Discover the best free money hacks that will save you so much money! These are tried and true ways to get free money


You’ve probably heard the saying, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” But when it comes to free money, that’s not entirely true. I get it—it sounds too good to be real. We all work hard for our money, so the idea of getting some for free feels like a dream.

Now, let’s be real—no one’s handing out thousands of dollars for nothing (unless it’s your super generous family). But that doesn’t mean you can’t score small wins that add up.

These free money hacks won’t make you rich overnight or turn you into a millionaire. But they can help you stack up savings over time—and maybe even cover a “free lunch” (or a few!).

I’ve personally used most of these hacks, and I can tell you from experience—they’re 100% legit. Some have given me way more than just lunch money! Curious? Keep reading. 


How Much Can You Actually Get from These FREE Money Hacks?

If you’re here because you want to score some free cash, you’re probably also wondering—how much can you really getfrom these free money hacks?

The truth is, no single hack is going to hand you $1,000 in a month (we wish, right?). But when you stack a few of these free money resources together, the earnings can really add up. Think $100, $1,000, even $2,000 or more in a year—just from doing simple things in your spare time.

Personally, I’ve earned over $5,000, thanks to my favorite free money hacks. And I’m confident you can do the same if you stay consistent and use the right ones!

Here are some proofs!


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Earn Paypal cash for Christmas by answering surveys!Earn Paypal cash for Christmas by answering surveys!

Real Free Money Hacks That Work

1. Get Free Money by Completing Short Surveys

A lot of companies will pay you for your thoughts, so if you don’t mind squeezing in 5-10 minutes of your time a day answering surveys, then you can start earning points that you can redeem as PayPal money or gift cards in the future. 

There are a lot of online surveys out there that not only pay you for answering no-brainer questions such as “Do you smoke?”  or “Which among these coffee products do you buy at the store?” but also give a Welcome Bonus just for signing up. 

It’s completely free to sign up with these survey sites, and you get points when you answer surveys and refer other people to join. Answering surveys does not take much effort and is a great way to earn some dollars while you wait for your stew to cook or while watching the kids play in the backyard.

How much free money is it possible to get through answering surveys? Many surveys pay $1.75 to $3 per 10-minute survey, but there are also surveys that pay up to $50

Join Swagbucks–MOST RECOMMENDED!

It is free to join, pays you cash for answering surveys, and offers a $5 Sign-Up Bonus. Swagbucks will also pay you for doing mindless tasks such as watching videos or shopping through the site.

Join and get a $5 bonus! 

Important: Be sure to confirm your email and complete one mindless task to get this free money! 

Get Free Money with Pinecone Research 

Probably the best among all survey companies, Pinecone Research is an exclusive online survey site run by Nielsen, one of the world’s top research companies based in New York. You can apply here to see if you qualify to participate in their research. They pay $3 for every 10 to 15-minute survey you complete for them.

You can apply to Pinecone Research here.

Get Free $5 and More with Inbox Dollars

Inbox Dollars is another survey site that offers a fun way of making cash with almost no effort. It’s free to join and pays you for answering surveys or playing games. This company has paid $57 million in rewards and is currently offering a $5 sign-up bonus!

Grab my $5 Sign-Up Bonus! 

Sign Up With Vindale Research 

Another research company that pays up to $75 per completed survey. Vindale Research also offers a lot of small daily studies that pay around $1.25. 

Sign up with Vindale Research here!

Receive $5 Free with MyPoints

MyPoints is another survey site owned by Swagbucks and worksthe same way! Just like Swagbucks, MyPoints rewards you with gift cards or Paypal Cash for using it to watch videos, take surveys, playg games, shoponline, and more!

MyPoints has paid  over $236 million to its members! 

Join MyPoints here for FREE and get a $5 Welcome Bonus after completing your first 5 surveys. Make sure to verify the email from MyPoints to get this bonus!

Receive Free Money from One Opinion

Help companies make better products and earn cash with One Opinion. It’s that easy! You can redeem your points as Paypal Cash or gift cards!

One Opinion is also an exclusive site like Pinecone Research and is only available for the US. Not everyone may qualify to join but once you qualify and get accepted, you’ll receive surveys that you can complete for extra cash.

You can apply here. 


2. Earn Sign-Up Bonuses from Banks

Want to learn how to get free money fast without surveys? Take advantage of sign-up bonuses!

If you’ve been contemplating switching to or opening a new bank account or credit card, now might be a good time to do so.

Most banks are more than happy to give you a sign-up bonus when you open an account with them. Consider it as a way to “sweeten the deal.” They want your business, so they’re eager to entice you with a bonus. 

Most of the time, banks require you to deposit a minimum amount into your account for a few months, and they’ll give you a financial reward for doing so.. All you have to do is open an account with the bank of your choice and make a deposit.  

Here are a few examples of bonuses or free money you could enjoy by opening the following accounts:

  • Discover Online Savings  – $150 or $200 
  • HSBC Advance Checking Account – $350
  • HSBC Premier Checking – $750
  • Chase Bank Total Checking – $200
  • Chase Savings – $150
  • Bank of America – $100
  • Citibank – $200 – $600 depending on the type of account 

Want to open a new credit card instead and get free money? Check out American Express! American Express currently offers a free $200 after you spend $2,000 in purchases on your new Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. 


3. Save Money Without Thinking and Get a $5 FREE Sign-Up Bonus

I’ve been using Acorns for a while now and I must say it’s a very effective way to trick yourself into saving money. 

Acorns is an investing app that invests your spare change in the background. You just need to link your credit or debit account with Acorns, and then the app will round up your purchases, take the spare change, and invest them. 

For example,  if you spent $3.80 for a coffee using your linked credit/debit card, Acorns will see the transaction and transfer the spare change of $0.20 to your Acorns account.  When your account hits $5, Acorns will withdraw the money and invest it.

I’ve accumulated over $280 of spare change from my purchases for a few months and gained $6.32 from that money. 

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You can check out Acorns and receive $5 FREE from Acorns after making your first investment of $5.  


4. Resell Free Items

Did you get identical sets of kitchen cookware last Christmas? Are you moving to a new home but can’t take everything with you? Or, are you just looking to reduce the clutter? Whatever your situation, you can make free money from items that you already own and no longer use.

Selling some of your stuff is a great way to reduce the clutter at home, free up storage, or move into another home without overfilling your new space. You can post the items you want to sell on Craigslist or Facebook Marketple, or even have a garage sale. 

If you want to sell old electronics such as tablets, iPhones, or CDs and DVDs, try using this free Decluttr app here to sell your stuff online for cash.

If you have used name-brand fashion items, such as Louis Vuitton or Michael Kors bags, or nice  clothes that you want to sell, Poshmark is another great place to go! You can download this free Poshmark app here to start selling.


5. Download Cashback Apps

One of the Easiest and Fastest Ways to Get Free Money? Cashback Apps!

You’re already spending money when you shop—so why not get some of it back? Cashback apps make that possible by giving you free money (or gift cards) just for shopping like you normally do.

There are plenty of legit cashback apps out there that reward you for your everyday purchases. Most of them are super simple to use: shop online through their platform, scan your receipts, or link your credit or debit card and let them track your eligible purchases automatically.

I’ve tested quite a few, and these are my absolute favorite cashback apps:

Rakuten (Formerly Ebates)

Best for: Online shopping

Rakuten gives you cashback for shopping at your favorite stores like Walmart, Target, Macy’s, and hundreds more. Just start your shopping trip through the Rakuten app or browser extension, and the cashback gets added to your account. They send you a “Big Fat Check” every quarter—yep, real money!

Sign-up bonus: Get $10 just for signing up and making your first purchase.

I’ve earned more than $2000 in cashback and bonuses from my online purchases using Rakuten! 

Get $10 FREE for Signing Up with Rakuten!

Drop App

Drop gives you cashback for purchases you make at the stores or for making travel-related reservations. Read Drop Review.

Dosh

Best for: Automatic cashback
Once you link your credit or debit card, Dosh gives you cashback automatically when you shop at partner stores, restaurants, and hotels. No scanning receipts or activating offers—it’s totally passive.

 Bonus: Dosh even offers travel deals with cashback.

Fetch Rewards

Best for: Earning points from receipts
With Fetch, all you have to do is scan your receipts—yes, even for small purchases—and you’ll earn points you can redeem for gift cards. It’s fast, super easy, and doesn’t require you to activate offers beforehand.

Pro tip: Use promo codes when signing up to get bonus points right away


6. Get Free PayPal Money by Testing Websites

Would you like to get free PayPal money with minimal effort? If so, you should sign up for website testing companies like UserFeel, UserTesting, Respondent, and TryMyIU. These companies are looking for people who can provide objective feedback on a website’s functionality.

Testing out a website can mean checking out how well the navigation works, commenting on the layout and color scheme, and trying out all the buttons. You are expected to own a computer or laptop, a high-speed internet connection, and a webcam and microphone. Some companies require that you vocalize your observations as you test, so it’s essential that you speak good English.

The test is typically finished in half an hour or less and earns you $10 per test. Indeed, testing websites is one of the real free money hacks that almost everyone can do!


7. Look for Unclaimed Free Money 

The government, your insurance company, your bank, or a previous owner of your property may owe you money, but you just don’t know it. There are many reasons why billions of funds go unclaimed year after year but it’s more often because of a change of name and address.

Many people can attest that they had money somewhere they didn’t know about until they decided to look. Fortunately, it isn’t that hard to look for unclaimed funds. Here’s how to hack free money you might have somewhere:

You can typically find unclaimed money yourself by checking out these legit databases. However, if someone offers help for a fee, take it as a red flag. You’ll have to prove your identity to claim your “missing money” so make sure to read the rules for claiming the funds and prepare the necessary documentation. 


8. Buy Gift Cards

Gift cards are thoughtful presents. They allow the recipient to choose items and then walk away without spending cash. But if you happen to have gift cards from stores you don’t buy from, does that mean the gift card is a total waste? The short answer is no. You can sell the gift card or trade it for  another one that you can use. 

Now, consider yourself at the buying end. Purchasing re-sold gift cards means you get some nifty discounts. For instance, if you buy a $50 gift card at $40 from some resellers, you earn $10. The next time you consider getting gift cards at face value, consider looking at money-saving opportunities first like GiftCardGranny.comMonsterGiftCard.com, and Cardpool.com.


9. Let Trim Help You Save Money Automatically

Trim is an AI-driven assistant that helps you save money automatically. It tracks your spending and automates the day-to-day process of saving money for you. 

It can even also help you get refunds when there are omissions or outages in a service! 

Trim can also help you cut out recurring charges for services you no longer need or negotiate your bill down for you. It works with Comcast, Time Warner, Charter, and any other provider and has saved consumers over $1 million dollars in the last month. 

You can try it for FREE and put money back into your pocket without cutting your cable. 

You can also check out Truebill, an alternative to Trim that helps you save money on your utility bills. Read: Truebill Review.


10. Free Money Hack: Get Free Money Reading Emails

Still wondering how to get PayPal money fast and easy? Your email might have the answer.

Emails have become part of our daily communication channel. According to Campaign Monitor, the average person receives 121 business emails each day.

But going through hundreds of emails can be dull and boring. Perhaps if you get free money from reading email, this seemingly uneventful task can become more exciting. Well, lucky you, because you can actually get free PayPal money reading emails!

Sign up on these apps, read your emails and get free PayPal money instantly:

  • Cash Crate – open emails from advertisers and click on their links. You can convert your points into cash when you’ve accumulated at least $20.
  • Fusion Cash – apart from the $5 bonus you get upon signing up, this site will also pay you to read emails. You must accumulate at least $25 in your account to transfer your earnings to your PayPal account or bank account.
  • Unique Rewards – you will earn a $5 sign-up bonus and an extra $5 for every person you refer. Like the other sites, you will have to click on the advertiser’s link and visit their website. You can get free money transferred to your PayPal account with Unique Rewards once you’ve accumulated at least $20 earnings.
  • Inbox Pays – you will receive $5 upon sign-up and earn 10% ofthe earnings of the people you’ve referred. You can transfer your income to your PayPal account when you’ve reached at least $25. 

11. Online Mock Juror

Lawyers need to prepare for their trials extensively, so they often need online mock jurors forpractice sessions. The jurors in the mock trialwill answer questions, and finally, release a verdict on the case. With this process, legal professionals are able to see their cases from the jury’s perspective and potentially strengthen their cases.

You don’t need much to qualify as a mock juror. You just need to be at least 18 years old, a US resident, and have a clean criminal record. It’s also good to have an active PayPal account because a lot of these sites will send your free money to PayPal after you fulfill your juror duties.

You can sign up for a couple of these mock jury sites where you can get the opportunity to get free money by being a mock juror:

  • E-Jury
  • JuryTest
  • Verdict Services
  • JuryTalk
  • Online Verdict

The payment for online jurors varies. Some sites pay at least $10 per case, while others are $100 per trial.


12. How to Get Free Money with Your Car 

As they say, cars depreciate in value every mile they cover. So over time, our cars become more of a liability rather than an asset. Fortunately, you can make your vehicle a money-making machine with these real money hacks:

Rent your car

If you aren’t using your car regularly, it’s better to make money from it by renting it out than just letting it sit in the garage. Renting out a vehicle is one of the more popular free money hacks online that require minimal effort on your part.

You can list your car with Turo, a car rental service that’s popular in the US. All you need is to sign up for the service for free, write a description of your car, and upload some photos. You can set a calendar showing when your car is available for rental. 

Turo gives you $1 million in liability coverage and you earn up to 85% of the trip price.

Another car rental service you can consider is GetAround. The processof renting a car with GetAround is almost the same as with  Turo: list the car, determine the availability for rental, and choose a drop-off and pick-up point with the customer. You are also covered with up to $1 million in insurance and you get to keep 60% of the rental price.

Finally, there’s HyreCar, a vehicle rental service that’s geared toward ridesharing drivers. If you have a perfectly functional car that is not in use, other drivers can rent it out through HyreCar. According to their website, people who rent their vehicles through this company make up to $12,000 per year.

13. Advertise on your car 

Another nifty, almost effortless way to get free money from your car is to carry ads on it. If you want free money hacksthat work, this is definitely one.

Companies like Wrapify and Carvertise are looking for drivers who are willing to put sticker ads on their cars. Your income depends on the miles and location where you drive as well as the size of the advertisement. As a rough estimate, you can make up to $400 a month just by wrapping and driving your car.


14. How to Get Free Legit Money by Walking

We all know that walking is a free form of exercise almost everyone can do. But what some people do not know is that you can get free money from it. A lot of apps pay you to walk, they’re free to sign up for, and fun to use. But the best part is that you can incentivize this exercise while looking after your health. Who knew walking would one day become a source of real free money?

Here are some of the top apps that allow you to get free money for walking:

  • SweatCoin – this is an app that pays you to walk outdoors. Each time you record 1,000 steps on the app, you are rewarded with 0.95 sweatcoins. You will accumulate more coins as you walk more. The fun part is that you can exchange those coins for various things, including gadgets, clothing, and gift cards.
  • Achievement – this is another popular app that pays you to walk, as well as perform other exercises. The app connects to the fitness tracking device of your choice (Fitbit or MyFitnessPal, for example), and tracks the steps you take each day. Achievement rewards you with $10 for every 10,000 steps you accumulate. You can redeem your earnings through PayPal, direct bank deposit, or donate them to charity.
  • StepBet – if you like a good challenge and beating your own records, then StepBet is a great app for you. With StepBet, you set a goal each week and aim to achieve it. If you are able to meet or exceed your goal, the pot money will be divided among you and the other winners. Otherwise, you lose money. The bet runs for six weeks and you’ll have to reach your weekly goal to stay in the game. 

15. How to Make Free Money with Focus Groups 

Another way to get free money to PayPal is by sharing your honest thoughts and opinions in paid focus groups.

Focus groups are research conducted by companies to gain a better understanding of what consumers think about their brand, products, and services. As a focus group respondent, you are expected to provide honest feedback on the brand, product, or service that’s being researched.

There are plenty of focus groups out there that you can join, in-person, online, or both. And by joining these legit focus group companies, you stand the chance of making around $100 or more per session. Getting paid for your thoughts can be this lucrative!

Some of the best focus groups to sign up for that send your free money to PayPal are Respondent, American Consumer Opinion, and Mindswarms.


16. Start a Side Hustle You Love

Wouldn’t it be nice to do something you love while making money? One of the best ways to do this is by monetizing your hobbies or starting a side hustle you love.

I have hobbies I make money from, and they are my favorite free money hacks.  It’s because I enjoy doing them and they are my creative outlet. They make me money and they are good for my soul.

You may also have lucrative hobbies you are not aware of, so check out these ideas:

Blog

You can make money while you blog about anything you love. If you love researching and writing, it’s time to monetize your hobby! Read my detailed guide on how to start, grow, and make money from a new blog!

Proofread

Love reading and correcting errors in grammar, punctuation, or syntax while making money? If you ever helped correct a classmate’s paper in college, then proofreading could become a fun and rewarding side hustle for you.  

Graphic Design

Make money by creating logos, infographics, social media graphics, and more! You can start making money today by selling your services at sites like Fiverr.

Website Design

If you have the tech skills and a flair for creating even beginner websites, know that there are many people who are willing to pay you for your skills so they canlaunch their own sites.

Virtual Assistant

Make money as a virtual assistant and offer business support to clients by handling tasks  such as posting on social media, publishing blog posts, responding to emails, or doing research. 

Make Money on Facebook

Do you spend a lot of time on Facebook? Then, learn how to make money on Facebook! Here are some ways!

Sell Crafts

If you love creating crafts, you can sell them on sites like Etsy. Here are some simple crafts to make and sell for a profit.

Related: 20 Best Things to Sell On Etsy to Make Money in 2022

Deliver Food

Some people drive around as a hobby. You can drive and make money by working as a delivery driver for Doordash. They pay $23 per hour and you can work on your own schedule.


17. Invest Money and Earn Money Passively

This is probably one of the easiest free money hacks for earning passive income. If you want to save money or invest money for your future or retirement, or you want to build your wealth by doing nothing, then this is probably one of the best free money hacks out there for you.

Aside from the capital gains and/or dividends you’ll earn from your investments, you can get more money in the form of free stocks by signing up with any of these companies below:

Webull 

I buy individual stocks or ETFs with Webull. It is beginner-friendly but Webull also has advanced trading tools for advanced investors. You can get a free stock worth up to $2300 from Webull by signing up here.

Robinhood

Robinhood is my “coffee budget” investing platform. If I have coffee money or clothing  allowance I didn’t spend, I would invest it through Robinhood. Robinhood allows you to buy fractional shares and you can get started with as little as $5. You can get a free stock worth up to $300 from Robinhood if you sign up here.

M1 Finance

If you are interested in automated investing, M1 Finance is an ideal option for you. With M1 Finance, you can do both self-directed trading and automated investing. M1 Finance is designed for investors with beginner or intermediate skills who do not need a lot of hand-holding but still want a platform to manage their portfolio for them. Check it out here.

Just a word of caution: No investment is risk-free, so only invest the money you can afford to lose.


18. Flip Things for Money

If you love shopping and finding deals online or at a local store, then consider flipping for a profit and earn free money! You can buy low and sell the items for a profit at the following platforms:

Etsy

Etsy is known for handmade, customized products, or vintage items, but you can also sell many other product types on Etsy.

Shopify

If you want to have your own online store, you can do so without special tech skills using Shopify.

Amazon

Two popular ways to sell on Amazon are  through retail arbitrage and private label. With retail arbitrage, you buy items and sell them on Amazon for a profit. Meanwhile, with private label, you sell your own products on Amazon, and you can do it on autopilot through Amazon FBA.

I sell my own label on Amazon and buy my products through Alibaba. The beauty of using Alibaba is that you have some guarantee in case your supplier does not deliver products according to your specifications.


More Free Money Hacks That Work

For me, learning how to not waste money is one great free money hack we should all master. It will help you get ahead in the long run.

Here are some more ways you save money and reduce your spending.

19. Save money on food and groceries

I have over 50 grocery shopping hacks here but my favorite hack is shopping with a list and creating a weekly meal plan. Bulk buying of staples may also work well for large families.

20. Do it yourself

If you can do it yourself, then do it and save money on services such as gardening, cleaning, haircuts, or painting. We do almost everything ourselves here at home, and we are saving thousands every year.

21. Reduce electricity use

Turn off and unplug appliances when not in use, batch cook food, or reduce air conditioning use by opening windows and using the fan instead–all strategies that can help you significantly reduce your energy costs.

22. Use one car

Using a car can be very costly. If it is possible, have only one car for the entire family or carpool to work to save money on gas, car maintenance, insurance, and depreciation costs.

23. Do a no-spend challenge

Make money from your own budget by doing a no-spend challenge. A no-spend challenge is like a detox. If you feel like you are spending too much, do a no-spend challenge to rebalance and reset your finances.


24. Get Free Stuff

If you can get stuff for free, then you get free money as well through the savings. Here are some hacks to get free stuff:

Amazon Direct Ship

Many Amazon sellers want to give away their products for free for several reasons. You can receive these products through the so-called Amazon direct ship freebies

Get Free Internet

If you are not a heavy internet user, then getting free internet through these hacks is for you. You can save $50 per month by getting free internet.


25. Get Free Makeup Samples

Love makeup but don’t want to pay for it? Here are ways to get free makeup samples!

Get Free Clothes

Many companies offer their products for free to get consumer feedback and reviews or increase their visibility. Here are ways to get clothes absolutely free!


Free Money Hacks: Are They Worth It?

There’s no reason to believe free money hacks online aren’t worth your time. After all, you’d be doing what you usually do like online shopping, opening bank accounts, or buying gift cards, but with an added benefit: making some money on the side. 

Sure, these free money hacks won’t buy your dream car, but they’re a nice way to supplement your income and buy you treats without breaking the budget.

Have you tried any of these free money hacks? What’s your favorite free money hack? Do you have free money hacks not mentioned in this post? Please share your tips in the comments below!

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