How to Save Extra Money Doing Normal Daily Tasks, Passively
I don’t know about you, but I love the word Passive.
I love the idea of Passive income.
Do you normally make money while you’re sleeping? Unless you fall asleep on the job (which I don’t recommend) then no.
Do you normally make money while you are sitting at a movie?
Do you normally make money while you are out with friends?
Passive income allows you the freedom to make money 24/7.
My favorite passive income is Blogging. If you want to know more about that prospect, you’ll love this post: How to Become a Blogger in 2019
It gives you the freedom to decide when you work and why you work and why you say yes to certain engagements and the freedom to say NO. That’s a big one, The ability and freedom to say no.
Not so you can be some big shot that doesn’t do anything, but so you can decide what is important in life and prioritize that over other obligations, like money. Don’t be a slave to money, make money work for you…
One sure fire way to make money work for you is finding passive ways to earn more and save more. This means you don’t have to think about it or do much to get it. You might have to do some initial setup, as in signing up for something or applying for something, but after that you can go about you life and save money doing things you would normally do, like shopping 🙂
So, what if I said you could be doing almost the exact same thing you do every day and be saving hundreds more than you are RIGHT NOW?
How can I save money passively doing everyday things?
- Ebates
- Cash App
- SwagBucks
- Capital One, Chase and other percentage off Credit Cards
- Chase
- Bonus: Discount Stacking
I personally use each of these currently just about everyday and have been especially enjoying all of them.
1. Ebates
I like Ebates because my wife and I personally do a fair amount of shopping online. We aren’t shopaholics but we do have a set budget of weekly “fun money” that we can shop with. (Yes, we are nerds that have a budget and yes one of our categories is definitely called “fun money.”) Nerdish, I know, but actually, it is EXTREMELY helpful when it comes down to making sure you live within your means and don’t rack up foolhardy debt. (let me clarify, I know some fams have to make ends meet by borrowing money to survive. I’m not talking about that. I’m saying “foolhardy debt” would be two 70″ TVs, all the shoes, shirts, video games, tech stuff (I love fun smart tech), junk food, etc.)
You can get at least 5% off or more on many online stores including Amazon, Walmart, Eddie Bauer, Under Armour, etc. There are MANY options to choose from.
It used to just be online, but nowadays you can link a card and shop in store too! Which is the BEST!
I have Cash Back Credit Cards that get 1.5% cash back and they literally save me hundreds of dollars a year off of just 1.5% so just imagine the 5% and 10% possibilities you could be getting with Ebates.
It’s not just money you could be saving, it’s money you could be earning WHILE SHOPPING! What better excuse do you have to shop than to make money while you’re shopping?
My family does a traditional Christmas thing where every year we all make our Wish Lists on Amazon and then share those lists with each other so that it is easier to shop and get each other what we would want instead of guessing, so for me that is a time of year where I am able to save a good amount by having cash back from my credit card and from Ebates.
If you use this link “Jeremy’s Ebates Link” you get $10 when you make an account as well as you can refer an unlimited amount of people and get $25 dollars for each referral!
Let me make this simple:
Right now you could use my link: “Jeremy’s Super Awesome Ebates Link” and get $10 as well as you can turn to your friend, spouse, mom, dad, niece, nephew, or the guy sitting next to you at Starbucks and share your referral link with them and instantly get another $25 on the spot.
So EVEN IF you never use Ebates again, at this exact moment you could take 2 minutes and 27 seconds, sign up for Ebates and get $35 altogether in about 4 minutes and 52 seconds or less.
You know those shoes you’ve been thinking about getting on Amazon? You could get them right now for free with a little 5 minute Ebates Hustle. The choice is yours 😉
But on a serious note, if you do any online shopping whatsoever, the Ebates app makes it super easy to earn cash back while you shop. I already got my first 2 Ebates checks mailed to me, around $44 dollars. You should get one for yourself too.
2. Cash App
Okay, you may think this is relatively dumb, but I love the Cash App!
I can’t say enough good stuff about the Cash App. I completely love it and look for daily opportunities to use it.
As a money saving nerd I geek out over percentages saved and Cash App’s incentives right now are HUGE!
10% might not sound like much to you, but I don’t know of ANY credit cards offering that much in cash back, NONE.
And their incentives won’t be this high forever! They are high right now because they are using them to grow their customer base. They COST NOTHING to start using and they give you $5 just for signing up using this link: “$5 for signing up”
Cash App is like Venmo and paypal but better in my opinion.
Here’s why:
- Free Cash App card
- No fees for normal bank deposits or withdrawals
- Anyone that has Cash App can receive and send money to you in a .01 seconds, Millisecond.
- You can request pay from others so you and they don’t forget who owes who what
- $5 for you and the person you refer
- $1 off ANY COFFEE SHOP! That’s WAY more than 10%. If your drink costs a $1.50, that’s 66% off and now your drink only costs you .50 cents and you can do this every hour 🙂
- Their 10% off rewards at various places and restaurants
Free Cash App Card
When you sign up, they allow you to choose a free cash app debit card. The card is awesome looking and you get to sign it and add the emoji of your choice if you want to. It’s like being able to customize your own debit card.
The card allows you to turn on bonuses for purchases that are applied to your account through cash app instantly!
No fees for normal bank deposits or withdrawals
They allow you to transfer money to the cash app and to your bank without fees (unless you want to expedite it) otherwise it takes a couple of business days to finalize the transfer.
Anyone that has Cash App can receive and send money to you in a .01 seconds, Millisecond.
Much like Venmo and PayPal, there is the convenience of being able to send and receive money instantly from anyone that has the app. All free of charge for the moment. Not sure if they’ll change that as they grow, but right now it is free.
You can request pay from others so you and they don’t forget who owes who what
There is a simple request function so that when you are out with friends and you have to cover someone’s bill you can instantly make the Cash App Request and no one will forget about owing or the amount that is owed. Avoid friendly and awkward arguments.
$5 for you and the person you refer
If your friend that owes you money doesn’t have the Cash App, that’s a win for you and them. Get your referral link easily from the App and text it to them and have them sign up to send you the money. Within minutes you’ll both be $5 richer and you’ll be paid back!
$1 off ANY COFFEE SHOP!
With the free Cash Card they give you, you get many perks.
One of my favorites is the dollar off and purchase at any coffee shop!
Starbucks, Dunkin, mom and pops coffee, doesn’t matter if it’s a coffee shop you get a dollar off.
You say “Too good to be true!” I say there are a few stipulations: your purchase has to be at least a $1.50 and you can only use it EVERY HOUR. hah! As if either of those were a down side.
I look for 5% off, 10% off, but a $1.00 off my $1.50 purchase? That’s 66% right there.
Which makes me a 🙂 customer, personally.
Their 10% off rewards at various places and restaurants
Not the least important but also with the Cash Card you get 10% off bonuses at various restaraunts right now.
Food places including but limited to Chick-fil-A, Buffalo Wild Wings, Panera, and Kroger just to name a few.
10% off any of these places add up for me because I’m a fan of these places. It might be a big deal for you, but I’m gonna eat here anyways so I might as well enjoy saving money while I do. Save money with 10% off Cash Card from the Cash App.
Use my exclusive link and get $5.00 for using this free app: “Jeremy’s exclusive Cash App Link”
3. SwagBucks
Swagbucks is a no brainer way to save money.
Swagbucks is an easy way to sit on your couch, watch tv, and make a little money while you’re doing it.
Not only that, here are some other ways you can use SwagBucks to save money:
- Swagbuck exclusive activities (subscribe, download, try something for free.)
- SB for signing up for something (credit cards, subs, etc.)
- SB for taking trips
- SB for booking hotels
- SB for shopping online
- SB for doing your taxes
Most anything you can think of doing SwagBucks might have an incentive for you and they may pay you $25 to do something you were already planning on doing.
So if you’re thinking about taking a trip, shopping somewhere, getting a flight or hotel, applying for a credit card, trying a new subscription, etc it’s worth your time to see if SwagBucks might pay you to do it and you could save money in the process.
If you like deals, saving money, and shopping online, you’ll enjoy SwagBucks.
4. Capital One, Chase, and other percentage off Credit Cards
This is one of my personal favorite ways to passively save money. Having a cash back credit card is like having a discount on life. I use Capital One and Chase currently and I get 1.5% Cash Back on everything I buy with them. This is like getting money back on everything I buy that I was going to have to buy anyway.
If I buy gas, I save money, if I buy food, I save money, if I buy clothes, I save money. Anything I would normally have to buy or buy for fun I get a 1.5% discount.
Now, you might be thinking 1.5% isn’t that much. Okay. But think if you are spending $20,000 a year, which is a relatively small amount for yearly expenses for most Americans.
1.5% of $20,000 is $300. Adds up quickly when you put it that way.
Needless to say, using cash back credit cards for all my purchases passively saves me hundreds of dollars a year.
I don’t have to do anything extra, it’s a completely passive way to save money for me at this point. Once you’re approved you just swipe and save.
If you keep your credit card balance at $0 and only spend what you have you won’t get yourself into credit card debt.
Be money smart with your credit card. Some people think that having a credit card is “bad” and that you’ll just end up in debt, but it’s really a matter of will power on the hand that holds the card. If you spend it like you would spend cash and only spend what you’ve got in the bank you will save money and not get into debt.
With my credit cards like Capital One Quick Silver and Chase Freedom, I feel like I get a discount on life.
Let me restate, I get a percentage discount on EVERYTHING I BUY. Did you catch that? Every day I have to buy stuff. Food, Gas, Food, Gas, over and over again buying stuff, bills, gifts, etc all of it I get a discount if I can swipe my credit card to pay for it. Stuff I was gonna pay for anyways, if I am able to use the credit card, I get cash back and that saves me hundreds of dollars a year.
Now some people are VERY against credit cards. The percentage on owing them money is terrible. Do your best to never get into credit card debt.
For me personally, I just don’t overspend. I don’t spend money on my credit card that I don’t have in my bank account. Simple as that.
If I don’t have it, I don’t get it.
And I try to always stay up to date with my bills and pay on time. Realistically, I like have a balance of $0 when statement time comes around each month. These two good credit habits also help my credit score stay higher.
5. Chase Freedom Unlimited
Capital One has it’s incentives, but Chase offers a few more, especially for signing up right now.
Check out these additional money saving benefits Chase is offering right now:
- 3% cash back the first year for new applicants
- $100 referral bonuses
- No Annual Fee
- Unlimited access to your credit score
- Purchase protection
- And extended warranties
- 1.5% cash back on all purchases year round
- No minimum to redeem cash back
Out of all of the above, the simple best way to save money passively this year is the 3% cash back. In the fine print they say that 3% is only for the first $20,000 you spend, but still it’s a no brainer deal.
That alone is roughly an extra $600 back in your pocket for doing little to no work. You just buy what you normally do, make regular payments to your account and you’ll be able to save more money.
Be sure to be advised on good credit building habits and be sure not to get into debt on any credit card as their interest rates are mostly destructive to your finances, but when handled correctly they will save you hundreds a year and thousands over your lifetime.
Using credit the right way will save you hundreds of dollars a year and thousands over your lifetime…
Also to be mentioned is chase rewards program.
When you use their app to manage your account (it’s the fastest and easiest way to do it) you can activate certain rewards depending on what they are offering.
They usually have a Walmart pick-up incentive.
This year I used their Turbo-tax incentive and Chase gave me $20 to use Turbo-tax. I was already going to go with turbo-tax so this was just a nice extra $20 for me. Thanks, Chase for the extra date night for me and the wife 😉
6. Bonus: percentage HACKING:
This is my favorite hack to save lots of money over each year.
And not many people talk about how to save money this way, so I’m excited to share it with you.
I call this percentage hacking or percentage stacking.
It’s simple in theory, but it does take a little prep work.
Let me lay out the an example scenario:
I want to buy a pair of shoes off of Amazon.
I look at all my options to get discounts and percentages off those shoes.
I use Ebates to get 5% off Amazon. I use my Chase Card to make the purchase giving me an extra 1.5% added to the Ebates discount. I check SwagBucks to see what percentages they are showing for shopping on for their site.
So either way I decide to go about it, instead of just using one of the save money techniques I talk about, I use as many as possible and that will allow me to stack and save money by stacking increasing percentages. That’s stacking percentages. This can also work with discount codes and promos that you can find online to go even further to save money. This does take a little extra work, but it’s fun and worth it.
I also join incentive programs for places I enjoy, like Eddie Bauer. They have an awesome reward plan and they have already given me $35-45 dollars worth of free gear since November.
Take action: If you only joined Ebates and Cash App from this post, which are both totally free to start, you would instantly make $15 just for signing up right now. And it would only take about 10 minutes. $15 for 10 minutes, that’s over a $1 a minute. That’s like making over $60 an hour!
What do you do to save money?
Do you have a save money tip that wasn’t discussed here?
What’s the most you’ve saved on a single purchase?
What’s the most you’ve saved in a year?
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