49 Unusual (but Legal) Ways to Make Money in Texas This Month

Yeah, yeah. You’ve heard it. We’ve all heard it.

Everything is bigger in Texas.

If that’s the case, then the money-making opportunities are bigger, too, right?

Whether you’re trying to break the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, build up your savings or boost your income, there are plenty of ways to do it.

Here’s our list of ways to earn extra money in the Lone Star State.

49 Easy Ways to Make Money in Texas This Year

Feeling pumped? Feeling ready? Feeling like a million bucks (or like you need a million bucks)?

This is a long list, so don’t get overwhelmed. Go ahead and start now, but be sure to bookmark this post so you can easily return later. We’ll keep it updated as offers change or expire.

Without further delay, here are 50 ways to make money:

1. Add $225 to Your Wallet While Watching Movie Previews

If we told you that you could get paid while watching videos on your computer, you’d probably laugh.

It’s too good to be true, right?

But we’re serious. By signing up for a free account with InboxDollars, you could add up to $225 a month to your pocket. They’ll send you short surveys every day, which you can fill out while you watch someone bake brownies or catch up on the latest Kardashian drama.

No, InboxDollars won’t replace your full-time job, but it’s something easy you can do while you’re already on the couch tonight, wasting time on your phone.

Unlike other sites, InboxDollars pays you in cash — no points or gift cards. It’s already paid its users more than $56 million.

Signing up takes about one minute, and you’ll immediately receive a $5 bonus to get you started.

2. Stop Overpaying on Amazon

Wouldn’t it be nice if you got an alert when you’re shopping online at Amazon and are about to overpay?

That’s exactly what this free service does.

Just add it to your browser for free, and before you check out, it’ll check other websites to see if your item is available for cheaper. Let’s say you’re shopping for a new smart vacuum, and you assume you’ve found the best price. Here’s when you’ll get a pop up letting you know if that exact vacuum is available elsewhere for cheaper. If there are any available coupon codes, they’ll also automatically be applied to your order.

In the last year, this has saved people $800 million.

You can get started in just a few clicks to see if you’re overpaying online.

3. Earn up to $60/Hour as a Part-Time Bookkeeper

Can you open an excel spreadsheet? Does earning $60 an hour sound appealing? How about the freedom to work remotely while helping others succeed?

Those are the perks of working as a bookkeeper, says Ben Robinson, a certified public accountant and business owner who teaches others to become virtual bookkeepers.

You don’t have to be an accountant or even really good at math to be successful in this business. In fact, all you need are decent computer skills and a passion for helping business owners tackle real-world problems.

The ability to stay moderately organized is helpful too.

Median pay is around $19 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — and you have no commute. It’s a great opportunity for parents who want a part time job, recent college grads and anyone who wants to bring in real money working from home.

Robinson shares what it takes to be a virtual bookkeeper, plus tips for making this career work for you in his free class at Bookkeeper Business Launch.

4. Fill This out While You Watch Scary Movies

Online surveys aren’t our favorite way to make money, but if you’re just vegging out on the couch — or shielding your eyes while being forced to watch “Final Fantasy 113” — why not click a couple buttons and earn a few bucks?

We’ve tried a lot of paid survey sites, but here are a few of the best we’ve found:

• Swagbucks is definitely a reader favorite, probably because of the wide variety of ways to make money beyond taking surveys. Plus, you get a $5 bonus when you sign up and earn 2,500 SB within your first 60 days.
• MyPoints: This platform lets you earn gift cards for taking polls, answering surveys and other things you do online — a great way to cash in on long lines or an endless commute. You’ll earn a $5 bonus when you complete your first five surveys.
• Opinion Outpost: What sets this apart from other survey sites is it gives away $40,000 every year. It has a quarterly drawing for a $10,000 cash prize — and for every survey you complete, you’ll get one entry into the sweepstakes!
• PrizeRebel lets you take surveys for cash or gift cards from Amazon, PayPal, eBay, Walmart and others. You can cash in as soon as you earn 500 points, which gets you $5, and get paid within 24 hours.

5. Take a Picture of Your Receipt and Earn a Free $10

We know it sounds strange, but Ibotta will pay you cash for taking pictures of your receipts.

Here’s how it works:

Before heading to the store, search for items on your shopping list within the Ibotta app. When you get home, snap a photo of your receipt and scan the items’ barcodes.

Bam. Cash back.

Ibotta is free to download. Plus, you’ll get a $5 sign-up bonus after uploading your first receipt.

Some cash-back opportunities we’ve seen include:

• 25 cents back for any item.
• 25 cents back on strawberries.
• 50 cents back on frozen fruit snacks.
• $1 back on a box of tea.
• $5 back on a case of Shiner Bock beer.

Notice a lot of those aren’t tied to a brand — just shop for the staples on your list and earn cash back!

Shopping for more than just groceries?

As seen on Shark Tank, CoinOut is a shopping rewards app. Earn cash back when you snap a photo of a receipt — any receipt, from any retailer, featuring any item. How much you earn depends on the quality of the receipt, so don’t crumple it into a ball.

6. Get a Free Assistant to Negotiate Your Bills

On the phone with your cell phone or internet provider, trying to haggle a lower monthly bill?

Go ahead and hang up. (We know you’re probably listening to crappy music while sitting on hold, anyway.)

Download TrueBill, an app that’ll negotiate your bills, cancel unwanted subscriptions and refund your bank fees.

After downloading the app, create an account and link your bank account and/or credit cards. Turn on the bill negotiation and outage protection features. Boom. TrueBill is already searching for potential refunds — it might get you a refund even when you didn’t know an outage occurred.

On average, Truebill customers get $12 in credits off their cable bills each month.

The app will also remind you of all those sneaky subscriptions you’ve signed up for through the years, so you can cancel what you don’t use and reclaim your monthly budget.

Signing up and using the service is free, though there are some paid premium services that are totally optional — but could totally be worth it.

7. Get Your Paycheck 2 Days Earlier

Want to get a jump on payday? Let Chime be your secret weapon.

Unlike most financial institutions, this online banking app doesn’t wait until your pay date to give you access to your money. As soon as it receives notification of a direct deposit from your employer, it immediately posts those funds to your account.

That means you’ll get your paycheck early — like Samuel Demeny, who recently switched to Chime. He uses direct deposit. His company technically pays everyone on Fridays, but Chime gets him access to that cash two days earlier than his co-workers.

“The fact that I’m paid on Wednesday versus Friday… helps me budget before the weekend even starts,” Demeny told The Penny Hoarder.

Not everyone is guaranteed the two-day head start Demeny has. That depends on your employer and its financial institution. We talked to another Chime account holder, Lee Best, who gets his paycheck one day ahead of his co-workers — on Wednesday instead of Thursday.

Plus, Chime offers some other unique features other banks haven’t caught on to yet, such as:

• It doesn’t charge overdraft fees, monthly maintenance fees, foreign transaction fees or minimum balance fees.
• You can open an easy-to-access, connected savings account. It allows you to automate your savings with features like the round-up tool, which will round up your transactions to the nearest dollar and dump the change into savings.
• It has a “Pay Friends” feature, so you don’t have to mess with cash, math or other apps to split the bill.
• Chime customers have access to thousands of fee-free MoneyPass ATMs around the country and mobile check deposit.

Who doesn’t want to get paid early?

Opening an account with Chime is free and only takes about five minutes.

8. Invest in Real Estate Around the Country for Just $500

Want to get into real-estate investing without spending hundreds of thousands of dollars or playing landlord? We found a company that helps you do just that.

Oh, and you don’t have to have hundreds of thousands of dollars, either. You can get started with a minimum investment of just $500. A company called Fundrise does all the heavy lifting for you.

With a minimum investment of just $500, Fundrise will invest in its Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) that offer expected returns of 8% to 11% per year.

This isn’t an obscure investment. You can see exactly which properties are included in your portfolio — like a set of townhomes in Snoqualmie, Washington, or an apartment building in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Fundrise does the heavy lifting of buying million dollar properties and pays you dividends quarterly plus extra periodic distributions if properties are sold.

You’ll pay a 0.85% annual asset management fee and a 0.15% annual investment advisory fee.

Remember investments come with risk. While Fundrise has paid distributions every quarter since at least Q2 2016, your payment is never guaranteed.

9. Snag a Free $10 Walmart Gift Card

One of our favorite ways to bank a little extra money is with Ebates, a cash-back site that rewards you nearly every time you buy something. For example, Ebates gives you 10% cash-back on purchases at Walmart.

Plus you’ll get a free $10 gift card to Walmart for giving the site a try.

To earn your gift card:

1. Sign up for Ebates with your email or Facebook account.
2. Use the Ebates portal the next time you need to buy something. It’s connected to thousands of stores, including Walmart, Amazon and Target. You’ll need to make your first purchase through the site within 90 days and spend at least $25.
3. Your account will be credited with rewards points you can cash in for your $10 Walmart gift card.

10. Share What’s in Your Fridge

Remember the Nielsen company? The one that’s always tracked TV ratings? Well, now it wants to know what’s in your fridge.

Once you sign up to participate in market research through Nielsen Consumer Panel, you can either use your smartphone, or the company will send you a free barcode scanner. Every time you go shopping, you simply scan the UPC codes on the back of each product and send your data to Nielsen.

Nielsen will reward you with gift points, which you can redeem for free electronics, jewelry, household items or even toys for the kids.

The longer you stay on the panel, the more opportunity you have to earn points toward prizes. You’ll also receive entries for the panel’s many sweepstakes. Prizes include vacations and brand new vehicles.

11. Start Investing Without Even Noticing — and Get $5

If you’re like most of us and wish your money would just take care of itself, consider starting an investment account through Acorns.

You can start small and stack up change over time with its “round-up” feature. That means if you spend $10.23 at the grocery store, 77 cents gets dropped into your Acorns account.

Then, the app does the whole investing thing for you.

The idea is you won’t miss the digital pocket change, and the automatic savings stack up faster than you’d think. For example, we reviewed how Penny Hoarder Dana Sitar was able to save at a rate of $420 a year!

At that rate, you could set aside $1,000 in about two and a half years — without trying.

The app is $1 a month for balances under $5,000, and you’ll get a $5 bonus when you sign up.

12. This App Gives You Between $5 and $200 in Free Stock

If you feel like you don’t have enough money to start investing, you’re not alone. But guess what? You really don’t need that much — and you can even get free stocks (worth $5 to $200!) if you know where to look.

Whether you’ve got $5, $100 or $800 to spare, you can start investing with Robinhood.

Yeah, you’ve probably heard of Robinhood. Both investing beginners and pros love it because it doesn’t charge commission fees, and you can buy and sell stocks for free — no limits. Plus, it’s super easy to use.

What’s best? When you download the app and fund your account (it takes no more than a few minutes), Robinhood drops a share of free stock into your account. It’s random, though, so that stock could be worth anywhere from $5 to $200 — a nice boost to help you build your investments.

13. Play the Slots — and Bank $5 for Your Savings Account

Are you more of the “sit at home and play video games” type of person but you’re making yourself read this because you’re determined to get this adulting thing down?

The folks who created Long Game have you covered with a game that’s fun and helps you achieve your financial goals.

As you save and accomplish missions you’ll earn coins to play mini games for cash prizes! We’re talking the classics, like slot machines, scratch-offs and spin-to-win wheels.

Once you link your bank account, you’ll earn 300 coins, so you can start playing while you wait for payday.

Penny Hoarder Carson Kohler uses Long Game to save money. Every two weeks, it sneaks $5 out of her bank account and rewards her with coins.

In two months, she’s saved $35.70, just by playing games on her phone. Plus, her winnings amount to a gain of about 2% — way higher than interest on any other savings account she has.

14. Get $50 to Invest in Causes You Care About

Investing can be a great way to grow your money, but have you carefully considered which companies you’re willing to back? Their morals and values? You probably wouldn’t want to invest in a company that’s destroying our oceans or cheating the system.

Impact investing is a simple fix. It adds a new layer of transparency to investing. Take Swell Investing, an SEC-registered investment adviser committed to supporting sustainable companies.

Its Impact 400 portfolio features companies whose products and services align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. They consider everything from gender equality to ending poverty to clean energy.

You can start with just $50 and invest in this or other portfolios committed to clean water, zero waste, renewable energy or disease eradication, to name a few. Plus, you’ll get a $50 bonus with the code PENNY after making your initial investment.

Swell doesn’t have any trading fees, price tiers or expense ratios. It charges a 0.75% annual fee — that’s about the cost of one coffee ($3.75) per year if you invest $500.

Disclosure: We have a financial relationship with Swell Investing LLC and will be compensated if consumers apply for an account and/or fund an account with Swell through links in our content. However, the analysis and opinions expressed here are our own.

15. Hang out With Pups

If you’re looking for a flexible, independent way to earn money — and you love hanging out with dogs — pet sitting through Rover might be your perfect gig.

The online network connects dog walkers and sitters to local dog owners through its 4.9-star-rated app, so you don’t have to staple flyers on every utility pole across town.

Rover says sitters can earn as much as $1,000 a month.

Rover dog-sitter requirements vary by location. In general, you must:

• Be 18 years or older.
• Pass a background check.
• Have access to the Rover app (iOS or Android).

Here’s how it works: You’ll create an online sitter profile where you’ll answer questions about your experience with puppers and your schedule availability.

You can choose to offer a variety of services, including dog walking, overnight boarding at your home or theirs, and daycare. Boarding is the app’s most popular service, so offering it can get you more gigs. You set your own rates. (Rover keeps a small percentage as a service fee.)

Dog owners will reach out to you. Accept which gigs you want, then start snugglin’ pups. As soon as you complete a service, you’ll be paid within two days.

16. Play Free Scratch-offs — and Win Real Money

You know that feeling when you find a $20 bill hiding in the pocket of those jeans you wore last week? Yeah, that’s the feeling of a lucky day. The Lucky Day app is just like that. Have fun on your phone, just like you do anyway, and you might just pocket some extra dough.

Lucky, indeed.

You could win up to $10,000 playing digital scratch-off tickets or even a whopping $100,000 in the daily lotto. You’ll also have a lot of chances to win gift cards to cool places like Amazon, Walmart, Dunkin and Target.

It’s all free to play, with no in-app purchases. The company has already awarded more than $3 million in prizes to winners since 2014.

Seriously, you could have that “I just found money in my pocket” feeling today just for playing games and having fun on your phone.

17. Play Your Own Version of ‘Supermarket Sweep’

Back in the ’90s, David, the host of “Supermarket Sweep,” claimed to have the only grocery store that paid people to shop.

Well, welcome to the 21st century, baby. We’ve got Instacart.

Instacart, a grocery-delivery service, is looking for part-time in-store shoppers, who simply shop and bag orders.

To qualify, you must:

• Be 18 or older.
• Be eligible to work in the U.S.
• Have access to an iPhone 5 or Android 4.4 (or newer).
• Be able to lift 30 to 40 pounds.

You choose the hours you work (up to 29 hours a week) and get paid per order weekly. Rates will vary by location.

If you want to get real adventurous (or work more hours) you can also sign on as a full-service shopper, meaning you’ll deliver the groceries, too.

Once you sign up to become a shopper, Instacart will reach out about an orientation. Complete the orientation, and you’re on your way to producing your personal “Supermarket Sweep” reboot.

18. Clear Your Closets

Do you still have a prom outfit from, like, 10 years ago?

It’s never going to fit — or come into style — again, but something just keeps holding you back from sending it to Goodwill.

Maybe money could change your mind. Instead of storing clothes indefinitely, try selling them.

One app we especially like is Letgo. You can literally list your clothes in less than a minute.

19. Hang at Home With the Ones You Love

Have you ever considered doing customer service from the comfort of your home? An increasing number of companies are hiring work-from-home customer service reps, instead of running call centers.

For some people, working from home offers the most perfect scenario. Maybe it cuts your one-hour commute down to, well, nothing. Maybe it allows you to see your kids more often.

Whatever it is (even if it’s that you get to spend more time with your cat — valid reasoning), the most difficult part can be landing that perfect work-from-home job.

We recommend starting your search with ZipRecruiter.

When you click here to search, ZipRecruiter sends you to a list of geo-tailored work-from-home job openings. (Because, yes, even some work-from-home job opportunities have location restrictions.)

As soon as you start your search, you’ll see the average salary for work-from-home jobs in your area. This will help you know what to expect. Peruse the listings to find information about the company, pay and type of employment. You’ll find details about requirements as well as information about how to apply.

20. List Your Bedroom (or Backyard) for Rent

Have a spare room? Might as well try to earn some money by listing it on Airbnb.

If you’re a good host with a desirable space, you could add hundreds — even thousands — of dollars to your savings account with Airbnb.

And there’s no reason you can’t be creative. We found a guy who earns $1,380 a month renting out a backyard tent on Airbnb!

A few simple steps can make the difference between a great experience and a less-than-satisfactory one.

Here are some tips:

• Make your space available during high-demand times in your area. Think: concerts, conventions and sporting events.

• Be a good host, and stock your place with the toiletries you’d expect at a hotel — toilet paper, soap and towels.

• Be personable. A lot of travelers turn to Airbnb for the personal touch they won’t find at commercial properties.

Here’s the link to sign up as an Airbnb host.

(Hosting laws vary from city to city. Please understand the rules and regulations applicable to your city and listing.)

21. Rent out the RV You Thought You’d Use More

RV owners: When’s the last time you hit the open road?

If you’re attached to your motorhome but don’t use it as much as you’d like, why not turn it into a money-making machine?

Rent it out through an online peer-to-peer rental marketplace, like Outdoorsy. Think of it like Airbnb… but for RVs.

In addition to the nice stream of passive income, other perks to renting your RV out through the marketplace include:

• Free 24/7 rental roadside assistance, so you don’t have to worry about a renter calling you up for a tow.
• $1 million in insurance, covering both you the owner and the renter.
• DMV checks on all potential renters.

To see how much you could earn each month by renting your camper out, snag a free estimate in just a few minutes. Then snap photos of your RV, upload your insurance and boom — you could be making money.

22. Rent out Your Car

If you own a reliable vehicle, but leave it sitting in your driveway all the time, you could turn it into an income stream by renting it!

With the Getaround app, you can safely rent out your car to people in your community and neighborhood. The company insures your car for each trip, offers 24/7 roadside assistance and screens drivers for a safe driving record.

That’s more assurance than you get when your teenager gets behind the wheel…

Here’s how it works:

1. Sign up with your Facebook account to rent out your car here.
2. Set your own rates and availability.
3. You’ll get a notification when someone books your car.
4. Your car will be equipped with a Getaround Connect™, so renters will be able to locate, unlock and lock your car from their mobile phone during the trip period. No need to meet in person to exchange keys.

Like many side gigs that involve your car, some car owners worry about the costs for things like gas and wear and tear on the vehicle. With Getaround, renters are responsible for refilling the fuel used on the trip.

We also checked in with the company to see what it’s doing to address car owners’ concerns, and the CEO Sam Zaid told us, “Fortunately, customer feedback is one of the best ways we can learn and grow. We take feedback seriously and prioritize product updates based on our conversations with owners and renters.”

23. Start Investing — and Get $5 in Free Stocks

It’s no brilliant secret that investing can be a smart way to make money.

Sometimes, though, it feels restricted to a few wealthy elite.

But Stash is different. This app lets you start investing with as little as $5 and for just a $1 monthly fee for balances under $5,000.

Stash curates investments from professional fund managers and investors and lets you choose where to put your money.

But it leaves the complicated investment terms out of it. You just choose from a set of simple portfolios reflecting your beliefs, interests and goals.

Bonus: Right now, The Penny Hoarder is teaming up with Stash to fund your first investment — so you’ll get a $5 bonus when you enter the code PENNYH

24. Optimize Your Credit Card Use

If you’re not using a rewards credit card for everyday purchases, you’re missing out on free money.

You just have to be sure you don’t get too carried away with those purchases — and that the card is paid off at the end of each billing period.

Here’s an option we like: It’s the Chase Freedom Unlimited card. Its claim to fame? You’ll earn an unlimited 1.5% cash back on all your purchases. Plus, if you spend $500 in your first three months of opening the card (hi, groceries), you’ll pocket a $150 bonus.

There’s no annual fee, and the cash-back rewards don’t expire.

Get signed up — and 0% intro APR for 15 months — here.

*The information for the Chase Freedom Unlimited card has been collected independently by The Penny Hoarder. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of the credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuer. The Penny Hoarder is a partner of Credible.

25. Get Paid to Drop a Few Pounds

Bottom line: HealthyWage will literally pay you for losing weight.

Not only are you getting more healthy, you’re also making some money. How’s that for motivation?

Here’s how it works:

1. Read more about HealthyWage, and sign up.
2. Define a goal weight and the amount of time you’ll give yourself to achieve it.
3. Place a bet on yourself of at least $200 a month.

Depending on how much you have to lose, how long you give yourself to do it and how much money you put on the table, you could win up to $10,000!

Wondering if it can really work? We talked to one woman, Christina Castro, who lost 84 pounds — and made $1,191.

26. Start Investing With Just $10, and Grow Your Money 83 Times Faster

Where you stash your money is almost as important as how much you have. Believe it or not, you don’t need to start out with a lot to be a smart investor.

With a free app called Worthy, you can start investing with just $10.

No matter how much, that money is yours. You want to grow it safely, right? Your first thought is a savings account, which will earn you an average of 0.06% interest, according to CNN Money. That’s practically stagnant.

You’ve got to think outside your bank.

Worthy is a microinvesting app that pays out a fixed 5% annual interest rate — around 83 times more than what you’d get from the bank. And a lot more stable than investing in stocks.

It invests in bonds that act like a savings account — you can deposit or withdraw money at any time with no fees or penalties. You can even set up a recurring investment or use Worthy’s round-up program to invest your spare change.

27. Start Investing (Even If You’re Not Rich)

Investing. It’s how you make your money make more money. Awesome, right?

But you typically need to have seed money. How much — $5,000, $10,000 to get the ball rolling?

Nope. With Wealthsimple’s Roundup feature, investing can be as easy as taking the change you don’t really want and turning it into investments that can grow into your future.

Here’s how it works: Simply connect your credit and debit cards to your Wealthsimple account, and every time you make a purchase, the spare change is put to work in your investment portfolio.

For example, when you buy that new sweater — because the office is always cold — for $17.34, the extra 66 cents will shimmy on over to your Wealthsimple account. You won’t feel the pinch, and that money will work harder than your acrylic blend sweater to heat up your future.

28. Take a Walk Around Downtown

No extreme physical activity or pulled muscles required for this money-making trick. All you need to do is download the Shopkick app.

Once you sign up, the app pays you in “kicks” for walking into certain stores (including Walmart, Target, TJMaxx and more). These can be redeemed for gift cards to a number of retailers, including Amazon, Target, Walmart, Starbucks, Sephora and Best Buy.

It pays you even more “kicks” for photos of receipts that include qualifying items you purchased in-store with a connected credit or debit card. You can also earn kicks for online purchases. Bonus: You don’t have to do anything; your linked cards will automatically apply your kicks.

We’ve got an ultimate guide to using Shopkick here.

29. Cash in on Internet Outages

Internet go out? Yeah, that’s annoying — especially if you work from home.

But you deserve a refund. No need to sit on hold with your provider, though. Use Trim, a little bot that’ll do the work for you.

All you have to do is sign up for free and upload a PDF of your recent bill. (Grab this from your online statement.) The process takes about two minutes, and Trim will get to work on your behalf.

If you’re eligible for any savings, you can guarantee Trim will get them for you! We’ve seen users on Twitter reporting earning $100 and $200 back. Nice!

Bonus: Trim can help you get rid of debt, too. Sign up for Trim’s debt payoff feature and send the code “PAYOFF” to your new debt payoff coach before Jan. 31, and you’ll get a $10 bonus!

30. Earn $5/Month for Installing This App

A number of companies will actually pay you for downloading apps on your smartphone or computer — this is a great way to boost your passive income!

One we love is called SavvyConnect. Earn $5 per device (phone, tablet, computer) for each month SavvyConnect is installed, up to $180 per year.

The app collects data and helps companies better understand web and mobile usage — such as what times of day people browse, how long they stay on websites and use apps, and what types of sites and apps are popular (or not).

Get started with SavvyConnect here.

31. Turn Gaming Into Saving

Blast is a savings app for Android made by gamers for gamers. It allows you to save, earn and win cash for playing games.

It works with every game in the Google Play Store, as well as top PC games, including Counter Strike Global Offensive.

The app is free, with no hidden fees.

While you play, the app works in the background and transfers small sums from your checking account into a high-yield Blast savings account based on “triggers” you set — things like the number of opponents you defeat or enemy bases you destroy. You can earn extra cash by completing “missions” that allow you to test new games or take familiar games to the next level.

Your Blast savings account earns 1% interest, is FDIC-insured and is secured by bank-level encryption. You can withdraw your money anytime or just let your savings grow.

32. Sell Your Extra CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, Video Games and Electronics

The irony. We’re all looking for ways to make easy money online, unaware that we’re sitting on a gold mine at home — all those old CDs and unused electronics you’ve probably forgotten about.

Luckily, an online company called Decluttr will pay you fair prices for your books, Blu-Rays, DVDs, CDs, video games, consoles, cell phones, tablets and more.

Want to instantly find out how much your old stuff is worth? Just download the free Decluttr app, where you can use your camera as a barcode scanner to get a free instant price for your CDs, DVDs and books in seconds.

The sooner you let go, the more money you can get back.

33. Download This App (That’s Literally It)

A number of companies will actually pay you for downloading apps on your smartphone or computer — this is a great way to boost your passive income!

One we love is called MobileXpression. After you’ve installed this app on your smartphone for one week, you get to play an instant rewards game for a prize (everyone wins something). We’ve seen users win a $25 Amazon gift card, but some of the other prizes include iPads and Samsung TVs.

The app collects data and helps companies better understand web and mobile usage — such as what times of day people browse, how long they stay on websites and use apps, and what types of sites and apps are popular (or not).

Try it out for iPhone or Android.

34. Teach English as a Second Language

If a classroom full of grimy squealing kids isn’t your scene… we get it. You can still work as a teacher. Better yet: You work as a teacher, set your own hours and work from home.

There are several online-learning platforms focused on teaching English as a second language to students in other countries.

Angela Brumbaugh is a QKids teacher. She teaches 36 half-hour sessions a week and makes up to $20 an hour.

“The curriculum is set for you before class, and your job is to simply guide the children through the lesson, offering guidance, smiles and tons of encouragement,” she says. That’s a big perk for many: No lesson planning.

“The students are hard-working, curious and light up the classroom with their smiles,” she says. “Class time actually goes by fast, and the only con I can see is sometimes I wish I had more time to spend with them!”

35. Get Paid to Drive Around Town

Enjoy finding the best route around town? Why not try to get paid for it?

As a driver partner with Uber, you create your own schedule and drive when you want.

If you want to give it a try here are a few things to keep in mind: You must be at least 21 years old, have at least one year of licensed driving experience in the U.S. (three years if you are under 23 years old), have a valid U.S. driver’s license and pass a background check.

Also, your car must be a four-door, seat at least four passengers (excluding the driver), be registered in-state and be covered by in-state insurance.

Because it’s simple to switch between apps, many Uber partners also sign up to drive with Lyft.

We talked to Paul Pruce, who’d been driving full-time with Lyft for over a year and earning $750 a week as a driver. Best of all, he does it on his own time. You can work days, nights or weekends — it’s up to you!

To be eligible, you’ll need to be at least 21 years old with a year of driving experience, pass a background check and own a car made in 2007 or later.

36. Cash in on Your Smartphone Addiction

Let’s be real: That phone habit is hard to break. So you might as well make some money while you’re scrolling instead of totally wasting your time on social media.

Download AppKarma, a free rewards app that lets you earn cash and gift cards when you try out gaming apps and watch videos.

Android users can download the AppKarma app directly through the Google Play Store.

iPhone users: AppKarma is not in the app store, but you can use it from your mobile browser. Click on the link from your iOS device to access the AppKarma web app. Complete the first offer (and earn 100 points!) to get started.

Bonus: Penny Hoarders will get 500 extra points when you sign up, plus you’ll get an email shortly after signing up with a special promo code worth another 750 bonus points.

You can exchange your Karma Points for gift cards to Amazon, PayPal, iTunes, Target, Starbucks and Walmart, among other retailers.

37. Earn $50 a Year to Surf the Internet

You know Nielsen, the company that tracks TV ratings? It also measures the popularity of websites and online videos. To do that, Nielsen wants to pay you to let it anonymously collect information from your favorite web-surfing device.

And best of all, this won’t slow down your phone or computer.

Of course you have a laptop, tablet or smartphone. You’re a human being in the 21st century, after all. Shoot, you’re probably reading this on one of those devices right now.

Here’s the deal:

If you have a smartphone or tablet, the Nielsen Panel will pay you $50 a year to keep its app on your device and browse the web like you normally do. The information it collects remains totally anonymous.

If you have a desktop or laptop computer, you’ll receive entries into the company’s $10,000 monthly sweepstakes for every month you keep Nielsen’s software installed on your computer. Every month, 400 people win prizes, with the two top prizewinners taking home $1,000 each.

38. Search Your Wallet and Cash in on Your Dollar Bills

Specifically, dollar bills with strange serial numbers — ones that aren’t easy to come by. The collectors at CoolSerialNumbers.com will pay you big bucks if you have a bill with a rare sequence in your wallet.

Turns out antique coins aren’t the only currency worth cash to collectors.

Check out their website for a full list to see if you’ve got any of these rare bills, but here’s a rundown of the sort of serial numbers these collectors are looking for:

• 7 repeating digits in a row on $1 Federal Reserve Notes (i.e. 09999999, 77777776)
• 7 of a kind on $1 Federal Reserve Notes (i.e. 00010000, 99999099)
• Super repeaters on $1 Federal Reserve Notes (i.e. 67676767)
• Double quads on $1 Federal Reserve Notes (i.e. 00009999)
• and more!

39. Earn $36/Year for Shopping on Amazon

Calling all Amazon shoppers!

This is such an easy, passive way to rake in an extra $36 a year. ShopTracker, one of the leading public opinion research companies, wants you to share your Amazon purchase history. And you’ll be paid for every month you share!

When you sign up for ShopTracker, it keeps your private information, well, private. All it wants to see is your order information.

To earn your first gift card today:

1. Sign up, and download the ShopTracker app on your Windows computer and Apple or Android phone. It takes about two minutes. You’ll need to answer a few questions about your Amazon use to qualify.
2. Open the app and log in to your Amazon account to automatically share your purchase history. You’ll receive your Visa e-gift card code for $3 via email within 48 hours.
3. Take a couple of minutes to share your purchase history to earn another $3 each month.

40. Get the Props You Deserve for Being Active

If you live an active lifestyle (or need an incentive to become more active), the Achievement app will reward you for making healthy moves, including upping your step count and logging your sleep.

Achievement connects to your phone’s health apps and runs in the background, so it works passively. Many users report being happily surprised when logging on and checking their progress.

Once you earn 10,000 points, you’ll score $10, which you can deposit directly into your bank account.

Pro tip: Achievement connects to more than 30 Android and iOS health-related apps, including MyFitnessPal and Garmin. The more apps you connect, the more earning opportunities..’”

41. Pick up Babysitting Gigs Whenever You’re Available

Ever overhear your co-workers mumbling about needing a night off from little people at home? You’ll be surprised to learn how hard it is to find a sitter!

Keep your eyes and ears peeled, and offer to babysit while friends or co-workers go out for the evening — you could earn $50 to $100 in a night

If you like hanging out with kids, babysitting could make a fulfilling full-time job or just a fun way to make extra money in your free time.

42. Do Odd Jobs

TaskRabbit helps you connect with people in your area who need help getting things done — anything from picking up dry cleaning to calling customer service and tolerating the hold music.

Keep an eye out for virtual tasks, which are mostly centered around personal assistance, administrative work or research help. You can do those an earn money without even walking out your door.

Rest assured you won’t be getting paid pennies to solve someone’s Excel woes. Check out these tips from users who make more than $2,000 a week through the app.

43. Work for Disney — From Anywhere

Obsessed with Disney? And want to work from home?

One Penny Hoarder contributor caught up with Kari Bonnes, who is a big fan of Disney and the founder of Marvelous Mouse Travels, a travel agency that specializes in (you guessed it!) Disney vacations.

Although the business is based in North Carolina, work-from-home agents are based across the country as independent contractors. The pay depends on dedication and hours.

“I offer generous commissions to my agents, plus referral bonuses,” Bonnes says. “I have some agents who make $35,000 to $40,000 a year working part time. But I also have others who just book a trip here and there and bring in some side income.”

A major requirement? Be familiar with Disney parks. Fill out the online application for a chance to join the Marvelous Mouse Travels team.

44. Get Paid to Tutor Kids Online

Love kids but don’t want to commit to the classroom?

You can get paid to tutor students online. Take notes from this former teacher, who makes up to $75 an hour.

If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve rounded up a list of companies hiring online tutors.

45. Sell Your Smartphone Photos

If you have a smartphone and a photographic eye, making money may have just gotten a lot easier. Oh – you’ll also need access to marketable scenery.

An app called Foap lets you turn your smartphone photos into cash.

Here’s how it works:

1. Download the free app and create an account.

2. Take a quality photo and upload it to Foap’s marketplace.

3. Someone buys the license to your photo for $10. You make $5.

If your photo sells 20 times, you make $5 each time and end up with $100 in your pocket — all for about five minutes of work. Pretty cool, right?

46. Rent out the Clothes That Make Your Friends Jealous

Are your friends always complimenting your great sense of style? Try making money off that killer taste!

You can rent out your clothing online through a peer-to-peer site like Style Lend.

Make sure to read the fine print on rental sites. Some don’t charge any fees to the buyers and sellers, but some charge a rental commission per order. You’ll need to price your wears accordingly to account for any commission handed over to the company.

47. Rent out Your Old Baby Gear

Are you a mom?

You’ve probably got a lot of baby gear. Think: a crib, a car seat, a playset. Don’t let them collect dust when your kid starts growing out of all that stuff. You can rent out those old baby necessities to traveling parents. Because it costs how much to check a stroller on a plane?!

Check out this list of places to sell old clothes. There, parents who are traveling can hit you up for that stroller or car seat so they don’t have to travel with the cumbersome gear.

And you can make some money. Sounds like a win-win.

48. Work from Someone Else’s House

Working from home is wonderful, but sometimes it’s nice just to experience a new space — perhaps in a new town or a new country.

Consider house sitting. You can make big bucks by keeping someone’s house company. There are tons of websites out there that’ll help you find the perfect gig, too. Check out a few of these house-sitting marketplaces.

49. Deliver Convenience Store Necessities

Don’t feel like stinking up your car with the (tantalizing) scent of pizza or fried food? You can still make someone’s day — and earn cash — by delivering another late-night necessity: beer.

This and other convenience store goods — from tampons to ice cream novelties — are available for delivery through goPuff, an app we’re sure was literally made in heaven.

For you, that means an opportunity to make money driving your car around town — and goPuff’s stocked warehouses mean you don’t have to waste time strolling actual convenience store aisles to locate the right flavor of emergency Jolly Ranchers.

Comedian Nicole Yates earns $10 to $12 an hour delivering with goPuff in Los Angeles.