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.
Well, 2020 is over. We have hopeful dreams for this year but first, let’s start by focusing on our finances. If you have more money, you can save even more. A recent FINRA study showed that 40% of Americans have less than $400 saved.
You can pinpoint areas where you can cut back spending on but if you feel saving would be a little easier if you have more money to begin, then here’s our list of stupid simple ways to make extra cash for the rest of this new year.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Get Paid Up to $225/Month While Watching Viral Videos and Taking Fun Surveys
Founded in 2000, Inbox Dollars has been paying customers for their opinions for over 22 years and counting! They are one of the most trusted survey sites with fun, multiple ways to earn extra cash that set them apart.
“Fast and easy. Love that I can cash out to my PayPal and easily transfer money to my bank account.” – Tefanie P
Take surveys, watch videos, play games, and even read emails for extra cash. Who wouldn’t want to watch viral videos for money and get paid up to $225/month?
Inbox Dollars is a great platform to make a little side money. It’s free to sign up, so give it a try today!
4. Instantly Get Paid $1 for Each Survey (No Limit!)
By now, you’re probably familiar with surveys. If not, it’s a great way to earn side cash for just giving anonymous opinions and you can join several survey programs to increase earnings.
Add SurveyTime to your list, because what makes them different from others, is that you’ll instantly get paid $1 after each survey completion. No waiting around to accrue at least $15 to cash out, you can get paid right after!
And there’s no limit either, so you can take as many surveys as you want available. You can choose between Target, Amazon, or Walmart gift cards, PayPal, or Bitcoin via Coinbase.
It’s free & easy to start. Just head here to sign up, check your confirmation email, and answer a few introductory questions.
It takes a few days until the system learns your profile to match you with the best surveys so you might be disqualified for some surveys at the beginning. Then you can take as many surveys as you want and it’ll be clear on the site how long each survey would take. On average, each could take 10 minutes with some being as quick as 3 minutes!
5. Make $100 Your First Visit to This Site
One of the newest and easiest ways to make money on your phone is 100% free with KashKick. You just need to sign up with your name, email address, and password!
Get fun cash rewards just by playing games (which you’re already doing), answering surveys based on your user profile, trying out financial tools, and many more ways.
Check out KashKick and start making money in your PJs, in line, or wherever!
6. 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.
7. Get Paid Up to $89 Playing Match 3 Games
Puzzle game lovers will love Match to Win, a free to play game where you can win cash rewards through 300+ exciting levels spanning across Hawaii, Paris, San Francisco, and more.
It’s simple. When you clear a level, you earn coins, which are redeemable for instant win scratchers, prize wheels, and sweepstakes up to $2,500! And yes, it’s legit – there are already over 135K reviews with a 4.5 average rating!
“I love the fact that you don’t have to purchase anything to win! Also, each level is different, so it doesn’t get monotonous! – Noelle Belmore
Also, join the daily Cash Dash event, where players enter a sweepstakes race by collecting in-game trophies. Be among the first Top 25 players for bonus prizes of $5 to $10! Cash out via PayPal when you reach $7. So download and play for free to start winning cash!
8. 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!
9. Get Paid to Lose Weight This Year
If you want some extra motivation to not pack on any more pounds, then you need to know that there’s a health and wellness company that pays you to lose weight. Seriously!
Healthywage has been doing these weight loss challenge incentives since 2009 and they have a ton of testimonials/pictures on their site with reviews from CNN, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and more!
So get a jumpstart on your fitness and weight goals (plus earn money):
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
Sign up by December 3rd and get an extra $100 to your prize!
10. How to Get Paid $22/Hr Being a Grocery Shopper
When you’re looking for a legit side gig, consider grocery shopping for others, instead.
Shipt is an app where members can request same-day deliveries on grocery, household, and more. After browsing through millions of products from stores like CVS, Target, ALDI, Costco, and a lot more popular retailers, members create a shopping list.
This shopping list is then sent to a professional Shipt Shopper (potentially you!) who’ll head to the store, grab the items, and deliver. Shoppers are independent contractors and are paid up to $22/hr and more. Plus 100% of all tips are yours to keep!
So if you’re interested in a flexible side gig that helps out the community, have a valid driver’s license and auto insurance, a reliable car, know the difference between romaine and iceberg lettuce, apply here. Work whenever you want and get paid weekly!
11. How to Put More Cash in Your Pocket - An Extra $5,500 Per Year
When you need extra money, side gigs and WFH opportunities are your best options. Use the free Steady app (co-founded by Shaquille O’Neal) to find flexible jobs and Income Boosters to do it! It’s easy, and their 6 million members are already earning money.
Here’s how to start:
- Download Steady and create a free account
- Browse gig opportunities
- For faster cash, try your first Income Booster; over $15M have been paid out so far, and they’re easy to do
“Steady gave me the opportunity to be at home, pick up my sons, and still make money,”- James Coleman.
On average, Steady members can increase their income by an extra $5,500! So set those financial goals and earn extra money on your own time.
12. 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!
13. 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!
14. Get Free Stock Worth Between $5 and $200 + a Retirement Account that Matches
Investing may seem expensive, and most people put it off until they have “enough” money. But time is the most critical factor, and Robinhood lets new investors start with just $1.
This free trading app, used by over 15 million people, lets you trade stocks, ETFs, and options commission-free! When your application is approved, they’ll give free stock worth $5 up to $200 for new members, with chances to get high-value stock on Facebook, Microsoft, etc.
NEW: Robinhood now offers IRAs with a 1% match! Instantly get an extra 1% on every dollar you contribute to your chosen retirement account. An additional 1% yearly could grow to $26K+ in 40 years.
Use Robinhood for your investing and retirement account needs, especially when they’ll match your IRA contribution!
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