All the methods listed here are legitimate ways to earn free money. All of these options require you to take action.
All of these ideas will result in the same thing: free money.
How to get free money
This article will show you how to earn money without spending any money.
1. Check Unclaimed Money Sites
Many people forget to receive money. You might have forgotten a tax return or a paycheck you received from a former employer.
You may still have money in a bank account that you haven’t touched in years.
Websites like Missing money or Unclaimed.org have databases that can help people locate money that is theirs.
The list includes the name of the company holding the money and any other relevant information.
Please note that information on these websites might not be 100% accurate. So don’t get too excited if your name appears on the website.
If you are married, also check your maiden or married name.
There may be money that you can get for free, even if you got married before then.
2. Take advantage of your employer’s 401k match
Do it now if you haven’t already. Many companies match employee contributions to their 401k plans.
A company may match 50% of what you contribute, up to 6% of your income. It’s a simple way to get money for free.
You can earn money from your employer by committing to save money in a retirement fund.
You can use the money that you receive by joining your company’s 401k to boost your retirement savings.
It can also be a good buffer against any dips in your investments. If your employer offers matching funds for 401ks, don’t miss out on this opportunity.
3. Spend Less on Your Bills
Learn how to reduce your monthly expenses to earn free money. You can cut your grocery bills, reduce electricity usage, and ditch cable.
You can use an app that will save you money. Apps such as Billshark and Trim scan your bank account, debit/credit card and credit cards to find recurring charges.
When they discover recurring charges, they will contact you and ask a few questions.
- Would you like to keep the bill?
- We can show you how to reduce this bill.
Apps like these can cancel your subscription on your behalf if you wish. Apps like these can also negotiate your price.
Apps like Trim and Billshark will show you the best deals for services that you plan to keep. These apps can also help you switch service providers if you so choose.
4. Shop and Get Money Back
Everybody shops every day. You’re going to have to shop, so why not get some cash back?
Ibotta, Rakuten and other apps can help. Rakuten is as simple as adding the browser extension to your PC, tablet or other device.
Rakuten offers cashback on purchases made at one of Rakuten’s many partner stores.
You will get a different percentage depending on where you shop.
Ibotta is similar, but you can shop online or in-person. Download the app, or link Ibotta with your store loyalty cards.
Ibotta can be used to find cashback rewards by simply taking a picture of the receipt. Ibotta will automatically do the work if you have attached your loyalty cards.
You can then visit either website to receive your rewards in the form a check or PayPal.
5. Scan your receipts
You can also find sites that pay cash for scanning receipts.
Fetch rewards is a simple way to earn free money. Scan your receipt using your smartphone.
You can get cash back for purchases made with their partners. You can earn points in three different ways:
- Purchase from a partner brand
- Purchase a special Offer
- Send a friend.
Use your points for money or gift cards.
ReceiptHog is the same. Simply snap a photo of your receipt and upload it to Receipthog.com. You will receive cash back.
6. Declutter Your House
How about earning free money for decluttering? You probably have a lot of old DVDs, CDs, text books, and video games lying around.
Websites such as BookScouter will help you sell old textbooks. They show you multiple offers by a variety sellers. Once you accept the offer, they will show you how you can sell your books and receive payment.
Websites such as Decluttr buy your CDs and DVDs directly from you. You can get an instant “buy” quote by typing in the item’s barcode or description into the search box.
You can get a free shipping sticker if you are happy with the offer. Print it out and attach it to the box that you use to pack your items.
Decluttr will inspect the box and send you the money after they have verified the contents. Bonus: Decluttr also buys Legos in pounds.
7. Sell your Stuff
You can also make money by selling your items. You may have items such as:
- Clothing and Accessories
- Sporting equipment
- Gaming equipment
- Electronics
- Household Items
- Kids stuff
And more. Some of these items have been sitting in your house unused for months, or even years. Why not convert it to cash?
You can either hold a garage or yard sale or list the items online on Craigslist or eBay. Work with buyers to trade your items for cash.
Before you list your items for sale, make sure you read up on the best ways to buy and sell with Craigslist or other sites.
8. Sell your Gift Cards
Sell all the gift cards that you have lying around.
Many people receive gift cards as gifts for their birthdays, holidays or other occasions, such as prizes at work.
Why not sell gift cards that you will never use and make some money? Sell them at sites like CardCash or Raise.
CardCash and Raised allow you to advertise gift cards at a discounted price. You get paid by PayPal or another method when the cards are sold.
Gift cards can be sold to friends and family. Sometimes I do this.
I will ask a family member or friend who loves the retailer to purchase the gift card at a discounted price if I don’t use it. This means I get instant money!
9. Take surveys
You can also earn money by taking surveys. Survey Junkie, for example, loves to hear from people just like you.
You can share your opinions with other clients to help them improve their products and services.
Survey companies such as Survey Junkie and PrizeRebel reward you with PayPal cash or rewards for your participation.
You can get money for free and influence the development and design of products and services by using survey sites.
10. Rent out Rooms in your House
Renting out a room at your home is another way to earn free money. Airbnb is a popular site for travelers who are traveling on business or pleasure.
Airbnb can help you market the room that you are renting. Create a room that is aesthetically pleasing, describe your room and your area, and upload photos to your listing.
They will sign up for Airbnb to book the room. You will show them where the room is and how to get in.
Airbnb takes care of booking, payment and your profit share. Even the insurance of your rental is handled by Airbnb. You only need to prepare the room for guests.
Renting out an entire floor, such as a finished cellar, can bring in even more income. Airbnb hosts can make between $50 and $70 per night for each room rented.
11. Get in Shape
You might be surprised that there are ways to earn money while getting in shape.
HealthyWage and Achievement are two companies that will pay you if you lose weight or get fit.
HealthyWage pays you when you achieve your fitness or weight loss goals. Simply place a HealthyWager next to the goals that you have set.
You get your bet back plus some extra free cash when you reach your goal.
Achievement is a little different. Achievement connects you with apps that track your health and activity.
You will receive points for each healthy action that you take.
You can then use your points to earn free money through PayPal or other rewards.
These apps can help you achieve your fitness and health goals while earning money.
12. GPT Sites
GPT sites (get-paid to) are not the best way to make money, but they can provide a nice little extra income in your spare time.
GPT sites pay you to complete activities that you probably already do on the internet. They might, for example, pay you to:
- Video
- Taking surveys
- Playing Games
- Online Shopping
- Searching for web content
Similar activities. These sites reward you with points for completing activities. You can then use your points to get money for free via PayPal, Visa gift cards, or other payouts.
These sites don’t offer a lot of money, but they can be used to earn some extra cash for things you do on your device.
13. Get High Interest Rates on Your Bank Accounts
In recent years, most banks don’t pay much or any interest on their savings and checking accounts. If you have a large amount of money in these accounts, you may be missing out on some free money.
A few online and brick and mortar banks understand the importance of paying interest for checking and saving accounts.
The more money that a bank holds in its deposit accounts, then the more it can loan to its customers, and earn money from the interest on these loans.
Banks with higher interest rates are more likely than others to encourage customers with high balances to open savings and checking accounts.
Smart bank CEOs are aware of this and offer rates far higher than what most banks pay.
New online customers can get high-yielding checking accounts from online banks like Axos bank. These accounts often pay up to 10 times what you earn at your current bank.
Also, check local credit unions and banks for high-interest accounts. You already have money in your account.
It’s a great way to earn some extra money.
14. Compare Insurance Quotes
Many people are surprised at the savings they can make on their home and auto insurance by simply shopping around. Many people believe that insurance prices are the same across the board.
This is far from the truth. This was something I learned years ago, when I read a piece advising people to compare insurance quotes.
I was with my insurer for many years, and never considered checking other companies’ prices.
After some research, I found out that GEICO offered me a similar policy for auto insurance at a cost of nearly $600 per year less than I was paying before. I got free money!
I changed companies after giving my previous company the chance to match their offer (they didn’t). I haven’t looked at them since.
Moral of the Story: Not all insurers are created equal. You should shop around every two years for the best deal.
15. Sell Your Photographs
Are you a great photographer? You could make passive income by selling your photos. You can earn free money by selling your photos.
You can purchase the right to use your photos when you upload them to a website like iStockphoto. This allows blog owners and business owners to make use of those photos. They use the photos in blog posts and online articles.
Stock photo sites give you a share of the profits from sales. They sell your rights to use photos.
Uploading photos once can help you earn money by selling the right to use them again and again.
The most popular photos on sites such as iStockphoto depict people performing everyday activities, including:
- Eating or drinking coffee
- Shopping
- Recreational Activities
- Family time is a great way to relax and enjoy your family
- Playing sport
You can earn money for uploading photos.
16. Open a new bank account
Open a new account at your bank to receive free money. Banks and credit unions often give $100, $200 or $500 away to new customers who open new savings or checking accounts.
Some banks also offer double bonuses to customers who open new savings and checking accounts.
Both personal and business bank accounts are eligible for these types of bonuses.
Banks that offer bonuses for new checking or savings accounts usually have certain conditions.
You might be required to deposit a certain amount of money or a specific number via Direct Deposit. You may also need to maintain a certain minimum balance.
The conditions for each bonus account are different, so make sure you read all the fine print.
Make sure that you choose the right checking account to suit your needs.
You can read more about it here:
If you are willing to do some research, there are many ways to earn free money. These ideas are easy to do, like shopping around for insurance.
