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Saving Money Online Shopping
Want to earn a little bit (or a lot) of money? Or how about saving money online shopping? What if you could do both?!? It’s one simple step, and a Big Fat Cheque deposited in your Paypal account! How?
Rakuten
Hey, I am a skeptic, so I was definitely suspicious of this “sound too good to be true” scheme, but it is completely legitimate. Rakuten has been around since 1999 (formerly known as Ebates) with over 10 million members worldwide, and have paid out over $1 Billion in cash back rebates. Rakuten gets paid by the companies for sending customers to their websites, and they pass some of that commission to you! You are shopping on the actual store and business websites, you just have to click through from Rakuten first in order to have your purchase counted. Order confirmations and receipts come directly from the store you’re purchasing from, so no hassles if you have returns.
How I Earned Over $100 This Summer with Rakuten
Here’s an example of how I got paid over $100 just this summer saving money online shopping I was going to do anyway…
- Landscaped the side yard, ordered my supplies from Home Depot and Lowe’s online to be picked up in store
- Mother/daughter weekend in Buffalo, ordered from Kohl’s (3%) and JCPenney online to be picked up in store
- Stocked up on Bath and Body Works Semi-Annual Sale online
- Ordered AncestryDNA kit on sale, also caved and bought one year membership (cash back made that easier!)
- Started Back-to-School clothes shopping for my boys at Old Navy, American Eagle, Hollister and Under Armour. They hate trying on clothes in store, and returns are super easy!
- Shopped for birthdays and xmas during VIP Double Points at Lego. You may have noticed our house is FULL of Lego!
- Amazon…because Amazon! Watch for Double Cash Back days!
- Bought new pillows for my bed, new bathmat and everyday household items at Walmart
Remember, this was online shopping I was already doing!!! And I made over $100 for doing nothing different except clicking on the Rakuten link before clicking on the store website I was planning to shop at!!
How To Make Money With Rakuten
How do you get started saving money online shopping? First, sign up for an Rakuten account, using that handy like right here (this is my affiliate link…If you are in Canada, see the note below)…
Click on the store link you wish to shop at. This will redirect you to the actual store’s website. Shop as you normally would, and once your order ships, you will get an email notifying you of your Rakuten cash back! Big Fat Checks get paid out 4 times a year (every 3 months), but you must have a minimum of $5 balance for a pay-out (it does roll over into the next quarter, so you don’t lose your cash back).
When you make your first purchase of at least $25, you get a bonus $10!
Tips To Maximize Your Rakuten Earnings
There are a few tips to maximize your earnings through Rakuten…
- Check out the complete stores list. You’ll be surprised how many stores you are likely already shopping with!
- Make a favourites list so you never miss out on any deals!
- Add the Rakuten Cash Back browser extension. This will remind you if you’re shopping on a website that has Rakuten offers, and coupons.
- Get the Rakuten app for your phone. Same as shopping from home, but you get Rakuten cash back on the go!
- Watch for emails advertising coupon codes, special sale days like Black Friday, Cyber Monday and more! For instance, this week was Vacation Mode Double Cash Back, double the savings on Groupon getaways, Travelocity, Blue Apron, Holiday Inn and Marriott Hotels!
You can also refer your friends to Rakuten, and when they sign up through your link (and spend $25), you get a $25 bonus!
Rakuten For Canadians
For my fellow Canadians…bet you thought this doesn’t apply to us. Guess what?!? Yep, this still works for you too!! Check out Rakuten.ca for all the Canadian online stores and start earning cash back to shop! Join with this special Canadian link here (my affiliate link)…
You can sign up for both Rakuten.com and Rakuten.ca if you shop on both sides of the border. Remember to set up your payments to go to your Paypal account!
How Will You Spend The Money You Earn From Rakuten?
People have all different ways of spending their Big Fat Cheque payments from Rakuten!! Here’s some of the best ideas…
- pay down debt
- save for a family vacation
- pay for kids activities
- donate to charity (you can set this up directly with Rakuten)
Have you earned money with Rakuten? What are your favourite stores, tips and tricks? Let me know by leaving a comment below!
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