Please see my Policy & Disclosure page for full details.
Register with Ibotta using this $20 referral link to download the Ibotta app.
You'll receive your first $10 by redeeming any in-store offer.
Next, you'll receive an additional $5 and $5 for redeeming more offers using the Ibotta app.
You'll get 30 days from the time you register to redeem the offers to get your total of $20 worth of the Ibotta sign up bonus.
I found it super easy to get my $20 sign up bonus, it was a sweet little surprise getting extra bonus cash just for grocery shopping.
You'll find that redeeming offers will be very easy to do with the Ibotta app.
Ibotta
Free $20 welcome bonus
Ibotta is a free app that gets you real cash back on your purchases from groceries, brands, clothing, medication, online shopping, and so much more
Average use of Ibotta could bring you $240 a year or more - aside from your free $20 welcome bonus - Ibotta has paid it's users over $860 million so far
There are different ways to earn money back with Ibotta. Let's cover a few of them shall we?
Ibotta App
The Ibotta app is straight forward to use. You can browse through a list of your favorite stores where you shop for groceries or anything online.
Here's some of the stores listed on Ibotta:
Walmart
Target
HEB
Kroger
Walgreens
CVS
Sam's Club
Costco
Aldi
Instacart
+280 more stores
Once you pick your store, you'll get an option to browse through all the products that offers cash back.
You can then add all your offers to your list, go shop, once you get your receipt, upload it to Ibotta to get cash back from the offers you've selected.
The kool part about Ibotta is that it won't matter if you use additional coupons for the goods you've purchased, you'll still get cash back for the offer you've claimed.
Once you get at least $20 in your Ibotta account, you get the option to cash it out via PayPal and Venmo, WOO HOO FREE MONEY BABY ! If you don't want the money back in cash, you'll also get an option to convert the money into gift cards instead if that's what you prefer.
Shopping online with Ibotta
Besides getting cash back with groceries using Ibotta, you can also get money back when you shop online too.
There's about 198 retailers you can choose from to get money back with Ibotta.
Some stores they include are:
Kohls
Macys
Hotels.com
ULTA
Priceline
Chewy
Ann Taylor
Banana Republic
Amazon
+ 198 stores
You can get a good amount of your money back when you purchase from any one of the participating retailers when using Ibotta.
Just today, I see they're offering 8% cash back at ULTA, 6% cash back at Hotels.com, 8% cash back at GAP, and so much more.
Don't dismiss these cash back offers because over time, it all adds up.
Ibotta browser extension
Another easy way to get the most savings is by using the Ibotta browser extension for Google Chrome.
Simply download the extension, and shop as you normally would online for anything from travel, cosmetics, clothes, and so much more.
The Ibotta browser extension will automatically show you how much cash back you can earn when you visit your favorite online store.
Keep in mind, that the cash back offer won't work when there's coupons or promo codes applied for that particular order when using the browser extension.
If you want to get the most out of your money when shopping online, the Ibotta browser extension is a good option for you.
Linking loyalty card
If you don't want to bother with scanning receipts, you can easily link your store loyalty card with Ibotta.
This can save you so much time and earning free cash back can be fully automated, especially if you're regularly shopping at your favorite stores.
Linking your loyalty card with Ibotta will help make sure you're getting all the cash back you've redeemed.
One thing to keep in mind is that not all your stores will have the option to link your card in the Ibotta app. If the option exists, it will say "Link account" on the very top, see image below of how it looks.
How to earn more with Ibotta
There's a few other ways to make more money easily with Ibotta.
Besides getting money back when shopping, Ibotta also gives bonuses on top when you reach certain goals and milestones like redeeming a product or claiming a certain number of offers.
Bonus points
Ibotta gives you extra cash for redeeming certain amount of offers or buying certain products.
For example, Ibotta is offering $10 extra dollars for redeeming 18 offers when shopping. You can also earn additional bonus money when redeeming certain offers from products listed in the bonus section.
You definitely get the option to scroll through their bonus offers section to see if you want to meet the goals. I just shop as usual, scan my receipt, get cash back, and if I reach one of their bonus goals I'll say "kool" and keep it moving.
Teamwork bonus
You'll be able to earn more and faster when you get a team going on Ibotta. The more friends you add to your team, it'll be easier to reach Teamwork bonuses for each month.
Refer friends and family
Once you try the app and love using it, you can definitely spread the word about Ibotta.
A nice incentive to tell your friends and family about Ibotta is that they're offering $10 when you invite friends or family to try the app.
If you were to refer a few people you know to Ibotta, you could earn yourself some free gas money, can't complain about that!
Ibotta questions you may have
Using Ibotta for the first time can be overwhelming with so many options to get the most cash back so here are a few questions and answers that can help you.
How do I get my $20 welcome bonus on Ibotta?
There will be a couple of ways to get your $20 welcome bonus fast.
Redeem the offers listed to claim your $20 sign up bonus.
Besides going that route, there's a couple of other ways to earn extra money too.
Scroll through the bonus offers section to meet goals like redeeming certain amount of offers or purchasing a certain brand. Once you meet the goals, you'll receive the extra bonus cash.
Join a team and together you all can reach goals which can get each of you extra free money.
Refer your friends and family and get $10 when each person signs up.
Can you cheat on Ibotta?
When people use Ibotta, they may think that you have to load up your shopping list prior to the grocery store trip to get the cash back.
Ibotta gives you 7 days from when you've made the purchase to scan your receipt for cash back. I'd say that's plenty of time.
So prior to your shopping trip, if you've forgotten to go through Ibotta to pick your items, no worries. You can still redeem your offers after your shopping trip, just make sure to send in your receipt within 7 days.
As mentioned earlier, you can make more money with Ibotta by checking out their bonus offers section, joining a team, and also referring your friends and family.
Also, you can use manufacturer's coupons or other store coupons for certain items and products while still getting the full cash back with Ibotta. The only instance where you can't use coupons and get money back is when you shop online.
Besides using Ibotta for your receipts, you can use Receiptpal, Fetch Rewards, and Coinout to get even more money from scanning receipts.
How do you get your hidden Ibotta bonus?
To access the Ibotta bonuses, head to the "Earn More" tab located on the bottom of the Ibotta app. There you'll find a whole bunch of bonus offers to claim to get some extra cash.
You can also see the bonuses you're automatically enrolled in on your main home page.
Can you use old receipts with Ibotta?
The answer is yes you sure can! You have up to 7 days to claim your offers and scan your receipts.
How do you get more money on Ibotta?
Here are the best ways to make the most money on Ibotta:
Claim your $20 welcome bonus by completing the offer suggested in the Ibotta app.
Create a simple shopping list prior to your visit to the grocery store.
Scroll through the list of items and offers available in the Ibotta app.
Make a notation on your shopping list of the items you need to pick up, also noting if you need to get a certain size, variety, or quantity as stated on the offer.
Shop, get your receipt, then scan it in to get your cash back.
Check out the bonus section to meet the goals like purchasing a certain brand or completing offers to get even more money back.
Refer friends and family to get your Ibotta referral earnings.
When your buddies join, you'll automatically form a team which will get you all even more money working together to meet goals.
Takeaway
Ibotta is a great cash back app and one of my favs to use when you're shopping for groceries or buying stuff online.
Using this app just helps bring those extra dollars back into your hands when you're doing stuff you normally do like shop for food or things online.
Plus you never know when that extra bit of money or gift card you can get from Ibotta will come in handy in the future, every bit of money helps!
I hope you'll enjoy using Ibotta as much as I do.
If you're interested in earning some extra free money, check out my other post where I go over other apps you can use to get free cash.
Getting free PayPal money instantly without surveys is an easy way to get some extra bucks in your hands.
The best part about getting this free PayPal money is there's no hoops to jump through.
All you need to do is just go about your normal life and get free money without having to bust your butt!
I earn free PayPal money by playing fun games on my phone while I'm sitting on the couch watching my TV shows, or earn free money when I go grocery shopping, and even shop online.
There's so many different ways you could be missing out on free money but don't worry!
I'll be covering some of the best ways you could get some good PayPal cash in your hands ASAP!
We partner with some awesome companies that offer products which can help our readers. If you make a purchase through one of our partner links, we may receive a commission at absolutely no additional cost to you! Please see my Policy & Disclosure page for full details.
Swagbucks is one of my favorite places to earn free PayPal money online. It offers a lot of ways to earn extra cash which includes playing games (my favorite), watching videos, or trying different apps, and so much more.
Another thing to mention is that Swagbucks is a reputable company with over 20,000 reviews on Trustpilot with a healthy score of 4.3.
They're currently offering a sweet $10 sign up bonus which is a nice incentive just to try them out.
I've made over $211 by just playing the games with this site while I'm sitting on the couch watching my favorite TV shows. Some games offer 5,000 points which is about $50 in free PayPal money or gift card if you prefer.
Swagbucks is definitely one of the easiest ways you could earn free PayPal money fast.
Ibotta is another one of my favorite ways to get free PayPal money.
You can basically get free cash back when you go grocery shopping at your local stores like Walmart, Kroger, Aldi, Target, and countless other stores.
Besides grocery shopping, you can get cash back both online and in-store as well.
I mainly use Ibotta when I do my weekly grocery shopping at Kroger or Walmart. It's super simple to use.
If you plan to get free money back with Ibotta, prior to a shopping trip check out the app. Pick your goods and add them to your list. Once you're done shopping, simply scan your receipt and just watch the free money roll in. Oh and by the way, you can still use Ibotta after your shopping trip too!
One of my Walmart trips, I've earned over $8 free cash back which was pretty sweet! Oh and by the way, I've received over $100 cash back using Ibotta too.
If you don't want to waste free money, use Ibotta for your shopping trips to get free PayPal money.
Earn your first $20 sign up bonus when you register with them with this link and use code: Ibotta!
Ibotta is a great way to get your $20 free PayPal money instantly.
Rakuten is another awesome cash back site where you can earn free PayPal money online when you shop. It's also known to be one of the most popular cash back apps to use these days.
If you've been doing a lot of online shopping, you could be leaving free money on the table.
With Rakuten, you could be missing out on free cash back along with good shopping deals.
I've earned over $100 in cash back earnings by simply using Rakuten before I buy anything online so I know for a fact that it's legit and they pay you real free money.
What's even easier with Rakuten is their browser extension which automatically looks for cash back offers when you're doing some online shopping. It makes getting free money so easy.
Earn your first free $10 on them when you make your first online purchase using Rakuten. You could also earn $10 on top when you download the Rakuten browser extension.
InboxDollars is a popular company that pays its users real money for doing things like play games, try apps, complete tasks, take surveys and more.
What I like about InboxDollars is that instead of points you'll actually get the real dollar amount when you complete a certain task, so it leaves no confusion in terms of trying to figure out how much you're earning per each task.
InboxDollars is another reputable site that does pay it's users real money.
Signing up will get you a sweet $5 bonus once you sign up and activate your account.
MyPoints is a site similar to Swagbucks where they reward you for simple things like shopping online, playing games, watching videos, or searching the web.
When you first signing up, you'll receive a free $10 Amazon or Visa gift card when you spend the first $20 at your favorite online store.
Payment Method: PayPal cash, Visa prepaid card, gift cards, or travel miles.
Minimum Payment Threshold: Once you earn $3, you can redeem the earnings for free PayPal cash or a Visa prepaid card, choose from 70+ gift cards, or travel miles.
CoinOut is a pretty fun receipt snapping cash back app. It's unlike other receipt scanning apps. It's almost too simple to use.
There are no hoops to jump through to start earning money with this app. You can scan any receipt but it just has to show:
Merchant name
Date - be within 2 weeks of purchase
Show all items purchased
Total Spent
I earned $.78 for scanning 8 of my receipts when I first tried this app. It doesn't sound like much but it all adds up over time, plus we're talking free money here, who doesn't like that?
Another interesting part about using CoinOut is after you snap your receipt, you'll see a notification telling you how much you've just earned. One of my receipts got me $.14, sweet!
I use a few receipt scanning apps already and this one is definitely going in to my receipt scanning routine.
Payment Methods: PayPal, gift cards, or bank deposit
Minimum Payout Threshold: None for the gift cards but there is a minimum for PayPal which is $10.
If you set a personal fitness goal for yourself and are working on losing weight, then you could be earning free money alongside meeting your goal.
That's where HealthyWage comes in. With this site and app, you set your weight loss goal. During your journey, you'll submit progress photos of yourself and once you achieve the goal, you get paid!
It's a great motivator because not only does it give you cash incentive to reach your goal, there are other people striving for the same goal too.
Sweatcoin is a health app that actually pays you to stay healthy by walking, how awesome is that?
If you're already in the habit of walking or would like to start making it a part of your lifestyle, what better way than to also make money at the same time.
Once you download the app, Sweatcoin tracks your steps throughout the day (like a pedometer or health tracker that's already on your phone).
Sweatcoin will reward you with each step you take. To think of it simply, in U.S dollars every 1,000 steps will earn you around $0.05.
It may not be much and you may certainly not get filthy rich from it but if you're already going on walks or plan to, let yourself make a little bit of side cash while doing so. You never know what that extra bit of money can come in handy.
Payment Method: PayPal, fitness gear, apple watches, iPhones
Minimum Payout Threshold: None-only depends on the merchandise that you're aiming to get.
When it comes to fighting to get your money back when you're shopping online, Paribus will be your friend.
Say for instance, you paid $40 for sneakers but later the price of that item dropped down to $28. Guess what, Paribus will monitor that online price drop and get you a refund on that difference.
Another bonus is, if you've ordered an item and it's been shipped late or arrived later than expected, this service will help you negotiate a refund of the shipping cost.
Paribus is free and has saved shoppers well over $29,000,000 so far.
Payment Method: Refunds are processed using what you've used for payment. It could be PayPal or a credit card.
Dosh is another app that gets you free PayPal money without the need of taking any surveys. It gets you money back on your purchases automatically once you've linked up your credit or debit card to Dosh.
This app automatically recognizes when you've made a purchase with one of their participating retailers. You'll then receive points based on the cashback deal they've currently got running - all on auto pilot.
Your info will be safe with Dosh so no worries there, just go about your life, shop as usual and get that free money back.
With Dosh, you can gain enough points to redeem up to $5 per day which isn't too bad at all.
Honeygain is another great way to get free paypal money passively. If you have internet connection then most likely there will be excess amount of bandwidth that you're not using.
This is where Honeygain comes in. It allows you to share your idle internet connection securely and get paid passively.
You can use Honeygain to share your internet connection on any PC, cellphone, and tablet.
It's a great way to earn up to $50 a month without you having to lift a finger to earn the free money.
Money App will get you a bit of side money for doing simple things with your phone like completing tasks, checking store displays, be a mystery shopper, test services, play games, try apps, give opinions, among so much more.
Money App also has over 120,000 ratings with an average score of 4.9, solid!
With a bit of time on your hands, you can use Money App to get free PayPal money which will get deposited into your account in 2-3 working days.
When you complete certain tasks, you'll get credits which can be redeemed for payment.
Don't expect to get filthy rich with this app but use it leisurely and next thing you know, you may have an extra $50 or more laying around.
Payment Method: PayPal
Minimum Payout Threshold: 5000 credits which is equal to $5
FeaturePoints let's you earn money by playing games among other activities like watching videos, downloading and trying apps, taking surveys only if you want to, and shopping online. You can earn free PayPal money fast with this app.
If you have a long commute to work or have some extra time, why not earn some money in the mean time with FeaturePoints.
Payment Method: PayPal, gift cards with Amazon, App Store, Xbox, PlayStation, Starbucks, Bitcoin, and more.
Minimum Payout Threshold: 1,800 points which is an equivalent of $3
If you like playing games then AppKarma is the app to try. With a 4.7 Star rating on Google Play, this app beats a lot of the other competitors out there that pay you to play games.
Besides playing games, you can also take quizzes, receive credit for achievement badges, or for referrals.
Payment Method: PayPal, gift cards from Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Walmart, Target, Xbox Live, Starbucks, Playstation, among others.
Minimum Payout Threshold: 6,000 AppKarma Points which equals $5 in PayPal.
Match To Win is a really fun way to earn a bit of money. It reminds me of candy crush in a way. You'll also get your chance to win real money with scratch cards. I won $.30 within the first 5 minutes of playing the game.
It also helps that Match To Win has over 121,000 ratings in the Apple App Store with an average score of 4.5 which is very good for a cash to play app.
It's a cute game that gets you free PayPal money when you want to play something to pass time.
Do you remember playing bubble popping video games? Have you ever played them on your phone or tablet? Well, if you love that game then you could be making some money while you play!
Bubble Cash has over 22,000 ratings with an average score of 4.6 in the Apple App Store. It's getting people free money to play one of their favorite games.
When you get started, you'll be playing free games and earn "gems". Once you collect 120 "gems", you can compete in their "Freeroll" tournament which pays the top three players to win anywhere from $1 to $83.
This free money is nothing to pass by especially if you love popping them bubbles!
CashPirate Buzz app is another way you Android users can get free PayPal money by playing games. Besides games, you can also participate in quick picks and take surveys for money.
With CashPirate Buzz, you'll get "coins" which is sort of their point system for trying different apps out and fulfilling the goal for that particular app.
It could be as simple as just downloading it, or finishing a tutorial of the app, and even reaching a certain level of the game. You totally have the option to pick and choose which apps you want to try out.
If you ever get bored and would like to make some money then try this app out.
Some users make over $100 a month with this app, which is a pretty good amount.
Payment Method: PayPal or Visa cards, or a Facebook gift card
Minimum Payout Threshold: 2,500 coins which is the same as a $2.50 PayPal cash payout.
MooCash is an app that pays you for displaying ads on your lock screen and engaging with it. Another way to earn money with this app is installing apps and trying them out which can earn you $.30 cents to $1.
You're most likely not going to get super rich with MooCash but it can earn you a few extra bucks a month just for interacting with ads when you have some spare time on your hands.
Payment Method: PayPal or gift cards at popular retailers
Minimum Payout Threshold: 5,000 points which is worth $5
ScreenLift is an app that pays you to display an ad on your phone's lock screen. You don't even have to interact with the ad whatsoever. Once you unlock your phone, the ad disappears.
You can expect to make around $20 a month with ScreenLift. It's a good way to earn free PayPal money which you can use for a free cup of coffee or lunch for the month.
You may be thinking what's $20 a month? If you add it up for the year, it's $240 which can get you some free goodies like drinks or food throughout the year.
Payment Method: PayPal, gift cards for Google Play, Amazon, or Wal-Mart.
Minimum Payout Threshold: 1,500 points which is $1
Now that we've covered tons of ways to earn free PayPal money without surveys, let's go over a few ways you can earn with surveys if you decide to change your mind.
There are sites out there that'll pay you for taking surveys or getting your opinion about services, products, experiences, and so much more.
A lot of these survey sites will pay you via PayPal or reward you with gift cards.
You may not get super rich off taking surveys but it can definitely get you some nice side cash and it'll come in handy when you need it.
Survey Junkie
Survey Junkie is one of the most popular sites when it comes to getting access to surveys.
Getting started with Survey Junkie is really easy.
Sign up to create your account and complete your profile as best as you can.
Then you can pick and choose the surveys that offer the most points and answer them on a consistent basis.
If you do like taking surveys, then Survey Junkie is one of the top sites to get paid for your opinions.
Payment Methods: PayPal and e-gift cards.
Minimum Payout Threshold: $5 to start redeeming your points.
Swagbucks as mentioned earlier is a great site and app where I earn free PayPal money fast on my free time. Swagbucks offers a lot of ways to earn points which can be redeemed for cash. Besides all the other ways of earning points like playing games, trying apps, completing tasks and more, you can also participate in surveys too.
I have actually earned rewards in the form of points by taking surveys with Swagbucks. However, I prefer to stick with playing games through Swagbucks. Whatever you want to do, the choice is up to you when it comes to earning points with them.
Respondent is not a survey site like some we've mentioned but it does involve answering questions if you're up for it.
It pretty much functions like an online focus group. First, you'll create your profile which you can provide details about yourself and views. That way their system can match you into certain target demographics.
Once your profile's been completed, you can then participate in sessions which can range anywhere from 15 minutes up to one hour.
You can earn up to $125 just for answering one hour of questions.
Participating in Respondent can take up some more work and time but the payouts are really good if you're willing to spend some time answering questions.
Respondent could be a great side hustle to make some extra money online in your spare time.
PrizeRebel is one of the best ways to make PayPal money fast, they pay within 24 hours. In some cases, people have been paid out instantly.
You can make money with PrizeRebel by taking surveys, watch a video, make internet searches, or refer others.
If you stay active with this site, you can work your way up towards their loyalty system which gets you even more points on the same tasks the higher up you go.
Next, we have LifePoints which is another great survey site for earning PayPal money fast.
As soon as you join LifePoints, you'll be given bonus points just for joining. From there, you'll get the chance to earn more points for taking surveys which takes about 10-15 minutes to complete.
LifePoints is known to be a survey site, there are times when they'll offer product testing for points. It's another good way to rack up the points.
You can expect to get points credited to your account within 10 days.
Payment Method: PayPal, gift cards to Amazon, Starbucks, iTunes, among others.
Opinion Outpost is another great survey site which gets you free PayPal money instantly. You can expect to cash out your funds within 15 minutes up to 48 hours.
You can expect to earn anywhere around $0.50 to $5 per survey which may take a few minutes to around 30 minutes to complete.
Another way to boost your earnings with Opinion Outpost is being included in quarterly chances to win $10,000 as well as referring your friends.
If you want to earn PayPal money fast, then Opinion Outpost is a good survey site that helps you do just that.
Payment Method: PayPal, MileagePlus Award miles, and gift cards for Amazon
First, you need to open up a PayPal account. In order to receive your free PayPal money, sign up and join any one of those companies mentioned.
Each of those companies offers many different ways in which you can earn points or free money. You have the option of playing games, scanning receipts, getting cash back, fulfilling tasks, walking and so much more.
You can pick and choose which one you prefer. Those points or even the actual money will get credited to your account which you can redeem when you need it.
How can I get free PayPal money with no surveys?
There are a ton of ways to earn free PayPal money without needing to complete any surveys.
You can earn money playing games on your phone, get cash back from groceries, scan your everyday receipts, complete easy tasks, and so much more.
Here's a recap of everything that we've covered.
My top choices for easily earning free money to your PayPal account would be Swagbucks, Ibotta, Rakuten, InboxDollars, and Mypoints because of their sweet sign up bonuses.
The best way to get free PayPal money instantly is by joining the apps and sites that offer a welcome bonus. In some cases, you may be able to cash out right after you complete your profile and answer a few questions.
My favorite way to get PayPal money instantly would be through Ibotta. You'll get a $20 welcome bonus which you can cash out once that amount hits your account.
How can I get a free $100 with PayPal?
The best part about earning your free $100 with PayPal is just how easy it is. You don't have to go out there and work a whole day to earn your free $100.
This simple strategy will get you the $100 fast and without breaking a sweat.
Here are the top 3 sites and or apps to use to get that $100 quick:
You can get $40 total for welcome bonuses when you sign up with Swagbucks, Ibotta, and Rakuten. Then, you can refer 2 people to sign up to Ibotta and Rakuten which will give you a total of $60.
$40 worth of welcome bonuses and $60 worth of referral bonuses will give you a sweet $100 of FREE PayPal money instantly, easy breezy!
How can I get $50 for free on PayPal?
In order to get $50 easily straight to your PayPal, you can simply collect $40 worth of welcome bonuses with:
Once you have your $40, you can refer some of your friends to sign up to either company which will get you a nice referral bonus.
Rakuten offers the highest amount for a referral bonus so as long as you refer just 1 additional friend, you'll receive an extra $25.
Receiving $40 worth of welcome bonuses with a referral bonus of $25 through Rakuten will get you more than the $50 of free PayPal money you're looking for.
How can I get $20 right now?
The fastest way to get your $20 right now would be to sign up with Ibotta.
They offer the highest in welcome bonuses which is $20. Once you get the $20 credited to your account, you can easily cash out to your PayPal account or redeem it through Venmo and gift cards too.
Takeaway
We've covered so many ways for you to get some nice free PayPal money online or with your mobile device without really having to bend over backwards trying to get it.
It's practically free money that you could be leaving on the table without using these sites and apps.
You have the option of earning this free money as a simple side hustle, granted you may not be making thousands but a few hundred is still nice to have.
So, if you have a bit of time on your hands, you could be playing games on your phone, get money back when you shop, or even passively earn money by having ads on your lock screen.
There's plenty of ways to get free PayPal money the easy way without taking any surveys.
Personally, I've earned more than $400 with sites like Swagbucks, Ibotta, and Rakuten combined, so I know for a fact these sites are legit and you get real money. Give it a try, they're great!
I hope I've given you plenty of options to choose from so you can decide which site or app to try and start earning some free PayPal cash.
Good luck!
PS: Besides trying to make more money with PayPal, you can find money even more cash by finding some ways to save.
We partner with some awesome companies that offer products which can help our readers. If you make a purchase through one of our partner links, we may receive a commission at absolutely no additional cost to you! Please see my Policy & Disclosure page for full details.
Life can be so unpredictable. You never know when you can lose your job, when a pandemic will hit, experience a natural disaster, total your car, you get the point. This is why everyone needs an emergency fund.
There’s simple ways you can build your emergency fund up really fast by doing a couple of things like eating at home more than going to restaurants, or switching your electric bill, but we’ll go into all of that shortly. First, let’s take a peek and see what this whole emergency fund deal is about, shall we?
What is an emergency fund?
Have you ever heard the saying “When it rains it pours”? Sometimes the worst things can happen at the worst possible time.
We can never predict when those bad things can happen but the least we can do is prepare for it.
An emergency fund is money set aside to cover you for a set period of time when unpredictable events happen that affect your income.
It can provide a buffer for you in case there are months where you don’t have income or you experience a major expense that zaps all your money.
What is an emergency fund used for?
An emergency fund is money set aside to cover you for unexpected events like a loss of a job, medical or dental emergency, car repair, home repair, or not planned travel expenses.
Why an emergency fund is important
The worst situation to be in is to have bad events take place and not be financially prepared for it.
For instance, if a family relies on 1 person to be the breadwinner and all of a sudden the company they worked for was bought out by another company and laid off a whole bunch of people, what then? Can the sole breadwinner pay their mortgage or rent with a credit card? It’s unlikely, however there may be ways around that but it’ll cost more!
Or what if you own a home and all of a sudden your pipe burst flooding your whole first floor, you can’t wait for insurance to process it, and you need it fixed right away. All your credit cards are maxed out, then what?
You get the point, it’s always best to be prepared because you just never know.
Why start an emergency fund
Starting an emergency fund can give you a peace of mind when dealing with a crisis.
It’s best to start one when things are good and you actually have the opportunity to save.
Do this for you and your family’s financial well being. When unexpected things occur, you may have some slight relief to know that you have the funds to back yourself up when things get hard.
I wish someone told me this back then. In my 20’s my dog ended up getting hit by a car and needed surgery to fix her leg. I didn’t have any savings at that point so I used my credit card for her surgery. I probably held on to that debt for years paying over $1,000 in interest.
You don’t want to get stuck with having to resort to using credit cards for paying for big emergencies only to end up paying hundreds or thousands of interest over time because you were left in a bind.
What should an emergency fund cover?
An emergency fund should cover at least 1-6 months worth of living expenses. Ideally, it should cover 3-6 months of expenses but it’s great to start saving for your 1 month worth of expenses as soon as you can.
The best way to calculate how much you’ll need saved up is by adding up all your monthly amounts for your living expenses categories.
Example:
Housing
$800
Food
$400
Utilities + Telecom (Electric, Gas, Water, Phone, Cable, Internet, etc.
$400
Healthcare (Medical, Dental)
$180
Insurance (Car, Life, Home, etc.)
$200
Transportation (Car Payment, Gas, Tolls, etc.)
$75
Personal Expenses (Childcare, Pets, etc.)
$200
Minimum Debt Payments
$400
Total1 Month Expenses
$2,655
$2,655 X 2 Month Expenses
$5,310
$2,655 X 3 Months Expenses
$7,965
$2,655 X 4 Months Expenses
$10,620
$2,655 X 5 MonthsExpenses
$13,275
$2,655 X 6 MonthsExpenses
$15,930
How much emergency fund should you have?
Remember, this is your emergency fund so go with the savings goal that you feel most comfortable with and works best for your situation.
Most importantly, aim to get at least a 1 month emergency fund in your account. Then you can later start aiming for the 2-6 months worth of expenses.
For me personally, we saved a 3 months emergency fund. We also had a lot of debt, over $120,000 worth so we wanted to get started ASAP on knocking out our debt.
If you want to start your own debt free journey, grab your free debt thermometer and enroll in the free 5-day Debt Free Bootcamp to finally take back control over your money.
5 Tips to Build Your Emergency Fund Fast
1.Budget
It helps to give you better control over your finances. You may even be surprised to see that you have hundreds or thousands left over to use towards your emergency fund.
Budgeting showed me that my hubs and I were spending nearly $1,000 a month just on food. That’s a lot isn’t it? You’d be surprised how much those $5 Starbucks drinks or $10 lunches add up to in a month.
Set aside room in your budget to save for your emergency fund.
2.Cut Unnecessary Expenses
Did you know that you can literally be saving hundreds a month just by switching companies, finding less expensive alternatives, and cancelling unused services? Hundreds a month turns to thousands of savings in a year.
Don’t you want more money in your pockets starting now?
Some things you can look into for savings:
Pack your lunches and eat at home more often
It’s way healthier and saves you tons of money.
We saved $500 a month just by packing our own lunches and cooking at home during the weekdays.
Negotiate or change energy providers
Shop around for cheaper car insurance or home insurance plans
Shop for cheaper home and cell phone plans
We saved $1,764 a year just by switching our cell phone carriers from Verizon to Cricket Wireless. The strangest part was that my service worked a whole lot better when I switched. We pay $80 a month for two lines, unlimited data, unlimited text, unlimited calls, plus by hubby got a free smart phone when he came on to Cricket. I was also able to switch my iPhone over from Verizon to Cricket.
You could be saving over $1,000 a year just by making a simple switch.
Cable TV was something I didn’t want to part with. I love my reality TV shows, don’t judge! Guess what? We were able to cut the cable with our internet/cable provider but still stream our favorite channels with something called Philo. Our internet cable bill went from $152 down to $55 ($97 a month or $1,164 a year in savings) and we don’t miss any of our favorite shows.
Has 61 popular channels including A&E, AMC, Animal Planet, BET, CMT, Comedy Central, Cooking channel, Discovery, Food Network, Hallmark, HGTV, Lifetime, MTV, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, TLC, Travel, VH1, and much more.
If you follow a particular show, Philo is going to have all the previous seasons on demand.
Live stream your channels just like cable.
Ability to fast forward through commercials just like cable
Unlimited DVR space
CONSOF PHILO
No local channels (Use a free service called Locast.org for local channels
Overall, there really is not much to dislike about Philo, it’s basically the same as having cable but at more than half the cost. Going with Philo has been one of the best decisions. There’s no reason to give more hard earned money away to companies for no reason. Check them out, you won’t regret it.
PHILO
Streaming service that lets you watch your favorite channels live, all seasons, plus unlimited DVR just for $20 a month.
Sign up for free here at Philoand try it free for 7 days. (That’s what I did before cancelling the cable)
Cancel unnecessary subscriptions and memberships
Do you have subscriptions to things like monthly makeup bags, monthly goody boxes, and more? Have you really used the boxes to it’s fullest? If not, then go ahead and cancel the subscriptions. It’ll save you hundreds over the long run.
I cancelled two of my makeup boxes with Ipsy and Sephora because I only really ended up using just 1 or 2 things from the boxes and the rest started turning into clutter. I ended up saving $22 a month or $264 a year.
The same goes for membership programs. If you don’t get much use out of your memberships, then you’re better off saving money and canceling it.
3. Get Cash Back When You Shop
Getting cash back when shopping is a great way to have extra cash to save up for your emergency fund.
Have you bought anything online before? If you haven’t used cash back sites before then you’re missing out on free money for something you’re already doing.
Rakuten
Rakuten used to be known as Ebates. It’s so simple to use.
For instance, if you wanted to buy something online from Macy’s, you’ll go on Rakuten.com and check to see if there’s any cash back offers. Today I saw they had 6% cash back. Next all you have to do is click “Shop Now”. It’ll send you directly to Macy’s where you’ll resume shopping as usual.
The only difference is, Rakuten will get you that promised cash back when you make a purchase. Once, you reach at least $5, you can get the cash back by a check or Paypal.
Don’t miss out on free money.
Sign up today with my special link here and get your $10 welcome bonus + $30 cash back when you spend $30 (It’s like getting $30 for free!) Rakuten won’t disappoint, check them out.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks is a site that gets you money for all sorts of things but they also get you cash back for shopping as well.
Swagbucks also gets you points which convert to cash via Paypal or gift cards to do things like take surveys and polls, play games, try apps, watch videos, complete daily tasks, submitting receipts, and shopping online.
Swagbucks is a great platform to earn a little side cash when you have some free time. I usually earn points while I’m watching some TV at night with the hubby.
If you haven’t heard about Groupon, you need to sign up like today!
Groupon hosts many local businesses near you and they offer major deals and coupons to promote their stores. Groupon has all sorts of local businesses listed on their site from auto, beauty & spas, restaurants, gyms, fitness, home services, meal prep, online learning, personal services, retail shops, salons, activities to do, travel and more.
These businesses offer huge discounts. I’ve seen discounts anywhere from 10%-92% off. I’ve seen deals for Microdermabrasion Treatments which would go for $150 but with a 78% discount it goes for only $32. Or even a $1,650 laser hair treatment going for $120 with 92% off.
What’s great about Groupon is that many people purchase these coupons so they leave reviews for you to go through. You can always check out the ratings of a business before you purchase the coupon. It’s definitely worth checking out.
Sign up for free here at Groupon to start getting your MEGA savings.
Honey
Honey is a browser extension that instantly saves you money by searching all coupon sites to find you the best coupon code when you’re checking out online.
Plus it also gives you cash back offers at your favorite stores in the form of “Honey Gold”. It acts like a point system. Each 100 Honey Gold is equal to $1.
Once you reach 1000 Honey Gold points, you can redeem it for a $10 gift card from places like Walmart, Amazon, eBay, Sephora, Nordstrom, and more.
Join Honey with my link here and you’ll get 500 Honey Gold points after your first online shopping purchase.
Ibotta
Do you buy groceries? If the answer is yes, then you need to try Ibotta. You could be missing out on free money when you shop for groceries.
Ibotta has over 300 stores that participate in their program. Ibotta gives you cash back for shopping at your favorite grocery stores and big retailers. They have all your main grocery stores like Kroger, H-E-B, C-Town, Aldi, Foodtown, Randalls, SHOP ‘n SAVE, ShopRite, Stop & Shop, Sprouts Farmers Market, Target, Trader Joe’s, Walmart, and so much more. It’s a very simple app to use and you get real money back which you can cash out once you earn $20.
Not only can you get cash back for grocery shopping with Ibotta, you can also earn money back in other categories like grocery pickup and delivery, online shopping, beer, wine & spirits, clothing, health & beauty, specialty, restaurants & bars, convenience, travel, home & auto, kids & baby, pet supply, sports & outdoors, and subscription & delivery. There’s over 300 stores to choose from.
Ibotta also allows combining manufacturer’s coupons to get you more savings.
Sign up for free at Ibotta and use the code YDIGCFJ to get your $20 welcome bonus
I got $8.75 cash back from my last shopping trip at Walmart. Ibotta is awesome for people who hate spending time looking for coupons. It comes in handy for me since I just don’t have the patience to clip coupons.
Don’t miss out on free money for things you may always do like shop for groceries. It’s so simple to use, you’ll love it!
ReceiptPal
Do you ever just toss your receipts when you get them? Turn your receipts into an Amazon gift card.
ReceiptPal is an app where you scan your receipts and accrue points. Once you get enough points, you’ll get an Amazon gift card.
Types of receipts to scan:
For every receipt you submit, you’ll get a punch for your card. If you scan 4 receipts, you’ll get 100 points. Once you fill up 5 cards, you will get multiple entries into their sweepstakes for $250. Also, Receiptpal will give you random chances to get entries for their sweeps.
Points System:
Level 1 – 2,200 points = $5 Amazon gift card
Level 2 – 4,000 points = $10 Amazon gift card or 9,250 for a $25 Amazon gift card
Level 3 – 17,250 points = $50 Amazon gift card or 32,250 for a $100 Amazon gift card
Fetch Rewards App
Fetch Rewards is another easy app you can use to earn cash back to redeem for gift cards or magazine subscriptions. Fetch Rewards has over 256 brands that they work with. For instance, if you went grocery shopping and bought anything from brands like Tropicana, Cheerios, Hellman’s brand, and over 250 others, you’ll get points when you scan your receipt.
Once you get enough points, you’ll redeem them for gift cards at Amazon, Target, and others or get free yearly magazine subscriptions.
Another great feature about this app is they accept non-grocery item receipts too. However, you’ll get most of your points with your grocery receipts.
Use the code 7JKFH when you sign up toFetch Rewardsand you’ll get 2,000 Fetch Points ($2.00 in points) You can also refer others and earn 2,000 points ($2) yourself and your friend/family will earn 2,000 points ($2) as well.
Instead of tossing your receipts, turn them into money.
Overall, don’t miss out on all this free money out there. You could be earning back a good amount of money each month by using cash back sites when you shop, earning free cash on survey sites, and even getting money back for grocery shopping and scanning receipts. These can all help you save extra for your emergency fund as fast as possible.
Another way to quickly build your emergency fund is by making more money. There’s lots of ways to do that without stressing yourself out too much.
Work extra hours
If it’s possible, can you put in a little extra amount of time at work? If you get paid hourly and your company gives you overtime pay, why not? For instance, let’s say you get paid $15 an hour. If you put in an extra hour a week, that’s $60 a month or $720 a year. Not too bad huh?
Ask for a raise
Has it been a long time since you received a raise? Then maybe it’s time you get rewarded for all your hard efforts. Don’t be nervous to ask for a raise. If you put in the time and hard work, then why not? You deserve it! Go for it, you’ve got this!
Getting a raise can get you hundreds or thousands of extra dollars a year! You know what, it never hurts to just try. Sometimes bosses and managers can conveniently forget to give you one so it’s best you remind them of how awesome of an employee you are.
Side Hustle
There are actually tons of side gigs you can do to earn some money. My hubby even drove for UBER once, and he brought in thousands in a few months just driving in the evenings and weekend.
Some side hustles you can try:
Start a Blog(unlimited income potential, opportunity to make 5, 6, 7 figures a year)
Club Thrifty – Budget Living and Travel – Makes $21,566 a month
Just a Girl and her Blog – Lifestyle – Makes $41,700 a month
Art of Manliness – Men’s Lifestyle – Makes $33,333 a month
Show me the Yummy – Recipe Blog – Makes $46,000 a month
My Wife Quit Her Job – Making Money Online – Makes $80,000 a month
Sarah Titus – Selling Printables – Makes $250,000 a month
Drive for UBER or Lyft – You can make thousands a month
Offers jobs ranging in caretaking, babysitting, tutoring, and more
Offers benefits like 401K, dental, health, life, and vision
Rover.com – Dogsitting can earn you over $1,000 a month
Side money with survey sites
Do you ever find yourself with a little bit of extra free time like at the end of the night or even when you’re running a load in the laundry? You could be earning free cash during those times with survey sites.
Survey Junkie
Get paid to take surveys online with Survey Junkie. For every 1000 points you’ll get a $10 gift card or cash via PayPal. During your spare time you can complete these surveys to make some money here and there. On top of simple surveys, they even offer phone surveys which can pay $5-$100, Test some products to make $5-$50, and join focus groups that pay anywhere from $25-$150. Realistically, you can expect to make anywhere from $3-$10 a day. If you make $10 a day for 30 days straight, that’s $300 a month. Not too shabby.
Sign up for free here atSurvey Junkie and start earning
Swagbucks
Swagbucks is a fun site that let’s you earn points that converts to cash via Paypal or gift cards. I’ve mentioned that you can use it to get cash back for shopping but you can also earn points for things like: take surveys and polls, answer questionnaires, play games on your phone, shop online through Swagbucks’ site to get points, redeem points for buying certain food products, complete daily goals, enter competitions, try out apps, sign up for free trial services, scan your receipts, and refer others.
Swagbucks uses a point system where you get awarded with SB points, you can then redeem those points for cash back via PayPal or gift cards through popular companies like Amazon, PayPal, Walmart, Visa, iTunes, Starbucks, eBay, and so much more.
InboxDollars is another survey site where you can take surveys/polls, watch videos, play games, search the web, get cash back by shopping online, and even get paid to clip coupons through InboxDollars. They have paid out over $50,000,000 so far to millions of members.
There are companies out there that need people’s opinion, that’s how these survey sites were born. They offer incentive for people’s opinion on products and services.
With these sites, you can expect to make anywhere from a few bucks to a few hundred a month depending on how often you use it. Keep in mind that it’s not something that’s going to replace your income but it can get you some extra cash each month to throw at your emergency fund. Who doesn’t want free cash?
It’s especially nice to earn points which turn to cash or gift cards for just answering some questions or even playing games during your free time.
One thing to keep in mind is when taking surveys, not everyone will be accepted for certain surveys. Before you take a survey, you’ll be asked some basic screening questions. There is a chance you’ll get disqualified but don’t worry there will be plenty of other surveys to take part of. Plus these sites will generally give you a couple of points for trying.
A big part of saving up for your emergency fund is by spending more mindfully.
So you may be wondering what’s mindful spending?
All you really have to do is think twice before you buy something.
Before you buy that $300 purse, $200 pair of sneakers, $1,000 iPhone, really ask yourself if you TRULY NEED it at that moment.
Not saying you can never have the things you want but you can make a better plan for it.
You can save some money each month and set it aside so that you can buy it at a later time.
One thing to keep in mind is that impulsiveness can get you into a lot of financial trouble.
Just look at us, we managed to accumulate over $127,000 worth of debt by living impulsively in the first few years of marriage.
If you get some extra money, instead of heading straight to the mall, put it towards your emergency fund.
Is an emergency fund the same as savings?
Typically an emergency fund is different as savings in terms of intent. The emergency fund is meant to be an amount of money put aside to be used for unexpected crisis.
Savings on the other hand is money set aside for things you want to buy in the future, like a home down payment, car, school, clothes, electronics, etc.
Where to keep your emergency fund
For an emergency fund, you want to have access to the funds right away in case something happens. This is where it may differ slightly from a traditional savings. You want to keep the emergency fund where it’s easily accessible like a checking or a high interest savings account and not locked in any CD’s, stocks, and bonds.
Savings on the other hand can be put into a high yield interest savings account, stock, CD, and bonds because you will mostly likely know when to pull the money out to use it.
Put your money in a High Yield APR Savings Account from Nationwide / Axos Bank. They’re offering 1.05% of interest which is the highest around. Sign up here at Nationwide / Axos Bank to lock in that rate.
When should you start saving for your emergency fund?
You can start saving for an emergency fund right away. The sooner you save up for one, the better prepared you will be for unexpected emergencies.
If you get a raise or get a nice tax refund, put it towards building your emergency fund.
Should you save for an emergency fund or pay off debt?
Sure, paying off debt is really important because it saves you money in interest over the long run. However, having a safety net is even more important, If someone loses their job with maxed out credit cards, then what? How can they pay the rent/mortgage or feed their family? Having that security in place for you and your family is just as important as saving interest on debt.
It’s not to say that you should do one or the other. You can do both.
I do highly suggest saving up for your 1 month worth of expenses first. Then whatever extra money you have left at the end of each month going forward can be divided in half. One half going towards your fund and the other being applied towards your debt.
Keep saving for your emergency fund until you reach the amount you’ll be comfortable with in case you lose a job or something else happens. Once you reach that goal, take all extra money each month to apply it towards your debt.
For us, before we put 100% of any extra money at debt, we saved 3 months worth of expenses.
Can your emergency fund be too big?
If you have an emergency fund larger than 6-12 months, it may be too large.
Remember that since you want easy access to it, you may put it in a checking or high yield interest savings account like the one from Nationwide / Axos Bank.
The interest rates on a saving account is very low compared to stocks or mutual funds.
You don’t want too much of your money just sitting there earning very little interest where it can earn you more money elsewhere.
Should you save for an emergency fund or invest?
This really depends on your personal situation. Most likely, you’ll want to start that emergency fund even if it’s 1 month worth of expenses. However, if your company is offering 401K match, then go ahead and invest up to the match because it’s free money and it’ll accrue interest.
Ultimately, it comes down to your peace of mind. Are you okay with having your emergency fund tied up in investments with a risk to lose money when you need to pull it out for emergencies?
Or you can always just save 3-6 month worth of expenses and anything above that, invest it. Either way, you don’t want so much money just sitting around your savings account barely keeping up with inflation while it can be earning you more.
What to do after emergency fund?
So what’s the plan after saving up for that emergency fund? Well, if you have debt then focus on getting rid of it. Debt, especially those with high interest rates like credit cards are the worst! With interest, sometimes you can end up paying almost double of what you owed in the first place. Getting rid of debt is really important.
You can also start investing your money or saving for investment opportunities. Start putting away money for your retirement, start saving for an investment property, or even capital to start a business.
Don’t forget to put money aside to have some fun. Life doesn’t have to be so serious with saving, paying debt, and investing. Enjoy life along the way, go on trips, try new hobbies, enjoy some concerts. You can still have fun without it costing a fortune or at the expense of your financial future.
What’s the difference between emergency fund, rainy day fund, and sinking fund?
The emergency fund is 1-6 month (ideally 3-6 months) worth of essential expenses saved in case something unpredictable happens like job loss, illness, and any of the other reasons mentioned above. It’s meant to keep you and your household financially stable at least for those months while things normalize again.
Emergency fund and rainy day fund
A rainy day fund is different from an emergency fund. The rainy day fund should have anywhere from $500-$2,000 and is only meant for small unexpected expenses. It’s meant to absorb small expenses without tapping into your full emergency fund.
Some examples for a rainy day fund:
Blown tire
Kid’s braces
Minor house repair
Unpredictable school expense
Emergency fund and sinking fund
A sinking fund is used to save for predicted expenses. It’s basically money set aside for that particular planned expense so that you don’t have to dip into your emergency fund.
Some examples of a sinking fund:
Vacation
New computer or phone
New car
New roof for the home
HOA fees
Should you keep the emergency fund, rainy day fund, and sinking fund separately?
It’s entirely up to you if you want these funds separated.
What we did for our situation was keep 1 month worth of expenses in my checking account and keep the rest in a high yield savings account. I combined my sinking fund and emergency fund together but kept track of it on my budget. We figured, if you save your 3 months worth of expenses, you’re bound to have enough for the rainy day fund, sinking funds, and emergency fund all in one.
Takeaway
Building your emergency fund is important, it’ll give you and your family a slight peace of mind when it comes to the worst case scenarios. Cause let’s face it, we’ll never truly know what tomorrow can bring. The least you can do is try your best to prepare for the worst financial situations.
Remember, it’s all about baby steps. Don’t think you have to save for a 6 month emergency fund overnight. It’s a lot of money. Start small. First aim for a 1 month worth of expenses saved then work your way up to a number that fits you and your family’s financial situation.
There’s going to be a lot of ways for you to start saving for your emergency fund as fast as possible. Starting a budget can help you see exactly how you’re spending your money, you’ll be shocked to see how much you’re spending on certain categories.
Next, you can save hundreds a month just by simply switching phone carriers, switching to Philo instead of cable, or shopping around for insurance companies.
Third, earn free money back for things you normally do like shop online or buy groceries, you could be getting back hundreds a year!
Fourth, make some side cash by taking up a side hustle, you never know when it can launch into a full fledged business.
Lastly, always think twice before you buy and create a savings plan for the things you really want instead of buying impulsively.
Hope these tips were helpful and will get you on your way to building that emergency fund.
Let today be the day you make the change to finally start getting out of debt. Begin the process by enrolling in the free 5-day Debt Free Bootcamp.
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Let’s be real here, working can be very stressful at times. Following directions from superiors, managing employees, dealing with office politics, keeping up with deadlines, appeasing customers, I can go on and on. The worst part is that people often get stuck working for decades and well into their 60’s or 70’s to make ends meet. What if you didn’t have to settle for that lifestyle? Meet Eric and Katie who broke that stigma and was able to retire early in their 40’s and live a nomadic life traveling the world.
Meet Eric and Kate who retired April of 2019 to follow their passion-Love of Travel. They live a life full of adventure, traveling the world and experiencing different cultures. Currently, they are in Danang, Vietnam and will most likely be there for 6 months before moving on to the next new location.
Eric and Katie shares helpful tips on how they were able to retire early. Eric retired at 42 and Katie retired at 41. Truly amazing! That’s more than 2 decades worth of work they were able to shave off. They saved up $1,000,000which they fund for their nomadic lifestyle. Eric and Kate shares how they were able to do just that. Check out Eric’s siteBonus Nachos where he documents all the countries he’s been to during his retired nomadic lifestyle.
Eric and Kate’s Early Retirement Story
Eric, 42, Retired Accountant made under $50,000 a year
Katie, 41, Retired from the Hotel Industry made around $50,000 a year
Resides: Previous residence in Silicon Valley now lives in Danang, Vietnam
1 | Was there any specific moment that motivated you to retire early?
We had recently moved from the Midwest to California and I had to find a job during the Great Financial Crash.
While I was happy to be able to find work, the job only offered 2 weeks of paid vacation. I previously was spoiled with 5 weeks.
Work suddenly felt a lot more oppressive.
I knew that there had to be a better way. It wasn’t too long after this that I discovered popular early retirement blogger Mr. Money Mustache.
I had always thought about early retirement as an abstract concept, but until this point hadn’t realized how accessible it really was.
2 | What was your income range? Did you do any side hustles?
I never earned more than $50k/yr until I was 37 years old.
Katie always earned a little more than me, except for a couple of glorious months in 2015. 🙂
But neither of us ever made 6 figures, so our early retirement is much more a product of low spending than high earning. We never earned any other money, preferring to savor our time away from work.
3 |When did you start saving and investing?
We both started contributing to our 401k accounts immediately upon getting our first professional jobs.
This was before we had even met, so the idea was independent of one another. And from there, we would each increase our contribution percentage with every raise that we received.
Later we opened up IRAs and stashed money into a taxable account as well, but we mostly just focused on our 401k accounts until our early 30s.
4 | Did you have any debt? If so, what did it consist of?
Not really. Some minor credit card debt as young adults, but nothing much to speak of.
We were careful to avoid it. This certainly helped us get to early retirement more quickly.
5 | Were there any programs/tools that helped to achieve early retirement?
As a former accountant, I love Excel spreadsheets. I use them for everything from tracking expenses to retirement projections.
I have always preferred to track my finances manually as opposed to using automated trackers like Mint or Personal Capital.
I felt it gave me more control and allowed me to customize it to my personal situation. Which is somewhat ironic because when it comes to investing, I’m completely hands off.
I think it’s much, much more likely that an individual investor will make a mistake and suffer a setback than pick the next greatest company.
As such, I believe the best way to go is to invest solely in index funds.
Both are excellent books that are written for the non-professional investor. They are also popular enough that they’re likely available at your local library.
6 | Were there any habits that helped you retire early?
Most of our habits were developed to spend less money.
We focused our spending on what brought us the most happiness and tried to cut out the rest.
We split one older car, so one of us was always commuting by public transit or by bike.
We lived in a small cheap apartment.
On the flip side, travel was something that we have always loved so we made sure to take as many vacations as work would allow.
By not living in a fancy place, drivinga new car (let alone two) or eating out often, we were still able to do the things we liked best while alsosaving lots of money.
7 | Do you think you had to sacrifice a lot in your life to retire early?
I don’t think sacrifice is the right word.
Instead, I prioritized. Not spending every dollar shouldn’t be viewed as a sacrifice.
I would actually argue the opposite, that spending all of your money is a bigger sacrifice because you’re giving up compound investment gains that only increase over time.
I like the saying “You can have anything you want, but you can’t have everything.”
While I may not have been buying a million dollar house or driving aluxury car like many of my neighbors, I did get my passport stamped a lot.
Prior to retirement, I had been to Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Czechia, Jamaica, Grand Cayman, Aruba, and Mexico multiple times. There was lots of domestic travel too, including Hawaii, NYC, and many national parks. Travel has always been my priority.
8 | Did you ever receive a large sum of money that helped to propel you financially?
Well, the S&P 500 did go up over 20% in 2017 when we were already well on our way to early retirement. Does that count? But no start up windfalls, inheritances, or other things like that.
9 | What does your retired life consist of?
We now get to travel the world, experience different cultures, and eat lots of local delicacies. It’s not like our previous vacations though.
Prior to quitting, our longest stop in any one location was 10 days. So far, our shortest stop has been two weeks, but we prefer to stay longer. That really allows us to soak in the flavor of the area.
We get to frequent local markets and eat exotic produce. We swim in the ocean, explore cities and neighborhoods, visit temples and museums, and watch birds. We have nearly mastered the art of the leisurely breakfast.
I even occasionally write a blog post. And the best part is that it’s way cheaper than our previous life. We spend about half of what we did when living in Silicon Valley. I report all of our spending on the blog as well.
Things have been a little different since COVID-19 became a pandemic. However, for the moment, we’ve paused our travels as we wait to see how countries will deal with opening their borders and when/if a vaccine will be available.
We are currently waiting it out in Danang, Vietnam and will likely live here for at least 6 months. It’s a pretty nice city and there are definitely worse places that we could be. Vietnam as a whole did a great job handling the outbreak so there’s little risk of infection here.
10 | If you could offer any valuable advice to readers to retire early, what would it be?
Once you know where all your money is going, it’s easy to figure out what spending is worthwhile and what is not providing value.
Then you can redirect that less than optimal spending towards investing. And once you get that investing ball rolling, it will pick up a lot of steam over time.
Einstein once called compound interest the most powerful force in the universe. Make sure it’s working for you.
Eric and Katie fulfilled their dream of being able to retire early. Their journey teaches us that no, you don’t have to earn a six figure income to achieve early retirement.
Compound interest is very powerful indeed and they used it to their full advantage by investing when they first started their careers.
They also focused investing primarily in index funds without the stress and hassle of handling single stocks. They read books like The Bogleheads Guide to Investing andThe Four Pillars of Investingto familiarize themselves with how investing works.
Everyone dreams of the ability to retire early but often times we don’t implement the right steps to help us achieve the goal.
Eric and Katie is a prime example that it is possible simply by investing early, keeping track of your money, not comparing your life with others, set aside funds to still enjoy life, spending less money, and saving where you can.
Thank you Eric and Katie for sharing your inspiring story with us. Through your story, we see that it’s possible to retire early by implementing the right steps and having the right mindset to achieve a goal.
Don’t forget to check out Eric’s blog Bonus Nachos to see how they’re enjoying retired life traveling the world.
Are you ready to start your own debt free journey? Get started by grabbing this free Debt Thermometer and join us in the free 5-Day Debt Free Bootcamp to pay off $500 worth of debt in your first month.
We partner with some awesome companies that offer products which can help our readers. If you make a purchase through one of our partner links, we may receive a commission at absolutely no additional cost to you! Please see my Policy & Disclosure page for full details.
There are many benefits to having a good credit score. From qualifying for low interest rates for a mortgage, car loan, top tier credit cards, get approved for rentals, better insurance rates, and more. Having a great credit score can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in interest. While there are many benefits to having great credit there are simple ways you can implement to get a score over 800. I’ll show you the exact tips I used to get a good credit score to over 800.
What is a credit score?
A credit score is basically a 3 digit number which is a financial institution’s version of a report card that assesses your overall credit risk. Basically, it determines how likely you may be to pay back a loan.
This is why lenders, landlords, or employees may check your credit score. It gives them an idea of the overall risk involved when lending you money, renting you an apartment, or even giving you a job.
All credit scores are not created equal. There are different companies that created their own credit scoring model which may yield different results. However, the most well known type of credit score is the FICO.
A FICO credit score is calculated based on 5 factors:
Payment History 35%
Amount Owed 30%
Length of Credit History 15%
New Credit Opened 10%
Type of Credit 10%
Is a credit score and a FICO score the same?
Usually, when people think of a credit score, they may be referring to a FICO score which is the most well-known type of scoring system.
The FICO score was created in 1989 by the Fair Isaac Corporation. It was meant to streamline the lending process and make it fair and consistent, it is used by more than 90% of lenders.
Over time, other scoring models were created by other companies to serve as competition to the FICO score. It will be good to familiarize yourself with the idea that there are other credit score models out there. Another scoring model that may be more commonly used second to the FICO score is the Vantage Score Model.
Vantage Score Model
The Vantage Score Model was created in 2006 by the three well-known credit bureaus-Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion.
It has a very similar model compared to a FICO score which consists of:
Free scores referred to as “educational” or “equivalency” scores for consumers knowledge only. It is not used during the lending process.
FAKO score range can be very similarto your FICO score.
TransRisk
Based on data from TransUnion which determines risk of newly opened accounts rather than existing ones.
Not widely used due to it’s limitations in assessment.
TransRisk scores have been known to be lower than a FICO score.
Experian’s National Equivalency Score
Can be obtained for free at Credit Sesame or Credit.com
Score ranges from 360-840
Credit Xpert Credit Score
Developed to help approve new accounts for businesses.
It was created to help detect inaccurate information on credit reports to help raise scores fast.
CE Credit Score
Free and available at Quizzle to give consumers a transparent and accurate depiction of their score.
The scoring ranges from 330-830
What are the ranges for a credit score?
Credit scores have numerical ranges. For the FICO score, it goes anywhere from 300-850 at the highest. The chart below is based from the information provided from Experian. For simplicity purposes, we’ll cover the two major credit scoring models: FICO and Vantage Score Model.
The FICO credit score ranges from:
300-579 Very Poor-16% of the American population
580-669 Fair-17% of the population
670-739 Good-21% of the population
740-799 Very Good-25% of the population
800-850 Exceptional-21% of the population
Vantage Score Model ranges from:
The Vantage Score Model is very similar to the FICO Score Model. It has a range from 300-850. According to White Jacobs, the data below indicates which percentage of the population falls within the credit score range.
300-549 Very Poor-17% of the American population
550-649 Poor-34% of the population
650-699 Fair-18% of the population
700-749 Good-13% of the population
750-850 Excellent-30% of the population
Where can I get a free credit score?
If you want to check your credit score, there are plenty of sites that can give you a glance for free. It’ll be good to know where you stand.
People often rely on credit for many big financial decisions in their lives. We often need credit to borrow money for purchases like a car, home, credit cards, personal loans, student loans, apply for rentals, or even to pass employment checks.
Having good credit can often save you more money and simply just make your life a bit easier. There are 6 great reasons to bump up your credit score and maintain great credit.
1 | Savings On Interest
Those who have great credit will generally be eligible for lower interest rates than those with poor credit. This can save you a lot of money over time! Check out the example for different interest rates applied between poor credit to good credit below:
781-850
4.69% Interest
$25,000 Loan Amount
60 Months
$28,094
$3,094 Interest Paid Over Time
601-660
10.91% Interest
$25,000 Loan Amount
60 Months
$32,546
$7,543 Interest Paid Over Time
When any money is borrowed from banks, interest is applied. You want to aim for the lowest interest rate as possible so it can save you money in the long run.
In the example provided above, a person within the 781-850 credit score range pays $3,094 over 60 months compared to paying $7,543 if they had a 601-660 credit score. The person with the better credit score would save $4,449 over time.
It’s best to always aim for a high credit score to benefit from the lowest interest rates available. This can be applied to all types of loans from mortgages, personal loans, car loans, and more.
2 | Better Credit Offers
Those with good to excellent credit can be eligible to apply for great credit offers. There are credit cards that offer significant amount of bonus points for travel based on a spending limit usually. These travel cards will often require Good to Excellent credit in order to be approved. Some of the travel cards are:
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card– $1,200 Bonus Points Value
Delta SkyMiles Card by American Express-$580 Bonus Points Value
Alaska Airlines Visa Card-$820 Bonus Points Value
Ever since we paid off all our credit cards, our credit score has skyrocketed. Now we always get approved for the best travel rewards credit cards. Find out how we got a free cruise or free flights to Las Vegas below.
Having a higher credit score will often give you better premiums for your car insurance. While you may not be turned down for having poor credit, having a good credit score will certainly get you lower premiums.
4 | Increase Chances of Approval for Rentals
Landlords can check your credit report and credit score to determine if they should approve your tenant application or not. It’s up to the Landlord whether or not they want to approve you based on the information.
If you have poor credit, they may not turn you away depending on the situation. However, they may require a higher security deposit or have a co-signor in order to approve you. On the other hand, if you have great credit they may be quick to approve you.
5 | Waive Security Deposit
There are instances where security deposits may be waived.
Some utility companies that may check your credit history. If you don’t have the best credit, they may ask for a security deposit or a letter-of-guarantee which a family member or friend may pay your bills if you’re unable to.
Cell phone companies may also waive a security deposit to those with good credit and also offer a discounted price of phones.
6 | Employment Hiring Process
Did you know that somecompanies check your credit as part of the hiring process? They check credit as a means to verify someone’s financial responsibility, verify identity, and background.
In some instances, companies may find it necessary to run a credit check on individuals who will be assigned to managing other people’s funds. They can’t have people who aren’t able to handle their own financial matters properly to take care of client’s finances.
What are the steps to get a good credit score to 800?
For as long as I can remember, my credit score has never broke 800 until last year. My credit score even dipped down to the 600’s while I was in school. My score has passed the 800 mark and I’ll show you exactly what I did to get it there.
Pay Bills on Time
Late payments can hurt your credit score and it accounts for 35% of your FICO rating. The bad news is that late payments, more than 30 days late, can stay on your credit report for up to 7 years! Yikes.
This is one thing that I always tried to keep up with. I tried to always pay my bills on time even if it was minimum payments. However, there were occasional times when bills may slip through the cracks.
There were times when I didn’t set my auto payment for a credit card and missed a payment here and there. The great part is, it’s easy to get this issue resolved with credit card companies.
You can usually call them and explain your situation, most of the time they will reverse any late fee charged on your statement.
Usually, credit card companies won’t report the late payment if it’s a few days late. If it passes an entire billing cycle, they will usually report it to the credit agency.
If you’ve missed a payment, make sure to pay as soon as you can.
Another huge downside to missing payments for credit cards is when they’re able to remove a promotional interest rate offered to you. Say, you were getting a promotional rate of 0%, well if you miss a payment, they can change that interest rate to their original rate of 18% or higher.
Suggestions:
Set reminders to help you pay your bill on time
Set up auto pay
Call creditors as soon as you notice you’ve missed a payment
Keep Your Debt Balances Low
Your overall debt to credit ratio accounts for 30% of your FICO score. It’s beneficial to have a higher credit to debt ratio. If you owe too much money compared to your credit limit, this can have a negative impact on your score.
This is the main area that has significantly boosted my credit score to over 800. My current FICO credit score below:
My credit score had always toggled around the upper 600’s and mid 700’s. Especially when I was in school, my credit rating plummeted because I wasn’t working to pay off my credit cards.
I noticed that as soon as we started attacking our credit debt, our credit scores shot up. When my husband and I first started our debt paying journey, we used the Snowball Method and paid off all our credit cards.
Paying off our credit balances dramatically increased our credit availability limit. Since this category makes up 30% of a FICO score, it was the factor that helped me get into the 800 score club.
Want to start getting yourself out of debt? We knocked out over $100,000 in just 24 month and you can find out some great tips to get yourself started too. Grab your free Debt Thermometer and join us in the free 5-Day Debt Free Bootcamp.
Credit Inquiries Impact Credit Score
Credit inquiries can make an impact on your credit score by a few points. If you were to open up many credit cards around the same time frame, it can affect your score significantly.
There are hard inquiries which directly impact your score and soft inquiries which doesn’t have an affect on it.
Hard inquiries generally can stay on your credit report for a little over two years.
Hard Inquiries on Credit
Opening up a cell phone plan
Applying for a mortgage
Applying for an auto loan
Opening up a credit card
Applying for a student loan
Requesting for a credit line increase
Getting a rental car with a debit card (possibly hard inquiry pull)
Applying for a personal loan
Applying for rental apartments
Soft Inquiries on Credit
Credit card companies automatically raising your credit limit
Pre-approval offer from a lender
Checking your own credit report
Suggestions:
If you need a loan for a car or mortgage, it’s better to shop around during a short time frame. Some scoring models will consider the multiple inquiries as a single inquiry if it’s done under a small time frame.
Check your credit report to make sure there are no other hard inquiries that you are not aware of. You may be able to have them removed if you didn’t authorize the credit pull.
Only apply for credit if you really need it.
Length of Your Credit History Matters
The length of your credit history has a 15% impact of your FICO credit score. The longer you have a credit line opened, the better it will help your score over time. Especially, if you’re making payments on time. It’ll be best not to close out any credit cards you have, even if you don’t plan on using them.
When we started paying off all our credit cards, I didn’t cancel our cards. Some of my cards are over 10 years old. All we did was pay off all balances and just leave them alone.
My husband actually canceled 1 credit card which he had for years not knowing it would impact his score. Next thing we knew, his score dropped and it hasn’t reached the 800’s as I have.
Monitor Your Credit
It’s always important to keep tabs on your credit report. There may be things on there that can have negative impacts on your score.
I check my credit report at least once a year just to make sure everything is in good standing and there are no errors.
One time, my information was associated with a completely random address. I had to correct that right away because that property had a lien associated with it. It was bizarre.
You can also check all your accounts to see if there are any delinquent payments posted. One of my student loans actually reported a 30-day late payment to the credit bureau without my knowledge. Delinquencies have a negative impact on your report and score and can stay on your report for up to 7 years.
I called up the student loan provider and had them reverse that initial report.
Suggestions:
Check your free credit report and score on Credit Karma
Get your free annual credit report on Annual Credit Report (only credit report, no credit score)
Fix any discrepancies on your credit report
If there are any delinquent payments, reach out to your loan provider and see if they can help you remove it
Give Your Score a Boost
If you’re looking for a boost to your credit score, you can give Experian Boost a try.
If you pay for your cell phone bills or utility payments through your checking account, Experian Boost considers that as on-time payments.
Since payment history makes up 35% of your FICO score, this can significantly help your credit score.
Experian Boost then pulls all your on-time payments to apply. The boost to your Experian score can take as little as 10 minutes.
What Bills Can You Use For Experian Boost?
Experian Boost won’t work for credit card bills. It has to be payments made from a checking or saving account.
On time payments:
Utility (gas, water, electricity)
Cell phone/Land line
Cable
Experian Boost gathers your on-time payments and applies it towards your payment history giving you a credit score boost.
What to Consider When Signing Up For Experian Boost
Experian Boost can definitely help your credit score. According to Experian’s website, 86% of users with a FICO score of 579 and below saw an average increase of 21 points.
Although, the service can help boost credit scores, it doesn’t have the same effect across the board for all.
Can only use a checking/saving account for assessment of on-time payments
Need at least 3 months worth of bill payment history
Must have at least one credit card or a loan on your credit report.
Experian Boost is 64% more effective with very poor to fair FICO scores compared to only 3% effectiveness for those with very good to exceptional FICO scores.
Just because your score increased doesn’t mean your lender will use the same exact FICO scoring model as the one from your report.
Adding on-time payments to your credit file with Experian won’t transfer over to TransUnion or Equifax.
Is Experian Boost Worth It?
It’s a free service that can potentially help your credit score and it doesn’t take long at all to set up. If your credit is within the poor to fair range, it may be more worth while to try it out. Just keep in mind that if you are applying for a loan, check to see if the lender uses Experian.
Bottom Line
Having great credit will only help you financially and in life. It can save you thousands of dollars in interest, help you get approved for jobs or apartment rentals. You can improve your credit score and get it up to the 800’s as I have.
Most importantly, creating a budget has helped me tremendously in making sure I have enough funds for bills. Set up auto payment if your bad with paying bills on time. It’s very important to not be late with payments since it has a very large impact on your credit score.
Check your credit history and score at Credit Karma and dispute any discrepancies on your report.
Don’t cancel long term credit cards as it will have a negative impact on your credit score.
Keep your debt balances low by using the snowball method to pay off your debt, especially your credit cards. I think this has been the major reason why my credit score broke the 800 mark and is now 836. What I do now is use only 1 credit card and pay it off in full each month. Having a large credit to debt ratio will help your score out significantly!
If you need a fast credit boost, you can try Experian Boost.
I hope you found some helpful tips here and you can also be on your way to the 800 score club, thanks for stopping by!
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Has the thought ever crossed your mind that it may be awesome to have a blog to call your own? Maybe you're really passionate about something, or you want to share your knowledge, and even maybe you've read blogging success stories of people making thousands of dollars a month from blogging.
Starting a blog can be a great hobby or it can also earn you major income. It all depends on which direction you want to go in. Either way, blogging can be very fun. There are days where I can spend hours working on my blog but it doesn't feel like a drag, time definitely flies by way too fast.
I guess when you enjoy doing something, it doesn't feel like work at all.
The best part about starting a blog is how very inexpensive it is. You can start a FREE WordPress blog starting today. It's really that easy. You may be wondering what is WordPress?
WHAT IS WORDPRESS?
WordPress is a blog and website creation tool where you can create and customize your content. It may be a website you want to create for your business or create blog posts for your personal blog page.
To think of it simply, WordPress is like a house where you can customize and renovate it and add furniture (content) to your heart's desire. However, a house sits on land. That's where Bluehost comes in.
It is your OWN site and can't be deleted at a whim
No need to worry about this at the moment. When you sign up with Bluehost, WordPress.org is what you will be using.
WHAT IS BLUEHOST?
Bluehost is a web hosting provider. Think of it like the land where the house sits on. Through Bluehost you choose your domain name (website name). Once you sign up with Bluehost, WordPress is then free to be used as your platform. The best part about starting your own free WordPress blog with Bluehost is that the fee is extremely inexpensive!
I absolutely LOVE Bluehost! I mean it! Their customer service rocks! If I ever had questions about my site, I can chat with a representative at any hour of the day or night.
Just the other day, I reached out to a rep at 11:30 at night and had my question answered.
Bluehost reps are the ones that helped me get my site up and running when I first started out and had no clue what I was doing. They're really amazing. For $3.95 a month to start a blog/website/e-commerce page it's totally worth it plus more!
Bluehost Benefits
Low rates- Starting at $3.95 a month to host your website (plan I still use till this day)
Awesome customer service
Easy setup and integration with WordPress
Free WordPress site included
Starting your site with Bluehost is an awesome option for beginners and if you don't get a lot of traffic to your site in the beginning.
Bluehost is highly recommended for those just starting out because their reps go above and beyond to help you get the ball rolling.
Once the traffic to your site starts picking up or you need super premium hosting service, then I would recommend WPEngine down the road.
WPEngine offers great customer service, fast site speeds, and comes with all the bells and whistles when it comes to web hosting.
HOW TO START A FREE WORDPRESS BLOG ON BLUEHOST
First you need to head to Bluehost site to register your domain name and sign up for your website hosting. Bluehost if offering a 50% discount at a very low rate of $3.95 a month compared to $7.99 a month for this service. For their level of service, easy-to-use platform, plus a free WordPress site, it can't get any better than that.
If you're just starting out, choose the basic plan. You always have the option of upgrading your plan later if you need to. The basic plan should be more than enough.
Choose your domain (website) name
You can choose your domain (website) name at this point, or come back to it if you can't think of a good name yet. Also, you always have the option of changing your website name later if you're not happy with what you chose to begin with.
Create Your Account and Pick Your Plan
Within the basic plan, you can sign up for a 12 month plan, 24 month plan, or 36 month plan. When I first signed up with Bluehost, I chose the 36 month plan because I wanted the cheapest monthly cost possible. That is basically $3.95 per month, $47.40 for the year or $142.20 for 36 months. I pay triple in my cable bill for one month compared to what I pay for in a whole year to run my blog.
If you're not sure about a 36 month plan, you can always try it for 12 months which will be $5.95 a month or $71.40 for the year. That's still a really good price to run a website that you can call your own.
To get the cheapest rate, signing up for the 36 month plan would be the best option.
After choosing your plan, there may be some 'Package Extras' that could be automatically checked off. I wouldn't sign up for those tools just yet. First, get your website up and running and you can always download free 'Plugins' to meet your website maintenance needs. You can always sign up for those recommended programs by Bluehost later if you need to.
Install Free WordPress Blog
After signing up with Bluehost, your free WordPress blog and website will be automatically installed. That's another reason why Bluehost is awesome, everything is very simple to use on their platform.
Choosing Your Theme
First, you will be prompted to choose your theme. There will be lots and lots of free themes to choose from. There will also be premium themes available at a cost. You can choose the theme that you like the most.
When I first started my free WordPress blog, I chose a free theme but quickly ended up with a premium theme. Surprisingly enough, using a free theme was actually a lot harder than using a premium theme.
I found that I had to manually try to "build" a page having to customize every single thing which made it extremely difficult for me since I was completely new to the coding/web page building world.
A premium theme was incredibly easy to use. Everything from the home page, posts, contact pages were already beautifully styled and all I had to do was change wording around.
For people that are new to blogging/website creation, I HIGHLY recommend a premium theme. Save your time, frustration, and energy to create what's valuable which is your content!
For my site I use Thrive Architect theme which you can get get HERE.
I'm stating this from experience but for a good part of the first year of starting this blog, I had another theme which I paid around $50 for it.
It was decent enough where I was able to easily design my pages as needed but as time went on I started noticing that the design of my website was hugely limited compared with Thrive.
As you start your blogging career, you'll begin to realize that any little thing you need as far as appearances go for your site, you may need to start getting plug-ins.
Keep in mind that the less plug-ins you have on your site, the better because a lot of plug-ins actually bog down your site and slow it down.
After months and months of messing with plug-ins and being frustrated with the lack of customization for this site, I came across Thrive and it's been amazing guys!
Thrive is literally the all in one package to help you launch a beautiful site with tons of pre-designed pages. Also, you'll find their page design/builder is extremely easy to use. Even a non-techie and beginner like me was able to design my own site.
Thrive can literally help you save hundreds or more because you won't need to hire designers or buy expensive programs if you want to do more advanced stuff like make courses or create sales pages for your site.
Thrive is all you need! I'm seriously in love with this theme builder and it's so easy to use.
You can get a beautiful site up with Thrive, it's really an amazing tool to use.
So, I HIGHLY suggest for you to try Thrive and save yourself hair pulling, frustration, and wasted time using other themes.
Navigating WordPress
Once you arrive at the "Welcome to WordPress" page, click on "Business" or "Personal" depending on what you want your site to be about. For blogs, I would choose the "Personal" option.
Awesome, now you're all ready to get started creating great content!
Just to familiarize yourself with the platform, let's go over a few things you may see on your navigation bar on the left.
Posts- Primarily used for your blog content.
Media-Upload your pictures, videos, and other media files for your site
Pages- This is where you go to create your homepage, contact page, about me page, and more.
Comments-Check recently posted comments on your site.
Appearance-This is where you can go to customize the layout of your site by changing themes or adding in widgets.
Plugins-Offer extra add-ons to your site if you want specific forms, back-up programs, gallery display, number counters, calendars, graphs, and so much more. There's a plugin for EVERYTHING. You will find all sorts of plugins specific to your site's needs.
There you have it, now you know how to start a free WordPress blog through Bluehost. It's simple and easy to sign up. Bluehost has awesome customer service and they will help you with any concerns you may have. $3.95 a month is so worth having your own beautiful blog and website to call your own.
If you have any questions at all, I'll do my best to help you out. Reach out to me here.
Alright, now you're ready to put yourself out there and share with the world!
