6 Surprising Ways People Are Earning an Income Without Leaving the House

A person wearing sneakers steps on a fat roll of cash.
Aileen Perilla/The Penny Hoarder
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If you needed extra money, like… yesterday, you’ve come to the right spot.

These are some of the most creative ways we’ve seen to fatten your bank account this month — and you don’t even have to leave the house.

1. Get Paid to Play Bingo

There’s a free app called Bingo Cash that pays you up to $80 every time you win bingo.

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 $80.

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.

2. Get Paid $83 When You Play Solitaire

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 app called Solitaire Cash that pays you up to $83 ever time you win a game.

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.

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.

3. Get Paid $225/Month While Watching Movie Previews

 

Carmen Mandato/ The Penny Hoarder

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.

4. This Free Debit Card Gives You Cash Back on Every Purchase

Wouldn’t it be nice if you got special treatment wherever you went? You can actually get rewards wherever you shop, using this free debit card from Discover.

You’ll earn 1% cash back on every single purchase you make using your Discover® Cashback Debit account, on up to $3,000 monthly.* There’s no impact on your credit score for signing up and no minimum balance requirements ever.

Need groceries? Tap your card for cash back. You can also get paid sooner with Early Pay direct deposit, protect against overdrafts and access to over 60,000 ATMs without fees. You can handle all of your banking needs through the app and connect a virtual wallet like Apple Pay to amplify your rewards. And on top of all that, checking-account deposits are FDIC-insured up to the maximum amount allowed by law.

Does your bank do all that? If not, open a free Discover checking account to get special treatment from a bank that will actually put money back into your account.

*See website for details.

5. 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.

6. Get Paid to Skip Going to the Store

Picture this: You finish paying for your groceries, only to look down at your overflowing cart, dreading having to lug all that to your car. And then into your pantry. Isn’t it so much easier to do this online?

It is easier online, and it can be rewarding too. A free website called Rakuten gives you a kickback of 3%, 5%, 15% or more when you shop online at thousands of your favorite stores.

Between your Target and Instacart orders, Disney+ subscription and Ulta splurges, that cashback really adds up. Plus, it can be directly deposited into your bank account or they’ll send you a check.

It takes less than 60 seconds to create a Rakuten account and start getting cashback. All you need is an email address, then you can immediately start shopping your go-to stores through the site.

Earning money for nothing? Not having to carry 80 lbs. of groceries? Sounds like a win/win.