Good morning, savvy savers! If you are anything like me, you are always looking for new ways to pad your monthly budget. Whether you need extra cash, are creating a splurge day fund, or are looking to pay for holiday expenses there is money to be made in the area of mobile apps and surveys. So, for day 23 of this month’s #31DayLWSZ October No-Spend Challenge, I wanted to discuss a few ways that I have found to use mobile apps to make extra money.
So, as we are all aware that with the popularity of mobile payment methods, smartphones can also be useful for earning money. While apps will not make it possible for you to party like a rock star, they can help you pay for your next latte, or even get a free lunch every now and then. For these reasons alone, these apps are worth checking out.
A word of caution, however. Safety first. Always read the fine print when downloading apps that claim to help you make money. Download apps from the Apple App Store and Google’s Play Store because of Apple and Google’s security measures, but die to the nature of the internet please read, and then re-read the fine print on these apps, as some of these apps will give you money in exchange for information you didn’t know you would be sharing.
For instance, an app can access your phone’s GPS to find your location, download files without telling you, take pictures and record video and audio, send messages without your permission, or even modify or delete the contents of your phone. Just take the necessary precautions to allow you to securely safe. Okay, PSA over.
So here is a list of several legitimate, money-making apps worth checking out that I personally use:
i-Say Mobile (iOS, Android): i-Say Mobile is an app developed by Ipsos, the survey company that is very popular because they are always seen taking surveys during presidential elections. i-Say invites its members to take surveys, the highest-paying and also rarest of which cost as much as $100. You need to sign up at the i-Say website to become a member.
Swagbucks (iOS, Android): There are nine ways to make money on Swagbucks. You can browse the web, take surveys, shop in the Swagbucks mall, vote on daily polls, play games, watch videos, find swap codes, complete special offers, and bring in your friends to sign up. Swagbucks earnings come in the form of virtual money that can be redeemed as gift cards, coupons, and sweepstakes entries. Sawgbucks is one of my favorite go-to’s!
SlideJoy (Android): SlideJoy puts product ads on your phone’s lockscreen and pays you a fixed amount every time you unlock your phone, whether you look at the ad or not. Users say they earn $5 to $15 on average with SlideJoy. Before making the switch to Android, this was my app du jour!
App Trailers (iOS, Android): App junkies, this apps for you. App Trailer shows its users 30-second video trailers of new apps to download and install. For every app trailer you watch, you earn money. For every app you download and engage with, you earn even more. The more trailers you watch, the more points you earn, which can then be converted into gift cards or redeemed via PayPal weekly.
InboxDollars (iOS, Android): More than $30 million have been paid out to InboxDollars users since the long time it has been around. You get $5 alone just upon signing up. InboxDollars’ main attraction is it pays you money to surf web, play games, and take surveys. Users can cash out by requesting payment via check once they earn $30, which is completely possible in a couple of hours. I’ve earned four checks in two years. While this inst a cash cow, this is a slow-but-steady way to earn a free lunch every other season!
Viggle (iOS, Android): Viggle syncs in wirelessly to know what songs you listen to and what TV shows you watch, in exchange of course, for points that can be redeemed as gifts cards, digital downloads, electronic goods, and trips. Tv to earn gift cards to Burger King, Starbucks, and Lowe’s is a win-win for me!
Mobee (iOS, Android): Interested in mystery shopping? Mobee’s partners with stores to earn points that can be exchanged for cash, gift cards, or even event tickets based on the quality of your evaluations. You can download the app for free to check out what missions are available in your area. Each mission earns you anywhere between 150 points ($1.5) and 3,000 points ($30).
Receipt Hog (iOS, Android): Receipt Hog lets you take pictures of your receipts in exchange for coins. Each 1,000 coins can be redeemed as Amazon gift cards or as cash via PayPal. As you upload more receipts, you unlock more ways to earn money, such as taking surveys.
Perk (iOS, Android): The Perk app offers a variety of ways to make money. For everything you do in one of the Perk services, such as when you search, browse the web, or watch TV, you earn a small number of points. If you buy something off Perk Shopping, you earn a massive amount of points that can be converted into gift cards. Minimum payout for Perk is $5.00, weekly.
Field Agent (iOS, Android): Instead of having you browse the Internet or take surveys, Field Agent pays you to do small tasks for its clients. For instance, you can earn $9 taking four different photos of toothbrushes at Wal-Mart or $5.00 checking out the price of certain dolls at Toys “R” Us. Taking into account the time and gas it takes to drive out and accomplish those tasks, you’ll still be able to make up to $20 as a field agent.
TaskRabbit (iOS, Android): Another task app! TaskRabbit pays you more than double the minimum wage to complete simple tasks for people than many other apps, such as putting together IKEA furniture or walking the dogs. However, you’ll have to apply to become a Tasker, within the app community.
Bookscouter (iOS, Android): Calling all bibliophiles! If you have a lot of books gathering dust on your shelves,, or aren’t planning to Kon’Mari them, Bookscouter can help! This app looks for buyers offering the highest amounts. Simply scan the bar-code of your book and the app will give you a list of buyback companies and their prices. Once you choose your seller, give them your payment details and ship the book to them.
Pact (iOS, Android): Calling all my fellow Weight Loss Wednesday Divas! Want a way to get paid for healthy living? This is the app for you! With Pact, which pays users $5 every week for accomplishing certain tasks, such as eating a certain number of healthy meals or exercising a certain number of hours for the week. Is it effective? Pact says 92 percent of its users are motivated to lose weight, not just because of the $5.00 weekly reward but also because of the $5.00 penalty if they fail to complete their tasks for the week.
So that’s it! There’s my list. Now, many readers may say? What about sites like Crowdtap, Recyclebank, or Walmart Savings Cather App? Well, Crowdtap has changed self-regulating rewards system to a randomized raffle system, where participation does not guarantee a monthly gift card (so I did not include it on this list, though it’s still a fun way to pass time), Recyclebank has changed its settings making its perfunctory seasonal rewards harder to obtain (this site is still one of my secret tools in for giving high-quality, free magazine subscriptions to friends and family over the holidays), and I group Walmart’s Savings App under my grocery savings tools.
For me, time is money. If I do not have a guaranteed guarantee on my time, its not just worth it for me. Some spend not saving is time not being vested in my husband, family, business, myself, or my faith. That’s just how I roll!
Yes, I am aware this sounds like a lot, but I can usually accomplish all of these things in 30 minutes daily while relaxing and watching tv. These apps have helped me earn an average of $400.00 annually over the past half decade, and this year my app savings will help fund my debt-free holiday spending goal this upcoming holiday season!
So, do you all have an other apps you use to earn extra money? I’d love to hear about it!
Here’s to saving!
