Easy Side Hustles to Help You Reach Your Goals

Guys! I've been holding out on some easy money earning info! I'm always looking for a little pocket money especially during the holiday season because shopping for a huge extended family is no joke. For the past few years, I've done a number of little things to earn money, but only a few have stuck. Throughout the year, I use consistent money-making methods that help me redeem cash and gift cards for my holiday shopping! I'll show you three different ways you can start earning today! It's nice to get a surprise deposit into your account every now and then!

Rakuten

This is one of the first programs I joined when I first started. I'm still using it because it's super easy and you can use it online or download the app. Rakuten works with a bunch of brands and retailers where you earn cash back just by shopping online! I use this every time I shop online and the bulk of my earnings is usually during the holiday season!

To earn cashback, all you have to do is go on the Rakuten website or app, search the brand or retailer you want to shop with, click on their website through Rakuten, then start shopping as you normally would! You can see exactly how much you'll earn and some retailers will list different earnings for each category. Any time I shop online, I quickly check my Rakuten app to see if the brand or retailer is there. Some will even have cashback bonuses for a limited time!

To get paid, Rakuten does payouts every quarter through PayPal or you can opt-in to receive a physical check in the mail. This is the nice surprise deposit that I mentioned earlier :). You can earn your first $30 here when you sign up and spend your first $30 the first 90 days of becoming a member!*

*Only available in the U.S and Canada.

Fetch

This one is my favorite and the one I use the most! It's points-based and redeemable for gift cards of your choice!

To earn points, you can download the app and snap a picture of any receipt as long as they're not return receipts, medical bills, airline/movie/concert tickets, and food takeout slips. It's literally that easy! You earn base points for every receipt you submit and Fetch works with different brands that allows you to earn bonus points if you purchase specific items from those brands. The great thing about it is you don't have to do any extra work. The app will automatically recognize where you'll earn bonus points! My personal favorite is from Huggies. I earned 2,400 points on a single receipt just by purchasing one box of diapers! The more receipts you scan, the faster you'll earn points!

To redeem your points, Fetch has a wide selection of gift cards you can select from. Generally, the point conversion is $1 for every 1000 points. However, there are some retailer gift cards that require between 9,500 to 12,500 points for a $10 gift card. The points can be redeemed at anytime. Earn your first 100 points here by snapping your first receipt through Fetch!

Ibotta

This one is my least favorite and the one I use less often just because it takes a little bit more time and planning. It's a cashback program based on where you shop (physically and online) and what you shop for. It's a combination of Rakuten and Fetch where you only earn cashback for certain retailers and brands that Ibotta works with, but you have to purchase specific items and scan your receipt. It's basically like clipping coupons electronically. I recommend using the app before you go shopping to see what you can get cashback on!

To earn cashback, download the Ibotta app, choose a retailer you want to view, then look at their list of eligible products.

The majority are brand specific. If you attempt to redeem brand specific items and the app can't read that from your scanned receipt, then sometimes the app will prompt you to scan the barcode of the product to confirm eligibility of the item. They also have some "any item" opportunities available where you can purchase from that category regardless of brand. At minimum, they have an "any receipt" option where you can scan any receipt from that retailer even if you don't have any eligible items.

To get paid, you have to reach at least $20 cashback before you can request a transfer to your PayPal, bank account or a gift card. Earn your first $5 here by snapping your first receipt through Ibotta!

I've been using these apps for years and they are very much legit! You can set your own pace and take it as far as you want it to. Collectively, I've earned a little over $600 through these apps alone! It has become my mini side hustle :).

It may seem like you get little reward for the effort at first, but it all adds up!