What if you could not only save while shopping but make money? Keep reading to learn how I changed my shopping habits for good…
If you’re like me, you love to shop. What I didn’t love was the credit card bill that came weeks later reminding me how much above my means I had spent. I tried shopping less but when I saw something I had to have, I couldn’t resist. This cycle would continue to repeat itself and continue to leave me with buyer’s remorse.
Then, after making these easy changes (and sticking to them), I not only began saving money when shopping but actually started making money. My hope is that by sharing the process I follow, you too will shop smarter. Now, let’s go shopping…
Step 1: Calculate Cash Back from Spending
When I first started to change my habits, I knew I needed to figure out exactly how much I was spending (as painful as it is). After looking through the bills I determined I was spending over $800 every month on stuff I wanted, not needed.
Most of that spending was online and when I started looking for ways to still shop but spend less, I came across Ebates. They’ve given their members over $325,000,000 in cash-back for shopping at the stores they already do. Now when I shop, they deposit my cash back directly into my account. It’s actually that easy.
Registering is completely free and they even give you a $10 Welcome Bonus. If you’re already going to buy from these stores anyways, you might as well get cash back for it on Ebates.
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Step 2: Make Extra Cash for “Wants”
I realize that for some, in order to shop smarter you need the resources to do it. There have been plenty of times where I’ve been short on cash and shopping wasn’t even an option (or put me further into debt). As a college student, in between jobs and plenty of other times I had to be resourceful not only in saving money but making it too.
In the past, I would look for jobs around town but it was almost never worth the effort. One day while on my computer I found Swagbucks.com and signed up. I’ll be honest that at first I was very skeptical but after I started completing some actions on their site, I was receiving “Swagbucks” right away. In the first day I made 500 Swagbucks and received a $5 Amazon Gift Card! Now whenever I’m a little tight on cash and want to shop, I just spend some time on Swagbucks.
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Step 3: Save Smarter, Not Harder
While Ebates gives me cash back for most of the stores I shop at, I didn’t find absolutely everything. And by everything, I mean shoes. Yes, I too have a shoe addiction and I needed to find a smarter way to buy them and other stylish pieces.
Before, I was spending almost $50 for a new pair of shoes. Not only was it an expensive habit but I wasn’t even happy with the shoes I was buying. When I became a VIP Member with JustFab it was the best of both worlds. Not only did they completely customize my online shopping experience but I started spending 50% less on a pair of shoes.
It was so easy to get started, all I did was answer a few questions about the styles I like and instantly got access. Plus, they gave me a Buy 1 Get 1 Free coupon, free shipping & exchanges just for signing up.
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Step 4: Get Paid Taking Surveys
Most don’t know this but your opinion is actually very valuable. Because of this, sites like MySurvey will actually pay you to take short simple surveys. Not only is it a lot of fun but you earn points (similar to Swagbucks) which can be easily redeemed for gift cards, certificates, vouchers and cash!
Starting with MySurvey is completely free. Just sign up and check your email to get started!
Step 5: Always Save on Groceries
That’s right. There’s no reason to ever pay full price the grocery store since there’s always a deal to be found. That’s where joining the Betty Crocker Newsletter came in handy with it’s consistent savings and tons of recipe ideas. Now when I go to the store, I always check my email for some savings and inspiration from Betty Crocker.
Signing up for Betty Crocker was completely free. Just enter your email and check your inbox!
Step 6: Cash Back the Easy Way
It’s amazing to me how simple getting cash back on shopping and completing other easy tasks online for money has become. I know we’ve mentioned several ways to get started (Ebates, Swagbucks and MySurvey) but this last one, MyPoints, takes the cake.
After signing up to MyPoints for Free, I started getting Points for doing things I already do online (shopping online, taking surveys, watching videos and reading emails to earn more Points). I’ve been using MyPoints so long now that it has become part of my online routine anytime I get on the computer or my phone. It’s definitely worth checking out to get a few more tips and easy ways to make some extra money.
One final note before I get going: The one mistake I made through this all was never really getting started. I dabbled into a few of these options but never fully embraced it. Don’t let that happen to you, get started right now, no excuses!