Making Money

Money Tips: 8 Easy Ways To Earn Cash With Little Effort

March 24, 2020 By Susan Paige Leave a Comment

ways to make money — Guy looking at a laptop making a lot of money.

Whether you’re a part-time or full-time employee, it doesn’t hurt to make extra money. There are many ways to generate cash, and some of them require less time and effort, while others demand your full attention and commitment.

It’s possible to still earn some cash with little to no effort at all. Thanks to savvy shopping strategies, investment tools, and some apps, you can get cash fast without doing much. Some may take some time and effort, but they’ll set you up to earn passive income for the long term.

Here are eight easy ways to earn cash with little effort:

Take Advantage Of Cashback Offerings On Credit Cards

Credit cards sometimes offer cashback to clients as a reward for making purchases. That means for every purchase you’ll make, your credit card company will give a small percentage of your money back.

Of course, the percentage will differ between categories and credit cards. For instance, one type of credit card offers 1.5% cashback on all purchases. Another might offer 1% of cashback on most of your purchases, but 4% on gas and travel purchases. You can use an app to help you figure out which specific credit card offers the best cashback for one particular category.

Keep in mind, though, that you usually need to reach a specific threshold of payment to enjoy some cashback. Also, cards will often allow users to redeem their cashback as “points” and use them to buy items directly from the website of the credit card company.

Rent Your House

One of the best ways to make money easily is to rent your house through Airbnb platforms. This is mainly an ideal move if you have plans to go somewhere away from home for a lengthy period. By renting your home to renting companies, you’ll have the chance to earn about $20,000 annually, depending on the rental rates of your region. While it’s true that this one’s a quick way to make cash, it would be best to check with the local authorities first since it might be illegal to rent your house for a lengthy time in your area because of occupancy contracts. Nevertheless, it’s still an excellent idea to rent your home out instead of leaving it empty when you decide to be away for a while.

Do Online Surveys

One method of making money today that’s gaining traction is filling out online surveys. The good thing about it is that you can do it in your spare time. Research companies are constantly recruiting new members from around the world to answer survey questions and test new products.

It only takes a few minutes to an hour to fill out survey forms and make a few bucks, which you’ll receive as cash or rewards. For some surveys, you can get up to five dollars each!

Some apps even pay you for only watching videos, surfing the web, and playing games.

Invest In Index Funds

Index funds are essentially a type of mutual fund with a portfolio constructed to match or track the components of a financial market index. A popular index fund is the S&P 500 which has grown by more than 2,000 percent over the last 40 years. Thus, one can conclude that it’s a relatively stable and safe fund to invest in. However, you likely won’t stand to gain or lose as much money as you would when investing in individual stocks.

Sell Some Stuff Online

You can set up an account on OLX, Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and other popular online selling platforms to earn extra money effortlessly. You can sell household items and clothes that you no longer need as secondhand goods. Selling some stuff online isn’t only going to help you turn old clothes into cash, but it also helps the environment by eliminating the chances of stuff being dumped into waste bins even if they can still be useful to others. Online selling is something that you can handle despite engaging in other, more demanding activities.

Search The Web And Get Paid

Searching the web is something that you do almost every day, but what if you could earn extra cash from it? It’s safe to say that it’s one of the quickest ways to make money since it doesn’t require a change of behavior from you. Some websites will give you rewards for searching in Yahoo, Bing, Google, and other search engines. All you have to do is to install an add-on to your browser so that when you search, a few sponsored results will come out alongside your normal search.

Refer People To Apps

Referral credit is something valuable and is as good as cash, primarily if you use an application often enough. Everlane, Spier & Mackay, Proper Cloth, Seamless, Lyft, and Uber are some of the companies that have apps offering credits to each person from your referrals who make use of the app to buy something.

Act As A Referral Source For Some Local Businesses

Most local, small businesses like home improvement companies, electricians, and landscapers rely on word-of-mouth to spread the news about their products and services. That said, some of them don’t mind paying referral fees for individuals to help spread positive words about their businesses. So, when your plumber comes over to fix something in your home next time, ask if they offer referral bonuses. Take advantage of the fact that they did an excellent job and recommend them to someone you know.

Conclusion

As you have seen, there are various ways to earn cash with little effort. While this list isn’t exhaustive and there are still a lot of options out there that you can explore, the ones above are some of the best methods you can try. Pick one or two now and start making extra money, even in the comfort of your own home.

For more great savingadvice articles, read these:

Thirty eight ways to make extra money

One hundred ways to make an extra $100 this month

Ways to make up to $1,000 every month

Here’s How to Find Class Action Lawsuits

March 5, 2020 By Susan Paige Leave a Comment

Class action lawsuits are a relatively common legal process. They allow a group of affected individuals to band together and seek out a single, large judgment for all who were harmed or mislead by a company. Many people are eligible to participate in at least a few class action lawsuits. However, a surprising number of potential participants usually aren’t aware of the lawsuit’s existence. While the information is typically public. You sometimes have to actively track it down yourself. If you want to make sure you can find class action lawsuits you are eligible to join. Here’s where to look.

Your Mail or Email

Sometimes, those who may be eligible to join a class action lawsuit are notified directly. This could include a letter or postcard in the mail or even an email.

Usually, this only occurs when it is clear that you are likely eligible. If your name, address, and/or email are associated with a particular purchase or service, and a related class action arises, a law group may reach out using those details. For example, those who were impacted by the Yahoo! data breach may have received an email through their Yahoo! email address about their potential eligibility.

In general, this is not the most common way to find class action lawsuits that you may be able to join. However, it can happen, so it’s important to keep your eyes open. Just make sure that you confirm the message is legit, particularly before using any links or contact information in the email or letter.

News Websites

Sometimes, when there is a massive class action lawsuit involving a significant portion of the population, it makes headlines. One prime example of this was the Equifax data breach in 2017, which was one of the biggest stories of the year. Approximately 147 million people were impacted, so, once the settlement was announced, news outlets all across the country reported on it.

Typically, a class action lawsuit has to be substantial for it to garner this kind of attention. However, it’s still a way to find out about litigation that you may be able to join.

Class Action Lawsuit Databases

There are quite a few free resources that maintain class action lawsuit databases. Both Consumer Action and ClassAction.org track details about pending litigation and settlements.

Through these databases, you can usually search by a wide range of criteria, including product categories, company names, or product names. This allows you to find class action lawsuits that you might be eligible to join, as well as details about the suit, how to file claims, and various cutoff dates that may be in place.

You can also scan through all of the available records. While this can be time-consuming, it does ensure that you don’t overlook a class action suit by mistake.

It’s important to note that these sites aren’t operated by a government entity, but by private companies. That means they can earn money through the websites, such as through affiliate links or referral arrangements. As with any other way of learning about class action lawsuits, it’s best to exercise caution before clicking on any links or completing any contact forms. Make sure you understand what may occur if you do. Otherwise, you may open yourself up to solicitation or other issues.

Television, Magazine, or Newspaper Ads

Many people have seen at least a few television, magazine, or newspaper ads focused on class action lawsuits. Ones for mesothelioma settlements may be the most prolific, though there are others as well. Some focus on medical side effects or defective medical devices, for example.

While these are technically a way to learn about class action lawsuits – either those that are underway or a potential one that is trying to be built – it may not be the ideal approach for possible participants. Usually, any website or phone number goes to an attorney, even if it doesn’t look like it will. Some consider the practice deceptive, as it isn’t always easy to tell that you may be contacting an attorney, but it isn’t necessarily illegal.

If you spot an ad for a class action lawsuit, it may be wise to seek out details through other means. For example, you could use the databases above to find out whether something is in progress.

A Word of Caution

It may seem like doing a search through Google or another search engine would be a great way to learn about class action lawsuits. The issue is, this approach could open you up to scams.

Some scammers create fake class action lawsuit claims websites to try to trick you out of your personal information. They may have you fill out a form to make a claim, only to use those details to steal your identity. At times, they’ll say you have to pay to file, trying to convince you to put in your credit card information so that they can put through a bogus charge or steal your card number.

Alternatively, your search results could also include a ton of search results from law offices like the ones who back the commercials. In many cases, those aren’t the best option either, especially if you only want more information.

That doesn’t mean you can’t use a search engine to find out about class action lawsuits, just that you need to be careful if you do. Otherwise, you could end up the victim of a scam or on a lawyer’s marketing list.

Have you learned about a class action lawsuit another way? Tell us about it in the comments below.

If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started.

How Much Retirement Income Will You Need to Replace Your Current Income

March 3, 2020 By Trey LaRocca Leave a Comment

One of the biggest challenges of being in retirement is the income. Many Americans rely on social security, and this end up not being enough. Even if it is enough to live, it tends not to be enough to be as comfortable as you were pre-retirement. It takes a lot of preparation to set up a truly cushy situation after you stop working, but we at Saving Advice are here to help. Not enough people worry about their income post-employment, they just care about the savings. Savings are great, but these tips on growing your retirement income will help you figure out the magic question: how much will you need?

Retirement Savings

Saving is one of the focal points for retirement planning. The amount you save, as well as what you do with it, will have a huge effect on your quality of life as a retiree. One of the best ways to plan this value out is to use the “interest-as-income” model. This method relies on only interest for income, and it avoids touching any of your savings. The calculation is easy: Take seven percent (the average yield of a solid index fund) of your savings, and that is your retirement income. So, if you make $70k at work, you’ll need $1 million in retirement savings to replace that with you interest. this allows you to pull out any excess interest the moment it hits, and never have less than that million in your savings. We use indexes because they are pretty reliable. The S&P Index, for example, takes the 500 best performing stocks and indexes them to help track growth.

What if I Don’t Have Enough?

No need to fear! There are many different ways to make up for a gap in income. Say you can only make $40k a year with your retirement and social security accounted for. There are to routes to take here:

Downsize: The first, and less attractive, option is to downsize your life. Move into a smaller place, get a car with no payment, etc. These are things that matter a lot less when you are retired, and you can find a ton of room in the budget. The average new car payment in America is $550 (used being $393); You can save thousands by foregoing the fancy car. You can also cut costs by eating out less, spending more date nights in the house, etc.
Side Hustle: There are many fun skills and hobbies you have probably mastered over the years. don’t be afraid to use the things you enjoy to make a little money. Do you know how to knit or woodwork? Sell some little trade goods on a site like Etsy. Do you enjoy keeping a tidy home? Work as a cleaner on the weekends for $25/hr. All of these can keep you from getting another full-time gig, and make up for lost cash along the way!

In Summary

Retirement takes a ton of planning, and retirement income isn’t easy to come by. Make sure you start prepping early, and go hard as long as you can in order to set yourself up for the best life possible. Invest wisely, hustle a little on the side, and live frugally when you can to make sure that you can truly stop working when you are done.

How to Earn Big in the Gig Economy

February 19, 2020 By Trey LaRocca Leave a Comment

Nowadays, the “side gig” has become all the more common. While many still maintain full-time work, the independent contractor has become a staple in the US economy. The good news is, you don’t have to give up your full time employment to take part in the gig economy. For many people, it just takes the form of monetizing a hobby they already do in their free time. The difference between those who strike gold, and those who don’t, is effort. Not only in your work ethic, but in your online presence and scheduling. To make sure you maximize your earning potential, here are some great tips on how to earn big in the gig economy.

Focus

One big mistake a lot of side-hustlers make is spreading their focus too wide. Casting a wide net can seem useful at first, but long-term business comes from building a book of business. The best way to do this is to begin by focusing in on one particular skill you have, and hitting it hard from the get-go. You can diversify later, but if you want steady income, spend your first months developing a clientele and a good reputation at one trade. Use that initial endeavor as the anchor for your independent work, and you’ll find yourself ready to be your own boss much sooner than if you spread your efforts around many different jobs.

Online Presence

Getting clients for your side gig is more than just posting ads. While it is vital to have adds up on all relevant sites like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist, having a central point of entry is extremely important. Instead of just dropping your contact info on each ad, get ahold of a cheap or free web domain and create a site for your trade. This way, you can direct people to a website focused on you and your portfolio. Now, instead of saying “they did great, I found them on Craigslist,” your clients can send a link to their impressed friends and family. Now you are dealing with a faster referral process, and much less competition. The site will also provide more space for you to explain what you do, and how well you do it.

Scheduling

Consistency is key. If you have a set schedule of when you can get jobs done, make it public and stick to it. One of the biggest issues people have with independents is reliability, and you can be the one to change that impression. Having this schedule public will also serve to reduce friction in the customer acquisition process. “Can you do 6pm on Thursday?” leads to a close much faster than “When are you able to come by?” As with anything, the more information you give at the onset (without overloading) the less they need along the way. When it comes to business that more or less has to finds you, a fast initiation process can make or break you. People are usually asking around many different ads, and the person who can close them the fastest will usually win the day.

Different Ways To Earn Money Online

February 13, 2020 By Susan Paige Leave a Comment

Advancements in technology have brought about many positive changes in the world today. For as long as you know how to use it wisely, technology plays an imperative role not just in social activities but even that of employment and career needs as well. When you browse through the Internet today, you’re sure to find many websites that offer jobs. More often than not, too, these websites offer legitimate ways to earn a good living.

In this article, you’re going to learn about the many different ways for you to earn money online. Some you can do on your part-time, while others can be done as a full-time employee, only that your home is your office. You’ve only got to filter your options based on that which best matches your needs, preferences, and schedule.

Taking Online Surveys

Taking online surveys is one of the best examples to earn money. But, often, the pay isn’t as high. You have to take so many surveys before you can come up with a stable and good withdrawable amount. With taking surveys, therefore, this is something that you should do on top of another online job, or on top of a day job that you do at the office.

The good thing about earning through taking online surveys is that these are often very easy to do. Plus with paid survey sites, you can also complete and accomplish them during your idle time. Rather than wasting time being unproductive online, use that time instead for a money-making opportunity through taking online surveys.

Be careful though – a lot of surveys take a good deal of time, and don’t necessarily pay out a lot.

Use A Mobile App

Leveraging the app economy means taking advantage of the services offered in mobile apps. If you wish to earn money, you can also use these apps. Depending on the kind of app, it’s up to you to match it with the skills that you have for you to earn. Common examples of mobile apps that are popular for this reason are the following:

- Inbox Dollars – This is an app that you can use to earn by watching TV, shopping, and taking surveys.
- iBotta – Earn by shopping? iBotta gives you cash back for purchasing featured products by major retailers. An excellent way to go about with this is to sign up for iBotta and check its offers first before you head out to shop for your needs. If there’s anything that you can buy through this app and get cashback for. One important to factor to consider that iBotta isn’t going to make you money, per say. It just reduces the amount your groceries cost.
- Swagbucks – This app also lets you earn even while you’re sitting on your couch. Through surfing the web, answering videos, shopping, or taking surveys, you’re paid cash or given a gift card.

Get Paid For Searching The Web

If you’re the type who loves to search the web during your free time, why not get paid each time that you search? This is one of the easiest ways for you to earn an income without making any changes in your routine or lifestyle. But, like answering surveys, this also isn’t the most sustainable option. You can do this on the side, along with a better-paying job.

Sell Your Photos Online

Selling your photos online is an excellent way for you to earn a passive income. All you’ve got to do is to post your photos on sites such as Shutterstock. Each time that another user downloads or needs your photo, you get paid a royalty for it. The great thing about selling your photos online is that you don’t even necessarily have to be a professional photographer. If you love taking pictures and you’ve got so many pictures to share with the world, then why not do so. That way, your photos don’t just stay stagnant. You get to earn from them, too.

Dinksfinance has an excellent review article on how to make money as an amateur photographer. Read it if you get a chance.

Trade Online

Trading online is one of the most lucrative ways to earn through the web. The only downside to it is that this stuff is extremely serious. You need to first have at least a minimum background in trading before you get right into it. Otherwise, you could be a risk for serious financial losses.

Here are some rules to follow:

- - Always have a trading strategy
  - Stay informed with the latest updates in securities, trading methods and securities regulations
  - Determine the particular trading style that you’d like to use
  - Risk only the amount that you can afford to lose

Sell Your Stuff Online

Selling your stuff online can either be some of your used stuff to earn extra income or new things, such as through running an online business. If you take the time to look through websites online, you’re going to find so many sites selling many different things, such as ThreadUp, for instance. If you’re a fashion enthusiast who loves to create your own clothes, this is a good place for you to start. Read through this article to learn how much you can make with ThreadUp. Other good sites are ebay and Facebook marketplace. Craigslist is becoming less popular.

In social media sites also, there are online shops already multiplying like rabbits. This is how in-demand online shops are today.

Running an online store is an excellent way to earn an income because the capital doesn’t have to be as substantial. You don’t even need to have a physical warehouse or a physical store. While at the comfort of your home, you can manage and start to earn an income. If this is managed well, and it grows, your business can even become a stable source of income not only for yourself, but for your family.

Start Your Blog

If you’re a writer or love writing, starting a blog is a perfect fit for you. The great thing about starting a blog is that you don’t have to face the screen all the time. You can do this on the side, along with another job. That way, whatever you earn from your blog is already an extra income for you.

With blogging, however, you need to have patience. As you start, you still have to work really hard to build steady traffic to visit your site. With the right effort and determination, however, you can slowly begin to build financial stability through your blog.

To help you along this line, here are some tips for you remember:

- - Have a unique blog name
  - Choose a blogging platform that you best prefer
  - Create a theme that matches the niche of your blog
  - Choose a niche that you’re comfortable writing regularly about, such as a finance blog, if you used to work in the field of finance
  - Always write about relevant topics

Don’t forget, blogging is not easy money, you’ll likely need to work at it for a year before you see any serious results.

Download And Sell Courses Online

This applies to you if you have a field of expertise that you’re specializing in. For instance, you used to be a professor before you had to take a leave. You can even be an expert in fashion design, photography, blogging, Vlogging, or content creation. Whatever it is, there’s an opportunity for you to create classes or courses and sell them online.

As working online has become quite in-demand, so also has the clamor for students to take online classes. This means that as the demand for online courses stays steady, so too will the need for professors and other experts to teach courses online. People often want quick and easy approaches to learning new subjects, so there is plenty of room to

Start Affiliate Marketing

Working as an affiliate marketer has a necessary prerequisite to it. Before you can start with affiliate marketing, you’ll first need to have a blog or a Vlog up-and-running with a steady following or audience. You only become attractive to companies looking for affiliates when you already have a strong audience. That way, you can be successful in influencing people to buy the particular product or service that you’re promoting.

Affiliate marketing means that companies pay you to advertise their products and services on your blog. You can be paid with a certain amount of commission for every sale made while using your link or code.

Generally, affiliate marketing works well when you’re also promoting products and services that fall within the niche of your blog. To be more successful, here are some tips to remember:

- - Be passionate also about the products or services that you’re promoting (e.g., you can’t promote a resort well when you don’t even love traveling)
  - Always track the progress of your affiliate marketing
  - Learn from other affiliate marketers who are more successful than you

Conclusion

Earning a stable income online may seem like a difficult thing for many. There are even those that dread the idea, as many make it out to be more complicated than it is. But, the truth is it isn’t. Working online can, in fact, sometimes be easier than having to commute and report to the office on long, traffic hours. Just like any other job, though, it also requires some discipline. You have to set your time, such that you’re still productive and don’t end up slacking just cause you’re home. Whether you’re looking for something part-time or one that can sustain your family in the long run, there are many opportunities for work online. This list comprises only a few of them.

For more excellent lists of ways to make money, consider these other Saving Advice articles:

Thirty-Eight Easy Ways To Make Extra Money

Five Ways To Make Money On Your Phone

One Hundred and Two Ways To Generate Extra Cash

Where to Find Rare Game Pieces for Albertsons Monopoly

February 12, 2020 By Amanda Blankenship 553 Comments

If you’re familiar with the Albertsons’ Monopoly promotion, then you know it’s no secret that your chances of winning the jackpot prize are extremely difficult. This year, the big cash prize is $1,000,000 once again. But, don’t get your hopes up; the odds of winning aren’t great. This year though, they are a littler bit higher!

Finding Rare Game Pieces

In order to win one of the bigger rewards, such as the vacation home, luxury car or home makeover, you need to find rare and semi-rare pieces. These change every year, and with the competition just starting last week, it may take some time before all the rare pieces are revealed.

However, there are a few places to look and a few things for you to know when beginning your search for rare Monopoly pieces:

Get creative. Leave no stone unturned when searching for these items or leads. Many blogs share the full list of items as well as continuously update as the promotion continues. We suspect you will be able to find more of these by the end of February or beginning of March all over the internet. People seem to really ban together for this event as it is knowingly challenging to fill your game board. Some online forums we found were on YouTube.com with a search for Albertsons Monopoly.
Get out of the area. You probably will not have much luck if you only shop in the participating stores in your area. If you are really dedicated to winning this year, you are going to need to shovel out some gas money and consider taking a road trip or two (both long and short) to increase your chances of finding these rare game pieces. As a reminder of the game rules, you can even make a small purchase in order to receive a ticket, but there are exceptions such as no tickets provided with purchases of tobacco products and lottery tickets.
Start early. The sooner you start, the better as you will believe to collect more over time. However, expect to see a large distribution of tickets in April since the contest ends May 5. You may be able to lock in some last-minute prizes at this time and having some decent tickets to trade will help your chances.
Share the wealth. There are participants who are willing to buy, trade and sell tickets they need for this Albertsons’ Monopoly promotion. Individuals will sell on eBay as well as trading sites like this one. Of course, the rare pieces will be a bit costly as the seller may be potentially helping you win $1,000,000. You, too, can cash in, though, by selling tickets you don’t need or even trading groups of tickets with other competitors in order to fill in a color on the board.
Be careful. Be quite cautious when you are hunting for areas to buy and sell these rare game pieces. The world is full of scammers, and the internet is no exception. Do your research, review the seller and make sure you are submitting your credit card numbers through a safe and secure site.

What Are The Rare Game Pieces in 2019?

Below, is a list of the rare game marker list for Albertsons’ Monopoly 2020 Collect & Win game. These may be updated as more information is collected throughout the promotion. All of these have cash value (from $1 million to $5 cash):

A606F
B611D
M656A
J643B
J646E
F630D
C615E
P667D
N663C
L653B
K649B
H641A
G635C
E625C
D623A

The Odds of Winning

Albertsons Play Monopoly promotion site notes that the odds for the top three Collect & Win prizes are as follows:

$1,000,000 Cash (30-year annuity) – 552,501,000: 1
$250,000 Vacation Home – 368,334,000: 1
$100,000 Cash or Boat – 110,500,200: 1

Additionally, there are a number of instant win opportunities and small prizes available as well. The smaller the prize, the more likely you are to win.

These odds are based on finding the rare game piece. Many people have been able to win in the past by trading these game pieces online. Visit the Saving Advice forums Albertsons Monopoly trading thread.