Hidden Ways to Earn Money
Sell or Buy Unused Gift Cards – Americans love to give people gift cards and retailers love for people to buy gift cards because many of them are never redeemed and the retailer gets to keep the billions of dollars put towards gift cards every year. As of November, 2013, there was a staggering $46 billion in cash loaded on gift cards, some of which will never be redeemed. That’s why retailers put prominent displays of gift cards in their stores and on their websites. You can profit from America’s misguided obsession with gift cards in two ways:
(1) Get Free or Discounted Gift Cards – Many stores give you free gift cards for goods and services. For example, if you transfer your prescription to Target, CVS or Rite Aid, you might get a $50 gift card. You can earn gift cards completing surveys. During the Christmas season, many retailers throw all kinds of gift cards at you for buying certain items in their stores. You can purchase discounted gift cards at GiftCardGranny.com. For example, you could purchase a $50 gift card for $35 – you get an extra $15 because someone doesn’t want a particular gift card!!!
(2) Cash in Your Unwanted Gift Cards. At any time there is more than $6 billion in gift cards that is not being used because many people who receive gift cards stick them in drawers and forget about them. If you don’t want a gift card, you can sell it online at PlasticJungle.com or Swapagift.com or CardAvenue.com– but you will not receive the full value of the gift card – these websites will take a cut.
Participate in sweepstakes. There are thousands of sweepstakes out there from many different companies. You can win anything from a $5 gift card to a shiny new car. Be careful about visiting and signing up for sweepstakes online because there are lots of scammers. Stick to reputable websites only and be careful about who you give your phone number and personal information to.
Earn cash for using less electricity. Some states, particularly Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania, will reward you if you lower your utility bill by paying you cash. Find a utility company in your area that offers incentive programs at SaveOnEnergy.com.
Rent Out Your Stuff. Some people need certain items for just a short period of time. For example, if someone is having a big party, they might want to rent your large collection of plates and silverware for one day, or they might need your lawnmower for just one afternoon or your power drill for an hour. Websites such as SnapGoods.com --- Rentalic.com -- Zaarly.com offer all kinds of items for rent. You can earn money renting out your stuff too. They do charge a small percent of the money you earn as a fee.
Turn reward credit cards in to cash. If you have a rewards credit card that lets you earn cash on everything, start paying all your bills with that credit card. You can accumulate cash every month just paying your bills. For example, cable $70 – water bill $90 – electric bill $180 -- groceries -- $280 – gasoline $190 -- car payment -- $280 – house payment $400 – entertainment $300 equals $1490. Most reward credit cards give you one point per dollar spent, so in the example above, one would earn about 1490 points every month just paying their bills. When you accumulate enough points, use it to credit your credit card monthly payment or get cash back. The example here is worth about $50 per month in cash or account credit. If you don’t have a rewards credit card, get one that pays you for ALL purchases like Bank of America’s reward card.
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Send in your rebates. Many products offer a tiny rebate of $1 up to a big cash rebate of $200 or more, but few people actually apply to get the rebate, so millions in cash rebates go unclaimed every year. This is a shame since many manufacturers allow you to apply for the rebate online. For example, Hewlett Packard often offers rebates on all of its products and has a website where you can check the progress of your rebate submission. Why would you not want to take a minute to complete a rebate form to receive cash in the mail? And some retailers will help you find rebates. For example, the big home improvement stores, Home Depot and Lowe’s, have websites to help you find rebates on your purchases at their stores.
Get paid to shop online. You can earn cash and gift cards by using smartphone apps and browser add-ons. For example, ShopAtHome.com lets you download a free toolbar to track your purchases and earn cash when you buy items online. The cash you get back can be as little as one percent or as much as 30 percent of what you spend.
Employer Education Assistance – Many employers will actually pay for all or part of your college education which could save you a bundle on student loans and help you get a higher paying position. The federal government allows each employer to fund education up to about $5,000 per employee each year. Find out if your company offers this help. Many federal and state employees enjoy this benefit.
Get paid to lose weight. At HealthyWage.com, you can earn cash for meeting your weight loss goals. If you sign up for Walgreens' rewards program, they will let you accumulate points when you adopt a healthier lifestyle and lose weight and begin an exercise program. You can then use those points for discounts on merchandise.
Class Action Lawsuits – Hundreds of class action lawsuits are settled each year and you might be due some money. It might be as little as $10 or as much as $10,000, but the average is $250. Think of it as free money you’re getting back for defective products you’ve ordered in the past. Find out if you’re due any money at topclassactions.com or check out the status of a class action lawsuit at www.sec.gov/divisions/enforce/claims.htm.
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