Eight Ways I Currently Supplement Our Income

Though I don't work outside the home, I supplement our income.  I've been doing it for years upon years in various forms.  Of course, there are the most obvious ways: shopping for the best price, weighing quality against long term value, checking periodically to see if there are cheaper rates on services we must have, making sure that nothing goes to waste indoors.  And here I am dabbling in gardening.  Stats are out on how well that is going at present, but it all looks just beautiful, so here's hoping!

But I've also used other ways to physically bring money or free goods into our home.  In times past, I've done cash rebates and coupons.  I've applied for customer loyalty rewards that accumulated points and netted me free products, cash returns or discounts.    I worked with several survey sites that paid a sum for completed surveys. I worked Swagbucks for a long while and earned routinely through that site.  I've played about with CVS' Extra Cash Bucks program, accumulated Coke points, pet food proof of purchases, etc.  and did well for a season in getting free products.

I find that all of these means of earning a wee bit extra, whether it's cash back or actual products wane and ebb as life moves on.  CVS near me stopped stocking the money makers.  Coke rewards switched up to free music.  After turning sixty and having no children in my home at that time, I found surveys were less and less worthwhile.  Swagbucks were no longer viable when we had a high cost, low data plan from a satellite server.   Honestly, now that I have a child in the home and unlimited internet, I probably should look into working with Swagbucks once more.  

So how am I earning in my current season?   

1.  I monetized the blogs.  I currently gain a small earning from both this blog and the Blue House Journal Recipes blog and the ads that are inserted on each page.  Typically, I earn a pay out about every three months.  The minimum balance earned before payout must total $100.  This does vary widely depending on how many ads are seen, which is based solely on how interested you are in any given post.  I've never taken time to see which posts 'perform' best.  I do what I do.  I let the few ads you see do the rest.

2.  I became an Amazon Associate Affiliate, which also earns me a small sum.  This is a much lower payout for me taking months to earn the $10 minimum balance for payout.  Frankly I should do better and be more consistent in using my Affiliate link info in posts which has netted me the best return rate. 

3 &4.  When I am shopping online, I use two different add-on apps.  Microsoft Rewards offers both a cashback option and a points system.  Cashback is often minimal.  I think I have earned $6 in six months.  The points are also slow to add up, but once accumulated I can earn a gift card.  I don't sneer at $5 gift cards.  I feel the same way about these small earnings as I do about pennies I find lying on the ground.  It costs me next to no time or effort and I've 'earned' the moment I pick it up.  I use it.  

The credit card app will also take note of what I've looked at and 'entice' me with emails that relate to sales or 

5.  Fetch Rewards is a site that rewards you with points for purchases.  It's basically a market research tool to help manufacturers better understand how often products are being purchased and when.  

When you snap a photo of a receipt, you accumulate points.  For the bare minimum of earnings, you can link your email/Amazon account to the site and acquire points for online shopping or utilize email receipts that are sent directly to you email to earn 25 points for every receipt.  You can also use your phone to take a photo of physical receipts and you will earn 25 points for each of those.  

You can get bonus points for purchasing certain brands of items.  Right now, I have two in progress: one for purchasing Snickers candy bars and one for purchasing Pull-Ups.  Which reminds me to ask Katie if she has the receipt for that last Pull-Up purchase because I can use those points to earn my extra rewards.  

I am brand loyal in a few areas and if I can earn extra points while I'm buying something I'm going to buy anyway...Well that suits me!  These points can accumulate fairly quickly because you can photograph any receipt.  If you're worried about privacy, I tend to fold my receipts in such a way that the private info is hidden, such as the last four digits of the card I used to make the purchase.  All you need to show to earn your points is the amount, date, time, store # and the items scanned on the receipt (that's where the brand extra points come in).  

When you accumulate enough points, you can cash in for a variety of store and online retailer gift cards. The number of points required vary depending upon what gift card you might wish to purchase.  Some have a higher point value than others.  I tend to save points and then I choose the best value at the retailer I'm most apt to use at that time.  I vary between Amazon, Lowe's, and fast-food gift cards depending on what season it is.

If you'd like to join Fetch rewards, I do have a referral code to use.  It will net us both a few bonus points when you snap your first receipt.  Referral Code:  5EEB16

6.  Ibotta is a similar principle, but your photographed receipts are turned into cash rewards.  It's essentially an instant rebate for purchasing certain brands.  I check the app and my most usually visited stores at least once a month and click on any offers for brands I'd typically purchase or that I've recently noted were on sale in the stores and add those 'coupons' to my account.  

After my receipt has uploaded, the Ibotta app automatically issues me the rebate in cash.  I can cash out at any time.  It pays to check through the site before you submit your receipt (or even better before you shop...).  Today I noted that I could get 10c off any juice purchase.  No limit on brand or size nor a set quantity.  Sometimes those things do apply.  

In order to get the 10c rebate offer attached to my account, I had to view a suggested brand name product.  It too had a coupon offer in app.  Today's featured item was Sunsweet Amazon Prune Lemonade.  There was a $2 back offer on that item.  If I chose to purchase that item, I could get $2.10 back instantly.  Or I can skip that offer and just get 10c for buying the apple juice I'd typically purchase.   Every now and then an offer is limited to just one store, but more often than not, offers are good for most of the retailers. 

As well, there is a whole section of the categories devoted to items for which you can get a full rebate.  Lana has mentioned using this feature many times in her area to get really good deals on yogurt and other food items. Because I'm limited to the product lines in the few stores I can shop, I sometimes can't take advantage of them, but I can tell you that I really forget to check this feature before going to the store.  These FREE after purchase rebate items are specific to store and quantity.

While I tend to use Ibotta as a grocery app, you can also upload receipts for rebates on gift cards, hotel stays, clothing retailers, etc.  Right now, I'm looking at a 10% back on the purchase of contacts from 1-800 CONTACTS.  That's just to give you an example of other ways you could earn.  

There is almost always a 'bonus' earning offer of some sort.  Currently both Perdue chicken and Primal Kitchen have an additional bonus offer.  There is generally a dollar amount or total package requirement on these offers.   I've seen loads of markdowns on Perdue at Kroger, and I'd love to combine a markdown with the offer and bonus offers available.  It would be a great savings to get money back on it as well.

I also have a referral code for you to use with Ibotta.  When you submit your first receipt, we will both earn a small sum.  Referral code:  JAGEMCV

None of these things I've shared are going to make our fortune.  But combined one with the other, we do generate a small additional amount of income that we can use towards purchases.

7.  Kroger's Fresh Mode app is my latest way to 'earn'.  I'm going to shop at Kroger anyway, so why not get paid to do so?  I've just loaded $7.50 to my Kroger account.  Next time I shop if I buy Kroger brand products, I'll save $1.50.  If I purchase meat or seafood, I'll earn another $3 the total.  And if I buy any groceries at all, regardless of brand or category, I earn another $3 off my total.  

The app is found in the Google play store and loads quickly to your phone.  You'll attach it to your Kroger account by entering in your member card number.  Make your purchases and check back on the app in a day or so.  You'll find that you've earned points and those points can be used to 'purchase' various amounts of dollars off from $1 to $25.    Next time you make a purchase, those rewards come off the total owed.   

This past week when I shopped, I had $11 in rewards to use.  Those credited off my final total and that sum then accumulated 1 point for every day spent in the store that day.  I also earned extra points because I opted into a bonus that allotted me more points for shopping on a Friday and 2 other bonuses.  I earned for purchasing $20 worth of meat and for purchasing $20 in produce.  Honestly given the prices these days it's not hard to earn those extra bonus points.   

I've taken those bonus points to purchase the current $7.50 off coupons I just added to my account.   

It's an easy app to use, doesn't cost a thing and why not take the extra savings? 

8.  Using specialty sites to find additional added savings.  I follow three sites I've mentioned before and will mention here.  I have used these sites to get savings mostly on Amazon and a few on Walmart.  I do find it takes a bit of self-control and real thought but using my brain is not going to hurt a thing.  Most of the deals are available on all three sites.  I follow each one because now and then there are additional deals I haven't seen, and all three sites include additional posts that are related to savings and interesting to read.

thekrazycouponlady.com   I receive her daily emails and follow the deals, but please note that you can visit the website and find printable coupons, rebate details, a plethora of tips and a detailed listing of stores where you can go to see available deals at each one.  

I prefer the condensed version via email and just click on the few deals that appear to be the most likely for my needs.  

hip2save.com I've just signed up for the emails of this newsletter.  I've been following along by sifting through deals a week at a time.  I think getting daily emails will be far easier and less time consuming.  

Here you'll find recipes, tips for savings, a comprehensive store listing just as the previous site has and just good all around information.  

moneysavingmom.com  Just signed up for daily emails from this one as well.  There's a great deal of information here on this site as well.  

The greatest thing I have to watch against while using these three sites is not to purchase things just because they are a good deal or appear to be a good deal.  I have to keep my budget firmly in mind. Because of these sites, I've managed to get accumulate a number of well-priced gifts that fit well within my low budget for birthdays and holidays.  I've also found some wonderful bargains on things we intended to purchase for our home.  So, they are worth pursuing and the savings is so substantial that I feel these three sites are well qualified as ways to supplement my income.

These are the things I'm doing right now to stretch our income a little bit further.  What about you?  Do you have anything to add to my list?  If you have a savings site that also has a referral code for you to earn extra cash or points, then include it in your comment.