Use Money-Making Apps To Earn Gift Cards For Your Gardening Projects

In addition to earning gift cards online to use for our gardening expenses and more (such as buying Christmas and birthday gift for our five kids), we also earn gift cards through mobile apps. When we first decided to get smartphones - oh it seems like ages ago - it was only because we saw a way to earn some of the phone bill back. I'd say we've been fairly successful, as we earn at least 40 percent back through gift cards each month between our four phone lines.  

Below we list the best money making money apps, and while there are plenty more available, these are the ones that we have found work for us. Why? Because we feel that we get out more than we put in.

 

Using money making mobile apps, product scanning apps and receipt apps are great ways to save up for bigger garden or home projects, as you can simply save up your gift cards until you have enough for your project wish list. Right now, we're saving up for adding a half-roof to the northern side of our home, so that the kids don't have to drag the bikes in and out of the garden shed for school every day. 

 

Tips For Using Money Making Apps:

• #1 Set up an email just for online earning opportunities/mobile apps, so your regular email will not be flooded with emails.
• #3 Consistency is the key to earning gift cards via money making apps. Set aside some time each day, to get your points in.
  
• #4 Learn to multitask, when you are doing other things. I will usually have one of the apps open, if I'm working on the computer, and I use the winwalk app, whenever I'm using the under foot pedaler etc. It is possible to have Swagbucks videos playing on your phone or on your computer, while you blog, browse, shop etc. in another tab.
• #5 Read the rules and follow them. I have had lots of readers get banned from sites, because they did not follow the rules, and getting blocked from a site means a lost earning opportunity.
• #6 Tell your friends. One way to earn more on every site is by having your friends and family sign up under you. When they earn - you earn!

Projects Paid For With Gift Cards Earned Online or via Mobile Apps:

• Fencing around the vegetable garden
• Grape vine arbor over chicken run
• Plants and seeds for the garden
• Netting for rain barrels and to protect veggies
• Tile for patio
• Potting soil for indoor starter plants
• Vertical strawberry planter
• Plastic covering to protect plants against frost

Our Favorite Money Making Mobile Apps:

 

Dabbl: 

We are relatively new to Dabbl, but the app has turned out to be one of our favorites and best money earning apps, because it is possible to earn gift cards quickly, and they show up instantly once we redeem. We earn at least $20 a month at Dabbl.

We usually stick to the three categories

• From Dabble - watch an ad or interact with an ad and get points
• Dabble Research -  There are three different ways to watch ad, answer a few questions and earn points. This is our favorite part of Dabbl.
• Surveys - We usually only do the surveys, if we are close to redemption, or if we run out of Dabble research opportunities. We stick with the TAP research surveys, as these award you points, even if you for some reason do not qualify for a survey or decide not to complete it.
  

• Dabbl tip #1: Wait to redeem until you get to 20,000 points, this way you get 1,200 points back, which means you start with a $1.20

Sign up at Dabble here. 

Shopkick:

Shopkick was one of the original reasons, why we ended up getting smartphones. When we grocery shop, we earn points by scanning items, if you buy a featured item, scan your receipt and get points back, and don't forget to get your daily video points. In addition, you will get walk-in points, whenever you open up the app in a store that's eligible. You can also get cash back for shopping online through Shopkick, but we have not used this feature yet.

We have been members for 5 years and have earned $294 - not too shabby!

• Shopkick tip #1: Check the Discover tab every day to get your daily video points.
• Shopkick tip #2: Check the Discover tab a few times a week and go through the different ads to look for bonus points. These will appear as a blue circle with a gift inside, and it will say "tap for a surprise." Once you've viewed an ad, it will say "viewed", so you don't click it again.
  
• Shopkick tip #3: Check the Discover tab a few times a week to look for bonus videos within the ad categories for larger bonus points.
  
• Shopkick tip #4: Make sure to have your app open, whenever you go shopping. If you're at the mall or so (Let's pretend we're in a post-Covid world for a sec) - you can just open up the app outside of a store to get your points.

Sign up for Shopkick here or use code SAVE335258 at registration to earn 250 Kicks, when you complete a walk-in, scan or earn 25 kicks within 7 days of signing up.

 

Checkpoints:

Check points is another grocery scanning app, where you get points for scanning groceries at your local store. Another great feature is that you get points for opening up a store's offers. At check points, you can also earn points from scanning your grocery receipts and for doing surveys. What we love about checkpoints is that the amazon gift cards arrive instantly.

Checkpoints tip #1: If there's a yellow star by the name of the store, open up the store's offers, even if you are not inside of the store. You may get points, if you are just in close proximity to the store. As an example I can be inside Publix, and get points for opening up the Walmart offers, even though it's about a mile away.

Checkpoints #2: Submit your receipt for 5 poin per receipt

Checkpoints sign up bonus - use our bonus code jrfrugalmom

 

 

Receipt Hog: 

Oh do we love Receipt Hog! This little app is simply fabulous. It was one of the first apps that we got on our Smartphones, and it is such an easy way to earn points for your receipts. Simply scan your receipts, when you get home from the store. Some receipts gets automatic points, while others get slot spins. As an extra bonus, you will sometimes get surveys about items you buy, and these surveys give a lot of points. 

• Receipt Hog tip #1: Make scanning your receipts a habit
• Receipt Hog tip #2: Check the app once in a while to see, if any surveys have popped up. These surveys are short, they disappear quickly, and they are popular, because they give so many points.
  
• Receipt Hog tip #3: The more weeks you scan your receipts, the higher level you get to, and the more slot spins you get. We're on level 25, which gives us 405 bonus coins 
• Receipt Hog tip #4: Check your profile to make sure you are signed up for the push notifications. This way you may receive a message, if you do have a survey available, but we still suggest opening up the app a few times a week to look for extra surveys.
  

Sign up for Receipt Hog

Receipt Pal:

Receipt Pal is another receipt scanning app. It does not earn as fast as Receipt Hog or have as many earning opportunities, but it is still a good way to earn for something you do anyway, and we have been paid several times. 

Sign up for Receipt Pal here.

 

 

Ibotta:

Ibotta is another one of those apps, which originally encouraged us to switch to smartphones, when we were reluctant to do so. This is simply a receipt scanning app, which pays you, if you purchase items they feature. We earn between $5 and $30 in cash back for shopping at our local stores each month, all depending on whether any offers match our grocery shopping list.

Ibotta has paid for several plants in our garden, and last year when we made a garden arbor/trellis for our grape vines, it was paid for entirely by gift cards earned through Ibotta. So far we have earned more than $500 in cash back through Ibotta... that's a whole lot of $25 gift cards.

This is our main app to earn money for our garden, since we have a habit of redeeming for Lowes gift cards at Ibotta, and you can also earn Home Depot gift cards if this is your garden center. The gift cards are emailed almost instantly.

• Ibotta tip #1: Don't buy to earn cash back, only if you actually use the item anyway. 
• Ibotta tip #2: Make sure to check out the any item category. 
• Ibotta tip #3: Check Ibotta before and after your grocery trip. Sometimes you can get items for free after Ibotta rebates, and sometimes you can even earn money, if you combine coupons with ibotta offers. 
• Ibotta tip #4: Save your receipts. Sometimes Ibotta will come up with a new offer that you just purchased a couple of days ago, and it will still be eligible for the cash back. 
• Ibotta tip #5: Use the "check product barcode" feature under each offer, while you are in store to ensure that the product you bring home qualifies for the actual reward.
  

Sign up for Ibotta here. Please use our referral code vpxjjw at registration.

Fetch:

Fetch is another receipt scanning app. What we like about this app, is that we don't need to browse for the offers, all we need to do is scan our receipts, and the app will see if it has any matches. This site also have many different redemption offers including Amazon, and the gift cards are sent instantly.

Sign up for Fetch here and use the code E2EXF to get a 2000 sign up bonus = $2

 

Savingstar:

Savingstar is not our favorite app to use, as it does not have many redemption options, and if you do not use the app within a certain amount of time, you will start losing your savings. Another reason, why Savingstar (which is now owned by coupons.com) is worse than the other receipt apps is that you need to add the offers before you go to the store, or you will not be eligible. However, since we are scanning our receipts any way, we scan on this one too. Last year we redeemed for a Starbucks gift cards, which we then used to buy gifts for the kids' teachers. 

• Savingstar Tip #1: Make sure to log in every 180 days, or Savingstar will take $3.99 from your earning. To keep your account active, all you need to do is activate a rebate once in a while, even if yuou do not redeem it.
  
• Savingstar Tip #2: Always check and load your offers, before you check out, or the offers will not be valid.
• Savingstar Tip #3: Keep your password on the phone, because this app has a tendency of logging you out.
  

Sign up at Savingstar here.  

Checkout51

We've been members of Checkout 51 for seven years and we've only earned $106, which comes to about $15 a year, and in our book this really isn't much. We still use the app though, because it is easy and simple to use, it just does not have as many offers available as some of the other receipt-scanning apps. Checkout51 does pay though, and they pay in the form of a check within a week or two of redemption.

A new part of Checkout 51, is the gas receipt offers. We have not yet used any of these, but I think using this offer could add quite a bit to the earnings.  

• Checkout 51 Tip #1: Make sure to check the account before your birthday, as it usually has a special birthday offer. 
• Checkout 51 Tip #2: Make sure to look for any type offers - as an example they are currently featuring a deli meat offer, and in the past our favorite offers have been produce type offers.
  

Sign up for Checkout51 here.

 

Boxtops:

While the boxtop app does not give you any savings, it will help your kids' school, so if you're already scanning receipts, you might as well scan it for the school too. 

Sign up for the boxtop app here.

 
Winwalk: 

Winwalk is a bit of a different type of app. This app will earn you points for walking/movement/exercise, but if you're say riding a bike or walking a stroller with the phone in a bag, it might not track your movement, as it is based on an up and down movement. So, if you are aware of this, you can ensure that you get rewarded for your exercise. You can also get points for watching videos, but they are not always available, usually you need to wait 5 - 45 minutes until you can watch a video again. There's also the option of playing games, downloading apps/games and doing surveys, neither of which we do. 

We have received a Target gift card from Winwalk, and we keep using this app, as it is like getting something for nothing, and it all adds up.

• Winwalk tip #1: Remember that it's the up and down movement it's counting, so be aware of this, when you're out walking etc. 
• Winwalk tip #2: Make sure to check the ad watching section once in a while throughout the day to accrue the maximum amount of points.
• Winwalk tip #3: In order to get your daily steps points, you have to clip on the yellow C with the points in red and watch a video every day. Make it a habit. 
  

You can sign up for winwalk here. 

Target Circle App:

While Target Circle (Formerly Target Cartwheel) is not a money making app per se, it helps us save a lot of money every year. We never go into Target without checking the Target Circle app, and if you combine the Target circle offers with coupons and cash back offers, it is often possible to get items for free or very cheap. We are especially thrilled with the new - get 1 percent back on everything you buy - and all you need to do is scan your Target Circle app at the register.

Sign up for Target Circle here.

 

For more great ways to earn gift cards to help cover your gardening expenses, make sure to check out our post about how to earn gift cards online. 

 

What is your favorite money making app or online earning sites to use to pay for your gardening expenses? 

 

 

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.