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Lights, Camera, Money! Get Paid to Watch Movie Previews (From Your Couch)

Farrah Daniel

by Farrah Daniel

Man sitting on couch with dog
Chris Zuppa/The Penny Hoarder
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We know it sounds far fetched, but it’s possible to earn extra money watching movie previews.

In fact, if you’re really committed, you could earn almost $300 a month with the tips listed below.

  1. 1. Add $225 to Your Wallet While Watching the News

    man on digital tablet while sitting indoors in coffee shop
    GaudiLab/Getty Images

    It’s been a historic year in the news, and we’re all constantly refreshing for the latest updates. You probably know more than one news junkie who fancies themselves a constitutional scholar or a foreign policy expert.

    That might not be the best news for your dinner conversations, but it’s great news for your wallet. By signing up for a free account with InboxDollars, you could add up to $225 a month to your pocket. They’ll present you with short surveys to choose from every day, which you can fill out while you watch tonight’s broadcast.

    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 $56 million.

    It takes about one minute to sign up and start getting paid while you watch the news. !

  2. 2. Earn up to $90/Month Playing Videos While You Work

    Businesswoman drinking coffee and looking at phone with feet up in office
    Paul Bradbury/Getty Images

    Yup, Swagbucks pays you to watch videos! You won’t earn a lot (up to 150 rewards points per day), but the videos are in all sorts of categories — entertainment, home, travel — so you’re likely to find something that appeals to you.
    You can also download the Swagbucks TV app, which plays videos back-to-back on your phone. Just plug in your phone, make sure you’re connected to Wi-Fi and set it aside to play videos — and earn rewards — while you do something else.
    You could earn up to $90 a month watching videos through Swagbucks! Sign up through the Swagbucks website or (on your mobile phone) through the app.

  3. 3. Earn up to $30/Day With “In-Theater Checks”

    Close up shot of young people eating popcorn in movie theater
    Jacob Ammentorp Lund/Getty Images

    When he was just getting started, The Penny Hoarder CEO Kyle Taylor used to get paid to attend movie premieres. He got $30 to go to a Harry Potter premiere! (He would have totally gone for free.)

    Theaters and movie studios want to collect data about the audience that attends their movie premieres. They want to know how many people buy tickets on opening day, which screening time is most popular and which previews are being shown. And they want independent data from third party evaluators — that’s where you come in.

    Movie premiere secret shopping is called an “in-theater check.” To apply, you’ll need to fill out an application with the mystery shopping company Market Force Information.

    The application is just a few questions long, and nearly everyone in the U.S. and Canada is eligible.

    Once you’re accepted as an auditor, keep an eye out for email alerts for new assignments in your area. You can accept or decline any assignments — so if a movie’s not even worth watching for $30, you don’t have to see it!

    In-theater checks don’t come with huge paydays, but you’ll get a free movie and earn about $10 to $20 an hour for your time.