Okay, so I've been using Ibotta, Checkout 51, Saving Star, and MobiSave rebate apps now for 6+ months. SIX MONTHS.... Now, I'm not a power blogger. I don't make six-figures by blogging (hell, I don't even make one-figure). So I'm not reaping the affiliate income. I'm just slogging through this just like you. And after 6 months how much have I been able to actually deposit into my bank account? Go ahead, guess.
$3.30.
Seriously.
I really thought I'd met my payout limit for Ibotta a couple of weeks ago, but no. Turns out what I thought was a kosher purchase, was not, even though I bought it through the Ibotta portal. I am not-at-all bitter about this (which is to say I am so totally bitter about this).
So I'm still stuck at JUST UNDER the payout limit of $20. Story of my life.
What I've noticed is that while I once LOVED the idea of these apps, the shine has worn off. (Sorry if that harshes your buzz.)
MobiSave
MobiSave's* list of products keeps getting smaller and smaller & seldom changes. In 6 months, I've earned $3.30 (yep, the entirety of my rebate app income has come from MobiSave. As a certain President might say: #sad). I accumulated this wealth through 10¢ increments. (You can be impressed.)
So... to recap: It took me 6 months to earn $3.30.
I'm pretty sure I could make that much by picking up all those pennies people drop in parking lots (what's that about, btw?).
I like MobiSave because they don't have a minimum payout. Your rebate, no matter how small, is deposited directly to your account. But that may not be enough to save it from my trash bin.
Checkout51
Similarly, Checkout51 has started offering rebates on more and more products that I simply don't buy, while holding hostage the rebates on fruits and veggies. Not cool Checkout51. Not. Cool.
They recently started a system in which you need to redeem a certain number of rebates this week in order to unlock a fruit or veggie rebate next week.
That doesn't really work for me. Unfortunately, their payout minimum is $20 and I'm nowhere near that—so for now Checkout51 stays on my phone. As soon as I reach that payout, though, it's getting dropped like a hot potato whose rebate I can't access because I didn't spend $2 on Hormel products last week.
Saving Star
SavingStar has always been pretty limited and mostly doesn't have rebates for items that I buy. In that respect, they've not really changed. They remain the same, unhelpful app they've always been—except for that one time.
The one occasion that it actually had a rebate on something I usually buy, I didn't meet the payout limit of $5. So I've had $3.75 sitting in that account for 5 months just waiting for another rebate that I might actually use.
Ibotta
The benefit of Ibotta* is that it offers A TON of product rebates, so at the very least, there may be 2 or 3 products that I actually buy on a weekly or monthly basis. Granted, I'm at month 7 and I STILL haven't reached the $20 payout.
I.am.soooo.close.
BerryCart
I just read a review of this rebate app & I'm willing to give it a try. BerryCart* will supposedly give rebates for organic, healthier foods, so I'm game. Of course, there's no guarantee that they'll have rebates on the healthier foods I buy—but I'll try it out anyway.
The nice thing, right off the bat, is that the rebates aren't store specific. Ibotta allows rebates from a variety of stores, but my local Earth Fare was never an option. That doesn't appear to be a problem with BerryCart.
It looks like the product rebates are limited to packaged and frozen foods. Since I tend to buy fewer of these items, it may not prove to be as useful as Ibotta, but I'm still willing to give it a go.
If you're not a power blogger or power shopper, why even bother with rebate apps? My theory is that it makes you feel like you're in control of your finances. You're doing something. I mean, it's work to sift through offers on your tiny-assed smart-phone screen, keeping track of rebates & receipts. It kind of makes you feel like a rockstar when you save that 15¢ on crackers you wouldn't normally buy because you've navigated so many "deals." Honestly, it deserves a big ole Homer Simpson Woo Hoo!
*FYI, these are affiliate links, not that it matters.
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