Disclosure- This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link on this page, I may be compensated at no additional cost to you. It may not be much, but I am using it to pay off my own pile of debt.
So you have decided to make the commitment to pay your way out of debt. You have made your debt payoff plan, have read all of the Dave Ramsey books, and you are ready to get started. Only problem is, where do you make the extra money come from when there is nothing extra in the budget?
I have been in your shoes! Believe it or not, there are some major ways to make some extra cash using something that you already use every day.
Your cellphone.
Yep, that beautiful piece of technology that can now do almost anything a computer can now also can help you to earn extra money!
Do not get me wrong, none of these are get rich quick schemes by any means. They will however, help to put some extra cash back in your pocket. In turn, if you use that cash on some of that debt you have racked up, chances are you can pay off a nice little chunk. And all from your phone.
So how do you do it?
Sell Sell Sell
Start by going through your closet. You would be shocked at how much extra money you can make just selling some of those pieces that you do not wear anymore.
Those boots you bought last year that you wore once then hid in the back of your closet? Probably time to part with them.
If you want to start selling immediately, take a couple photos of your items, and post them to Poshmark. (A super easy online selling app. You list with them, you sell, they keep a small portion of the profit and they cover the shipping and credit card fees. Order some FREE shipping boxes from UPS and you are all set!) Use my referral code, CFAULKNER2411 and get $5 off your first order if you find something on there that you love while you are posting your goods!
Looking to sell some of the kids clothes? Check out Kidizen! (Again, another awesome sales app! You pay shipping on this one, so be sure to price accordingly. You are marketing to all parents who are looking for good buys though, so chances of quick sales are high!) Also, if you use my referral code, hbk0r, you again can get $5 off your first purchase!
Money Saving Apps
There are all kinds of apps out there now a days to help you save extra money on your everyday purchases. This is seriously one of the simplest ways to start saving money in a hurry.
Receipt Scanners
Receipt Hog – This one is easy. Scan your receipts (All kinds of receipts!) and you get points! Plus, for every week you scan your receipts in, you get a weekly bonus. If you only scanned in one receipt for 33 weeks in a row, you are going to get $40 to your paypal. (Not including the extra points you will earn for those scanned receipts, or the slots they let you play.)
$40, is $40, and that extra money is enough to payoff a small chunk of one of my cards.
Fetch Rewards – Again, another easy one for you. Simply scan your grocery receipts from where ever you shop, and Fetch is going to search for points for you! Fetch works on brands, so whenever you buy one of several popular brands, you are going to get points. These points convert to cash once you have enough saved up. Plus, enter code V1AQN when you register the app, and you will get an additional 1,500 2,000 points ($1.50 $2.00) just for using my code!
These points cash out for gift cards to your favorite stores. While it isn’t cash to pay your bills, you could easily use the cash you are saving by using the gift card to put towards your debt!
Ibotta – Now if you are an avid reader of mine, you have seen me talk about how Ibotta paid for part of my last Disney trip. If not, then get ready, because I love Ibotta!
Ibotta allows you to select offers that you think will fit your shopping habits. Then you go do your shopping, scan you receipt, and within 2-3 days, the money from your offers is ready to withdraw! The cash you get back really adds up quick with this one!
Plus, if you use my Ibotta code ( jqgfqg ) when you sign up, you get a $10 welcome bonus when you redeem your first offer! Free money anyone?
Linked to your Card
Dosh – Ok guys. So Dosh is officially my newest money saving app, and I am in love! This one is so easy! You download the app, sign up, and link the card you use to do the most of your shopping. Then, Dosh finds deals for you at participating retailers and simply refunds you the money back to your account.
Are you an online shopper? Get ready! Dosh also gives rebates on purchases at all kinds of online retailers, and even some hotel purchases!
Not only that, but when you sign up here, you get $5 back when you link your card just for trying the app!
Also, (and this one is big), if you sign up using the link above between now and January 21st, you can make some decent extra money. Once you have signed up, share your referral link with all of your friends, and for each one that signs up and links a card, you get $15! (For real, I have already made $75 in less than a week.)
Currently, when you sign your friends up for Dosh, you make $5 for each friend who signs up and links their card!
Work out to Earn
Achievement– This one is so cool, and links straight to your fitness tracker! Simply download the app, link it to your fitness tracker app, and you are good to go!
While you only earn about a max of 80 points per day, this app still adds up to you making an extra $30+ per year. Not a ton, but something else to add to your debt mountain!
Plus, sign up using this link and you will earn an additional 100 points just for using my code!
Direct Savings Apps
Digit – Digit is another one of those apps that I have talked about before when I shared with you guys how I saved $1600 without trying. The premise behind this one is super simple though.
After you download the app, link your bank account. (Yes, I know this seems scary, but do your homework. They are insured) Then, Digit analyzes your spending habits over a period of time, and starts making small withdraws in amounts you will not miss.
A few dollars here, a few more there. You really do not miss the small withdraws, but boy does the money add up quick!
All of this extra money is stored in a savings account for you, that you can withdraw at anytime. Only downside is, I believe this app has started charging a few dollars a month to cover their overhead.
If you use this referral link however, you can try it for FREE for a month to see if it is going to pay off for you to use it! Just think about the bills you could pay off!
Qapital – This is my newest automatic savings app, and I am blown away by its functionality! Same basic premise as Digit as far as linking your bank account (also insured), however the savings add up according to your terms!
Simply set a goal that you want to save for, (a big bill maybe?) then pick out your savings rules. You can round up each purchase (the change to the nearest dollar is saved), do an automatic savings day, or even hook your fitbit! Yep, this app will let you pay your savings for every day that you hit your step goal.
Freaking cool huh?
Plus, sign up for Qapital here and you will get an extra $$$ when you complete your first deposit! FREE money again!
Survey Sites
Honestly, I could do a complete post on survey sites to make you money, but we will save that for another day.
Today, I will highlight two of my favorites for time’s sake.
OnePulse– This survey app is, dare I say it, fun! Seriously. The “surveys” or pulses as they call them, are all 3 questions each and are not that of your traditional survey site. Not only are they super quick, but the more pulses you complete, the more you get paid.
Not every pulse pays, but all of them contribute to your overall score. You score works to increase the amount you are paid for the monetary pulses. So far I am getting about 1 out of 10 that are paid, but for the 10 minutes a day I spend on the app, that isn’t too bad. (At least in comparison to some surveys I have spent 20 minutes on for $.20)
Swagbucks – If you have not yet heard about Swagbucks, it is time to get in on the game. Paid surveys, monetized videos, paid shopping, paid offers, this app has it all. And those Swagbucks add up to some serious cash in no time!
Yep, you will be tackling that pile of debt sooner rather than later.
Ready to join Swagbucks? Click here!
Well guys, it is not a “get rich quick” scheme by any means. These are, however, legitimate ways that you can make a few extra bucks to get your debt snowball going.
In what ways are you making extra money to pay off that debt? Let me know in the comments below!
