5 Ways I Bring In Extra Cash Every Month To Cover My Bills — And They All Involve My Smartphone

Like a lot of people, what I make at my job isn’t quite enough to cover my bills every month like my rent, my phone bill, and the rest of my monthly expenses. I’ve tried everything to make it work: budgeting, working on the weekends at a store (which was totally exhausting by the way), mostly eating Ramen noodles to save money. You name it, I’ve tried it (and for the record, only eating Ramen sucks). Well, I kept searching, and that’s when I learned I could make a little bit of money right on my phone, wherever I happen to be. It’s been a game-changer and has set me on the hunt to find all of the ways that I can make money using my phone. Here are the best options I’ve found, and how I use them to bring in a little extra cash every month. It’s made all of the difference for me, and now I’m never stuck with nothing in my bank account right before payday — otherwise known as the worst feeling ever.

1. I Make Passive Income By Investing With A Few Bucks

I’d been wanting to start investing forever since dividends are a great way to passively earn extra cash. But knowing where to start investing is hard. A friend suggested I start investing in the legal cannabis industry. It’s an industry that is projected to blow up in the next few years with retail sales expected to hit $10 billion this year and $24.5 billion in 2021 per Fortune* With the micro-investing app Stash, you can start investing with as little as $1. It only took me two minutes to sign up and Stash has a curated selection of almost 2,000 stocks and exchange-traded funds to choose from. They’ve made it incredibly easy to get started — including with investing options in the legal cannabis industry. Sign up for Stash now and start investing with whatever money you can spare.

Start investing with Stash

2. I Get An Endless Supply Of Chances To Win Big

Next time you’re at the corner store thinking about dropping a few bucks on scratch cards, don’t. Instead, pull out your smartphone and download Lucktastic. I use Lucktastic because it offers free match scratch card games with cash prizes, so you can save yourself a couple of bucks and still get a chance to win big. The app has become pretty popular among mobile gamers and chance game lovers alike because there are real opportunities to win hard cash or tokens that you can redeem for gift cards or use to enter other contests. So far 220,000 people have scored major winnings from the app. Here are it’s games and contests with the biggest prizes:

• $5,000 scratch card – Unlock it by playing at least one scratch card a day for 4 days. After that, the card is unlocked forever
• $10,000 scratch card – Unlock it by playing 150 cards. Once you do, it’s unlocked forever
•  $1 Million Dollar Crack the Code Contest
• Cash Bonanza Contest – Offers a chance to win up to $2,500

Download Lucktastic in seconds to start playing your way to some awesome prizes.

Win cash on your phone

3. I Play Mobile Games To Pay My Bills

Getting paid to play mobile games sounds like a dream for most people – Mistplay (download for Android) makes that dream my reality. Mistplay is an Android game platform that lets you earn rewards for playing new games. Those points can be redeemed for awesome gift cards from Amazon, VISA, Google and more. Just download the app, choose a free game from your “mixlist” and start earning units. The more you play, the more you earn! As a game lover, it’s a simple idea that can result in a big payday.

Get paid to game with Mistplay

4. Every Time I Grocery Shop, I Earn Cash Thanks To This App — Online And In Person

With the state of current events, it’s important to seize every money-making opportunity you can find. If you’re one of the many opting to do your grocery shopping online, use Ibotta to turn it into a way to earn. Ibotta is a free app that offers cash back rewards for more than 1,500 brands with deals available at more than 150 online retailers including Amazon, Costco, Target, Walmart, Whole Foods and more. When you shop online through the app, you can earn up to 10% cash back on your entire purchase. The app will calculate your cash back earnings for you based on your receipt and your Ibotta account will be credited within 48 hours. You can also earn money with the app shopping in person at stores on individual items. Given the cash bind so many of us are finding ourselves in these days, you almost can’t afford to not do this. Download the app today and get a $20 bonus for using it. Start using Ibotta today so you can save every time you shop.

Earn money with Ibotta

5. Trade-In Old And Unwanted Tech and Media For Cash

If current events have left you in a tough spot financially, now is the time to seize every money-making opportunity you can find. If you have some old books or tech you’ve been meaning to get rid of, why not use them to make a quick buck with Decluttr? Decluttr is an online marketplace that allows anyone to sell and buy everything from phones and tablets to books, DVDs, games and more (the site pays the most for tech). Your items are bought from you by Decluttr and then sold on the website. Here’s how Decluttr works:

• For tech, select the brand, model and condition of the device and you’ll receive an instant price quote for it.
• If selling books, CDs, DVDs and games, just provide the item’s barcode number — with the free Declutter app, you can scan an item’s barcode — to get your instant price quote.
• The price offered for your item will be locked in for 28 days and Decluttr’s Tech Price Promise guarantees you’ll be paid that quoted price for your item or you can request it back for free.
• When you complete your order, you’ll receive an email with your free shipping label.
• Pack your item into any box you like, place the label on it and ship it out for free via UPS.

The same day Decluttr receives your item, it will be examined by its team of experts (if there is any personal data on a device, it will be wiped) and as long as everything checks out, you’ll receive your payment the next day via direct deposit, PayPal or check. Declutter says it pays its sellers 33% more than similar services of its kind. It’s already paid out over $300 million to over six million people. Join the club and turn your old and unwanted things into a source of cash with Decluttr.

Sell old tech and media