How to Collect Your Ex’s Social Security — and 10 Other (Totally Legal) Ways to Boost Your Income

A paper with profiles of a couple is split revealing money.
Getty Images and Chris Zuppa/The Penny Hoarder
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It’s true what they say — sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. That’s definitely the case with these ways to boost your income. And trust us: no matter how strange they sound, we promise they’re all totally legal (even claiming your ex’s Social Security). Read on to see how.

1. Get Paid for Your Sperm

In the last 30 years, an estimated 120,000 to 150,000 babies were born by anonymous donor insemination, so this is one weird way to make money that’s especially meaningful.

Most sperm banks, which pay anywhere from $25 to $140 per ejaculation sample, have the following requirements:

  • At least 5-foot-7 and up to 6-foot-6
  • Between 18 and 40 years old (none accept donations from minors)
  • Height and weight proportional
  • In good overall health, based on general physical health screenings and fertility tests
  • College graduates, enrolled in college or military veterans. Some banks pay more if you have a doctorate or attended an Ivy League school (because recipients pay more for those donor qualities).
  • A nonsmoker and non-drug user
  • Able to provide a biological family medical history

2. Cancel Your Car Insurance

Totally legal. And 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.

3. 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.

4. Stop Paying Your Credit Card Company

This one sounds weird. But if you have credit card debt, you know. The anxiety, the interest rates, the fear you’re never going to escape…

And the truth is, your credit card company doesn’t really care. It’s just getting rich by ripping you off with high interest rates — some up to 36%. But a website called AmOne wants to help.

If you owe your credit card companies $100,000 or less, AmOne will match you with a low-interest loan you can use to pay off every single one of your balances.

The benefit? You’ll be left with one bill to pay each month. And because personal loans have lower interest rates (AmOne rates start at 6.40% APR), you’ll get out of debt that much faster. Plus: No credit card payment this month.

You don’t need a perfect credit score to get a loan — and comparing your options won’t affect your score at all.  Plus, AmOne keeps your information confidential and secure, which is probably why after 20 years in business, it still has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

It takes less than a minute and just 10 questions to see what loans you qualify for — you don’t even need to enter your Social Security number. You do need to give AmOne a real phone number in order to qualify, but don’t worry — they won’t spam you with phone calls.

5. 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.

6. Crash Weddings Professionally as a Bridesmaid for Hire

It sounds like the plot from the movie “27 Dresses,” but you can become a professional bridesmaid. Hiring a professional creates a drama-free big day for the bride, but be warned, it’s serious work.

Jen Glantz of Bridesmaid for Hire walks down the aisle with complete strangers to the tune of glowing reviews.

“Being a Maid-of-Honor feels like you just adopted a second full-time job, but not when you hire Jen to help,” reads her testimonial section.

7. 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.

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

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.

9. Killing Time on Your Phone? Play Bingo for up to $83 Per Win

Our smartphones are the world’s greatest time-killers. Browse Facebook, Twitter, TikTok or Instagram. Watch a video on YouTube. Play some Minecraft or Roblox.

Oh, and there’s bingo. We found a free iPhone app called Bingo 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?

But 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. You’ll battle it out against other players at your same skill level. Everyone gets the same board and sees the same Bingo balls. 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.

10. How You Could (Legally) Claim Your Ex’s Social Security

We know how it sounds. But seriously, there’s nothing shady about this. If your marriage lasted 10 years or more, you might be able to take Social Security based on your ex-spouse’s benefits instead of your own, even if you divorced decades ago.

The reason this works is because both spouses often contribute economically during the marriage, even if only one person was employed. The Social Security rules protect those who spent most of their working years raising a family or playing a supportive role to their spouse and may have no retirement savings of their own. See all the rules and details here.

*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