12 Apps on Your Phone That Can Put More Money in Your Wallet
By one estimate, we now spend over three hours a day on our phones: using social media, catching up on news, watching videos and playing games.
Admit it: So much of that time is wasted. And time is money. Wouldn't you rather be putting your technology to use to make money?
Forget Pokemon Go and Candy Crush Saga. Download these 12 apps, and you’ll be earning and saving more in no time.
1. Ebates
With Ebates, you earn rebates shopping online as you normally would.
Ebates is a mobile app that lets you earn cash back just by shopping at your favorite online stores. There's a long list of participating sites, including Amazon, Kohls.com, Groupon, Macys.com, Expedia and Priceline.
You don’t have to do anything special for the cash — you just shop as you normally would.
The Ebates app is easy to install for either iOS or Android, and you can register via Facebook. Refer friends to boost your earnings — you'll receive $25 for each friend who signs up and shops via Ebates.
2. Stash
Stash lets you invest in stocks for as little as $5.
Eager to invest in the stock market, but don't think you have enough money or know-how? Stash is a stock-trading app that lets you get started with as little as $5 and then learn as you go.
You can invest so cheaply because with Stash, you're able to buy "fractional shares" — small slices of stocks and ETFs. The app also helps you assemble a portfolio based on your age, income and interests.
Accounts with daily balances under $5,000 pay monthly fees of just $1 or $2, with no add-on commissions or trading fees.
3. Letgo
Letgo helps you turn your unwanted used stuff into cash.
One person's garbage is another person's gold. That’s the premise that has made Letgo a very popular moneymaking app if you have things you want to sell.
Look around your home. See stuff taking up space, that you want to get rid of? Clothing? Jewelry? Books? Take a picture of an item, type in a description, set a price and post it for sale.
Letgo also is a great way to find local deals on anything you need, whether it's furniture, a pair of Air Jordan sneakers or a new iPhone.
4. Swagbucks
With Swagbucks, you make money just by giving your opinion.
You’re already on your phone all the time, so why not earn money while you’re at it, right?
This is where Swagbucks comes in. Once you sign up, you can earn points for completing surveys, watching videos or just surfing the web. These points can be redeemed for cash via Paypal, or for gift cards from retailers such as Amazon and Target.
After entering a little info about yourself, Swagbucks connects you to surveys and moneymaking activities that are right for you.
5. Tally
Tally can help you conquer your credit card costs.
The Tally app is designed to help people get more organized with their credit cards and pay off multiple cards at once. It’s a fast way to consolidate your debt and save on interest costs.
Tally lets you store all of your credit card accounts in one place and may even lend you money to help pay them off. If you have a minimum credit score of 675, Tally may be able to hook you up with a credit line at 7.9% to 19.9% interest, depending on your credit history.
Since most credit cards have purchase interest rates of 16%-20%, the app could save you money and grief in the long run.
6. Truebill
TrueBill is great at finding lower prices for services and getting your money back.
If you’re paying too much for phone or cable, or if you’ve lost track of your spending on subscriptions you're no longer using, Truebill is the app for you.
Truebill can help cut unnecessary spending and negotiate discounts on your bills. The free version is all you need to start saving, though there are premium, paid options.
To get started, download the app and link up a credit card or bank account. Next, turn on the bill negotiation features. The app will immediately start looking for refunds and hunting for forgotten subscriptions.
7. Wealthsimple
Wealthsimple makes you money with a personalized portfolio.
Are you intimidated by the stock market? Wealthsimple is an app that creates a personalized investment portfolio to match your goals and interests in just 5 minutes.
Then, you can relax while it grows your money. This automated investing service automatically manages and rebalances your portfolio as the market changes, and instantly reinvests your dividends to help you earn more.
Wealthsimple relies on low-cost exchange-traded funds, or ETFs. It uses a smart algorithm to manage your investments, while giving you access to human financial advisers — all at a fraction of what you'd pay for traditional investing.
8. Even Financial
Even Financial is an easy way to find the right loan for you.
If you've ever found yourself in need of a loan, you may know how tricky it can be to find the best possible interest rate.
Even Financial has come up with a way to even the odds, so to speak. Even works with financial Institutions, marketers and affiliates to find the best loan and rate for your repayment preference and income.
To get started, just fill out basic personal information such as your name, Social Security number and income. Even Financial will match you with the best loans of $1,000 to $100,000, depending on your specific situation.
9. iPoll
Get rewarded for your opinions with iPoll.
Get rewarded for your opinions with iPoll. This app wants to know your thoughts on the products you use, places you go, and everything in between.
After signing up, you'll have the chance to voice your opinions and begin earning rewards or cash. You'll also be entered into a quarterly $10,000 cash prize drawing just for signing up. Score!
The iPoll app is available for both Android and iPhone.
10. Ibotta
With Ibotta, you take a picture of your receipt to get money back.
With Ibotta, you can make money just by buying things at brick-and-mortar stores that you were going to purchase anyway.
Simply use the Ibotta app to search your shopping list and see if anything on there qualifies for a cash-back offer. Once you get home, take a picture of your receipt to prove you bought qualifying items, scan the bar codes and wait for your cash-back rewards to roll in.
When you're ready to cash out, you can receive your rebates via Paypal or Venmo, or as a gift card.
11. Acorns
Acorns allows you to invest with spare change.
Do you keep change in a pile on your dresser, or find it in the pockets whenever you put on a piece of clothing you haven't worn in a while? Think of Acorns as a way to make money with spare change.
You link debit and credit cards to the app, and each time you make a purchase, Acorns rounds up the amount to the nearest dollar. It scoops up that extra change and automatically invests it for you in a diversified portfolio.
Acorns partners with stores and other businesses that reward you with rebates that also go into your investment account. Don't think of it as cash back — Acorns says you earn "cash forward."
12. Lucktastic
Scratch and win on your phone.
If your guilty pleasure is playing scratch-off tickets from the convenience store, then Lucktastic is the app for you.
After downloading the free app for Android or for iOS, you can play digital scratch-and-win tickets to your heart's content. Winners pay out anywhere between $1 and $10,000.
You also can earn points to redeem for gift cards at retail stores. Best of all, the app is completely supported by advertising, so you never pay a dime.
