Cashback apps promise easy money for your everyday shopping. But do they actually work? Or are they just a waste of time? I was a huge skeptic. The idea of scanning my grocery receipts for a few pennies seemed ridiculous.
But last year, my wife and I decided to put them to the test. We needed to find ways to cut our bloated grocery budget. We committed to using a few specific apps for three months, exactly as intended. The results shocked me. This isn't a story about making thousands. It's an honest review of how our family consistently saves over $100 every single month on groceries and gas we were already buying, without changing our habits. No hype, just real numbers and the exact strategy we use.
The Strategy: Why Using ONE App is a Waste of Time
The biggest mistake people make is downloading one app, using it once, and giving up when they see a $0.25 reward. The secret isn't one app; it's a stackable system.
We use a combination of three types of apps for every shopping trip:
- Receipt Scanning Apps: You scan your receipt after you shop.
- Pre-Shop "Offer" Apps: You activate offers before you go to the store.
- Loyalty & Gas Apps: For specific stores and gas stations.
By stacking them, we get multiple rewards for the same single item. Here's exactly how we do it.
Our Top 3 App Picks (The Only Ones You Really Need)
After testing over a dozen, these three are the most consistent and user-friendly. They are all completely free.
1. Fetch Rewards (The Set-it-and-Forget-it Workhorse)
How it Works: You scan any grocery receipt from any store. It automatically recognizes hundreds of products and gives you points. No selecting items, no hassle.
My Experience: This is the easiest app to use. It takes 10 seconds per receipt. We scan every single receipt, even from a quick convenience store run. The points add up faster than you think.
Pro Tip: Use the code 3ZGVX when you sign up—you'll get a bonus 500-1000 points to start.
Realistic Earnings: $5 - $10 in Amazon or Target gift cards per month.
2. Ibotta (The Strategic Earner)
How it Works: Before you shop, you open Ibotta and browse "offers" for specific items at your chosen store (Walmart, Kroger, etc.). You add the offers to your list. After you shop, you scan your receipt and it matches the items.
My Experience: This requires more effort but pays much more. We check it while making our grocery list. We don't buy things we wouldn't normally get, but if an offer aligns with our list, it's a win.
Pro Tip: Look for "Any Item" offers—these are bonuses just for buying any brand of milk, bread, or produce. Free money.
Realistic Earnings: $15 - $25 cash back per month, paid directly to your PayPal or Venmo.
3. Upside (For Gas and Groceries)
How it Works: This app shows you cashback offers for gas stations and restaurants near you. You claim the offer, then use your credit card to pay at the pump or register, and the cashback is added to your account.
My Experience: This has been a game-changer for gas. I simply open the app before I fill up my tank, find the best offer near me (usually $0.10 - $0.25 back per gallon), and claim it.
Pro Tip: You can stack this with your credit card's own cashback rewards! I get cashback from Upside and from my card on the same tank of gas.
Realistic Earnings: $10 - $15 back per month on gas alone.
The "Stacking" System in Action: A Real Trip to Walmart
Here's how we turned one shopping trip into a multi-app payday last week:
The Trip: We spent $125 on groceries at Walmart.
- We activated Ibotta offers before leaving the house for cheese, yogurt, and bananas ("any brand").
- We paid with our regular cashback credit card.
- After unloading groceries, I scanned the receipt into Fetch Rewards.
- I then scanned the same receipt into Ibotta to redeem the offers I activated.
The Result:
- Fetch: Earned 250 points (about $0.25) for the general scan.
- Ibotta: Earned $1.50 back for the specific items.
- Credit Card: Earned 1% back ($1.25) on the purchase.
Total earned on one trip: $3.00. That might not seem like much, but doing this on every $125 trip adds up to $12 a month from just one store. Now add in gas from Upside and other stores, and you see how we hit $100+.
The Honest Downsides & Is It Worth It?
Yes, it's worth it. For our family, $100+ a month is a utility bill. But it's not completely passive.
The Cons:
- It takes about 2-3 minutes per shopping trip to activate offers and scan receipts.
- It can feel tedious if you're not in the habit.
- You must remember to scan your receipts before you throw them away!
We made it a habit. Now it's as automatic as checking the mail. The few minutes of effort are well worth the hundreds of dollars a year it puts back in our pockets.
Your First Mission
Your homework is simple. Pick one app from this list. I recommend starting with Fetch Rewards because it's the easiest.
Download it, use the code 3ZGVX, and scan your next grocery receipt. Any receipt. See those points add up. That's the first step.
Which one will you try first? Have you used any of these before? Share your experience in the comments below—let's help each other save more!
How to Become a Freelance Writer with No Experience (My First 30 Days)
The dream of getting paid to write can feel impossible when you're staring at a blank resume. I know. I had exactly zero clients, zero published clips, and zero clue where to start. My writing experience was limited to school papers and long emails.
But I was determined to figure it out. I gave myself a 30-day challenge to land my first paying writing client. I'm not going to lie—it was a rollercoaster of emotions. But on day 28, it happened. I landed a client who paid me $50 for a 500-word blog article. That first payment felt like winning the lottery. This is the exact, step-by-step plan I followed during those 30 days. This isn't theory. This is a real-world blueprint for going from complete beginner to paid writer.
Phase 1: The Foundation Week (Days 1-7)
Before you can get paid, you need the basic tools. This is what I did in my first week.
1. Choose Your Niche (Don't Skip This!)
My biggest mistake was calling myself a "general writer." Clients hire experts. You need a niche.
How I Chose Mine: I made a list of things I knew about or enjoyed learning about. I wasn't an expert in anything, but I was interested in personal finance, self-improvement, and technology for beginners.
My Starter Niche: "Personal finance for young adults." It was specific enough to stand out but broad enough to find work.
Your Action: Brainstorm 3-5 interests or areas you have some knowledge in. Your niche can be anything: "parenting tips," "sustainable living," "small business marketing."
2. Create Your Portfolio (Even With Zero Clients)
You can't show clients published work, so you create your own. This was a game-changer.
What I Did:
- I opened a free Google Doc.
- I wrote two sample articles based on my niche. For example: "5 Easy Ways to Save Money in Your 20s" and "How to Build Credit Without a Credit Card."
- I made sure they were well-researched, helpful, and error-free. Each was about 500-700 words.
- I changed the sharing settings on the Google Doc to "Anyone with the link can view."
Just like that, I had a portfolio. It didn't matter that it wasn't published on a famous website. It showed clients I could write.
Phase 2: The Hunting Week (Days 8-21)
This is where the real work begins. You have to find clients.
3. Where to Find Your First Clients
Forget Upwork and Fiverr at first. They are too competitive for a brand-new writer. I focused on two places:
A. Content Mills (My Starting Point): Sites like Textbroker or iWriter. The pay is low ($0.01-$0.05 per word), but the barrier to entry is low. You create a profile, take a quick writing test, and then can claim small writing jobs from a queue.
Why I Did It: I needed one thing: a testimonial. I wrote two articles for Textbroker for a measly $8 each. It wasn't about the money. It was about being able to say "I've completed work for a client."
B. Cold Emailing (How I Landed My First Real Client): This is scary but effective.
How I Did It:
- I found small blogs in my niche (personal finance for young adults). I looked for sites that had published new content in the last month but didn't have a huge team.
- I found the contact email for the site owner or editor.
- I sent a short, humble email. Here is my exact template:
Subject: Question from a fan of [Blog Name]
Hi [Name],
My name is [Your Name], and I'm a huge fan of your blog, especially your post on [Mention a specific article they wrote]. It was really helpful!
I'm a new freelance writer specializing in personal finance, and I'm reaching out because I'd love to contribute to your site. I have a few ideas for posts your readers might enjoy, like "[Your Article Idea 1]" or "[Your Article Idea 2]".
I've attached a link to my writing portfolio so you can see my work. I'd be thrilled to write a sample article for you to see if I'm a good fit.
Thanks for your time!
Best,
[Your Name]
I sent 15 of these emails. I got 10 no-replies, 4 "not right now" replies, and 1 "yes." That's all it took.
Phase 3: The Closing Week (Days 22-30)
The "yes" came from a small blog owner. He asked me to write a 500-word article on "How to Avoid Student Loan Debt."
4. Nailing Your First Assignment
I was terrified. I spent two days researching and writing that article. I ran it through the free version of Grammarly to catch mistakes. I made sure it was the best thing I'd ever written.
I delivered it early. The client loved it. He paid me $50 via PayPal and published it on his site.
I immediately asked him for a short testimonial. He wrote: "[Your Name] delivered great work on time and was easy to work with." I put that quote on my website and in my proposals. It was pure gold.
Was It Worth It?
Absolutely. That first $50 was proof it was possible. The process only gets easier from there. You use that first testimonial to get a slightly higher-paying client, and you slowly climb the ladder.
The hardest part is starting. The second hardest part is pushing through the silence and rejection. But if you follow this 30-day plan—build your foundation, hunt for clients in the right places, and nail your first assignment—you will do it.
