As you may have noticed, I love a bargain. I really don’t like paying full price for something if I don’t need to. The discovery of cashback sites has been revolutionary to me. The premise is simple. You purchase things that you would be buying anyway, but by clicking through from the cashback site, you get money back.
My favourite cashback sites are Top Cashback and Quidco. Not only do they offer cashback on all your everyday shopping, but they hold regular competitions and ways of earning extra bonuses and prizes.
How do they work?
You can join them both for free, and when you have an item you want to purchase, browse the sites that they can offer cash back on and work out what is the best price for yourself. The premise is simple, but it only works if you were going to buy the item anyway. Spending money just to get some money back defeats the object of the whole exercise!
Here’s an example for you. Imagine I need to buy a new washing machine (which quite soon I have a feeling I will). I’ve had a look online and ao.com have the one I want and at a really good price. I’ve had a look at the cashback sites and I’ve found this offer:
By clicking through to the AO website, via this link, I will be eligible for the £50.50 cashback once the purchase has been made and the transaction tracked.
The premise of these sites and offers really only work if you are only buying things you would be buying anyway. You also need to ensure that you follow the Ts and Cs of every offer you click through. I’ve once made the mistake of not being eligible for the cashback as I didn’t read the Ts and Cs properly. You can claim for missing cashback if you feel that you’ve been wrongly not awarded it, but it can take a very long time and you may not get the result you want. Don’t let the small chance of a glitch or issue put you off though – I’ve made quite a bit of money back using cashback sites and I would definitely recommend using them!
Free cashback
Sometimes these cashback sites offer money back without you having to make a purchase – these offers are effectively free money! I’ve found that it is usually for doing small tasks such as getting an insurance quote. You are under no obligation to purchase these products, but you may be limited to how many quotes you can get per year.
They also sometimes have offers for free trials and you can earn cashback by taking these out. You just need to make sure you cancel before the billing cycle comes around. Again, it’s really important you remember to read all the Ts & Cs.
Conclusion
I definitely think it’s worth signing up to cashback sites, especially the big players like Top Cashback and Quidco then having a browse. When you are ready to make a purchase have a quick look and compare cashback amounts across any retailer who might sell what it is you want to buy, as well as across both the platforms as sometimes there are better deals on one site than the other!
For just a few clicks you can save yourself a LOT of money!
Good luck with your savings!
I’ve earned well over £2k in cashback since I first got an account in maybe… 2009? I’m obsessed!
That’s amazing! Well done!!
Great post, I need to do more when it comes to earning cashback. Have you heard of Referral Schemes? I have done a lot via them and they proved very useful when it comes to saving money. One site called Referral Codes has served me well. I suggest checking it out if you have time.