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.
Whether you pronounce it Target or “tar-jay,” we can all agree that this red store is pretty awesome. Even though I haven’t personally stepped foot into the store in a while, I utilize their drive-up service often. Paying via the app, and having someone bring the purchases to my trunk is the best!
It also helps me from buying anything extra, since you’re more likely to buy something if you touch it. But if you don’t want to worry about budgeting, and just want to go on a spending spree (who doesn’t?) especially with the holidays coming up, it’s possible!
Below are some of our favorite ways to earn and save some money. Small consistent moves will pay off so you can have a killer shopping spree.
1. Get Up to $55 Per Win Popping Bubbles
Make consistent extra money playing Bubble Cash, where you match 3 bubbles of the same color until you clear the board. It’s popular, too, since the game is frequently ranked within the Top 10 in the App Store with a 4.6/5 star rating with over 74K+ reviews!
Win free cash when you collect enough gems to enter practice tournaments, and then win MORE when you enter the higher stakes tournaments (there’s a small entry fee for the bigger tournaments).
“Finally, a game that isn’t a scam! I won $71 yesterday on Sunday, and today on Monday, it was already in my Paypal” – Mzmari
Play for free now, and then switch to cash games to increase your winnings whenever you want. Obviously, this won’t make you rich, but 100% worth it compared to other games that don’t pay.
2. Apply for a Loan with OppLoans
No one likes to borrow money, but personal loans are a valid option when you need them for repairs, medical reasons, or emergencies. OppLoans can help! If approved, you may receive money in your account as soon as the same business day!1
Eligibility requirements:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Reside in AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, DE, FL, GA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NV, NJ, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI, or WY
- Have a regular source of income
- Have a checking or savings account
- Receive paychecks through direct deposit
OppLoans is committed to the financial health of its customers. They report your payment history to the three major credit bureaus, so every on-time payment you make may improve your credit score.2
3. Get $10 to Invest in the Legal Cannabis Industry. No Experience Necessary.
6 million customers already use Stash, an investment app that lets you start investing with as little as $5, and you can choose where to put your money, and they’ll provide guidance and tools to help. You can invest in some of the major companies you regularly use to make a custom Personal Portfolio.
You can even invest in the legal cannabis industry, which is big business, as retail sales are projected to hit $70 BILLION by the end of 2028.* Plus, with Stash Growth and Stash+, you can also choose the Smart Portfolio option, which offers hands-off stress-free investing based on your risk tolerance.
It takes less than 2 minutes to start, and they’ll even give you $10 to start investing when you sign up and deposit $5 or more into your Personal Portfolio.
Paid non-client endorsement. See Apple App Store and Google Play reviews. View important disclosures.
4. Scan the Stuff You Buy & Get Free Rewards
The exclusive National Consumer Panel (NCP) program is opening up again for more participants! This is your opportunity to make your consumer voice heard! (And get paid for it)
When you become a panelist, just use the app to scan the barcodes of items you purchase, provide a few additional transaction details, and you’ll earn points for:
- Gift Cards
- Tablets
- Electronic Equipment
- Flat Screen TVs
- and much more from their gift catalog!
Plus, all panelists are automatically entered into weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual drawings to win extra points and gift cards – even a quarterly sweepstakes to win $5,000!
The more you share your shopping habits (scan barcodes), the more rewards you can get. You can also answer surveys and share information about your overall shopping trip.
“Scanning my purchases is fun! I also enjoy taking the surveys. Earning points is fast and easy and they have a great selection of rewards.” – Jennifer B.
It’s a fun way to earn more rewards on items you’ve already purchased and at no extra cost to you.
Register now to see if you’re eligible to be a National Consumer Panelist. Eligibility will be based on your location. If you don’t get accepted this time, don’t worry! They’re always expanding locations, so check back again.
5. Play Solitaire and Earn Up to $83 Per Win
Two minutes is all you need to win up to $83 per win when you play Solitaire Cash, a fun Solitaire game ranked #3 in Cards in the App Store and has an average of 4.6/5 stars with 130K+ ratings!
Win cash for free or deposit cash to multiply your winnings from cash tournaments. Regular players are already winning thousands of dollars! New member bonus: Deposit $10 and get a $5 Bonus Cash!
“First game I found that ACTUALLY PAYS … fun & everyone seems honestly @ equal levels of ability” – Davi
“Win REAL money. I am so addicted since I just won $40 on the clash tournament.” – Holly
Solitaire Cash is free to play, so if you like playing quick games for chances to get up to $83 per win, check it out.
6. Pop Some Colorful Bubbles to Make Some Bank
The classic bubble game comes back with a modern twist where you have 3 minutes each game to pop or clear as many bubbles from the board as you can.
It’s called Bubble Shooter! Tournaments, and no matter your skill level, you can have fun against real players around the world.
Our favorite strategy? Hang multiple bubbles from a “parent” bubble, and then POP the parents so all the bubbles drop at once! It’s extremely satisfying to get those combos.
Play for free, and when you’re ready, switch over to cash games to earn faster! Cash game winners can win up to $10,000 (no joke).
Cash tournaments not available in AZ, AR, CT, DE, LA, MT, SC, SD, and TN.
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!
8. This Solitaire App Pays Up to $200/Win (Seriously)
Solitaire, in general, is a great time killer, but play Solitaire Cube, which lets you play for and win real cash. The game matches you with players of the same skill level, so all is fair. Practice until you’re ready to participate in the cash tournaments!
“Overall, it’s a great game, not a scam, you just need to practice to be able to go up against some really good players.” -Arayev
“Win or lose, you still get tickets to stock up and redeem for prizes or cash bonuses!” – tkitchen84
So play for fun, and enjoy some cash games, but don’t expect to get rich. Cash out reliably with PayPal to receive your winnings! Download Solitaire Cube for free to start playing.
BONUS: When you deposit for the first time, get a $5 bonus cash when you use code: TSW5
9. 21 + Solitaire = Real 💰 and Serious Fun
Check out 21 Blitz, an extremely fun and fast-paced mobile card game. Play against real people at your skill level to compete for cash and prizes like tech, kitchen appliances, even a car!
It only takes 3 minutes to play. Make as many 21s as you can before the clock runs out or until you run out of moves.
Play for free against real people for prizes or switch over to cash games to win…well, cash! Currently, players are invited to play in a guaranteed $23,000 prize pool tournament. Plus, get up to $30 for each friend you refer.
10. Over 5M+ Players Love This Bingo Game to Win Real Cash
Two minutes per game is all you need in Blackout Bingo, a social, competitive bingo game where you can get up to $100 per win.
Play for free for prizes and switch to cash games to win real money when you’re ready.
PRO-TIP: Deposit $5 for the first time, and get a $5 bonus cash when you use code: TSW5
Yep, double your money to play!
“You wanna cash out 1,000 bucks a month? It’s very doable, but it’s not just gonna happen magically. Practice for free, get your game tight & then you will see the results you want. This app pays and makes plenty to go around” – rainking76
Download Blackout Bingo for free to start playing and win some money!
11. The Best Financial App That’ll Save You $720/Year
Knowing your net worth isn’t just for rich people. It’s a financial report card that can tell you if you’re on the right track or if you need a wake-up call. To calculate it, you need the value of all your assets (things you own) minus your liabilities (things you owe). But wouldn’t it be nice if there were a tool that tracked your net worth over time for you?
Enter Rocket Money, the free money management app that’s like your personal finance assistant. It groups all your banking accounts together so you can see your earnings and spending in one spot. Plus, it helps you budget even if you don’t know how to.
- The app will find all your recurring bills and subscriptions (even those you forgot about)
- Rocket Money can help lower your bills by 20% (they negotiate for you)
- The app also helps you start budgeting and set up auto-savings too
- Their newest feature easily tracks your net worth
See what your savings could be with Rocket Money and start tracking your net worth too!
12. Affordable Car Insurance Exists - Save Up To $610
You’re probably overpaying on your current auto insurance without even realizing it.
- Just check on EverQuote to start comparing
- They’ll check from plenty of agencies to find you the best deal
- Pick your savings!
It literally takes less than 4 minutes to fill out the form to start saving big. EverQuote can save drivers up to $610 a year on average* compared to their current insurance premiums.
It’s super simple so try it out to see how much you could be saving on the road!
13. Fetch All Your Receipts (Even Virtual) & Get Free Money Back
Check your pockets; check your purse. And keep receipts.
Grab all the recent receipts you have, even gas receipts, and scan them into Fetch Rewards to earn points towards free money. Even better? Connect your email inbox, and it’ll count your email receipts too from Amazon, Instacart, Shipt, and more!
Basically, shop at any store (grocery, drugstore, warehouse, everywhere, and online), snap a pic with the app, and boom, you’ve got points for money. Upload your gas station, restaurants, and drive-thru receipts too.
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.
14. Say Goodbye to Overdraft Fees with the #1 Most-Loved Banking AppTM
When you want financial peace of mind, use Chime,® the award-winning mobile financial app and debit card that’ll help you save with no monthly fees, including:
- No minimum balance
- Fee-free overdraft with SpotMe®️* (Chime will spot you up to $200, so you don’t get overdrafts)
- No foreign transaction or transfer fees
Additional perks:
- Get paid up to 2 days early with direct deposit1
- Earn 2.00% Annual Percentage Yield (APY)2 with the high-yield Chime Savings Account3
- Access to apply for the Secured Chime Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card4 for a better way to build credit history
Sign up for Chime and get started on saving money and working on improving your credit score!
15. Start on New Year, New You - Get Paid to Lose Weight
Who’s fed up with 2020? *raises hand
So why not get a jumpstart on a brighter 2021? Particularly when it comes to your fitness and weight goals. Time to get rid of that quarantine 15…or more!
And you might be extra motivated because there’s a health and wellness company that will pay you to lose weight. Seriously!
It’s called HealthyWage.
They have a ton of testimonial/pictures on their site along with legit places reviewing them from CNN, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, etc.
So if you need some money motivation to lose weight, here’s how it works:
1. Start with the HealthyWage calculator (Read More)
2. Decide on a weight goal & amount of time to achieve it
3. Bet on yourself ranging from $20-$150 a month
4. Achieve your goal and you could win up to $10,000 depending on your HealthyWager!
5. If you don’t achieve your goal, the money goes to support HealthyWage, including prizes for others who achieve their goals
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.
