These Apps Pay You to Do (Almost) Nothing copy
Disclosure: We’re letting you know that this post contains sponsored links which The Smart Wallet receives compensation for, which may impact their order of appearance because talking about money should always be an honest discussion.
I don’t know about you, but my hibernation mode is already kicking in.
With less sunlight and colder weather, just laying on the couch under a blanket with my phone sounds like my kind of all-day activity.
It’s not that I don’t want to do productive things. I just want to do so in the least-amount-of-work kind of way.
Makes sense?
*drumroll, please
If you want to be a couch potato too, we’ve rounded up some easy ways to get paid doing basically nothing. Enjoy!
Just Leave This App On To Get Paid Almost Forever
Yep, you read that right.
Panel App is a loyalty incentive app that will give you points just by leaving the app running in the background.
Because it gives you points on location, go ahead and enable location services. Then just turn the app on before you go about your day and head to school, work, gym wherever.
After testing it we think it’s a great app that rewards you for doing almost nothing. If you’re still skeptical, know this:
- You don’t have to complete offers
- You don’t have to watch ads
- You don’t have to buy anything
- You don’t have to do anything but leave the app running
We snagged a $5 Amazon gift card via email after a few weeks of just leaving the app on and forgetting about it. You can also choose VISA gift cards, MasterCard gift cards or sweepstakes entries.
Overall, a solid choice for earning a bit of spending money for literally just leaving the app running on your phone!
Play Solitaire for a Chance to Win Real Cash
Solitaire Cube is like regular Solitaire, except you get to play for real cash!
Is there a catch? Yes but not really. I tried playing for free when I first started but I realized it would take me forever to get the tickets I need to play for real cash. I gave up and deposited $25 last week and I’ve already won $120.
The game matches you with players of the same skill level, so you have a solid chance of winning. If you’re a good Solitaire player, you could win some serious cash, like Katie Nguyen who took home $380,984 last year as one of the Top 10 Solitaire Cube players!
So if you think you can handle playing some Solitaire to win some legit cash, definitely download this game for free.
Get Cash Back on Your Groceries
You have to buy groceries anyway, so scanning the receipts for them is practically doing nothing!
Ibotta is a super easy-to-use cash back app with 100+ retailers, both in-store and online. Anywhere you do shopping, most likely you’ll find a cash back opportunity!
So before you head to the store, check the app for items already on your shopping list. Bananas? Hit that + sign in the app. Orange juice? Tap that + sign again.
Go shop.
At home, take a photo of your receipt and scan the barcodes of items.
Now you got yourself some cash back!
Here are just some cash-back opportunities we’ve seen:
- 50 cents back for any item
- $1 back on milk
- 80 cents back on all Post cereal brands
- 50 cents back Frito-Lay Chips
- $1 back Newman’s Frozen Pizza
- $3 back on a 6-pack of Shock Top beer
- $2 back on Purex Liquid Laundry
- $2 back on Colgate Total Mouthwash
Ibotta is 100% free to download and you’ll get a $10 sign-up bonus after uploading your first receipt. On average, Ibotta users save $20 a month on groceries even at Walmart and Target so start saving now:
Auto-Find Savings with this Useful Bot
Think of Trim as your personal finance assistant bot that will non-judgementally inform you of your spending, negotiate down your cable/internet bills so you don’t have to, and your coupons & savings finder.
Trim talks to you via SMS Text or Facebook Messenger:
Credit card users will often see Trim offering coupons and savings to your grocery shopping, restaurant dining, and even movies. I’ve gotten almost $30 cash back on these offers alone after I activated them!
The groceries offer can be used multiple times too so it’s been super useful when shopping.
How to Sign Up:
- Head over to Trim to sign up for free
- Choose if you want to communicate via SMS Text or Facebook Messenger
- Link a Credit Card or Bank Account (256-Bit SSL Encryption ensures your info is safe! Trim has no access to moving money or making any changes)
- Let the savings begin!
Earn Gift Cards with Your Purchases
Drop is an easy-to-use app that lets you earn gift cards on stuff you already buy from your favorite brands. It’s the ultimate & modern loyalty card without the card.
All you need to do is link your most-used credit card(s) and whenever you purchase at your favorite activated brands, you’ll automatically get points for gift cards!
Do you eat Cookie Butter by the spoonful from Trader Joe’s? You get points for all your purchases there too.
You need that Triple, Venti, Soy, No Foam Latte from Starbucks? Yep, you guessed it. You get points for that too! Whaaaat?
Kevin from The Smart Wallet team already redeemed his $20 Starbucks card after only 3 weeks! We’re really loving Drop since you can earn gift cards on popular brands you already buy from. Easily set it up and watch the points drop in.
Turn Gaming on Your Phone into Savings for Your Wallet
Here’s your mission if you choose to accept it. Go ahead and download Long Game Savings, a personal finance app that mixes fun games and saving actual money.
Just play 1 game a day, and you could win cash daily.
Yes, it’s safe. Your money is FDIC-insured up to $250,000 and you can withdraw money at any time.
After setting up your savings account, you’ll be able to play quick games like Spin to Win, Flip Cards, Slot Machines, and more for chances to win money to increase your savings. Eons better than 0.01% interest rate.
It’s like you’re getting paid to save and it only takes less than a minute of your day to play. And there’s no judgment on playing too many games!
Earn Money While Shopping – Plus Get $10
Who’s been around for 20 years and have over 12 million members because they know what they’re doing?
We love this cash back site for its simplicity and for the fact that you get cash back for the things you’re already purchasing – a useful perk for the upcoming holidays for sure. It’s pretty close to getting free money!
In fact, they’re giving our readers a $10 welcome bonus to anyone that signs up to be a member.
Membership is free and you earn up to 25% cash back at over 2,500+ stores including Amazon, Walmart, Kohl’s, and Sephora. Plus, you’ll find coupons, free shipping codes, and awesome sales.
No need to fill out any rebate forms or redeem points to get your money. You just earn cash and get paid by check or Paypal.
Ebates has pretty sweet Black Friday deals and holiday sales that will be hard to find anywhere else too. Be sure to sign up now and grab that $10 welcome bonus. Easy!
Get Paid to Take Surveys Online
This will not be the fastest way to earn money, however, all you’re doing is clicking some buttons to get cash vs. doing nothing and not getting paid.
Ipsos I-Say is one of the largest market research firms in the world, you’ll get paid with Amazon, Starbucks, Target gift cards, Paypal or Visa gift cards after you earn enough points from survey taking. Be sure to confirm your email to get access to surveys!
Scan the Stuff You Buy & Get Paid
The exclusive National Consumer Panel program is opening up again for more participants! Eligibility will be based on your location.
When you become a panelist, just use the app to scan the barcodes of items you purchase and you’ll earn points for:
- Visa Gift Cards
- Tablets
- Keurig Coffee Machines
- Flat Screen TVs
- and much more from their gift catalog!
The more you share your shopping habits (scan barcodes), the more rewards you can get. You can also enter items that do not have a barcode, like fruit and vegetables etc.
“It’s really easy. I think of it like a game, and I look forward to scanning my items each time. I’ve already gotten a $25 gift card after 2 months!” – Gabby F.
There are also monthly drawings where 20 members each win $250!
It’s a fun way to earn more on rewards on items you’ve already purchased.
Sign up to see if you’re eligible to be a National Consumer Panelist. If you don’t get accepted this time, don’t worry! They’re always expanding locations, so check back again.
