My kid’s school does not have bussing. Which means I get on the road twice a day and sit in carpool.
That guzzles the gas! I can finally make a few bucks while getting the gas I already need to buy.
I have long been a fan of using apps and loyalty programs to find me money. I think it goes back to my couponing days. I still use Rakuten (which used to be Ebates), Ibotta, IDme, Acorns, USAA member perks, Amazon member panel and at least once a month go into the retail store websites for my local grocery stores and upload coupons into my loyalty card.
I blame it on my mom. The her Asian blood won’t let me skip a single way to keep the money I earned with a tight fist.
Every penny counts!
While it may seem like a waste of time, many of these apps and programs don’t take much more than a few minutes a month to complete. Spending 10 minutes a month to get back free cash is well worth the time.
I was listening to a podcast and heard about a gas app that supplies rebates on your purchase. I didn’t think much of it since it was a large podcast and wasn’t sure if it was in my area. But then once day, I forgot my cell phone as I was doing carpool and had on the local talk radio and they mentioned the exact same app.
So I decided to check it out. It was called Upside and it seemed pretty easy to use.
I downloaded the app and found my first gas deal within seconds.
Upside is only in app form at this time. It won’t work on a computer.
(The links are my affiliate links so I can get a small reward for referrals. Every penny…)
What is Upside and How Does it Work
The premise is very simple. When you need to get gas.
- Open the Upside app
- Click on the deal you want to use
- Hit Claim
- Get the gas
Most of the time you don’t need to do anything more than that. When setting up the app you will provide your card details. As long as you use the card you have on file, the rebate will automatically apply themselves to the purchase.
You don’t make any purchases from the app, you just receive the savings.
Every once in a while you may have to take a picture of the receipt but I’ve only had to do that twice.
And now they have added grocery stores and food establishments to the app as well. I can get money from my coffee from Dunkin Donuts, pizza from Papa John’s, queso and chips from my local Mexican restaurant, and get cash back on my groceries.
It’s nice to have the option of getting money for everyday purchases. Especially since I was already going to make them, not like when I walk into Sam’s club and walk out with a multipack of colorful Sharpie markers I had intention of getting when I walked in the door.
How Much Have I Saved This Year?
I am proud to report I have saved $42 this year on this app.
It may not seem like much, but I don’t use it too often. That $42 was from maybe 8 uses total. If I could remember to get my phone out and use it, that number would be at least triple that amount.
Every once in a while I get an email with a bump in the savings. Over the summer I saved 25 cents per gallon at the gas station down the road from my house. Another time there was a boost in the grocery rebate from 3% cash back to 7%. If you get $100 in groceries, that is $7 back to you just for getting groceries for the week!
Have you ever used an app to get rebates on everyday purchases?
I know it seems like a silly way to make a few bucks, but it’s free. And I don’t have to spend time filling out surveys or watching videos. The 3 to 5 seconds it takes to use the app each time is well worth to me the $42 I got back this year.
I plan on using it for as long as it exists.
North Carolina, USA