Ibotta Reviews: How much real cash will Ibotta save me? |
This answers how much real cash you can save using the Ibotta app and what makes the realistic expectations variable.
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How much real cash can I save using Ibotta?
The purpose of the Ibotta coupon app is to save you money on the brand name items that you already buy: milk, eggs, veggies, paper towels, toilet paper and other household/grocery essentials. It provides the benefit of couponing in the form of rebates but minus the hassle of finding, clipping and dealing with print ads. But how much real cash can you save using the app?
I've found the answer varies wildly for each shopping experience and for the following reason. The claim Ibotta makes is that you get money back on items you typically buy (that's true). The caveat is that an item rebate for the item you typically buy has to be available during the time period that you buy it. If the items you typically purchase are the items the rebates are for then you are in for some great high value savings. But if the items or brand that you typically buy are different than the offered rebates (or unavailable during time period of your purchase) then obviously you aren't saving much (if any). The staple items (milk, eggs, bread, etc.) are generally "any brand" rebates which is great but they are also low value rebates most often in the range of .25 to .50 cents. In my opinion, any savings is great - after all, I have to buy it anyway. Not to mention that those quarter and fifty cent savings quickly add up to significant savings (Have you ever collected your spare change in a jar or piggy bank?). But it is also reasonable to question if the effort of saving that is worth the time to you. That is something only you can determine.
While the high value savings in rebates are abundant on Ibotta they do tend to be related toward items that are brand name and more expensive to begin with. For me, these aren't the items that I'm usually shopping for unless I happen to have an additional print coupon available to combine with the Ibotta rebate - that's when you can kick up the savings another notch and grab some great deals. For those who already shop that particular brand, you may as well enjoy the higher value savings (typically $3.00-$5.00) on your item purchase.
I've heard of individuals claiming to save hundreds using the app on their shopping excursions although I don't tend to believe that. Over time, sure. But you're not going to save hundreds on a single shopping trip using the Ibotta app. I would have to see proof of that and so far, I haven't and don't expect to. Each of us have different resources, motivation and shopping habits. Even so, if you're actually saving hundreds then you are spending thousands.
You can earn even more using Ibotta if you invite and encourage others to join and use the coupon app. But that is not without pitfalls in itself. You can learn more about how to invite friends to join Ibotta.
I've found the answer varies wildly for each shopping experience and for the following reason. The claim Ibotta makes is that you get money back on items you typically buy (that's true). The caveat is that an item rebate for the item you typically buy has to be available during the time period that you buy it. If the items you typically purchase are the items the rebates are for then you are in for some great high value savings. But if the items or brand that you typically buy are different than the offered rebates (or unavailable during time period of your purchase) then obviously you aren't saving much (if any). The staple items (milk, eggs, bread, etc.) are generally "any brand" rebates which is great but they are also low value rebates most often in the range of .25 to .50 cents. In my opinion, any savings is great - after all, I have to buy it anyway. Not to mention that those quarter and fifty cent savings quickly add up to significant savings (Have you ever collected your spare change in a jar or piggy bank?). But it is also reasonable to question if the effort of saving that is worth the time to you. That is something only you can determine.
While the high value savings in rebates are abundant on Ibotta they do tend to be related toward items that are brand name and more expensive to begin with. For me, these aren't the items that I'm usually shopping for unless I happen to have an additional print coupon available to combine with the Ibotta rebate - that's when you can kick up the savings another notch and grab some great deals. For those who already shop that particular brand, you may as well enjoy the higher value savings (typically $3.00-$5.00) on your item purchase.
I've heard of individuals claiming to save hundreds using the app on their shopping excursions although I don't tend to believe that. Over time, sure. But you're not going to save hundreds on a single shopping trip using the Ibotta app. I would have to see proof of that and so far, I haven't and don't expect to. Each of us have different resources, motivation and shopping habits. Even so, if you're actually saving hundreds then you are spending thousands.
You can earn even more using Ibotta if you invite and encourage others to join and use the coupon app. But that is not without pitfalls in itself. You can learn more about how to invite friends to join Ibotta.