6 Legitimate and Easy Ways to Make Money From Home

As a new stay at home mom, I need to be able to contribute to my household financially and every penny really counts! It’s so hard to know which ways you can actually make money and which ways are just not worth your time or effort. That’s why I’ve come up with 6 ways to make money from home that I have personally tested and found to be worth the time:

1.Get Cash Back for Purchases

There are a few apps you can use to get yourself cash back for all your online and in-store purchases. In my experience, the only service I fully trust is Rakuten. You receive $10 just for signing up and making a $25 purchase at any of your favorite stores. Once you decide to make a purchase online, simply go to the website first and click on the store of your choice to make your purchase. It’s that easy! Not an online shopper? You can also add a credit card to the app and get cash back for purchases made in-store. And if you refer your friends, they will give you $25 for every person who signs up with your code. They pay you in actual cash via your PayPal account or check. I’ve made over $220 so far using this service and I love it!

I recently started using DOSH and so far, I really like it. You receive $5 just for signing up and adding your first credit or debit card. I’ve used it for purchases in store and for online purchases and I can safely say that I absolutely LOVE this app. Anytime I can make money back on my purchases without doing much of anything, I’m elated! I also earned $5 for each referral so I’ve made $50 in two weeks so far. Not too shabby, in my opinion!

2. Sign Up for Energy Saving Credits or Rebates

Most utility companies have incentives that allow people to save money on their bill. Log on to your utility provider’s website and find out what kind of money saving incentives they offer.

If you live in California, you can also sign up for OhmConnect, which is a service that gives you cash back just for turning off the lights and air conditioning for an hour at a time. You can also refer your friends and make $40 per referral for a limited time (normally $20 per referral). I’ve made about $40-$80 a month during the winter and have heard of people making upwards of $350 for the summer.

3. Sell Items Online

You can start selling on ebay for free and can actually make a ton of money by selling things you don’t need or want anymore. You can also use other platforms to sell like Facebook, Craigslist, or OfferUp. Some items that are great sellers are cell phones, electronics, concert tickets, and collectibles. Search your house to find items you don’t want anymore and enjoy the cash and extra space. I was able to make about $1600 during the holiday season – all on “junk” I didn’t use anymore!

4. Trade-in Books, Electronics, and Video Games for Amazon Gift Cards

You can trade-in your unwanted items for Amazon gift cards! Check out the trade-in program and search for the items you don’t need – books, textbooks, video games, cell phones, kindles, electronics, and much more. Add them to you cart, send them to Amazon, and voila – free money!

5. Have a Yard Sale

If eBay is not for you or if you just have too much stuff, think about having a yard sale. This is the fastest way to make some extra cash and clear up some space in your home. You can sell anything from clothes to furniture and anything in between. If you don’t have a yard or driveway, see if a friend or family member with a yard would like to have one with you so you can borrow their space.

6. Make Money Using Your Smart Phone

I’ll admit, this one can be a little more time consuming and it usually pays out in gift cards, but you can make some serious money by shopping online or in store, booking travel, walking into stores, answering surveys, watching videos, playing games, and clipping coupons.

Shopkick is one of my favorites because you can earn points just for walking into stores such as Target, Best Buy, Walmart, Bed Bath And Beyond, Vons, and pretty much any store you can think of. You can earn even more points if you want to find certain items and scan them (without needing to purchase them) and making purchases. You can also earn 250 points for referring a friend. The rewards come in the form of gift cards, which is fine by me! I’ve received Starbucks and Amazon gift cards but they also offer about 41 other options including Walmart, Target, and Best Buy.

Another popular way to make cash back is with ibotta. You can make purchases online and receive cash back or you can shop in store. This app requires a little extra work to get your in store cash back but the rewards can be much higher than the other shopping apps. You simply search for offers before you go shopping, activate them, shop, and then scan your receipt. You can also receive cash when you refer a friend and they redeem their first qualifying offer. The cash back will be loaded into your account within 48 hours. The rewards are paid out in cash via venmo or PayPal or you can get your rewards in the form of a gift card to a variety of popular stores.

I’ve just started using MyPoints and I’ve found that my favorite part of it is the coupons. I can get manufacturers coupons for a number of items I normally purchase like toilet paper, paper towels, baby food, and cleaning supplies. I love that I don’t have to use it for online shopping (since I have other apps that I already love). I’ve mainly earned points for watching videos, taking surveys, clipping coupons, and playing games. It’s a great option for me to earn extra money while I’m watching my favorite shows at the end of the night since the surveys are relatively short and the games are entertaining. You can also earn points for referring a friend as well as receive a bonus for the next purchase your friend makes. The rewards are paid out in gift cards such as Amazon, PayPal, and MasterCard.

Swagbucks is very similar to the last program I talked about. You can earn points for shopping, watching videos, answering surveys, playing games, and searching the internet. They offer $3 per friend you refer as well. The rewards are paid out in gift cards or you can use them to donate to your favorite charity or enter a sweepstakes.

I just signed up for this next program called the Walmart Savings Catcher since so many of my friends have suggested it. It’s super easy and you can get cash back for very little work. Simply add your transaction number or scan your receipt after you’ve shopped at Walmart. If any of your items come up as cheaper in the online or paper Walmart ads, they will pay you the difference. The cash back is paid out in the form of a Walmart gift card that can be used in store or online.

Disclaimer: These statements are the opinion of the author. The information provided in this post is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended to provide medical, legal, or other professional advice. Read and/or use any of the information from this post at your own risk. Some or all of the links displayed on this site may be affiliate links.