Over the last few months we have seen an influx of Cash Back Apps – from iBotta to Checkout51, BerryCart, Snap & More – many of you are now struggling to keep up with these apps in your quest to save money.
With the sheer number of apps out there, it’s easy to feel lost – you want to save, and you know those apps can help you.. but many of you may question whether or not they are really TRULY helping you save. Right?! I will admit that I feel overwhelmed even putting them in the matchups…….
I want to HELP You save, but I don’t want you to feel like you’re being bombarded either.
It is REALLY easy to lose sight of your goal (to SAVE) in effort to capture every one. You won’t… and you simply cannot. And you know what? It’s OK – and you have to learn to accept that – you will NOT get every deal!
Here are our tips to making the most of those apps:
1. Figure out which one (or, ones) work for you. Being successful at saving money does not mean you have to use them ALL – you know yourself better than anyone, so determine which one fits YOUR lifestyle & shopping habits best.
2. Dedicate a time to check them daily. New offers pop up regularly- but you want to make sure you stay on top of them to get the best savings. Set aside a time in your day to check them regularly – for me, it’s at night… when I lay down to catch some TV before bed. I scroll through my phone and identify any new offers. I also try to check them when I’m sitting in my truck waiting to pick up my daughter at school each day – as I pull up and park at the school, it takes 8-10 minutes for my 8 year old to come out… that is time I spend sorting coupons in my holder and going through my apps to make a mental note of what I might use.
3. Rely on the Matchups on the Blog to tell you the BEST place to use them at. Sure.. you can use most of them anywhere, but why not get the BEST value? We work hard to identify the best opportunities to pair those with current sales. Use Favado Mobile App or the Blog to identify those deals in the weekly matchups.
4. Don’t feel like you need to use them ALL. It’s impossible to do EVERY deal – you will overwhelm yourself. Pick those that fit your lifestyle, weekly menu plan or in my case, the offers that fit trips I already have planned to that particular store – just add those deals on.
5. Upload your receipts as soon as possible – do not lose them! Keep those receipts in the same place – for me they stay IN my checkbook cover – once I arrive home, I scan them for cash back before putting any of the items away.
Not familiar with all these apps? You can read more about my 15 Favorite Money-Saving Apps on my last post.
I try and scan them in the car before I leave the parking lot