Single mum reveals how she earned £1,200 in two years by paying her bills – and here’s how you can do it too
Paula Hancock, mum-of-two, has pocketed £1,200 in the last two years by using cashback websites
THRIFTY mum-of-two Paula Hancock has pocketed £1,200 in just two years using a little-known money saving trick.
She uses a cashback website to earn money on all of her household bills, as well as takeaways, birthday gifts and more.
Since first using cashback site Topcashback.co.uk two years ago, the single mum from Manchester has earned £1,200 by buying her household bills through the website, getting hundreds of pounds back on gas and electricity bills, insurance, broadband, and even takeaway food.
These savings, she says, allows her to push the boat out at Christmas and for birthdays, with the money saved being spent on treats for her children, including an iPad mini.
“I’m very good with my money and apart from a car loan I don’t have any debt, and I have decent savings.
“As a single mum I need to be careful with what I spend, and cashback sites allow me to earn money on bills I’d be spending money on anyway.
“I’m not fickle. I won’t buy anything I don’t need, so just because there might be a good cashback offer on the website I won’t buy anything that isn’t essential.”
Paula, 40, hopes to instil this thrifty attitude towards money in her children, who both have savings accounts which aren’t allowed to be touched until they’re 17 – when the money can be used for driving lessons or their first car.
While Jaxon, 5, isn’t yet old enough to properly understand the value of money, Madison, 13, gets a monthly allowance which she’s allowed to spend it on what she wants.
Everything Madison buys, unless essential, must come out of her own bank account, her mum says.
Paul first came across Topcashback.co.uk in February 2016, and although skeptical at first, she soon realised that she could earn significant sums on bills she had to spend money on anyway.
A widget on her computer means that whenever she’s shopping online, a pop-up message will let her know if she can get cashback from that retailer.
The only things she doesn’t get cashback on are holidays and grocery shops.
As a self-employed travel agent, Paula already knows how to find the best holiday deals. This year she spent £1,800 for an all-inclusive two-week trip to Benidorm for the family.
How do I sign up and get cashback?
IT’S easy to start earning casback on your bills and purchases. Just follow these simple steps:
- Sign up to a cashback website. Topcashback.co.uk and Quidco are two of the best. Click the ‘Join now’ option and enter your email address and password
- Make sure you click the free / basic membership option, otherwise you’ll be charged. If you want premium membership, both websites charge £5 a month for this. The premium membership will reward customers with bonus cashback, ad-free shopping and quicker payouts
- Find a deal that you want to purchase, whether that’s a home insurance policy, a new laptop from Currys, or a Tesco grocery shop. Instead of going directly to the retailer, you can access the shop through a link in the cashback website, and any purchase made will be registered with the cashback site.
- You still receive your item directly from the retailer, and the casback earned will be added to your online account. Once it’s there, you can withdraw it and transfer it to your bank account, or you can turn your cashback into a gift voucher or code to spend at a retailer.
- Bear in mind that it can take a few days or even weeks for the cashback to appear in your account on the website.
She also does her weekly grocery shop in Aldi, but bulk-buys items including toilet paper and washing-up liquid to keep costs down.
She said: “Having children is expensive, so it’s important I do what I can to keep my expenses low. I’ve now encouraged my mum to start using cashback sites and she’s already earned £39.”
According to Topcashback.co.uk, which has six million users, members earn an average £325 a year with an average rate of 7.5 per cent across retailers.
Some of the cashback currently being offered includes up to £200 cashback for BT broadband, up to 15 percent cashback on Argos purchases, and up to 12 per cent cashback on Groupon.
Three cashback safety rules
THERE are certain things to be aware of when buying on a cashback website.
- Cashback isn’t guaranteed. Sometimes link tracking problems occur and customers (and sometimes the cashback site itself) isn’t paid by the retailer. If you’re expecting to be paid and you aren’t, make sure to contact the cashback site
- Cashback sites should be free – don’t use one that charges for use
- Once the cash is in your online account, withdraw it straight away (once you’ve hit the minimum amount at which you can withdraw funds) and transfer it to your bank account. That’s because if the company goes bust, your money goes with it.
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