My sister-in-law and I spend post-family dinners shopping on our phones in search of the best deals on luxury handbags, new sneakers, gifts for friends, and stuff for our homes. During one meal at my in-laws' last year, she told me about Rakuten. Apparently, the girl was making tons of money shopping online, and now I do too! We're getting paid to shop for everyday items, clothing, travel booking, you name it.

How does it work? It's simple. Stores pay Rakuten to do their thing, and then Rakuten applies the best deals available at checkout, and pays you directly as you shop. It's that easy. Rakuten features over 2,500 stores, including Amazon, Expedia, Kohl's, and Sephora!

The process is totally seamless. Rakuten alerts you as soon as you touch the site you were already shopping on with their handy browser toolbar button. When you click the button, Rakuten applies the best deals at checkout and gives you cash back directly into your PayPal account or by check (your preference).

Opening the hood on my Rakuten account, here's a look at my recent cash back savings for back-to-school clothing I bought for my niece:

My recent cash back purchase through Rakuten.

We strongly recommend you give it a try because you can make a bundle just by shopping for everyday items with Rakuten. It's free to join, and Rakuten will give you a $10 welcome bonus here for a limited-time!