15 Stupid Simple Ways to Make Extra Cash This Holiday Season
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At the beginning of each year it’s New Year, new you, right? But how long does that last? Now that 2020 is almost over, (finally!) I’ll admit, I’m way behind on my goals even if I had some extra time.
Yea I made my usual lose weight, save more money, and travel more resolutions, but let’s face it, these “goals” aren’t going to come true without a solid plan.
And to save more money? Well, it’ll be easier if you have more money to begin with, right? So we’ll focus on that and lay it all out – Here’s our list of stupid, simple ways to make extra cash this holiday season.
1. Satisfyingly Pop Bubbles to Make Cash
We love our classic bubble games here and even better when they’re shortened down to 3-minute games to pop as many as you can. Bonus points for clearing the whole board!
Check out Bubble Cash where you play in groups of 5 or more and the top 3 for each game wins.
Drop a bunch of bubbles at once and get those high-scoring combos. Play for free, and then switch over to cash games whenever you want. Seriously though, cash game winners can win thousands of dollars…by popping bubbles.
Just note that cash tournaments aren’t available in AZ, AR, IA, LA, MD & SC but everywhere else is fair game to win actual money!
2. Fun Times in 3 Minute Increments – A Classic Game for $
3 minutes.
Make as many 21s as you can within that time or until you run out of moves.
That’s the basic gist of 21 Blitz, a modern take on a classic game where you’re no longer just playing against the dealer but with actual people around the world.
It’s fast-paced and it basically does all of the math for you. This game is great for killing time and earning cash all at once which is perfect for home!
You can play for free against real people for prizes or switch over to cash games to win…well, cash! Cash game winners can win up to $7,000 or more in the mini-tournament.
Cash tournaments not available in AZ, AR, CT, DE, FL, LA, ME, MT, SC, SD, TN, IN.
3. This Paid Survey Panel Gives Out 7,000 Gift Cards Daily
There are a lot of survey programs out there, but none as popular as Swagbucks, a free rewards program where you can earn cash for your time and opinion. Members can earn an average of $50 a month!
You get rewarded for doing surveys, searching the web, reading articles, watching videos, and playing fun games but the one activity that earns you the most points is completing surveys. (Don’t skip out on those!)
Points can then be redeemed for free gift cards, cash, and sweepstakes entries. All just by completing fun activities and giving your opinions.
New members can get a free $5 just for signing up, so join the other 10 million members already part of Swagbucks and start earning free rewards!
4. Don’t Go Shopping Without This Free Money-Making App
Do you shop at brands like UberEats, Amazon, Tim Hortons, and Starbucks? You’re missing out on free gift cards for those purchases if you’re not using Drop as you shop online and in-stores at brands like these.
Drop, is a 100% free app that lets you earn reward points back on your normal shopping! All you have to remember is: Start with Drop before you shop. From there, it’s as simple as “Tap, Shop, Earn, Redeem.”
- Tap on the brand’s offer on Drop
- Shop through the brand’s app/website as you normally would. Drop will direct you there!
- Earn points back on your purchase.
- Redeem your points for a gift card of your choice – whenever and wherever you want!
Plus, when you link the debit/credit cards that you use most, you’ll get access to exclusive deals (like earning points back on every Postmates order) where purchases will automatically get tracked. You’ll even get personalized recommendations based on your shopping preferences.
And use Drop on top of your loyalty and credit card points to stack rewards!
The bottom line is: Not using this app would be like going to an all-inclusive resort, not knowing about all the free food/drinks/activities, and just staying in your room and eating crackers the whole time. No one wants that!
BONUS OFFER: Use promo code SMARTWALLET to unlock 10,000 points ($10!!) automatically when you earn your first 1,000 points.
For a limited time, sign up for an RBC Royal Bank card through Drop, and when you link that card to the app, you’ll earn an extra 3% in Drop Points on everyday spending at participating brands (e.g. Petro Canada, Sobeys, Safeway, Doordash, and more) for 3 months!
5. Get Paid To Share Your Opinion Anytime
Your opinion is valuable. So valuable you deserve to earn extra cash for sharing it.
You can do it with Survey Junkie. They pay cash to members who participate in surveys about their shopping habits, cell phone usage, and more. Basic stuff.
Completing a survey earns you 20 to 100 points. Each point is worth one cent, and when you hit 1,000 points (or $10) you can cash out. Great for paying yourself back for spending too much during the holidays!
Redeem via:
- Online gift cards
- Paypal cash
- Bank transfer
Signing up for Survey Junkie only takes a few minutes and you’ll earn your first 100 ($1 value!) points just by creating an account, filling out an intro questionnaire, and verifying your email address. Easy.
After that, you’re free to dive into surveys. They have surveys with various durations (5 to 20 minutes) to complete and new ones pop up constantly so you’ll never be bored! Fill one out when you’re waiting for someone or have time to kill.
Survey Junkie won’t get you rich quick (no survey sites ever do), but it’s an easy way to make some extra cash by doing nothing other than giving your opinions.
6. Scan the Stuff You Buy & Get Free Rewards
The exclusive Nielsen Panel 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 $5,000!
The more you share your shopping habits (scan barcodes), the more rewards you can get. You can also answer surveys and share information about your overall shopping trip.
“Scanning my purchases is fun! I also enjoy taking the surveys. Earning points is fast and easy and they have a great selection of rewards.” – Jennifer B.
It’s a fun way to earn more rewards on items you’ve already purchased and at no extra cost to you.
Register now to see if you’re eligible to be a Nielsen Panelist. Eligibility will be based on your location. If you don’t get accepted this time, don’t worry! They’re always expanding locations, so check back again.
7. School Competitors in Solitaire and Ca$h In
When you’re looking for something to do at home, check out Solitaire Cube, which is like regular Solitaire, except you get to play for real cash.
The game matches you with players of the same skill level, so all is fair. If you’re a good Solitaire player, you could win some serious cash, like Katie N. who took home $380,984 last year as one of the Top 10 Solitaire Cube players! Even casual players like Amanda, a stay-at-home mom from IL, won a 55″ TV, $6,000 and more!
So if you think you can handle playing some Solitaire Cube to win legit cash, definitely download this game for free.
Cash tournaments aren’t available in AZ, AR, CT, DE, FL, LA, ME, MT, SC, SD, TN, IN.
8. Spin to Win - Earn Coins to Build Adventurous Villages (And Raid Others)
Note: You can’t make any money off this game but we’re adding it in just because it’s fun and a good way to distract yourself when you want to.
Coin Master is a free casual game that’s amassed over 81 million downloads and has earned the rep of being one of the most interactive games on the market.
Spin to earn coins, chances to raid other villages, and build up your own village to move to the next level. There are over 200 uniquely themed villages to build including Steampunk Land, LA Dreams, Magical Forest, Hell’s Village, and more. Pets can also be raised to help you get more coins.
When you need a little break from the real world, head into Coin Master to play for free!
9. 56% of Canadians Never Check Their Credit Score Even Though It’s Free
When was the last time you checked your credit score?
Since a low credit score could affect your ability to actually rent an apartment, get a car, and even a new job, you should be checking at least on a monthly basis.
It’s easy with Borrowell, where you can get a free Equifax credit score and report in 3 minutes. You’ll also get credit monitoring to track any errors, be alerted of potential fraud, and personal tips to improve your credit!
All Borrowell credit checks will not affect your credit score so you can comfortably check monthly to make sure the most important 3 digit number in your life is moving up.
10. Over 750,000 People Use this App to Easily Invest
Investing sounds complicated but it doesn’t have to be. And you don’t have to be rich either to play the investment game. That’s why Moka is a popular choice for anyone new to investing since they make it so easy.
For every purchase you make, Moka automatically rounds it up to the nearest dollar and then saves & invests the difference into your Moka account.
Just connect Moka to your credit/debit card and it’ll save automatically. Set it and forget it.
Since roundups are less than $1 and basically spare change, you’ll barely notice the impact initially but over time it’ll grow to make a big difference.
Moka will continue to round up and save for you, while at the same time, investing those savings so that your portfolio can grow.
It only costs $3/month no matter how much money you have in the account. Moka is already taking care of over $200 million for their clients and their monthly cost is absolutely cheaper than an investment advisor.
11. Easily Earn Cash for Your Opinions and Feedback
Extra fun money is always welcome to have on hand. And if you’re looking for an easy way to earn, just share your opinions online with Branded Surveys.
You just have to complete a profile so their survey matching system can provide you with eligible surveys to fill out. When surveys are finished, you’ll earn points to redeem for Paypal cash and gift cards like Amazon, Esso, Tim Horton’s, Roots, and more!
The estimated completion time for each survey is always visible so you know what to expect. You’ll also get daily poll opportunities to earn even more points. There’s no limit to how many surveys you can do, and you can refer friends for even extra rewards.
Sign up now and get a $1 welcome bonus!
12. Automatically Get Free Cash Back for the Stuff You’re Already Buying (And $5 Instantly)
Home project supplies, pizza, gas, shoes, and more. Just normal purchases you don’t think twice on. And of course, holiday presents.
But if you could automatically get cash back on those normal purchases, why not? RBC Ampli makes this possible.
It’s a 100% free to use cash back app powered by RBC where you can get free money back from over 50+ participating retailers like Boston Pizza, Petro-Canada, Rexall, Michaels, adidas, Sephora, Best Buy, and much more.
Just simply link your credit or debit card(s), shop normally on brand websites or in-store, and RBC Ampli will drop cash back in your account! There’s no need to select offers or go through Ampli to make a purchase. After setting up your card(s), there are no extra steps, just shop normally and it’ll auto-detect your eligible transactions.
Cash out easily at $15 through free Interac e-Transfer. Members also earn entries into the monthly “Dreamstakes” contests where people have won up to $50,000!
So download RBC Ampli for free now AND get a free $5 with promo code AMPLI5. You’d be throwing away free money if you don’t use it!
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