Saving Pennies

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a millionaire by the time I was thirty, simply by working hard. I thought it would be cool to have a bank vault like Scrooge McDuck. Um…evidently that did NOT happen. In college, I remember rooting around in my car for loose change to buy a taco. Of course, back then they were only fifty-nine cents. Adulting has a way of keeping us humble when we need to dip into our emergency stash.

On the up side, though, I’ve always been a “saver” and I love learning about new, creative ways to pinch a penny (or better yet, a quarter). I’ve tried several ways and am happy to share my findings (and none of these methods cost you any money). With the holidays coming up and gas prices rising, I imagine everyone could benefit from some loose change or spare bills. I’ve listed a few apps that have helped me build up my “mad money.”

Get Upside

You may have heard of this one on the radio. Get Upside is an app you download to your phone to help you get cash back on money you spend on gas. Search your area for available gas stations and it shows you which gas stations give you cash back and how much per gallon. For example, before I left my house yesterday, I found a gas station near me and clicked on “claim offer.” When I got there, I clicked on “Check In.” Then I filled up my tank. You can either snap a picture of your receipt and upload it to the app or link a credit or debit card so the app automatically tells how much you spent on case. From there, you get a certain number of cents back per gallon. Right now, the app is giving between 3 and 8 cents per gallon, which doesn’t seem like much, but every little bit helps and it adds up faster than you might think. I did find out that while you can use your Fry’s rewards card, it doesn’t help you save any more than you would without it. Since my husband doesn’t do the coupon thing, he uses our rewards phone number and I use the app. You get paid through PayPal or with a gift card. You can also get bonuses when you refer friends (which doesn’t cost either of you anything and they get a bonus, too), so if you are interested in trying this out, please use my referral code: HILLARY5783 at www.getupside.com

My Achievement

Any person can do this one, which literally pays you for exercising, eating, and sleeping, as long as you log it or sync it to a fitness tracker. You can even answer very short surveys. You earn so many “points” per activity and once you reach 10,000 points, you can cash out via PayPal, a gift card, or even donate to a charity. You can get referral points for this one, too. If you want to try it, please use this referral link https://tinyurl.com/yx2s58cu (or you can get more info at myachievement.com).

Recycling

I still use good old-fashioned methods like recycling. I do have a recycling pickup at my house, but I take my aluminum cans and plastic bottles to “the can man” in town for a few dollars. Since my daughter is now in charge of sorting them into different garbage bags, she gets the can money now. I figure it’s a good way to encourage her to recycle and she can learn the value of a dollar. While these penny-saving methods won’t fill up a bank vault, it’s more money than I had before and I’ve done some of these for years.