Don’t Play the Stock Market — 7 (Genius) Alternative Ways to Grow Your Money
“Playing with my money is like playing with my emotions.”
You don’t need to have seen the movie “Friday” to get it. You work hard for your money. You can’t exactly afford to squander it on risky stock tips from that guy at the office happy hour. We all know that guy.
For every stock market success story, there are many more untold tales of hardworking people who watched their money evaporate after gambling on some “hot” stock that was supposed to be the next Amazon.
There are much smarter ways to grow your money. We’ve rounded up some of the best of them.
1. Invest in Multi-Family Real-Estate (Even if You’re Not Filthy Rich)
The uber wealthy 1% have access to exclusive, lucrative real estate investments that seem totally out of reach to the rest of us.
But not anymore. A company called CalTier lets you invest in commercial real estate — specifically, multi-family apartment complexes across the country — for as little as $500.
Traditionally, you’d need a six-figure income or a million-dollar net worth to invest like this.
Instead, CalTier lets you invest like the big wigs in the real estate world, even if you’re not rich. Investments in multi-family housing have outperformed the S&P 500 for the last 20 years* — and it’s expected to grow another 33% this year alone.
CalTier also gives you a 30 day money-back guarantee. And if you have any questions along the way, you can talk to a real human to get them answered.
Ready to join the ranks of wealthy and institutional real-estate investors? It’s easy to open a free account and get started here.
2. Trade Your 0.40% for up to 4.60% APY With This Bank Account
If you bank at a traditional brick-and-mortar bank, your money probably isn’t growing much (c’mon, 0.40% is basically nothing).1
But there’s good news: With SoFi Checking and Savings, you stand to gain a hefty 4.60% APY on savings when you set up a direct deposit or have $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits and 0.50% APY on checking balances2 — saving’s APY is 10 times more than the national average.1
Right now, a direct deposit of at least $1K not only sets you up for higher returns but also brings you closer to earning your $300 welcome bonus (terms apply).3
You can easily deposit checks via your phone’s camera, transfer funds and get customer service via chat or call. There are no account fees, no monthly fees and no overdraft fees.* And your money is FDIC insured (up to $2M of additional FDIC insurance through the SoFi Insured Deposit Program).4
It’s quick and easy to open an account with SoFi Checking and Savings and watch your money grow faster than ever.
3. Let This App Pay You up to $83 When You Win Solitaire Games
Lots of us already play Solitaire 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 Solitaire Cash that lets you play for real money. You could get paid up to $83 per win.
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.
With each game, you’ll battle it out against at least five other players. 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.
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.
4. Add $500 to Your Wallet for Trying Out Apps
Our smartphones are the world’s greatest time-killers. You can browse Facebook; play a game; download a new app.
You’re doing all this anyway — why not get paid for it? With a website called KashKick, you could get paid for things like answering survey questions or downloading and playing a game — up to $500 in your first month.
You can earn money by playing games or trying new products and services, but surveys are the main way to make money.
Once you earn $10 in your account, you can immediately get paid via Paypal. This is an easy way to make a little extra money while you’re killing time on your couch. All you need is your phone or computer.
It takes just a minute to sign up, and you’ll immediately earn $1 just for completing your profile on the site. You’ll be that much closer to cashing out.
5. Earn up to $69/Hour Working From Home
We get it. There are kids to drop off at school, errands to run and dinner to cook, so the idea of getting a full-time job without any flexibility just doesn’t work for a lot of people.
Truth be told, life would be a lot easier if you could just make money without leaving the house. But that’s not something most employers offer. But have you considered bookkeeping? It’s the No. 1 most profitable business, according to an article in Inc Magazine.
And you could earn up to $69 an hour by starting your own bookkeeping business, according to Intuit, the creator of QuickBooks.
You don’t have to be an accountant or good at calculus to be successful at bookkeeping. As long as you’re motivated, a company called Bookkeepers.com will teach you everything you need to know. It’s one of the leading training courses in the field, and it even gives you the first three classes for free.
It’s helped thousands of people launch their own businesses, including Daniel Honan, a military veteran and former painter. He never considered starting his own company, but he signed up for Bookkeepers.com, and now he’s making $50,000 a year.
It only took him three months to get started, taking one class a week. Oh, and he makes his own schedule, earns up to $69 an hour and is able to spend more time with his wife than ever.
If you’re just a little curious, you just have to submit your email address here to take the first free class. If you stick with it, you could be running your own business in just a few months.
6. Skip the Lottery and Play Bingo For Money Instead (You Could Win $83 For Every Win)
Luck alone will only get you so far in life. There’s something to be said for gaining a little bit of skill to improve your chances of coming out ahead.
A free iPhone app called Bingo Cash gives you the chance to play Bingo for real money. The game is based on the classic Bingo format, but with special power-ups you can use to do things like buy more time or dab an extra square.
You’ll battle it out against other players at your same skill level. Everyone gets the same board and sees the same Bingo balls. Winning is totally a matter of how you use the powerups you’re given.
The top three players in a game can win real money — anywhere from $1 to $83. You can also play casually with virtual currency if you want.
Over on the App Store, Bingo Cash has a 4.7-star rating (out of 5).
To get started, just download the free app and start playing your first game immediately.
7. Skips the Stocks and Invest in Bonds
You’ve probably heard bonds mentioned alongside stocks all of your life. That’s because bonds are one of the most common ways to diversify an investment portfolio.
People invest in both because bonds are typically much more stable. As long as the U.S. government exists, you know you’ll get your money back from bonds.
Basically, bonds are loans that you give the government. You get to charge them interest, which they’ll pay back periodically.
You just have to commit to a certain loan term with the government before you get all of your money back — that could be three months, three years, three decades and everything in between.
We’ve got a deeper dive into how to invest in bonds to help you get started.
Caltier: An offering statement regarding this offering has been filed with the SEC. The SEC has qualified that offering statement, which only means that the company may make sales of the securities described by the offering statement. It does not mean that the SEC has approved, passed upon the merits or passed upon the accuracy or completeness of the information in the offering statement. You may obtain a copy of the offering circular that is part of that offering statement here:
You should read the offering circular before making any investment.
There is no guarantee of success, and there is a potential for loss of your investment.
*https://www.caltierrealtyfund.com/strategy
*Sofi Checking and Savings:
1. 10x based on FDIC monthly savings account rate as of October 24, 2023.
2. SoFi members with Direct Deposit or $5,000 or more in Qualifying Deposits during the 30-Day Evaluation Period can earn 4.60% 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 10/24/2023. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
3. New and existing Checking and Savings members who have not previously enrolled in Direct Deposit with SoFi are eligible to earn a cash bonus when they set up Direct Deposit of at least $1,000 during the Direct Deposit Bonus Period. Cash bonus will be based on the total amount of Direct Deposit. Direct Deposit Promotion begins on 01/01/2023 and will be available through 12/31/23. Full terms at sofi.com/banking. SoFi Checking and Savings is offered through SoFi Bank, N.A., Member FDIC.
SoFi members with Direct Deposit can earn 4.60% 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 4.60% APY for savings (including Vaults). Members without Direct Deposit 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 10/24/2023. There is no minimum balance requirement. Additional information can be found at http://www.sofi.com/legal/banking-rate-sheet.
4. SoFi Bank is a member FDIC and does not provide more than $250,000 of FDIC insurance per legal category of account ownership, as described in the FDIC’s regulations. Any additional FDIC insurance is provided by the SoFi Insured Deposit Program. Deposits may be insured up to $2M through participation in the program. See full terms at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/terms See list of participating banks at SoFi.com/banking/fdic/receivingbanks.
