Money Saving Monday: Checkout 51, SavingStar, and Shopmium {Series}

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If you love Ibotta, you’ll want these three awesome apps too. They work pretty much the same way, with only a few subtle differences.

First up is Checkout51.  Like Ibotta, there are select items listed. However, the biggest difference is that you don’t have to select a certain store. Pick up an item anywhere and submit a pic of the receipt on the app. Another perk? The app will determine for you whether or not the purchase is valid, so no barcode scanning necessary! Rebates range from $0.25 to $3, plus there are often a few bonus offers. I earned an extra $1 when I purchased some featured cleaning supplies by completing the “Clean Sweep” bonus. The offers are varied, and there are usually no more than 20 at a time. Even if you don’t redeem anything, if you submit at least a $60 receipt, you have a chance to win $500 each week. The only downside? You have to reach $20 to cash out, and you’re mailed a paper check. I’ve been using Checkout51 for about three months, and I have $21.86 in my account.

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Next up is SavingStar. When I first downloaded this, it only synced to store cards (like the Kroger rewards card), so shopping was very limited. Recently, SavingStar added an option to submit photos of receipts from other stores. If you use a Kroger rewards card, the rebates post to your account automatically without receipts or barcode scanning. Again, there aren’t many rebates at a time (around 20), but it’s a good variety of items.  There are different types of rebates offered:  $0.25-$1 for single items and $3-$15 for purchasing a specified amount of a particular brand. For example, L’Oreal is presently featured—if you purchase $30 in products within the next 6 weeks, you will earn $10. Friday Freebies refund the entire purchase price, and a fresh fruit/veggie rebate comes out every Tuesday. You can cash out at any time with several options for receiving your money: direct bank deposit, PayPal, Amazon e-gift card, or even charitable donations. The only issue I have is that it can take anywhere from 2-22 days for a purchase to post. It’s harder to keep track of which rebates you have coming. I’ve been using this app a few months, and I currently have $17.02 in my account with another $5 or so pending.

The last one for today is a new app: Shopmium. Since it’s new on the app market, the offerings are slim (usually 10-12), and they change frequently. However, I have found that these offers tend to be really good. There is a section just for healthy/natural/organic options, and the rest range from food to magazines. If you’re a People Magazine reader, this app will give $1 rebate every week. I’ve been using Shopmium for about a month and have earned $7.50. The best part of Shopmium? Rebates are processed within 2-3 days and immediately sent to you via PayPal. There’s no real waiting. You buy the item; you get the rebate. Personally, I’m letting the money sit in my PayPal account and putting it towards my eBay habit.

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 These sites aren’t as comprehensive as Ibotta, but they’re all headed that way. Most of the time, these offers coincide with weekly coupons AND there are often rebates on the same item on multiple apps which definitely sweetens your deals. (A quick example: Pediasure Sidekicks. Paper coupon for $3/2, Ibotta rebate for $3/2 and a Shopmium multiple-use rebate that allows you to get get $2 back on 2—that’s an $8 savings!)

All of these apps are on iOS and Android and can be downloaded via the iTunes Store or Google Play.  Happy Shopping!

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Amy
Amy is a Northernor by birth, but please don’t hold it against her! Amy has called Middle Tennessee home for over twenty years and couldn’t picture raising a family anywhere else! Today, Amy lives just outside of Nashville with her husband of over seven years (JP), her four year old spitfire of a daughter (Lily), and their eleven-year-old-but-still-acts-like-a-puppy black lab (Alley). It’s a daily toss up as to who rules their house—Lily or the dog—and Amy has many funny stories to prove the battles. Amy is a working mama by day—a fraud and suspicious activities investigator at a local, community bank, and a jack-of-all-trades by night and weekend. She loves crafts, music, the outdoors, saving money and bargain hunting, gardening (and all the canning, freezing, and preserving that comes with it), comic books, and anything upcycled, recycled, or DIY, and she’s just crunchy enough to call herself a hippie. She can often be found perusing yard sales, flea markets, Pinterest, and Etsy, looking for her next big project, or playing superheroes, painting, or playing outside with Lily. Currently, Amy and her husband are on a quest to find the best burger in Nashville and love visiting all the fantastic foodie spots this great city has to offer!

1 COMMENT

  1. thanks for the great tips Amy!! I’m really trying to buckle down on saving (especially at the grocery store) so these are perfect!!

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