Five Money Making Apps I'm Taking Into 2020

It's officially 2020 and the first day for millions of people worldwide to begin slowly chiseling away at the New Years resolutions they have set. Many people will attempt to get healthy this year and will spend today drinking water, counting calories and working out. But if you are anything like me you have financial goals for the year as well, and the steps to take toward those goals aren't always as clear cut.

I had one of my worst years financially in 2019, which led me to look for multiple "side hustles" to bring in some extra cash. To my surprise I found quite a few side gigs that were worth my time, and I'll be writing about those in the future. But for now let's talk about one way that I was able to make a significant dent into my credit card debt: Apps. Yes, apps that you simply download from the app store and start making money. Don't get me wrong, I run into A LOT of apps that were a waste of my time, so I only included apps that I have used for the majority of the year and have cashed out from so that you don't have to waste your time too.

I have been an avid Ibotta user for over two years now. Since then I have earned over $250! Ibotta is by far the most worthwhile of all the apps on this list, which is why I made it number 1. The process is easy. Simply select the store you are going to shop at, and scroll the list of rebates on hundreds of items. Add the ones that you plan on purchasing. Once you are done shopping, capture a photo of your receipt. Money is added to your account within 24 hours. You can cash out at $20 to PayPal or your choice of gift cards, which sounds sort of high but doesn't take nearly as long as you would think.

Worried about not making any money because you don't buy name brand products? That doesn't apply with Ibotta. Almost every store listed offers an "any receipt" rebate and several "any brand of" rebates. There are also monthly level bonuses, brand loyalty bonuses and seasonal bonuses that allow you to rack up cash fast. You also earn money from referring friends who will use the app, typically $5 per person but sometimes more. Use my referral code in the picture below to sign up so that I get that $5 and you start earning money today!

This one was tied head to head with Ibotta for my favorite money making app, Ibotta only ranking above Shopkick because I've been using it longer and have made slightly more money from it. I love the concept of this app. My favorite part? You don't technically have to buy anything to earn money!

This app is based on a point system in which you earn so many points then cash in those points for either PayPal cash or gift cards. I always cash out 3,000 points for $10 PayPal cash.

You earn these points several ways. Like most apps, you can buy the products listed and earn points when you submit your receipt. But it's the other ways you can earn points that make this app so unique. You can also earn points simply by enabling the GPS on your phone then walking into the stores listed, normally 10 points per walk in. Once inside, you can earn points by scanning the barcodes on items without ever buying them. Each scan is normally worth 20 or more points.

Not going to any stores? Shopkick also allows you to earn points by watching short videos. There are always three videos worth 1 point each you can watch daily. Periodically there are other videos worth 3 points to watch as well that allow you to earn points even on days that you don't leave the house.

This is another one you can earn from referring friends. Earn 250 points for every friend that you refer that completes one scan within 7 days of joining the app. Use my referral code below to sign up!

Fetch Rewards is pretty straight forward and like Shopkick, based on a point system. You can earn points for literally any receipt, but you earn more points when you buy the specific brand products listed or "special offer" any brand products listed. I typically earn 15-25 points per receipt without buying any of the products listed and then cash out at 3,000 points for gift cards. I like this app because you can always earn points from ANY receipt. Like most apps, you also earn points from referrals. The awesome thing about the referrals for this app though is that you BOTH get points for using a referral code, 2,000 of them! (remember, you can redeem at 3,000 so this is a super good referral bonus) Use my code below to sign up today so we both get 2,000 points!

Receipt Hog is another good app. You can take a picture of ANY receipt and earn points. When you redeem receipts each week you earn so many "hog slots" where you play a game to earn bonus points. You normally don't win every round but I find I win something small once a week. The unique thing about this app is that you can take surveys as well to earn points. You can cash out to PayPal or for Amazon gift cards at 1,000 points. As far as I know there aren't any referral bonuses available through this app.

The last app I'm going to recommend is Receipt Pal. Like the other apps, you simply snap a photo of your receipt and earn points toward cashing out. You earn 100 points for every four receipts you submit to fill a "card". There's often bonus points to be found when you fill a card. You can cash out for 2200 points for a $5 gift card. You can also make money from referrals with this app as well, so sign up using my referral code below so that I can get those bonus points!

That's it! Those are the five money making apps I'll be taking into my 2020 with me. Hopefully a few of you will choose to bring them into your new year as well and join me in making a few extra bucks! Happy New Year!