When do you cash out your apps?
On the one hand, I do not like to leave my points/credits/rewards hanging out in the app for too long because what if I get locked out for some crazy reason? What if the app goes under over night and I lose my hard earned cash?
This (almost, kinda, sorta) happened to me recently. One of my favorite sites I was part of was called Playground Crew. It was a panel on toys, games, and other children type things where membership was invitation only. I scored an invite by doing a survey on Swagbucks. (Swagbucks is versatile!) I loved it. It was by far the most interesting panel I was a part of (I got to watch a Barbie TV series over a week!) and the payout was great ($2 for a 5 minute survey about shows my kid watched!) But then came the fateful day where they emailed everyone to let us know the panel could be closing. We were all very sad, and then we all immediately rushed to cash out our points because even though the email clearly said we had a month to cash out and not to panic, we all wanted those gift cards.
Surprise! All the gift cards were gone! Thus began the full on panic. People emailing the admin in droves leaving comments on any open thread or forum demanding justice for their gift cards. I myself had $30 waiting to be cashed out and like my fellow panel members, I despaired of ever seeing it in the flesh.
For over a week, every cash out attempt was met with: “We’re sorry, this reward is not in stock at this time. Please try again or choose another reward.” But you couldn’t choose another reward because this message popped up for all of them. I know, because I tried all of them. Bass Pro Shop was sold out, y’all.
That’s when I remembered the app!
You see, Playground Crew was a site best accessible through computer or laptop. But recently they had launched a mobile app. Between you me and the Internet, I don’t’ think the app was quite taking off because they had a bunch of activities with bonus points to get people over there. You know I went to that app because of the bonus points. And it was the app I thought of, the ignored app, when it came to cashing out. I couldn’t cash out via the site like everyone else because the traffic was overloaded. But what about the app?
SUCCESS!
I was able to cash out immediately on the app and get my final rewards. It was a bittersweet moment because I was happy to get my dollars but very sad to see my favorite earning option close its doors.
In addition to my cashout, we’re also going to see the last tutoring money for a while. This covers the two weeks I did not post, and then we’re done. Into the unknown. It’s a bummer I won’t be able to keep working with my student, but it’s for the best until things calm down. In the meantime, it just gives me a little more time to devote to those apps!
2021 Family Trip
Goal: $8000
After Last Deposit: $6498.46
Total Deposit: $85
$50, Target Gift Card from Fetch Rewards
$30, tutoring 2 weeks
Still Need: $6413.46
When do you cash out your apps? Have you ever had a beloved app fold? Let’s share stories in the comments!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey five years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!