Cashback and Support: How BeFrugal Works

This site is about saving money and squeezing value out of the system.

BeFrugal is a cashback site and app that fits that mindset. It gives you money back on the normal online orders you were already going to make.

I use it. I like it. If you sign up with my link and earn at least $10 in cashback within 365 days, BeFrugal gives me a one time referral bonus. It does not cost you anything extra.

This page explains exactly how it works, what the limits are, and what you should expect so nothing feels sketchy or surprising.

BeFrugal is a free cashback and coupon service.

How it works in plain English:

• You click through BeFrugal (site, app, or extension) to a store like Home Depot, Lowe's, Sam's Club, Amazon, and many others
• The store pays BeFrugal a commission for sending you
• BeFrugal shares part of that commission with you as cashback

That model is standard. Rakuten, TopCashback, and other major cashback sites work the same way.

Important for this site:

• BeFrugal does not show penny items
• You cannot buy penny items online
• Penny items remain in store only, separate from anything you do with BeFrugal

BeFrugal is just the "catch all" savings layer for everything else you buy online.

1. 1. Create a free account

   Use this link so the referral bonus is tracked correctly: befrugal.com (referral link)

   No card needed, no fees.

2. 2. Optional but recommended: install the browser extension

   The extension pops up when you are on a supported store and lets you click "Activate cashback" so you do not forget. You can also start from BeFrugal.com each time if you prefer not to use the extension.

3. 3. Start your shopping trip from BeFrugal

   While logged in, either:

   • Click a store on BeFrugal and then "Shop Now"
   • Or let the extension prompt you to activate when you land on a supported store

4. 4. Check that cashback is active

   Look for a confirmation bar or popup from BeFrugal saying cashback is activated for that store.

5. 5. Complete your order in that same tab

   Shop like normal. Avoid:

   • Other coupon or cashback extensions fighting over tracking
   • Gift card payments if the store terms say those do not earn cashback
   • Changing the order later through customer service in ways that break tracking

6. 6. Wait for tracking

   Most orders show as "Pending" or "Tracked" within a few days, sometimes up to a week.

7. 7. Wait for it to become payable

   This is the part most people do not understand. Stores only pay cashback after the return period has passed. In practice:

   • Expect roughly 60 to 90 days from purchase until the money is actually available to withdraw
   • Some stores are faster, some slower

8. 8. Cash out

   Once cashback is marked as payable, you can request a payout and choose how you want to be paid.

BeFrugal offers several payout methods, including:

• PayPal
• Direct deposit (US)
• Venmo (US)
• Zelle (US)
• Check (US)
• Various eGift cards

Some details worth knowing:

• PayPal and direct deposit can be used even for small balances, as long as your cashback is verified and payable
• Some other methods have higher minimums
• Certain eGift cards come with a boost, meaning you can turn a given cashback balance into a slightly higher value gift card if you already shop at that store
• Visa and Amex prepaid cards do not charge fees but expire after about 6 months
• Most retailer eGift cards do not expire and have no fees

This is how you can quietly multiply your savings if you are already going to spend money at those places.

For this community, the interesting part is how cashback behaves at Home Depot, Lowe's, Sam's Club, and similar stores.

A few things to understand:

• Cashback rates change over time and often vary by category
• Home improvement stores may pay different rates for tools, decor, seasonal items, services, or installation
• Some items or categories may not be eligible

Before a bigger order, the workflow is:

1. Open BeFrugal and search "Home Depot" (or Lowe's, or Sam's Club)
2. Check the current cashback rate and any category notes
3. Click "Shop Now" or activate via the extension
4. Place your order as usual

You do not need to obsess over single digit differences, but checking the rate takes a few seconds and sometimes the difference is meaningful on larger orders.

For you:

• You get cashback on normal online orders you were going to make anyway
• Sometimes you can stack that with coupons, deals of the day, and gift card boosts
• Over a year of normal shopping, that can quietly add up

For me:

• If you sign up through my link and earn at least $10 in cashback within 365 days, BeFrugal pays me a one time referral bonus
• I do not get a percentage of your cashback forever
• You do not pay higher prices or fees because of my link

I am recommending it because it fits the "squeeze value out of your normal spend" mindset of this whole project. The referral bonus is how I offset some of the time and costs of running the site.

To keep things smooth and avoid "where is my cashback" frustration:

• Turn off other cashback or coupon extensions when using BeFrugal for a given purchase
• Do not rely on random coupon codes from other sites unless BeFrugal lists them
• Avoid paying with gift cards if the store terms say those do not earn cashback
• After a purchase, check your BeFrugal account within a week to make sure it shows as pending
• If it does not show up after 7 days, use their "missing cashback" form within the allowed time window

Cashback services are not perfect and some orders will slip through. The point is to win over the long run, not stress over every single dollar.

Penny items and cashback do not overlap.

• Penny items are in store only markdowns that do not show online
• You cannot use BeFrugal to find penny items
• You cannot buy penny items online and earn cashback on them

BeFrugal is purely for the rest of your shopping. It is for when you buy normal tools, materials, household items, memberships, electronics, and so on.

Think of it as:

• Penny hunting is "extreme clearance treasure hunting in person"
• BeFrugal is "a small rebate on the more boring normal orders you already make online"

Example:

• Cordless combo kit and some supplies: total $200 online at Home Depot
• BeFrugal rate for that day and category: 5 percent
• You activate cashback properly and check out
• You see about $10 pending in your BeFrugal account within a few days
• Around 60 to 90 days later, that $10 becomes payable
• You withdraw to PayPal, or take a boosted gift card if that makes sense

That is boring, predictable, and it stacks quietly over time.