Non-Toxic Side Hustles for Millennials (That’s Also Low Effort)

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. This site doesn’t include all available offers.

“Go hard or go home.”

“I don’t wait for success to come to me, I go and grab it myself.”

Hustle culture is everywhere but it can breed toxicity and eventually lead to burnout, mentally and physically.

Instead, go for lower effort ways to make side money that you can weave into your daily life and have fun while doing it. Even better when you’re getting paid to do things you were already going to do.  

1. A Legit Way to Earn $750 This Week

You can get $750 direct deposited into your bank account and all you have to do is try out some deals. The catch? You can only do this once a year!

Seriously, anyone 18+ can participate in Flash Rewards, a rewards program that’s been around since 2016 and has rewarded $12 million to members over time.

So how do you get the money? Answer: You just have to follow the instructions carefully!

Flash Rewards work by showing you “deals” they think you would like. This includes mobile apps and games, subscriptions, financial services, etc. Each type of deal you choose has its own mini task to complete.

  1. Head over to Flash Rewards and fill out basic info (Email, Name, etc.)
  2. Take a quick Survey (it helps figure out the optional offers & required deals to recommend)
  3. Complete deals by shopping Flash Rewards’ great brand name partners.
  4. Important: Follow the instructions on completing the specific number of deals for each level and get to Level 5 to get the maximum reward! (there are plenty of deals to try – some are free trials or app downloads, others require a purchase!)
  5. Claim the reward and get it in about a week!

You won’t get your reward if you don’t complete the required amount of deals. Sure, it takes a little more effort but it’s legit. Get your $750!

2. School Competitors in Solitaire and Ca$h In

Solitaire Cube is like regular Solitaire, except you get to play for real cash.

The free game matches you with players of the same skill level, so all is fair. Even casual players like Amanda, a stay-at-home mom from IL, won a 55″ TV, $6,000, and more prizes.

It’s easy to start:

  1. Tap now to download from the Samsung Galaxy Store
  2. Follow the instructions on screen to install
  3. Open the app and play!
  4. Practice playing for free and when ready, play for cash!

So if you think you can handle playing some Solitaire Cube to win legit cash, definitely download this game for free to play on your Samsung.

BONUS: When you deposit $12 for the first time, you can get up to $30 bonus cash!

3. Get Free Cash Back Every Time You Get Groceries, Gas, or Meals

Why not get free money back any chance you can get? That’s why we like Upside, a free cash back app that partners with 100,000+ businesses to bring you great offers you can’t get anywhere else.

On average, frequent users earn an extra $340 a year for just getting things they already buy!

“Easy money back without a catch. I’m getting cash back on stuff I would’ve had to buy anyway. Upside gives you easy savings that you actually see!” – alicejpark90

Wherever you are, just use the app to see where you can get cash back! You can get up to 25¢ per gallon, up to 30% back on groceries, and up to 45% back at restaurants.

Easily cash out via bank transfer, Paypal, or gift card; there’s no limit to how much you can earn. Download Upside for free to earn cash back, and new members can use a welcome code: TSW25 to get an additional 25¢ a gallon on their first gas purchase!

Gas offers are not currently available in NJ, WI, or UT.

4. Get Free Money Back on All Your Shopping Hauls

Check your pockets; check your purse. And keep receipts for your iPhone.

Just grab all your recent receipts from your coffee runs, grocery trips, restaurants, and gas station fill-ups, scan them into Fetch Rewards on iOS, and earn points for free money! Connect your email account, as well, to count DIGITAL receipts from Amazon, Instacart, and more.

Basically, snap a pic of your receipt from anywhere, and that’s it; you’ve got points for money. There’s no minimum spend, no need to select items manually, scan in any receipt from any store or gas station, and it’ll automatically reward you.

It’s free and easy to use and is a must-have iOS app for anyone who buys stuff!

5. Play New Games and Earn Branded Gift Cards

The more you play, the more rewards and gift cards you can get. That’s the gist of Mistplay, an app where you can try out new Android games to earn units/gems and make optional in-app purchases. Redeem units/gems for real gift cards, including Uber, VISA, Spotify, and more!

Play as many games as you want since you can earn more gift cards that way. Plus, there’s nobody to compete against! New members get a BONUS of 200 points just for signing up.

And yes, it’s legit and already has 10M+ downloads. Download the app for free and start racking up those gift cards!

6. Earn a $10 Amazon Gift Card by Trying New Games

When you’re ready to add even more games to your lineup, then download Cash Giraffe, an Android app that pays you to try out new games for, yes, you guessed it, cash. All are free to download!

Just earn coins from trying new games, and then you can redeem them for:

  • PayPal Cash
  • Amazon gift card
  • GameStop gift card
  • PlayStation Store gift card
  • Xbox Live gift card
  • And more good stuff

“Payouts are faster than most apps. PayPal rewards are small, but hey, it’s free money 💰 🤑“- Cassandra McGuire

A 3,599 coin welcome bonus is yours immediately too, when you sign in! Plus, get 200 coins for every friend you refer and 25% of their earnings.

7. Free Rewards Program Gives Out 7,000 Gift Cards Daily

There are a lot of survey programs out there, but none are as popular as Swagbucks, a free rewards program where you can earn free cash for your time and opinion. They’ve paid out over $885 million to their members already and they’ve been in business for 15 years.

Earn points for doing surveys, online shopping, uploading receipts, and playing fun games then redeem the points for free gift cards to Amazon and Walmart or choose PayPal cash. 

New members can get a free $10 just for signing up, so join the other 10 million members already part of Swagbucks and start earning free rewards!


Some of the sponsored links that appear on this page are from companies that offer investment advisory services. They compensate us; for details on our compensation arrangements, please click here.