Is the Upside app (formerly the GetUpside app) legitimate? If you’re here I assume you’ve heard about the Upside app and you’re probably wondering if it is legit. The short answer is YES but continue reading to find out how it works and how to get more cashback by using an Upside promo code.

UPDATE: GetUpside has changed its name to just Upside so you may see me use both terms interchangeably in this post.

What is Upside?

GetUpside (now just Upside) is a free app that gives you up to 25¢ per gallon every time you get gas. GetUpside also helps you save up to 35% at restaurants and 15% at grocery stores near you. This will all be in the form of cashback to your account so you won’t see the savings instantly.

I haven’t tried the restaurant or grocery offers but I was able to get 38¢ off my first gas station fill-up by using an Upside referral code, you can use promo code EJC984 or click here to get a 15¢ bonus for yourself.

For me, this was over $6 in cashback on one fill-up and I drive a sedan. So if you have a bigger vehicle and pump gas often your savings will add up fast.

The Upside app works with thousands of gas stations so you are sure to find many in your area that are participating. They work with gas stations like Sunoco, Shell, BP, Mobil, and many more.

How GetUpside Works

It’s easy to join and start saving with GetUpside, just follow these easy steps to get started.

1. Download the App

Go to the App Store, search for “Upside”, and enter promo code: EJC984 to get bonus cashback. OR click here to have the promo code automatically applied.

2. Open the App and Search in Your Area

When you open the app you’ll see a map of the area you are located in. You can also search other areas as well to find a specific gas station if you want.

3. Claim the Offer You Want to Use

Once you find an offer you like, just click on the claim button to claim it. You’ll usually have four hours to use that offer after hitting the claim button but read the offer to make sure.

4. Follow the instructions in the App

Each offer may be slightly different so make sure you follow the instructions listed. Usually after claiming you’ll have to “check-in” that you’re at the gas station and use the debit or credit card that’s linked in your wallet on the app or you’ll have to upload your receipt (read the instructions for which one).

Keep in mind, that you do need to add a partial credit/debit card number into the “wallet” of your app so they can verify purchases. The good thing is you only need the first six and last four digits of your card number and no other information, no CVV, no expiration date, etc.

HOW TO ENTER GetUpside Codes

Like I mentioned above if you use a promo code or link when you sign up you’ll get a bonus. If you haven’t already downloaded the app you can click here to have that code automatically applied when you download the app.

Or follow the below instructions on how to enter a promo code into the Upside app manually:

1. Open the Upside App, Click on the Menu Button (or the three lines on the top left of the app)
2. Go Down to Profile
3. Click Edit Next to Promo Code and Enter EJC984

Getting Paid from Upside

Once you have cashback in your Upside account you can cash it out to your bank account, PayPal, or to a gift card.

To cash out click on your balance amount in the upper right-hand corner and choose “cash-out”. From there you can choose your preferred option.

I prefer to cash out using either PayPal or a gift card to avoid having to hook up a bank account. The PayPal option is mixed in with the gift cards and usually towards the bottom (circled below).

Keep in mind that there is a $1 fee for cashing out small dollar amounts (keep reading to learn how to get rid of that fee). Fee’s are as follows:

• Bank: $1 for cash-outs that are less than $10.
• Paypal: There is a $1 fee for a cash-out under $15.
• Gift card: $0 (note certain cards may have certain minimum thresholds).

TIP! If you refer one person to the app and they are currently actively using the app, there is no fee for PayPal or bank cashouts. So I suggest referring your significant other or best friend so you can cash out quickly and for free.

Unfortunately, they no longer offer a physical check as a cashout option but the options they do offer are quicker.

How Long Does it Take to Get Cash Back on Your Purchases? It only took a day for my purchase to be verified and get my cashback credited into my GetUpside account but according to their website, it can take up to 10 days to process. You will be notified via email when your offer and receipt are processed and you have the option to be notified via mobile notification, too. 

Is Upside Legitimate? MY UPSIDE APP REVIEW……..

The Upside app is legitimate, I’m using it myself and can attest that it has worked out well for me. You can also find over 957 other reviews on the Better Business Bureau website with a customer satisfaction rating of 4.78 out of 5.

But it may not be for everyone so let’s go over some pros and cons so you can decide for yourself.

Upside Pros

• Easy to get started and use
• Only need to add a partial credit or debit card number to the app for purchase verification, no expiration date or CVV required.
• You can save on gas, restaurants, and groceries all in one app.

Upside Cons

• $1 fee for cashing out smaller amounts
• Some credit/debit card info is required for purchase verification (first 6 and last 4 digits)
• Your favorite gas station may not be in the app

HOW TO SAVE EVEN MORE ON GAS

I like to think a bit out of the box and try and save as much as possible in all areas. One way to do this is to stack savings.

You can use a reward credit card to purchase gas or if you prefer you can use a Gasbuddy card (more on that next) which connects to your checking account to stack savings and earn even more cashback. Keep in mind that if you use a credit card you need to pay it off immediately before any interest accrues or it will defeat the purpose.

You can also check out Simple Ways to Save Money on Gas where I go into more detail on simple things you can do to reduce how much gas you use and how much you spend for that gas.

UPSIDE VERSUS GASBUDDY: CAN I USE UPSIDE WITH GASBUDDY?

If you prefer to use a debit card or bank account to pay you can possibly combine GetUpside with GasBuddy.

GasBuddy is another gas saving app that helps you find the lowest prices in your area. If you download Gasbuddy and start using their Gasbuddy card (their card connects to your checking account and gives you cashback just for using the card) you can add the card to your Upside Wallet and use that at the pump to double dip on savings! **This will depend on the gas station as I recently had an issue with one receipt/transaction not showing the last digits of my Gasbuddy card so Upside couldn’t confirm my purchase was made with my registered card so for now, I will stick to using one or the other.

The Gasbuddy card is free to get. They do offer a premium version if you are someone who pumps a ton of gas but for most of us, the free card and plan are good enough especially when stacking with GetUpside.

I’ll be writing a tutorial on GasBuddy and giving my review soon so stay tuned for that! But for now, if you want to sign up for GasBuddy, go ahead and grab it here and use my code: EELNJ23 for a special bonus for both of us :).

TIP! Want to get rewarded for the miles you drive? Check out the Miles App and use code: H8Z6M1 to get 1500 bonus points as a gift! Download it here.

I did it, I tried a ThredUp shoe rescue box! I documented my experience and will let you know my thoughts. I’ll go over whether I think this rescue box was worth it, how much I’ve profited so far and all the pros and cons of these boxes.

What is a ThredUP Rescue Box?

A ThredUP rescue box is a box that contains items that may need a little TLC (or a lot) or that ThredUP has had listed on their website for a while and they haven’t sold. They put these items into mystery boxes and create different themed boxes that resellers or regular people can purchase at a deep discount.

For this review, I’m going to review ThredUP’s Shoe Rescue box. The shoe rescue box comes in either 10 pairs ($60) or 15 pairs ($80) at the time of writing this blog post. The shoes can be any size and pretty much any condition as you will see in this review. I chose to get the 15 pairs as I thought it was a better deal.

They also have mixed clothing rescue boxes, fun boxes (I’ve been wanting to get my hands on one of these), Designer boxes, and many many more.

These mystery rescue boxes do sell out quickly so if you wanted to give them a try after reading about my experience, I suggest you grab one as soon as you see it available.

Who Should Buy a Mystery ThredUp Rescue Box?

I personally purchased this mystery box to get some inventory to resell online. I assume 90% of the time the boxes are purchased by resellers but they do have a few boxes that may be fun for others who just like thrifting or just like the thrill of a mystery box.

I’m a part-time reseller on Poshmark and Mercari and I wanted to start scaling my side hustle but I didn’t want to spend hours at the thrift stores so I figured I would give the ThredUP mystery boxes a try.

I watched a ton of Youtube unboxings of the ThredUP shoe box and decided that the shoe mystery box would be the one I would start with. Now let’s get into my honest review.

The Ordering and Delivery Process

If you’re wondering how to even order a ThredUP Rescue Box I got you. They’ve changed the website layout a few times so if you cannot find it after going through the steps, feel free to leave me a comment on this post.

How to Order a ThredUP Rescue Box

1. Visit ThredUP here and click on “Rescues” on the menu bar or scroll all the way to the bottom footer and click on Rescues from the footer menu. (If you use my link here you’ll also get a $10 credit towards your first purchase of anything else on their site, not good on rescue boxes).
2. Select the box you want to order and that’s it!

I purchased the shoe rescue box for my first rescue box ever but have since tried the DIY Denim rescue box as well as the DIY Mixed Bulk Clothing Box which I will review in another article once I sort, list, and hopefully make some sales that I can talk about.

My First Impression

I ordered my first ThredUp box on January 3, 2022, and it arrived very quickly on January 9, 2022, despite the expected delivery date being weeks out.

I paid $80 for the 15 Pair ThredUP Rescue Box, they also have a 10 Pair box for around $60 I believe but I felt $80 for 15 pairs of shoes was a better deal.

Keep in mind the pricing and boxes may change at any time.

I got free shipping and my state does not charge tax so it was $80 even for me making each pair of shoes just $5.33. Your cost may vary depending on tax and if you’re charged shipping.

Just to give you the full experience and not leave anything out below is a look at the box, how it arrived, and what it looked like when I first opened it. There was a piece of tissue paper on the top that I removed before the photo so I did want to mention that.

I’m not going to lie, I did get a little excited seeing the Rothy’s right on top since I know I can get some good money for those depending on the condition so that was fun. One thing I didn’t like though was that they had the shoes tightly bound together with elastics which bent some of the shoes. I was able to reshape them but I did worry some shoes might get damaged that way.

OK, what did I get? Below is a picture of all 15 pairs of shoes that were in the box.

You cannot tell in the photo but some of the shoes were in really bad condition and had to be recycled/trashed. Others I was able to donate and the rest I was able to list on Poshmark and Mercari to sell.

Below is how I divided them up. Because I was only going to sell 9 out of the 15 pairs that now made my cost of goods around $8.89 each. That is not bad considering I did get a pair of Rothy’s and also some Frye Boots and a pair of Sam Edelman boots.

Is the ThredUP Shoe Rescue Box Worth it?

For me, this first box was worth it. It was a little scary not knowing what I would get and only being able to list 9 out of the 15 pairs but it did work out for me this time (I’ve since ordered another box and will update this post once I start listing those).

I’ll break down the pro and cons of these boxes later on in this post but first, let’s go over what I made so far.

How Much Did I Make on My First ThredUP Shoe Rescue Box?

I’m writing this blog post two months after receiving my first shoe rescue box so this is the profit I’ve made so far and what has sold out of the 9 pairs I listed from this box. I’ll update it as each item sells.

As you can see from the chart above, I’ve sold 6 out of the 9 pairs so far which resulted in $221.00 in sales. I gave two of the purchasers shipping discounts ($3.96) and Poshmark takes 20% so I ended up with a profit of $172.69 After I take off my cost of goods ($80 for the box or $8.89 per pair of shoes) I end up with approximately $92.73 of profit so far.

My goal is to at least double my money so I paid $80 for the box I expect to profit at least $80 after the cost of goods. I have four pairs left so I definitely think I will surpass that goal.

Below are just a few of the ones that sold on Poshmark to give you visual proof. I did take offers on two of them and I probably could have gotten more for the Rothy’s but I was in a rush to get my money for the box back as this was my first box and I was scared I made a horrible mistake ordering it.

If you have inventory and you can sit on items longer then you could probably make a higher profit.

The Pros of the ThredUP Rescue Box

The biggest pro of getting one of these boxes is that you don’t have to leave your house and spend hours sourcing items at thrift stores and garage sales. Time is money so if the box works out it’s a great way to source items with little time investment.

Another pro is that the cost of goods per pair of shoes is pretty low as long as you can sell most of them. Even with my cost of goods going up to $8.89, I have already made a profit and still have a few pairs left to sell.

The Cons of the ThredUP Rescue Box

The biggest con is that you never know what you’re going to get! You could get a great box or you could get a dud. I purchased a second box so I’ll be letting you know how that one goes as a comparison.

The next con is that there most likely will be items you can’t sell. These boxes are filled with rejects, items that are missing sizes, or items that just didn’t sell on ThredUP so this is to be expected.

There will also be items that need to be cleaned. Some resellers will list items as is but I did do some minor cleaning on most of the shoes I listed. Cleaning could be as little as just wiping items down with leather wipes (if they are leather), using a suede brush on suede, or a magic eraser on sneakers. I also like to do a light scrub on the bottom of the shoes if needed.

RESELLER TIP: I have a few items that are staples when reselling. You can check out my list of reseller items I use here.

I do take into consideration the time I put into these boxes so that is something you will also want to think about. How long did it take you to clean, take photos, and list the items? Was the profit worth the time and money you put into it?

As I mentioned earlier I will be updating this blog post as more items sell and hopefully I will make a good profit. I also purchased a few other boxes as well as another ThredUP Shoe Box so I will let you know how that one goes.

What are your thoughts? Have you tried a rescue box from ThredUP yet? Would you after seeing how I did?

If you decide to buy one be sure to use my link here you’ll get a $10 credit towards your first purchase of anything else on their site (not good on rescue boxes).

Interested in seeing how I did with their other rescue mystery boxes? I ordered the 50LB DIY Denim Box and the Bulk Mixed Clothing 50LB Box. I’m still going through them but I’ll definitely update this post or create a new one on those boxes to let you know whether I wasted my money or profited and how much!

Feel free to leave comments on your thoughts or any tips for me if you have purchased these boxes.

This post contains some affiliate links (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission but it won’t cost you a penny more)!  See full disclosure here.

Is Amazon Prime Worth It? Amazon Prime Benefits You May Not Know About!

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I’ve been an Amazon Prime Member for many years now and each time it comes time to renew I usually don’t even hesitate. BUT now that they’ve raised their prices, is it still worth it?

For myself, yes it is but I use MANY of the benefits they offer so it may be different for you. I count all the benefits I’m getting and it just pays for itself over and over again but if you’re only using one or two benefits then it may not be worth it for you.

Keep reading to find out if Amazon Prime is still worth it and if you’re making the most out of your membership.

Is Amazon Prime STILL Worth it for you?

UPDATED 2022: Amazon Prime is now $139 a year if you pay in full or $14.99 a month if you pay monthly. Obviously, you get a much better deal if you pay yearly which is what I do. $139 a year equals $11.58 a month (in case you didn’t want to do the math) so you’re saving a little over $3 a month this way.

Now let’s break down all the benefits of Amazon Prime and see what you’re actually getting for your money and whether it’s worth it for you!

AMAZON PRIME BENEFITS

PRIME OFFERS FREE 2-DAY SHIPPING

Ok, so the main reason I joined Amazon Prime initially was to get Free 2 Day Shipping on my orders. I order a lot from Amazon and to be able to get FREE 2-Day Shipping for the price of shipping maybe one or two items without Prime was worth it for me.

If I order even two things that normally would cost me $6 and up to ship then my membership already paid for itself.

Plus you get your order in two days or less in most cases.

Don’t need a rush shipment? Choose No-Rush Shipping and get a reward!

SAVINGS TIP: Sign up for a Capital One Shopping. Capital One Shopping tracks the prices of some of the largest online retailers and will help you find the best deal! When shopping on Amazon it will let you know if it finds a better deal elsewhere! Sign up for FREE HERE!

I try and use this option often and I have gotten a few digital credits by choosing No Rush Shipping on some of my orders.

How do you choose Free No-Rush shipping?

Just choose the option for FREE No-Rush Shipping at checkout to get your order within 6 business days, and Amazon will either apply a discount immediately to your current order or automatically apply a reward to your account once your order ships. The discount changes often so just read what they are offering at the time.

AMAZON PRIME OFFERS FREE MUSIC

Amazon Prime Music is a benefit of your Prime Membership, Amazon has a growing selection of 2 million songs, always ad-free and on-demand. You can cancel other music subscriptions and just use this one.

If you love music then this is a great benefit and you don’t have to pay for another service it’s included! They have an upgraded music plan called Amazon Music Unlimited which will give you more albums and features but at a cost.

FREE BOOKS AND MAGAZINES WITH PRIME

Your Prime Membership gives you Free Books and Magazines! All you need is the FREE Kindle Reading App (or a Kindle E-reader or Fire Tablet).

To see what books are included in any given month make sure you’re logged in to your Amazon account and your Prime membership is current, then go to www.amazon.com/primereading to start browsing.

When you find a book, comic, or magazine that you want to read, simply click “Read for Free,” and the item will be available for download. Or click “Read and Listen for Free” for the titles that have Audible companions.

Plus they also have an Amazon First Reads benefit. Amazon Prime members get a sneak peek at certain books before they’re released to the general public. Amazon First Reads allows Prime members to download one free book each month from a selection of six editors’ picks.

New titles are announced at the start of each month and publicized in the weekly Prime newsletter so make sure you are signed up for that so you can grab your free book!

PRIME OFFERS FREE AUDIOBOOKS FROM AUDIBLE

How did I not know this? I love Audiobooks but Audible only allowed me to download a book a month. I started streaming free Audiobooks using Libby (Check out how to get free audiobooks for more info on how I do that) so that I could listen to more.

Then I discovered that you can stream a selection of FREE Audiobooks if you’re a Prime member! It’s not every book but they have a good selection.

All you need is the Audible App!

Just log into your Audible App and look for Channels-Audiobook Collections. Right now I am listening to No Excuses by Brian Tracy!

FREE MOVIES AND AMAZON CHANNELS COME WITH PRIME

Use it to Replace Cable or NetFlix or to just add more choices to your current lineup. The TV Series and Movies included in Prime are endless.

You can stream movies on your smart TV, laptop, tablet, or phone. Or add a Fire TV or Fire Stick to an older TV to stream.

I actually just got rid of my cable box in my bedroom and swapped it out for Fire TV and an HD Antenna for local broadcast channels! Why did I not do this before?

I was paying $10 a month to rent the cable box and I hardly watched it (only before bed). The Antenna and Fire TV cost me less than $75 and my TV actually looks super clear and better than cable and I no longer have that monthly cable box rental fee! It will more than pay for itself in less than 8 months.

Related: How I get Free Gift Cards Each Month (Including Amazon)!

YOU CAN SHARE YOUR PRIME MEMBERSHIP WITH HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS FOR FREE

Yup, you can share it with other members of your household!

By creating an Amazon Household account, you can share access to select benefits: Fast & FREE Prime Shipping options, Prime Video, Prime Photos online storage, Prime Early Access, and Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.

They can also access digital content in your Family Library: eBooks, apps, games, and audiobooks.

Plus both adults can manage Kindle FreeTime child profiles and children in the Household can enjoy the benefits of digital content sharing.

As of the time of writing this you are able to share your Prime membership with one adult, four teens, and four children.

Keep in mind that the other person will need to have an Amazon account to link to and at this time it does require you to share “wallets” in order to share all the benefits. I’ll be writing a more in-depth article on how to exactly share your account so stay tuned.

FREE PHOTO & VIDEO STORAGE

Prime Photos offers free UNLIMTED online photo storage and 5 GB for video to Prime members. If you need more storage for video you can upgrade for as low as $1.99 a month.

TIP! Even if you’re not a Prime member Amazon gives you a total of 5GB of storage for video and photos combined.

PRIME ONLY DISCOUNTS

Amazon Prime also gives you access to early access deals and other discounts throughout the year. I grabbed my Amazon Echo during their Black Friday sale and a couple tablets on Prime Day for dirt cheap. they even offer Prime Exclusive cell phone deals.

PRIME TRY BEFORE YOU BUY!

Amazon allows Prime members to try before you buy! You can choose from many brands for women, men, kids, and baby across clothing, shoes, jewelry, and accessories. Just filter for “try before you buy” items and choose up to 6 items and you’ll get 7 days to decide if you want to keep or return them.

You will only be charged for what you keep. Returns are free and easy, If you’ve never returned anything to Amazon you’ll be amazed at all the ways you can return things. They have several drop-off locations including select Kohl’s stores. I choose Kohl’s because you can return items without having to box them back up!

I just recently got to try out this service and loved it! I was going on vacation and needed some bathing suits last minute so I ordered them from the Amazon try before you buy program. I loved two of them and hated one so I returned that one to my local Kohl’s right before I left for vacation and everything went smoothly.

DISCOUNTS AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET

You can get exclusive Prime member discounts on many items at Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh stores.

You can check out their weekly deals and place orders for delivery or pickup as well here.

GET CASHBACK WHEN SHOPPING ON AMAZON FOR EXTRA SAVINGS

Sign up for a cashback website such as Rakuten and get cash back when you shop at Amazon as well as thousands of other stores. Just be sure to check which categories apply as most of the time it will be Amazon devices that get cashback. Either way, I love Rakuten for all of my online shopping.

Plus get a $30 bonus using my referral link here. Oh, and did I mention it was free? You can check out my Rakuten review for more information on how it works.

Now since different cashback websites give different amounts back and in different categories, I recommend you check out other cashback websites from my list here to see what departments on Amazon they are offering cashback on or use a browser extension like Capital One Shopping to make sure you’re getting the best price.

If you think this all sounds great to you like it does to me then Try Amazon Prime for 30-Days Free. Students try the Prime Student 6-month Trial and EBT and Medicaid cardholders Try Prime Discounted Monthly Offering.

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Are you an Amazon member? What is your favorite benefit? Leave a comment on this article!