Make a Few Extra Dollars with No Extra Effort

credit: freedigitalphotos.net by Stuart Miles

credit: freedigitalphotos.net by Stuart Miles

In my younger days when I had much more time on my hands, I’d often find different things to do to make a few extra bucks. I would participate in medical studies (mostly psychological ones), focus groups, did online surveys, and graded papers. Now with a family, my time is pretty limited and I’m not going to lie, sometimes I’m just too lazy to do these things to make extra money! And yes, now that I’m earning a decent income, I’m a little pickier in how much time I’m going to spend to earn more money. However, there are a few things that I do to earn a few extra dollars that require pretty much no effort at all. So even if you are lazy or have no time, you can still earn a few extra bucks doing some of the things listed below. No, it’s not a lot of money, but hey, it’s also very little effort. Why not earn a little cash for doing things you would be doing anyway?

Bing Rewards

I am always on the internet “googling” different topics, for fun, for work, for my education. Then I learned that Bing Rewards will give you points JUST for searching using the Bing search engine. I wasn’t married to Google and didn’t really care either way so I signed up and started using Bing instead. I mean I used search engines everyday anyway so why not earn some points. I think my wife and I combined earn about $5 to $10 each in gift cards per month. It depends how diligent we are in using the search engine. You can also do trivia quizzes and click on a few things on the Bing Rewards page to earn points, as well as doing mobile searches. We usually choose Amazon as we shop there often. Amazon gift cards are practically cash in our household. And if you prefer, you can also redeem for Starbucks gift cards and buy a few lattes guilt free! There are a few other options but none that interest me. I do still use Google sometimes as I think it is a slightly better search engine and I definitely like Google Maps more than Bing Maps.

Swagbucks is similar to Bing where you can earn points and get gift cards just for searching. Plus, you can do surveys and other things to earn additional points. I’ve read other bloggers write good reviews about it but haven’t had the chance to try it out. I plan to and will update you on that when I do so.

Cash back websites

Who shops online? Raise your hand. Pretty much everybody right? But do you use a cash back website before you go to that online store to make your purchase? If you don’t, you really should! What is a cash back website? It’s basically a website which will reward you for shopping online. They are generally run by companies that get a commission for sending you to the retailer’s website. The retailer gives these companies a referral fee for sending them business, and in turn, the portal gives you a portion of the fee. Ebates is one of the top cash back websites and you will get $10 when you sign up and spend $25. If you refer your friends and family to the site, you can get a referral fee also. I will get a referral fee if you sign up, so if you do, I thank you very much. Another cash back site that I like to use is TopCashBack. There is no sign up bonus but sometimes their site offers larger cash back. It really depends though because sometimes Ebates runs promotions where they offer better cash back rates. If it isn’t too much effort, you can check both sites. So before you buy your next online item, click onto either Ebates or Topcashback to earn a little cash back. It takes very little effort!

Cash back credit cards

A lot of people use credit cards for their purchases rather than cash nowadays (link). So why not earn some cash back for using that credit card. I’m not even talking about the credit cards that give you a measly 1% cash back. I have a credit card which gives me 5% cash back for purchases at gas stations and grocery stores (up to a maximum $250 per category). If I spend $250 on gas and $250 on groceries, I will earn $25 each month for spending on something that I would have to spend on whether I used a credit card or not. Unfortunately, that credit card has been discontinued but there are others offer similar benefits. I would choose the cash back credit card with the best cash back for whatever category who spend the most on. Just do a google bing search for that credit card: i.e. 5% cash back gas credit card.

Of course, if using a cash back credit card will tempt you to spend more than you usually would, then this won’t be a good idea for you. For those who would be tempted to spend more if they know they can earn cash back, then it might be best to try a different type of card. The Bank of America Better Balance Rewards card pays you $25 each quarter for making more than the minimum payment on your bill. You can get an extra $5 each quarter if you have a checking or savings account with that bank.

iDine

You can earn between 5% to 15% for dining out at participating restaurants. (The percentage depends on the amount you spend at the participating restaurants) You do not need to use any coupon or gift certificate. All you have to do is link your credit card on the website, and whenever you dine at a participating restaurant, you will earn cash back. When you earn $20, you will receive an American Express gift card. If you have a credit card that gives you cash back for spending at restaurants, I would register that card so that I earn cash back from the credit card and from the iDine program.

What other ways do you earn a little cash which takes very little of your time?

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16 thoughts on “Make a Few Extra Dollars with No Extra Effort

    1. livingrichcheaply@gmail.com Post author

      I didn’t know that. I’ll have to check that out! Thanks.

  1. Income Surfer

    Thanks for the post Andrew. I didn’t realize that Microsoft was paying us to use Bing. Damn, they must really want to buy market share. Haha. I wonder how the revenue streams will change at both companies, within their respective search/ad units.

    I am all for getting paid to do something I would do anyway. Blogging is that way for us. So are credit card rewards. So is our Amazon affiliate. Come to think of it, the internet is full of these things. One of the more convenient is the fuel rewards points that Kroger supermarkets have. In large parts of the midwest Kroger is the only large game around. Most of us need gasoline. It’s a win -win.

    Have a great wekeend buddy
    -Bryan
    Income Surfer recently posted…Why We Are Glad We Didn’t Grow Up RichMy Profile

    1. livingrichcheaply@gmail.com Post author

      Yea, I think when it first came out, the rewards were even better. Too bad I missed out on that. I can see blogging as that too…it does take a lot of effort but I enjoy it so I don’t really even mind not making anything. Though it would be nice! I need to learn more about that aspect of blogging. Enjoy the long weekend!

  2. Laurie @thefrugalfarmer

    We’ve been doing Walmart Savings Catcher for two years now, and using our credit card for cash back rewards – as long as we make sure we pay off the purchases the minute they show up on the card. :-) Those two things alone are adding up to a minimum of $20 a month.

    1. livingrichcheaply@gmail.com Post author

      Interesting, I’ve never heard of Walmart Savings Catcher…though there aren’t many Walmarts near me so I don’t go that often. I’ll have to look into it when I shop there.

    1. livingrichcheaply@gmail.com Post author

      Hey if using a credit card doesn’t make you spend more than you usually do, why not get one that gives you some cash back right?

    1. livingrichcheaply@gmail.com Post author

      I think it is safe, but nothing is ever full-proof as hackers have gotten into many different places that were thought to be secure. This program is the same one that gives American Airline miles for dining as well as other loyalty programs.

  3. Alexander @ Cash Flow Diaries

    Im big on using the credit card rewards but havent found the time to make money using those other sites but I read about them all the time.

    Right now Im trying to make some extra money but its not easy at all. Trying to sell on amazon is pretty much starting up a whole business. 😛
    Alexander @ Cash Flow Diaries recently posted…May 2016 Net Worth UpdateMy Profile

    1. livingrichcheaply@gmail.com Post author

      Yea, credit card rewards are great. But you don’t need much time to use the other sites either!

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