Is inflation burning a hole in your budget? These 5 apps can help you earn cash back and save money

With inflation comes the increasing costs of many basic items. According to the monthly Consumer Price Index report, consumers are paying 11% more for grocery items than they were last year. Your necessities like food and toiletries might be the most expensive you've seen, and the price tag hike can leave you feeling like you're stretching your budget as far as it can go.

Cutting back might feel even more difficult during a time when things are becoming more expensive, so Select rounded up a few apps that are here to help you earn cash back and even find discounts to save as much money as possible.

The cash back you earn can be transferred into your savings account or even used to make an extra credit card or bill payment. Or, you can even use the cash back to purchase something else you're going to need. There are quite a few handy ways you can put the money to good use.

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Best cash-back apps

Ibotta

On Ibotta's secure site

Cost
How to save
Activate cash-back offers and clip digital coupons to get cash back on purchases.
How to use it
Download the Ibotta app or the browser extension.
How to receive your savings
Redeem cash back once you reach $20 as a deposit into your bank account, PayPal account or for gift cards.

Terms apply.

Ibotta is both a free app and browser extension that allows you to earn cash back on purchases at grocery stores, travel, online retailers and more. To sign up, you download the app and create an account either on your phone or through a browser extension on your computer.

The average Ibotta user will earn between $10 to $20 each month, and very active users can earn as much as $300 per month, according to a previous Select review. Once you accumulate $20 in cash back, you will be able to redeem it as a deposit into your PayPal or bank account, or you can use it to receive gift cards.

Keep in mind that in order to begin receiving cash back offers through the Ibotta app, you'll need to add your desired offers to your list before you shop. You can do this by just clicking on each offer you'd like to add. After you're done shopping, tap "Redeem" on the home screen where you'll select your retailer and upload a picture of the receipt. 

Honey

PayPal Honey

On PayPal Honey's secure site

Cost
How to save
Get Honey Gold points on eligible purchases, automatic coupons and price comparisons.
How to use it
Download the Honey app or install the browser extension.
How to receive your savings
Redeem Honey Gold points for gift cards.

Terms apply.

Honey is a browser extension that scours the Internet to find promo or coupon codes you can use to save money at checkout. It automatically tests coupon codes on over 30,000 websites so you don't have to manually look for them and add them yourself.

Coupons and discount codes, like the ones Honey finds, can make shopping more affordable by lowering the total cost of items you needed to buy anyway. Honey is a free service and is available as an app and as a browser extension that is compatible with Chrome, Safari, Opera, Edge and Firefox. 

On the Honey app, you can look through the top coupons to determine the best deals and earn Honey rewards on purchases with certain stores. If you shop on the website of a retailer on the app, there will be a toolbar at the bottom to show you any available promo codes.

Rakuten

Information about Rakuten has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the company prior to publication.

Cost
How to save
Get cash back on eligible purchases, automatic coupons and price comparisons.
How to use it
Shop on Rakuten.com, the Rakuten app or install the browser extension.
How to receive your savings
Cash back is awarded every 3 months by check or PayPal payment.

Terms apply.

Rakuten is an easy way to earn cash back for both online and in-store purchases. In order for your purchase to be eligible for cash back, the retailer must be a part of Rakuten's network. You can browse the thousands of retailers already part of their network, but installing the browser extension will allow you to be notified when there is a cash back opportunity when you visit a retailer's site.

To create an account, you'll just need to use your email address and password on their website. Then, you'll be able to download their browser extension, which will be helpful for quick activation when you're checking out online.

You will receive your cash back earnings on a quarterly basis via PayPal or through a physical check mailed to your address — you get to decide which method you'd prefer. You can also look at your account to see your cash back earnings history whenever you want, and it will specify the date of your next payment.

Rakuten offers a $10 welcome bonus for new users and there are no fees. If you refer someone to the site and they use your link, you can earn $30 for every referral.

Dosh

Information about Dosh has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the company prior to publication.

Cost
How to save
Get automatic cash back on shopping, travel or dining expenses
How to use it
Download the app and connect your bank account and credit cards so the app can scan your transactions for available offers
How to receive your savings
The app adds your cash back to your Dosh wallet; once you hit a $25 threshold you can cash out via Venmo, PayPal or your bank account

Terms apply.

Dosh is an app that allows you to receive cash back and is available for both Apple iOS and Android. With thousands of participating hotels, stores and restaurants, Dosh will let you automatically receive cash back. All you have to do is download the app, sign up and connect your credit cards so the app can scan your transactions for available cash back offers.

One unique perk of Dosh is that when you shop in-store, you'll instantly get your cash back reward with your purchase, meaning you won't have to wait for a pay day.

You'll also get a $1 welcome bonus when you register and connect your card, and you earn $10 for every friend you refer.

Payce

Information about Payce has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the company prior to publication.

Cost
How to save
Get cash back for logging in and shopping through links on the Payce platform
How to use it
Sign up for an account and connect your bank account and credit cards and shop through the links on the platform to earn cash back; shop in-store for cash back when you activate merchant rewards
How to receive your savings
Once you hit a $10 threshold you can cash out via direct deposit into your bank account

Terms apply.

Payce is a platform that offers cash back for both online and in-store purchases. To receive in-store cash back, you must connect your credit or debit card — they take Visa, Mastercard or American Express. 

You need to have earned at least $10 to cash out. Unlike Rakuten, you'll have to visit the Payce platform and click the retailer link to shop in order to have your purchase be eligible to earn cash back.

Payce displays any cash back bonus offers that may be available at some of the most popular retailers like Home Depot and CVS, and their standard offer typically earns $5 if you spend about $20 or $25 or more. However, these terms exclude gift card purchases from earning any cash back. 

Other ways to put money back in your pocket when shopping

Using a cash-back credit card is an easy way to save even more on every day purchases. The rewards and cash back from your credit card can be stacked with the savings from the apps mentioned above.

For instance, the no-annual-fee Wells Fargo Active Cash^® Card offers unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases, plus a $200 welcome bonus after spending $1,000 in the first 3 months of account opening.

If you spend a lot of groceries, the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express is worth considering, since it earns a robust 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%). You'll also earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card within the first 6 months. 

Check out our list of best cash-back cards for more options.

Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's secure site

Rewards
Unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months
Annual fee
Intro APR
0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate
Regular APR
17.99%, 22.99%, or 27.99% variable APR on purchases and balance transfers
Balance transfer fee
Introductory fee of 3% for 120 days from account opening, then up to 5% ($5 minimum)
Foreign transaction fee
Credit needed
Excellent/Good

Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express

On the American Express secure site

Rewards
6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (then 1%), 6% cash back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash back at U.S. gas stations, 3% cash back on transit including taxis/rideshare, parking, tolls, trains, buses and more and 1% cash back on other purchases. Cash Back is received in the form of Reward Dollars that can be redeemed as a statement credit.
Welcome bonus
Earn a $250 statement credit after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card within the first 6 months. 
Annual fee
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95.
Intro APR
0% for 12 months on purchases and balance transfers from the date of account opening
Regular APR
16.99% - 27.99% variable
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Foreign transaction fee
Credit needed
Excellent/Good

Bottom line 

While restructuring your budget can be time-consuming, using these services will provide an easy way to save money without necessarily spending less. If you find yourself raising an eyebrow at price hikes, these platforms are worth checking out. 

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Editorial Note: Opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Select editorial staff's alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any third party.