4 Ways I Fund My Love of Food

By the plethora of hits you get when you Google “how to make money blogging” it’s pretty safe to say that most of us are not making our salary by writing online. Some do, yes. I dream of the cookbook sales, advertising deals with Larabar, and the freedom and satisfaction of earning a living by doing what I would do (and currently do) for free.

Until that day comes, I gotta be creative.

So I’m thrifty. I know the basics, and so do you. Buy groceries in bulk when they are on sale. Check out thrift stores and garage sales for things you can easily wash and use second hand. Adjust your thermostat.

But none of these will send me a check (or gift card). Here are 4 methods that WILL pay me for doing what I already do!

1. Raise.com

This website lets you sell giftcards that you aren’t going to use for cash. I sold a Cheesecake Factory giftcard I had in the back of a drawer for YEARS for just a few dollars below face value.

I can also buy discounted gift cards for places I shop anyways. The husband buys almost all of his clothes at JCPenney, so if I can get JCP gift cards for 17% off, that’s a huge win. I just made my own sale.

2. Top CashBack

Do you shop online? If you are a new mom like me, shopping from your computer is a heck of a lot easier than shopping with a 7 month old. I got made fun of at Home Depot by an older gentleman who greeted me at the door when I said I was there to pick up on online order. “Kids these days!” Yeah, this kid would rather spend 10 minutes in the store to pick up an order than spend an hour roaming around with a squirmy kid strapped to my chest!

I digress.

Top CashBack is a site where, once you’re registered, gives you a percentage of your purchase back. They have agreements with retailers that pays Top CashBack for the shopping referrals, and Top CashBack shares the love. Important note, as of my writing this (June 2015), you can shop at Raise.com through Top CashBack and get 2% back on your giftcard purchase. That means I can buy my 17% off JCPenney gift cards and get 2% of my final purchase price back as a rebate. Once you’ve earned a bunch of rebates, you can cash out via direct deposit, PayPal, or an amazon.com gift card (with a 2.5% bonus)!

3. Mr. Rebates

Mr. Rebates works the same as Top CashBack. I use both so that I can compare and get the most cash back per online transaction. I’ve been with Mr. Rebates since March 2014 and I have earned over $130! They will send you a check you can take to the bank or will add it to your PayPal account.

4. Swagbucks

Do you like coupons? Not everyone does, but if you clicked on this post and made it all the way down to #4, I’m guessing you do. You can find coupons online on lots of different sites, but Swagbucks has coupons and pays you 10 “Swagbucks” per coupon that you redeem. Basically, that works out to be 10 cents of a giftcard to nearly any retail establishment. It may take a long time to work up enough to cash out, but if you print coupons anyways, why not make some money while you’re at it? Swagbucks also does surveys and gives rewards for signing up for stuff, but I ignore that. Those things can work, don’t get me wrong, but for now I’m sticking to earning money by doing things I already do.

Bonus: Designs For the Love Etsy shop

As I come up with things that I find incredibly useful as a mom, I make a couple extra and put them up for sale in my Etsy shop. Check it out if you are a parent, or know any parents. It’s still pretty new, so feel free to send me some feedback!

What do you do? Have any creative ideas for making a little extra while you do what you love?

Full disclosure: If you sign up using the links provided, I can earn rewards, either a one-time bonus or a percentage of the rewards you earn. This does not subtract from the rewards and cash you can earn! If you think one of these (or all of them!) can benefit you, please use my links to help a blogger out. Thanks!