Ten Reliable Ways to Get Free Money (December

Trying to pay bills and save money when you don’t have much money is an all too common issue. Sometimes there just isn’t enough money in the world.

78% of Americans, according to a 2023 Payroll.org survey, live paycheck to paycheck. The pressure might become intolerable, especially if you’ve already cut back on spending and if the cost of goods and services goes up. Reduce stress and make progress by increasing the amount of money in your budget.

1. Take part in a focus group.

Companies want to discover if customers find their products or services to be really interesting and, if not, how they may be made better. One way they discover is to hire a third-party organization that recruits participants for objective focus groups. Look into these businesses: User interviews, focus groups, and probe research.

Participating in focus groups, whether in person or virtually, can be gratifying, engaging, and interesting. Working a couple two-hour groups each month will improve your earnings by $250, as the average salary is $125 per hour.

2. Engage in Scholarly Activities

If you’d want to further scientific understanding and earn extra money, think about enrolling in a sponsored clinical trial.

Depending on factors like the number of required visits and the trial’s duration, it can be highly profitable. For example, Velocity Clinical Research offers funding for immunization studies ranging from $500 to $2,500, provided that all follow-up and visitation requirements are fulfilled.

3. Take Up Contractual Employment

Even if you now have a full-time job, you might be able to find some additional work in your area of interest or talent on the weekends or in the early morning or late at night.

There is a freelancing work out there for you to take on, regardless of your skill set. You may use sites like Upwork and Freelancer to connect with people who need jobs done.

How much money you can make will depend on what you do and how much you can bargain. For example, you may charge $75 per hour if you create websites. Bookkeepers may charge anything from $19 to $32 per hour for freelance work.

4. Engage in Subject-Matter Expert Work

If you are really knowledgeable about anything, like technology or money, other companies could come to you for advice.

Consulting firms like Gerson Lehrman Group enable you to create a profile with your availability for consultations and a summary of your résumé. Once you have, you will be notified each time a different company requests an official conversation with you. The conversations are often held over the phone and pay an average of $125 per hour.

5. Complete the survey forms

Would you want to earn some extra cash while you’re waiting in line for your turn at the post office or grocery store? By using your smartphone or other smart device to participate in online surveys, you can express your thoughts and make a little money whenever and wherever you choose.

Look into trustworthy online survey sites such as Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, OneOpinion, and Opinion Outpost, all of which offer free registration. Although Swagbucks users can earn an extra several hundred to several thousand dollars annually, you won’t become wealthy, but having a little extra cash could help when you’re trying to stretch your budget.

6. Watch Videos

Watching television and advertisements is another way to earn additional cash. After registering with a company like Nielsen, you may go on. Everything is available for viewing, including trailers for movies and TV series. In exchange, you will receive points that you may exchange for PayPal cash or gift cards from other retailers.

As per Nielsen, a player may earn up to $60 in points every year.

7. Give Back to Your Community

For a fee, you might be able to assist individuals in need in your community. Child care, moving help, walking and feeding pets while their owners are away, and weeding gardens are just a few of the services that are offered.

Just work hard and set a fair pricing, and you’ll get more business.

Use a community platform like Nextdoor to see what others are looking for and to let them know you are free. Facebook groups are another helpful resource for engaging with your area. Remember to recommend them to your friends as well.

8. Generate Online Revenue

You may utilize yard sales as a year-round side gig, even though many people use them as a way to get rid of items and make extra income.

Ask friends and relatives to give clothes and accessories, or buy them cheaply at garage sales hosted by others. Utilize well-known apps like Depop and Poshmark to resale them for a profit.

9. Mention Us to Your Friends

Companies that provide rewards for referring friends to their products or services include credit card issuers, banks, retailers, and online travel agencies.

It works by giving you a unique link or referral code from the company, which you can then share with your friends and family. When people utilize that code or link, you benefit.

Referral program opportunities are often advertised on a company’s website, however occasionally you could get an email invitation. For example, you may earn $50 through Chase Bank’s referral code program for each person who uses your code to create a qualifying Chase checking account, with a $500 maximum per year.

10. Enter, exit, and get payment

While you’re out and about, why not turn a profit? You may achieve this by using ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft to take passengers to their destinations while operating your vehicle.

Driving for pay has the advantage of being able to fit into your regular routine. You may pick up someone else in the process, for instance, if you’re traveling to or from your regular place of employment and don’t mind making a little detour.