Sometimes you just need a bit of extra cash. Getting your hands on free money can be approached from two angles – either making money or saving money. Both tactics have the same end result – more money in your wallet to do the things you want. The only cost of executing successful free money hacks is your time. But if you utilize opportunities where you would otherwise not be doing anything productive – then the money you make is truly free. Although you will need to give up some of your time, there are so many ways you can get your hands on extra money.
Here are a myriad of free money hacks that are both legitimate and accessible to anyone with a computer and internet connection.
1. Online surveys
Taking online surveys won’t make you rich, but it’s certainly a legitimate way to make some quick free cash. The best way to approach online surveys is to utilize the time you usually set aside for mundane and unproductive tasks – such as binge-watching TV. This way, you can multi-task and make some free money whilst relaxing.
2. Sell your stuff
If you’ve got unused or wanted stuff lying around, you’re essentially sitting on free money – it’s just yet to be realized. So, when walking around the house, keep your eyes open for that hidden treasure that you could turn into liquid cash. You can sell your old clothes or shoes, old tech, books, or even household items that you no longer use. It’s always worth having a yearly clear-out and seeing how much you can get.
3. Rent out a room
Airbnb is a truly great way to make some extra cash, and in terms of upfront costs, there is very little depending on your residential status. If you have a decent-sized home and you’re in an optimum location, then you can really do well with this hustle. You can even just rent a room out which could appeal to businesspeople, and this limits the disruptiveness of your schedule. If you’re away from home on a regular basis then this really starts to look more like free money, because your home is not being used anyway so you may as well get paid for it. Setting up a good profile and a detailed listing are all key components to doing well with Airbnb.
4. Investing
The world of finance can be lucrative and rewarding but also dangerous if you’re not savvy with your money. Even in the ‘high stakes’ arena of personal finance, there is free money to be made, you just need to know the right places to look. And remember to make sure you actually need to use the service and will find some benefit from what it provides.
5. Flea market flip
Do you know what makes a great business mind? Finding value where others do not. And that’s essentially all there is to flea market flipping – the economic principles behind its success are as old as time itself. Find something to buy that you believe to be either undervalued or could have value-added – and then sell it for more than you paid. And the flea market is rich pickings for these sorts of items.
6. User testing and reviews
The payouts from user testing and reviews are really good, the tasks are reasonably quick and it’s a lot of fun. You will need to read the instructions carefully and execute the directions professionally. Often, you will be required to record yourself navigating a particular website and narrate your real-time experiences. For this reason, a high standard is required before they payout. But when they do, it’s free money in the old back pocket.
7. Advertise on your car
If you own a car, then you might be driving around in a free money-making opportunity. Getting paid to advertise on your vehicle is a legitimate free money hack and effortlessly allows you to make a decent passive income. Car wrapping is where you have a non-permanent plastic adhesive placed on your vehicle to advertise a company’s product or service. Your car may need to meet a few basic requirements, but once approved, you can definitely make a couple of bucks a month for absolutely no work.
8. Sell pictures
Did you know the average person takes an incredible 20 pictures per day? That’s a lot of photos. But did you know it’s also possible to easily monetize this obsession with photography? Shutterstock is one of the largest and most trusted online photo submission platforms in the world. Shutterstock is a stock photo website used by online marketers, bloggers, big businesses, and creatives alike, and the demand for new photos is relentless. This means you can get a piece of the action by downloading the app and uploading your snaps. Once you’ve taken the picture and uploaded it the rest is basically just free money and if your picture takes off the earnings can keep on coming for months or even years.
9. Online reward programs
Who said there was no such thing as free money? Swagbucks is considered to be one of the most popular online rewards programs that pay you cash and gift cards for completing everyday tasks you already do! It really doesn’t get much easier than that. The process is simple; you sign up and earn points for shopping at your favorite retailers, watching videos, answering surveys, and surfing the web. The platform has so many ways to earn that you can quickly start racking up the points and begin earning your free cash.
10. Clinical trials
Clinical trials are by no means risk-free, and although they can pay extremely well, the long-term health implications are something you need to carefully consider. Most clinical trials are done locally and you must ensure to find legitimate opportunities before embarking on this free money hack.
Final thoughts
Many of the free money hacks outlined above are very easy and require minimal effort – and the corresponding payout amounts will reflect that. The higher-level rewards will come from the free money hacks that require slightly more effort – so using a combination of both types will likely give you the greatest chance to maximize your earnings.