Apps that Pay Me $ to Snap a Receipt

Several people have asked me several times to collectively share in a post what apps I use to earn cash back on my everyday purchases.  Since it is the beginning of the year, and I tend to let my $ accumulate on these apps all year long for Christmas spending, I will now share. Now, I am not going to tell you that this doesn't take a little TIME, but then again time is $ in my pocket for odds and ends, a gift card or two, or maybe even an unexpected Black Friday purchase!

So here you go...

Ibotta- When my friends join Ibotta with my referral code and redeem a rebate, they’ll get $10, and I will get $5. This is my second year to use this app and so far my cash back has been a little over $40- I have friends who have earned a LOT more.

There are two easy ways to earn with this app, you can upload a receipt or link a loyalty card, such as Reasors, CVS, or Walgreens.

1. Download the Ibotta app use my link above, available on iOS and Android. The app is required to submit a receipt. 
2. Unlock Rebates. Before you go shopping, unlock cash rewards on great products by completing simple tasks. 
3. Go Shopping. Buy the products you’ve unlocked at any supported store.
4. Verify Your Purchases. Scan your product barcodes, then submit a photo of your receipt. 
5. Get Cash. You’ll have the cash deposited into your Ibotta account within 48 hours. Once you get to $20, you can transfer this $ to Paypal or Venmo. If you reach $25 then you can get gift cards at stores like Walmart, Starbucks, or iTunes. 

Checkout 51- check out this how it works here. 

1. Browse offers and buy products at any store.
2. Upload your receipt using Checkout 51.
3. They confirm your purchase and credit your account.
4. When your account balance reaches $20, you can cash out and they mail you a check. Please see their terms for more details.

SavingStar- This site lets you cash out at $5. And there is almost always a FREEBIE offer. You can save both through stores and online.  I have my Reasors, and CVS cards automatically linked to this app, so when I select my offers and purchase, the savings is added directly to my account. Here's how it works at the store, which is how I use it.

1. Select offers on web or mobile.
2. Use card at checkout or take a picture of receipt.
3. Get cash in your SavingStar account.

Snap by Groupon- This site let's you cash out at $20. It is also a referral app. I get $1.00 if you sign up! 

1. Download the Snap app at the link above for iPhone or Android. You can also use their website. 
2. Browse their offers before you shop.
3. Purchase promoted products at any store.
4. Snap a photo of your receipt and get cash in your account. Pretty easy. 

Receipt Hog- I have only been using this app since September/October. You don't go shopping for anything specific on this app. You just take a picture of every receipt you get and qualifying purchases earn you coins. After 1800 coins you can cash out for $5 in the form of Paypal or Amazon gift card. There are a few other things like levels and spins, but I will let you read about it at the link above. Basically, the more you shop and submit, the more you earn! 

mobiSave- I just downloaded this one last week. So far I have earned $2.30 on everyday items such as bread, milk, bananas, and detergent. Not bad. It's the same concept as the others. It just is paid IMMEDIATELY to my Paypal. Love this one so far.

1. Select the offer before you go shopping.
2. Snap a picture of the receipt when you get home.
3. Get paid within hours. It looks like the payout will be through Paypal as well. 

Walmart Savings Catcher- if you are not using this app that is specific to Walmart, what are you waiting for? I am a great competitive ad shopper, but I do miss things. I love scanning my Walmart receipts and throwing them in the trash. Then if I need to return something the receipt is right there on the app, plus it pays me back if a lower price is found somewhere else.

So, what $ back apps do you use? Any that I didn't mention above? What I really love about a few of these apps is being able to use my one receipt on all of them. For instance, maybe three of them have an offer on bananas. ChaChing!! 

So, let the $ back earning for the year begin, can't wait to hear how much you get back at the end of the year. 

Disclosure: I am not being paid by any of these apps to write this post. A few of these apps have referral links which I have included in my post, which earn me $, some will even earn you $ for signing up and using it. SCORE!! If any of these companies want to pay me in the future to write about them...AWESOME!

The Nativity Story: An App Review

Where will baby Jesus be born? At the market? At a restaurant? At the inn? Readers of the book app The Nativity Story can follow Joseph and Mary on their search for a place to stay in Bethlehem. Along the way they will encounter a variety of colorful local people and animals. This is a fun and engaging way to share the original story of Christmas with the young generation and remind them what Christmas is all about.

Take a look at this YouTube video.



I love fun apps for my daughter, especially interactive apps that reinforce our beliefs. This particular app is for kids ages 2-10.

Why Kids Love This App

• It's like a vintage pop-up book, with classic woodcut-style illustrations
• By tapping and swiping, kids can help Joseph and Mary find a place to stay.
• Knock on doors... Pull on the rope... Ring the bell... Open windows... Make people talk...
• Create music! Help a band of angels play their instruments.
• Lots of characters to get to know: Innkeeper, Merchant, Shepherds, Chef, A Band of Actors, Neighbourhood Children, Mary's Donkey, Farm Animals and of course... Angels!
• Funny sound effects!

Why Parents & Grandparents Love This App

• Nostalgia. It feels like a classic pop-up book, bringing back memories for parents and grandparents.
• Optional Narration: Listen to the old-timey narrator tell the story, or read the story yourself.
• EXTRA Feature: After the story, explore the original Bible text that tells the Nativity Story
• Amazing Visual Quality: Support for retina display

How is This Christmas App Different?

• Production Values - It is a work of art: a rich visual and sound experience.
• Interactive - We use the touch technology and animation to engage the reader in the story in an enchanting and educational way.
• Age approach - The classic Bible story is retold here with an original and creative approach that appeals to young kids as well as adults.
• Original - The app is designed like a vintage popup book and includes unique features such as interacting with a band of angels and playing instruments like trumpet and harp.

We downloaded the app onto our iPad. Here is my iTunes review: 

"The Christmas Story brought to life with a great interactive story app. There is a surprise on every page. It is made to look like a pop-up book which grabs the attention of every reader. I keep going over the pages to see what I possibley missed. This is a must  have Christmas app that will be used for years to come."

-CrowMoma2

For the iPad ($3.99)
The Nativity Story - Popup DELUXE Edition https://itunes.apple.com/app/id579941573

For the iPhone ($1.99)
The Nativity Story - Popup MINI Edition https://itunes.apple.com/app/id681638132

The Nativity Story App: http://puddletap.com/apps/miracles/nativity/
Download The Nativity Story fact sheet: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7p2cmw6uh1yyq9o/nativity_story_app_info_english.pdf

Are You a Math Ninja? IMN ZERO App Launch Dec 2- FREE for the Day!

Tomorrow is the launch date of a new app called Ice Math Ninja: Zero!

I personally am very excited about the release of this app in the iTunes store, not only because not only is it a fantabulous game of math skills, but because take a look at the credits and you might see a familiar name as a tester!

Last April, I introduced my readers to Pookie and Tushka by Jorge. You can read more about them and their adventures in this post. When Pers contacted me in early October and asked me if I would be interested in beta-testing their new game. I jumped at the chance. I've never tested an app before. Let me just tell you, this has been a very interesting, educational and mind challenging test event. It's crazy how you lose your math skills at the age of 38- LOL! I was particularly involved in the game Ice Factor. My suggestions were:

"Jorge, honestly numbers up to 100 might be good. My daughter who is in kindergarten is working on her count masters medal now. They have to say their 1's, 5's and 10's to 100 and 2's to 20 by May (when she finishes kindergarten). Being able to stay in a particular factor longer might just help reinforce that particular learning skill."

My suggestions were taken and I cannot wait to get the non-test version on my phone tomorrow. I hope that all of my readers will join in on my excitement. I firmly believe that learning can be fun and rewarding, and this game is all that and more!

Be sure to download the Ice Math Ninja: Zero game tomorrow, December 2, while its free and become a Math Ninja like Me!

About the Author/Designer:

Jorge (Jorge Antonio Tello Aliaga) is writer and illustrator born and raised in Lima, Perú. His year of experience include designing award winning educational children's software and being a design manager at the world's largest graphic software company. He enjoys writing, drawing, composing, programming, cooking (peruvian food), and speaking English (with a cool accent!).

Even as youngster, Jorge dreamed of publishing children's books. His other dreams include designing toys, creating a sci-fi/fantasy magazine, making cartoons, producing movies, building a theme park, becoming president of Perú, and achieving world peace (if time permits).

His name is Spanish for George and it is pronounced "HOR-heh"

Be sure to follow Pers Corporation on Facebook  and Ice Math Ninjia on Facebook to get all the latest news and developments on new games, books, etc. The official Facebook invite for the launch can be found here. If you will, please rate the app (positively) once you download! Let me know what you think!

School Paper Overload? There's an App for That!

It's been six years since I've had a kindergartner. Frankly, I had forgotten the paper load of 123's, ABC's, and all the colors and art that go along with them. If I remember correctly about the time they start getting the A's and B's in 3rd grade, is when the load drops off. 

This is how my daughter decorates my refrigerator when she comes home from school.

Does yours bare a striking resemblance? 

This is two days worth of papers that I have confiscated from her backpack before she got into the decorating mode, thankfully ballet interrupted.

Now don't get me wrong. I am extremely sentimental with my children's work. I even have a few pieces of my son's framed. I just don't have space to keep everything. But, I also don't want to lose those memories either. My own Moma kept my work, but unfortunately it was lost in a home fire when I was in fifth grade. Some memories are to be cherished. Easily cherished. With the click of my camera on my phone, I can now save, share and eventually even publish these memories in a photobook, gift or other keepsake.

The app is called ArtKive, and is available on iTunes.

I set both of my kids up in the app, tackling the present first and will move on to the other box soon. As you can see by the picture you can change grades. Score- all ready for the next few years!

Here is Kaybie's artkive so far...

I love this picture. It was color by sight words- I, the, my, a, and go.

What is awesome about this app is you can set up a share circle. That way grandparents or whoever you include can be emailed directly all the beautiful artwork.

This is a win, win app! What are you waiting for? Download it while it's still FREE!!!

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post and am not affiliated with ArtKive in any way- at this time! I just wanted to pass on to my readers a Mommy find, that I find extremely useful!

Pookie and Tushka Book Review with a #Giveaway

My 5 year old baby girl is learning to read. Okay, maybe just learning to identify sight words, but hey that is a start right? Nothing makes my heart smile more than for her to curl up next to me and lay her head on my shoulder while I am reading and get excited as she tells me "Mom, you are reading my sight words in your book!"

I recently purchased the book "Pookie and Tushka find a little piano" by Jorge on my Kindle Fire for her and I to read together. I was browsing through the children's titles and came across this one and was immediately attracted for several reasons. 

1. "BEST NEW CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE YEAR"
2. The title- Tushka, Oklahoma is my Moma's hometown (the character in the book is of no relation, although I have communicated this information to the publisher)
3. The sweet cover. What can be sweeter than a penguin and a polar bear in childlike form?

So, we read about the frozen little piano that arrived to the shores of the Icelands, bringing Pookie the penguin and Tushka the polar bear fun, excitement, and a heartwarming lesson about the essence of friendship.and we LOVED it. Loved it so much that this is the comment I left on Pookie and Tushka's Facebook page.

"Just read Pookie and Tushka to my five year old daughter. We loved it! The facts at the end were amazing and the very END leaves us wanting to know more about this unusual friendship!"

The details of the book are amazing, especially the end where it talked about the difference between the Penquins and Polar Bears and Antarctic and Arctic Regions. My daughter and I were able to discuss this book unlike any other book before. Through my Facebook conversation, I offered to review and let my readers know about this book and the publisher is kindly offering a Pookie and Tushka Deluxe App code to 9 blessed readers of The 4-Crow's. The app is packed with games, songs, read and listen, and educational activities. This iBook app is by far the best I have found so far for my daughter! I played around a bit with it on my iPhone and I can only imagine what it is like on an iPad! Have I mentioned that I really NEED an iPad? LOL!

And as I predicted, before I knew more about these cute characters there is more Pookie and Tushka! They are so excited to be crossing even more into the education world this month. "My First ABC with Pookie and Tushka" is available now through Amazon and the interactive version will soon be available through iTunes! "Pers®, the cutting edge children’s entertainment company, is now joining leading education services 

companies like Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill and Pearson in delivering educational titles on 

the iBookstore and the Kindle Store. Pers’ first eBook, "Pookie and Tushka find a little piano", winner of the BEST NEW CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE YEAR, is already a TOP TEN Children’s Book at Apple’s iBookstore and at the Amazon Kindle Store." 

Now, which of my 9 readers want a Pookie and Tushka Deluxe App code? The mandatory entry is to leave me your email address in the comments and tell me who you will read/discover this app with?

About the Author of Pookie and Tushka:

Jorge (Jorge Antonio Tello Aliaga)  is writer and illustrator born and raised in Lima, Perú. His year of experience include designing award winning educational children's software and being a design manager at the world's largest graphic software company. He enjoys writing, drawing, composing, programming, cooking (peruvian food), and speaking English (with a cool accent!).

Even as youngster, Jorge dreamed of publishing children's books. His other dreams include designing toys, creating a sci-fi/fantasy magazine, making cartoons, producing movies, building a theme park, becoming president of Perú, and achieving world peace (if time permits).

His name is Spanish for George and it is pronounced "HOR-heh"