One Effortless Way to Optimize Your Income

Unfortunately, many people attribute the lack of this one resource from reaching the finish line.

People wish for more of it every day. People believe the right amount of it will make all of their problems go away. Some will argue that our society is divided because some people refuse to share with others.

You probably already guessed correctly. That resource is money.  Many people will say they fail to reach the finish line, due to a lack of money. Money is a resource that allows us to spend, save, and invest it.

Many people will suggest working more to earn more of it. It is a common solution. Although, what if there was another way?

Investing is another way, but many people would argue that you need money to make money. If your life depends on your next paycheck, then investing is not your priority right now.

Saving is the most common way, but it can be a useless, lifelong pursuit for people earning low wages and having expensive responsibilities (i.e. children, mortgage, student loan debt, etc). If your monthly disposable income is $100, you are left with deciding to use it to buy gifts for your children or keeping it in a savings account.

The American Dream is not so real anymore. 78% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, up from 75% last year. 56% of poll respondents said they save up to $100 a month. In another survey, 61% of Americans report that they do not have enough money to cover expenses for six months.

Many Americans are one week to six months away from falling into poverty. Some Americans avoid receiving government welfare because they believe they can do fine without it. Other Americans receive it and continue to be recipients for years.  If they paid taxes as an employee, they may feel justified in partaking as a recipient.      

I will not judge your decision. However, if you are living on the edge, the truth is that your income is limited whether you are a welfare recipient or not.

So, how can you optimize your income effortlessly? There are several tangible and intangible options that you can incorporate into your lifestyle. I discuss several of them in my new book, Reaching The Finish Line: How to Thrive in the Generation Y Era. However, I will mention one that was not included in the book. One tangible resource is called Ibotta.

Do you use Uber or GroupOn? Do you shop Amazon or eBay? Do you frequent some of the common retail stores like Whole Foods Market, Kroger, Natural Grocers, Walmart, Target, Family Dollar, among others? If you use one of the many popular online services or live near to one of many popular retail stores, you can participate in making money from doing what you would normally do – shopping.

You can earn $1 for each Uber ride and $17 after 7 Uber rides. Do you need socks? You can earn $2 cash back when you buy a pack. Do you like Lara Bars? Get $1.50 cash back for each box. The offers are endless.

The process is quite simple. Buy your products, scan your receipts, and cash out when your balance has reached $20 or more. At that time, you can cash out via PayPal or Venmo. Alternatively, you can cash out in the form of a gift card. Store gift cards include, but not limited to, Whole Foods Market, Target, Walmart, Amazon, Old Navy, and Starbucks.  

I have been a user for a few months and average a gift card each week. They also have an affiliate program to help you increase your earnings. Ibotta will not make you rich, but it will make you some money every week. Alternatively, it can extend your purchasing power to buy other things with the gift card of your choice.

If you are financially creative, you can make money with Ibotta and other opportunities to start reaching your finish line.