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Karrie Trowbridge, the owner of Lark Mountain Modern, had never owned or worked in a home décor shop when she decided to purchase Lark from its original owners.
Lark opened in January of 2020 and soon after that, was forced to shut down due to the pandemic. The team decided to weather the storm by turning to online operations, creating a business that offered in-store pickup. As soon as the online store went live, customers went crazy, said store manager Liz Odell.
(Editor’s note: This story has been updated from the print edition to reflect that Trowbridge purchased the store from its original owners. We regret the errors).
Lark carries specialty home décor as well as furniture, soft goods like table linens and napkins, jewelry and gifts. According to Odell, the retail store attempts to source as many local and women-owned goods as they can.
In addition to the variety of items in the store, Odell mentioned that the prices range greatly as well. Shoppers can find décor and gifts for under $10.
From left: Lori White, Joann Wolpert and Liz Odell.
Julianna LaFollette” class=”uk-display-block uk-position-relative uk-visible-toggle”> click to enlarge
Julianna LaFollette
From left: Lori White, Joann Wolpert and Liz Odell.
“Anybody can come in and get something,” Odell said. The selection of upscale and carefully picked décor is something that Odell believes makes the store stand out. The location isn’t so bad either; on NW Wall Street in Bend. The downtown building that home décor shop sits in has housed several businesses before them. It was a men’s clothing store, a home goods store and, right before Lark, a record store.
Shoppers can find a variety of goods at Lark.
Julianna LaFollette” class=”uk-display-block uk-position-relative uk-visible-toggle”> click to enlarge
Julianna LaFollette
Shoppers can find a variety of goods at Lark.
Odell and Trowbridge have been Bend locals for many years and believe the “mountain modern” décor fits Bend perfectly. “We know what Bend is. . . we love our customers and we love talking to them,” said Odell. The staff hopes that Lark is a place where people come in and feel a sense of happiness and beauty.
On the northern Oregon Coast between Warrenton and Gearhart, near Astoria and Seaside, lies the gated community of Surf Pines, Oregon. Bordered by the Pacific Ocean on the west, and the peaceful Sunset Lake on the east, the residential community offers quite a few beautiful homes in a serene setting where quiet rural living meets fun beach life.
And a sleek three-bedroom home is looking to attract new residents to the area.
Recently listed for $1,250,000, the property was designed by Pacific Northwest architect Paul McKean, and reflects the respected architecture firm’s design vision.
“We believe that there is beauty in simplicity, and that good architecture improves lives and respects nature,” Paul McKean Architecture’s About Us page tells us, and the words could describe their Surf Pines, Oregon project to a T. “Our designs tend to be simple, efficient and materials-driven. This approach lends itself to smaller homes that are cost-effective, durable and energy efficient.”
Custom built for its current owner, the founder of Schoolhouse Electric (a high-end lighting and home goods manufacturer based out of Portland, OR), the architecturally distinct home offers panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and of the area’s beautiful natural landscape through its western-facing, floor-to-ceiling windows.
Sitting on a one-acre lot, the elevated modern beach retreat offers 1,443 square feet, three bedrooms, and two baths.
Inside, an expansive great room brings together the living, dining, and kitchen areas, and is flooded with natural light thanks to its expansive windows. There’s also an adjacent patio that offers additional seating and a great spot to enjoy the views.
Envisioned for entertaining, the Oregon home features a primary bedroom with an attached bathroom, a large bunk room with a seating area, and a second guest bedroom and bathroom.
There’s also a second outdoor area to entertain guests underneath the upper-level patio and a fire pit with built-in benches next to the house. To top it all off, the beach is just a short walk away.
The Surf Pines, Oregon house is listed with JP Faherty, Matt Robinson, and Grant Ludwick of The Agency Bend.
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[1/5]Mannequins are seen at a Walmart’s newly remodeled store, in Teterboro, New Jersey, U.S., June 7, 2023. REUTERS/Siddharth Cavale
June 15 (Reuters) – Price-conscious shoppers flock to Walmart Supercenters to pick up $1 potato chips and $3 gallons of milk, but the world’s biggest retailer will now try to sell them $298 cozy swivel chairs and $50 Wrangler jeans, too.
Using low-cost and low-margin groceries as a draw, Walmart is adding more than a dozen new lines of pricier, more profitable merchandise including six through partnerships with celebrities like Drew Barrymore and Sofia Vergara.
The company wants to change its image from merely a steep discounter to a destination where customers can also purchase fashionable home goods and clothing.
T-shirts from Reebok, accessories from Justice and men’s dress shirts from Chaps are among the national brands Walmart is highlighting in its renovated “Stores of the Future.” Most of the goods are priced between $15 and $50, Denise Incandela, vice president of apparel and private brands, disclosed at a June 6 conference with investors.
Walmart historically has marketed mostly its own brand of clothing: basic George t-shirts, shorts and pants, typically priced at $15 or less. But Incandela, a former Saks and Ralph Lauren executive, said Walmart’s research showed that 80% of its customers were purchasing higher-priced clothes elsewhere.
She told Walmart investors its strategy is to “democratize fashion” or convert the company’s core, price-conscious shoppers into style-conscious shoppers.
“It is a huge transformation on the apparel side,” she said.
Americans shop for clothing, footwear, chairs and lights from millions of mom-and-pop stores, regional chains and online platforms every day, analyst say, giving no one retailer outsized dominance in the highly fragmented markets for home decor and apparel.
But smaller retailers have a hard time competing with Walmart because of its scale and size and its well-known history of squeezing suppliers on prices by promising them volume sales.
Walmart’s strategy “is a risk to the market but not a disproportionately larger risk” to bigger retailers like Target or Gap, said Dean Rosenblum, senior research analyst for retail at Bernstein.
It would probably be the rest of the market that should be worried,” he said pointing to apparel retailers such as Carhartt.
Privately held Carhartt does not disclose revenues. Retailers that do, including Tilly’s Inc (TLYS.N), Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF.N) and Lands End (LE.O), posted declining revenues in the latest year, according to Refinitiv IBES.
Walmart accounts for 4.6% of the $560.4 billion U.S. apparel market, followed by TJX, Target and Ross at 4.4%, 4.1% and 2.8%, respectively, according to GlobalData.
Bankrupt Bed Bath and Beyond was a leader in the home decor and furnishing industry along with furniture chains Ikea and Wayfair. This U.S. market stood at $169 billion dollars in 2019 and is forecast to hit $194.9 billion in 2023, according to Statista.
STORES OF THE FUTURE
In its “Stores of the Future” drive, Walmart is renovating 700 stores as part of a record $17 billion capital expenditure plan. By year end it will place its new clothing and home decor in snazzier displays in the revamped facilities.
Walmart’s, celebrity collaboration strategy, which was pioneered by rival Target, features women’s clothing designed by Brandon Maxwell of the Bravo show “Project Runway” and home organization products developed by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin from “The Home Edit” series on Netflix.
Near the front of one remodeled store, Walmart placed a $79 Beautiful by Drew Barrymore air fryer. Close by was a display of $27.50 Sofia Jeans for women, from its collaboration with Vergara, along with Reebok shorts and pullovers.
CFRA research analyst Arun Sundaram said Walmart could pick up sales of home decor following the bankruptcy of Bed Bath and Beyond, and it might gain market share from other clothing chains with inventory gluts.
He expects Walmart to spend $5.7 billion renovating its stores this year, up from $5 billion in 2022 and $3.3 billion in 2021.
Sundaram added that Walmart’s opportunistic move to double down on clothing and home goods “made sense” when the economy is slowing and not “when people are buying everything.”
Walmart’s previous effort to branch into fashion met with failure. In 2017 it challenged online retailer Amazon.com by acquiring upmarket brands Bonobos, ModCloth and Moosejaw, units it sold a few years later at fire sale prices in some cases. In 2005, Walmart’s Metro 7 fashion brand tanked and later designer lines with Max Azria and Norma Kamali also withered.
The strategy has bombed at some other retailers. J.C. Penney’s efforts to attract more affluent shoppers and reduce dependence on coupons alienated its core shoppers and eventually forced the more than a century-old retailer to file for bankruptcy in 2020. The company emerged from bankruptcy a few months later, but as a much smaller entity.
(This story has been refiled to add the dropped word ‘billion’ in paragraph 15)
Reporting by Siddharth Cavale in New York; Editing by Vanessa O’Connell and David Gregorio
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
BETHLEHEM TWP., Pa. – A new destination for sofas, curtains and other home decor is helping shoppers furnish their living spaces in Northampton County.
Dave’s Home Furnishing, a family-owned business offering furniture and home goods such as lamps, mirrors and wall art, opened Saturday at 2920 Easton Ave., Suite 9/10, in Bethlehem Township.
The new store occupies a renovated spot next to Petco in The Shops at Bethlehem, formerly known as Easton Commons.
Customers can shop furniture for every room, including bedroom, dining room and living room pieces, co-owner Zafirah Singh said. The store also sells mattresses and box springs.
“People are really excited,” Singh said. “We had a warm welcome on Saturday.”
Singh and her husband, Dave Singh, also operate Dave’s Department Store, selling furniture, housewares, clothing and more – at 282 Line St. in Easton.
The department store has been in its current Line Street space for about six years, but the business originated on Butler Street in Wilson in 2014, Zafirah said.
At the new Dave’s location in Bethlehem Township, customers can shop furniture along with other home furnishings such as lamps, curtains, vases, chair cushions, and wall and tabletop decor.
Dave’s carries chairs, tables and other pieces from a variety of furniture suppliers, including ACME Furniture, Cosmos Furniture and the business’ most popular manufacturer, Ashley Furniture, Zafirah said.
The Bethlehem Township store is open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.
“We’re definitely known for our curtains,” Zafirah said. “We’re from New York, and we use suppliers from New York and New Jersey. So, customers are able to find a lot of unique items that they can’t find in big chains.”
The Shops at Bethlehem is in a fast-growing area, on the border of Bethlehem and Bethlehem Township.
Directly to the east of the Giant-anchored shopping center, 220 apartments are planned at the site of the former Bethlehem Drive-in theater. The project is dubbed Thirty22 – a nod to its address, 3022 Easton Ave.
The Shops at Bethlehem also recently welcomed Poke Bar 25, a fast-casual eatery specializing in custom and signature poke bowls, bubble tea and smoothies.
Memorial Day is known as a great time to score deals on big-ticket items or to make any smaller purchases that you may have been putting off.
Many retailers will start discounting items the Friday before Memorial Day, so you’ll have a whole weekend to shop. Here are the best deals this year!
What’s Ahead:
Best all-around Memorial Day deals
Walmart – Save up to $1,000 on Samsung TVs; get discounts on patio and garden, toys, clothing, home improvement, pets, beauty, and more.
Amazon – The Memorial Day sale features summer savings deals from outdoor living, cooking, and barware to electronics and beauty.
Macy’s – Get 20%-60% off furniture, rugs, and mattresses, plus a free box spring or adjustable base with a qualifying purchase. Save 20% to 50% off select clothing styles, plus get an extra 20% off kids’ and baby clothes with the offer code CUTE.
JCPenney – The sale features up to 50% off mattresses, 40% off furniture, and up to 50% off home items, plus additional coupons on clothing, jewelry, and portraits.
Target – Save up to 25% on furniture, lighting, and home decor; save up to 20% on bedding and up to 15% on patio furniture, plus get free same-day shipping on orders over $75 through May 31.
Appliances
Find fantastic deals on large and small appliances, from refrigerators and washing machines to Roombas and coffee makers.
Lowe’s – Save up to $500 on qualifying appliances, plusfind Memorial Day deals on everything from small appliances and patio furniture to grills, tools, and home improvement. Get free local delivery on appliances when you spend a minimum of $299.
Best Buy – Save big on major appliances during the Memorial Day sale. Don’t forget to take advantage of the Price Match Guarantee.
Home Depot – Snag appliances up to 30% off, and find discounts on lawn equipment, power tools, home improvement items, and more during theMemorial Day savings event.
Mattresses
May is the best time to buy a new mattress. New models come out in the Spring which makes Memorial Day weekend sales the prime time for a mattress upgrade.
Avocado Green Mattress – Save $100 on green and vegan hybrid mattresses with the code HONOR through June 7.
Birch – Get $200 off, two free Eco-rest pillows, and free delivery with code MEMORIALDAY200.
Casper – Get 15% off mattresses, 10% off everything else, and 50% off final sale items.
Cocoon by Sealy – Save 35% off mattresses, plus free pillows and sheets during its biggest sale ever; the sale ends May 31.
DreamCloud – Get $200 off mattresses, plus $399 worth of accessories included; the sale ends May 30.
Haven – All mattresses are 50% off storewide, plus 30% off accessories.
Helix – Take up to $200 off mattresses, plus receive two free Dream pillows.
Mattress Firm – Take up to $500 off mattresses and receive a free adjustable base on a queen mattress purchase of $699 or more by using the code ELEVATE.
Nectar – Receive free pillows, sheets, and a mattress protector —a $399 value— with a mattress purchase.
Purple – Receiveup to $400 off a mattress, pillow, sheet, and mattress protector bundle.
Puffy – Get $300 off plus two free pillows with every purchase.
Serta – Save up to $1,000 off a mattress and base through June 7.
Tempur Pedic – Save up to $500 off select adjustable mattress sets.
Tuft & Needle – Save up to 20% sitewide through May 31.
Electronics and gaming
Aside from Black Friday, Memorial Day is one of the best times of the year to snag discounts on televisions, computers, smartwatches, games, and other electronic devices.
Dell – Get deals on PCs, laptops, monitors, and more during its summer sale event.
HP – Save up to 47% on select products, plus get limited-time deals daily.
Xbox – Get three months of an Xbox Game Pass subscription for $1.
Best Buy – Snag big-screen 4K TVs starting at $279; save up to $200 on Windows laptops.
Microsoft – Score a variety of discounts on a Surface, save up to $500 on select PCs, or cash in discounts on Xbox accessories.
Furniture, home decor, and improvement
If you’re looking to freshen up your home, now is the time to stock up on home goods, tools, and any remodeling supplies.
Overstock – Overstock’s Memorial Day Blowout Sale features up to 70% off thousands of items, plus free shipping on everything.
Pier 1 – Pier 1’s Memorial Day sale includes up to 50% off rugs, lighting, indoor and outdoor furniture, and home decor. Plus you can bundle a variety of candle fragrances for 15% off.
Wayfair – Snag deals up to 70% off during the Memorial Day clearance.
American Signature Furniture – Up to 20% off and 48 months of promotional financing.
Society6 – Their Memorial Day sale features 40% off wall art, 30% off home decor, and more.
Bed Bath & Beyond –Save up to 25% on outdoor furniture, decor, and kitchen appliances.
Ace Hardware –Discounts on lawn care and equipment, grills, patio furniture, and power tools through May 31.
Costco – Member-only savings include deals on patio furniture, mattresses, appliances, and electronics through June 13. Save an additional $150 when you buy two qualifying items for your home.
Clothing
Spring and summer clothing sales are upon us, and it’s the perfect time to give your closet a refresh. Find winter apparel on clearance and save on spring and summer fashions.
ModCloth –30% off sitewide, plus an extra 50% off sale items.
Nike – Get up to 40% off on markdown items.
Victoria’s Secret – Save 30% to 70% off more than 1,800 styles.
Old Navy –Save up to 50% off storewide with styles as low as $5.
Men’s Wearhouse – Get up to 85% off original prices.
Zappos – Save up to 30% off footwear, clothes, bags, and accessories.
Banana Republic – Receive an additional 50% off sale styles and 30% off regularly priced items.
Bloomingdale’s –Save 60%-70% off some clearance items plus save 30-50% off select clothing styles.
Outdoor
Prepare for a summer of fun by loading up on any outdoor equipment you might need.
Bass Pro Shops – Its outdoor sale runs from May 20 to June 2 and features discounts on tents, fishing gear, yard games, clothing, and camp furniture.
REI – Memorial Day coincides with its big anniversary sale. The deals include 30% off clothing, 50% off Nalgene water bottles, and 25% off select outdoor gear.
How to save more on Memorial Day
According to Consumer Reports, May is the best month to buy air conditioners, freezers, grills, mattresses, strollers, smartwatches, lawn equipment, and other home improvement and decor items.
The deals don’t stop at the Memorial Day sale. Many retailers will offer additional discounts on top of sale prices if you sign up for a rewards program, email updates, or a store credit card. You may also snag a promo if you’re a student or if it’s your first order.
Poke around to see if you can find any promotional offers and pay attention to any pop-up ads so you don’t miss an opportunity to save money on your purchase. Usually, a sales representative will ask you to sign up if you’re physically in a store, but you can ask during checkout if not. Some businesses may not let you combine coupons while others do. Either way, it’s worth a try to rack up savings.
Furthermore, big-name retailers like Best Buy offer a price match guarantee, so shop around to see if you can find a product cheaper elsewhere before you buy it. That way you know you’re getting the best deal around.
Summary
Memorial Day weekend is one of the best times of the year to go shopping. Just about every retailer will offer promotions, and you’ll score the deepest discounts on appliances, mattresses, and seasonal goods. Add more savings to your purchases by signing up for a rewards program or by taking advantage of price match guarantee promotions.
A GUY who criticized his sister’s “tacky decor” has compared it to a bad home goods store.
Three items, in particular, came under his reproachful eye, and he was not impressed.
But his ironic delivery was lost on many viewers, who considered his appraisal unfair and disrespectful.
In the comments section of his post, he faced his own roasting and an onslaught of critics who wanted to forcefully share their views.
Alex Van Gurp (@alex.vangurp) has over 36,000 followers and another 455,000 likes.
In this video, he filmed himself at his sister’s home, reclining on the stairs, as he posed a question to his followers: “Would you have these things in your house?”
He then continued, focusing his attention on three household accessories: “There are tacky things in my sister’s house, that make no sense,” he said.
In his consideration, it wasn’t giving good vibes: “It’s giving bad Home Goods,” he shuddered.
First was an innocuous placemat with a jaunty nautical theme that said: “Life is better at the beach.”
“How do you not make fun of that? It’s right in front of you,” he said.
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Then came a sign that read: “Our Family,” mounted on the wall dedicated to her moms, dad, brothers, and sisters.
“Our family,” he said dripping with sarcasm.
Lastly, it was a utensil pot in the kitchen that was labeled: “Home sweet home.”
In another post, Alex acknowledged the flack he attracted after his video went up.
“You guys tore me apart,” he said. But he was at pains to explain that all was good between him and his sister.
“For real it’s all in good fun. Me and my sister are very close and I make fun of her house every single time I go.”
An example of the criticism he faced included this comment: “You forgot to include the judgemental sanctimonious brother.”
But there were those who also completely got his irony: “Yes, the signs that say kitchen, laundry, pantry. Lol. Live. Laugh. Love. No,” said this commenter.
The final remark reckoned he was hilarious: “I think it’s as funny as hell,” they said.
We’ve been spending waaaaay too many hours on Instagram again and have stumbled upon three accounts that you have to follow. What makes these accounts special – besides the obviously awesome photos – are that they’re all curated by badass shop owners who not only have an amazing eye for style and design, but also run a successful business, some even doing it with little ones running around! We know life isn’t always as pretty as Instagram filters make us believe, but these women are doing a fine job at a.) juggling rockstar lives and b.) making us obsessed with everything they touch!
First off, hide your wallets. Or don’t. Mür is a carefully curated home goods store run by Danielle and her hubby, Joel. Selling timeless pieces for the kitchen like ceramic pitchers, copper mugs and linen aprons, you might, like us, just die over every product shot. Beyond that, we love that these pretty pieces appear to fit seamlessly in a lifestyle of busy, business and babies – something that this pair definitely seems to have a hold on!
Parc is a fun, growing their new second location just opened! boutique in bustling Minneapolis filled with ‘all the goodies’ – from gorgeous garments for the minimalism lover to hand-made jewelry, ceramics and everything beautiful in between. Thao is always giving us first looks at what’s just arrived through the shop’s doors. Paired with her gorgeous styling we could literally take “one of each, please!”
Juley is a blogger here, co-founder of Montrose in Texas and quite possibly the most adorable gal, ever. Hailing out of NOLA, this business babe is always sharing her favorite hangouts in New Orleans – the city is on our must-visit list now! – as well as her stylish #ootd which’ll certainly make you rethink how to look chic in the heat. With a refreshing feed how many times do we have to see the same frequented LA haunt? and equally unique flair, you’ll def want to follow her!
Any other inspirational business babes you love to follow? We wanna know!
You can check out our archive of enviable Instagrammers right HERE.
Replacing worn or outdated furniture and household items can be fun and uplifting. But many new mass-produced items, sometimes referred to as “fast furniture” sold at big-box chain stores, are usually made with cheaper composite materials or chemical stain repellants that will off-gas once they are in the home. Off-gassing is the airborne release of chemicals and volatile organic compounds, or VOCs (architecturaldigest.com/story/what-is-off-gassing).
Much like trendy “fast fashion” clothing, fast furniture isn’t made for durability. Once worn or broken, these items are typically destined for the landfills. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that in 2018, the most recent data available, 9,680 tons of furniture was landfilled, up from 2.2 tons in 1960 (tinyurl.com/5xhk999p). Because new furniture is often manufactured overseas, it generates carbon emissions from being shipped across the globe.
For those that want to circumvent mass-produced furniture, home décor and kitchen items, buying used items from local thrift and resale stores is a good place to start. Habitat for Humanity ReStore, with locations in Franklin, Wauwatosa and Greenfield (milwaukeerestore.org), offers used furniture, lighting, building materials, home accessories and more. Proceeds from ReStore sales go toward Habitat for Humanity’s affordable home ownership programs.
Thrift stores such as Value Village, Goodwill and St. Vincent de Paul, each with multiple locations through Milwaukee, carry furniture and home décor. Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood is a haven for shops selling used furniture and home décor: Spectre Vintage (437 E. Stewart St.), Tip Top Atomic Shop (2343 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.), R Vintage N More (2653 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.), Ormson Supply (2866 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.), BC Modern (3116 S. Chase Ave.) and Good Land Antiques (3391 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.).
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Also on the South Side, Dupree’s Vintage (915 Milwaukee Ave., South Milwaukee) has furniture and home decor. Walker’s Point is home to several antique sellers such as Dime A Dance (1134 S. First St.) and Farm Girl Art & Antiques (803 S. Fifth St.). On the north and west sides of town, Dandy (5020 W. Vliet St.), D&R Affordable Used Furniture (5718 W. Center St.) and A-1 Furniture & Appliance (5601 W. National Ave.) offer used furniture. Out in the suburbs, there’s Antique 2 Modern Used Furniture (13819 W. National Ave., New Berlin).
Some resale stores are only open during select hours, so call ahead.
New Wares Made Sustainably
Sometimes resale and thrift stores don’t always have what we’re looking for. When seeking sustainably made new items, The Sustainable Furnishing Council recommends looking for seals of third-party certifiers, such as Forest Stewardship Council, to be sure wood used to produce the items is sourced in an environmentally sound manner. Look for furniture with little to no VOC finishes, and textiles made from natural fibers (sustainablefurnishings.org/content/questions-to-ask-answers-to-look-for).
Sustainably minded stores in the Milwaukee area that sell new furniture and home décor include La Lune Collection (930 E. Burleigh St.), founded by interior designer Mario Costantini. His collection of rustic wood seating, cabinetry, beds and more are crafted by hand in Wisconsin by skilled artisans. La Lune harvests only fast-growing and invasive wood species, and products are made as ordered.
Il Bosco (225 S. Second St.) offers environmentally conscious furniture and home goods, and repurposed or upcycled handmade stools, tables and shelves. Olsen House (4326 N. Oakland Ave.) features a curated collection of blankets and pillows, kitchenware, holiday items, vases and planters by artisans, and furniture designers with a focus on Scandinavian aesthetics.
For kitchenware and household décor, Ursa Milwaukee (2534 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.) and Sparrow Collective (2224 S. Kinnickinnic Ave.) has glassware, art, mugs and tea towels made by eco-conscious artists and small producers. Murray Hill Pottery Works (2458 N. Murray Ave.), a pottery studio with classes and workshops, has a small retail space with artists’ products like plates, mugs and home décor.
Green Life Trading Co. (1039 S. Fifth St., in the former Glass Pantry space), and natural foods grocers Beans & Barley (1901 E. North Ave.) and Outpost Natural Foods (multiple locations) carry kitchen items and gadgets made from recycled or responsibly sourced materials, and fairly traded items. Plowshare Fair Trade Marketplace & Education for Peace (219 W. Main St., Waukesha offers fair trade dish cloths and gifts.
Free money sounds too good to be true, but there are actually a number of different ways to get your hands on money with no cost and very low effort on your part.
Here, we’ll take a look at more than 20 free money apps that will put some extra money in your pocket with minimal time or effort.
While you’re not going to get rich or generate a full-time income from these apps, you will be able to get a little bit of extra money that you can spend, save, or invest. And best of all, anyone can do it.
Best Free Money Apps
1. Swagbucks
Best for: Earning easy money in lots of different ways during your spare time.
If you’re looking to make some extra money in your down time, you’ll definitely want to check out Swagbucks. This popular website and app gives you several different ways to make money including:
Taking short surveys
Watching videos
Playing games
Downloading and installing apps
Taking advantage of special offers
Cashback for your online purchases
Using the Swagbucks search engine
Most people know Swagbucks as a survey app, and while that’s true, you can make more money with Swagbucks than most other survey apps because there are so many different ways to earn.
Each task or activity will earn you a specified number of points (referred to as “Swagbucks” or SB). After you’ve accumulated some SB, they can be redeemed for your choice of rewards, including cash via PayPal or a wide variety of gift cards.
The best way to earn significant amounts of money with Swagbucks is to take advantage of special offers. When you’re logged in to the dashboard, click on “Discover” to see the offers that are currently available. You might be able to earn Swagbucks by creating an account at a website, opening a bank account, starting a free trial, or any number of other things. The offers change frequently and if you take advantage of the highest-paying offers while they’re available, you can do pretty well with Swagbucks.
One of the many reasons to love Swagbucks is that you can redeem your rewards very quickly. While some sites/apps don’t allow you to cash out until you’ve earned $20 – $30 in rewards, Swagbucks allows you to redeem your rewards for as little as $3. They also run a lot of sales, which allows you to get a higher value gift card for your points.
Get Swagbucks here|Read our Swagbucks review
2. InboxDollars
Best for: Supplementing Swagbucks as another way to make money with easy tasks.
InboxDollars is very similar to Swagbucks. As an InboxDollars user, you’ll be able to make money by:
Taking surveys
Watching videos
Playing games
Printing coupons
Shopping online
Claiming special offers
Like Swagbucks, the best way to earn money quickly with InboxDollars is through the special offers. The available offers will change periodically, but as an example of what you’ll find, right now here are a few of the offers that I see in my dashboard:
$10 to get a free insurance quote
$2 to enter a competition/giveaway
$1.50 to download an app and create a free account
$2 to get a free credit score and credit report analysis
Those are just a few examples of what’s available. If you take advantage of these easy offers, you can earn a decent amount of money with very little effort.
Unlike Swagbucks and many other similar sites, InboxDollars doesn’t work on a point system. Instead of earning points that will be redeemed for prizes, you’ll earn real cash. Each task or offer has an assigned dollar amount that you’ll earn.
InboxDollars requires you to have a balance of at least $10 in order to redeem your cash.
Get InboxDollars here| Read our InboxDollars review
3. Survey Junkie
Best for: Making money with simple online surveys.
While you can make money by taking surveys with both Swagbucks and InboxDollars, Survey Junkie is a bit different. Instead of offering surveys plus several other ways to make money, Survey Junkie focuses exclusively on surveys.
If you want to earn cash through online surveys, the best approach is to use a few different websites and apps. If you’re really active, you may run out of available surveys from a particular app, until new surveys are added. Using a few different sites or apps gives you more possibilities. Plus, you can pick and choose the surveys you take since you’ll have more selection. You can opt to take only the surveys that allow you to earn the most money for your time.
Since Survey Junkie focuses exclusively on surveys, most people are able to make more at other sites like Swagbucks that have more options. However, if you’re looking specifically for surveys, there’s no better place to find them than Survey Junkie.
When you create an account and login to the dashboard, you’ll need to take a brief profile survey with some details about yourself so you can be matched up to the right surveys (you’ll also earn a little money for completing this intro survey).
Then you’ll see a list of the available surveys. Each one will list the amount that you’ll earn for completing it, as well as the estimated amount of time it will take to complete the survey.
Get Survey Junkie here.
4. Vindale Research
Best for: Supplementing Survey Junkie as a source of paid surveys.
Vindale Research is another survey website/app that allows you to earn money by:
Completing short surveys
Watching videos
Opening promotional emails
Referring your friends
Although Vindale offers a few different ways to make money, taking surveys is the primary offer here. You’ll earn real cash that can be redeemed by PayPal.
Vindale Research is a good option for anyone who wants to make money with online surveys. The income potential is not as high as Swagbucks or InboxDollars, but Vindale is worth including in your collection of sites/apps that you use for surveys.
Get Vindale Research here
5. Rakuten
Best for: Easy cashback for online purchases at thousands of websites.
Rakuten (formerly Ebates) is the most popular cashback website/app and you can save money on many of the purchases that you would be making anyway.
With a free Rakuten account, you’ll earn cash back at thousands of their partner stores and websites. While there are some options for cashback on in-store purchases, the majority of the offers are for online purchases.
Thankfully, using Rakuten is extremely simple. They offer a convenient browser extension you can install, and then whenever you visit a website that offers cashback through Rakuten, you’ll see a notice in your browser. All you need to do is click on that notification and Rakuten will track any purchases that you make and credit your count with the appropriate amount of cashback.
If you do any shopping online, using Rakuten is a no-brainer. It takes no extra effort and you can save money on a lot of the things you need to buy. The browser extension is awesome because you don’t even have to remember, it will notify you of opportunities. The browser extension will also automatically search for and apply coupon codes when you’re checking out, which will also save you a lot of money.
The amount of cashback you’ll earn will vary depending on the store and the specific purchase. It can range from 1% up to 50%.
One of my favorite things about Rakuten is the fact that you can stack these rewards on top of credit card rewards and other loyalty rewards to save even more.
Get Rakuten here | Read our Rakuten review
6. Ibotta
Best for: Cash back on grocery shopping.
Ibotta is another must-have cashback app. Unlike Rakuten, Ibotta is great for in-store purchase, as well as online shopping.
There are a few different ways you can use Ibotta:
Claim offers in the app and then scan your receipt after purchasing.
Link your store loyalty accounts from your favorite retailers to earn cashback faster.
Buy gift cards for your favorite stores and restaurants to earn cash back on the entire amount.
Earn cash back for online purchases that originate through the app or website.
With the help of Ibotta, you can save money on groceries, clothing, home goods, and more. Ibotta is easily one of the best ways to save money on groceries since they are partnered with many leading grocery stores and there are always a lot of offers available.
Before you go shopping, you’ll simply browse the current offers in the Ibotta app and claim the items that you want to purchase. After the purchase, you’ll scan the receipt using the Ibotta app and you’ll be credited for the offered items that you purchased. Alternatively, you can link your store loyalty account to Ibotta so you won’t need to scan receipts.
And just like Rakuten, Ibotta is great for stacking rewards on multiple levels. If you’re shopping for groceries, you can earn cashback through Ibotta, earn cashback or rewards through your credit card, and rack up loyalty points through the store’s program.
Get Ibotta here | Read our Ibotta review
7. Fetch Rewards
Best for: Supplementing Ibotta to save more money on groceries.
Fetch Rewards is another cashback app, but it was created specifically for grocery shopping. It works a little bit differently than Ibotta. You don’t need to claim offers ahead of time. You’ll simply do your shopping and then scan the receipt with your phone or submit the digital receipt for your online grocery shopping.
The best thing about Fetch Rewards is that it’s very easy to use since you don’t need to browse and claim offers before you go shopping. You’ll simply open the app and scan your receipts. At any time, you can browse the app to see the available offers and see what purchases will earn you money, but you don’t need to claim anything. The cashback will be automatically added when your receipt is scanned.
In general, most people earn more cashback with Ibotta, but Fetch Rewards is great to use in addition.
Once you’ve accumulated some rewards, you’ll be able redeem them for your choice of gift cards.
Get Fetch Rewards here | Read our Fetch Rewards review
8. MyPoints
Best for: Alternative to Rakuten, plus surveys and other ways to make money.
MyPoints has a cashback component that is similar to Rakuten. You’ll earn cashback for your purchases at all of their partner websites. MyPoints also has a browser extension you can install that will notify you of money-saving opportunities while you’re browsing.
In addition, you can also earn money in a few other ways like taking surveys, watching videos, playing games, and printing coupons. Like Swagbucks and InboxDollars, there are also special offers available through the dashboard that allow you to earn points quickly.
MyPoints uses a points system and then those points can be redeemed for gift cards or your choice of rewards. However, the conversion of points to dollars is not as straightforward as Swagbucks, so MyPoints can be a little confusing. For example, a $10 gift card might cost you 1,590 points. The fact that it’s not a round number makes it a little more challenging to know how much your points are worth.
If you’re looking to make money with surveys, special offers, or cashback, MyPoints is definitely and app that you should be using.
Get MyPoints here
9. TopCashback
Best for: Maximizing your cashback for online purchases (offers are sometimes better than Rakuten).
TopCashback is very similar to Rakuten and it’s one of the best ways to get easy cash back for your online purchases. They have a huge collection of more than 4,000 partner retailers offering cash back through their platform.
Rakuten is the most-well-known cashback program and probably the easiest to use, but TopCashback actually offers higher amounts of cashback in many cases. Of course, the details vary from one retailer to the next, but TopCashback has done a really great job of providing users with the best offers possible.
If you’re looking to maximize the cashback you earn, you should be using TopCashback in addition to Rakuten. Like Rakuten, TopCashback also offers a browser extension and mobile app that provide easy and convenient ways to save on many of the purchases you need to make anyway.
Get TopCashback here
10. Dosh
Best for: Automated cashback from participating merchants, including local retailers and restuarants.
Dosh is a cashback app that provides automatic cashback. When you download and install the app, you’ll link it to your credit cards or debit cards and then whenever you make a purchase at a participating retailer, you’ll automatically earn the cashback for your purchase.
When you’re in the Dosh app, you can view the offers from retailers and restaurants that are near you. You can also shop online through the app and earn cashback.
One of the nice things about Dosh is that you’ll find cashback offers from many smaller businesses and local restaurants, not just the major retailers and chains.
After you’ve earned some cashback, you can redeem it by having it transferred directly to your bank account.
Get Dosh here | Read our Dosh review
11. Pei
Best for: Automated cashback, plus savings through the app/website.
Pei is another cashback app that allows you to link a credit or debit card to earn automatic cashback. You’ll earn cashback automatically from purchases made in-store at participating retailers, and you can also browse the app or website to find offers for shopping online.
You can even use Pei as a search engine to search for merchants or products and see if there are any current offers.
Pei is a great app for earning cashback on in-store purchases because it’s so simple to use and there’s really nothing you need to do after linking your cards.
One of the most interesting things about Pei is that you can claim your rewards in Bitcoin instead of cash, if you prefer.
12. Lucktastic
Best for: A chance at winning large prizes by playing games.
Lucktastic is a free app that allows you to earn money and rewards by playing games. You can win expensive trips and huge cash prizes (up to $1 million) with Lucktastic.
If you’re not lucky enough to win one of the big prizes, you can still earn tokens as you play and redeem those tokens for your choice of gift cards.
While hitting it big with Lucktastic certainly isn’t something that everyone is going to do, it can still be a fun way to try and make some money while playing games in your spare time. If you’re looking for something that gives you a more predictable way to earn money, the options covered earlier in the article would be more appropriate for you.
Get Lucktastic here
13. Mistplay
Best for: Earning smaller rewards, like gift cards, for playing games.
Mistplay is another app (available only for Android) that pays users for playing games. You can find and discover new games, earn units based on how long you play, and redeem those units for your choice of rewards.
As you use the app, you’ll be able to unlock different achievement badges and earn more units.
To date, Mistplay has paid out more than $13 million in rewards. Try another app that pays you to game here: Gamehag
Get Mistplay here
14. Zap Surveys
Best for: A good source for surveys that actually pay out.
Zap Surveys is the #1 survey app, and by using the app you can get paid to share your opinion on a variety of topics. To date they’ve paid out over $30 million dollars in rewards to Zap Surveys members, and when you sign up with our link you’ll earn $6.25 on your first survey.
Types of surveys they have include:
High paying surveys where you will not only be rewarded, but we will also donate to child starvation every completed survey!
Logo polling – get paid to tell companies what design they should use for their next logo!
Surveys that appear based on your location!
There is no limit to the number of times you can cash out, but the minimum cash out is $25.00. Cash out with PayPal, Amazon gift cards or Visa gift cards!
Get Zap Surveys here
15. Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel
Best for: A chance at monthly prizes, in exchange for your browsing data.
Nielsen is a data research company that’s willing to pay for your browsing data. Nielsen can be used on laptops in addition to mobile devices.
You’ll simply download it to your computer or device and let it run in the background. In exchange, you’ll be rewarded for leaving it active and have a chance to win the $10,000 that Nielsen gives away each month.
Get Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel here
16. Embee Meter CX
Best for: Passive rewards for your mobile browsing data.
Embee Meter CX is another mobile data research app (Android only) that rewards you for providing access to your device. Simply install the app on your device and you’ll earn “meter points” for leaving it active.
You can redeem the meter points for cash through PayPal or your choice of gift cards. Like Nielsen and MobileXpression, Embee Meter CX is an easy way to earn a little something extra.
Get Embee Meter CX here
17. UpVoice
Best for: Passive rewards for visiting websites you probably already visit.
UpVoice is another easy way to earn something for the things you’re already doing. You probably already visit websites like Amazon, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter on a daily basis, so why not get some rewards for it?
All you need to do is download UpVoice to your computer and let it run in the background. You’ll earn tokens whenever you visit these sites. After you’ve earned enough tokens, they can be redeemed for your choice of gift cards.
UpVoice obviously monitors your browsing, however, it’s anonymous and no personal data is tracked.
Get UpVoice here
18. Honeygain
Best for: Payment for sharing your internet access.
Honeygain is another option for earning money passively, but you don’t have to provide access to your data in order to do it. Instead, you’ll install Honeygain and it will allow users to access the internet from your location. There are a number of reasons why a business would want to do this, including testing to see what ads are being shown to a user at your location.
Other users don’t get any access to your data through Honeygain, and you’ll earn money for providing the internet access.
Like the other passive apps, you’re not going to get rich with Honeygain, but it does present an easy way to make a little bit of extra money.
Get Honeygain here
19. Rocket Money
Best for: Bill negotiation services to lower your monthly payments.
Rocket Money helps you to manage your finances in a few different ways, but the most significant is by reducing your monthly bills through negotiation. You can allow Rocket Money’s professional negotiators to work on your behalf to get you the best deal cable TV, internet access, mobile phone service, and more.
If Rocket Money isn’t able to save you any money, you’ll be charged nothing. If they are able to lower your bills, they’ll keep 40% of the savings.
Get Rocket Money here
20. Trim
Best for: Bill negotiation services to lower your monthly payments.
Trim is another bill negotiation service that’s similar to Rocket Money. Both companies offer some additional features and services as well, but the bill negotiation is the easiest way to save money.
Trim’s rates for bill negotiation are actually a little lower than Rocket Money. Just like Rocket Money, they won’t charge anything if they can’t save you any money, but they’ll take 33% of any savings.
Get Trim here
21. Paribus
Best for: Monitoring price changes for low-price guarantees and monitoring shipments from Amazon.
*Capital One Shopping compensates us when you sign up for Capital One Shopping using the links below.
Paribus from Capital One helps you to get easy money that is owed to you. You’ll sign up for free and link it to the email account you use for online shopping. Whenever Paribus sees a receipt it will automatically go to work.
After you’ve made a purchase, Paribus will monitor price changes and notifies you if the price has dropped on a purchase from a retailer with a price-match guarantee. They’ll tell you exactly what to do in order to get the refund that is owed to you.
Paribus also monitors shipments from retailers like Amazon and helps you to get compensation when a shipment is late.
Get Capital One’s other shopping tool, Capital One Shopping, to save money when you’re shopping online. The browser extenstion will tell you if you’re getting a good price, help you comparison shop and more. Read a full Capital One Shopping review here.
Get Paribus here | Get Capital One Shopping
22. Upside
Best for: Saving money on your gas.
Upside is a savings app that helps you to find the best prices on gas, and also get additional cash back savings once you find the best price.
Not only can you get cash back on gas, but many local restaurants, grocery stores and convenience stores have cash back offers available as well.
Upside works with major gas stations like Shell, BP, Exxon, Speedway, Holiday Stations and more. See gas prices near you at 9000+ stations and earn fuel rewards with real cash back every time you fuel up.
I’ve found that the stations near me typically advertise around $0.25 cents/gallon savings on their gas prices. You can also save additional money on the price by referring other users to the app.
We’ve been using the app quite a bit for Burger King and Wendy’s restaurants in our area as they give anywhere from 25-40% cash back on your order. That’s pretty awesome, and it usually stacks with cash back from other services like Dosh or Pei!
In checking our cash back history just now I realized we’ve earned over $1210 in cash back using Upside. I’ll take that!
You can cash out whenever you want in the app, and they pay cash back via PayPal, check, or gift card.
Sign up for the app through our link below, and use promo code: AFF25 to get an extra 0.25 cents/gal cash back on gas on your first fill-up.
Get Upside here
23. ReceiptPal
Best for: Making money on all of your receipts, no matter where they come from.
ReceiptPal is a receipt scanning app, similar to Fetch Rewards mentioned above. Often you can use multiple apps like this to earn rewards at more than one service. I personally use ReceiptPal and Fetch Rewards for most of my grocery receipts.
With ReceiptPal you earn rewards points simply for scanning all of your paper receipts, along with getting points for linked Amazon or email accounts where additional receipts can be counted.
For every 4 receipts you can you’ll get 100 points that you can use towards a reward. You can redeem your points with as little as 2200 points for a $5 Amazon gift card, or a Target, Lowe’s Best Buy or Visa gift card, among a few others. You can also refer other users and earn 250 points per user.
While it takes a while to earn rewards with ReceiptPal, I like it because it’s easy, and you’re taking something that wouldn’t otherwise earn rewards, scanning receipts, and monetizing it.
I just started using it a few months ago and so far I’ve been able to cash in my points for several $5 and $10 Amazon gift cards.
Get ReceiptPal here
Make Money With Apps In Your Free Time
While these apps may not make you rich, even a small amount of extra money is a good thing.
These free money apps work in various ways, but they all help you to make or save money with little-to-no effort needed.
Have your own favorite apps that you’ve used to make money? Tell us what they are in the comments!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there apps that pay you cash?
Yes, there are countless apps that will pay you in cash, bitcoin and gift cards. I’ve earned thousands of dollars myself by using many of these apps, and you can too. Check out our full list of apps at Bible Money Matters for more information.
What apps pay you instantly?
Most apps allow you to earn points until you reach a certain payout threshold. Some secret shopper and gig apps like Field Agent, Gigwalk or Mobee will give you an instant payout. Uber and lyft will also allow you to do a same day cashout, although there are some limitations. Other services like DoorDash will offer an immediate payout once you’ve been with them for a while, but not before.
What cash back apps are the best?
My favorite cash back apps are Upside, Drop, Ibotta, Fetch Rewards and Dosh. Apps like Dosh, Drop, and Upside even work automatically with no receipt scanning or anything else, once you link a credit card. I use them the most becaause they’re the easiest to use.
What apps pay you money to play games?
There are a lot of apps and websites that pay you to play games. Some of the more popular ones include Swagbucks, Mistplay, Gamehag, Inbox Dollars, Lucktastic, MyPoints, and Bananatic.
Can you make money from apps?
Yes, you can make money from apps. Some apps will pay you for doing your online shopping using their app. Others will pay you to fill out surveys, or to scan your receipts from your in-store purchases. Others will pay you to perform small tasks, or to partake in the gig economy (dog walking, ridesharing, etc). Others you can use to sell your stuff, and then get a payout when it sells. It just comes down to deciding how much time you have to invest, and how much you want to make.
Which apps pay the most?
The highest paying apps are probably going to be the ones where you’re actually engaging in a side hustle to earn income. Apps like Uber, Lyft, Rover and other gig economy apps can help you to earn close to a full time income. Other apps will have good sign up bonuses that it pays to take advantage of. Empower has a $20 Amazon gift card to sign up, Ibotta has a $10 sign-up bonus. Otherwise, other apps may take a while to earn as much as you want.
A popular retailer has filed for bankruptcy and has announced its store in Flint, Michigan, will close.
Christmas Tree Shops, a home decor, furniture, and discount gift retailer, is the latest business to file for bankruptcy protection. It has also announced ten of its stores will be closed.
The Christmas Tree Gift Shop (now known as CTS) first opened as a seasonal gift shop open between May and October in the 1950s. Bed Bath & Beyond owned it for some time before being acquired by Handil Holdings in 2020.
At the time of the bankruptcy filing, the brand had 82 stores across 20 states and employed more than 5,700 staff nationwide.
According to Forbes, the “company attributed the bankruptcy to high inflation, recent interest rate hikes and dropping consumer demand for home goods and seasonal decoration.”
“Christmas Tree Shops is in bankruptcyprobably for the same reasons as Bed Bath & Beyond but with less of a lead-up. It’s another store that sells everything, and you can still get that stuff easier from Amazon.” Ted Gavin, managing director and founding partner of Gavin/Solmonese, a corporate recovery firm
Stores closing in Flint, Michigan
The store in Flint was one of the ten stores listed to close. A sale has commenced, and according to a press release, “shoppers can take advantage of discounts up to 30 percent off the lowest ticketed prices throughout the store. These stores offer a huge selection of home décor, furniture, gifts, and so much more, including popular brands, now at even lower prices.”
4071 Miller Road, Flint, MI, 48507
No date has been listed for when the store may close, so shoppers should act quickly to take advantage of this sale.
Several retail chains have filed for bankruptcy recently, including Bed Bath & Beyond, Tuesday Morning, David’s Bridal, and Party City. Other major retailers such as Walmart, Macy’s, GAP, and Best Buy are also closing stores across the United States.
Your thoughts
Are you concerned about the number of retail businesses closing? Do you believe the government should offer these businesses more financial support? Do you fear we will head toward a recession? Who is to blame for this retail crisis?
Please leave your thoughts in the comments below and share this article on social media so more people can join the discussion. And to keep up to date with all the latest retail and business developments, make sure you click the follow button!