My Favorite Apps for Cash back & Rewards
Heading online to look for financial information can get noisy in my opinion. There’s no shortage of advice, options, apps and web browser extensions that proclaim to be THE thing that’ll solve your problems or help you get ahead in your financial journey.
The information highway gets congested and then we suffer from the overwhelm of having too many options.
That being said, if you ARE going to be out there shopping, you may as well get a little money back! There are many great apps for maximizing your cash back, savings and investments that you really should take advantage of though — and I think I’ve literally tried them all. I’ve rounded up my favorites to share with you so you don’t have to succumb to the Google rabbit hole.
Best Apps for Cash Back
We can never have enough money (amirite?!), but we also can never have enough time. Most of us just don’t have the hours in the day to put in more time at work or pick up a second job even though none of us would turn down a little extra cash here and there.
Leveraging money saving apps can generate a little passive income when buying everyday things like your Starbucks latte, your fancy dog food or that trip to Target.
Rakuten
This one is the actual best though. I thought it was a scam at first until the last company I worked for picked them up as a client. I did more digging and was like oooooh, ok! If you love cash back (who doesnt?!) Rakuten is an ah-ma-zing app that offers cash back rewards when you shop online. They partner with thousands of retailers and offer varying cash back percentages that change over time. At the time of writing this, places like Macys, Free People, Nike and Dyson are offering 10% cash back on all purchases. Expedia, Priceline and other travel sites 6% - 10% cash back. PetSmart 20% back…it's actually kind of insane. Money back for things you were already going to buy!
The process is simple: just shop through the Rakuten app, or download the extension in the web browser (which is my favorite way to do it), and each quarter you get paid out via check or PayPal deposit. That's literally it! Right now, if you sign up with my link, you will get $30 after spending $30 - and transparently, I will as well 🙂 download the app or Chrome extension and shop like you normally would with any of their 3,500 retailers. Rinse and repeat. Every 3 months you’ll get your cash back via PayPal or check — you choose! Perfect for a little extra spending money, holiday cash, or to save for that dream vacation.
Use this link to get an extra $30 when you spend $30!
Dosh
Dosh is another cashback app that requires virtually no effort. And guess what…yes I double dip with Rakuten 🙊 Simply link your credit or debit cards and Dosh will automatically give you cash back when you shop or dine at participating businesses. There are no points to track or coupons to clip - it is all done automatically and money just gets deposited into your account. I've gotten $200 back this year from Farmer's Dog alone…so if any other friends out there buy that for your dog, get it on it!
Fetch Rewards
Fetch Rewards is the app that turns your receipts into gift cards. On top of that, it kind of doubles as a budget tool / receipt keeper which is pretty awesome. This one has a little more work on your end, but it takes two seconds. Just scan your receipt, and you'll earn points that can be redeemed for gift cards for a plethora of stores - my go to is usually Lululemon, Amazon or Sephora, but there are a ton to pick from! And I love being able to go back and see my receipts if needed!
Best Apps for Managing Money
A key to managing money and building wealth is to keep it simple. Anytime I can put my money on autopilot, I do. I am not a fan of neurotically tracking every penny I spend.
Here are some apps I love to make managing my money easier and help me stay on track:
Marcus by Goldman Sachs
We don’t hoard cash, remember? But we do need some cash! You should have a high-yield savings account for basically all your savings (minus a little cash in your bank savings because it does take 3-5 days to transfer over). A HYSA is like a regular savings account, but way better, because you’re making money on your savings. Since these are hosted an online banks vs brick and mortar, they can pass those savings onto their customers. If you open your HYSA with Marcus by Goldman Sachs, you can take advantage of a slightly higher rate for the first 3 months of your account so you can earn even more. (I’m currently earning 5.4%!)
Capitalize
Have an old 401k? Don’t forget to roll it over! There can be many steps associated with rolling over an old 401k and sometimes the paperwork feels like you need to hire a personal assistant just to get it all done and a lawyer to help you understand all the jargon. Don’t do it correctly and you can get major screwed. Just leave it there though and the same can happen. Capitalize does all of the heavy lifting for you. Just input the information they need and they’ll get to cooking on rolling over your old 401k in under 10 minutes!
Earlybird
For the parents (or aunts and uncles) out there, you already have enough on your plates so make managing investments for your children easy with Earlybird. The app allows you to open an UGMA for your kids and then friends and family can gift money directly into their accounts on birthdays, Christmas, and other holidays and life milestones.
Generational wealth > plastic toys.
Best Travel Credit Card
As you know, I love to travel. When it comes to my own budget, I prioritize spending my discretionary income on travel over almost anything and everything else. Using the Chase Sapphire card gives me the most bang for my buck as I accrue points that I use to pay for my vacations —think airline tickets, hotels, rental cars, and just about everything else under the sun. Right now if you sign up with my link, and if you spend $4,000 over 3 months, you’ll get about $1,000 worth of travel credit!
Here are some of the benefits of the Chase Sapphire Card that I utilize and love:
$50 annual hotel credit
5x points on travel purchased through Chase
3x points on dining
3x points on streaming services and groceries
10% anniversary bonus points
$0 foreign transaction fees
I love my Chase Sapphire card and I use it for nearly every purchase I make. I think when you stack it up against other cards with rewards benefits, it’s a no-brainer.
Now, should you get a Chase Sapphire card? Before you run over to fill out an application thinking Duh, Amanda, those benefits are freaking awesome, why wouldn’t I sign up!? You really need to think about your spending habits, financial goals, and money mindset.
If you’re living beyond your means, racking up credit card debt every month without any way to pay it off, if you tend to think of putting something on credit as not technically spending your money because after all it’s not coming right out of your checking account, I recommend pumping the brakes on getting any rewards credit card.
A rewards card like the Sapphire card is really only rewarding if it’s used responsibly and you’re paying off the TOTAL balance each month. Otherwise you’re going to quickly wind up drowning in debt and paying waaaaay more in interest and other fees than you’re making up in rewards.
Gizmos and Gadgets Aplenty
There’s no shortage of shiny gizmos and gadgets to help you earn cash back and other rewards and manage your money. I think the tools on this list can be really helpful, but if you don’t have a solid foundation for understanding how money works (including things like budgeting, saving, and investing), all of the fancy schmancy apps in the world aren’t gonna help you. You have to start with knowledge, build good habits, and stick to your plan!
If you’re ready to get a good grasp on the basics so you can leverage apps and programs like the ones in my list today, you should check out my Money with Amanda course bundle that has everything you need to get your finances in order and build the life of financial freedom you’re dreaming of!
