Want to save money and earn money in 2021? We rounded up some of the best money hacks that’ll make saving money and making money a breeze.
Everyone wants to make extra money or save an extra $100 a month, but it can be difficult to know where to start.
The best part about this article?
A lot of these money hacks require no effort at all.
I get it. Life happens.
Sometimes you need money now or you’re trying to save up for something you want. You don’t want to fall behind on bills and are wondering how to make extra money fast. Sure, another 200 dollars earned today wouldn’t hurt.
We’ve all been there, but what do you usually do when that happens?
This is an exhaustive list of things that anyone can do, today, in order to make extra money the easy way and save it.
If you’re strapped for time, I’ll go ahead and share the best money hacks that will make saving money easy.
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The Best Money Hacks I’ve Found
1. Invest in IPOs before they’re publicly available
Eligible SoFi members can invest in upcoming IPOs before they’re traded on the public market—only in the SoFi app.
The app you should know about is SoFi Invest. It’s easy, it’s fee-free, and it’s a bright idea.
Not-so-newsflash: fees are frustrating and they can keep people from investing. It’s why SoFi charges $0 in SoFi transaction and management fees. So there’s no reason not to start investing.
You don’t have to be a pro to invest like one, so get trading. Get a free stock worth up to $1,000 when you sign up through this link.
Become an investor— without commission fees. Make your first trade or your next trade with active investing. Learn the market as you do-it-yourself buying hot IPOs or cryptocurrencies.
2. Start saving — without much effort
Truebill is a real, much better and desirable alternative to all the other money saving apps on the market. With Truebill, they have saved over $15M for its users on their bills (think cable or cell phone bills) and canceling forgotten subscriptions.
Have a cable bill that has been increasing over the years? You can now simply download a free app, and they will negotiate it down for you.
Truebill will help you take control of your money, users have saved over $15M to date, and all without being a financial expert or dealing with staying on top of your bills, which can be a full-time job.
There is a reason why they currently have over 50,000+ users, this app really gets you back free money.
If you’re interested, I recommend you sign up for more information from Truebill by clicking here.
Managing money can be hard. Don’t do it alone. Truebill empowers you to save more, spend less, see everything, and take back control of your financial life.
3. Get a $5,000 bonus for opening an account here
Unifimoney really is a different way to manage and invest your money. Unifimoney’s vision is to “unify” different banking and money apps in a single mobile experience.
When logging into the app, you see a clear dashboard of your savings amount and amount to invest. Investing in stocks, crypto and metals is fairly intuitive. They have been very quick in rolling out new functionality; much faster than your traditional bank or investment bank.
Unifimoney is more than an app, it’s a platform that helps you manage and invest your money so that you can build wealth without headaches.
Simply sign up for Unifimoney, and the free money management app will give you cash for free, you just relax while it gives you up to $5,000 just for opening an account. There’s no catch, just open an account and deposit at least $1,000 to receive a Bitcoin reward. This money management app is legit and only takes two minutes to sign up for an account.
Unifimoney is an investment and money management app built to simplify, diversify and unify your money management. Manage and grow your wealth effortlessly.
4. Get paid to start investing — with a bonus
Join over 5 million people and start investing your spare change with Acorns! Sign up in under 5 minutes and grow from there with a full financial wellness system at your fingertips. Supported by leading investors, innovators and press like BlackRock, PayPal, Ashton Kutcher, and CNBC.
Sign up to try it risk-free with a $10 sign up bonus.
Remember, you’ll get a $10 bonus when you sign up and make your first investment!
The sooner you start investing, the sooner your money can start to grow toward your goals. This is one of the best money hacks that can help you earn real passive income over time.
Acorns is your guide to financial wellness. They’ll help you invest, save and spend smarter starting at just $1 per month. There’s no catch. With Acorns, you will be investing without even knowing it just by rounding up your purchases. Let your money make you money.
5. Score cash taking surveys
Taking online surveys with Survey Junkie to make extra money is a no-brainer!
You definitely won’t get rich or make hundreds of dollars per day with surveys alone, but you won’t waste much time, and you can make some money the easy way. It is my #1 favorite (and highest paying) survey site:
Survey Junkie: This is a free survey app for your phone that pays you to take online surveys, participate in focus groups, and try new products.
And, I really mean free all around – free to join and they don’t charge anything to be a member (they will actually pay you in cash via PayPal).
Join for free through this link and get your free registration bonus.
Earn up to $3 per survey with one of the highest-paying survey sites on the web.
6. Earn free gift cards while watching Netflix
Swagbucks is another great money hack to use to earn some easy cash for just pushing a few buttons in your free time. I personally use it and usually make up to $3 per survey while watching TV, and it does add up..
Getting started is easy:
- Click here to sign up. Remember, it’s 100% free.
- Confirm your email to get the $10 sign up bonus.
- Take paid surveys anytime and anywhere via PC, laptop, tablet, or mobile app earning up to $3 per survey.
- Get paid cash via PayPal.
Swagbucks offers a variety of ways to earn money online. You can take surveys, play games, surf the web, watch videos and more to earn points towards gift cards or cash.
7. Get paid to not delete your emails
So this happened. I bought something online from Target. The price of the item that I purchased dropped in price after the fact.
I effortlessly got refunded (for free) without doing a thing, other than originally sign up for Paribus.
It’s as simple as that.
This free app will scan your emails for any purchase receipts from dozens of online retailers. You don’t even have to know about the price drop in order to get your refund. It’s 100% free and will save you a lot of money.
I pocketed around $50 in the first few weeks of signing up. Remember, it’s 100% free!
Paribus does the heavy lifting to help you find refunds when prices change. It will even negotiate the refund on your behalf!
Paribus compensates us when you sign up for their service using the links we provide.
8. Get paid to watch videos & collect your $5 right now
The next thing you can do is sign up for InboxDollars which pays you, in cash, to watch fun videos & take surveys.
If you sign up before the end of December, they also give you a $5 free bonus just to give it a try.
By spending just 5-10 minutes per day on this (either on your lunch break or during TV commercial breaks) you can earn and earn an extra $50/month.
More people should be doing this!
InboxDollars offers a variety of ways to earn money online. You can take surveys, play games, surf the web, watch videos and more to earn points towards gift cards.
9. Let Nielsen learn about your internet usage
Have you heard of Nielsen before? They track TV ratings (Nielsen Ratings) and they now want to track how popular apps and online videos are. They do this by measuring normal activity on user’s cell phones and collecting it anonymously.
This company has been around since 1923 and have created a unique app that pays $50 per year just for installing it.
It’s simple, non-invasive, and doesn’t slow down your device or lower your battery life. So, if you want to install the app and collect $50, you can learn more here.
This company will pay you $50 a year to keep their app on your favorite internet browsing device and they also give away $10,000 each month. You don’t have to do anything other than initially registering your computer or phone.
10. Get a free stock from Robinhood
Robinhood offers free investing for everyone. If you sign up you can get commission-free investing, plus the tools you need to put your money in motion. Sign up and get your first stock for free worth up to $225.
If you join through this link you can get a free stock like Apple, Ford, or Sprint when you join (must complete signup).
The value of the free share may be anywhere between $2.50 and $225 and fluctuates based on market movements. You’ve got nothing to lose with this money hack.
Robinhood has commission-free investing for stocks, options, ETFs, crypto, and tools to help shape your financial future. Sign up and get your first stock worth up to $225, free.
11. Refinance student loans and save money
If you’re ready to refinance your student loans, then you can save thousands or lower your monthly payment.
Student loan refinancing saves you money and you could snag a lower interest rate, decrease your monthly payment, or both. But which lenders are the best to refinance and save money?
We recommend these leading lenders that specialize in refinancing student loans and helping you save money on them. Keep in mind that checking your rate is free, and won’t affect your credit.
If you’re ready to learn more — Splash Financial is the best in terms of rate and helping you lower your student loan payment for both private and federal student loans.
- See rates in 3 minutes without impacting credit score
- Fixed rates as low as 2.49% APR
- Variable rates as low as 1.88% APR
- No maximum loan amount
- No application, origination, or prepayment fees
- 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20 and 25 year options
12. Get a better checking account
At Current, they deliver paychecks up to two days faster than traditional banks when you sign up for direct deposit. Overdrive gives qualified premium members up to $100 in free overdrafts with no fees. Plus you can earn 15x points when you swipe your card at participating merchants, which can be redeemed for cash in your Current account.
Current is one of the best checking accounts for those who want:
- Get paid up to 2 days faster
- Free overdraft up to $100 with Overdrive
- 55,000 fee-free ATMs worldwide
- No minimum balance or hidden fees
There are no minimum amount of money required to open or maintain an account and Current does not charge any hidden fees. You’ll likely love it, it’s easy to use, and super easy to sign up.
Current is a mobile banking app with a Visa debit card that gets you paid up to two days faster with direct deposit and gives you free overdraft up to $100 with no hidden fees. Earn up to 15x points on purchases that are redeemable for cash back, 55,000 fee-free in-network ATMs, and instant gas hold refunds.
13. Use a personal loan to build credit
When you have a high-interest loan, it could be difficult to repay the amount every month. The most common financing options people opt for are personal loans, payday loan apps and credit cards.
People generally shy away from taking a personal loan as they are known to come with high rates of interest. However, they are still a cheaper alternative to credit cards.
When you have more than one credit card, you will have to pay a high rate of interest on the outstanding amount of all the cards. Even if you opt for a credit card that comes with a 0% balance transfer plan, you will have to finish paying off the amount during the introductory period. Once the introductory period is over, the interest rate will shoot up to a two-digit figure.
When you use the personal loan amount to finance a high-interest loan, you not only reduce the burden on your overall finances but also improve your credit score immensely.
Due to competition from the top banks, you will come across some banks offering personal loans at attractive rates. Generally, the banks with which you have an account already will offer loans at great rates. You can some of the best personal loan lenders by using Credible.
Check personal loan rates for free in 2 minutes without affecting your credit score. Loan amounts from $600 to $100,000. No hidden fees.
14. Open a crypto savings account
Why bother putting money in a traditional savings account? At a .25% interest rate, you might as well hide it under the mattress. But a crypto savings account? You could earn a nice chunk of change fairly quickly.
Of course, rates will vary, but it’s not unusual for crypto interest accounts to generate high yields between 4% to 8%. And they can go much higher. It’s your best chance to increase the overall return on your investment portfolio.
Not just any old cryptocurrency account will do. We know you’ll want to be selective. That’s why we’ve done the research for you and the best of the best is BlockFi.
BlockFi is one of the most competitive and popular cryptocurrency accounts for a reason. Currently, it’s earning up to 8.25% compounded daily. There are no hidden fees and no account minimums. BlockFi is based in the US and is a shining star among a crowded field of also-rans.
If you are a cryptocurrency trader, BlockFi offers an interest-bearing account that pays up to 7.5% on your cryptocurrencies. That kind of APR is much higher than anything you’ll find in a traditional high-yield savings account, which is pretty incredible!
14. Invest in real estate
Wouldn’t it be great if you could invest in commercial real estate and apartments without dealing with all the hassle of buying, improving, and re-selling real estate?
You don’t have to be a millionaire to invest in these types of properties. You can now invest in large-scale real estate for as little as $500 with Fundrise.
Through its real estate investing app, investors earned an average of 8 – 11 percent on their money last year, and all without painting a wall or dealing with unruly tenants.
There is a reason why they currently have over 200,000+ users, this app really pays you!
If you’re interested, I recommend you sign up for more information from Fundrise by clicking here.
Fundrise is a very easy-to-use app that allows individuals to access crowd-funded real estate investing. This option is best for users who want to make money consistently and let their money make them money.
15. Track your dividends with dividend trackers
A dividend is the distribution of some of a company’s earnings to a class of its shareholders, as determined by the company’s board of directors.
As an investor, you need to track your dividend income to see if it’s growing or not. Aside from that, following your dividend will help you decide if you should reinvest your income or not.
If you’re looking for the best dividend tracker, you could use Personal Capital. By using the free app. you can easily track the progress of all your investments, including dividends, by looking at simplified graphs.
It also provides risk-level information to help you balance your portfolio. It also gives out suggestions like reinvesting your dividends, and it also allows you to set the period for which it tracks and reports dividend earnings.
Budget like a business and focus on your cash flow. In addition to their budgeting software, they have an awesome suite of tools to help you optimize your investments. Did we mention it's free?
16. Get help expert help choosing stocks
Motley Fool Stock Advisor has been around since 2002 and is designed to help you outperform the stock market and create real value for your portfolio. I’m not talking about buying meme stocks like GME or AMC. The goal is to buy businesses, not tickers.
Motley Fool Stock Advisor, which is run by Motley Fool co-founders David and Tom Gardner, allows you to find the best investment stocks and it also raises the confidence levels for any investor.
The real value of Stock Advisor isn’t the quantity of stocks, but how good they are and how effective at helping investors make a tidy profit. Some of the top picks include Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG) and UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) which has generated returns of more than 950%.
Want to know which stock to buy next? Check out The Motley Fool advisor program and you can get recommended stock picks before the next market close. Plus, if you join today, you can get special pricing as our reader.
Ready to Use These Best Money Hacks to Your Advantage?
While most of these apps can help you make extra money it’s important to save it. If you don’t already have an emergency fund set up, make that your priority.
These money hacks can are designed to keep you out of debt and living below your means.
It is a way of life that enables you to spend as little as possible and use the extra cash to pay down debt, take a vacation that you always wanted, or use your free time to spend quality time with your loved ones.
Did we miss any money hacks? Let us know below!
