We all know that money doesn't grow on trees. But what if I told you there are ways to get free money? Here is how to get free money in over 50 easy ways.
Earning free money is actually pretty easy these days. That's if you identify the best ways to do it. Also, you have to stay creative and keep your options open.
While free money sounds like a scam, it's not always the case. Plenty of apps will give you money in exchange for a small amount of effort, like playing games, watching ads, or entering data. Like less than 5 seconds type of effort!
I'm a huge fan of making money online to achieve financial freedom. And today, we will highlight some of the most effective ways to earn free money, which will tally up to over $2,557 in free money.
Let's first highlight how to get free money.
Table of Contents
How to Get Free Money
The best way to get free money entails doing a few small tasks in exchange for money via PayPal, gift cards, cold hard cash, and rewards points.
But, for you to get free money through these tasks, you might be required to:
- Sign up for something
- Opt-in for rewards points
- Request for discounts or bonuses
- Provide your data in exchange for money
These methods are simple and easy. You'll be putting extra cash in your pocket in no time. I'll highlight the ways to get money for free, both online and offline.
Let's get into the good stuff.
50 Plus Ways to Get Free Money Right Now
Alright, we are now on to the juicy stuff. Here is a list of the top ways to get free online and offline money.
1. InboxDollars: Join & Get $5 Instantly
InboxDollars is the first proven way to get money for not doing much work at all. With InboxDollars, they will send you offers directly to your inbox, and you can either shop, complete, or answer questions to start earning money instantly. So, if you want to earn money for almost everything you do online, InboxDollars offers an excellent opportunity.
Earn Per Activity | Payment Method | Min To Cash Out |
Next Steps | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Up to $5 | Cash & Gift Cards | $30 | CLAIM BONUS | Read Full Review |
It's a great way to earn extra money on the go and completely online. In fact, the platform has been featured in several news outlets like Forbes, Bustle, and Mashable as one of the top ways to earn free money online.
Sign up today for a $5 bonus for little to no work.
GET $5 BONUS2. Survey Junkie: Answer Questions for Money
Survey Junkie is one of the oldest and most reliable survey websites. It's a very similar site to Swagbucks (more on that below) but specializes in surveys.
All you need to start making free money with Survey Junkie is to create a free account, and you are good to go. By signing up, you are ready to earn extra income immediately.
As mentioned, surveys are the primary source of making money on Survey Junkie. Therefore, once you sign up for your free account, you need to answer those simple surveys to make money. And the more surveys you complete, the more money you'll make.
The platform is an excellent choice if you've been wondering how to make free money. It's a pretty sound way to make money online in your spare time. And it offers the fastest and easiest way to sign up to get started.
Read more about the site in our Survey Junkie review.
TRY NOW FOR FREE3. Swagbucks: Get a $10 Bonus for Signing Up
Swagbucks is one of those survey sites that will provide you with gift cards for answering questions. It's really as simple as that.
But, unlike Survey Junkie, Swagbucks offers more than just surveys as a way of earning more money in your free time. With Swagbucks, you get free money by shopping online, searching the web, watching exciting videos, or looking for deals that can earn you points.
You can then redeem the points or money you earn on the platform through gift cards (Amazon, Walmart, etc.) or PayPal Cash.
Earn Per Activity | Payment Method | Min To Cash Out |
Next Steps | |
---|---|---|---|---|
$0.4 - $2 | PayPal or Gift Cards | $3 | CLAIM BONUS | Read Full Review |
If you use my link, you will get a $10 bonus simply by signing up and joining. No strings attached beyond that.
Want to learn more about how to earn free money on Swagbucks? Read more about the site in our Swagbucks review.
GET $10 BONUS4. Trim: Reduce Your Subscription Expenses Instantly
Subscriptions come in a wide range these days. For instance, there is a streaming service for every network, such as Disney +, HBO Go, Sling, Hulu, and Netflix. The list goes on and on!
However, Trim is a great app that will simply run through your expenses and find the subscriptions that are worth being “trimmed” out of your budget. This way, you don't keep paying high bills for subscriptions you don't require.
There's nothing better than saving money to make money.
TRY NOW FOR FREE5. Drop App: Get $5 Just for Signing Up
Drop is one of my favorite cashback apps for credit and debit card users. All you need to do is add your card and select your top five favorite vendors.
You will automatically earn points whenever you spend money at these vendors. Then, redeem those points for free gift cards or use them to enter sweepstakes.
Drop users will earn a $5 bonus just for signing up and linking a credit or debit card. This is one of the financial resources I use daily.
6. Ibotta App: Get $10 For Signing Up
Ibotta is a cashback app that takes a bit of a different approach to earning rebates. You simply scan in your receipts from purchases at participating stores and…
BOOM! Cash shows up in your balance that is redeemable via PayPal. Want instant free money online? Ibotta is the way to go.
The app will even give you $10 instantly simply for signing up. And who wouldn't want $10 free?
With Ibotta, you get free money for shopping online or in-store. Plus, even with your phone, you can earn money easily while on the go.
7. Rakuten: Get $10 for Signing Up
Rakuten is one of my favorite methods for cashback. They have a nifty plugin that will instantly track your routine spending, and you'll get cashback when you spend your money.
The platform allows you to earn free cash whenever you shop for your favorite brands. And the offers are available in thousands of stores, meaning you'll certainly get something that fits your shopping trends.
Plus side… You get an instant $10 bonus when you join. However, you'll have to make purchases worth at least $25 in the first 90 days of signup. The purchases must be on eligible products for cashback.
Read more about the site in our Rakuten review.
CLAIM $10 BONUS8. Join a Micro Investing App to Get Free Money or Stocks
I'm a huge fan of micro-investing. This has opened the door for many people when it comes to investing.
No matter your income, these apps will help you start putting your money to work with no transaction fees. Micro-investing apps offer some differentiating perspectives that help you invest.
Here are my personal favorites:
- Acorns: It will invest loose change by rounding up your debit and credit card transactions seamlessly.
- Robinhood: They will give you a free share of stock when you sign up. No transaction costs to buy stocks. Ever.
- Webull: Like Robinhood, they will give you a free share of stock simply by signing up. No transaction fees at all. No strings attached.
Some of these apps will even give you free stock simply for signing up. Want to find out how to invest? Here is an in-depth guide on how to invest small amounts of money.
Want to Invest Smarter?
- M1 Finance: My personal favorite to invest money on auto-pilot. It's completely free to use, it will automatically contribute your investment into allocated pies. Join M1 Finance Now
- Robinhood: No transaction fees on any type of trading. No strings attached. You'll even get a free share of stock when you join. Get Free Stock Now
- Personal Capital: Track your net worth and retirement accounts for free to ensure proper diversification. I love tracking my accounts with Personal Capital. Join Personal Capital for Free
9. Dosh: Download the App, Get $1 to PayPal
I love Dosh for earning cash directly to my PayPal account, completely hassle-free. There are only a few legitimate ways to earn money in your PayPal account by doing next to nothing.
First, you earn cashback after linking your credit and debit cards. Then get cashback for making purchases at qualified cashback locations.
Dosh is one of those proven ways that pay you to shop online. Even better, you get a $1 bonus for simply downloading the app and signing up.
10. Get a New Bank Account
Everyone is looking for new business, and banks are not an exception. Currently, various banks offer incentives to entice potential customers into opening new accounts with them.
If you want to make some quick cash, shifting banks and opening a new account with your favorite bank is an incredible way to make a few bucks. There are a handful of bank accounts out there that offer competitive interest rates and awesome upfront bonuses you can check out.
Personally, I use CIT Bank for my savings account. It helped me increase my savings rate without doing much work at all.
CIT Bank offers some of the most competitive interest rates out there for savings accounts. So, if you want to open a high-yield savings account, CIT might just be what you need. It's a great way to earn that extra money you need.
11. Answer Questions for Money with Opinion Outpost
Opinion Outpost is another superb way of making money with survey sites. They offer some of the best payouts simply for filling out the questions they offer.
Opinion Outpost offers thousands of money-making opportunities. Some of the main benefits of making free money on Opinion Outpost include:
- It allows you to earn cash and gift cards by sharing your opinion on online surveys.
- Opinion Outpost is 100% free to register.
Try out Opinion Outpost and start your free money-earning journey now. Find out more about the Opinion Outpost in our comprehensive review.
See Related: Best Survey Sites to Make Money
12. Refinance Your Student Loans & Save Money
I refinanced my student loans. I couldn't believe how long it took me to refinance them. After I refinanced and started repaying them at a faster rate, my student loans were gone before I knew it. It ended up saving me a ton of money.
By refinancing, you likely find the lowest possible rate on your loans, and once it gets funded, you inherently save money. Refinancing nearly always saves your money in a free manner.
Get a quote for free and see if you can save $1,000 instantly.
13. Get a Massive Bonus ($200) by Signing Up for a Cashback Credit Card
Cashback credit cards are no-brainers. You can use them to stack on top of the other cashback apps mentioned above. This can result in 10-20% cashback or even over 30% cashback!
That is pretty awesome. Cashback credit cards usually give you a bonus once you meet the given minimum spending requirement. This is basically free cash because you should be able to meet that spending by making routine purchases you already make.
Here are some of the best bonuses for cashback cards:
- Chase Freedom Unlimited Cash Back Credit Card: Spend $500 in the first 3 months and get a $200 bonus
- Chase Freedom Flex Credit Card: Spend $500 in the first 3 months and get a $200 bonus
- Bank of America Cash Rewards: Spending $1,000 in the first 3 months and get a $200 bonus
14. Consider Doing Spending Arbitrage or Manufactured Spending
Spending arbitrage is basically free cash. You don't have to do much work at all, and you'll generate cash flow instantly.
What is it?
Manufactured spending (or spending arbitrage, as I like to call it) is the act of spending with a credit card solely to generate rewards. Whatever you spend your money on, you want to turn that into cash that then repays your credit card spend.
For example, you spend $500 on gift cards at a store that earns 5% cashback. You then redeem those gift cards to cash to then pay off your balance. Thus, you earned 5% x $500 = $25 of free cash.
See Related: Ways to Refer People and Earn Money
15. Maxing Out Your Company’s 401(k) Match
Does your employer offer a 401(k) retirement plan matching program? Maxing out this benefit can be a smart financial move.
A 401(k) match is essentially “free money.” It is offered by the employer, where they contribute a certain percentage of an employee's contribution (mostly 50%) to their retirement account, typically up to a specified limit (around 6% of the salary). Employees can take full advantage of this benefit by contributing enough to meet the maximum match and accelerate their retirement savings.
Maxing out the company's 401(k) match can result in significant long-term savings, as it boosts the growth of the retirement fund through compounding interest. Moreover, the contributions are often made with pre-tax dollars. This reduces your taxable income for the year and provides immediate tax benefits.
It might not give you access to the earned cash immediately, but you'll certainly earn that income monthly. It is an unbeaten deal for future financial stability.
16. Earn Massive Travel Rewards with Credit Cards ($600)
Travel rewards are cash. I don't care what anyone says!
Nearly all travel rewards programs can be transferred between different accounts. You can redeem these rewards for straight cash or use them to book a trip, which is what I prefer.
There are some travel rewards credit cards like the American Express Platinum Card that pay you big money upfront but come with a big fee. I use the Amex Platinum card to get free lounge access, Uber credits, a $300 annual travel credit, and free hotel upgrades. It comes with a $695 annual fee, however.
We want free money, right? So, we need to find credit cards that offer big rewards for a small fee. Plus, these cards should also have the option to redeem in cash.
Here are a few that comes to mind:
- Chase Ink Business Preferred: Spend $15,000 in the first 3 months; you will earn 1,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points (equivalent to $800)
- Chase Sapphire Preferred: Spend $4,000 in the first 3 months; you will earn 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points (equivalent to $750)
17. Rover: Try a New Dogsitter and Get $10
Rover is an app that helps connect people with a dog walker or a dog sitter. If you already use a dog sitter, you can try Rover, and they will give you $10 to try.
That is $10 of instant savings that you would have already spent by booking with your old dog sitter.
Want to get another side hustle? These are the top side hustle ideas to make extra money.
18. Get Paid to Selfie
Did you know that you can make money selling photos of yourself? It seems pretty awkward and strange, but I bet you already have some photos of yourself on your phone. You can easily turn these photos into cash.
Check out these top options on how to make money selling your photos. Earn some cash doing what you love.
19. Make Money by Working Out
You can earn extra income at no cost by connecting your phone with data-gathering resources like your health. There are plenty of apps that will pay you to work out or lose weight, such as;
- HealthyWage: Will pay you simply by winning contests for losing weight.
- GymPact: Earn money every time you show up at the gym
- Walgreen's Balance Rewards: Earn $10 simply by allowing them to track your steps
- StepBet: Reach step goals and get rewards by linking up your steps
If you already work out, you start earning free cash for doing nothing extra. Alternatively, you can even get paid to walk.
20. Mistplay: Play Video Games and Earn Free Side Hustle Income
Playing video games to earn money? Yes, it's real.
You might already play some video games. Why not get some money for it?
Playing games while on the bus, train, or riding in someone's car is a great way to earn money without changing your lifestyle.
With Mistplay, you can start making additional money simply by playing the video games you love.
Note: Mistplay is currently only available for Android.
Like what you are hearing? Read more in this Mistplay review.
See these other awesome ways to get paid to play games.
21. Make Money by Selling Your Computing Power
Can you leave your computer running and make money? Yes, it's completely possible.
You can rent out your computer to mine cryptocurrency or for data purposes. These are some of our favorite ways to rent computing power for money.
Several companies are ready to pay you hard cash to leave your computer running. So, even when you are out enjoying life's nice things, you'll still be earning money passively. A good example of this is Honeygain.
Golem Network Tokens is another option. Golem is a cryptocurrency/altcoin focused on shared cloud computing.
Read more in our full Honeygain review.
22. Refinance Your Credit Card Debt
I strongly urge you to refinance those to get out of card debt as soon as possible. You can check the interest rates on a refinancing opportunity from multiple willing lenders for no cost at all.
Get a quote in 2 minutes. It's that easy.
23. Free Money from High-Yield Online Savings Account
A high-yield online savings account offers you a fantastic opportunity to earn free money on your savings. Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar banks, these savings accounts often provide significantly higher interest rates. This allows your money to grow more quickly and passively.
Other benefits of a high-yield online savings account include:
- Compounding Interest
- No Monthly Fees
- Accessibility and Convenience
- Automated Savings and Goal Tracking
- FDIC Insurance
Try out the CIT Bank Savings Connect for a 4.6% APY or the Bask Bank Interest Savings Account for a 4.85% APY.
More Paid Survey Sites
24. CashCrate
CashCrate is one of the oldest GPT (get-paid-to) sites around. They've been around since 2006 and have paid their members over $340 million!
How do they do it? They offer a variety of ways for you to earn money, including taking surveys, watching videos, and even shopping online. And the best part is that they offer a $1 sign-up bonus when you create your account!
However, the platform doesn't offer its own tasks nowadays. While you'll still make free money through the mentioned avenues, the money will come from other platforms and apps. What do I mean?
CashCrate changed its operating method and now catalogs all the possible ways on the internet to help you make easy money. For instance, it gives you the best deals in InboxDollars, Swagbucks, and other money-making platforms.
25. Fusion Cash
Fusion Cash is another awesome GPT site that will pay you to do various tasks online. They've been around since 2005 and consistently paid their panelists.
How does it work? Like other reward sites, they offer a variety of ways for you to earn money, including taking surveys, watching videos, and even shopping online.
Even better, they offer a $5 sign-up bonus when you create your account! Once you accumulate at least $25, you are free to redeem your reward either as cash or free gift cards.
Fusion Cash has one of the best referral programs. For instance, once someone signs up through your link, you get a dollar for it. You also receive an extra $2 when they complete their first task, and $5 more when they cash out. Now that's an excellent deal.
26. PointClub
Who wouldn't want some $5 for simply doing nothing? PointClub offers exactly that. Signing up is the beginning of your free money-making opportunities with PointClub.
After you earn the $5 signup bonus, the fun doesn't end there. You can take surveys, watch videos, and more to continue racking in the points, which you can redeem for cash and gift cards.
The platform also offers a great referral system. For every person that signs up under your unique link, you will earn 10% of their points once they complete tasks.
If you're looking for free money now, PointClub is a good place to start. With a little bit of effort, you can easily start earning some extra cash each month! So what are you waiting for? Sign up and get started.
27. CreationRewards
The online arena is the best place to make free money. And, CreationRewards is good proof of this. It allows you to make free money for almost every activity you do online.
Imagine making money by simply relaxing and watching a good video! That's what CreationRewards offers. Even better, your sign-up process will be rewarded with a free $5. However, you'll have to achieve 5,000 points within your first 60 days as a member, to be able to claim that reward.
Besides watching videos, CreationRewards also allows you to make more money through;
- Taking paid surveys
- Completing social offers
- Browsing websites
- Referring friends
- Shopping online
So, as you can see, the platform offers some of the easiest ways around for making extra cash. This way, you no longer have to wonder how to make free money.
28. Cash4Offers
This is one of the fastest platforms when it comes to redeeming your earned money. So, if you need it instantly, try Cash4Offers. You'll get your money the same day you request it. If not, it will certainly not be more than 72 hours.
Even better, you start making money with this platform right from the signup stage. That's right! Here, even before you start taking their simple tasks, you receive a free sign-up bonus of $5. Now that's a great start.
When you sign up, your money-making opportunities will include the following:
- Paid surveys
- Paid emails
- Online games
- Referring friends
- It's that simple!
So, if you are still wondering how to get free money, you surely should try out this option.
29. Daily Rewards
This rewards platform has partnered with some of the biggest brands in the world to offer you a variety of tasks that will help you earn money. From watching videos and taking surveys to playing games and shopping online, there are endless ways for you to earn with Daily Rewards. The best part is that it's free to join!
And to sweeten the deal even further, Daily Rewards offers a $5 sign-up bonus. Once you reach $30, you can redeem it for a gift card or get paid through PayPal cash.
Daily Rewards can be your starting point if you are looking for the best way to take surveys for money. As mentioned above, combining this with several other platforms will help grow your side hustle income.
30. Vindale Research
First, Vindale Research rewards you with $2 for signing up. After this, it offers numerous online surveys to help you make easy money online.
The platform, which was founded in 2005, is not only among the oldest but also the most popular paid survey platforms in the market. This is because they're known to offer some of the highest payments per survey.
Vindale's surveys reward around $0.25 to $50 for every successful survey. It's clear then why we say it's among the best-paying survey site per survey. Even better, when a brand sends a product for you to review, the pay can go as high as $75.
Easy surveys will pay less, while complex ones will pay more lucratively. For instance, medical surveys are a bit complex and thus offer higher rewards.
Read more on the same in our comprehensive Vindale Research Review.
31. GrabPoints
If you are looking for free money and gift cards online, you can start off by signing up for GrabPoints. Just like other get-paid-to sites, GrabPoints helps you earn points by carrying out simple tasks such as watching videos, taking surveys, and completing offers.
After amassing a certain number of points, you can exchange them for free gift cards or cash through PayPal. The best part is that it's free to join, and you get $5 worth of points as a sign-up bonus!
The platform enjoys a high rating on TrustPilot, garnering 4.7 stars out of a possible 5. This shows just how confident users are with this platform. And it means that it pays for activities users complete here.
In addition, you can have your reward within 48 hours. That's fast compared to many other paid survey platforms.
32. PineCone Research
Another incredible paid survey site that crossed our radar is PineCone Research. It is among the most popular Survey sites for stay-at-home moms and college students, and not without a good reason.
For starters, the site is known to offer high-quality paid surveys regularly. And you can also choose to participate in product testing opportunities when they become available.
To sweeten the pot, PineCone Research pays around $3 per survey, although some pay more. That's for a 20 to 30-minute survey. And you can receive your payment via PayPal or check.
Did I say that it takes less than 48 hours for your earnings to reflect after completing tasks? How great is that? This means that you don't have to wait for weeks or months to get paid like on other platforms.
More Cash Back Sites
While there are many ways to get free money, Cashback sites appear among the best options. And while we've mentioned a few earlier, here are even more options.
33. BeFrugal
BeFrugal is a great cashback site that starts you off with $10 for signing up. But you can lose the bonus if you don't achieve $10 within the first year.
On top of the bonus, it also offers some of the highest rates in the industry. For instance, you can earn as high as 40% cash back at over 5000 stores. How great is that?
Also, when you sign up and shop through BeFrugal, you can access exclusive coupons and deals from your favorite stores. And that's not all!
If you refer a friend who makes a qualifying purchase, you will earn a $10 bonus. Your friend will also get $10 just for signing up! Talk about a win-win situation!
However, to receive your referral bonus, the referred friend has to achieve at least $10 cashback. BeFrugal is an excellent site for saving money on your online and in-store purchases.
It's also one of the best platforms when it comes to sharing wealth with its members. Lastly, it's a free app to download.
34. Mr. Rebates
Do you want great cashback? Join Mr. Rebates, and get just that! The platform offers some of the highest cashback rates in the industry. For instance, you can earn up to 40% cashback at over 3000 stores, including Walmart, eBay, and Macy's.
The percentage of the cashback depends on the store or the product you are buying. So, don't be amazed when you earn more cashback in some stores or products than in others.
The cashback is not all that Mr. Rebates has to offer. It also has a fantastic referral program. For every friend that you refer and who signs up, you will earn 20% of their earnings for a lifetime. Now, this is the best source of free passive income.
Read some of the best passive income books to understand better passive income and how it helps.
Mr. Rebates has a low minimum payout limit to make things even better. You only need at least $10 to make your withdrawal. This means that you can withdraw your earnings anytime and anywhere using PayPal. That's quite convenient!
35. ShopAtHome
Who doesn't love shopping? What if there is a way to make that moment even more exciting? ShopAtHome removes the pinch in your pockets every time you want to shop.
How? It offers numerous options to save good amounts of money every time you shop. The app gives you that chance whether you are searching for easy ways to make money online or offline.
With ShopAtHome, you can get paid in three ways. First is through cashback when you shop online from over 1700 stores. You will also earn points by taking surveys and watching videos. And lastly, there is a 10% signup bonus waiting just for you.
Once you have collected a certain number of points, you can redeem them for free gift cards or cold hard cash using PayPal. You can also choose to receive your payment via check if you don't have a PayPal account.
There you have it. Register for the ShopAtHome app and make all your shopping activities worth your while. And if you want to get a more comprehensive look at the platform before that, check out our ShopAtHome Review.
Government Offered Free Money
The government also provides some money for those in need. Some of the popular options here include:
36. Federal Pell Grants
The Pell Grant is available to students who cannot afford their college education. Government offers this grant as a subsidy for needy students in their undergraduate programs. This means that if you are pursuing your bachelor's degree, you qualify to apply for this grant.
To apply, fill out the FAFSA form and submit it before the deadline. You can get up to $6,895 per year, which is a significant amount of money that can help you pay for your tuition fee and other expenses.
37. USDA Single-Family Housing Direct Home Loans
Another great example is the USDA's Single-Family Housing Direct Home Loans. This is available to very low-income individuals and families who want to buy or repair a home in a rural area.
The loan amount varies depending on your need, but it can go as high as $336,500. You can use this money to buy or repair a home, pay for utilities, and even buy a car.
38. SBA Loans
The government also offers free money for business start-ups. If you have a great business idea but lack the funds to get it off the ground, then you should check out the Small Business Association (SBA).
The SBA has numerous programs that can help you get funding for your business venture. One of the most popular programs is the SBA Loan program.
This program offers loans of up to $500,000. You can use this money to buy equipment, property, inventory, or even pay for business expansion.
But, to qualify for an SBA loan, you must first meet the eligibility requirements. Once you have done that, you can fill out the application form and submit it to the SBA.
39. Child Assistance
The truth is raising a child is an expensive affair. That's especially if you don't have a steady income source. But did you know you can tap into the government's child assistance programs? Yes, you can.
These programs are designed to assist parents in covering the costs associated with raising children. And depending on the country and region, these programs may include child tax credits, child care subsidies, and direct financial aid.
Research your city or state to find out which child assistance programs they offer. You might be amused by how much free money you can get here.
40. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Most of us might not be aware of this, but the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) can earn you free money. It is a vital government initiative designed to provide financial assistance to low-income households struggling with their energy costs. The program aims to ensure that vulnerable families can afford their energy bills, especially during extreme weather conditions.
Types of Assistance
LIHEAP provides various types of assistance to eligible households, depending on their needs and available funding. The most common forms of assistance include:
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Bill Payment Assistance: LIHEAP can help eligible households pay a portion of their home energy bills. The amount of assistance provided depends on factors such as income, household size, and energy costs.
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Energy Crisis Intervention: In cases of emergencies, such as the risk of a utility service disconnection, LIHEAP may offer crisis intervention to prevent a loss of essential energy services.
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Weatherization: Some LIHEAP programs include weatherization services, which involve making energy-efficient improvements to eligible homes. These upgrades can help reduce energy consumption and, consequently, lower utility bills in the long term.
41. Free Down Payment Assistance for a Home
Saving for a down payment is often one of the biggest hurdles to homeownership. But did you know there are state-based programs and initiatives that offer free down payment assistance? These are programs designed to provide financial support and make homeownership more accessible, especially for low to moderate-income households.
In some states like Nevada, you get up to 5% of the value of the house from the government to put as a downpayment. But you must first meet the eligibility requirements. These will vary with your location.
Types of Down Payment Assistance Programs
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Grants: Down payment assistance grants are funds provided by government agencies, non-profit organizations, or other entities that do not require repayment. These grants can be used towards the down payment and closing costs of a home purchase.
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Forgivable Loans: Some programs offer forgivable loans, which are loans that are partially or fully forgiven after a certain period, typically if the homeowner remains in the property for a specified time. In essence, these loans become grants over time.
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Deferred Payment Loans: Deferred payment loans allow homebuyers to borrow funds for their down payment or closing costs, but repayment is deferred until a later date, such as when the home is sold or refinanced.
Additional Ways to Earn Free Money
42. Earn over $10,000 Annually by Offering Storage Facilities
Do you have idle space in your home that you can rent as storage space? This can help you make some good money. In fact, you can fetch up to $10,000 yearly for that space.
Even better, there is a platform that makes the process easy. The Neighbor is a self-storage platform that helps to connect people with free storage space with those that need the space. Therefore, all you need is to register for the platform and start making money from that excess space that has been lying idle.
See Related: Best Delivery Apps to Work For
43. Find Missing Money
Over the course of our lifetime, it's quite possible to forget about some money you stashed somewhere or even some unclaimed money from your previous employer. In fact, unclaimed money in the US surpasses $42 billion, according to NAUPA ( the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators). And all this money belongs to someone.
So, if you think you might have forgotten about some money somewhere, there is an easy way to locate it. Simply visit sites like MissingMoney.com or Unclaimed.org and do your search. If you are owed any money by anyone that you didn't claim, it will appear here.
However, this is quite random and is not guaranteed that you'll find any money.
44. Tapping Into Your Home Equity
If refinancing is not for you, you can try out tapping into your home equity. It is also an excellent way of making easy money fast.
You can take advantage of a platform like Hometap. Hometap offers homeowners an easy way to acquire money on their homes without taking on new debt. All you need is to surrender part of your home's future value, and you are all sorted out.
In other words, Hometap invests in your property. It buys a stake in your home's current value, targeting future profit as the property's value appreciates. And you can buy the stake back within ten years.
45. Earn Interest on US Treasury I Bonds
Sometimes, having cash sit in your checking or savings accounts isn't the best choice. That's if you want to make some more money. Instead, you can invest in the US Treasury I Bonds and earn up to 6.89% annual interest.
Remember, money in your savings or checking accounts are affected by inflation. This is not the case when you invest the money in US Treasury I Bonds.
Here, your money is protected against inflation, and you also earn interest at the end of the year. You can invest in up to $10,000 worth of bonds, which you can cash after one year.
46. Earn Free Money with Your Car
Your car is a valuable asset that can leverage to generate extra income. Some of the most viable opportunities here include;
Ride-Sharing and Food Delivery Services
Ride-sharing platforms like Uber and Lyft, as well as food delivery services like DoorDash and Uber Eats, offer a flexible and accessible means to earn money with your car. Once you sign up as a driver, you can pick up passengers or deliver food orders in your spare time.
These services often provide bonuses and incentives for completing a certain number of rides or deliveries. And this allows you to earn extra money on top of your regular earnings.
Car Advertising
If you don't mind turning your car into a mobile billboard, car advertising can be a unique way to earn free money. Some companies, like Wrapify, pay car owners to wrap their vehicles with advertisements and promotional messages.
All you have to do is to drive around town, as you usually do, showcasing these ads. In return, you'll receive compensation for your participation. Keep in mind that you may need to meet specific criteria, such as a clean driving record and a certain number of miles driven per month.
Renting Out Your Car
When you're not using your car, it doesn't have to sit idle and depreciate in value. Instead, consider renting it out to others through peer-to-peer car-sharing platforms like Turo or Getaround. These platforms allow you to list your car for rent, and interested individuals can book it for a specific period.
You are free to set your rental price and availability, giving you full control over how often you want to rent out your vehicle. And by renting out your car, you can earn passive income without any additional effort.
Carpooling and Commuting Programs
In some areas, local governments or organizations run carpooling and commuting programs to encourage carpooling and reduce traffic congestion. If you participate in these programs, you can offer rides to others who are traveling in the same direction or share rides with fellow commuters.
Not only does this help the environment and save on fuel costs, but it may also come with incentives and benefits, such as access to carpool lanes or parking discounts.
47. Tutoring with Gogokid- Get a $300 Bonus
Tutoring is one of those lucrative side hustles that allow you to make easy extra cash. This means that if you are good at a certain subject, you can make more money by sharing your knowledge with kids or even college students.
But did you know that you can make more money besides your actual pay with some apps? That's right! Take, for instance, a platform like Gogokid. Besides paying you an average of $18 an hour (as most sites do), the platform also pays you for referrals.
It will reward you with up to a $300 bonus for onboarding new tutors onto the site. Now this is a good amount of money, especially when it's completely free. However, this offer might only be available for a limited amount of time.
48. Renting Your House or a Room for Free Money
If you own a house or have extra space in your home, renting it out can be a lucrative way to earn free money. Renting out your property, whether it's the entire house or just a spare room, can provide a steady stream of passive income. And this could help offset your mortgage or other expenses.
Luckily, renting out your space is quite easy nowadays with a platform like Airbnb. All you have to do is to register, place your space, and include the necessary details as prompted. The rest is just to wait for an interested traveler to book your space and make the payment.
49. Donate Plasma
Donating plasma can be a selfless way of helping save lives. And that's not all. If you need to make some extra cash, this can also help you achieve that.
There are so many people out there that need blood to survive. And if you are healthy enough to part with part of your plasma, you can make good cash while at it. Some people report making up to $300 monthly from it.
It might not be the easiest side hustle for everyone, but it can get you the money you need.
50. Want Free Cash? Just Ask
Okay, this is one of those ways to get free money that is probably low priority and basically shunned. But when learning how to get free money, we must consider all these ways.
It is possible, and it is a way that is happening every single day around the world. Want free money? Just go up to someone and ask for $5.
Nothing is stopping you… That said, it's probably not the most effective way. Let's move on.
51. Search for Free Money
This is an old-fashioned way to get money for nothing. The only downside? You have to trade your time for finding money or goods that will translate into money.
People scour through beaches, forests, cities, and lakes to find money every single day. You'll likely need to be a treasure hunter to find true success.
It's still a proven strategy that has been going on for centuries. And it's a great way to spend your free time.
See Related: Apps Like Shopkick
Getting Free Cash Ranked
I've created a nifty ranked system to help put money in your pocket and start building a better financial future.
If you think this is at all confusing, you can use a free tool like Personal Capital to track your cash flow and net worth efficiently.
I came up with these rankings based on the following:
- Ease of access to free money
- Method of payment (gift card vs. cash)
- Ongoing automation of the underlying app to make money
Here are my favorite ways to get cash instantly.
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Conclusion on Ways to Free Money
Getting free money is not just a pipe dream anymore. It's possible, for sure.
You don't need to beg or search for free money on beaches. You simply need to download some amazing apps, answer questions or go through small sign-up forms to get paid. How can you have continued success in earning extra free cash? Here are a few helpful tips to consider along the way:
- Prioritize the apps that best fit your spending habits
- Consider if you'd like to participate in side hustles like joining survey sites
- Join apps that are the most hassle-free, like Drop; you don't want to waste too much time
- Always redeem your earnings, so you can start investing faster or paying down debt sooner (make your money work for you!)
Now, go out there and get your free money! I dare you to try all the listed methods.