Working at 36,000 feet may not feel like living the dream, but if you’re traveling for work (or fun), every minute counts. Some U.S. airlines are making it easier than ever to stay connected whether you have your head in the clouds or on the ground.
For the past decade, it was standard to require passengers to pay either by the minute or by the hour to access the airline’s Wi-Fi network on most domestic flights. And for those who were winging it by working through the flight, those Wi-Fi costs added up fast.
Don’t toggle your phone into airplane mode just yet because many national and international air carriers are bringing Wi-Fi service to their fleets. While you can’t take phone calls mid-flight, here are the airlines where flying the connected skies comes standard with your ticket.
Domestic and International Airlines That Offer Free In-Flight Wi-Fi
Want to use those hours in the air to clear your inbox or level up in that guilty pleasure mobile game? Check it off your to-do list because these airlines offer complimentary Wi-Fi as part of your in-flight experience.
Domestic Flights With Free Wi-Fi
Delta Air Lines
The latest airline outfitting its entire fleet with Wi-Fi is Delta. Delta — in partnership with T-Mobile — made free in-flight Wi-Fi available to all passengers on domestic flights in February. By the end of 2024, Delta CEO Ed Bastian promises to have its entire fleet on board with free unlimited Wi-Fi, including regional and international flights.
There’s just one tiny hitch. To access the Wi-Fi, Delta Airlines requires passengers to sign up for a free Delta SkyMiles account. If you don’t want to join the Delta SkyMiles members club, you can still purchase Wi-Fi for a $10 fee per device.
Considering getting an airline credit card? We’ve got the scoop on which ones give you more miles and extra travel perks.
JetBlue
For JetBlue, free Wi-Fi is so 2017 that they coined a word for it: Fly-Fi. For a while, they were the only U.S. airline where unlimited access to the plane’s high-speed Wi-Fi came with your JetBlue ticket.
JetBlue also partners with Amazon, so you’ll earn extra TrueBlue points — JetBlue’s loyalty program — for shopping in-flight. Plus, you’ll get access to Amazon Prime’s library so you can stream Amazon video, music, audiobooks and more.
Other Domestic Airlines With Free Wi-Fi
While JetBlue and Delta are the only national carriers that offer free in-flight Wi-Fi to all passengers, most other airlines are piloting similar programs and perks on select domestic flights.
American Airlines offers some flights where passengers watch a sponsored video to receive 30 minutes of in-flight Wi-Fi. On United Airlines flights, Mileage Plus loyalty members use miles instead of paying a fee to access in-flight Wi-Fi. And Alaska Airlines and SouthWest provide free texting and messaging through iMessage and Whatsapp.
International Carriers With Free Wi-Fi
Domestic airlines aren’t the only game in town for scoring free Wi-Fi. Check out the select international aircraft that help you stay connected for cheap.
Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand not only provides free Wi-Fi on all domestic flights, but it comes complimentary on all international Wi-Fi-enabled flights.
Nok Air
Nok Air is a budget carrier out of Thailand, but there’s nothing cheap about their in-flight benefits. They provide complimentary Wi-Fi access on all Boeing 737 flights.
Qantas
Grab free high-speed Wi-Fi on board B737-800 and A330-200 Qantas flights, courtesy of a partnership with Viasat.
Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines passengers get free Wi-Fi on domestic flights with the exception of a few aircraft that are not yet equipped to provide the service.
Other International Airlines With Free Wi-FI
There are a few other international air carriers that provide in-flight Wi-Fi, but don’t return your tray tables to their upright position just yet because it comes with strings attached.
On Qatar Airways, you can only get 15 minutes or 10 MB of free Wi-Fi via a sponsor. Norwegian Airlines provides 15 minutes of free in-flight WiFI on select flights, and Philippine Airlines offers a complimentary 3 MB chat plan.
At China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines, in-flight Wi-Fi is first come, first serve. The first 100 lucky passengers on the flight who register 30 days in advance connect to the Wi-Fi free.
Other Ways to Get Free In-Flight Wi-Fi
If you’re stuck schlepping it on a carrier that doesn’t offer free Wi-Fi, you might still be able to snag a cheap (or free) connection. Here’s how.
Leverage Credit Card Perks
Some airline credit cards let you redeem points or miles to reimburse you for in-flight Wi-Fi costs. These include airline credit cards and reward programs from Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines and Alaska Airlines.
Earn Premium or Elite Status
Several international and national air carriers allow premium or elite members to earn free Wi-Fi. This includes national carriers like Southwest and international airlines like Emirates, Finnair, Icelandair, Singapore Airlines and Turkish Airlines.
Upgrade to Business or First Class
The perks of business class and first class are more than just extra legroom and bottomless mimosas. These airlines extend complimentary in-flight Wi-Fi on personal devices to those who pay extra not to get stuck hugging their knees in economy class.
Aer Lingus
Emirates Airlines (Emirates Skywards members only)
Icelandair
Philippine Air (100 MB limit)
SAS (Scandinavian Airlines)
Singapore Airlines (First class free, Business class 100 MB limit)
Turkish Airlines (1 GB limit)
Alitalia (Magnifica members only, 50 MB voucher)
Finnair (one-hour, intercontinental flights only)
Swiss Airlines (50 MB voucher)
Pay close attention to the Wi-Fi terms, however, because most airlines listed here have some limitations to internet access.
Trying to find a way to afford first class? Here’s how (and when) to book cheap flights to 8 popular destinations during the shoulder season.
Connect With T-Mobile and Sprint
T-Mobile customers can buckle up and get connected because they’ve already have in-flight Wi-Fi on Alaska, American and Delta flights through their wireless provider. T-Mobile and Sprint Unlimited, Sprint ONE and Sprint Max passengers get free messaging through iMessage, Google Hangouts and Whatsapp, as well as an hour of free data.
Other Airline Perks Worth Checking Out
If you’d rather kick back and not spend your flight streaming, there are a few other airline perks to check out, from free cocktails to complimentary checked bags.
Free In-Flight Beer and Cocktails
Have a flight of beer or wine on your way to Canada, courtesy of Porter Airlines, serving up local brews and vintages. Air Canada has similar alcoholic offerings when you book a flight between Toronto and Montreal. Even WestJet, a low-cost carrier based out of Canada, offers a free glass of beer or wine on regional flights.
Horizon Air will quench your thirst with Northwestern wines and microbrews — and your wine flies free. That is, you can check a case of wine for free from 32 West Coast cities on Alaska, Horizon and SkyWest flights. And of course, a complimentary glass of bubbly or wine comes with the ticket on all long-haul AirFrance flights.
Free Layover From Icelandair
Having a layover doesn’t sound like a perk, but hear us out. What if it’s in Iceland? Icelandair invites all passengers who book their flights to arrange a free stopover for one to seven days — coming and going, if you want — in Iceland to get a taste of what the country has to offer.
Kid Travel Perks
Baby on board? These airlines are on standby to ease your suffering. British Airways feeds kids first on all flights, so you can rest easy when it’s your turn to eat. Some international airlines offer other perks, like Gulf Air’s sky nannies who make the rounds to entertain kids in-flight.
South Korea’s Asiana Airlines literally puts moms first with front-row seats to the bathroom for all expectant mothers and free baby slings and nursing blankets for infants.
Free Checked Bags
If you’re traveling with a lot of baggage (and really, who isn’t), many airlines provide ways to waive the fees and check your luggage for free on most flights. Delta SkyMiles, United Explorer and Alaska Airline Visa members all earn free checked baggage for cardholders and, in some cases, for traveling companions. You always get two free checked bags on Southwest though.
Pro Tip
Looking to duck the baggage fee? Before you try cramming your oversized duffle into a bin, here’s how you can pay less for luggage and avoid other traveling costs.
Priority Boarding
If all you really want is to be first in line to snag a window seat or a coveted overhead bin, you’re in luck. Elite flyers, premium members and some airline credit cardholders earn priority boarding with major airline carriers, including American, United Airlines and Southwest.
Next time you need to fire up the Wi-Fi at 36,000 feet, and you’re not on a JetBlue or Delta flight, consider keeping these tips and tricks in your back pocket to avoid in-flight connection charges. In this case, time really is money, so spend (and stream) wisely.
Looking to snag a flight for cheap? Consider these low-cost air carriers where a heavily discounted ticket price is the best perk of all.
Kaz Weida is a senior staff writer at The Penny Hoarder covering saving money and budgeting. As a journalist, she has written about a wide array of topics including finance, health, politics, education and technology for the last decade.
My monthly Extraordinary Lives series is something that I’m really enjoying doing. First up was JP Livingston, who retired with a net worth over $2,000,000 at the age of 28. Today’s interview is with Tanja Hester, who retired at the end of 2017 at the age of 38.
You probably know her from the amazing blog Our Next Life. Our Next Life is one of my favorite blogs, so I’m glad Tanja said yes to this interview!
In this interview, you’ll learn:
How she managed to retire so early;
How she still lives comfortably in one of the most beautiful places in the world;
Her advice for retiring early no matter what your career choice is;
How she decided how much she needed to retire on;
The sacrifices she has had to make;
And more! This interview is packed full of valuable information!
I asked you, my readers, what questions I should ask her, so below are your questions (and some of mine) about Tanja’s story and how she has accomplished so much. Make sure you’re following me on Facebook so you have the opportunity to submit your own questions for the next interview.
Related content:
1. Tell me your story. How are you managing to retire so early?
Hi Michelle! Thanks so much for having me. 🙂 We feel like we’re now living a magical life as early retirees, but there’s no magic to how we got here. We spent a lot less than we earned for a bunch of years in a row, made easier and faster by above average salaries (both earned six figures in our last several years of work), and we tried to make some other smart decisions along the way. But we didn’t strike it rich with Bitcoin or build a unicorn startup or get an inheritance or anything else. We just stayed focused on our goal and ground away at it, bit by bit.
More specifically, we focused on three big things:
1. Buying less house than we could afford. The banks would have happily lent us three times as much as we paid for our house in Tahoe, but we stuck to our guns and set our own budget. We lucked out by being able to buy at almost the bottom of the market in 2011, but even though we could have bought more house then for a pretty good price, we kept our budget modest, and that allowed us to pay off our mortgage in just over five years, which then let us save more in our last year of work as well as go into early retirement with no mortgage, which means our basic cost of living is minimal.
2. Paying ourselves first and automating that. We set our paychecks up so that a big chunk went straight into savings without us ever seeing that money, and had another big portion set to go into our investments automatically with each paycheck. We kept only a small portion of our total income in our checking account, and so felt like that was all we had to spend. But more importantly, saving wasn’t a choice we had to make, which would have relied on willpower we don’t always possess. It just happened without us doing anything. For those who aren’t natural savers (like us!), I can’t recommend enough taking the decision out of it and automating your savings.
3. Not inflating our lifestyle. For the last decade of our careers, we banked every bonus and every raise. So at the start of each year, we’d increase our automatic investments by at least as much as our paychecks increased, meaning we never felt like we got a raise, and we didn’t start spending more. When you add the compounding effect of all those raises we banked, it adds up to quite a big number! But for us, because we did it gradually that way and just kept the amount we had to spend steady, it never felt like a sacrifice to save at a really high rate.
2. When did you begin saving for early retirement?
While we’d been saving for years for a string of financial goals – paying off my consumer debt, buying our first place in LA, buying our forever home in Tahoe and saving a bit for traditional retirement – we started saving for early retirement in a focused way about six years ago. And then we got super focused four years ago.
I still can’t believe how much we saved in that time, but it’s amazing what’s possible when you get really clear on your “why” and align all your decisions around it. (And again, having a higher income for sure helped. You can’t save more than you earn, so the more you can earn, the faster you can save.)
3. Was early retirement always something you were striving for? What made you want to retire early?
Mark and I always had a sense that we didn’t want to work “forever,” but we didn’t know what that meant. We had very demanding, high-stress careers where we could never truly be offline. We loved much about the work and loved our clients and colleagues, but it definitely took a big toll on our physical and mental health. And that’s how we knew that we weren’t willing to do that kind of work forever.
We talked about transitioning to different, lower-paid careers, but once we realized that we could work hard for just a few more years and then never need to work again, it was an easy choice to keep going.
Related: What Is Financial Independence, Retire Early? Answers To FAQs About FIRE
4. Would you say that you live comfortably? I ask this because many people assume that early retirees eat a lot of rice and beans!
I mean, I do love rice and beans. 😉 But we only eat rice and beans a few times a month. I would definitely say we live super comfortably! We own a single family home in a crazy beautiful part of the world, we spend money on fresh, healthy, mostly organic food, we ski multiple times a week and we take several international trips per year.
There’s a lot we don’t spend on, of course, and we do have one freakishly frugal habit that shocks a lot of people – keeping our house at a chilly 55 degrees F in the winter – but we think our life is pretty darn luxurious. But we keep it reasonable by ruthlessly cutting out the mindless spending that doesn’t add real value to our lives and focusing our spending only on the things we love to do.
5. What career did you have before you retired? Did that career help you to retire earlier?
We both worked as political and social cause consultants for a long time – 16 years for me and nearly 20 for Mark. We loved doing meaningful work with smart, talented people, but the pace of it was really hard to sustain. We had to travel a ton and be reachable at all times, and that stress was something we carried around with us at all times. But, the upside of high-pressure jobs like that is that they often pay well. So yes, absolutely – having those careers 100% enabled us to retire early!
6. What advice do you have for the average person that doesn’t make six figures a year who wants to retire early? What do you have to say to those who may think that they can never earn as much as you can – can they still retire early too?
While earning more certainly helps speed things along, there’s nothing about the core principle of financial independence – spend less than you earn and save the difference – that requires an especially high income or a job in tech or any other particular factor. (We both went to state schools for college and majored in English and communications, if you’re curious.) If you can afford to save even a little bit of money each month, you can do this, you just might be on a slightly longer timeline. If you make saving for early retirement a priority, you’ll be amazed that it does not take 40 years to save, as many financial experts would have you believe.
My best advice is to be diligent about tracking your spending. Know where every dollar is going, and then then ask yourself which of those dollars brought you real, lasting happiness, not just a momentarily thrill, and which ones didn’t. Then, as much as you can, cut out the spending that doesn’t make you happy. You don’t even have to do it all at one time, but once you start seeing your spending that way – mindless spending that doesn’t add value and mindful spending that makes you happier – it becomes a whole lot easier to save money.
And then don’t just think about the saving side of the equation. Think about the earning side, too. Side hustles are all the rage, and I side hustled for the first 12 years of my career, working a few odd jobs and then teaching yoga and spinning for 10 years. Those jobs definitely helped me earn and save more in my early career years, but eventually having extra commitments held me back in my “real career.” And at that point, I ditched my side hustle and committed myself fully to my main job, working as long and traveling as much as that required. I know that having that real commitment to work paid off in the form of promotions and bonuses, and that wouldn’t have been possible if I’d kept my side hustle.
7. Will you still earn an income in retirement?
Our retirement is funded primarily by selling shares of stock and bond index funds that we bought throughout our savings phase, as well as by collecting rent on the one rental property we have. We created our “magic number” that we needed to save by figuring out what we’d need to have if we never earned another penny, and that’s what we saved. But now that we’re retired, we also realize that of course we’ll still earn money in some form. Retiring early takes a bit of a hustle mindset, and you don’t just stop being a person who hustles when you leave your career.
The good thing is that we can now put that hustle to use toward community service instead of paid work, and if we do take on paid work, we can be super picky and do only work that sounds super fun, that we’d happily do for free. And that extra money we earn can go toward more charitable giving, toward an extra trip overseas, or maybe toward a home project like a kitchen remodel. In the spirit of full transparency, Mark and I are both working a little bit this year, though in total it will only be about 10-20 percent of our time. We didn’t plan to work, but Mark got an offer he couldn’t refuse to work on a passion project, and I got an offer to fulfill a lifetime dream, so we both had an easy time saying yes.
8. How did you decide on how much you needed to retire on?
The starting point for calculating any early retirement number (or traditional retirement number, for that matter) has to be knowing what you spend in a year. Most online retirement calculators base your target number off what you earn, and that’s bananas if you don’t spend everything you make. When we started our planning, the rule of 25X (25 times your annual spending, the inverse of the 4% safe withdrawal rule) wasn’t as widely talked about, and it wouldn’t have worked for us anyway because we wanted to build a two-phase early retirement plan that would let us leave our traditional retirement savings alone (many early retirees convert 401(k) and IRA funds to be able to access them early without penalty, but we don’t want to do this), so that we’d have a big cushion for our later years, especially given all the uncertainty right now around health care, and the high costs even for those on Medicare.
We probably overcomplicated our calculations a bit because we’re both spreadsheet nerds, but the short version is that we calculated that our 401(k)s already had enough in them to support our “phase 2” (basically our traditional retirement, from age 59 ½ onward, after we can access our 401(k) money without having to jump through any hoops), and so we focused on saving an amount in unrestricted, taxable mutual funds that our spreadsheets told us would carry us through the first 18 years (our “phase 1”). We based those projections on extremely conservative market gains – only about percent real returns after inflation – so that we’d be okay even if the markets are flat for many years.
9. What sacrifices or hard decisions did you have to make?
I think the way we did this – focusing mostly on keeping our lifestyle contained as our earnings increased and automating our savings – made it not feel like a sacrifice. We for sure did give some things up like frequent meals out and traveling with a bit less of a budget orientation, but for those things, it was easy to give them up because we knew exactly why we weren’t spending money on them anymore. Having our goals clear in our minds and both being excited about our vision for the future was so motivating that it headed off any potential feeling of sacrifice.
Two of the hardest decisions we made along the way were to alter our plans to be able to help out family members. We hadn’t planned to buy a rental property, but it became clear that a relative with special needs would be helped a lot if we’d buy a property that would meet those needs and rent it to them, and so we adapted our plans to allow for that. And then another relative was about to go to debt collection for some medical debts that weren’t their fault, and we decided to make a personal loan to let that person move forward financially. Both decisions have worked out super well, and we believe strongly that there’s no point in having money saved if you can’t use some of it to help people you care about, but it was definitely tough to make each of those decisions.
10. What will you do about health insurance in early retirement?
We fully expect the landscape around health care in the U.S. to keep shifting, but for now we have health insurance that we purchased through the Affordable Care Act exchange. It’s a bit pricey but it’s normal insurance, which is a huge comfort to have!
11. What are your long-term plans now that you will have significantly more time not working?
We’re trying to keep things as open-ended as possible! I’m definitely going to keep writing the blog, and we’re both actively volunteering in our community. We went to Taiwan earlier this year and are planning a few more trips through the end of 2018, and then, who knows?
We’re exploring getting a very small motorhome (not big and fancy like yours, Michelle!) that we can use for road trips around the west, but that’s not for sure yet. A few years ago, we decided that our purpose is service, adventure and creativity, so while we don’t yet know what path our lives will take, we know we’ll be doing some of each of those three.
12. Are you doing any lifestyle changes to reduce your expenses in early retirement?
We are! When we were working, we were so crunched for time that we ate a lot of frozen and convenience foods, even though we would have preferred to make everything from scratch. We also couldn’t really comparison shop because we didn’t have time for that. But now we’re making more food from scratch and visiting a wider array of stores and learning what items are priced best at each place.
We’re also DIYing everything we can now that we have time to do that. But beyond that stuff, we were already living at a level we were comfortable with and that let us save a lot, so it doesn’t feel like we need to trim much more. But ask me again in a year, and maybe I’ll have found some new ways to save!
13. I’m curious to know what your methods for staying focused on accomplishing such a major goal?
Even in the very best case scenario, saving for early retirement takes years, so it’s important to know up front that you will feel some impatience along the way. Everyone who’s done it has felt it at one time or another, or maybe many times!
We found it helped a ton to track our progress and look at it often, so that we could see how far we’d come. And having everything automated also helped because we didn’t even give ourselves the opportunity to have the thought, “We’d rather spend this money instead this month to treat ourselves.” And finally, we didn’t deprive ourselves, and I think that’s important.
Living solely for tomorrow is not the way to be happy with your life – you have to allow yourself some joy today. We tried to keep things modest, of course, but we still let ourselves do fun things and spend money on things that made us happy instead of saving all our money. Living for both today and tomorrow helps with the impatience a ton!
14. If you were starting back at ground zero, what would you do differently from the beginning?
If I could go allllll the way back, I’d never set foot in Target! Haha. When I was just starting out in my career, Target was my kryptonite, and I wouldn’t set foot in there without buying a whole bunch of home decoration stuff that I didn’t need. One of my best practical saving tips is to know your spending triggers and avoid them, so to this day, I do not set foot in Target, and I get what I would have bought there on Amazon or at less tempting stores.
But if we’re just talking about the beginning of the early retirement journey, we would for sure have invested in more rental properties. Real estate offers a quicker path to financial independence than does saving, and it gives you some diversification you don’t get by only investing in the markets. I thought I’d hate being a landlord and so wasn’t interested in real estate, but now that we’ve done it for several years, we wish we had put more focus on rental properties.
15. Lastly, what is your very best tip (or two) that you have for someone who wants to reach the same success as you?
Don’t just think in terms of numbers. Get clear about what you really want to be doing with your life – what that looks like, what will make you feel like you have a purpose, what you want to be able to look back on at the end of your life and feel proud of – and then decide what you’re willing to give up to make that happen. Doing that exercise will help you figure out much more quickly how much your new life will cost and how much you can afford to save now, but best of all you’ll have the motivation to do that saving because you will have already invested the time in forming that solid vision for yourself instead of saving just to save, or just because you don’t like your job. If you retire early just because you don’t like your job and not because there’s something else you’re super stoked to do, you’ll probably be unhappy in early retirement, too.
And on the numbers front, don’t just focus on saving money. Focus on earning more. There’s a limit to how much spending you can eliminate but no limit to how much you can earn, so don’t neglect that half of the equation.
Are you interested in early retirement? Are you saving for retirement?
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Guest Post Your mood rises as the heat of summer ease. Soon, green leaves will turn to fiery fall colors as crisp, cool air invades our fair city. For lovers of autumn, this is the best time of year to get outside. Exercising outdoors has many … [Read more…]
Balancing work, your social life, friends, family, church, and staying in shape on top of a full-time work schedule is insanely difficult.
Everyone is trying to find ways to save money, eat healthy, and carve out more time for themselves in their insanely busy schedules.
Meal prepping is the perfect solution. No more unhealthy takeout on the way home and no more work lunches that add up to thousands of dollars a year.
Meal prepping can help you save time, money, and help you to eat healthy along the way.
The problem is meal prepping can be difficult if you don’t know your way around the kitchen.
These meal prep resources can make meal prep way easier. They’ll help you to find recipes, plan out your meals, get more variety in your diet, and save you time along the way.
Some of the resources are specific to certain diets while others focus on general health while saving you money.
Here’s a list of the best meal prep resources to use this year!
Best Meal Prep Resources To Use
Whether you’re a meal prep newbie or looking for more meal prep resources to spice up your game, we’ve rounded up the best meal prep resources to use in 2020. Blogs, websites, social media accounts, you name it, we’ve got the resource on the list.
Read on to find out more about why each of these resources made it onto our list of top picks.
Blogs / Websites
If you do a quick meal prep recipe search online, the results can be more than a little overwhelming. Where do you even begin when your search results yield millions of results? We’ve got a starting point for you. These blogs and websites are some of the best meal prep resources to use in 2020.
1. Meal Prepify
I’ve spent the last 8 months trying to create the most epic meal prepping blog that exists. We curate recipes from all over the food blogging community to create resources for anyone trying to save money, eat healthy, and get more time to do what they love.
Whether you’re looking for keto breakfast ideas, air fryer recipes, or you want to eat vegetarian, we can help you get started meal prepping.
2. Meal Prep Mondays
Do you think that meal prep must require hours and hours of time? Then, you don’t want to miss Meal Prep Mondays.
This site is designed with busy people in mind. Why the focus on Mondays? The site creators believe that the purpose of meal prep is to set yourself up for success with the week ahead. The focus is on healthy eating at a budget-friendly price point.
3. Budget Bytes
Budget Bytes has been around for over a decade, and there’s a reason for it. Actually, there are thousands of reasons. Beth’s site features some of the tastiest recipes we’ve seen and provides a detailed breakdown of the cost as well.
As an added bonus, the site is super viewer-friendly. It’s easy to navigate, and their Latest & Greatest feature will have your mouth watching in no time.
4. Meal Prep On Fleek
Meal Prep On Fleek is an excellent site that even offers a meal prep master course. The purpose of the course is to teach people everything they need to know about meal prep while integrating the importance of mindset and healthy living.
If you need one more reason to check them out, it’s their pizza chicken recipe. The dish went viral, and it’s no surprise why. It’s a super simple dish that is prepped in one pan. It’s a great go-to whenever you’re craving pizza.
5. Renaissance Periodization
Meal prep is all about finding menu options that fit your lifestyle. If fitness is your focus, you want to get to know Renaissance Periodization. The site features templates, coaching, and even a diet app to help you meet your fitness goals. Plus, check out their advice for meal prepping on a budget. If you think healthy food is too pricey, their tips will have you reconsidering.
6. Mashup Mom
This one is for all of our Aldi fans out there. Of course, you can find many of these ingredients at other stores, but there’s something about the magic of Aldi. And let’s not forget their fantastic prices.
Mashup Mom makes meal plans for real life, and her inspiration is the Aldi weekly flyer. Cook along with her using current sale items or dig through her archives for more Aldi-inspired meal prep.
YouTube
Let us share a little secret with you. YouTube isn’t just a place to find funny videos. It’s actually a fantastic search engine that connects viewers to some of the best meal prep resources online. The best part is that if you find one video you love, there’s a good chance you can subscribe to the creator’s channel for similar content.
Let’s take a look
6. Fit Men Cook
Kevin Curry of Fit Men Cook promises healthy meals that are never boring, and he delivers on YouTube. These meal prep resources are perfect for men and women who want to focus on eating well while minding their money. ?
Each video includes links to meal plans, grocery lists, and recipes. To get a taste of his channel, check out his video on $75 meal prep using Amazon Fresh.
7. Downshiftology
Downshiftology is an excellent resource for everyone, especially people who are focused on following gluten-free diets. Her content isn’t exclusive to meal prepping, but she does have every season covered with meal prep ideas.
If you want to sharpen your skills with healthy basics, this is a great source for that as well. After all, mastering zucchini noodles and cauliflower rice should make meal planning that much easier.
8. Caitlin Shoemaker
Maybe you think vegan food is boring and bland. Or maybe you think it’s expensive and hard to make. Caitlin Shoemaker’s channel is about to set you straight.
Check out her vegan meal plan videos to see everything from on-the-go ideas to tips for serving up $3 meals with Trader Joe’s ingredients.
It’s perfect for everyone, whether you’re a long-time vegan or simply trying to test out more meatless options.
If you aren’t vegan, but want to clean up your diet, then my friend Bethany can help you find ways to eat more vegetables even if you hate them.
9. Mind Over Munch
Mind Over Munch is the resource for you if you want your recipes served with a side of straight talk. Alyssia knows that eating healthy can be hard, and she’s here to help.
With video names like Easy Healthy Meal Prep in One Hour, she speaks our language. Food that tastes great, is good for you, and comes together in a snap is something that we can (and do!) subscribe to.
10. Lemonade Mom
Lemonade Mom knows that most of us are short on time. To save us all from ourselves (and our local fast food restaurants), she shares some of the best meal prep ideas on her YouTube channel. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all covered thanks to her easy slow cooker freezer meal prep videos.
She even features ideas on how to make Dollar Tree ingredients work into your meal plans in ways that are both budget-friendly and healthy.
Instagram accounts
Don’t let the fantastic photos fool you. You don’t have to be a master chef to consult Instagram. In fact, there are plenty of Instagram accounts that are excellent meal prep resources for people who are just getting started.
Here are some Instagram meal prep accounts that we love.
11. Food Prep Princess
Food Prep Princess is meal prep royalty for good reason. Her Instagram account features a ton of different meal prep ideas, and she also takes the time to showcase ingredient lists and shopping trips that make her meal prepping successful.
Her highlights are overflowing with helping Stories, showcasing everything from individual recipes in action to some of her best prep rituals.
12. Meal Prep Daily
What will you find at Meal Prep Daily? In addition to tons of meal prep ideas, there is plenty of advice for people who are just getting started or want to step up their meal prep game. The account also features fitness ideas and fun content.
If you want a laugh, check them out! Plus, this account even has a dedicated Stories Highlight about meal prep basics called Meal Prep 101.
13. The Girl on Bloor
The Girl on Bloor is a self-proclaimed fit foodie. But don’t think that her Instagram account is only for master food preppers. There’s something for everyone. Her Highlights focus on fit foodie essentials, including meal prep tips, slow cooker recipes, instant pot ideas, one pan meals, and low carb essentials.
She also does a terrific job proving that meal prep is anything but boring. She often spotlights ways to mix up ingredients, such as her mashed, loaded, and roasted sweet potato post.
14. Damn Delicious
Damn Delicious is no stranger to being featured on our site. She’s churned out two terrific cookbooks, her website is fantastic, and she has a must-follow Instagram account.
Come for delicious recipes like her cilantro lime chicken thighs and stay for the most adorable Corgi content online.
15. We Love Clean Food
We Love Clean Food is based in Dublin, Ireland and is dedicated to showcasing what clean eating and meal prep looks like in real life. In addition to getting a behind-the-scenes look at what meal prepping looks like in action, the Instagram account also takes a deeper dive into specific meal ideas and recipes.
If you love cheap and easy keto recipes, then this is the account to follow.
Communities
What if you could find an entire community of people to brainstorm, troubleshoot, and connect with over great food? You can! Thanks to Reddit and Facebook, there are meal prep communities popping up all over the place.
Check out the ones that made our list of best meal prep resources for 2020.
16. Meal Prep Sunday Subreddit
Don’t let Reddit intimidate you! Even if you’ve never been on the platform before, you will fall in love with this resource. Basically, Meal Prep Sunday Subreddit is a gathering of dedicated meal preppers who share ideas and inspiration with one another.
If you’ve got questions, they’ve got answers. Additionally, it’s a terrific spot to find new recipes.
17. Meal Prep Ideas Facebook Group
Meal Prep Ideas Facebook Group is a public group that anyone can join. A quick scroll will leave your mouth watering and your mind spinning. People are very active in the group, sharing snaps of what they’re prepping for the upcoming week.
In addition to gathering inspiration, you’ll often see people putting their own spin on recipes. This group is worth joining no matter how long you’ve been meal prepping. You’ll be surprised at the new tricks you can learn.
Paid (But Awesome!) Meal Prep Resources
Don’t get us wrong. Free resources are ideal, and there are a lot of awesome free resources online. There are also a few excellent paid meal prep resources that we have to include on our list of best meal prep resources. The content they deliver makes them well worth the cost. We promise!
18. $5 Meal Plans
Would you be willing to buy back your time for $5? If you answered yes, then this resource is for you. The purpose of $5 meal plans is to take the time out of meal planning.
For $5 a month, you receive a weekly hand-crafted meal plan that feeds your family healthy and tasty options for $2 per person or less. Over 35,000 people use $5 Meal Plans, and you can try it for free for 14 days!
Inside: Exchange unwanted gift cards for cash at gift card exchange kiosk near you! These convenient machines allow you to exchange unwanted gift cards for cash.
Do you have a bunch of gift cards that you never use? Or maybe you got a gift card for a store that you don’t really like.
I know I do!
In the past year, I have made it my mission to use up old gift cards, but there are still some untouched.
But now, there is an easy way to get cash for your unwanted gift cards – using a Gift Card Exchange Kiosk!
It may sound too good to be true – until you actually give it a try.
This is a great way to get cash fast and get rid of unused gift cards.
What is a gift card exchange kiosk?
A gift card exchange kiosk is a physical machine that allows you to turn unwanted gift cards into instant cash.
It’s a convenient option that allows you to insert your gift card into the kiosk and get a quote for how much cash you can get in return. The process is simple and fast, with the money being dispensed immediately.
Gift card exchange kiosks accept gift cards from many retailers and will pay you a percentage of the balance on the card.
This post may contain affiliate links, which helps us to continue providing relevant content and we receive a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the full disclosure here.
What types of gift cards can be exchanged for cash at a kiosk?
At a gift card exchange kiosk, you can usually exchange gift cards from well-known retailers such as Nike, Best Buy, Macy’s, and Apple for cash or a gift card of the same or lower value.
Other gift cards from lesser-known retailers may not be accepted.
How does gift card exchange kiosk work?
Gift card exchange kiosks are becoming increasingly popular as they offer a convenient way to turn unwanted gift cards into cash.
If you have a gift card that you are no longer using, here is a step-by-step guide on how to use a gift card exchange kiosk:
Find a gift card exchange kiosk near me.
Find the gift card slot on the machine. This position can vary for different kiosks, so be sure to look for it.
Insert your unwanted gift card.
Wait for the machine to scan and process your card.
Review the offer that flashes on the screen. You will be offered either a discounted value of your gift card in cash or a gift card (of the same or a lower value) from another retailer.
Accept the offer and collect your cash or gift card. For some kiosks, you will receive a voucher which you can then exchange for cash at the store’s cash counter.
If you decline the offer, the machine will return your gift card with its original balance.
Using a gift card exchange kiosk is a simple and convenient way to get cash for unwanted gift cards.
How can I find a gift card exchange kiosk near me?
If you are looking for a gift card kiosk near you that will exchange your gift cards for cash, there are a variety of options available.
Typically, you can visit one of the stores listed such as:
If you are looking for an even more convenient option, you can now sell your gift cards online! Using CardCash is a great option as they offer high payouts and a safe alternative to going to an in-person kiosk.
I would avoid using other online platforms as sometimes if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is!
Do gift card exchange kiosks exist?
Yes, gift card exchange kiosks do exist. These are machines that allow you to trade in your unwanted gift cards for cash or other cards.
However, I struggled to find any in the big city. So, your mileage may vary.
Learn you can read my Cardcash review when exchanging a gift card online.
Using Coinstar Gift Card Exchange
Coinstar was once a great option for those looking to exchange their gift cards for cash, especially if a gift card was about to expire.
The process was simple: enter the details of the gift card, receive an offer on the screen, accept or decline, and receive cash if accepted.
However, Coinstar has since abolished gift card exchange kiosks and now only allows people to exchange coins for gift cards.
Unfortunately, Coinstar is no longer an option for those wanting to get cash for a gift card, but you can use CardCash to turn those unwanted or soon-to-be-expiring gift cards into cash.
FAQ
When exchanging a gift card at a gift card exchange kiosk, you can usually expect to get around 60 – 85% of the remaining monetary value of the gift card in cash.
For example, if you have a gift card with a remaining balance of $100, you could expect to get around $60 – $85 in cash after the fee is taken out.
It is important to check the balance of the gift card before using the kiosk, as this will determine how much money you can get from the exchange.
Yes, there is a transaction fee associated with a gift card exchange kiosk.
Depending on the location and the company running the kiosk, the fee can vary.
Yes, there are some limitations and restrictions associated with using a gift card exchange kiosk such as only accepting gift cards from certain retailers
For example, Visa®, Mastercard®, and other bank-issued gift cards are not accepted at a Gift Card Exchange kiosk and therefore cannot be sold for cash.
Additionally, some kiosks may require you to enter personal information and provide identification for security reasons, which can take a few minutes.
The main difference between a coin machine and a gift card exchange kiosk is the type of payment they accept.
Coin machines accept only coins and dispense cash, while gift card exchange kiosks accept gift cards and dispense cash, e-gift cards, or a charity donation.
Time to sell gift cards for cash instantly near me
If you have an unwanted gift card, don’t fret!
You can exchange it for cash at a gift card exchange kiosk.
These kiosks are becoming increasingly popular, so you should be able to find one near you. Just be sure to check the fees before you exchange your card so you know how much cash you’ll walk away with.
Selling gift cards online is much more convenient than selling them in person, as you don’t have to worry about finding a kiosk near me.
Use CardCash for a hassle-free way to sell your gift cards online. Then, you can easily trade in your gift card for cash or other gift cards or cash.
Know someone else that needs this, too? Then, please share!!
Looking for the best money saving apps and websites?
When it comes to using technology to save money, there are a variety of money saving apps and websites to choose from. I’ve sifted through the best personal finance apps to find which ones will help you save the most money, and I’m sharing a list and summary of your best options.
What I love about these kinds of apps is that you can easily keep track of your savings. You can simply pull out your phone and see what’s happening with your finances.
Whether they make managing your money easier, allow you to make or save more money, simplify financial tasks, cut your expenses, or something else, there are many benefits to the apps I’m sharing today.
Saving money is so important, but it can be difficult to do with the rising cost of things. That’s why every little bit counts when it comes to saving money!
The money saving apps and websites below will help you:
Save money from your phone
Save/earn money when shopping online
Manage your money online
Side hustle online
Save when you grocery shop
Set and reaching savings goals
Invest for your future
Improve your spending habits
Cut your expenses
And more.
The apps I’m sharing will work on Apple iOS, Android, laptop, and/or tablet. You should be able to sign up for them through your phone’s app store or by visiting the company’s website.
In today’s article, I am going to explain the top money saving apps and answer frequently asked questions, such as if money saving apps are safe, why these apps are willing to pay you cash, and more.
Related content:
20 Best Money Saving Apps
Before we begin, I want to quickly list out all of the best money saving apps below:
Personal Capital
Capital One Shopping
Upside
Fetch Rewards
Ibotta
Qapital
Yotta Savings
Swagbucks
Rakuten
Acorns
American Consumer Opinion
Neighbor
Survey Junkie
InboxDollars
Decluttr
Bestmark
RVshare
Get Jerry
Chime®
Albert
1. Personal Capital
Personal Capital is a very popular personal finance and investment portfolio tool.
With Personal Capital, you can see your net worth, see if you’re saving enough for retirement, set a monthly spending target (and organize your spending and savings), analyze your cash flow, check up on your investments, and more.
There’s even a feature that analyzes your investment fees. It helps you identify places you can save on fees, which will help you put more of your money to work for you.
Personal Capital also has a high-interest rate savings account. This is a fee-free, FDIC-insured account, and it currently offers a savings APY of 3.35%!
Plus, it’s a free personal finance app that you can access right from your phone.
You can learn more about Personal Capital here.
2. Capital One Shopping – Automatically apply coupon codes
Capital One Shopping is one of the best money saving apps because it automatically applies coupon codes when you’re shopping online. That means you don’t have to search for coupon codes, which can save you time and money.
This is one of the best automatic savings apps because you don’t have to do anything extra. The Capital One Shopping app does the work for you by running through a variety of coupon codes as you check out, and then it automatically applies the best digital coupons for you and your purchase.
It’s free to use Capital One Shopping, and it is a browser extension that works with all major browsers.
You simply just shop as you normally do, and the Capital One Shopping app works in the background. I have it installed on my laptop, it works great, and I am always able to find the best deals with no extra time spent on my end.
You can sign up for Capital One Shopping here.
3. Upside – Save at gas stations
Upside helps you find gas stations, groceries, and restaurants where you can earn cash back on your purchases. You simply sign up for a free account, and then look at the Upside app to find places near you.
You can earn up to $0.25/gallon cash back at gas stations, up to 30% back on grocery purchases, and up to 45% back at restaurants. This app can help you offset the cost of inflation by helping you save money on everyday purchases.
App users can earn cash back at more than 50,000 locations nationwide, such as Shell gas station, Phillips 66, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Piggly Wiggly, and so much more.
One of my favorite Upside features is the map that tells you how much each gas station in your area is charging for a tank of gas. This helps you find the lowest price possible, while also giving you cash back.
You can check out Upside here to learn more.
4. Fetch Rewards – Scan your grocery receipts
If you’re looking for the best money saving app for groceries, I’ve been using Fetch Rewards the last few months, and it is so easy to save on groceries and other daily purchases!
Fetch Rewards is a cashback and gift card app that rewards you for purchases that you’ve already made.
With Fetch Rewards, you can earn points by submitting your receipts to the Fetch Rewards app from any grocery store, clothing store, restaurant, gas station, and more. Yes, ANY!
Then, you can redeem the points that you have earned for gift cards (to places such as Target or Amazon) and other rewards.
All you have to do is take a picture of your receipt with your cell phone, and you can easily earn points. I scan any and all receipts into my Fetch Rewards app and can easily earn rewards.
Here’s how Fetch Rewards works:
Shop like you normally would
Scan your receipt after you’re done
Earn points on Fetch Rewards
You can sign up for Fetch Rewards here.
5. Ibotta – Submit your receipts on your everyday purchases
With Ibotta, you simply create an Ibotta account, unlock rebates and rewards, go shopping, verify your purchases, and then get cash.
This is a great daily savings app. You can redeem rebates from over hundreds of stores, such as The Home Depot, Walmart, Chewy, and Best Buy.
You can earn cash back online as well as in-store, which is where Ibotta really stands apart from other companies. Plus, you can connect your favorite loyalty cards to your Ibotta account as well, and then Ibotta automatically applies loyalty discounts.
Ibotta is one of the easiest and best money saving apps because you’re making money shopping like you normally do. Ibotta then pays you in cash or gift cards to Amazon, Starbucks, and other stores.
6. Qapital – Save with minimal effort
Qapital is an app that can help you to save, invest, and spend with money better. This award-winning savings app has over 2 million users who have saved over $3 billion!
You can set triggers for saving, like when you post a status update to Facebook, every time you go for a run, when the space station flies over your house, etc. You can also set automatic deposits, do round-ups, and more. This can be a great way to get into automatic savings.
Qapital also has goal-based savings features, making it a great app for saving money for a trip, your wedding, emergency fund, and more. You simply set a savings goal, and Qapital automatically moves money into that account to help you realize your goal by your deadline.
There is a small monthly fee to use Qapital, but you can get a 30-day free trial. After that, they have three pricing tiers from $3 a month to $12 a month.
You can sign up for Qapital by clicking here.
7. Yotta Savings – Win up to $10 million weekly
The Yotta Savings app gives you the chance to win up to $10,000,000 weekly.
Yotta Savings uses the psychology that drives Americans to play the lottery to instead motivate Americans to save money.
For every $25 that you save with Yotta, you have the chance to win $0.10 all the way up to $10,000,000, every week.
If you don’t win, the cash you’ve saved still has a 0.20% savings rate, which is twice as high as the national average.
I personally signed up for Yotta Savings, and I think it’s a fun way to get people into saving more money. So many people enjoy playing the lottery, and this can be a great way to motivate people to save their hard-earned income.
There is even a Yotta debit card where you can earn 10% back and the chance to get any item you buy for free with the Yotta Debit Card. Plus, your savings accounts with Yotta are FDIC insured.
You can click here to download the Yotta Savings app. You can also learn more in my Yotta Savings Review.
8. Swagbucks – Complete simple tasks online
I started using Swagbucks years ago, and it has helped me easily earn extra cash on the side, and all you need is an internet connection.
There are many ways you can earn money on Swagbucks, such as:
Watching videos on their website
Playing free games online
Scanning your receipts
Installing the Swagbutton
Printing coupons
Answering daily polls
Searching the web and using their search engine
And much more.
Here’s how Swagbucks works:
You can join Swagbucks through my referral link, and receive a $10 bonus.
You can then earn points by taking online surveys, searching the web like you normally do, watching videos on Swagbucks, and shopping online.
Then, you can redeem your points for PayPal cash or gift cards (such as to Amazon or Walmart).
As you can see, Swagbucks is very easy to use!
9. Rakuten – Get cash back at online retailers
Rakuten (used to be called Ebates) is one of the best apps for saving money, and it allows you to earn free money for spending how you normally would online.
All you do is click on a store that you want to shop through (they have tons of stores such as Walmart, Target, Old Navy, etc.) and shop just like how you normally would shop online.
Rakuten makes a commission for referring you to the store you just shopped at, and they give you some of that money back as a reward. This can help you to trim your expenses and put a little more money back in your pocket. Who doesn’t love putting their money to work?
When you sign up through my link, you’ll receive a free $10 cash sign-up bonus.
10. Acorns – Invest your spare change
Is there an app that saves your spare change? Yes, and it’s called Acorns!
Founded in 2012, Acorns is the original micro-investment app. Micro-investing means you’re investing in fractional shares of stocks. So instead of buying a full stock share, you can invest with smaller amounts of money, which makes investing more accessible than ever before.
Acorns allows users to link and round up transactions to the nearest dollar from both debit and credit cards and essentially invest their spare change. Acorns also does 2x, 3x, and 10x multipliers on round-ups so you can maximize your investments.
For example: If you use a linked card to buy a $4.58 coffee, Acorns will round it up (to the nearest dollar) to $5 and invest the $0.42 difference.
Acorns also has many other features within their app, such as the ability to earn money while you shop, find jobs, and more.
You can click here to sign up for Acorns.
11. American Consumer Opinion – Paid online surveys
American Consumer Opinion is a survey company that I recommend, and it is free to sign up.
You can earn anywhere from $1 to $50 per survey taken through American Consumer Opinion, but $50 for surveys is pretty rare. It all depends on the length of the survey, and I would say the average is probably more around $1 to $5 per survey taken.
American Consumer Opinion also sometimes gives you free items to test out and give your feedback on.
They have paid out over $35,000,000 to survey takers and have posted over 20 million surveys. There are also over 7,000,000 active members.
You can sign up for American Consumer Opinion here.
12. Neighbor – Rent out your garage
Do you have unused storage space? If so, you may be able to earn money with it.
Neighbor is the Airbnb of storage space.
You can use this website to list your unused space for rent and earn up to $15,000 per year. With Neighbor, you can rent out your garage, driveway, basement, or even an unused closet.
You can set your own prices and decide for yourself what storage reservations you want to approve. You can even talk with renters in advance before deciding if they’re a good fit.
You can sign up for Neighbor for free here.
13. Survey Junkie – Share your feedback
Survey Junkie is a top survey company that provides online surveys that pay cash. You simply build a profile with them, and they match you to paid online surveys that fit your information.
They pay either cash through PayPal or with gift cards to places such as Amazon, Target, and more.
Survey Junkie accepts members from the United States, Canada, and Australia.
You can take surveys for cash by signing up for Survey Junkie here.
14. Inbox Dollars – Play games online and use coupons
InboxDollars is an online rewards website that rewards its members for watching videos, taking surveys, redeeming grocery coupons, playing games online, and more.
It is free to sign up and free to become a member.
Most of the paid online surveys on Inbox Dollars pay from $0.50 to $5.00 and take 3 to 25 minutes to complete.
Sign up for InboxDollars here and receive a free $5.
15. Decluttr – Sell your old phone
Decluttr is a website where you can sell your old cell phones, CDs, DVDs, games, and books.
It is one of the most popular buy-and-sell electronic/tech websites, and for good reason: They pay well and quickly.
Here’s how to make money on Decluttr:
Open Decluttr’s app and get a free instant valuation for the items that you want to sell.
Tell them the make, model, and condition of your cell phone. If you’re selling CDs, DVDs, or games, then you just enter your barcode or take a picture of the barcode with the Decluttr cell phone app.
If you’re happy with the amount that they are offering you for your item, then you simply get a box (any box that you think will keep it safe while it’s in the mail) and pack it up safely to ship to Decluttr. Decluttr sends you a free shipping label, and all you have to do is print out and tape it to your mailing box.
Once your item arrives at Decluttr and it’s been looked over and verified, you will receive payment the next day by direct deposit to your bank account or PayPal.
As you can see, it is easy to use this website. If you have items around your home that you are no longer using, then this can be an easy way to make money. I also recommend shopping through Decluttr if you want to save money on electronics!
You can check out Decluttr here.
16. Bestmark – Mystery shopping
Companies hire mystery shoppers because they want to get a better idea of what the customer experience is actually like. This could be a clothing shop, a car dealership, a movie theater, and more. Basically, any business that’s selling something to customers can benefit from mystery shoppers because they want to see their business through their customers’ eyes.
Mystery shopping can be an interesting way to make extra money online, while shopping in-store, over the phone, and so on.
In the past, I have done mystery shops that paid me actual money, and others paid me in free items too, such as a nice dinner out and makeup. After using Bestmark for mystery shopping, I highly recommend them.
There is no monthly fee with Bestmark, and it is free to sign up!
You can learn more at Want To Make An Extra $100 A Month? Learn How To Become A Mystery Shopper.
17. RVshare – Rent out your RV
If you have an RV that you aren’t currently using, then you may be able to earn $100 to $300 a day or more by renting it out to others through RVShare.
Think of RVshare as Airbnb for RVs.
You can rent all kinds of RV on RVShare, such as:
Camper vans
Travel trailers
Pop-ups
Class C Motorhome
Class A Motorhome
Toy hauler
RVshare also securely handles all payments and releases funds to your bank account one business day after the start of each rental.
Related: Have an RV that you want to rent out? Check out How To Make Extra Money By Renting Out Your RV.
18. Get Jerry – Save money on car insurance
When was the last time you shopped around for car insurance?
Even though it’s very easy, shopping around for insurance is something that most people avoid because it takes time. The problem is that not shopping around can cost you tens of thousands of dollars over your lifetime.
Jerry is an insurance comparison company that will help you get the best value car insurance.
With Jerry:
You can sign up in just 45 seconds
Compare quotes from over 45 companies
Save an average of $879 per year
You can shop car insurance rates through Get Jerry here.
19. Chime® – Round-up savings app
Chime is an award winning financial app that will help you save money and make the most of your spending. One of their most exciting features are automatic round-ups when you make a purchase. Chime will automatically round up your purchase to the next dollar amount and save the rest for you.*
Here are even more Chime features:
Get paid up to two days early^ when you set up direct deposit
No monthly fees and fee-free overdraft
Send fee-free payments to friends and family
Higher-than-average APY*
You can sign up for Chime here.
Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., Members FDIC.
*Round Ups automatically round up debit card purchases to the nearest dollar and transfer the round up from your Chime Checking Account to your savings account.
*The average national savings account interest rate of 2.00% is determined by FDIC as of November 17, 2022 based on a simple average of rates paid (uses annual percentage yield) by all insured depository institutions and branches for which data are available. Visit National Rates and Rate Caps to learn more.
^Early access to direct deposit funds depends on the timing of the submission of the payment file from the payer. We generally make these funds available on the day the payment file is received, which may be up to 2 days earlier than the scheduled payment date.
20. Albert – Simple saving and investing app
Albert is an app designed to make it easier to save and invest all in one place. This app has features for saving, investing, and budgeting.
They even have a Genius feature, which is an in-app chat where you can ask one of their Geniuses anything related to money, from credit cards, buying a car, student loans, and more.
You can learn more about Albert here.
Do money saving apps actually work?
Yes, money saving apps and websites actually work. They exist for a reason!
Now, not every single one will work for everyone, but there are many options that you may be able to try out.
I have personally used many money saving apps and websites over the years, from online savings accounts, to cash back websites to paid online surveys, and more.
Are money saving apps safe?
The money saving apps and websites included in this article are safe and legitimate.
I did thorough research on each company, and I use many of them myself.
Where do money saving apps get money from? Why would they pay me?
Many of the money saving apps and websites listed above make money in ways such as:
They may get paid a commission when a customer buys something from one of the company’s partner sites.
Selling market research data, which is what survey sites pay you for.
Display advertising – which means getting eyeballs to their website, app, etc. – may earn them money through advertising on their website/platform/app.
Some of these apps make money because you are selling something to them, and then they resell it, such as with Decluttr.
Mystery shopping companies make money from the company that is hiring them to have the mystery shop done. For example, a clothing store may pay them to find mystery shoppers and conduct the mystery shop.
They all make money in some way, which is why they do what they do.
They are all legitimate, and many people earn money with each of the ways listed in this article.
What are the best money saving apps for iPhone? And what are the best money saving apps for Android?
Out of this list of apps, Acorns and Ibotta are two of the top-rated iPhone and Android apps. But that doesn’t mean those are the only ones you should check out. These companies all have very user-friendly and safe apps.
What are the best money saving apps?
To quickly recap the above, the best money saving apps include:
Personal Capital
Capital One Shopping
Upside
Fetch Rewards
Ibotta
Qapital
Yotta Savings
Swagbucks
Rakuten
Acorns
American Consumer Opinion
Neighbor
Survey Junkie
InboxDollars
Decluttr
Bestmark
RVshare
Get Jerry
Chime
Albert
The money saving apps above may help you to save money, cut your expenses, reduce your fees, build larger savings accounts, improve your spending habits, get rewards, make money, and more.
Free money sounds too good to be true, but there are actually a number of different ways to get your hands on money with no cost and very low effort on your part.
Here, we’ll take a look at more than 20 free money apps that will put some extra money in your pocket with minimal time or effort.
While you’re not going to get rich or generate a full-time income from these apps, you will be able to get a little bit of extra money that you can spend, save, or invest. And best of all, anyone can do it.
Best Free Money Apps
1. Swagbucks
Best for: Earning easy money in lots of different ways during your spare time.
If you’re looking to make some extra money in your down time, you’ll definitely want to check out Swagbucks. This popular website and app gives you several different ways to make money including:
Taking short surveys
Watching videos
Playing games
Downloading and installing apps
Taking advantage of special offers
Cashback for your online purchases
Using the Swagbucks search engine
Most people know Swagbucks as a survey app, and while that’s true, you can make more money with Swagbucks than most other survey apps because there are so many different ways to earn.
Each task or activity will earn you a specified number of points (referred to as “Swagbucks” or SB). After you’ve accumulated some SB, they can be redeemed for your choice of rewards, including cash via PayPal or a wide variety of gift cards.
The best way to earn significant amounts of money with Swagbucks is to take advantage of special offers. When you’re logged in to the dashboard, click on “Discover” to see the offers that are currently available. You might be able to earn Swagbucks by creating an account at a website, opening a bank account, starting a free trial, or any number of other things. The offers change frequently and if you take advantage of the highest-paying offers while they’re available, you can do pretty well with Swagbucks.
One of the many reasons to love Swagbucks is that you can redeem your rewards very quickly. While some sites/apps don’t allow you to cash out until you’ve earned $20 – $30 in rewards, Swagbucks allows you to redeem your rewards for as little as $3. They also run a lot of sales, which allows you to get a higher value gift card for your points.
Get Swagbucks here|Read our Swagbucks review
2. InboxDollars
Best for: Supplementing Swagbucks as another way to make money with easy tasks.
InboxDollars is very similar to Swagbucks. As an InboxDollars user, you’ll be able to make money by:
Taking surveys
Watching videos
Playing games
Printing coupons
Shopping online
Claiming special offers
Like Swagbucks, the best way to earn money quickly with InboxDollars is through the special offers. The available offers will change periodically, but as an example of what you’ll find, right now here are a few of the offers that I see in my dashboard:
$10 to get a free insurance quote
$2 to enter a competition/giveaway
$1.50 to download an app and create a free account
$2 to get a free credit score and credit report analysis
Those are just a few examples of what’s available. If you take advantage of these easy offers, you can earn a decent amount of money with very little effort.
Unlike Swagbucks and many other similar sites, InboxDollars doesn’t work on a point system. Instead of earning points that will be redeemed for prizes, you’ll earn real cash. Each task or offer has an assigned dollar amount that you’ll earn.
InboxDollars requires you to have a balance of at least $10 in order to redeem your cash.
Get InboxDollars here| Read our InboxDollars review
3. Survey Junkie
Best for: Making money with simple online surveys.
While you can make money by taking surveys with both Swagbucks and InboxDollars, Survey Junkie is a bit different. Instead of offering surveys plus several other ways to make money, Survey Junkie focuses exclusively on surveys.
If you want to earn cash through online surveys, the best approach is to use a few different websites and apps. If you’re really active, you may run out of available surveys from a particular app, until new surveys are added. Using a few different sites or apps gives you more possibilities. Plus, you can pick and choose the surveys you take since you’ll have more selection. You can opt to take only the surveys that allow you to earn the most money for your time.
Since Survey Junkie focuses exclusively on surveys, most people are able to make more at other sites like Swagbucks that have more options. However, if you’re looking specifically for surveys, there’s no better place to find them than Survey Junkie.
When you create an account and login to the dashboard, you’ll need to take a brief profile survey with some details about yourself so you can be matched up to the right surveys (you’ll also earn a little money for completing this intro survey).
Then you’ll see a list of the available surveys. Each one will list the amount that you’ll earn for completing it, as well as the estimated amount of time it will take to complete the survey.
Get Survey Junkie here.
4. Vindale Research
Best for: Supplementing Survey Junkie as a source of paid surveys.
Vindale Research is another survey website/app that allows you to earn money by:
Completing short surveys
Watching videos
Opening promotional emails
Referring your friends
Although Vindale offers a few different ways to make money, taking surveys is the primary offer here. You’ll earn real cash that can be redeemed by PayPal.
Vindale Research is a good option for anyone who wants to make money with online surveys. The income potential is not as high as Swagbucks or InboxDollars, but Vindale is worth including in your collection of sites/apps that you use for surveys.
Get Vindale Research here
5. Rakuten
Best for: Easy cashback for online purchases at thousands of websites.
Rakuten (formerly Ebates) is the most popular cashback website/app and you can save money on many of the purchases that you would be making anyway.
With a free Rakuten account, you’ll earn cash back at thousands of their partner stores and websites. While there are some options for cashback on in-store purchases, the majority of the offers are for online purchases.
Thankfully, using Rakuten is extremely simple. They offer a convenient browser extension you can install, and then whenever you visit a website that offers cashback through Rakuten, you’ll see a notice in your browser. All you need to do is click on that notification and Rakuten will track any purchases that you make and credit your count with the appropriate amount of cashback.
If you do any shopping online, using Rakuten is a no-brainer. It takes no extra effort and you can save money on a lot of the things you need to buy. The browser extension is awesome because you don’t even have to remember, it will notify you of opportunities. The browser extension will also automatically search for and apply coupon codes when you’re checking out, which will also save you a lot of money.
The amount of cashback you’ll earn will vary depending on the store and the specific purchase. It can range from 1% up to 50%.
One of my favorite things about Rakuten is the fact that you can stack these rewards on top of credit card rewards and other loyalty rewards to save even more.
Get Rakuten here | Read our Rakuten review
6. Ibotta
Best for: Cash back on grocery shopping.
Ibotta is another must-have cashback app. Unlike Rakuten, Ibotta is great for in-store purchase, as well as online shopping.
There are a few different ways you can use Ibotta:
Claim offers in the app and then scan your receipt after purchasing.
Link your store loyalty accounts from your favorite retailers to earn cashback faster.
Buy gift cards for your favorite stores and restaurants to earn cash back on the entire amount.
Earn cash back for online purchases that originate through the app or website.
With the help of Ibotta, you can save money on groceries, clothing, home goods, and more. Ibotta is easily one of the best ways to save money on groceries since they are partnered with many leading grocery stores and there are always a lot of offers available.
Before you go shopping, you’ll simply browse the current offers in the Ibotta app and claim the items that you want to purchase. After the purchase, you’ll scan the receipt using the Ibotta app and you’ll be credited for the offered items that you purchased. Alternatively, you can link your store loyalty account to Ibotta so you won’t need to scan receipts.
And just like Rakuten, Ibotta is great for stacking rewards on multiple levels. If you’re shopping for groceries, you can earn cashback through Ibotta, earn cashback or rewards through your credit card, and rack up loyalty points through the store’s program.
Get Ibotta here | Read our Ibotta review
7. Fetch Rewards
Best for: Supplementing Ibotta to save more money on groceries.
Fetch Rewards is another cashback app, but it was created specifically for grocery shopping. It works a little bit differently than Ibotta. You don’t need to claim offers ahead of time. You’ll simply do your shopping and then scan the receipt with your phone or submit the digital receipt for your online grocery shopping.
The best thing about Fetch Rewards is that it’s very easy to use since you don’t need to browse and claim offers before you go shopping. You’ll simply open the app and scan your receipts. At any time, you can browse the app to see the available offers and see what purchases will earn you money, but you don’t need to claim anything. The cashback will be automatically added when your receipt is scanned.
In general, most people earn more cashback with Ibotta, but Fetch Rewards is great to use in addition.
Once you’ve accumulated some rewards, you’ll be able redeem them for your choice of gift cards.
Get Fetch Rewards here | Read our Fetch Rewards review
8. MyPoints
Best for: Alternative to Rakuten, plus surveys and other ways to make money.
MyPoints has a cashback component that is similar to Rakuten. You’ll earn cashback for your purchases at all of their partner websites. MyPoints also has a browser extension you can install that will notify you of money-saving opportunities while you’re browsing.
In addition, you can also earn money in a few other ways like taking surveys, watching videos, playing games, and printing coupons. Like Swagbucks and InboxDollars, there are also special offers available through the dashboard that allow you to earn points quickly.
MyPoints uses a points system and then those points can be redeemed for gift cards or your choice of rewards. However, the conversion of points to dollars is not as straightforward as Swagbucks, so MyPoints can be a little confusing. For example, a $10 gift card might cost you 1,590 points. The fact that it’s not a round number makes it a little more challenging to know how much your points are worth.
If you’re looking to make money with surveys, special offers, or cashback, MyPoints is definitely and app that you should be using.
Get MyPoints here
9. TopCashback
Best for: Maximizing your cashback for online purchases (offers are sometimes better than Rakuten).
TopCashback is very similar to Rakuten and it’s one of the best ways to get easy cash back for your online purchases. They have a huge collection of more than 4,000 partner retailers offering cash back through their platform.
Rakuten is the most-well-known cashback program and probably the easiest to use, but TopCashback actually offers higher amounts of cashback in many cases. Of course, the details vary from one retailer to the next, but TopCashback has done a really great job of providing users with the best offers possible.
If you’re looking to maximize the cashback you earn, you should be using TopCashback in addition to Rakuten. Like Rakuten, TopCashback also offers a browser extension and mobile app that provide easy and convenient ways to save on many of the purchases you need to make anyway.
Get TopCashback here
10. Dosh
Best for: Automated cashback from participating merchants, including local retailers and restuarants.
Dosh is a cashback app that provides automatic cashback. When you download and install the app, you’ll link it to your credit cards or debit cards and then whenever you make a purchase at a participating retailer, you’ll automatically earn the cashback for your purchase.
When you’re in the Dosh app, you can view the offers from retailers and restaurants that are near you. You can also shop online through the app and earn cashback.
One of the nice things about Dosh is that you’ll find cashback offers from many smaller businesses and local restaurants, not just the major retailers and chains.
After you’ve earned some cashback, you can redeem it by having it transferred directly to your bank account.
Get Dosh here | Read our Dosh review
11. Pei
Best for: Automated cashback, plus savings through the app/website.
Pei is another cashback app that allows you to link a credit or debit card to earn automatic cashback. You’ll earn cashback automatically from purchases made in-store at participating retailers, and you can also browse the app or website to find offers for shopping online.
You can even use Pei as a search engine to search for merchants or products and see if there are any current offers.
Pei is a great app for earning cashback on in-store purchases because it’s so simple to use and there’s really nothing you need to do after linking your cards.
One of the most interesting things about Pei is that you can claim your rewards in Bitcoin instead of cash, if you prefer.
12. Lucktastic
Best for: A chance at winning large prizes by playing games.
Lucktastic is a free app that allows you to earn money and rewards by playing games. You can win expensive trips and huge cash prizes (up to $1 million) with Lucktastic.
If you’re not lucky enough to win one of the big prizes, you can still earn tokens as you play and redeem those tokens for your choice of gift cards.
While hitting it big with Lucktastic certainly isn’t something that everyone is going to do, it can still be a fun way to try and make some money while playing games in your spare time. If you’re looking for something that gives you a more predictable way to earn money, the options covered earlier in the article would be more appropriate for you.
Get Lucktastic here
13. Mistplay
Best for: Earning smaller rewards, like gift cards, for playing games.
Mistplay is another app (available only for Android) that pays users for playing games. You can find and discover new games, earn units based on how long you play, and redeem those units for your choice of rewards.
As you use the app, you’ll be able to unlock different achievement badges and earn more units.
To date, Mistplay has paid out more than $13 million in rewards. Try another app that pays you to game here: Gamehag
Get Mistplay here
14. Zap Surveys
Best for: A good source for surveys that actually pay out.
Zap Surveys is the #1 survey app, and by using the app you can get paid to share your opinion on a variety of topics. To date they’ve paid out over $30 million dollars in rewards to Zap Surveys members, and when you sign up with our link you’ll earn $6.25 on your first survey.
Types of surveys they have include:
High paying surveys where you will not only be rewarded, but we will also donate to child starvation every completed survey!
Logo polling – get paid to tell companies what design they should use for their next logo!
Surveys that appear based on your location!
There is no limit to the number of times you can cash out, but the minimum cash out is $25.00. Cash out with PayPal, Amazon gift cards or Visa gift cards!
Get Zap Surveys here
15. Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel
Best for: A chance at monthly prizes, in exchange for your browsing data.
Nielsen is a data research company that’s willing to pay for your browsing data. Nielsen can be used on laptops in addition to mobile devices.
You’ll simply download it to your computer or device and let it run in the background. In exchange, you’ll be rewarded for leaving it active and have a chance to win the $10,000 that Nielsen gives away each month.
Get Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel here
16. Embee Meter CX
Best for: Passive rewards for your mobile browsing data.
Embee Meter CX is another mobile data research app (Android only) that rewards you for providing access to your device. Simply install the app on your device and you’ll earn “meter points” for leaving it active.
You can redeem the meter points for cash through PayPal or your choice of gift cards. Like Nielsen and MobileXpression, Embee Meter CX is an easy way to earn a little something extra.
Get Embee Meter CX here
17. UpVoice
Best for: Passive rewards for visiting websites you probably already visit.
UpVoice is another easy way to earn something for the things you’re already doing. You probably already visit websites like Amazon, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitter on a daily basis, so why not get some rewards for it?
All you need to do is download UpVoice to your computer and let it run in the background. You’ll earn tokens whenever you visit these sites. After you’ve earned enough tokens, they can be redeemed for your choice of gift cards.
UpVoice obviously monitors your browsing, however, it’s anonymous and no personal data is tracked.
Get UpVoice here
18. Honeygain
Best for: Payment for sharing your internet access.
Honeygain is another option for earning money passively, but you don’t have to provide access to your data in order to do it. Instead, you’ll install Honeygain and it will allow users to access the internet from your location. There are a number of reasons why a business would want to do this, including testing to see what ads are being shown to a user at your location.
Other users don’t get any access to your data through Honeygain, and you’ll earn money for providing the internet access.
Like the other passive apps, you’re not going to get rich with Honeygain, but it does present an easy way to make a little bit of extra money.
Get Honeygain here
19. Rocket Money
Best for: Bill negotiation services to lower your monthly payments.
Rocket Money helps you to manage your finances in a few different ways, but the most significant is by reducing your monthly bills through negotiation. You can allow Rocket Money’s professional negotiators to work on your behalf to get you the best deal cable TV, internet access, mobile phone service, and more.
If Rocket Money isn’t able to save you any money, you’ll be charged nothing. If they are able to lower your bills, they’ll keep 40% of the savings.
Get Rocket Money here
20. Trim
Best for: Bill negotiation services to lower your monthly payments.
Trim is another bill negotiation service that’s similar to Rocket Money. Both companies offer some additional features and services as well, but the bill negotiation is the easiest way to save money.
Trim’s rates for bill negotiation are actually a little lower than Rocket Money. Just like Rocket Money, they won’t charge anything if they can’t save you any money, but they’ll take 33% of any savings.
Get Trim here
21. Paribus
Best for: Monitoring price changes for low-price guarantees and monitoring shipments from Amazon.
*Capital One Shopping compensates us when you sign up for Capital One Shopping using the links below.
Paribus from Capital One helps you to get easy money that is owed to you. You’ll sign up for free and link it to the email account you use for online shopping. Whenever Paribus sees a receipt it will automatically go to work.
After you’ve made a purchase, Paribus will monitor price changes and notifies you if the price has dropped on a purchase from a retailer with a price-match guarantee. They’ll tell you exactly what to do in order to get the refund that is owed to you.
Paribus also monitors shipments from retailers like Amazon and helps you to get compensation when a shipment is late.
Get Capital One’s other shopping tool, Capital One Shopping, to save money when you’re shopping online. The browser extenstion will tell you if you’re getting a good price, help you comparison shop and more. Read a full Capital One Shopping review here.
Get Paribus here | Get Capital One Shopping
22. Upside
Best for: Saving money on your gas.
Upside is a savings app that helps you to find the best prices on gas, and also get additional cash back savings once you find the best price.
Not only can you get cash back on gas, but many local restaurants, grocery stores and convenience stores have cash back offers available as well.
Upside works with major gas stations like Shell, BP, Exxon, Speedway, Holiday Stations and more. See gas prices near you at 9000+ stations and earn fuel rewards with real cash back every time you fuel up.
I’ve found that the stations near me typically advertise around $0.25 cents/gallon savings on their gas prices. You can also save additional money on the price by referring other users to the app.
We’ve been using the app quite a bit for Burger King and Wendy’s restaurants in our area as they give anywhere from 25-40% cash back on your order. That’s pretty awesome, and it usually stacks with cash back from other services like Dosh or Pei!
In checking our cash back history just now I realized we’ve earned over $1210 in cash back using Upside. I’ll take that!
You can cash out whenever you want in the app, and they pay cash back via PayPal, check, or gift card.
Sign up for the app through our link below, and use promo code: AFF25 to get an extra 0.25 cents/gal cash back on gas on your first fill-up.
Get Upside here
23. ReceiptPal
Best for: Making money on all of your receipts, no matter where they come from.
ReceiptPal is a receipt scanning app, similar to Fetch Rewards mentioned above. Often you can use multiple apps like this to earn rewards at more than one service. I personally use ReceiptPal and Fetch Rewards for most of my grocery receipts.
With ReceiptPal you earn rewards points simply for scanning all of your paper receipts, along with getting points for linked Amazon or email accounts where additional receipts can be counted.
For every 4 receipts you can you’ll get 100 points that you can use towards a reward. You can redeem your points with as little as 2200 points for a $5 Amazon gift card, or a Target, Lowe’s Best Buy or Visa gift card, among a few others. You can also refer other users and earn 250 points per user.
While it takes a while to earn rewards with ReceiptPal, I like it because it’s easy, and you’re taking something that wouldn’t otherwise earn rewards, scanning receipts, and monetizing it.
I just started using it a few months ago and so far I’ve been able to cash in my points for several $5 and $10 Amazon gift cards.
Get ReceiptPal here
Make Money With Apps In Your Free Time
While these apps may not make you rich, even a small amount of extra money is a good thing.
These free money apps work in various ways, but they all help you to make or save money with little-to-no effort needed.
Have your own favorite apps that you’ve used to make money? Tell us what they are in the comments!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there apps that pay you cash?
Yes, there are countless apps that will pay you in cash, bitcoin and gift cards. I’ve earned thousands of dollars myself by using many of these apps, and you can too. Check out our full list of apps at Bible Money Matters for more information.
What apps pay you instantly?
Most apps allow you to earn points until you reach a certain payout threshold. Some secret shopper and gig apps like Field Agent, Gigwalk or Mobee will give you an instant payout. Uber and lyft will also allow you to do a same day cashout, although there are some limitations. Other services like DoorDash will offer an immediate payout once you’ve been with them for a while, but not before.
What cash back apps are the best?
My favorite cash back apps are Upside, Drop, Ibotta, Fetch Rewards and Dosh. Apps like Dosh, Drop, and Upside even work automatically with no receipt scanning or anything else, once you link a credit card. I use them the most becaause they’re the easiest to use.
What apps pay you money to play games?
There are a lot of apps and websites that pay you to play games. Some of the more popular ones include Swagbucks, Mistplay, Gamehag, Inbox Dollars, Lucktastic, MyPoints, and Bananatic.
Can you make money from apps?
Yes, you can make money from apps. Some apps will pay you for doing your online shopping using their app. Others will pay you to fill out surveys, or to scan your receipts from your in-store purchases. Others will pay you to perform small tasks, or to partake in the gig economy (dog walking, ridesharing, etc). Others you can use to sell your stuff, and then get a payout when it sells. It just comes down to deciding how much time you have to invest, and how much you want to make.
Which apps pay the most?
The highest paying apps are probably going to be the ones where you’re actually engaging in a side hustle to earn income. Apps like Uber, Lyft, Rover and other gig economy apps can help you to earn close to a full time income. Other apps will have good sign up bonuses that it pays to take advantage of. Empower has a $20 Amazon gift card to sign up, Ibotta has a $10 sign-up bonus. Otherwise, other apps may take a while to earn as much as you want.
Tap on the profile icon to edit your financial details.
Nuclear fusion may well be the technology of the future.
Not a technology. For many engineers, if physicists can ever crack the secrets of fusion, it may be to the 21st century what coal was to the 19th and petroleum was to the 20th. This could become a new ubiquitous technology, a part of infrastructure found on every part of the globe.
For investors, there’s enormous potential here. If you’re looking to understand how the technology of the future can power your own retirement as well, read on.
For help building a balanced investment portfolio, consider working with a financial advisor.
Nuclear Fusion Basics
Nuclear fusion energy is the idea of generating electricity from combining two atoms to create a new one. When two atoms fuse, the resulting atom has slightly less mass than the sum of its parts. This is due to the weak nuclear force, a form of mass/energy which binds subatomic particles together into atoms. Each atom has its own binding energy, so when two atoms are combined into a single entity this leftover binding energy is released as lost mass from the resulting atom. That generates the heat of a fusion reaction.
Fusion is the corollary to fission, the other currently understood source of nuclear energy. With fission, you create a reaction that splits a large atom into two smaller atoms. With fusion, you create a reaction that joins two smaller atoms into a larger one. Fission is rarely found in nature at large scale, but fusion is the power source for stars.
As a power source, fusion has many benefits over fission.
First, fusion is far safer than fission. Once you start a fission reaction, you must actively control it or it can flash consume all of its fuel in an explosive event. The hydrogen that fuels a fusion reaction, on the other hand, can be added as its consumed, meaning that the entire reaction will cease if you simply stop adding fuel. After a reaction, fission leaves behind highly toxic radioactive waste that can even be weaponized in the wrong hands. Fusion leaves behind helium, an inert and harmless gas that the world could actually use more of.
Fission is powered by relatively rare and expensive enriched uranium. Fusion is powered by an isotope of hydrogen, the most common element in the universe.
To top it all off, fusion generates more power than any other known process. With an equivalent amount of fuel, a fusion reactor can generate four times as much electricity as the fission reactors that current nuclear power plants use. That same fusion reactor can generate 4 million times as much energy as a chemical plant powered by coal or oil.
Fusion’s Problem
The basis behind a fusion reaction is what’s known as “the bottle.” It’s not currently possible to wrap up even tiny stars in a physical reactor. Any solid material would vaporize right away. Instead, the fusion reaction takes place inside a high-energy plasma. That plasma, in turn, is contained by a series of powerful magnetic fields. These shaped magnetic fields are called “the bottle.” The bottle contains and directs the heat of the fusion reaction, making it safe and productive.
The problem is that, with current technology, it takes more energy to sustain the magnetic bottle than the fusion reaction produces. The hotter you burn the reactor, the more energy it takes to keep the reaction contained. The result is energy-negative.
That’s changing however. Advances in several different fields, from mathematics to superconductors, are making it steadily more efficient to generate the magnetic bottle that contains and sustains a fusion reaction, and in 2022 the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory made a credible claim to have generated a positive-sum reaction.
Investing In Fusion Through Companies
Investing in fusion is not easy. Since this is a developing technology, any investment in this field is fundamentally speculative. There are no publicly traded companies that operate fusion reactors, because no commercial fusion reactors exist yet. You can’t have an industry around a product that only exists as a very convincing theory.
That said, this is still a billion-dollar industry, with around $4.8 billion invested as of 2022. While much of that work is being done by government and university labs, there are several dozen private startup companies that are trying to develop their own reactors. Firms like Helion Energy and Commonwealth Fusion Systems have generated hundreds of millions in investment capital. Unfortunately for individual investors, they remain private companies. If you are an accredited investor, you can look for shares that someone might be willing to sell. Otherwise, it’s not currently possible to buy into a fusion company directly.
Instead, you have two major options.
Invest In Investors
First, you can invest in publicly traded companies that have themselves invested in fusion companies.
This is a technology that promises to fundamentally change the energy economy from the ground up, and the big players aren’t sitting that out. Major technology companies like Alphabet (GOOG) and Amazon (AMZN) have invested in fusion research companies. Lesser-known, but still large, firms like Babcock International (BCKIF) and Cenovus Energy (CVE) have done the same.
These companies have a significant stake in the companies that are trying to develop fusion technology. If those underlying investments pay off, the benefits will extend upward.
Other sources on this subject also recommend investing in firms that can benefit from the results of fusion, namely vast and cheap energy. If you want to do this, we recommend simply investing in the S&P 500. The reality is that virtually every company will benefit from these productivity gains and cost reductions. There’s no good way to pick a clear winner or loser, because all companies rely on energy-intensive resources.
Invest In Energy Companies
However advanced, fusion is still fundamentally an investment in the energy sector. The result is that investors looking to get into this market can do so by taking a long-term position in the energy sector.
You can do this by investing in specific energy source companies like Chevron (CVX). You can also invest in utilities that run power plants, like Duke (DUK) or National Grid (NGG). Or, you can invest in energy-sector funds. These would include mutual funds or ETFs like the Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE) or Global X Renewable Energy Producers (RNRG).
This is a long-term investment. Researchers are confident that fusion will become a viable, long-term energy source, one likely to significantly outlive fossil fuels. It’s not here yet though and, once it arrives, it probably will take quite a while to really take off. This is a good investment for your retirement portfolio, but probably not for the swimming pool fund.
Investing In Fusion Through Materials
Side-investing in nuclear fusion is another potentially good strategy.
Fusion relies on a handful of specialized resources to build its reactors and sustain its burn. The fuel source for fusion will be a mix of hydrogen isotopes called deuterium and tritium, although current experimental reactors only use deuterium. For the science-curious:
Hydrogen atom – An atom with one proton and one electron
Deuterium – An atom with one proton, one neutron and one electron
Tritium – An atom with one proton, two neutrons and an electron
The heavier nuclei of deuterium and tritium make them easier to fuse and release more energy in the process. As an investor, you can seek out companies that produce deuterium gas (tritium is not yet produced in commercial quantities).
You can also seek out desalinization companies. Hydrogen isotopes are generally produced from water, by separating the molecule’s oxygen and hydrogen atoms from each other. To get enough water without wasting potable and agrarian supplies, producers will most likely rely on seawater production, which requires large scale desalinization.
Finally, you can seek out firms that make the components of a reactor itself. On this, we cannot offer specific advice because nobody knows what a working fusion reactor will be made of. Most likely, commercial fusion reactors will rely on superconducting materials to make the core of the electromagnets that contain the reaction. Companies that produce materials like mercury, titanium, niobium alloys, and next-generation ceramics are all good candidates as long-term suppliers for a fusion reactor’s core.
Bottom Line
Investing in fusion may be one of the most solid bets anybody can make on long-term investments in the future. You can do so by investing in companies that are trying to build their own reactors, by investing in the energy sector or by investing in the companies that will someday fuel these reactors.
Energy Investment Tips
Fusion is the big dream of next-generation energy. Before physicists crack that puzzle, though, there are many ways you can invest in next-generation energy right now.
A financial advisor can help you build an investment portfolio that includes fusion investments. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Eric Reed
Eric Reed is a freelance journalist who specializes in economics, policy and global issues, with substantial coverage of finance and personal finance. He has contributed to outlets including The Street, CNBC, Glassdoor and Consumer Reports. Eric’s work focuses on the human impact of abstract issues, emphasizing analytical journalism that helps readers more fully understand their world and their money. He has reported from more than a dozen countries, with datelines that include Sao Paolo, Brazil; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; and Athens, Greece. A former attorney, before becoming a journalist Eric worked in securities litigation and white collar criminal defense with a pro bono specialty in human trafficking issues. He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School and can be found any given Saturday in the fall cheering on his Wolverines.
This post may contain affiliate links, which helps us to continue providing relevant content and we receive a small commission at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read the full disclosure here.
48k salary is a solid hourly wage when you think about it.
When you get your first job and you are making just above minimum wage making over $48,000 a year seems like it would provide amazing opportunities for you. Right?
The median household income is $67,521 in 2020 and decreased by 2.9% from the previous year (source). Think of it as a bell curve with $67500 at the top; median means half of the population makes less than that and half makes more money.
The average income in the U.S. is $48,672 for a 40-hour workweek; that is an increase of 4% from the previous year (source). That means if you take everyone’s income and divided the money out evenly between all of the people.
But, the question remains can you truly live off 48,000 per year in today’s society since it is below both the average and median household incomes. The question you want to ask all of your friends is $48000 per year a good salary.
In this post, we are going to dive into everything that you need to know about a $48000 salary including hourly pay and a sample budget on how to spend and save your money.
These key facts will help you with money management and learn how much per hour $48k is as well as what you make per month, weekly, and biweekly.
Just like with any paycheck, it seems like money quickly goes out of your account to cover all of your bills and expenses, and you are left with a very small amount remaining. You may be disappointed that you were not able to reach your financial goals and you are left wondering…
Can I make a living on this salary?
$48000 a year is How Much an Hour?
When jumping from an hourly job to a salary for the first time, it is helpful to know how much is 48k a year hourly. That way you can decide whether or not the job is worthwhile for you.
$48000 a year is $23.08 per hour
Breakdown Of How Much Is 48k A Year Hourly
Let’s breakdown, how that 48000 salary to hourly number is calculated.
For our calculations to figure out how much is 48K salary hourly, we used the average five working days of 40 hours a week.
Typically, the average workweek is 40 hours and you can work 52 weeks a year. Take 40 hours times 52 weeks and that equals 2,080 working hours. Then, divide the yearly salary of $48000 by 2,080 working hours and the result is $23.08 per hour.
48000 salary / 2080 hours = $23.08 per hour
Just above $23 an hour.
Key Points….
That number is the gross hourly income before taxes, insurance, 401K, or anything else is taken out. Net income is how much you deposit into your bank account.
You must check with your employer on how they plan to pay you. For those on salary, typically companies pay on a monthly, semi-monthly, biweekly, or weekly basis.
What If I Increased My Salary?
Just an interesting note… if you were to increase your annual salary by $6K to 54000 a year, it would increase your hourly wage close to $26 an hour – a difference of $2.88 per hour.
To break it down – 54000 salary / 2080 hours = $25.96 per hour
That difference will help you fund your savings account; just remember every dollar adds up.
How Much is $48K salary Per Month?
On average, the monthly amount would be $4,000.
Annual Salary of $48000 ÷ 12 months = $4000 per month
This is how much you make a month if you get paid 48000 a year.
$48k a year is how much a week?
This is a great number to know! How much do I make each week? When I roll out of bed and do my job of $48k salary a year, how much can I expect to make at the end of the week for my effort?
Once again, the assumption is 40 hours worked.
Annual Salary of$48000/52 weeks = $923 per week.
$48000 a year is how much biweekly?
For this calculation, take the average weekly pay of $923 and double it.
This depends on how many hours you work in a day. For this example, we are going to use an eight-hour workday.
8 hours x 52 weeks = 260 working days
Annual Salary of$48000 / 260 working days = $184 per day
If you work a 10 hour day on 208 days throughout the year, you make $230 per day.
$48000 Salary is…
$48000 – Full Time
Total Income
Yearly Salary (52 weeks)
$48,000
Monthly Wage
$4,000
Weekly Pay (40 Hours)
$923
Bi-Weekly Pay (80 Hours)
$1,846
Daily Wage (8 Hours)
$184
Daily Wage (10 Hours)
$230
Hourly Wage
$23.08
Net Estimated Monthly Income
$3,054
Net Estimated Hourly Income
$17.62
**These are assumptions based on simple scenarios.
48k a year is how much an hour after taxes
Income taxes is one of the biggest culprits of reducing your take-home pay as well as FICA and Social Security. This is a true fact across the board with an all salary range up to $142,800.
When you make below the average household income, the amount of taxes taken out hurts your hourly wage.
Every single tax situation is different.
On the basic level, let’s assume a 12% federal tax rate and a 4% state rate. Plus a percentage is taken out for Social Security and Medicare (FICA) of 7.65%.
So, how much an hour is 48000 a year after taxes?
Gross Annual Salary: $48,000
Federal Taxes of 12%: $5,760
State Taxes of 4%: $1,920
Social Security and Medicare of 7.65%: $3,672
$48k Per Year After Taxes is $36,648
This would be your net annual salary after taxes.
Hourly Wage after Taxes
To turn that back into an hourly wage, the assumption is working 2,080 hours.
$36648 ÷ 2,080 hours = $17.62 per hour
After estimated taxes and FICA, you are netting $36,648 per year, which is $11,352 per year less than what you expect.
***This is a very high-level example and can vary greatly depending on your personal situation and potential deductions. Therefore, here is a great tool to help you figure out how much your net paycheck would be.***
Taxes Based On Your State
In addition, if you live in a heavily taxed state like California or New York, then you have to pay way more money than somebody that lives in a no tax state like Texas or Florida. This is the debate of HCOL vs LCOL.
Thus, your yearly gross $48000 income can range from $32808 to $38568 depending on your state income taxes.
That is why it is important to realize the impact income taxes can have on your take home pay. It is one of those things that you should acknowledge and obviously you need to pay taxes. But, it can also put a huge dent in your ability to live the lifestyle you want on a $48,000 income.
How Much Is 48K A Year Hourly Salary Calculator
More than likely, your salary is not a flat 48k, here is a tool to convert salary to hourly calculator.
In fact, many people will agree a business degree is worth it to make more than this.
48k salary lifestyle
Every person reading this post has a different upbringing and a different belief system about money. Therefore, what would be a lavish lifestyle to one person, maybe a frugal lifestyle to another person. And there’s no wrong or right, it is what works best for you.
One of the biggest factors to consider is your cost of living.
In another post, we detailed the differences between living in an HCOL vs LCOL vs MCOL area. When you live in big cities, trying to maintain your lifestyle of $48,000 a year is going to be much more difficult because your basic expenses, housing, transportation, food, and clothing are going to be much more expensive than you would find in a lower cost area.
To stretch your dollar further in the high cost of living area, you would have to probably live cheap and prioritize where you want to spend money and where you do not. Whereas, if you live in a low cost living area, you can live a much more lavish lifestyle because the cost of living is less. Thus, you have more fun spending left in your account each month.
As we noted earlier in the post, $48,000 a year is below the average income that you would find in the United States. Thus, you have to be wise with how you spend your money.
What a $48,000 lifestyle will buy you:
If you are debt free and utilize smart money management skills, then you are able to enjoy the lifestyle you want.
Have some fun money in your budget.
You are able to rent in a decent neighborhood in LCOL and maybe a MCOL city.
You should be able to meet your expenses each and every month.
Participate in the 200 envelope challenge.
Ability to make sure that saving money is a priority, and very possibly save $3000 in 52 weeks.
When A $48,000 Salary Will Hold you Back:
However, if you are riddled with debt or unable to break the paycheck to paycheck cycle, then living off of 48k a year is going to be pretty darn difficult.
There are two factors that will keep holding you back:
You must pay off debt and cut all fun spending and extra expenses.
Break the paycheck to paycheck cycle.
It is possible to get ahead with money!
It just comes with proper money management skills and a desire to have less stress around money. That is a winning combination regardless of your income level.
$48K a year Budget – Example
As always, here at Money Bliss, we focus on covering our basic expenses plus saving and giving first, and then our goal is to eliminate debt. The rest of the money leftover is left for fun spending.
If you want to know how to manage 48k salary the best, then this is a prime example for you to compare your spending.
You can compare your budget to the ideal household budget percentages.
recommended budget percentages based on $48000 a year salary:
Category
Ideal Percentages
Sample Monthly Budget
Giving
10%
$200
Savings
15-25%
$720
Housing
20-30%
$1120
Utilities
4-7%
$160
Groceries
5-12%
$320
Clothing
1-4%
$24
Transportation
4-10%
$160
Medical
5-12%
$200
Life Insurance
1%
$12
Education
1-4%
$12
Personal
2-7%
$36
Recreation / Entertainment
3-8%
$90
Debts
0% – Goal
$0
Government Tax (including Income Tatumx, Social Security & Medicare)
15-25%
$946
Total Gross Monthly Income
$4000
**In this budget, prioritization was given to basic expenses and no debt.
Is $48,000 a year a Good Salary?
As we stated earlier if you are able to make $48,000 a year, that is a decent salary. You are making more money than the minimum wage and close to double in many cities.
While 48000 is a good salary starting out in your working years. It is a salary that you want to increase before your expenses go up or the people you provide for increase.
However, too many times people get stuck in the lifestyle trap of trying to keep up with the Joneses, and their lifestyle desires get out of hand compared to their salary. It is okay to be driving around a beater car while you work on increasing your salary.
This $48k salary would be considered a lower middle class salary. This salary is something that you can live on if you are wise with money.
Check: Are you in the middle class?
In fact, this income level in the United States has enough buying power to put you in the top 95 percentile globally for per person income (source).
The question you need to ask yourself with your 48k salary is:
Am I maxed at the top of my career?
Is there more income potential?
What obstacles do I face if I want to try to increase my income?
In the future years and with possible inflation, in many modest cities 48k a year will not be a good salary because the cost of living is so high, whereas these are some of the cities where you can make a comfortable living at 48,000 per year.
If you are looking for a career change, you want to find jobs paying at least $60000 a year.
Is 48k a good salary for a Single Person?
Simply put, yes.
You can stretch your salary much further because you are only worried about your own expenses. A single person will spend much less than if you need to provide for someone else.
Learn exactly what is a good salary for a single person today.
Your living expenses and ideal budget are much less. Thus, you can live extremely comfortably on $48000 per year.
And… most of us probably regret how much money wasted when we were single. Oh well, lesson learned.
Is 48k a good salary for a family?
Many of the same principles apply above on whether $48000 is a good salary. The main difference with a family, you have more people to provide for than when you are single or have just one other person in your household.
The costs of raising children are high and will steeply cut into your income. As you can tell this is a huge dent in your income, specifically $12,980 annually per child.
That means that amount of money is coming out of the income that you earned.
So, the question really remains can you provide a good life for your family making $48,000 a year? This is the hardest part because each family has different choices, priorities, and values.
More or less, it comes down to two things:
The location where you live in.
Your lifestyle choices.
You can live comfortably as a family on this salary, but you will not be able to afford everything.
Many times when raising a family, it is helpful to have a dual-income household. That way you are able to provide the necessary expenses if both parties were making 48000 per year, then the combined income for the household would be $96,000. Thus making your combined salary a very good income.
Learn how much money a family of 4 needs in each state.
Can you Live on $48000 Per Year?
As we outlined earlier in the post, $48,000 a year:
$23.08 Per Hour
$184-230 Per Day (depending on length of day worked)
$923 Per Week
$1846 Per Biweekly
$4000 Per Month
Next up is making between $50000 a year and $55000 a year.
Like anything else in life, you get to decide how to spend, save and give your money.
That is the difference for each person on whether or not you can live a middle-class lifestyle depends on many potential factors. If you live in California or New Jersey you are gonna have a tougher time than in Oklahoma or even Texas.
In addition, if you are early in your career, starting out around 38,000 a year, that is a great place to be getting your career. However, if you have been in your career for over 20 years and still making $48k, then you probably need to look at asking for pay increases, pick up a second job, or find a different career path.
Regardless of the wage that you make, if you are not able to live the lifestyle that you want, then you have to find ways to make it work for you. Everybody has choices to make.
But one of the things that can help you the most is to create a biweekly budget to make sure you stay on track.
Learn exactly how much do I make per year…
One of the best ways to improve your personal finance situation is to increase your income. Here are a variety of side hustles that are very lucrative. With time and effort, you can start enjoying the lifestyle you want.
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Inside: Do you need to make $5000 fast for ways to make extra money? This guide has dozens of ideas for earning money. When you need to know how to make 5000 fast, this list has something for you.
Are you looking for ways to make 5000 dollars fast?
You’re in the right place.
In this post, we’ll share 15 realistic ways to make money quickly.
Your first thought might be SCAM to make this much money fast, but honestly, there are plenty of ways to make extra cash without any special skills or experience.
You just have to decide what works best for you. That is how you will make the most money without feeling like you are working.
I love hustling to make extra money to afford things we couldn’t otherwise.
So if you’re ready to start making some extra cash, let’s get started!
What are the most realistic ways to make $5,000 fast?
Moreover, making $5,000 fast is possible through a combination of online and offline methods.
Selling items, offering freelance work, participating in paid surveys, trading stocks, and pet-sitting or dog-walking services are all viable options.
Set goals, track progress, and experiment with multiple gigs to find what works best for you. With dedication, effort, and a little bit of creativity, you can reach your income goal in no time.
How to double $5,000 quickly?
If you want to double $5,000 quickly, there are several realistic ways to achieve this goal. Here are five options to consider:
Invest in the stock market: The stock market can be a great way to make money quickly, but it also comes with risks. Look for companies with a strong track record and invest wisely.
Start a side hustle: Starting a side business or selling items online can be a great way to make extra money. Consider your skills and interests to find a profitable niche.
Participate in affiliate marketing: Affiliate marketing involves promoting products and earning a commission for each sale. Look for products with high commissions and a strong customer base.
Flip items for profit: Buy low and sell high by flipping items like cars, furniture, or electronics. This can be a risky business, so do your research and start small.
Play the long game: Consider living a frugal life and saving and investing your money over time to see a larger return. This may not double your money quickly, but it can lead to significant growth in the long run.
Each method comes with its own potential risks and benefits, so it’s important to do your research and choose the option that best fits your skills and financial goals.
With dedication and hard work, doubling your $5,000 is within reach.
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16 realistic ways to make 5000 dollars fast
If you’ve been looking for ways to make some extra money, there are many opportunities out there.
While most won’t make you rich overnight, if you put in the effort, you can find some that will help you reach your financial goals.
Here are 16 realistic ways to make $5,000 fast.
1. Sell Unwanted Items
If you’re looking to make $5000 fast, selling unwanted items is a great way to do it.
Start by identifying valuable items in your home such as antiques, electronics, furniture, or musical instruments.
Once you’ve identified your items, choose a platform to sell on eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace are all great options.
When pricing your items, do some research to ensure you’re pricing them competitively. Use the “buy it now” feature on eBay or set a fair price on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. Don’t forget to take clear photos and provide detailed descriptions of your items.
Check out the most popular items to sell and make money. Plus you can declutter your home.
2. Take on a Part-Time Job
Part-time jobs offer a steady stream of income and opportunities for skill development. Often this is an overlooked way to make money, but there are plenty of part-time jobs available.
Popular part-time job options include retail or food service positions, which often offer the potential for tips or commission-based earnings.
Balancing a part-time job with other commitments may be challenging, but it can be done with proper planning and prioritization. Overall, a part-time job can be a reliable way to generate extra income and reach financial goals.
Many happen to be early morning jobs, too.
3. Invest in Stocks
Investing in stocks can be a realistic way to make $5000 fast. In fact, learn how fast you can make money with stocks.
Since you are interested in making money fast, you need to be an active trader, which means you are trading for income. Not a buy-and-hold investor.
Typically, most active traders prefer to trade growth stocks such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, or Tesla.
It’s important to do your research and choose the right stocks to invest in. More importantly, you have to know when to enter and exit. Here is the best course I know on learning how to trade stocks.
However, keep in mind that investing in stocks is subject to market risk, so it’s important to consult with a personal finance expert and assess your risk tolerance before making any investments.
4. Borrow Money
Remember that borrowing money should not be a long-term solution and explore other ways to make money as well.
If you need to make $5000 fast, borrowing money might be an option. You can borrow from a personal loan, credit card, or friends and family.
Personal loans are a good option if you have good credit, but they often come with high-interest rates.
Credit cards can offer cash advances, but the interest rates can be high too.
Borrowing from friends or family can be a good option, but it can also put a strain on relationships.
To secure the best possible terms, shop around for loans and compare interest rates and fees. Make sure to read and understand the terms and conditions before signing, and ensure you can make the payments on time.
5. Sell Things Online
Selling things online is a great way to make extra cash quickly. This involves buying items you know you can resell online for a higher price.
With the ability to reach a wider audience and the convenience of not having to leave your house, selling online has become increasingly popular.
Platforms like eBay, Etsy, and Amazon offer product-selling concepts that make it easy to sell a variety of items, from clothes to electronics.
To optimize product listings, take high-quality photos, write detailed descriptions, and price items competitively. When handling shipping and handling, use free shipping labels, and provide excellent customer service to ensure a positive experience for buyers.
6. Land a Job That You Can Do From Home
To land a job that you can do from home, it’s important to have the necessary skills and qualifications for the job you’re interested in.
Popular work-from-home jobs include online tutoring, virtual assistance, bookkeeping, social media management, and transcription.
Be prepared to participate in virtual interviews and demonstrate your ability to work independently. With the right skills and job search strategies, you can land a job that you can do from home.
Find the best non phone work from home jobs.
7. Make Crafts
Crafts can be a fun way to turn your hobby into a money-making side hustle.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:
Choose your craft: Decide on a craft that you enjoy making and that you think will sell well. Popular options include jewelry, candles, and home decor.
Gather your materials: Depending on your craft, you’ll need to gather materials such as beads, wax, or fabric. You can find these at craft stores or online.
Develop your skills: If you’re new to your chosen craft, take some time to practice and improve your skills. Watch tutorials and read books to learn new techniques.
Create your products: Once you have your materials and skills, start creating your products. Make sure they’re high-quality and visually appealing.
Set up shop: You can sell your crafts online through platforms like Etsy or Amazon Handmade. You can also sell them in person at craft fairs or local markets.
Promote your products: Use social media and word of mouth to promote your products. Share photos and information about your crafts and encourage people to buy them.
By following these steps, you can turn your love of crafting into a profitable side hustle. Remember to be patient and persistent in your efforts to sell your crafts.
8. Rent Out a Space
Right now, your space can be a profitable side hustle.
To make $5000 fast by renting out a space, start by identifying the type of space you can rent out, such as a parking room, garage, or storage space.
You can even get creative and rent out your pool.
Clean and organize the space, then list it on online platforms like Airbnb, Turo, or Neighbor. To ensure a smooth rental process, screen potential renters, set clear rules and expectations, and maintain regular communication.
With some effort and attention to detail, renting out a space can provide a lucrative source of extra income.
9. Sell Digital Goods
This is one of the most popular ways to make money.
Digital goods are products that can be downloaded, streamed, or accessed online, such as ebooks, printables, stock photos, and online courses.
They are a viable option for making money quickly because they require little to no overhead costs and can be sold to a global audience.
The most popular is creating and selling printables. Learn how to make printables.
With dedication and effort, selling digital goods can be a lucrative way to make up to $5000 fast.
10. Join the Gig Economy
The gig economy refers to a labor market characterized by short-term contracts or freelance work, as opposed to permanent jobs.
Popular platforms in the gig economy include:
Joining the gig economy can be an effective way to make $5,000 quickly. One of the main benefits of working in the gig economy is flexibility, as you can determine your own schedules.
To maximize earnings, it’s important to treat gig work like a business and stay organized, tracking expenses and income.
11. Work as a Shopper
As a shopper, your job is to pick up and deliver items to customers using your own vehicle.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get started:
Choose a platform: There are several platforms to choose from, such as Instacart, Shipt, and DoorDash. Research each platform and choose the one that best suits your needs.
Sign up: Once you’ve chosen a platform, sign up and complete the application process. This typically involves providing personal information, a valid driver’s license, and passing a background check.
Attend orientation: Some platforms require you to attend an orientation session before you can start working. This will provide you with important information on how to use the app, how to pick up and deliver items, and how to maximize your earnings.
Start shopping: Once you’re approved, log into the app and start accepting orders. Be sure to read the instructions carefully and communicate with the customer if you have any questions.
Maximize earnings: To maximize your earnings, consider working during peak hours when there are more orders available. You can also increase your tips by providing excellent customer service and communicating with customers throughout the shopping process. Additionally, some platforms offer bonuses for completing a certain number of orders within a specified time frame.
Ensure success: To ensure success, it’s important to be organized and efficient. Plan your route ahead of time and try to group orders in the same area together. Keep track of your expenses, such as gas and vehicle maintenance, and make sure you’re earning enough to cover these costs.
With the convenience of on-demand shopping and delivery services, there’s never been a better time to get started.
12. Clean Houses
Cleaning houses can be a lucrative business, with the demand for house cleaning services always high.
To get started, you will need basic cleaning supplies such as cleaning products, mops, vacuums, and cleaning cloths. You can market your services by creating flyers, promoting on social media, and offering referral discounts.
Here are some tips to be successful:
Setting your rates depends on factors such as the size of the house and the frequency of cleaning.
Negotiating with clients can help you secure long-term contracts.
Providing excellent customer service is crucial for building a loyal client base.
As your business grows, consider expanding your services to include laundry and organizing, and hiring additional staff to take on more clients.
With dedication and hard work, you can make up to $5000 fast by cleaning houses.
13. Take Photos
If you’re looking for a side hustle that can earn you some extra cash, taking photos on your phone and selling them on stock photo sites is a great option. You don’t need to be a professional photographer, but having some experience can be helpful.
Some of the best apps to sell your photos on include Shutterstock, Deposit Photos, or iStock by Getty Images.
To get started, you’ll need to create a portfolio of your best work and start submitting them to stock photo sites. While you might need to purchase a camera and photo editing software, there’s not much else you need to get started.
It’s possible to make $1 or more per photo you sell.
14. Write Web Content for a Blog
Well-written web content is essential for making money online, as it can attract more visitors to your blog and keep them engaged.
To write effective web content, it’s important to understand your audience and their needs and to use clear and concise language.
Make sure to use headings, bullet points, and images to break up text and make it easier to read. Additionally, provide actionable advice that can help readers make money or solve a problem.
Sharing your personal experiences and stories can also help to connect with your audience and build trust. By following these tips, you can create high-quality web content that can help you make money and increase website traffic.
15. Engage in Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is promoting someone else’s product or service and receiving a commission for every sale you facilitate.
To be successful with affiliate marketing, start by finding products with high commissions and you will need a large number of followers.
Build an audience around the products you’re promoting and promote them through social media and email marketing. Focus on building a strong relationship with your audience and providing value through helpful content.
With the right strategy and persistence, you can earn your first $5000 through affiliate marketing in no time.
16. Provide Virtual Assistant Services
Virtual assistant jobs are becoming increasingly popular as a way to make money from the comfort of your own home.
As a virtual assistant, you can perform a variety of tasks such as scheduling appointments, managing social media accounts, answering emails, creating presentations, and more. The amount of money you can make will vary depending on your skills, but the average hourly rate for a virtual assistant is around $25 per hour.
Additionally, taking virtual assistant courses and learning new skills can help you specialize and earn more money.
How to use what you’ve learned to start making money quickly
Believe me, I have gone down the road of making money with MLMs or (multi-level-marketing). However, I have found the above ways to be better options for me.
Once you find your groove, you will be able to scale up how much money you make.
Step 1: Research ways to make money fast
If you need to make money quickly, there are many legitimate opportunities available.
Try multiple gigs to find what pays the most in your area and what you enjoy doing.
When researching ways to make money fast, be cautious of scams and do your due diligence before committing to anything. With a bit of creativity and determination, you can find practical and actionable steps to achieve your financial goals.
Step 2: Choose a way to make money fast
When choosing the best way to make $5000 fast, there are a few criteria to consider.
First, consider your skills and interests. If you enjoy driving, delivering for DoorDash or UberEats could be a good fit. If you’re tech-savvy, freelance work or online tutoring might be a good option.
Second, consider the time commitment. Some methods, like selling items on eBay or Facebook Marketplace, can be done in your spare time, while others, like starting a side hustle or taking on freelance work, may require more time and effort.
Finally, consider the potential earnings. Some methods, day trading stocks or selling printables, have the potential for higher earnings than others.
Step 3: Get started making money fast
If you’re looking to make money fast, it’s important to take action right away and not get bogged down by analysis paralysis.
Start with the methods that require the least amount of time and effort, such as selling items you no longer need or completing online surveys. These are easy-to-implement money-making strategies that can quickly generate extra cash.
If you need to save up for a course, then set aside your profits to make that happen.
Step 4: Sacrifice your time for money
Sacrificing your time can be a great way to make money quickly.
The best is when you start to build passive income, you are earning money without the need to work. That is when your hard work will pay off.
By dedicating your time to side hustles, you can earn a significant amount of money within a short period.
Step 5: Maximize your revenue with each step
To make $5000 fast, it’s essential to set realistic revenue goals and identify the most profitable revenue streams.
Prioritize the revenue streams that are most feasible and have the highest earning potential. Once you have identified your revenue streams, optimize your earnings by leveraging your skills and resources.
This could include networking, outsourcing, or investing in your own education to improve your earning potential.
FAQ
Flipping items on eBay is a great way to make money.
To start, you need to find items that you can buy for a low price and sell for a higher price. Look for items that are in demand, such as electronics, clothing, and collectibles. You can find these items at flea markets, garage sales, and online marketplaces like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.
Remember to reinvest your profits into buying more items to flip. With time and effort, flipping items on eBay can be a lucrative side hustle.
Becoming a content creator on YouTube might be an option for you.
You can make money from ads, affiliates, and sponsored content, as well as selling your own merch and products.
It is important to create consistent and top-quality videos to build up a following, but it can be a lucrative online side hustle.
freelance work, and more. Here are some of the most popular options:
Freelance work: Graphic design, web development, digital marketing, typing, and more.
Food delivery: DoorDash, Instacart, Uber Eats, Grubhub, and more.
Package delivery: Amazon Flex, Roadie, GoShare, Lugg, and more.
Rideshare driving: Lyft, Uber, and more.
While these jobs offer flexibility and quick payment, they may come with fees and additional costs. Nevertheless, they are great options for making extra income on the side.
There are plenty of job opportunities in the gig economy, ranging from food delivery to How to make $5,000 in a month?
There are several realistic and actionable ways to make $5,000 in a month.
Freelance jobs like virtual assistance, freelance writing, and web development are great options. If you have an established following, your YouTube channel could also make more than $5,000. Other methods to explore are selling on Amazon, affiliate marketing, and blogging.
While some methods may require more work than others, there’s no reason you can’t earn this money quickly.
Remember to think outside the box and explore all of your options.
How to Get 5000 Dollars Fast
Remember that making money fast requires dedication and persistence, but the rewards can be significant.
The potential earnings and time commitment for each option vary, but with effort and dedication, you can make $5000 within a couple of months.
Selling items can earn you a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, while freelance work and trading stocks can earn you thousands of dollars depending on the quality of your work.
Don’t be afraid to try new things and experiment with different methods until you find what works best for you.
Also, consider what works well for one person may not be the best idea for the next.
Maybe earning 5k is more than you need:
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