Its no secret that the cost of living in California is something else.
Its worth the cost.
But if youre having trouble saving money… well, we get that, too.
Sharon Steinmann / The Penny Hoarder
No Interest Til Almost 2027?
Those power plants arent really the cleanest, so thats why its important you cut back.
This typically occurs once or twice a week in the afternoons or evenings.
key in your ZIP code hereto get started.
But a banking app calledChimewants to protect you from both of those problems with its SpotMe feature1.
Signing uptakes just a few minutes.
Swagbucksis one of the onlylegitimate paid survey companiesout there.
(Theyre rated an A+ with the Better Business Bureau.)
Should you prefer cash over the cards, you could turn around andsell any gift cardsyou earn.
Heres an option we like: Its theChase Freedom Unlimited card.
Theres no annual fee, and the cash-back rewards dont expire.
We checked Crediblesannual rewards calculator, and it estimates $417 in annual rewards based on our spending habits.
Get signed up and 0% intro APR for 15 months here.
*Annual Rewards amounts will change based on the amounts you enter.
The monthly spending category names and definitions may vary among issuers, and categories may not align one-to-one.
The information for the Chase Freedom Unlimited card has been collected independently by The Penny Hoarder.
The Penny Hoarder is a partner of Credible.
Im willing to support green growth.
You cansign up to qualify for your free gift cardin about two minutes.
Consider Your Car Situation
Surely youve thought about it:Do I even need a car?
I rely mostly on public transit.
Thats where a pay-per-mile insurance company can help likeMetroMile.
If you arent spending as much time in the drivers seat, you dont need to pay as much.
Find out for yourself if a pay-per-mile insurance company will help you save by snagginga free quote.
Rent it out through an online peer-to-peer rental marketplace, likeRVshare.Think of it like Airbnb… but for RVs.
In 2016, they invested in their first camper, The Moose, a 2008 Thor Sonoma.
Theyd heard about RVshare and knew they wanted to rent it out to cover $2,500 in annual expenses.
Theyre now renting Duke out, too, and theyve more than doubled their side income.
When you get home, snap a photo of your receipt and scan the items barcodes.
Ibotta is free to download.
Plus, youll get a $10 sign-up bonus after uploading your first receipt.
Demand for ride-sharing has been growing like crazy, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
Wetalked to Paul Pruce, whos been driving full-time with Lyft for over a year.
He earns $750 a week as a driver.
Best of all, he does it on his own time.
you could drive days, nights or weekends its up to you!
Because its simple to switch between apps, many Lyft drivers also sign up withUber.
As adriver partner with Uber, you are an independent contractor.
You create your own schedule and drive as much or as little as you want.
Heresa link to sign up to use the Uber app.
And if you arent sure which is better for you?
Heres ourguide to Lyft versus Uber.
But take this one step at a time.First, try using a micro-investing app likeAcornsorStash.
(Note: Theres a $1 monthly fee for balances under $5,000.)
Or, with Acorns, set it up so it takes the change from your purchases and invests it.
Theyre even giving you $5 to get started.
Rent out Your Parked Car
Want to make money with your car… but not keen on playing taxi?
With Getaround, renters are responsible for refilling the fuel used on the trip.
We take feedback seriously and prioritize product updates based on our conversations with owners and renters.
Plus, fewer cars on the road means less traffic and less pollution, so kudos!
12.Rate Your Local Pizza Place
Awww…yeah!
Who wouldnt want $5 and a free large pizza?
As part of the assignment youre required to time their delivery service, quality of pizza, etc.
Its pretty easy to do and you could do it several times a year.
If youre interested in giving it a try, heres alist of my favorite mystery shopping companies.
Rent Out Your Plush Couch
So you dont want a roommate… maybe youll allow for an occasional visitor?
Have a spare room?
Might as welllist it on Airbnb.
Taking a few simple steps can make the difference between a great experience and a less-than-satisfactory one.
Here are afew tips:
Heres the link to sign up as an Airbnb host.
(Hosting laws vary from city to city.
hey understand the rules and regulations applicable to your city and listing.)
An increasing number of companies are hiring work-from-home customer service reps, instead of running call centers.
Your job is usually to answer customer questions over the phone or via online chat.
You should enjoy helping people, though!
You know how a bad customer service call can totally ruin your day?
You dont want to be the bad rep on the other end of that call.
If you dont like working with customers, keep an eye out for otherwork-from-home jobs at these job sites.
(Those Unnecessary Bills)
Yeah, we snuck a Full House reference in here… Anyways, got a stray gym membership youve been meaning to cancel?
Use your HBO account way more than Netflix now?
Canceling subscriptions tend to elicit extreme procrastination.
Plus, you might not even be aware of whats lingering around.
Find out with a tool likeTrim, an automated financial assistant that lives in the Facebook Messenger app.
you’ve got the option to do it all through Trim, no customer service hold music required.
Trim will alsosend you deals and promotionsbased on your shopping behavior, too.
Turns out antique coins arent the only currency worth cash to collectors.
Chances are, youve got monthly bills coming in, and they just dont seem to ever stop.
A lot of us are being crushed by credit card interest rates north of 20%.
If youre in that boat, consolidation and refinancing might be worth a look.
It can help you borrow up to $50,000, potentially with better terms (e.g.
lower interest or lower monthly payments) than traditional lenders.
Youll want to be sure topull your free credit reportevery now and then.
If someone has tried to take out credit in your name, youll know.
Taking care of your credit is key to saving in the long run.
Its too good to be true, right?
Unlike other sites, InboxDollars pays you in cash no points or gift cards.
Its already paid its users more than $56 million.
Signing up takes about one minute, and youll immediately receivea $5 bonusto get you started.
Find Freelance Work, Small Jobs and Side Gigs
Need more money?
Look through job postings on sites like these:
Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank.
Banking services provided by, and debit card issued by, Bancorp Bank, N.A.
or Stride Bank, N.A.
Your limit will be displayed to you within the Chime mobile app.
You will of any changes to your limit.
Your limit may change at any time, at Chimes discretion.
See Terms and Conditions.
(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
You know which ones were talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…