Imagine slashing $30 from your upcoming grocery total — feels great, right?
Your heart sinks as the subtotal climbs, then — surprise! — you remember you’ve got $30 in gift cards tucked away. Instant relief.
This is surprisingly simple to pull off. Here’s the method.
1. Score a $10 Walmart Gift Card
Plus, you can earn up to 40% cash back on many online purchases.
One of the easiest saving strategies is using Rakuten, a cash-back site and browser add-on that pays you back on most online buys. For instance, Rakuten offers up to 10% cash back on online orders at Walmart.
You’ll receive a free $10 Walmart gift card when you try the service.
To claim your gift card:
- Install the free browser extension and register for a complimentary Rakuten account using your email or Facebook.
- Shop through the Rakuten portal the next time you need something. It links to thousands of retailers, including Walmart, Amazon, and Target. Make your first purchase through the portal within 90 days and spend at least $25.
- Your account will accumulate rewards you can redeem for a $10 Walmart gift card.
2. Buy Toilet Paper and Earn a $5 Bonus
Ever used Ibotta? If not, you’re about to get a nice little perk — a $5 bonus.
Ibotta is a cash-back mobile app that pays you when you upload photos of your grocery receipts.
Here’s the process: Before you shop, search for items on your list inside the Ibotta app (toilet paper is almost always available). When you return home, snap a picture of your receipt and scan the product barcodes.
Instant cash back.
Ibotta rewards you with a $5 bonus after you submit your first receipt. Once you accumulate $20 in cash back, you can withdraw it as actual cash or convert it into a gift card to a retailer you like.
That’s an extra $5 to use on groceries!
Bonus Tip: Earn Rewards Just for Entering the Store
Now that you’ve got those gift cards lined up, add another tool to your savings toolkit.
Before you walk into Walmart or your preferred grocery store, download Shopkick. This is another app that hands out rewards for shopping-related actions.
After signing up, Shopkick gives you “kicks” simply for entering select stores (including Walmart, Target, Aldi, and others). You can trade those kicks for gift cards from retailers like Amazon, Target, Walmart, Starbucks, Sephora, and Best Buy.
The app also awards extra kicks for receipt photos that show qualifying items bought in-store with a linked credit or debit card. You can earn kicks on online purchases too. If you connect your cards, rewards are applied automatically without extra steps.
Best of all, these apps keep providing savings. After you redeem the initial bonuses and collect your first rewards, you can keep using them to cut costs every time you shop.
Alex Rivera (alex.rivera@example.com) is a contributing writer at Savinly. He’s managed to rack up $155 in cash back using Ibotta.Quite the thrill.
