There’s a lot that happens when you enter your 20s, one of them being witnessing more and more people settle down, get married and have children. It’s very exciting, but the costs of everything—weddings, baby showers and children’s birthday gifts—add up fast. Factoring these expenses into my budget can be challenging—but I found two money-saving apps that are the answer to my prayers.
Allow me to introduce to you Raise and Slide. They’re both wholly original, and have made shopping for gifts a million times easier. I no longer have to think about it so much and I can save money. Budgeting has become so much easier, and purchasing gifts is way less stressful. The best part? They’re both totally free, user-friendly, and come with their own set of perks. All you have to do is download both apps and create accounts to start shopping and reap the benefits.
If you’re constantly buying gifts or preparing for a baby, you need these two money-saving apps in your life—and I’ve broken down exactly why below. Keep scrolling to learn everything you need to know about Raise and Slide, how they work and how to use them, and why I’m obsessed.
Everything you need to know about Raise and Slide:
What is Raise?
Raise is a mobile app and website that helps save shoppers money by providing them with discounted gift cards they can purchase and use at over 4,000 retailers nationwide. Some of these retailers include Target, Old Navy, Gymboree, and Amazon. These gift cards work in-store and online, and come in digital and physical form. Additionally, the app also lets you sell gift cards. So, if there’s one that you have and don’t see yourself using, you can sell it and make some extra money.
What is Slide?
Slide pays you to shop—it instantly gives you 4-5% cash back when you shop in-store or online at one of the 200 retailers they’re partnered with, like Ulta Beauty or babyGap. You can then use this cash back towards future purchases, or withdraw it and add it to your Venmo or PayPal account. There’s no catch, either—there’s no limit to how much you can earn.
You can also preload your account and add funds to your Slide balance, like you would for PayPal or Venmo. Should you choose to do this, you’ll also earn an extra 1% cash back.
How they work:
Both of these apps are extremely user-friendly, so they’re incredibly easy to use. All you have to do is download the app, create an account, add a payment method, and start shopping. The best part is that everything can be done right from the app.
How to use Raise:
After you purchase a gift card, it’ll be in the app’s mobile wallet under the “My Cards” section within minutes. From there, you can then use it to shop online or in-stores. All you have to do is enter the serial number and PIN of the gift card at checkout if you’re shopping online, or present it in person.
Raise also offers Raise Rewards, which is equivalent to receiving cash back. To earn these rewards, all you have to do is buy face-value gift cards for an exact amount (like $147.50). These rewards are then stored in your account and can be applied to future orders.
How to use Slide:
At checkout, all you have to do is enter the purchase subtotal, and Slide will generate a unique barcode with a serial number for you. This barcode works like a gift card; you can present it in-store at checkout, or enter the serial number in the gift card field online.
My thoughts:
I’ll start by saying this: I am a huge online shopper. With the amount of wedding and baby showers and children’s birthday parties I’ve had to attend lately, going to the store for everything would just take up too much of my time. However, that said, I spend a lot of time on my computer for my job, and at the end of the day, I often just want to rest my eyes and stop staring at a screen. In turn, this makes me more liable to forget about ordering a gift in time.
Thanks to Raise and Slide, I no longer have to worry about forgetting or straining my eyes—I can do everything right from my phone and on-the-go. Navigating both apps is so easy, too, and ordering through and from them was as smooth as can be. All of my orders came in on time or earlier than expected.
My thoughts on Raise:
Raise is awesome because you can save money and get more bang for your buck. For example, if you want a $25 gift card to Old Navy, you might find one available for purchase on Raise for $21. You’ll still get $25 worth of gifts while saving money. I was able to purchase extra gifts for my nephew without going over budget, all thanks to Raise. Of course, the Raise Rewards are a great incentive to purchase gift cards at face-value, but either way, you can’t lose.
In addition, I was blown away by how quickly my gift cards were delivered. Within minutes (no exaggeration), they were in the “My Cards” section on the app as well as my email. This helped speed up the shopping and buying process and made the biggest difference.
Since using the app, I’ve saved nearly $60 on just a few purchases alone. Think about it: That’s a lot of money, especially with inflation right now.
My thoughts on Slide:
Slide is great because there’s no limit to what you can earn, and you can also add a cash back credit card to your payment method. That’s right—you can earn rewards on top of rewards. Plus, the fact that you can do everything right from the app is also an added bonus. The interface is streamlined and extremely user-friendly.
It’s also comforting knowing that you can make money off money you’re spending. I purchased a customized Build-A-Bear for my niece’s first birthday through the app, and already earned cash back on an under-$40 purchase.
In conclusion…
In all honesty, there isn’t a person in the world who won’t benefit from using Raise and Slide. The ways to use both apps are endless—wedding or baby shower gifts, travel, and more. When it comes down to it, both can help you save tremendously. And let’s be real: In this current economy, that’s huge. You can budget without really budgeting. Plus, the fact that they’re both free to join means you really can’t lose.
Regardless of what you’re shopping for—weddings and baby showers, your own child, yourself or friends and family—there’s something for everyone on these apps. Do yourself a favor and practice smart spending by using Raise and Slide whenever you can. Your bank account will thank you.
Thank you very much for sharing these apps. This is something for my girlfriend would benefit from 🙂
Author
So happy to hear that! She will definitely L O V E it! Thanks for reading!
First time hearing about Raise and Slide. So happy I read this article.
Author
I hadn’t heard of them until recently either, but they are major game-changers!
I’ve never heard of these before but now I wonder if they are available for use outside of the US. Thanks for sharing!
Author
I really hope they are! They’re serious game-changers! Thanks for reading!
Never heard of these money-saving apps. I currently use Fetch rewards where you accumulate points that may be redeemed for gift cards. It is similar to the SLIDE app. I will be checking out these 2 app. Thanks for sharing Flawlessworld.
Author
I haven’t heard of Fetch but now I’ll have to check it out! If you enjoy that app, you’ll definitely enjoy Raise and Slide; they’re so easy to use! Thanks for reading!