Ibotta - The Best App For Free Cash In Store and Online

How are people still not using Ibotta?  I'm going to assume it's because you have never heard of it. Ibotta is an awesome app that gives me cash back for my in store and online purchases.  I used it as much as I can and have racked up a nice little chunk of cash.

Now what to spend it on... Shoes, shoes, shoes.  My mind is telling me no, but my boday, my boday...

When I first blogged about Ibotta in 2017 I had earned $67.95 in rebates.  The last time I blogged about Ibotta in 2019 I was up to $155.50.  Now as of writing this post, $274.33.  That's a lot of money for little effort.  My past posts have detailed instructions on how to claim in store cash back.  Feel free to check out my past posts on Ibotta by clicking here and here.  But for those of you who are new to my blog (welcome BTW) or need a refresher on how the Ibotta app works, I'll briefly show you how easy it is to get cash back on the purchases you already make.  I still recommend you check out my past posts for more detailed instruction on using the Ibotta app.

So one new thing Ibotta has been doing over the last few months is offering "free after rebate" offers on select items.   How on Earth can you say no to that?  The answer is you don't and I have all the (free) Cup Noodles aka "cup of noodles" to prove it.

On a recent trip to Walmart I saw that the Mystery Oreo was "free after offer."

Free Oreos?  And a mystery flavor?  There is nothing like frozen Oreos (you're welcome) so this purchase was a no brainer.

And it just so happened that Walmart had two packages left.  Probably since they were going to expire in March 2020, but that's besides the point.  So I bought them, followed the instructions for claiming a rebate on Ibotta, and got reimbursed more than what I purchased the Oreos for.

It's that easy.

And the flavor was graham cracker.  It was aight.

When I first started using Ibotta you had to scan a physical copy of your receipt to upload for rebate redemption and that is still true for many stores.  My main grocery store, however, no longer provides physical receipts and instead emails you a copy of your store receipt.  For these stores you can still claim cash rebates, but you must link your loyalty card in your Ibotta app.

After you have linked your loyalty card number with the easy to follow instructions, you need to  select all the rebates you are interested in.  I do it before shopping, but I imagine you could do it while you are shopping.  That's just not an option with a 2.5 year old.  Honestly I select almost everything I think I might purchase so if I end up purchasing an item on rebate I qualify for the cash back.  And make sure to include "free after offer items":

Didn't we already establish I have enough Cup Noodles to last a lifetime?  And the cash back on any item purchase, which varies from $0.10 to as much as $1.

Within 24 hours I'll receive a notification on my phone and through email letting me know that I've "got cash" and also alerting me to which items I purchased were eligible for cash back. 

While I encourage you to select items for cash back in the Ibotta app prior to shopping in stores with linked loyalty cards, I have been able to claim rebate on items if I select the rebates in the app immediately after shopping, but this is not a guarantee.  

And for stores where you have to scan a copy of your receipt, I would highly recommend following the steps to claim rebates within a day or two so you don't forget.  Receipts are not eligible for rebate if they are more than 7 days past the date of purchase.

If you're interested in Ibotta sign up with my referral code j6igsw or link here.  I'll receive a referral bonus (thank you!) and you will earn $20 just for using the app.  And then you can invite your friends who invite their friends and receive small dividend as your team grows.  Let's get that cash money!

How I Saved Money On My Elvie Breast Pump

If you have read my blog you know I'm all about getting a deal and saving money.  It's an adrenaline rush for me.  And yes I know I'm a grandma trapped in a MILF body.   We all have our issues now.

I had seen the Elvie Breast Pump awhile ago when it was only available in the UK.  At the time I was no longer breastfeeding and forgot about it.  I debated over which breast pump to get with this pregnancy.  I ultimately decided on the Spectra S9 since my Spectra S2 is still in great working condition and a hands free breast pump made sense with a toddler.  While I love my S9 for the house, I wanted more in a hands free breast pump.  Like the ability to hold my son while I pump.  And more discretion.  If you have pumped while driving then you know that traditional breast shields are not subtle.

And before I go on I'm still shocked that people don't know that if you have insurance then you can get a free breast pump every pregnancy.  I have gotten free breast pumps with each pregnancy with both Edgepark Breast Pumps (Spectra S2) and Aeroflow Breastpumps (Spectra S9).  The application is all online.  It's an easy and fast process.

At some point during my last pregnancy I heard about the Willow.  The Willow is a wireless, thus handsfree, breast pump that sits in your bra and is fairly discreet.  I was so intrigued especially considering you can wear the Willow while working or out at dinner.  Willow's $500 price tag, however, held me back from purchasing it.  Especially since I didn't know if I would be able to breastfeed or how my breastfeeding journey would go.  My plan was to consider purchasing the Willow closer to my return to work if I was still breastfeeding.  And for the record, I'm 5 weeks out and breastfeeding is going awesome!

A few weeks ago I saw someone selling a brand new Willow for $100 and I impulsively reached out to her to purchase it.  And how could I not?  $100 for a Willow is a steal!  (Did you miss the part where I wrote that the Willow retails for $500 not including the cost of milk storage bags?). Unfortunately I was a few seconds too late and she sold it to the person who reached out immediately before me.  I was bummed, but it got me on a mission to find the Willow on sale or deeply discounted.

While searching for a new Willow at a discounted price (with no luck by the way) I kept stumbling upon ads for the Elvie and I remembered learning about this breast pump of the future.  I began researching both breast pumps and soon realized that the Elvie was a better fit form me.  The Elvie is the same price as the Willow, but doesn't require the expensive Willow breast milk bags.  Also the Elvie is smaller, lighter, and more quiet than the Willow.  And probably the biggest factor for me is that the suction of the Elvie suction is similar to the Spectra.  Many reviewers reported that the Willow was painful on the lowest setting and caused their nipples to bleed!  I dealt with my fair share of nipple pain with my first so this was the ultimate deal breaker.

I needed the Elvie.  The only problem, it was sold out in the US and since I needed it (I'm so dramatic) I didn't want to wait any longer on the wait list for the next shipment.  To my surprise I found it for sale online at Buy Buy Baby.   I tried to use one of my beloved 20% off coupon with purchase, but Elvie is not a brand that you can use with these coupons.   However, I received a 15% off coupon for the items I did not get from my baby registry so I did what any logical person would do who loves a deal.  I followed the directions to activate my 15% off coupon, deleted the Elvie from my shopping cart, added it to my baby registry, and then proceeded to purchase the Elvie directly from my baby registry link.  And it worked!

And while I was so excited to save, I realized that I probably could have used this coupon for for everything, including UPPABaby that was still on my registry, but what can you do?

Plus I used Ebates (I'm not used to the new name of Rakuten) and saved even more money.  $8.50 to be exact!

I now have a lifetime earning of over $1000 and am currently waiting for a $64 check just by using Ebates.  I'm not going to explain what Ebates is since I've written about it countless times with the last post linked here.  Otherwise you can search the blog with keyword "Ebates" to read all my posts about this awesome website that gives you cash back for shopping.  Sign up with my referral link here and get $10 after your first purchase online or in store via the app.

And for the record, the Elvie is amazing and totally worth it.

Get free money when you shop using Ibotta

It's been forever.  For-ev-er.  I feel like I constantly apologize for my absences, but it is what it is.  I'm a working mom with a full time 9-5pm and a side hustle, so needless to say I'm busy AF.  But I have my eyes on the prize and I'm ok with this chaos (for now).

Ibotta... I've blogged about it before (here).  It is one of my favorite money savings phone apps and no they are not paying or giving me some incentive to blog about them, although Ibotta feel free to.  Ibotta gives you cash back on everyday purchases from places you shop at like the grocery store, drug store, liquor store... you get the picture.  The app is super easy to use and all you need to do is make sure you keep your receipts to claim your cash back.  Sometimes I check out the rebates before I go to stores, which I would recommend if you have any on the fence purchases like buying one brand versus another.  For example, if one item has a $1.00 cash back, but costs $0.10 cents more than the competitor then I'll pay the extra $0.10 to get the $1.00 back.  Common sense.  Most of the time, however, I search the rebates after I've already completed my shopping trip and generally I get lucky with at least one item offering cash back with purchase.  Yesterday I went grocery shopping and without even checking the rebates first ended up getting 5 rebate offers on items that were already on sale.  Score!  And anyone who knows me knows I love a sale / deal and free money!  Go get Ibotta, but use my referral link at the end of this posting.  The app is already super easy to use, but for you, I'll break it down (like a shotgun).

How to find rebates:

1. Download the app on your phone from the app store
2. Open the app (I told you I'd make this easy)

3. Find the grocery store you plan to shop at or just shopped at and click the icon.  You can search in the search box or if you are like me the app recommends which stores I shop most at.  And yes, Walmart is number 4.

4. Scroll through the categories to see what items are on rebate.  I personally prefer to scroll through each category such as "Dairy & Eggs," "Pantry", "Breakfast," etc. as it is easier for me to make sure I didn't miss a potential item for rebate.  Plus, it helps me remember what is on rebate before a shopping trip because mom brain.

Note:  Make sure you choose every item that you want to claim rebate on.  The app will not give you credit for items you didn't select that are eligible for rebate.

To claim items for rebate:

1. Click the plus sign to add an item you purchased for rebate. 

2. The app will either make you watch a video (generally 30 seconds or less), read an advertisement (see below), or answer a question before you can claim rebate credit by clicking the blue box at the bottom of the screen.

3. Once you have selected all your items for rebate click the "Redeem" icon at the bottom of the screen.

4. This will prompt you to take a picture of your receipt.  Receipts must be redeemed within 7 days so make sure to do this ASAP unless you like missing out on free money.  But since you are still reading this I'm going to assume free money is your jam too.  With receipt in hand press the blue bottom on the bottom of the screen that reads"Continue."

5. Take clear pictures of your receipt.  If you have a long receipt press the "Add Section" icon and keep taking pictures of sections of your receipt until your entire receipt has been captured.  When done press "Finish" button in the bottom right corner of the screen.
6. The app will find and automatically match eligible offer from the rebates you selected. Remember if you didn't select all rebates prior to scanning your receipt the app won't find them for you!  Every now and then the app misses an offer selected.  In that case click the white button towards the top of the screen that says "Add Offers."

7. A screen will pop up with offers you selected, but that the app didn't think were eligible.  But don't fear.  In this case I got deli cheese that the app missed.  Simply click the missed offer and tada...it gave me credit.  Just note that sometimes the app won't automatically give you credit in which case you will need to scan the items bar code.

8. When all the items you purchased are verified click the bottom blue button to claim your rebates.

9. And within 24 hours you will get that sweet, sweet cash in your account, which you can redeem in various ways such as via PayPal, Venmo, or gift cards.

I received an email a few hours later notifying me that the cash back had been added to my account.

Today I save $4 on items that I would have purchased regardless if they were on rebate.  Plus some of them were already on sale.   And while $4 is not a lot of money to some, I firmly believe that every little bit adds up.  I currently have $155.50 in my account that I can withdrawal at any point for whatever I want. 

So now please tell me that every little bit doesn't add up.

I hope that after you read this review you'll consider joining Ibotta and use my referral code j6igsw when you sign up.  If you use my code the app will credit me $5.

And then you can refer all your friends and get $5 every time someone you refer uses the app.  It's a win win for all of us who love free money.  Now go download the app and get that money.

If you liked this post please leave a comment below to let me know what you plan on buying with your cash back.  

Ebates for Holiday Shopping

The Holidays are coming and if you are like me than you probably do a lot of Holiday shopping.  So why not get a little something for yourself when getting things for others?  Enter Ebates.

I’ve talked about Ebates over and over again and if you have signed up for Ebates then you go girl (or boy… whatever).  But if you haven’t signed up yet, or if you have signed up, but “forget” to go to Ebates first before online shopping (hint, hint Mom) then shame on you!   So let me tell you about Ebates again. 

Ebates is a company that rewards you with cash back for shopping online.  Yes, it sounds too good to be true, but how it works per Ebates website is:

stores pay Ebates a commission for sending our members to shop at their websites.  Ebates then splits that commission with you, in the form of Cash Back.

There are tons of different stores participating with Ebates with varying cash back options.  And these cash back percentages change throughout the year (I've seen up to 20% cash back, right now up to 15%).  For example, It Cosmetics is offering 4% cash back right now.  If you read my last post (here) and decided to become an It Girl and purchase some of my favorite It Cosmetics products for yourself, then you would get 4% cash back for any purchase made through the Ebates website.  Basic math here: if you spend $100 you get 4% cash back or $4.  $4 to some may not seem like enough of an incentive to sign up for Ebates, but every purchase you make online adds up and free is free!  So maybe you are a baller instead and want to purchase the $1190 Soho Leather Gucci Disco Bag I've been dreaming of from Saks Fifth Avenue, who is offering 8% cash back on Ebates right now.  That is essentially $95 off the purchase of this gorgeous Gucci Disco Bag.  But $95 cash back doesn't entice you?  I forgot you're a baller.  You see my point...

Additionally, Ebates has a mobile app for on the go shopping and offers in store cash back options, which I've personally never tried, but plan to do next time I go to Buy Buy Baby.  I'll let you know how that works out.

I plan to do all my Holiday shopping though Ebates so mama can have a little spending money.  When you have a new baby, every penny counts including this Big Fat Check for $12.57 that I just received for my recent purchases through Ebates.

So have I convinced you yet to sign up for Ebates?  Use my referral link here and when you sign up and make a purchase you will get $10 free for joining and I will get $25 plus a chance to win $50,000!  And then after you have joined Ebates start referring all your friends so you too can get referral commission.  Everyone wins here.  Plus, if you sign up by November 19, every purchase you make through Ebates gives you an entry into a chance to win $500.  Now that would pay some of my Holiday bills, probably yours too... Fingers crossed!

Last weeks goal was a fail, but Ebates...

Last week I failed my goal of eating all the veggies in my CSA box, but I didn't throw anything away.  So I will try, try, try to finish everything before it spoils.  Thank God family is coming to visit this week so I can have some help consuming these veggies.

On a side note, I recently received my "big fat check" from Ebates.

This is definitely not the biggest or fattest check I have ever received, but free money is free money.  I use Ebates every time I shop online and receive cash back.  There is literally no catch.  I have talked about Ebates a number of times and am still shocked that people don't use Ebates for all their online shopping.

Sign up today with my referral link here and receive $10 in addition to the advertised cash back after making a purchase through Ebates.  By signing up I also get a chance to win a vacation to Disney World and you know baby Della Favorite would love to go to Disney World.  Fine, I would love to go as I have never been.  Regardless sign up and let me know what you think of Ebates and how much money you have gotten back.  My friend has already surpassed by total earning by shopping for all his work purchases through Ebates.  Yes, I'm jelly, but love that he is getting to reap the benefits of this amazing site. 

Free Money

The number one way I get paid to shop is through Ebates, which I have talked about many times before.  To read my last post about Ebates and how I get free cash back when I shop online click here.  Yes, it really works.  I have currently received $916.55 from Ebates and no I don't shop that much online.  Sign up for Ebates here through my referral link and get $10 bonus cash when you make your first purchase.

Today I want to tell you about one way I get free money when I shop in stores with an app called Ibotta.  I mainly use this app when I shop at grocery stores, big box retailers, convenience stores, and pharmacy chains such as ShopRite, Target, Walmart, Costco, CVS, Wawa, 7-11, etc... you get the idea.  Each week participating stores offer different cash back incentives off various items they sell from fruits and veggies, to wine, to household cleaning supplies.  Additionally, most stores offer a $0.25 cash back rebate on any item.  Yep, that's $0.25 for simply shopping in a store.  As far as I'm concerned every quarter adds up.

The Ibotta app is super easy to use and I will give you a quick overview of how it works.  Normally I would recommend looking for rebates at participating stores before shopping, but let's be real... I often forget to do this.  Follow along to see how I redeem a receipt for cash back from my recent shopping trip to Costco.  I find it easiest to manually search for stores, but scroll through the long list if that is your thing.

Nothing I bought at Costco was on rebate and that's when I appreciate the $0.25 on any item cash back rebate!   To add the rebate to your account click the "+" and then "redeem."

This will take you to a new screen that makes you read or watch an advertisement or answer a survey question.  In this case it was an advertisement for Amazon.

After clicking the link for "Add $0.25 Cash Back" I was directed to a screen instructing me to take a picture of the recent Costco receipt and confirm which incentive I was redeeming.

Sometimes you have to scan the barcode to confirm that you bought a specific item, but not in this case.  So collect that money!

And within 24 hours your account will be credited with cash.  

Ibotta is literally the second easiest way to get free money for shopping.  If you can use a smartphone, shop in a store, and follow directions then you can use this app.  Before this current rebate I had $67.70 in my account.

And after my Costco shopping trip I had $67.95.  Get it!

I am on a mission to get to $100 so I can buy groceries without having to spend anything other than cash from my Ibotta rebates.  That would be awesome and I hope to reach this goal by the end of the year.

This is honestly an extremely user friendly app and I would encourage you to sign up for Ibotta.  If you sign up by my referral link here you will receive a $10 welcome bonus for free after you redeem your first rebate.  So what do you have to lose?  Get that money!

Ebates

I've talked about this time and time again.  I have no idea how people are still not using Ebates.  It is a no-brainer and is so easy to use that even an *gasp* adult can use the website.  If you can use a cell phone you can use Ebates!  No excuse people!

Ebates is a website that provides a cash back percentage of your purchase when you shop at various different stores online.  For reference, there are over 2,000 stores that participate with Ebates.  When you go to Ebates you select the store that you want to shop at and click the link that takes you from Ebates to said store.  Then you just wait for your email confirming your cash back and every few months get a check or gift card with the earrings.

Ebates also provides coupon codes similar to RetailMeNot.  So not only are they giving you cash back, but they are helping you to save more money!  Who doesn't like to save money? #Exactly

So what are you waiting for?  Sign up for Ebates today here.  When you sign up I am eligible for a referral bonus and you get free $10 cash once you make your first purchase through Ebates.  Happy shopping!

And if you are looking for another good deal Macys has an awesome Lancome Gift With Purchase and is offering 10% cash back through Ebates.  I would snag it before it's gone.

Ebates

Most people know about Ebates by now, but I still meet people who don't know about Ebates or use it for ALL their online shopping.

So for those of you who don't know Ebates offers cash back for all most of your online shopping.  I can't say all because there are still times that I will purchase something online and the site is not participating with Ebates (I'm talking specifically about Joyus...come on Ebates that site is the bomb!).

Ebates is super simple once you sign up here.  
1.  Click the link for the site you want to shop at.  Clearly today it's all about Nordies.

2. Once you click the desired shopping site a new tab will pop open and take you to Nordstrom's website.

3.  Shop as you usually would and get a percent back off your purchase.  In this case 6%.  

I swear it is that easy.  And then you get a big, fat check or money transferred to your PayPal account.

Right now when you sign up for Ebates you get $10 cash back and a chance to win a 2016 Toyota Highlander for doing nothing more then one extra click of your mouse before doing what you already did best.  Now you can do it better.  Seriously if you are not using Ebates to get cash back you are missing out on free money.  And while a $22.31 check may not seem like much, those checks add up.

Beauty Deals and Gifts

IPSY

In addition to getting an awesome bag filled with fun samples for $10, Ipsy also offers deals on various beauty related goods at a fraction of the retail price that ship for free.  Normally I like the deals, but pass them up because I have to restrain myself or else I would buy, buy, buy.  But this month the deals are too good to pass up.

I love Pacifica Body Butter for the its moisturizing effects and the tantalizing smells.  You can use this as a hand cream or lather it from head to toe to smell delectable everywhere.  The two scents are Indian Coconut Nectar, my personal favorite, and Sugared Amber Dreams.

Indian Coconut Nectar is a sensuous and delicious blend inspired by travels to faraway destinations. This warm, sultry blend of coconut and delicate creamy vanilla is pure ambrosia.
Sugared Amber Dreams is a dreamy blend filled with sparkling sugar, heady vanilla and warm amber. An intoxicating aura of rainbow wishes, magic, and love for the bravest of hearts.

This is a great stocking stuffer.  Is it wrong that I want to buy two sets so I can keep one and give the others as a holiday gift?  For $7 (retail $12) I don't feel guilty about it.  Buy, buy, buy...

I can't believe this It Cosmetics Contour Palette is only $20!  I've wanted this kit forever so Merry Christmas to me.  I am obsessed with all things It Cosmetics.  This brand is top notch and easy to use.  I could go on and on, but I'll spare you.  If you are scared of the dark shades just remember that you can blend different colours for a more natural look.  Check out this how to video featuring the fabulous Jamie Kern Lima.
Plus, the word on the street is that this palette is great for darker skin girls.  If you already use this I would love to know what you think.

If you aren't already on Ipsy then you can't get these great deals so join here so I can get some points for your referral.

SEPHORA

I am loving this free gift from Sephora.

Sephora never disappoints with free gifts and samples and this bag is no exception.    

Not only do you get a cute bag, but you get 8 samples of awesome products with the purchase of $25.  

This offer is only good for an online purchase so take advantage of it while you still can.  Code is PARTYPICKS.

EBATES

And don't forget to use Ebates for all your holiday purchases.  Ebates is free to join and gives you cash back on all your online purchases.  Right now I have over $70 in my account from holiday shopping.

Sign up here and get your free cash on.