I’ve had many people tell me that saving money can be too  time consuming. The desire is there, but the time just isn’t. Between finding good deals, tirelessly flipping through the newspaper searching for coupons, then not to mention clipping them and organizing them, it can take HOURS. For many of us we just aren’t afforded the time to devote to doing all of this.

Before Blake was born I would practically spend my entire Sunday clipping, organizing, shopping at several locations in one day just to get the right item at the best price.  I don’t have the time to devote to that anymore, so I turn to technology!

Read below for ways to save at Target and through apps!

Target:

Circle. The Circle app replaces the old Cartwheel app. Personally I liked Cartwheel better, but you can still scan deals. Even if you don’t find any percentage savings after scanning, the cashier can still scan your personal barcode from your phone at checkout and you will earn money each time you shop. This money can be redeemed at any time toward a purchase of your choosing!

Target gift cards. The other way to save by shopping at Target is to peruse the weekly Target ad in the paper for all the things you can buy and get a gift card for.  For instance, Target will always have deals where if you purchase 2 or 3 of something then you get a $5, $10, $15, or $20 gift card back!  If you don’t subscribe to a newspaper than you can view the ad here. 

Apps

I use the following apps regularly. They’re free to download and use, and all of them only require you taking a photo of a receipt. I currently have $160 of redeemable money/gift cards between all of the apps, but I’m choosing to let them build before I redeem them!  The best part about any and all of these apps is that not only can you combine them with the Target and/or Publix offers from above, but you can even use all of the apps together, and it doesn’t take much time. I usually set aside about 5 minutes when we get home from shopping to scan all of my receipts and barcodes from our trip after we return home.

Get ready to start earning points for money!

Shop Kick. Best app EVER. (Wait. I already said that about Cartwheel.) Best NEXT app EVER! Download the app, register, and select that you want to work toward redeeming a Target gift card. Open Shopkick app every time you walk into Target and get “kicks” (points.) Earn points by walking in and/or scanning items in store (no purchase necessary) and redeem at the register! Every other time I go into Target I’m able to redeem for a $2 off coupon at the register.

And if you’re feeling really confident in the above (and it’s not too overwhelming) then here are additional ways to save WITHOUT clipping.

iBotta app. Get paid to purchase things you would normally buy. Scan your receipt once purchased. Voila. Money! Redeem your money at any time. It’s real, folks! Please use my referral code….tcnjta. For using my referral, you will receive a bonus, too! iBOTTA does NOT work with Wal-Mart grocery pick up, sadly. 😦

Receipt Hog. Shop. Upload your receipt to this app and earn points. Redeem points for either a cash prize or Amazon gift card. I’ve earned several $5 Amazon gift cards this way.  It’s so easy! (We are Amazon addicts in this household.

Fetch Rewards allows you to scan receipts for points. Every receipt is worth 25 points, but certain grocery items are worth more, in which case you can rack up more points for specified items. You can redeem your points for gift cards. I currently have enough points for a $25 gift card of my choosing, and the amount of stores they have makes for a really good selection!

Receipt Pal allows you to scan any receipt. Every 4 receipts equals 100 points and those points can be redeemed for restaurant gift cards, movie tickets, and more. Michael and I have redeemed our points for a date night out that included dinner and a movie! You can also do Amazon or choose from a selection of retail gift cards.

Surveys

Surveys on the Go. Take simple surveys and earn cash redeemable in any amount you want. I’ve earned over $100 from this app. Even if you don’t qualify for a survey, you still get paid .10centers, which doesn’t sound like much but it adds up. Some surveys will pay you $20!

I hope you find these helpful, and they’ll also help you to save money and/or earn it! They’re all easy, which is why I use them!

In the past I’ve used CheckOut51, but I never found it very lucrative so I closed my account and deleted it.

Any other helpful, non clipping ways that you have to save? I’m all EARS!