I don’t know about you, but December seems to be the month that I am scrounging around for money the most. There are gifts to buy, people/organizations to give to, taxes are due soon, and there seem to be a million activities this time of year, each more expensive than the last. And if you are deeply in debt like me, that might leave you feeling a little short changed, to say the least. But there is good news. You can actually get paid for Christmas shopping. Here is how.
This year, we limited our Christmas budget to $100 for the three of us. In other words, $33.33 person. $33 sure doesn’t go far these days so one thing we have been doing throughout the year and especially during the holiday season, is earning rewards with companies that offer cash back for all of our purchases. Three of the easiest companies to use: IBOTTA, SWAGBUCKS, AND EBATES.
HOW TO GET PAID FOR CHRISTMAS SHOPPING
EBATES
Ebates is probably the best way to get paid for Christmas shopping. It is SO easy to use. All you do, (after you sign up, which is also crazy easy) is login to ebates.com and search for whatever website you were planning to purchase something from. Almost everyone is there. So, for example, say there was something from Amazon you intended to buy. You’d login, and then type “Amazon” in the search bar at the top of the screen. When it pops up below the search bar, click “shop now” and then it will load Amazon how you would normally view Amazon. Simple make your purchase(s) and Ebates will automatically give you a certain percentage cash back (usually anywhere from 3-20% depending on where you are shopping). Usually around the holidays, Ebates will offer the highest amount of cash back and frequently offers double cash back. Ebates is seriously so easy to use there is no reason to not use it for all of the shopping you are already doing. It is like getting free money. And, make sure you are using Ebates during Cyberweek and Black Friday so you can score even more savings on the great deals you are already getting! If you sign up for Ebates here, you will earn $10 to Ebates or Walmart. It takes approximately one minute to sign up (I just tried it) and you can get your gift card from Ebates or Walmart after spending $25 on your holiday shopping. Seriously it is SO SIMPLE, go get it!
IBOTTA
One of my favorite ways to get paid for my Christmas shopping is by using the app, IBOTTA. It offers cash back on tons of the things we were already purchasing. Basically, you “unlock” rewards by clicking on items that you are planning to purchase at the store, then you verify your purchases by scanning your receipt after you make the purchase and then… you get free cash back! So easy. You can also substitute cash for a million different options ofgift cards (like Amazon, iTunes, etc which would all make great gifts). Plus, if you have never used IBOTTA you can sign up using our referral link here to get $10! That is like getting $10 for free, for no reason at all. $10 can go a long ways with things like stocking stuffers.
IBOTTA has a ton of rewards it is offering this Cyberweek, so why not earn a little cash back while you are already shopping for the holidays? P.S. one of my favorite deals they are offering is 7% back for shopping at Groupon because Groupon is also offering some amazing deals so its like getting a double deal).
SWAGBUCKS
Another great way to get paid for Christmas shopping is by using Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a little different than Ibotta. What you do, is perform small tasks (that you are already probably doing online) and you earn points for doing so. For example, while writing this post, I earned 20 points because I searched for a sale from Kohl’s using Swagbucks’s website. I needed to search for that sale anyway, so why not get some cash back for doing so? EASIEST THING EVER. Earn the easiest $3 of your life by signing up with this link. We know you won’t regret it. Earning money back for all your Christmas spending is like a dream come true. Swagbucks offers several different kinds of tasks you can do to earn points. You can watch videos online, do the shopping you are already doing, and take daily polls. I LOVE IT.
If you are in need for a little extra cash this holiday season, getting paid for Christmas shopping is EASY and totally doable. Just be sure you don’t spend it all in one place 😉 Also, stick to your budget! Happy shopping!
Hi there! I’m Amber! And welcome to the Deeply in Debt blog where we’re offering simple solutions for big debt.
Swagbucks is pretty popular and I can see why. Thanks for the information and the links. Happy shopping (but not too much)!
Haha, likewise! I really do love Swagbucks. It’s so easy to do those little tasks while you are sitting around. I earned a few hundred points while waiting at the DMV one time. Not too shabby!
I’ve heard of eBates but the other two are new to me. Great tips, I’ll check them out and let my wife know about them as well. She’s the real shopper in the family haha 😉
Haha. Just make sure she doesn’t hoard the points from you! You’ve got to keep an eye on us sneaky wives 😉
Easy money! I’ll have to check these out. Thanks for the post!
the EASIEST money. Hope you score some great deals!
We’ve been using ebates for years and love it. So easy with minimal effort. I’ll have to look at swagbucks and ibotta.
For sure! I love all three of them SO much. For whatever reason, Ibotta is the easiest for me to use so I get the most $$ back from it.
Thanks for the collection. I have used all 3 previously but I haven’t used Ibotta or Swagbucks in a while. I think it was because those 2 required a bit more effort to earn the cash. But now I will check Cashbackholic first before making a final purchase :).
Yes! Cashbackholic is great. And welcome FPMD! Glad to have ya. We love your site.