I’m getting several dozen free eggs this month, and so can you. Or maybe you can, depending on how the deal shakes down for you. (More on that in a minute.) But at the very least you’ll get a very decent discount.
A shopping app called Ibotta is offering a $2.50 rebate on eggs every Friday in February. Obviously a dozen eggs costs a lot more than that these days; they’re currently $7.69 per dozen for a basic store-brand dozen. But by combining a few frugal hacks, I’ll get those cackleberries for zero dollars.
In fact, I’ll be earning money for buying them. Here’s how it will work:
- I’ll apply a 50-cents-off supermarket coupon. It’s good only once, but maybe another coupon will show up next week. (Even if it doesn’t, I will still get free eggs.) $7.69 – .50 = $7.19
- I’ll pay with gift cards I got for free from a couple of rewards programs I use. $7.19 – $7.19 worth of scrip = $0
- Ibotta will put $2.50 into my account. $0 + $2.50 = $2.50
To find out how to use Ibotta and the programs that give me free gift cards, see “Rewards programs FTW!” There’s a brief learning curve, but these programs are so worth it. They have saved us many hundreds of dollars on household items, remodeling supplies, food and more.
Our national mania about egg prices is great fodder for comedians, but no joke* for average people. I have found some decent substitutes for baking, and DF has cut back on his meat-and-eggs breakfasts. But if a company wants to give me free eggs this month, I’m in.
A lot of work for free eggs?
Does this sound like more work than you want to take on? It doesn’t have to be super-onerous. For me it’s not a big deal because:
1. My accounts are already established.
My rewards programs (especially Shopkick and Fetch Rewards) are fairly plump right now. Cashing in for a $10 card is possible each week of the promotion. (Pro tip: Fetch Rewards takes a few days to fulfill card requests, so don’t put off ordering.)
Those who only recently downloaded these apps – or who hadn’t considered downloading them until hearing about the chance at free eggs – will have fewer points. On the other hand, it can be possible to amass quite a few if you’re lucky enough to need the products being offered.
Suppose you have no points at all, and no gift cards from other sources? Use the deal anyway! Getting $2.50 back is a decent amount of savings.
2. I’m at the store a lot.
Deal-hunting is a hobby, and at times a ministry. Thus any time I’m out and about, I hit at least one store. Doesn’t hurt a bit that my favorite supermarket is in the same strip mall as the gym** that I use.
That means more chances to earn points, especially since some of these rewards programs reload quickly. For example, last week Ibotta had a free-after-rebate offer for a lactose-free milk product. The deal went right back up the next day, and I hope to take advantage of it soon. (I don’t drink the stuff, but a neighbor’s relative does.) Since I’ll pay with a gift card earned from free points, this means the $4.69 that goes into my Ibotta account is free money.
Support your local blogger!
The above-linked article does more than explain how these programs work. It also offers a way for readers to help me keep the blogging lights on. Specifically, it shows you how to join one or more of these programs using a referral link or code that means extra points for me.
Do you have to join that way? Of course not. You can just hit the App Store.
Would I appreciate the points? Oh heck yes. I use rewards programs to get things for our household, items to donate to social service agencies (including the local food bank), and birthday and holiday gifts. I can also cash in for movie gift cards, or restaurant gift cards to use when visiting my daughter.
Incidentally, once you’ve joined you can start referring family/friends and get extra points from them. #GreatCycleOfSocialCommerce
Free eggs = budgetary boost
Maybe you don’t like prowling the shops and/or live far from stores and/or don’t have reliable transportation. If that’s the case, this hack would be harder to use. But if you can swing it, you’ll be getting free protein.
I missed the first week of this promotion, learning about it the day after it launched. But you can bet I’ll be taking advantage of it the other three weeks in February. Free eggs are a nice boost to our food budget.
Readers: Will you be checking out this offer? Why or why not?
*I struggled mightily to avoid using the phrase “no yolk…” Well, that didn’t work.
**It’s a Planet Fitness that I joined on advice of my physical therapist. Got in under the wire for their $10-a-month plan. Can’t beat that (although you can beat an egg).
Related reading:
Love combining/stacking, so that you can get items for free.
Can you provide a link for Abbie’s blog? Or is it still down?
Thanks.
Still down, alas. I will let her know people are asking about it.
Thank you!
I got the Ibotta egg deal last week! I always check Ibotta before going to the store, and thought it was a one time deal – thanks for letting me know it is weekly so I can help family / friends get cheaper eggs! Cheapest I could find by me were at the new Trader Joe’s ($4.99/doz) – but they were OUT! Aldi and Publix were surprisingly, the same price ($5.99/Doz) and since Publix is closer I got them there. After Ibotta my price was down to a more “reasonable” $3.49/doz or .29 cents per egg. Pretty bad when you have to figure out your “cost per egg” when price checking. Sigh.
Sad indeed. I have already sent away for a second Kroger gift card to go with the one I have in hand.
There’s an additional deal through Shopkick, for $1.88 worth of scrip on a brand of eggs called “Farmland.” Unfortunately that brand is not sold here. If it were, I’d be getting paid $4.38 to eat a dozen eggs.
Thanks for being such a consistent reader and commenter. Loveyour idea about sharing the deal with family/friends.
I remember the days when accidently dropping an egg on the floor was not a big deal. Now they’ve become like precious gems. I bought an 18 pack of store brand eggs two weeks ago for $4.49 here in Massachusetts. That makes each egg cost about .25. I’m returning to the store today to pick up some staples so although I don’t need eggs, I’ll check out the price.
I’m going to check out the apps you mentioned too and put them to work for me if possible. Thanks.
You’re lucky to get that price these days. Definitely check out the apps, because you can use the gift cards to buy things you need or things to give to others.
And of course signing up through my referral links (provided in the article) will be a help to me.
I just happened to see, and use, the $2.50 any egg Ibotta rebate last Friday. I didn’t know it was every Friday the entire month of February. Woohoo!! Thank you for letting me, and all your other followers know. You bet I will be using my reward points from other programs along with the Ibotta offer to get FREE Friday eggs for the rest of the month.
Me, too, also. I predict a month of bigger-than-usual breakfasts for DF, which is a good thing because now he’s skiing again.
In case anyone does not know, you can freeze eggs.
Crack them open. Discard or compost shells. Whip two or three eggs at a time with a fork. Pour them into your freezer container and freeze until you need them. I used old small Tupperware containers with lids and deli plastic containers with lids. I think the last time I did this, mine were frozen for about 6 months.
You can use them for scrambled eggs (2 eggs for my husband – I don’t eat them, and we add milk to ours prior to cooking), or in cakes and muffin mixes (most of which call for three eggs).
Q. What did the Little Red Hen say to the Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs?
A. “Amateur!”
—
Seriously, thanks for the info.
Ha!