If you play games, you are likely hoping to win cash rewards. When you go to your job, you want to earn money. When you look at sites like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace you want to find free stuff. The truth is that life is just a little bit easier when we have extra cash.
So, whether you are drowning in credit card debt, a couple months behind on bills, or just caught in an unexpected pinch, there are ways to earn free cash and get some financial relief.
Some of the suggestions will be related to federal government assistance. Some will be in the form of tips to help save money through the use of a financial app. Then there are some more unusual tips and dome super common tips. But, all of the following tips to help you earn cash will be easy to do and most importantly will not cost you a single dime.
>>> Related: Join Swagbucks! It’s the free rewards app that pays you cash, gift cards, and free PayPal money for your everyday activities online. Earn free money for searching the web, taking surveys, answering daily polls, playing trivia, and more.
How can I get free money?
People often talk about finding free money and sure, sometimes they mean they reached into a jacket pocket and pulled out a $20, a wadded-up tissue, and a sticky piece of candy but other times they mean they found real money. There are plenty of ways that you can find money and since you did not know about it, that money really is free money to you.
Unclaimed money can be found in many forms from bank accounts that you did not know you had to unclaimed life insurance benefits. The problem with some of these funds may be in tracking them down. The leg work needed to find these unclaimed funds alone can be more than enough to keep people from pursuing them.
To get started, try entering your name and unclaimed money in your browser to see if you get any hits. The answer is likely going to be no, but don’t get discouraged just yet. Next, find the unclaimed money in your state and then do a more localized search. You may also be able to search by bank name if you have any thoughts that there may have been a bank account in your name.
Another source of money that is often overlooked is the income tax refund. Most people know that they can get a federal and/or state refund but may forget that they can often get a refund for taxes at the local level. Most often, you must live in a different city than where the taxes are being deducted. For example, you work in Smithville but you live in Smalltownia. The taxes that are deducted from your paycheck could possibly be refundable and is worth at least checking in to.
Do you ever feel lucky, buy a lottery ticket and win even a small amount? Winning cash prizes is a great way to help build up your savings accounts and can be a fun way to spend a few extra minutes each day. Entering sweepstakes should be easy and for most, should be free.
Here are some options to get you started:
- Sweepstakes Advantage
- Sweepstakes Fanatics
- People.com
Before you sign up for any sweepstakes, make sure it is legit, and remember that there are scams that will try to lure you in with the promise of easy money. The best sweepstakes have multiple prizes so even if you do not win the big prize, you still have a chance to win something.
Finally, if you are a low-income family that meets certain criteria you may be able to get free money and government grants for everything from home repairs, to establish internet service, to pay for child care while you are working or going to school, to help with utility bills, and to help pay your heating and cooling costs. Remember, a grant does not need to be paid back. Go to your local community action or jobs and family services office for information about available programs, forms, and deadlines for applications.
Keep in mind there are waiting lists for some of the funding such as Section 8 housing and other programs.
Can you get free money on Cash App?
If you have ever received a message from someone saying they felt generous that day and asking for your CashApp tag, you may have been targeted by a scammer. If you have seen the ads that promise “hacks” or “codes” to help you get free money from CashApp, you may have been tempted but those are likely to be scams as well.
In fact, CashApp itself lists no fewer than five “free money” scams involving its service. The reason these scams work is that people need money and the lure of free cash can make them forget to be cautious.
If you are sending money online for any reason, always follow the basic rules of safety including:
- Never send money or your personal information to someone you do not know or trust.
- Never give out personal information like your bank account info, driver’s license number, or social security number. Remember, CashApp and other money transfer sites will not ask for this information randomly.
- Do not click on links that promise free money online. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is not.
- You are never going to just win money without entering a contest or sweepstakes so do not click on a link telling you that you need to “claim” your prize. At best, you will get a bunch of spam and some random ads. At worst, you could open your device to a virus and possibly end up with a stolen identity.
How can I get $100 today?
There are ways to get to $100 in a day. Gig economy apps like TaskRabbit, Wag, Rover, or Care.com make it possible for you to connect with people who need help with childcare or a particular project that day. Jobs on TaskRabbit can vary from yardwork to packing moving boxes to cleaning out a closet.
Driving for Lyft or Uber may allow you to make that amount in a single night if you live in a high-traffic area and have a good night. If you can also deliver food between rides, you can combine the incomes to improve your odds of making your goal.
How can I make $100 for free?
Earning free money means that your quest for extra money doesn’t make you invest anything first. A free account with Swagbucks can help you earn Paypal cash or free gift cards while you are saving money. You can also use your account plus the free app to earn money in your spare time.
Start with the account. Sighing up for Swagbucks takes only a few moments and you will start earning points or SB immediately. From there, you can explore the many ways of earning additional SB.
One Time Actions
First, you have a number of actions that you can take just one time. These include:
- Installing the Swagbutton. This browser extension alerts you to coupon codes and discounts whenever you are shopping online. It will also let you know if there are new surveys and other actions that could help you earn money. You will earn SB for installing it.
- Set Swagbucks as your default browser. You will earn random SB for searches throughout the day.
Start Earning
You will find a number of ways to earn money with Swagbucks.
- Take online surveys. Every survey will list how much it is worth, how long it should take the average person to complete, and whether the SB is awarded immediately or not. If you do not qualify for this survey, you will still receive SB for your time.
- Start playing games. There are several games that you can play on a mobile device to earn SB. Most will require that you reach a certain level or score before awarding the SB but the rewards do tend to be substantial.
- Search the web. Earn SB for sidelining Google – for a few searches a day or for good. That’s free money for the web searches you’re already making.
- Play Swago, a game similar to Bingo.
- Search “Discover” and sign up for offers to earn SB.
Start Saving
Swagbucks will also help you save money when you shop online or in stores. Thousands of merchants offer discounts and coupon codes that you can find on the Swagbucks website, app, or with the Swagbutton. In addition, some merchants also offer cashback if you shop through Swagbucks.
Scan your receipts and you can earn SB for common purchases like groceries and household needs.
In addition to the discounts, you will still earn SB on these purchases. It won’t be big money, but it can be helpful money that will not require a lot of extra work. It is one of the easiest ways to get free gift cards. You can cash out at $3 or save up for a rainy day.