Some Apps and Websites I Use to Make Money (and #Goal!)
How I got there:
I started with $10.02 in my savings account. My paydays are every other Friday at both school and the tanning studio. Between January and February, there were three pay cycles instead of two, so that put me two weeks ahead on my monthly rent. So, on February 3rd:
Amount saved: $415.00
Paycheck from the tanning studio: $136.97
Squeezed out of regular budget: $40.66
Over the next two weeks, I sold some things using Facebook Market Place:
Shoes: $30 ($15 each)
Earrings and bracelet: $20
And I completed an audit at Target using the Field Agent App:
$5
Then, finally, my next payday:
Tanning studio: $133.86
That left me with $218.51- I got home and did my monthly budget, and I had to WRING it to get that last $218.51 out, but I *think* I made it work! Just hoping I can get through the next two weeks without having to dip back into that emergency fund!
Okay, now on to the exciting stuff. I have mentioned in multiple previous entries that I used such-and-such app or website to make extra money towards my debt reduction. I'm always playing around with new apps, so I'm sure this entry will be the first of many where I discuss this topic, but I wanted to share and review some of the places I have gone on the web to make extra cash. You aren't going to get rich off of any of these sites, but, when you're trying to slay the debt dragon, every penny counts!
Survey/Offer Websites:
I discovered these websites when I was a broke college student desperate to rake in some extra cash. These websites and apps offer payment for reading emails, listening to music or watching video clips, taking surveys, and some other random goodies.
Pluses: You never have to pay for anything through the actual websites and you can use them any time you have access to the internet (although there are some features that are unique to apps/mobile versions and some that you need to be at an actual computer). If you just leave the videos or music playing on your phone as you work on other things, you are basically making residual income!
Caution: The "offers" are tempting: "We'll pay you $15 to place a $50 order with this business!" or "Sign up for this service for just $8.00 a month and we'll pay you $10!" Newsflash: you can't spend yourself rich! Of course, if you were already budgeting to purchase something and it's listed in the paid offers, it's a great way to get a few dollars off! But even the "free trial" offers can end up costing you a lot of money if you forget to unsubscribe or if they place a hold on your checking account. Stick with things that don't require a debit or credit card.
1. InboxDollars:
This is my favorite because a) you only have to make $30 before you can request a check, and they have a variety of ways to earn b) you get $5 just for signing up and c) the money you make never "expires". I've gone a year without logging into InboxDollars, and all the money I made was still sitting there next time I logged in! InboxDollars also has an app for your phone, so you can easily make money any time you have some downtime and have your phone on you!
2. CashCrate
Same concept, and, again, your earnings don't expire even if you go a long time without logging into your account. CashCrate requires you to make at least $20, and then they send you a check or pay via Dwolla (I have no idea what that is!) when you request payment.
3. FushionCash
(Ignore my Spanish-wannabe username; I was in college when I set this one up!). Okay, this one also gives a nice, $5 sign-up bonus, and it pays out at $25 using direct deposit to your bank (on the 15th of the following month from when you request payout). I've found FushionCash to be a bit slower, and the money you've earned expires after 180 days. But, I've gotten it to work in the past!
You Can Get Free Gift Cards For Shopping, Searching and Discovering What's Online at Swagbucks.com
4. Swagbucks (Sheesh, why do they have such a huge referral banner??)
Swagbucks gives you points rather than direct cash, and points can be used for gift cards or turned into cash that you receive via PayPal. You can use smaller amounts of points to get gift cards to Target, Best Buy, and other stores.
Health and Fitness Apps:
5. Achievemint
I haven't had this one long enough to cash out, but if it's legit, then it's pretty much the easiest app ever to use for money-making. It tracks your steps each day and gives you points, and it gives you other ways to earn points such as logging food with MyFitnessPal or checking in to a gym on Foursquare. Once you hit 10,000 points, it pays you $10. That's a lot of points for $10, but you literally have nothing to loose since you don't have to pay anything to use the app. (Use the link to sign up and you and I both get 250 bonus points!)
6. Pact
This app pays you to complete healthy activites...and charges you if you skip them. You connect to your credit or debit card and commit to a certain number of healthy activites (eating fruits and veggies, logging your meals using MyFitnessPal, and working out), and you agree to how much will be withdrawn from your bank account by the end of the week if you miss an activity (I have mine set to $5). If you meet your goals for the week, you get paid by members who didn't make their goals and had to pay in!
The perks to this app is that it pushes me to keep healthy habits going. The downside is that, in the midst of a busy week, missed goals do happen. For me, having a steady source of income, $5 isn't going to break me. But, for a college student or someone who is between jobs, a missed activity could quickly turn into overdraft fees if there isn't enough money in your bank account. Decide whether or not this app is worth the risk!
*Sidenote: there are several more apps that are geared specifically towards weight-loss. Weight loss is not a health goal for me so I can't really review any of those apps, but if healthy weight loss IS a goal for someone else, a simple google search should give lots of information!
Apps for selling stuff
7. PoshMark
This app is for buying and selling clothes, makeup, and jewelry. For a sale under $15, there is a flat fee of 2.95, and for sales over $15 Poshmark takes 20% of your selling price and gives you the other 80%. Poshmark also pays for shipping; all you have to do when you make a sale is print the label. Yes, you can sell things and get 100% of the profit on other sites, but Poshmark protects you and your buyer from scams or theft, so it's a pretty fair trade.
8. DeCluttr
This app buys old tech, CDs, DVDs, computer games, and textbooks. Okay, I've never been a techy but I did sell several old CDs that I found in my old bedroom at my parents' house. I only made $6.20, but, hey, if I can make any amount of money while getting rid of clutter (and none of my CDs were "top 40" or anything that would go down in mainstream music history), why not?
So, those are my favorite apps and websites so far for making money- as promised, I'll keep experimenting and researching and will post reviews as I learn!
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