This 13-Day Savings Challenge Is Going Viral By Making People Richer

Not all of us are born to be organizational wizards, but if you want to get ahead with your money, you’ve got to get it under your control. It’s the only way you’ll get any of the big stuff done, such as paying off debt, taking a real vacation, buying a house or saving for retirement.

We get it, though. Not all of us keep everything neatly filed, color-coded, alphabetized and prioritized. And you don’t have to be.

Here are some simple things you can do — in less than two weeks — to get your finances under control:

Day 1: Grow Your Money 13x Faster — Without Risking Any of It

It’s time to face the facts about savings accounts. Most are barely better than stashing your money under a mattress. Even the Tooth Fairy pays more than the sad 0.4% interest that most banks pay these days.

But more people are figuring out that they don’t have to settle.

A mobile banking app called Milli pays you 13 times the interest rate you’d normally get on your savings — we’re talking a whopping 5.25% annual percentage yield.

And no, there are no fees or minimum balance requirements to negate your interest earnings. Plus, your money is FDIC insured.

The Milli app also gives you insights into your spending and saving habits. You can even split up your savings into sub-accounts called jars if you want.

It actually pays to save money. Get started with the mobile banking app from Milli Bank. Just download the Milli app to experience modern banking and get more from your hard-earned dollars.

Day 2: Get Paid to Try Out Free Games on Your Phone (With No Purchases or Ads)

Wouldn’t you rather companies just pay you to try games with the money they’d otherwise spend on annoying you with ads? 

That’s exactly what a free app called Cash Giraffe does — it pays you to try out new mobile games they know you’ll like, instead of bombarding you with ads. 

Games are added regularly to Cash Giraffe and there are lots of genres to choose from, including arcade, action, adventure, strategy and more. No, you don’t have to pay a deposit and or sit through any ads at all. It’s completely free — the more you play, the more you earn. 

Once you’ve earned enough tickets, you can cash out for real money in less than 48 hours and get paid via PayPal (or gift cards from Amazon, Google Play, Playstation Network, Best Buy and others).

Ready to get paid to play games? Just download the free Cash Giraffe app to start earning gift cards for playing new games on your phone. 

Day 3: Save $500/Year on Utilities (Without Really Doing Anything) 

Excuses, excuses — we’re tired of all the excuses for why everything is so expensive these days. And that includes our power bill.

Luckily, we just found a company called Arbor that can help you save on average $544 a year on your power bill — and you basically don’t have to do anything. All you have to do is sign up. It’s completely free, and you can cancel anytime, hassle-free.

Arbor partners with energy suppliers in your state. Once you sign up, they’ll monitor your rate, and keep an eye on the market to see if you’re getting the best deal. If they find you a cheaper rate, they’ll switch you — but you’ll keep your same utility and the same bill you pay every month. Simple — and no interruptions.

It’s not a one-time thing either. Arbor has incentive to find you the best rate, so it will constantly monitor for you to get you the best deal

Just enter your ZIP code to see if Arbor is available where you live. Then see how much you can save.

Day 4: Don’t Leave Money on the Table — Let This Company Find and Roll Over Your Old 401(k) (For Free)

Did you know there are more than 24 million abandoned 401(k)s in the U.S.? Even more shocking — an old or forgotten 401(k) could cost someone up to $700,000 in foregone retirement savings.

Imagine losing hundreds of thousands of dollars just because you didn’t roll over a 401(k).

The truth is, most of us don’t really know the best options for our 401(k)s when switching jobs. One of the smartest options is a tax-free transfer from your old 401(k) to an IRA — but the rollover process can be frustrating and time-consuming.

That’s where a free platform called Capitalize can help. It will find your old 401(k)s, help you compare new IRAs from leading financial institutions, and make sure your old account is transferred correctly to your new IRA. You don’t have to do any of the heavy lifting — they’ll handle the transfer for you.

It only takes five minutes to fill out a form on its site, and then Capitalize financial experts can take it from there — they’ve successfully handled thousands of rollovers amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Regardless of whether you have a traditional or Roth 401(k) plan, Capitalize will make sure your money is transferred quickly and accurately. You can also be sure your data is safe with bank-level encryption — they won’t sell your data, either.

Don’t leave your retirement savings in the dust. Get started here to let the experts at Capitalize help you find the best rollover option for your 401(k) — for free.

Day 5: Let This Account Give You $300 Just for Keeping Your Money There

Here’s the deal: If you’re not banking with a credit union called PSECU, you’re missing out on extra cash. And who doesn’t want extra cash right now?

Yep. PSECU will give you $300 after just a few months of keeping your money there.

They’ll pay you $100 when you sign up, another $100 when you set up direct deposit within 90 days of opening your account, and another $100 when you keep direct deposit active for three months.*

It’s free to open a checking account, and there’s no minimum deposit or fees. Plus they have more than 70,000 surcharge-free ATMs and rebates for non-network ATMs. You’ll also get no-fee overdraft protection if you have a backup source of funds.

Credit unions sometimes have waitlists, but PSECU doesn’t right now. Apply to join PSECU here and start earning your $300 in free cash.

*Offer valid until 12/31/23

Day 6: Let This Free Financial Plan Save You up to $3,500/Year

Having a financial plan is one of the smartest decisions you can make for your future. It shows you what to do with your money, getting you on a path toward a richer life.

But only people making six figures can afford an advisor, right?

Wrong.

The Penny Hoarder can get you a customized financial plan for free. All you have to do is answer a few questions, and you’ll get your free custom financial plan.

The best part? This could save you up to $3,500 per year. And it’s completely free — and totally anonymous. You won’t be bombarded with ads or sales pitches.

There’s literally no catch. Just sound financial advice, customized for you — no matter your financial situation. Get your free financial plan here. 

Day 7: Earn Up to $250 When You Direct Deposit With This Account

If you bank at a traditional brick-and-mortar bank, your money probably isn’t growing much (c’mon, 0.4% is basically nothing).

But there’s good news: SoFi Checking and Savings has one of the most competitive annual percentage yields (APY) we’ve found for a checking account. You can earn a hefty 4.50% APY on savings balances if you set up direct deposit and 1.20% APY on checking balances  — that’s 11 times more than the national average.

You can easily deposit checks via your phone’s camera, transfer funds and get customer service via chat or call. And there are no account fees, no monthly fees and no overdraft fees.* And your money is FDIC insured (up to $2M through the SoFi Insured Deposit Program).

Ready to grow your money faster? It’s quick and easy to open an account with SoFi Checking and Savings. Right now, you can even earn up to a $250 welcome bonus with qualifying direct deposits (terms apply).*

Day 8: Get $150 When You Slash Your Home Internet Bill to as Little as $30/Month

There are some bills you just can’t avoid. For most of us, that includes our internet bill. You can’t exactly go without it these days, and your provider knows that — that’s why so many of us are overpaying.

But with T-Mobile, you can get high-speed, 5G home internet for as little as $30 a month. They’ll even guarantee to lock in your price.

You’re probably thinking there’s some catch, but they’ll let you try it out for 15 days to see if you like it. If not, you’ll get your money back. You don’t even have to worry about breaking up with your current provider — T-Mobile will pay up to $750 in termination fees.

Even better? When you switch now, you’ll get $150 back via prepaid MasterCard.

Just enter your address and phone number here to see if you qualify. You could be paying as low as $30 a month for high-speed internet.

Day 9: Get Paid Up to $425 When You Win 2-Minute Bingo Games on Your Phone

Want to get paid to decompress from your long, overworked day?

An app called Blackout Bingo lets you do just that. This free app lets you play a game you already know and love, plus it matches you with players in your skill level, so you can go head-to-head in tournaments where you can win up to $425 per game. Plus, the games are quick — about two minutes each, and you can play them on the go.

Here’s how it works: Download the free app and create an account, then play some practice games to get the hang of it. Then, when you’re ready, play for money if you want — up to $425 per win.

You can get paid instantly via PayPal, credit card or Apple Pay.

The Blackout Bingo app has an App Store rating of 4.5 out of 5, and it takes just a few minutes to download the app and play your first game. The more you play, the more big stakes you will unlock – you can even unlock events to win over $12,000.

Day 10: See If This Investing App Could Earn You 38% More 

What are your real financial goals? A better car? A post-pandemic dream vacation? An emergency fund or a college fund? A comfortable retirement?

To reach your goals, you’re going to need to invest and grow your money. If you’re new at investing — or even if you’re not — you should look into an investing app called Betterment.

It’s easy to use; it has low fees; and it does all kinds of important and tricky work for you. Because of all those factors, over the long term, you could earn an estimated 38% more than a typical investor, Betterment says.

Just answer some questions about your age and income, when you hope to retire, and your tolerance for risk. Based on your answers, Betterment’s sophisticated software funnels your investment money into a portfolio of low-cost index funds that track the stock market as a whole.

You can set up auto-deposits to steadily feed your investments. No minimum balance is required. Betterment only charges an annual 0.25% fee, so if you invest $1,000, you pay just $2.50 a year.

Just enter your email address here to get started. It takes just a few minutes, and you could be on your way to hitting your goals — and earning 38% more on your investments.

Day 11: Get Paid Up to $140/Month Just for Sharing Your Honest Opinion

It sounds strange, but brands want to hear your opinion. It helps them make business decisions, so they’re willing to pay you for it — up to $140 a month.

A free site called Branded Surveys will pay you up to $5 per survey for sharing your thoughts with their brand partners. Taking three quick surveys a day could earn up to $140 each month.

It takes just a minute to create a free account and start getting paid to speak your mind. Most surveys take five to 15 minutes, and you can check how long they’ll take ahead of time.

And you don’t need to build up tons of money to cash out, either — once you earn $5, you can cash out via PayPal, your bank account, a gift card or Amazon. You’ll get paid within 48 hours of your payout being processed, just for sharing your opinions.

They’ve already paid users more than $20 million since 2012, and the most active users can earn a few hundred dollars a month. Plus, they’ve got an “excellent” rating on Trustpilot.

It takes just a minute to set up your account and start getting paid to take surveys. Plus, right now, you’ll get a free 100-point welcome bonus just for becoming part of the community.

Day 12: Cancel Your Car Insurance

You might not even realize it, but your car insurance company is probably overcharging you. In fact, they’re kind of counting on you not noticing. Luckily, this problem is easy to fix.

Don’t waste your time browsing insurance sites for a better deal. A company called Insurify shows you all your options at once — people who do this save up to $996 per year.

Just tell them a bit about yourself and your vehicle, and they’ll show you personalized quotes so you can compare them all and find the best one for you.

Tired of overpaying for car insurance? It takes just five minutes to compare your options with Insurify and see how much you could save on car insurance.

Day 13: This Free Tool Finds The Perfect Credit Card for Your Needs — And You’re Already Qualified

Credit card companies will court you the old-fashioned way, loading your mailbox and inbox with offers for all sorts of credit cards. It’s just marketing to them, but it’s a huge hassle to apply for cards you don’t even qualify for — not to mention the impact it could have on your credit score.

There’s a better, more modern way to find the perfect credit card — it’s called Credit Sesame. Its card-match tool is the perfect matchmaker for anyone looking for the right card.

This tool will analyze your credit profile and show you precise approval odds, so you can apply for your next card with confidence. You can compare your credit card matches by their perks, interest rates, fees and introductory offers — you can even read user reviews about them.

Ready to find the right credit card? Get started here to get matched with the right credit card.

*See full terms and disclosures at sofi.com/banking. 11x faster based on FDIC monthly savings account rate as of 06/20/2023. Account fee policy is subject to change at any time.

Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 01/01/2023 and will be available through 12/31/23. SoFi members with Direct Deposit of $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 4.50% annual percentage yield (APY) on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. There is no minimum Direct Deposit amount required to qualify for the stated interest rate. Members without either Direct Deposit or Qualifying Deposits, during the 30-Day Evaluation Period will earn 1.20% APY on savings balances (including Vaults) and 0.50% APY on checking balances. Interest rates are variable and subject to change at any time. These rates are current as of 8/9/2023. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.