18 Weird (but Totally Legal) Ways To Pay Rent in 2021

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.

It’s a fresh new year and good riddance to 2020.

We should be grateful for our health and definitely, a place to live.

Even though every time that chunk of rent payment leaves your bank account and into someone else’s, it hurts just a little bit. But it’s the price to pay for having your own living space and basically, a non-negotiable.

So keep making those rent payments and we’re making it a little bit easier by suggesting some things you can do to earn some side cash as well as manage your money more efficiently. Even better when you can get paid for doing stuff you already do!

1. 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!

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. 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!

4. Find Curated Remote and Flexible Jobs With This Site

With a record 40 million people that filed for unemployment,* it’s crucial to be able to hold a remote or flexible full-time or part-time position in these still uncertain times.

Instead of searching through irrelevant job boards, use FlexJobs, a 13+ year old company that specializes in finding only remote and flexible schedule jobs. For a limited time, their membership plans are 30% off (with promo code SAVE30) making the plans only:

  • $4.95 /week
  • $9.95 /month
  • $23.95 /three months (most popular!)
  • $44.95 /year (best value)

Memberships include access to jobs as well as resources like Career Coaching, Resume Review, 170 expert skills tests to better assess and promote your skills, and more.

Lori S. from Colorado Springs, CO said, “I would have spent hours trying to find these jobs on my own. I LOVE this website!! These are jobs that are not easy to find—I found the membership fee very reasonable and worth every penny considering I have found two wonderful jobs through FlexJobs.”

Non-essential workers are being asked to stay home during these times but making money is essential to everyone so take advantage of the 30% off membership plans to look at what could be your next new job! Remember to use promo code SAVE30.

5. 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!

6. Please Spot Me Up to $2001, So I Don’t Get an Overdraft Fee!

We got you. Or, more specifically, Chime ® has your back; the award-winning mobile financial app and debit card will have you saying goodbye to overdraft fees!

That’s because their SpotMe®️ tool can literally spot you up to $2001 without charging a fee as long as you receive qualifying direct deposits.

You need qualifying direct deposits of at least $200 a month into your Chime Checking Account to qualify, and one of the easiest methods is to route your paycheck there so you don’t have to think about it.

Other perks:

  • Get paid up to 2 days early3 with direct deposit
  • Get 2.00% Annual Percentage Yield (APY)4 with the high-yield Chime Savings Account5
  • Access to a new way to build credit history with the Secured Chime® Credit Builder Visa® Credit Card6
  • FDIC-insured up to $250,000 through The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.7 (it’s safe!)
  • No minimum balance, no monthly fees, and no foreign transaction/transfer fees

Sign up for Chime and say goodbye to overdraft fees and other benefits!


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.