Promos

Most people these days wouldn't mind being able to earn some additional cash on the side. Companies like Uber, Lyft, Airbnb and other "side hustle" communities have taken off like rockets in the past decade.

Here are a few ways I make some additional money on the side, in addition to my primary career and selling advertising on this blog. If you use the promo codes on these, you will get a jumpstart reward, and I will get some referral points as well. Helps both of us out! You can help support the work here at MuskogeePolitico.com by signing up with these websites and/or mobile apps. 

Upside

Upside is a mobile app that gets you cash back on fuel purchases, which you can redeem for gift cards, or deposit to your PayPal or bank account. Gift cards include retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Apple, Google Play, Lowe's, Target, Starbucks, Chili's, and more. Participating gas stations are listed with a cents-off amount. 

Below is a screenshot on some areas here in Oklahoma, showing retailers that participate with Upside (prices were valid on the morning of October 15th, 2024). And yes, some of those stations are offering in excess of 12¢ back per gallon (I've gotten as much as 25¢/gal before):

(Click to view larger)

In my experience, all Casey's and E-Z Mart stations in Oklahoma participate, along with quite a few Valero, Shell, and Sinclair stations. On road trips through states like Kansas and Tennessee, BP and Shell seem to be pretty common. In the past year or two, restaurants have been added (including national chains like Domino's Pizza, Taco Bueno), though these are more sporadic and urban focused. There are a total of 593 locations in Oklahoma that you can use Upside at, and over 50,000 nationwide.

I've used Upside for five years, and saved over $670 on fuel thus far. Use my promo code by signing up at this link. Your first use will get an additional 15¢ off per gallon! 

FetchRewards

Want an easy way to earn gift cards? Fetch Rewards is another app I use. Scan your grocery and fuel receipts and you earn points that can be exchanged for gift cards. I've cashed out nearly $20 simply for scanning receipts. Not bad for a piece of paper that normally ends up in the trash, right? Sign up for Fetch Rewards with this link, and you’ll get $2 in Rewards when you snap your first receipt. 

GasBuddy

GasBuddy is a mobile app that crowdsources fuel prices. You can help fellow motorists out by reporting prices at local gas stations, and earn points to enter daily drawings for free fuel. Sign up for their free gas card and you can earn anywhere from 3¢ up to 25¢ off per gallon at the pump! Use my promo code, EBK4BLK, and you'll get an extra 10¢ off on your first fill-up. It functions like a debit card, but only works on at-the-pump fuel purchases. Some participating retailers run 'deal alert' discounts on their fuel (oftentimes the same stations as in GetUpside).

Here's a real-life example: we were driving through Asheville, NC, and stopped at a Shell gas station. Fueling up there, we got the base 3¢ off per gallon for using the GasBuddy card, plus an additional 7¢ off per gallon from a 'deal alert'. The pump read $24.77, but with 10¢ off per gallon, my checking account was charged only $23.55. Plus I used GetUpside to get another 12¢ off per gallon, so I basically filled a tank at 22¢ below the price on the sign. Nice!

We've saved over $50 in a year by using this as our gas card. Pro tip: "stacking" apps can really cut help lower your fuel costs. I use GetUpside, TruNow, Fetch Rewards, and a GasBuddy gas card, often at the same fill-up, to add up the savings.

YouGov

YouGov is an international Internet-based market research and data analytics firm that gives points and rewards in return for your opinion. Redeem the points you receive for gift cards ranging from $15 all the way up to $100.

I've been a member of YouGov for about a decade. While it can take a while to accumulate, I have been able to redeem the $100 reward several times by saving up points. In the process, I've participated in a wide range of surveys, including many political polls that get mentioned in media reports, so that's a neat aspect of it. Use this link to receive 2,000 bonus points to get you started on your experience!