At the time of this article, we are in an unprecedented time. We are amid a worldwide pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and has put millions out of work. Here in the U.S., about 12.5 million people are unemployed, which equates to about 7%-8% of the American workforce (people who are working or looking for work). Millions of people struggle to make ends meet as they have been laid off from their job or their business has outright failed. With no immediate end to the pandemic in sight, these people are forced to find alternative ways to make money. Fortunately, with better technology and widespread use of the internet, people have new opportunities to earn money through money making apps.
Money making apps are a great way to make some cash while searching for a new, full-time job. While money making apps should not be your primary source of income and should not replace a regular job, they are an excellent way to earn some extra cash to help make ends meet or just to have passive income on the side.
Mobile Apps have changed how people budget, send money, shop, consume, and take care of their finances. Apps like Uber and Lyft have changed the way people are transported. Apps like InstaCart, Postmates, and GrubHub have changed the way we get food. Rakuten and Ibotta have changed the way we shop, while Poshmark and Etsy have changed the way we sell. The emergence of apps that make money has opened up new work opportunities that almost everyone can do. The vast majority of these come from a free mobile app and are available on both the iOS app store and the Google Play store! Let’s take a look at some of the best money making apps so you can start making the extra cash you need.
Apps that earn you money overview:
For the sake of this article, we are going to put Uber and Lyft together. We will not be comparing Uber and Lyft, but will instead be discussing how driving service apps like this can make you money.
Uber and Lyft are the two largest driving services and highest paying apps in America. Instead of calling a taxi, customers can use the Uber and Lyft app to request a driver to take them from point A to point B. Drivers of Uber and Lyft use their own cars and gas to drive around customers, and they receive part of the payment of the ride and tips from customers as a reward.
Uber and Lyft played a large role in kicking off the “gig economy” where workers can work whenever they want, for however long they want, and wherever they want. This has opened up great opportunities for hundreds of thousands of people to work. There are reportedly 5 million drivers for Uber alone! The flexibility of these “gig economy” driving apps allows drivers to work as little or as much as they need to, something not every money making app can provide. Both apps are also on Google play and iOS. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of these successful apps.
Similar apps: Gett, Curb, Wingz, Via
We will guess that you have at least heard of these apps before if you don’t regularly use them anyway. Apps like Postmates, Doordash, and Instacart are the next closest thing to Uber and Lyft. All three apps are on the Google Play store and iOS. With these apps, customers order meals from restaurants or groceries from markets and drivers pick up the order and deliver it to them. Drivers get paid through service and delivery fees as well as tips from customers.
These apps are the next best thing to Uber and Lyft. While these may not serve as a replacement for a full-time job, drivers often work these apps in addition to Uber and Lyft. You can work whenever you want for however long you want, so you control how much money you earn.
Similar apps: GrubHub, UberEats, GoPuff, ChowNow
Fiverr truly embodies the term “gig economy.” With Fiverr, you are literally searching for real side-jobs or “gigs” online that you can do to make you some cash. As said on Fiverr’s website, “Fiverr is the world’s largest marketplace for digital services.” Fiverr is a free app that you can set up in minutes and be on your way to making money.
Everyone has individual skills that can separate you from many other people. On Fiverr, you can post your skills and connect with buyers that are looking for your specific skills and work expertise. You can make your customized profile and advertise your unique skills to the entire internet. Some of the popular categories include “writing and translation”, “music and audio”, “digital marketing,” and so many more. Within these categories, there are tons of specific jobs and industries that you can pick from. You can even learn skills like coding too if you feel that you may not be ready to put your skills to the test.
With Fiver, there is bound to be a place where you can utilize your skills. Seriously, check out Fiverr’s website and you will be amazed at the amount of opportunities available.
The Ibotta app allows you to earn money by making regular purchases that you make every single day. With Ibotta, you are not earning money as much as you are saving money, but using Ibotta can end up saving you a great deal of money.
Ibotta is essentially a couponing app. Instead of clipping and filing hundreds of coupons like your mother and grandmother did back in the day, you can seamlessly get coupons digitally for your everyday purchases.
When using Ibotta, you scan the app for something you are interested in purchasing. You then complete specific tasks to get the coupon for that purchase. The easy and quick tasks include reading a fact, taking a poll, participating in a survey, or watching a video. You then purchase your item, show proof of purchase to Ibotta, then get your cash.
Rakuten is an app and web browser that is somewhat similar to Ibotta. It is an app that lets you make money by getting cash back for purchases you make anyway. Rakuten allows you to get up to 40% cash back on purchases from 2,500 different retailers. Like Ibotta, Rakuten is an app that is not meant to replace your income but is an excellent way to accumulate money overtime.
Rakuten partners with these retailers to make commission any time you buy an item through Rakuten. Rakuten then shares some of this commission with you at no additional cost.
To use Rakuten, just download the mobile application on iOS, Google Play, or web extension. You can then search for deals at your favorite stores. You can also browse and click on the Rakuten extension to see if you qualify for cash back. At your store, buy these items that qualify, and you can accumulate a pile of cash over time.
Overall, trying out a money making app is a great way to subsidize some of the income you may be losing due to unemployment. While they may not replace a full-time job, they are an effective way of earning money. Even if you have a job, an earning app can be a great way to make some extra cash or to save money. So what are you waiting for? Start making some money!