Before you head out for your next supermarket shop, take a look through these three simple money-making schemes.
The idea is to make some quick cash with little extra effort – and without having to divert from your regular shopping habits. Most of these tips do involve sharing information about your purchases and shopping habits with companies, so if you prefer to keep that type of data private, they may not be for you. However, if you’re happy to pass the information, it’s a good way of earning a small extra income to help subsidise your groceries or give you some spare money for treats.
Receipt scanning
Go shopping. Take a photo of your receipt. Upload it to your receipt scanning app of choice and get paid. It really is that simple – in fact, the most complicated part is probably remembering to get your receipt printed when you go to the till.
Receipt scanning apps make their money by collecting data about consumer purchasing trends, and then selling this information on to other companies. If you’re willing to let them see what you’ve been buying, then you can get a little slice of the earnings for yourself. And although it can seem quite private sharing a snap of your receipt, there’s actually very little personal information disclosed. All in all, it’s a relatively secure process.
Some of the most popular options include Shoppix, StoreRewards and the Amazon Shopper Panel (invite only).
Cashback apps
Cashback apps work in a very similar way, asking you to upload your receipt, however they will typically only pay out if you buy specific products or shop at particular stores. Airtime Rewards is one popular choice which allows shoppers to earn money off their mobile phone bill if they spend money at a range of high-street retailers including Greggs, Boots, Argos and Wilko.
These apps are really only worth it if you were already planning to shop at the selected locations, since the rates tend to be quite low. That said, they are well worth checking out if you shop at any of their locations regularly or had plans to make a larger purchase.
Another option we love is Checkout Smart. This offers a unique approach to couponing by giving cashback on popular products and brands, allowing you to get certain items for free or at a discounted rate. It can be used at major supermarkets including Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda and Morrisons, although the specific deals will vary based on where you shop.
Points schemes
If you haven’t signed up with your supermarket points/loyalty scheme yet, now might be the time. Since shops are keen to gather as much information as they can about the habits of their customers, it makes sense for them to encourage people to share this information through generous loyalty schemes.
Options such as Tesco Clubcard or Sainsbury’s Nectar Card offer discounts as you shop as well as the chance to build up credit to use later. Many people choose to save up their points throughout the year ready for big events like Christmas, but they can also be used more regularly to help keep down your monthly costs. Either way, it means your shopping expenses will be lower with no extra effort required.