If you have a smart phone, you have the potential to make money with that phone, depending on which of the over thirty money making apps you use. Some require quite a time commitment such as the Uber app to find customers to drive around. Others can be used during down times or when you’re waiting in the grocery store line. Finally, the ones I like best don’t require anything after installation.
Of course, you’re not going to earn a lot from these apps, maybe only a few bucks here and there, but every little bit helps, and why not make money for something you already do?
I have four apps that I use regularly, and most of these require very little effort on my part.
Drop
By far, this is the easiest app to use. Install Drop on your phone, link your credit card to the app, and pick a handful of stories that you frequent regularly. Mine are Target, Walgreens, Trader Joe’s and Safeway. Depending on the store, you’ll earn from 2 to 8 points for every dollar spent at these stores. When you earn 5,000 points, you can get a $5 gift card from a variety of stores. The real way to make money is to try new offers, but I find that most of these would require me to spend money I wasn’t planning to spend, so I forego them. In one month, from my regular shopping, I’ve earned 2,500 points.
Ibotta
Paper coupons, meet your electronic version—Ibotta. For ease of use, you can link your grocery store cards to Ibotta, but if you don’t want to do that, you can take a picture of your receipt and scan the bar code of a qualifying item to get cash back. Some people make quite a bit of money with Ibotta, i.e. $50 or more per month.
The real way to earn cash with this program is to refer others. One thing I love about Ibotta is that you can get your money in cash, not just gift cards. Sweet!
Swagbucks
Swagbucks rewards you for Internet searches, taking polls and surveys, and watching videos, among other tasks. This app is great for basic internet searches, and doing short tasks while waiting in line or waiting at a doctor’s office, etc. You’ll make the most money participating in surveys, but each survey is looking for a particular demographic. I find that as a middle-aged woman, I don’t often qualify for many surveys, but my teenage son qualifies for many of them.
eBates
I love EBates. It’s almost as easy to use as Drop. Install the EBates app, and every time you shop, you can earn money back. EBates sends a check every three months with your earnings. I regularly earn between $8 and $17 every three months. It’s not a lot, but it’s nice to get that little check every quarter. This app is perfect if you regularly buy items on your phone. If you don’t, go ahead and install Ebates on your laptop for more reward earning possibilities.
These little apps don’t make you rich, but they do offer you the possibility to make a bit of money for something you were likely doing anyway.
My Question for You
Do you use money making apps? If so, which ones are your favorites? Do you use any of the apps mentioned above?
