 |
| I'm rollin' in the money! (Except not really…) |
My future sister-in-law recently wrote to me and asked how I make a little extra income on the side. I decided she probably wasn't alone in this. After all, one of my most-viewed posts is this one from January 2014 when I gave a financial update and shared some of my strategies at that time for making a bit of extra income. In it, I shared a bit about phone apps, bank bonuses, gift cards, and (the big one at the time) Amazon payments. Amazon Payments no longer exists, so let's talk about a few methods that do still exist. I won't be sharing all that I know, but perhaps the little bit I do share will help…
1. Phone Apps – In the past I've shared about how I use Receipt Pal and Receipt Hog to earn money just by taking pictures of my receipts, but were you aware of Checkout 51, Snap (by Groupon), Ibotta, and JingIt? All of these apps use your receipts and purchases to put cash back into your wallet. I look at them as though they are rebates though since you wouldn't have the money without making the purchases. Receipt Pal and Receipt Hog are the easiest to use – you just photograph your receipts, any receipts on Receipt Pal and specifically grocery and convenience store receipts on Receipt Hog. For the other apps, you will, in some instances, not only photograph your grocery receipts, but you will also need to scan the POS code to prove that you bought the item. Obviously, these are not the fastest methods to earning cash, but, if you buy the right products and use these apps in combination with coupons, you could easily find yourself not only saving a good chunk of change, but also making money! How awesome would that be?
2. Surveys – I easily supplement my main income with side jobs, product evaluations, and surveys with some paying as much as $200 for 2 hours of my time! While the big paying jobs don't come around as often as I'd like, the small paying jobs often provide fun incentives to keep me working long after my (actual) work day is over. I received free trials of soda, cookies, and candy (as well as a few less exciting things like laundry detergent and dish washing detergent). Having tried many sites, a few of my favorites survey include Valued Opinions, Datatelligence, Pinecone, SurveySavvy, and Clearvoice. From these sites alone, I have cashed out at $70 in cash and gift cards alone this month! While you won't make a fortune, the extra you do make will certainly boost your overall income providing more than enough for a fun date night or a new outfit!
3. Mystery Shopping – Speaking of date nights and shopping, if you haven't tried mystery shopping, I highly recommend it! I love getting cash back for shopping and eating out that I am already doing. You do need to be able to float cash for an extended period of time though, for example 3 months with Intelli-Shop. After spending the money when out to eat, at a theatre, visiting an amusement park, or completing a purchase, you will fill out a questionnaire detailing your visit. The company will review it, ask more questions (if they need to), and provide you with a score. Just as you forget about this whole process, you will wake up one morning with extra money in your Paypal account or a check in your mailbox! Woohoo! My favorites are Intelli-Shop (as mentioned above) and A Closer Look, however there are far more than just these two available! Most importantly, keep in mind that jobs available to you will vary based on where you live; you may need to check out more than the ones I've mentioned to find your perfect match.
4. Cashback Sites – Finally, and I know I've mentioned these a few times before, I ALWAYS make sure I use a cashback comparison site like Cashbackholic to get the most from my online purchases. While this website is great at helping you get the most money back that you can, do check the web for other deals Cashbackholic may not be aware of. For example, Ebates was recently offering 16% back on your total purchase from Macy's, so I currently have $20 in cash ready for me to redeem! :) Another site that Cashbackholic doesn't cover is Swagbucks. In fact, Swagbucks has been kind enough to offer all the readers of my blog an additional 70 swagbucks (on top of the 30 you regularly get) for signing up if you use the code sb4aandj8804 through the end of June! Swagbucks add up really fast and you don't even have to make a purchase on their site – Just complete searches, fill out surveys, and play games on their site and enter the swagbucks into your account as they appear. Very cool, right?
So what do you think? Have you used any of these methods to bring in extra cash before? Will you be considering them in the future? Be sure to share and let me know in the comments. I'd love to hear about your experiences! :)
