As October rolled in, the morning air definitely felt different. Walking through the parking lot of the grocery store with my shopping cart, the cool breeze lifted my spirits.

But when I got home and opened my wallet, I found a huge stack of receipts. There were receipts from the Korean market, Costco, the local grocery store, and the gas station, all piled up from the week.

A friend saw them and told me not to just throw them away but to take pictures of them with an app. She said just taking pictures of the receipts would earn me points. Honestly, I was skeptical.

So, I decided to calculate how much I could actually earn using the two apps I use the most, Fetch and Ibotta. To cut to the chase, the level of satisfaction really depends on where you set your expectations.

First up is Fetch. This app accepts almost all receipts, regardless of the brand. Whether it's from a grocery store, restaurant, or gas station, you earn basic points just by scanning.

The basic earning is 25 points per receipt. And 1,000 points can be redeemed for $1. So, that means each receipt is worth 2.5 cents.

When I first saw that number, I chuckled a bit. 2.5 cents? Still, I had to see it through to the end.

If we assume that my household generates about ten receipts a week, that's roughly 40 receipts a month. With 40 receipts at 25 points each, that totals 1,000 points, exactly $1.

If it ended there, it would be pretty disappointing. However, Fetch also offers bonus points for purchasing specific brand products. This is where the real difference lies.

Comparing various reviews, it seems that just the basic points amount to a few dollars a month, but if you consciously buy bonus products, the earnings can increase significantly. Ultimately, it depends on how much your shopping list overlaps with those products.

And there's something important to note. You can't cash out with Fetch; you can only redeem points for gift cards. They offer gift cards for places like Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Starbucks.

Most gift cards can be redeemed starting at 3,000 points. This means it would take about three months to accumulate enough points if you're only earning the basic points.

You need to scan paper receipts within 14 days of the purchase date. If you miss that window, they won't be processed. If you're like me and tend to hold onto receipts, you really need to be careful about this.

Next up is Ibotta. Its structure is completely different. You can't just submit any receipt; you have to purchase products for which you've activated offers in the app to earn cashback.

On the plus side, you receive actual cash. Each offer typically gives you anywhere from a few cents to about $2. The offers mainly feature well-known brand products.

The downside is the withdrawal threshold. You need to have a balance of $20 to cash out. That's quite a high bar for someone who uses it occasionally.

The deadline for submitting receipts is also shorter than Fetch's. According to Ibotta's official help, you need to submit your receipts within 7 days of the purchase, or they'll be considered too old after the 8th day.

So, how much can you actually earn in a month? Review sites suggest that occasional users might earn between $5 and $15 a month, while regular users could earn between $15 and $50.

This is purely based on the experiences shared by reviewers. If you primarily shop at the Korean market, you might end up buying fewer American brand products that have offers, which could lower those numbers.

At first, I wondered if scanning receipts from the Korean market was even worth it. But since Fetch gives basic points for those too, it's definitely better than throwing them away.

Here's my practical approach: I use Fetch to habitually scan all receipts. Ibotta is for quickly checking offers before I go shopping.

Many people use both apps together. They have different characteristics, so there's little overlap, and you can take advantage of each app's strengths. Just make sure to check the receipt rules for each app when you sign up.

However, buying things you wouldn't normally purchase just for the offers isn't saving money. Spending $4 to get $1 cashback isn't really a deal.

You should also consider the time it takes to take pictures of the receipts. It only takes a few seconds per receipt, but if you miss the deadline, it can be quite frustrating.

That's why I've established a routine of taking pictures right after I leave the checkout line, in my car. It only takes about 10 seconds before I start the engine. This way, I've significantly reduced the chances of missing deadlines.

It's also good to know that the app collects your receipt photos and purchase history. If you're concerned, you can disable additional permissions like email integration and just take pictures.

In summary, using receipt reward apps won't drastically reduce your living expenses. But if you can earn the cost of a coffee or a snack every few months from receipts you would have thrown away anyway, isn't that a pretty good deal?

If it were me, I'd start with Fetch to build the habit, and on months when my shopping list is more focused on American brands, I'd take advantage of Ibotta offers. It may be small amounts, but watching it accumulate is quite satisfying.