I Earn $500+ Per Month Using Swagbucks and Rewards Apps — Here’s How I Do It
There’s no such thing as free money… or is there? For savvy savers Monica Tanner and Melissa Garcia, popular rewards apps have become incredibly lucrative side hustles. By spending just a few hours per day completing simple tasks on their phones, these two women have managed to earn $500-$800 a month in cash and gift cards.
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That’s some serious extra pocket change made solely through cashing in on great offers across sites like Swagbucks, Fetch Rewards and others.
Monica and Melissa spoke to GOBankingRates and shared their top tips and strategies for maximizing earnings. From flexible online income to funding luxe vacations, here’s how they use reward apps to make their dreams come true.
Read: 7 Creative Sources of Passive Income to Consider in 2024
Getting Started: How It All Began
Monica, a savvy consumer, has been using rewards apps and sites religiously for over two years. In that time, she’s earned an incredible $700-800 per month on average. Melissa Garcia, the lifestyle blogger behind @ConsumerQueen, has also found huge success — most notably using her rewards to book free travel.
“A coworker initially told me about Swagbucks and how much she earned in gift cards,” said Monica. “I signed up and within a couple months was completely hooked on the easy cash.”
Melissa had a similar introduction. “Some of these apps were recommended by my community [of readers] and some I happened upon on my own,” she shared. “The great part is, I’m not just pushing out content, but they are sharing money-saving tips with me, too.”
While their individual strategies and goals vary, both women spend perhaps one or two hours per day completing small tasks and transactions to accumulate points — points which are convertible to cash and gift cards. “It becomes second nature once you build a routine,” shared Monica.
Monica’s Top Tips For Steady Earnings
When it comes to consistently maximizing your monthly earnings, Monica relies on a simple three-pronged approach:
Download multiple apps: “I primarily use Swagbucks, Ibotta, Fetch Rewards, and Shopkick,” Monica revealed. “But I also check apps like InboxDollars, Drop, and Receipt Hog daily for new offers and quick cash opportunities.”
Complete daily tasks for bonuses: On Swagbucks in particular, Monica spends mornings completing items on the Daily To Do List. “Things like searching the web, answering polls, downloading coupons, and watching videos are all simple tasks but really add up,” she explained. Oftentimes these tasks provide bonus SB (Swagbuck’s rewards currency) when finished consecutively.
Maximize referrals: “Referral codes are huge,” Monica shared. “I’ve earned over $200 in sign-up bonuses just for getting friends and family onboard with the same apps.” She credits referrals as the key reason she’s able to consistently hit $700+ per month in earnings.
Best Cash Back Apps, According to Melissa
While Monica is focused on steady reliable income, Melissa has her sights set on bigger rewards — namely free travel and shopping sprees.
“The best part is earning rewards for things I already do like grocery shopping, shopping in-store, and travel purchases,” she explained. “I then exchange points for cash or gift cards that fuel other purchases and rewards.”
So what apps does Melissa rely on most to “get paid to shop”? Her top recommendations include:
Fetch Rewards: “This one is my favorite,” shared Melissa. “I earn rewards by uploading shopping receipts and have gotten quite a few gift cards including Amazon and Airbnb.”
Shopkick: Perfect for earning passively, Shopkick awards points just for visiting certain stores. “You literally don’t have to buy anything!” said Melissa. You can also earn for scanning products and uploading receipts.
Receipt Hog: “It’s slower to earn compared to Fetch, but you can upload the same receipt across multiple apps,” Melissa said. Play “Hog Slots” for bonus points redeemable for Amazon, PayPal, and Visa gift cards.
Hopper: “Easily one of my favorites for booking travel,” shared Melissa. Get $50 in credits for every friend you refer — credits that can then be stacked toward incredible deals on hotels, flights and car rentals.
Swagbucks: “Earn rewards based on everyday online actions like answering polls, uploading receipts, shopping through their portal — even by searching the web,” Melissa said.
Ibotta: A must-have for grocery cash back. You just scan your receipts to earn cash rewards.
Tips for Maximizing Your Savings
Beyond the basics of downloading apps and building routines, here are some pro tips from Monica and Melissa to pump up your earnings:
Use the same receipt across multiple apps like Fetch Rewards and Receipt Hog.
Always pair cash back earnings with coupons and promo codes.
Don’t get discouraged or expect “get rich quick” results. Earning should be fun and profitable over time.
Always be on the lookout for new apps and try ones recommended by others.
Post referral codes religiously on social media to inspire friends and family to sign up, too.
How Extra Income Adds Up
While the earnings can fluctuate based on activity, both women see Swagbucks and rewards apps as an excellent supplemental income source.
“I consistently make $700-800 per month between cash back and gift cards across the various platforms I use,” said Monica.
For Melissa, her rewards earnings have yielded life-changing trips. “I paid for a trip to Hawaii using credits from the Hopper app! That covered flights, Airbnb and car rentals for two.”
The bottom line: Whether using rewards for essentials like grocery money or dream vacations, Monica and Melissa prove a couple hours per day can truly translate to hundreds in monthly earnings. You, too, may want to consider taking their advice to heart!
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: I Earn $500+ Per Month Using Swagbucks and Rewards Apps — Here’s How I Do It
