This 8-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 seven things you can do — in eight days — to get your finances under control:
Day 1: Boost Your Bank Account By Playing Bingo
Lots of us already play games on our phones for fun or just to pass the time. Want to see if you can win money at it?
There’s a free iPhone app called Bingo Cash that pays you up to $83 every time you win bingo.
You might be thinking: There’s got to be a catch. This is definitely one of those spammy apps, right?
Wrong. There really isn’t a catch. Sure, you can pay to play in some higher-stakes tournaments, but there’s no pressure. And, in fact, there aren’t even any annoying ads.
The game is based on a classic Bingo format — plus tons of variations on the game. You’ll battle it out against other players at your same skill level. Everyone gets the same board and sees the same Bingo balls, so winning is totally a matter of skill. The top three players in a game can win real money — anywhere from $1 to $83.
Over on the App Store, it has a 4.7-star rating (out of 5).To get started, just download the free app and start playing your first game immediately.
Day 2: Ask This Website to Help Pay Your Credit Card Bills This Month
No, like… the whole bill. All of it.
While you’re stressing out over your debt, your credit card company is getting rich off those insane interest rates. But a website called Fiona could help you pay off that bill as soon as tomorrow.
Here’s how it works: Fiona can match you with a low-interest loan you can use to pay off every credit card balance you have. The benefit? You’re left with just one bill to pay every month, and because the interest rate is so much lower, you can get out of debt so much faster. Plus, no credit card payment this month.
Fiona can help you borrow up to $250,000 (no collateral needed) with fixed rates starting at 5.99%.
Fiona won’t make you stand in line or call a bank. And if you’re worried you won’t qualify, it’s free to check online . It takes just two minutes, and it could save you thousands of dollars. Totally worth it.
All that credit card debt — and the anxiety that comes with it — could be gone by tomorrow.
Day 3: Cancel Your Car Insurance
Here’s the thing: your current car insurance company is probably overcharging you. But don’t waste your time hopping around to different insurance companies looking for a better deal.
Use a website called EverQuote to see all your options at once.
EverQuote is the largest online marketplace for insurance in the US, so you’ll get the top options from more than 175 different carriers handed right to you.
Take a couple of minutes to answer some questions about yourself and your driving record. With this information, EverQuote will be able to give you the top recommendations for car insurance. In just a few minutes, you could save up to $610 a year.
Day 4: 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 5: See if This Free App Can Help You Raise Your Credit Score
It doesn’t matter how great of a person you are — your credit score is all some companies see. If you have bad credit, that means you could have a seriously hard time finding a place to live, getting hired or getting approved for a credit card or loan.
That’s why it’s so important to stay on top of your credit score. And with a free credit-monitoring app like CreditWise from Capital One, it actually takes very little effort to keep tabs on your credit — signing up won’t impact your credit score, either.
Not only does CreditWise monitor and provide up-to-date credit reports from TransUnion at your fingertips. CreditWise will also immediately alert you if it detects your personal information on the dark web. And from there, it can guide you through a few simple steps to either prevent or minimize the damage. Phew.
You can also check to see how hypothetical financial decisions could impact your credit.
CreditWise is a Capital One product, but you don’t need to be a Capital One customer to use it*.
Once you download the app and set up your free account, you’ll get instant access to your credit report, dark web alerts, and the CreditWise Simulator. To get started, sign up for CreditWise for free.
Day 6: Get Paid $2,700 to Watch Videos on Your Phone
We’ve all been there. You sit down at the end of the day to unwind on your phone, and suddenly it’s two hours later and you’re in the weird part of YouTube again. How did I even get here?
But you don’t need to feel guilty about it anymore. Research companies will actually pay you to go down these video rabbit holes.
You could add up to $2,700 a year to your pocket by signing up for a free account with InboxDollars. They’ll present you with short video clips to choose from every day, then ask you a few questions about them.
You just have to answer honestly, and InboxDollars will continue to pay you every month. This might sound too good to be true, but it’s already paid its users more than $60 million.
It takes about one minute to sign up and start getting paid for your nightly zone-out.
Day 7: 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 8: Become a Competitive Solitaire Player — Make Up to $83 Per Win
Wait, that’s a thing? Yep. An iPhone app called Solitaire Cash lets you play for real cash — up to $83 every time you win.
It’s the classic Solitaire game you know and love, and you’ll battle it out against other players at your same skill level. Everyone gets the same deck, so winning is totally a matter of skill. The top three players who solve the deck fastest can win real money — anywhere from $1 to $83.
And no, there’s no catch. There are no ads, either. You can play for free or pay to play in higher-stakes tournaments. Over on the App Store, it has over a million downloads and more than 15,000 ratings, averaging 4.7 stars (out of 5).
To get started, just download the free app and start playing your first game immediately.
*Solitaire Cash: Real Money tournaments are not available in the following states: AZ, AR ,IA, IN, LA, ME, MT, SC, WA
*CreditWise: To enroll in CreditWise, you’ll need to be a U.S. resident over 18 with a Social Security number that can be linked to a credit profile from the TransUnion credit bureau.
