23 Weird (but Totally Legal) Ways To Pay Rent When It’s Over $800 a Month

by Alice Ly
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Updated on September 28, 2020
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.

You feel it every month.

When that chunk of rent payment leaves your bank account and into someone else’s. It’s the price to pay for having your own living space and basically, a non-negotiable.

Because no matter what, you gotta keep adulting when you don’t want to move back in with family. Seriously.

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. 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.

2. Affordable Car Insurance Exists - Save Up To $610

You’re probably overpaying on your current auto insurance without even realizing it.

  1. Just check on EverQuote to start comparing
  2. They’ll check from plenty of agencies to find you the best deal
  3. 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!

3. Fetch All Your Receipts (Even Virtual) & Get Free Money Back

Alice Ly / The Smart Wallet

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.

4. 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!

5. 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.

6. 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!

7. Get Paid to Play New Games. Regularly Cash Out Up to $25

Download Mistplay, an Android game platform where you try free games, earn points and redeem them for Amazon, PSN, XBOX Live, and more. On average, players are cashing out between $10 – $25 regularly!

  1. Discover new mobile games curated just for you on Mistplay
  2. As you play, you’ll earn units
  3. Redeem your units for gift cards to Amazon, Google Play Store, and more!

“This app is the real deal. There’s a good selection of games, and new ones are being added all the time. More importantly, when you reach the target amount of points, you do get paid. Great job, Mistplay people.” – Geoffrey Daley, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Just be sure to start your games from Mistplay so it can keep track of your game time to credit you properly. New members get a BONUS of 200 units just for signing up!

8. How to Get Paid In the Next 48 Hours Playing Games

You’ll get paid in gift cards, but it’s still money. Choose from favorites like Amazon, Kohl’s, Chipotle, CVS, etc., and you can earn your first $5 gift card within 48 hours just by playing some Android games.

Just download Rewarded Play, the free app that lets you play games and earn hundreds of dollars from having fun. The more games you play, the more you can earn with no limit!

Of course, you won’t get rich from it, but earning money from playing these games is better than nothing at all.

9. 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:

  1. Be at least 18 years old
  2. 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
  3. Have a regular source of income
  4. Have a checking or savings account
  5. 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

10. 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.


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