Welcome to the Lylia Rose UK money and lifestyle blog. My name is Victoria Sully. I'm a busy mum of two, wife, full-time blogger and online money-maker who’s always trying to make and save more money. I’m passionate about making money online, healthy living and blogging. I’m a mama on a mission to be healthier and wealthier! Please join me on my journey.
In my last blog post I said I was using four apps to make money and gift cards from my receipts. So far I have shared three of those with you and here is the fourth. I have recently discovered the receipt app called SnapMyEats and I will share my first impressions with you in this blog post.
What is SnapMyEats?
SnapMyEats is a smartphone app that allows you to earn Amazon gift cards from your food and drink purchases. Simply upload images of your receipts when grabbing food on-the-go, a snack from the local convenience store or a restaurant meal to get rewarded.
How much does SnapMyEats pay?
SnapMyEats pays in Amazon eGift vouchers. You’ll earn a £1 Amazon voucher per three validated receipts up to a maximum of £5 in Amazon vouchers for 15 receipts per month.
When does SnapMyEats pay out?
You snap your receipts and collect rewards each calendar month. The payout is then made on the 15th of the following month.
How do I earn Amazon gift vouchers with my receipts?
Open the SnapMyEats app
Take a short survey to say how many people were involved in the food purchase, where you ordered the food (in person, online, by phone, etc) and where you consumed the food.
Take a photo of your receipt
Submit the receipt and survey and voila.
The receipt will be validated in 3-4 days
Keep uploading more food and drink receipts throughout the month until you reach 15 validated receipts and earn the maximum of £5 in Amazon vouchers for that month
How do I redeem my SnapMyEats rewards?
There’s no need to redeem the rewards as they automatically send them each month, by the 15th of the month for all rewards earned for the previous calendar month.
I started last month and was sent a £1 Amazon UK gift voucher this month. It was sent by email and was very straightforward to copy and paste the code to Amazon by clicking the link in their rewards email.
I’m on track to make £5 for February which I’ll be sent by 15th March.
First impressions of SnapMyEats
The app is really, really basic and simple. There are no frills. It’s just a place to snap receipts and take the short survey about each purchase. It’s very straightforward and easy to do.
The only issue I have found is that you can only take one photo per purchase. This means you can't upload any receipts from Sainsbury's which is a shame, as their receipts are two-sided.
I always buy the kids a snack from the shop on a Friday after school and probably myself one or two per week, so I think I can easily make the £5 per calendar month. This means each receipt is worth around 33.3p just on this app which is great!
It’s quick to use the app and upload the receipt. Now I just need to remember to always say yes when asked if I want a receipt for food and drink purchases!
Regular readers will know I love making extra money from home, including earning cash from my receipts. It only takes a moment of time and makes a nice bit of pocket money. I’m always so excited when I reach the threshold for cashing out. I’d much rather use these sorts of phone apps than get hooked on addictive app games!
Earn gift cards from supermarket receipts with HuYu
The app I am going to share with you today is called HuYu. I’ve recently discovered this app and I now have four receipt apps that I make money from. My collection of this type of app is growing, which hopefully means I can make more money from most of my receipts if they qualify for all four apps!
I’m very new to HuYu and haven’t cashed out yet, but I wanted to share the app with you now so you can start earning too. I’ve seen other money bloggers write about the app so I’m confident it’s trustworthy.
My best advice is to always cash out as soon as you reach the threshold. It’s usually more beneficial to wait until you have more points, as you get more value for your points, but I always worry these businesses could fold and disappear so I prefer to cash out as soon as I can!
Which receipts does HuYu accept?
HuYu only accepts receipts from the following supermarkets:
Tesco
Morrisons
Sainsubruy’s
Asda
Waitrose
Aldi
Lidl
Co-op
How many points do I need to cash out on HuYu?
You’ll earn 5 points per receipt. You need 500 to cash out £5. The difference with this app is you earn gift cards rather than cash. It says a list of voucher options will be available at the time of redeeming your reward.
Top tips when using HuYu
You must upload your receipts within seven days.
Make sure the receipts aren’t blurry or the ink running out as they’ll probably not accept them
Use the receipt auto scan feature to capture and upload your receipts speedily
Click on ‘earn’ and go to ‘surveys’ to boost your points balance
Refer 3 friends to make a quick £1.50
HuYu referral scheme – give 50, get 50
HuYu allows you to refer three friends and you’ll each receive 50 points when they scan a receipt.
I only have two codes left to share which are:
TJ4EM4QS
3TCY6ANF
I’ll do my best to delete those as soon as they’ve been used. Drop me a tweet if you can to @lyliarose if you use one :)
Easily see how much you spend each month at supermarkets
One clever feature is the ‘Insights’ tab which shows you exactly how much you are spending at each supermarket retailer per month. It breaks this down into a visual graph and also lists the amounts per retailer. Just remember to upload every supermarket receipt to ensure this is accurate and you can use it to keep tabs on how much you are really spending at the supermarkets every month.
First impressions of HuYu
The app is really straightforward to use and I like the auto-scan functionality. I really like the insights tab and I’ll be checking this each month to keep an eye on our supermarket spending. It will take 100 receipts at 5 points each to reach the 500 point threshold, so I’m not going to be cashing out any time soon, especially when I go through phases of online shopping instead of going to the supermarket!
I’ll continue to use it alongside my other receipt apps. It’s habit now to save and photo every receipt, so I’ll be making the most money possible per receipt by using all the different receipt apps in a row!
If you’re always short on time, space in your home and money, then choosing to have a capsule wardrobe could solve all of these things!
Read on for tips on how I manage my capsule wardrobe, as well as how it will help you spend less and become clutter-free in your wardrobe.
Being a minimalist
I’ve shared my story a few times on my blog of how I believe I came to be a minimalist and lover of a capsule wardrobe. To cut a long story short, I moved house several times in my late teens and early twenties which included renting rooms in shared houses and bedsits.
Not only did I not want to lug so many belongings with me for each house move, but I also didn’t have much space at each property. I didn’t need to buy a lot of furniture and home décor as I only had a bedroom to furnish.
Once I settled with my husband I then had more space and belongings did at first begin to grow. They also grew with the arrival of our children who need a lot of things and grow out of things far too quickly! But having lots of stuff makes my head fuzzy!
I’m not one for mess or clutter and even just knowing I have things sat unused in cupboards or attics makes my head feel noisy. I’m definitely a minimalist by nature and so I’m always minimalizing our belongings so we don’t have too many items and only exactly what we need and use.
Ben still has a corner in the attic full of mostly junk which drives me quite insane. I’m sure he keeps it there just to irritate me. Every time I go up to the loft I see if I can find a couple of pieces that I can pass on or recycle. Believe me; he even has empty boxes up there from old electronics!
Stay clutter free in your closet with a capsule wardrobe
One thing I have now got Ben on-board with is a capsule wardrobe. I was already doing it for me and the kids and now he’s reduced his clothing collection too.
I’m forever clearing out the kids’ wardrobes as they outgrow their clothes so quickly. I only keep a small amount of clothes for them. Only what they need.
My own wardrobe is now down to around 50 items. That’s in total, for the whole year. I have a few items hanging – mostly tops, cardigans and a few dresses. Then I have a pile of shorts, trousers and leggings. I wear the trousers in the winter with boots and the summer with flip-flops. I also have a box of underwear and a box of gym clothes and pyjamas. I have two coats and a small selection of shoes – wellies, two pairs of winter boots, two pairs of pumps, one pair of flip-flops, smart flats and smart heels. That’s it. To be fair I could even get rid of the heels as I never wear them!
I wear stuff until it needs replacing or totally goes out of shape, not just a few times until I’m bored of it. This makes me much more careful with my clothing choices when shopping. It has to be something I will wear numerous times before I’ll consider buying it.
I’ve still tried to cut my own wardrobe down even more, but I think I’m now at my minimum! Ben’s clothes take up around half our homemade triple size wardrobe and mine take up around a quarter!
Save money, only buy what you really need
My trick is to layer in the winter and reduce layers in the summer. I pretty much wear the same wardrobe all year round. Only in the summer I won’t wear my boots or fluffy cardigan. Otherwise you’ll see me in the same outfits. In the summer I might wear my trousers with a pair of flip-flops and a vest top. But in the winter I’ll wear both the trousers and vest top, but I’ll add a t-shirt, cardigan, socks and boots.
I don’t see the need to buy specific winter and summer clothes when I can make do with what I have. Most clothes are suitable for all seasons, but it’s a case of layering them up when it’s colder. Even some summer dresses can have a pair of woolly tights or leggings added with a chunky cardigan to make them winter-worthy!
Having one set of clothes, instead of several sets of seasonal clothes, is definitely a much cheaper option.
Be intentional when buying clothes
My actual wardrobe (a couple of outfits are in the wash)
This year, 2019, I am doing a zero spend on clothes for the whole year! I am challenging myself to not buy any clothes for the entire year. I took a good look at my wardrobe and though it’s looking pretty scarce, I believe I have enough to get me through an entire year, all the seasons and beyond.
In recent years I’ve not been a big clothes shopper anyway, but I’d still sometimes splurge on something I spotted at the supermarket or that caught my eye passing a store. It’s usually these unintentional clothing purchases that end up sat in my wardrobe not getting worn very much! They are quick impulse buys for a moment of pleasure and I didn’t ever give them much thought. They were excitable purchases!
So even though I didn’t do it very much, I was still a sucker for quick impulse buys that I didn’t really need.
By stopping this altogether I will definitely save money this year.
I’m also making a promise to be intentional in the future when buying clothes, so I only buy what I set out to buy because I really need it.
Less choice, more time
I tend to wear the same clothes most days. I get stuck on a favourite comfy outfit and I’ll wear it several days in a row. Life is so much easier and quicker like this!
In my late teens I had a huge shopping addiction. I was obsessed with shopping for clothes and had around four rails overflowing with clothes and piles of clothes underneath.
I wasn’t always a minimalist!
It was really ridiculous, but also very overwhelming.
Getting ready took forever. There was so much choice every time I needed to get dressed. I had so many options and so many decisions to make.
I must have wasted hours every week just putting outfits on and off whilst I chopped and changed my mind.
What a waste of time!
Reducing that choice means you’ll have far more time to do other things. Sometimes having less options is better!
Smaller wardrobe, more space
You can now even buy some space-saving and beautifully designed single wardrobes which are perfect for keeping your capsule wardrobes on track. I love the MADE white single wardrobes I found here at Lionshome, but there are even cheaper options too. Or like us, you can make your own wardrobe. They are plenty large enough for all the clothes you really need and if you can’t fit your clothes in, then you’ve got too many!
Not only is a smaller wardrobe a cheaper option than a full size version, but think of the bedroom space you will free up! Large bulky wardrobes can impose on so much of the available space in a bedroom, especially if space is at a premium, so a single slim wardrobe is a much neater solution.
We originally had a regular size wardrobe each and I remember having to persuade Ben that we’d be fine with one triple wardrobe between us instead. I wanted to create more space in our bedroom and this reduced our wardrobe space by around 25%.
Ben was convinced and built us a lovely triple sized wardrobe from old pallet wood which he refurbished. Now I think we could have gone even smaller and saved more space in our bedroom!
Not only have we saved space with a smaller wardrobe to what we originally had, but we have also got rid of a couple of chests of drawers which used to house clothes. Now we just have the wardrobe and need nothing else.
How to save time, money and space with a capsule wardrobe
Having a capsule wardrobe really does suit my lifestyle and make clothing a lot more organised and affordable. I’d definitely recommend it if you are overwhelmed with the amount of clothing you own and want a simpler life.
To finish, here’s a quick look at how a capsule wardrobe is beneficial:
Save time – less time shopping for clothes you don’t need, less time choosing outfits, less time spent laundering, ironing and organising clothes
Save money – Buying less clothes will save money. Needing less storage for the clothes will save money on furniture.
Save space – the less clothes you have, the less storage space you need for them. Reclaim space in your bedroom by choosing a single wardrobe.
Stay organised – clothes washing becomes easier as there is less variety of clothes. Wardrobes stay organised and spacious as there are less clothes in them. Find clothes easier. Less clothes means less clutter and makes it easier to keep wardrobes neat and tidy.
Welcome to my Money Making Blogger interview series where I interview bloggers who are making money from their blogs!
Read on to discover how they make money from blogging and the steps they took to monetize their blogs. Feel inspired and learn something new from this series. Also learn how many hours they spend on their blogs per week and what sort of income this provides.
I get to write every day and make money by doing what I love. It’s amazing and still amazes me each day, even two years into making money from my website. It’s not without a lot of hard work though, so don’t be fooled into thinking you simply set up a website and voila, income starts rolling in. If only! I work more hours per week than I did in any full-time employed job!
In this series I am going to interview other bloggers who also make money from their blogs to hopefully inspire people to start a blog if they wish or to make that leap to monetizing content. I also find it so interesting to learn what other bloggers are up to. Even full time bloggers can learn from each other and inspire one another.
Tell us all about you and introduce your blog.
Hi, I'm Alberto Restrepo and I write about games and family activities at GameroomVault.com. I have two boys and we spend a lot of time playing games and having fun, so I really enjoy writing about these topics on my blog. We're always looking for new ways to spend time together, and when I was looking to make some extra money I thought this would be a great topic for a blog!
How long have you been blogging and when did you begin to make money?
I've been blogging about a year and a half. I think I started making money after about 3 months, but the dollar amounts were pretty small for a while. In the fall of 2018 things started to pick up and I've been making more money the past 4 or 5 months.
How much money do you make each month from blogging?
I guess I'd classify it as pocket money for now, but it might be in the part-time income range pretty soon. The fact that it's on an upward trend encourages me to keep going.
How do you make money blogging?
All of my income so far has come from affiliate marketing. That's what I started with because it's easy, but I may try some other things in the future. I've thought about display ads, but I'm not sure what impact they would have on my affiliate earnings. I like using affiliate links because I can tell people about products that me and my boys like, other people can get a great product, and I can make some money. It's a win-win as long as you're promoting good products and not just telling people to buy something that's junk.
How did you prep your blog to make money? Has it been easy?
The two keys for me are traffic and affiliate links. I use affiliate links in a lot of my content, so all I need to do is get the right visitors to the content (which is not always so easy). Aside from actually writing the content, trying different products and researching in order to write something useful is a big part of the process too.
What are your aims for your blog in the future?
I do plan to increase income, and I plan to do that by getting more traffic and continuing to use affiliate links. Google is my biggest source of traffic. I'd like to continue to increase that traffic, but I'd also like to do better with social networks. I'm especially interested in Pinterest, but I don't have that much experience with it yet. I plan to try using display ads on my blog, but if the affiliate revenue drops as a result of the ads, I'll take the ads down. I'm not sure when I'll try that, but probably within the next few months.
If someone is new to blogging, what should they focus on if they want to monetize?
Know your target audience. Don't publish random articles on lots of different topics because people aren't going to care about all of the things that you care about. Stick to one main topic and keep everything relevant. With that approach your blog will appeal to your target readers, and you'll be able to make money.
Can you think of 3 pros and 3 cons of blogging as a career choice?
Pros: 1) it's fun! 2) a lot of different ways to make money, and 3) it can open doors to other business and career opportunities. Cons: 1) it takes a lot of time, 2) you won't make money right away, 3) sometimes it feels like no one is reading.
What inspires you and what is the best thing about blogging?
My boys! I love having fun with them, and I get to write about many of the things that we enjoy. I'm also inspired to do the best I can to make money for them. I'd like to be able to make more money from my blog so I can work less at my full-time job and have more time at home.
Would you still blog even if you couldn’t make money doing it?
Yes, I would. I've had a few other blogs for fun over the years (they're not live anymore) and I've always enjoyed it. My current blog has lasted longer than my others because making money from it helps to make it worth my time, and it keeps me from jumping from one thing to the next.
Do you think blogging is here to stay?
Definitely! There are so many new blogs launching every day and I don't see that changing anytime soon. People love to be able to write about the things that they enjoy.
Thank you so much for taking part in my Money Making Blogger interview series and best of luck with your blog!
More helpful articles if you want to monetise your blog:
Whist many of us are aware that we need to have a yearly MOT check to ensure our cars are legally roadworthy, there are plenty of checks we can do ourselves to ensure our cars stay in top condition. A yearly car service is optional, but highly recommended to flag up any issues and to change filters and fluids. Both the MOT and a service will ensure your car runs optimally, however one thing that we can keep an eye on ourselves to ensure fuel efficiency and prevent breakdowns are the tyres.
It’s always a great idea to learn how to check the tyres ourselves on our cars. This will save us costly garage fees and breakdown costs associated with inadequate tyres. It will also ensure our cars are safe and roadworthy in-between MOT tests and servicing, particularly if you use your car on a daily basis.
Here are some of the ways you can cut costs and maintain your car’s tyres:
Replace worn tyres
If your tyres look worn and tired, then they probably are. Don’t drive with worn-out tyres. It’s not safe, legal or fuel efficient. You have two options for getting new tyres – either online or in-store:
· Order new tyres online
If you need to replace your car tyres then it could be a lot cheaper to source them online. With so many online options and companies competing for your business, you could find a really great deal compared to buying in-store. Plus there’s the availability of online voucher codes and cashback to reduce your purchase even more. You can order tyres online from Elite Direct Rainham Essex Branch and many other online retailers. Just remember to factor in delivery costs when working out the cheapest option for you.
· Haggle in-store
If you are buying in-store then don’t always go for the first price you are offered. Ring around a few tyre garages and ask for a quote for your tyres and fitting (if you need them to be fitted professionally). Share the best price you receive with each garage to see if they can beat it. Many garages will want your business and will be prepared to make a deal so you don’t go elsewhere.
Keep your tyres inflated
It’s really easy to inflate your own tyres at home with a tyre pump that plugs into the cigarette lighter socket. These cost as little as £10-£20 and mean you can do it wherever you are or without leaving home. This will save the cost of driving to a garage or fuel station and paying each time your tyres need more air.
Driving with deflated tyres increases the risk of a burst tyre and increases the risk causing of an accident. If you over inflate them you will have less traction on the road. You should regularly check the tyre pressure is correct as this will improve fuel efficiency by up to 3%.
To find the correct tyre pressure for your car, simply search online for a tyre pressure checker, enter your car registration and see the recommended pressures. The figures may be different for the front and back tyres.
Check the tread
Whilst new tyres might seem costly, it’s going to be a lot cheaper than driving around with tyres under the legal minimum tread depth. The minimum legal depth is 1.6mm, but you’ll want to change once you’re nearing this. In bad weather you’ll want to change your tyres once the tread reaches 3mm to ensure your car is safe in wet conditions.
You can use a 20 pence piece to measure the tread on your car by yourself. Place the 20p into the tread groove of your tyre. If the outer band of the 20p piece is covered then your tread depth is sufficient. However, if you can see the outer band then your tyres may not be legal and need to be checked immediately by a professional.
Learn how to change a tyre
Whilst you want to go to a garage to change the tyre properly and professionally to ensure the wheel alignment and everything else is perfect, it’s still a good idea to be able to change a tyre yourself. If you wake up to a flat tyre then it’s going to cost a pretty penny for a tow truck to take you to a garage. If you are able to learn to change a tyre yourself then you’ll be able to switch the damaged tyre for the spare and get yourself to a garage.
Check for objects
It’s good practice to check your tyres regularly for objects that may be stuck in them. These can cause slow punctures or even worse, a full on puncture whilst driving. It’s important to address any objects you do find by seeking professional help with a tyre specialist.
A good look at your tyres once in a while will show if you have any objects stuck in them. If you find anything, such as a nail, embedded in the tyre then the best advice is to leave it there. It is probably plugging the gap for now and it may be safer for you to leave it there whilst you drive to your nearest tyre centre.
How to save money by maintaining your car tyres
Keeping your car tyres in good nick will keep you safe, but it will also save you money. Here’s why:
No costly breakdowns or recovery – Under-inflated tyres can cause blow outs, objects in tyres can cause punctures and too little tread is not safe in bad weather. Driving in any of these circumstances can increase the likelihood of a breakdown which will result in recovery and breakdown expenses.
Better fuel efficiency – Under-inflated tyres increases your fuel consumption!
Invalid insurance – If your tyres are not roadworthy or legal then your insurance policy will be invalid in the event of an accident.
Spot other problems – Uneven wear on tyres can flag other car issues like an issue with the suspension. Noticing these signs could prevent some major repairs or breakdowns in the future.
Avoid fines for illegal tyre tread – There’s a £2500 fine per tyre that is below legal tread depth if caught. That’s £10,000 if all four tyre treads are less than 1.6mm.
Keeping your car tyres roadworthy will ensure your safety and save money at the same time.
