24 Money-Making Apps That Turn Sitting at Home Into a Side Hustle
Photo credit: katie buckleitner From Cosmopolitan Besides nailing a Tiktok dance, there’s no better feeling
From Cosmopolitan
Besides nailing a Tiktok dance, there’s no better feeling than watching your bank account level up (hey Ciara). Between scrolling through Instagram, adoring Nicki M’s maternity photos, and anticipating that text back for shooting your shot, why not make some extra cash?! Making money can literally be a no brainer if you have the right technology.
Maybe learning to invest is on your bucket list, or your closet’s calling (she needs some space), or you just want some free food. Whatever your situation, there’s an app to utilize your skill set with their unique, money-making platform. And that’s pretty freaking amazing since many of us could use A LOT more money right about now.
Check out these kinda genius apps for making money at home, but beware: Time flies when you’re making $$$ so keep your charger close.
1. If You Want to Start Investing
Public
Wolf of Wall Street was inspiring in some ways. Investing is a confusing game to play, but Public makes it a little less complicated. Users are able to invest without commission fees, or the charge for buying or selling stock. You can also connect with other investors and make group chats (call it money talks).
Free on iTunes and Google Play
2. If Your Car Needs a Job, Too
Getaround
It’s like Airbnb for your car. Rent out your whip to others on your schedule. List your car with details of its availability. All trips are insured. (Safety first!) Get your friends in on the investment and receive a $200 credit when they share their car.
Free on iTunes and Google Play
3. If Target Runs Are A Hobby
Instacart Shopper
I’m not the only one who goes to the store for one thing and leaves with five. If this is you, why not make the run for two (or three)? Instacart Shopper is an app that lets you shop and deliver groceries to people. Customers use the Instacart app to select their items, and you get a notification of who you’re shopping for. So the next time you have to stop for marg mix, why not earn cash by running down a few more isles? Headsup: The stores supported by Instacart vary by location. And shout out to you for helping someone who may not have wheels (gold stars!)
Free on iTunes and Google Play
4. If You Want A Penny (or More) For Your Thoughts
Toluna
Toluna wants to hear from you. This app allows you to get paid via Paypal for completing surveys. You can also earn rewards for creating surveys and posing questions for users to answer.
Free on iTunes and Google Play
5. If You’re Feeling Particularly Helpful
TaskRabbit
Free on iTunes and Google Play
Got any “special skills”? (You aren’t alone, Liam Neeson.) Or are you willing to become someone’s errand person for a day? Hop onto TaskRabbit, where you can connect with people looking to have someone complete specific tasks for them, like picking up groceries (just be safe out there and wash your hands).
6. If You’re Thinking About the Future
Acorns
Free on iTunes and Google Play
This investment app rounds up all your purchases to the nearest dollar and then invests that spare change (in a portfolio of bonds and stocks), which grows over time. You can start with as little as $1 a month. Keep the change indeed!
7. If You Wanna Save More Money Than You Spend
Drop
Free on iTunes and Google Play
Wait, shopping online can actually earn money? Sign me up! Use this app whenever you shop stores like Amazon and Zara and receive cash back for it. You can also earn points that count toward gift cards for similar brands (Adidas, Starbucks, Walmart, you name it!).
8. If You’re Looking to Sell Some Sh*t
5Miles
Free on iTunes and Google Play
This app is an online marketplace to sell stuff or services within a five-mile radius, making it more convenient to connect with potential buyers. Making laziness even lazier is a sentiment I’m fully on board with.
9. If You’ve Seen Too Much Family Feud
Survey Junkie
Free on iTunes and Google Play
Download the app, create an account, and take daily surveys on your spending habits, eating habits, video games, or just life in general. You’ll rack up points for your hard work and cash them in for actual cash via PayPal or gift cards.
10. If You Get Bored Easily
Money App
Free on iTunes and Google Play
The app allows you to get paid for taking surveys, providing opinions, participating in market research, mystery shopping, playing games, or even joining a trial for games and products. The money shows up in your PayPal account a couple of days or so after earning your reward. (*insert Jerry Maguire GIF here*)
11. If You Want to Turn “Snap” Into “Cha-Ching”
Foap
Free on iTunes and Google Play
Now, this app is kinda creepy but also kinda genius. Upload your photos or videos from your phone and sell them to brands to use for marketing campaigns or other purposes. Pretty sweet, right? Maybe don’t send that sneaky shot of the cute guy in the Starbucks line though.
12. If You’re Looking to Drive Around Town
Lyft
Free on iTunes and Google Play
Become a Lyft driver and chauffeur people around town. All you really need is a car, a valid driver’s license, and a clear background check.
13. If You’re in the Thrifting Mood
ThredUP
Free on iTunes and Google Play
The virtual thrift store will send you a bag to fill with all the clothes, handbags, shoes, and other random stuff you don’t wear anymore. Send that bag back via USPS (the postage is FREE!) and they’ll pay you in cash, store credit, or gift cards for each item sold.
14. If You’re the Best Host
Airbnb
Free on iTunes and Google Play
Rent out your house, apartment, or even a spare room to visitors via the app. You can list your place, manage reservations, communicate with guests, or even offer your services as a tour guide through your hometown.
15. If You’re Hoarding Books
BookScouter
Free on iTunes and Google Play
It’s an online marketplace for books! Scan the ISBN codes on any of your used novels or textbooks and upload them onto the app. Then check out the offers for your books and ship them off to the highest bidder.
16. If You Pace Nervously
Sweatcoin
Free on iTunes and Google Play
This is the only app that could convince me to exercise, TBH. Connect the app to your phone’s accelerometer and GPS and you’ll get paid for your steps! For every 1,000 steps you take, you’re paid 0.95 “sweatcoins.” You can cash those in for actual money or use those to buy fitness gear or even some fitness classes. You can also donate them to charity, if that’s your jam.
17. If You Used to Be a Nanny
Kango
Free on iTunes and Google Play
This is essentially a carpool app for kids. Using Kango, you can schedule rides and carpools to pick up kids (and sometimes their parents), drop them off, or pick up an odd babysitting job. Ofc, everyone using the app to make $$$ gets a background check—just a heads-up.
18. If You Love Dogs
Wag!
Free on iTunes and Google Play
Want the cutest job ever? Wag! allows you to become a sitter or walker for good boys. Register yourself as a dog walker or dog sitter and then wait patiently for someone to hire you to give their smooshy doge a little love and care. We should all be on this.
19. If You’ve Got Opinions
iPoll
Free on iTunes and Google Play
Behold, another survey app: Share your opinion on products you’ve used and stores you’ve visited and score cash, gift cards, or airline points. Oh, also, your activities are actually called missions, so you’re basically James Bond.
20. If You Don’t Really Want to Do Anything
SlideJoy
Free on Google Play
You’re essentially “renting out” (giving the app access to) your lock screen by allowing the app to display news stories, trends, and deals on it. You earn cash and rewards whether you engage with the pop-ups on your screen or not. I don’t make the rules.
21. If You Have Shopping Remorse a Lot
iBotta
Free on iTunes and Google Play
iBotta lets you earn cash back on any of your purchases. Go to the app and shop using one of its many retailers (don’t worry, all your faves are there). Once you’re done, upload the receipt onto the app. You should receive some bucks back in your iBotta account within 48 hours.
22. If You’ve Got Some Lewks to Spare
Poshmark
Free on iTunes and Google Play
Whether you’ve got some designer swag you’d like to sell or you’re thinking of starting your very own online resale boutique, you can use Poshmark to list your items. Just know that shipping is on you.
23. If You’re New to Budgeting
Mint
Free on iTunes and Google Play
This app isn’t necessarily going to earn you any extra bread, but it will help manage what you already have. Mint tracks your purchases and creates a budget that allows you to save extra $$$ in the long run. Finally, an app to tell me that I probably shouldn’t have gone to Starbucks for the third time today.
24. If You Love Coupon Clipping
Groupon
Free on iTunes and Google Play
Again, technically, you don’t earn any money off this, but you will save on things you want to buy anyway. Groupon has coupons on pretty much anything you need, like haircuts, massages, dinners out with your boo. Also, it’ll get you a couple degrees of separation closer to its spokesperson, Tiffany Haddish, so win-win.
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