These 6 Apps Can Spin Your Downtime Into Cash

Some of us are just hungry. We grind it out to live the life we know we deserve, even if our primary source of income doesn’t exactly validate us.

We’ll pick up an extra shift, work multiple jobs or use our talents to make even more on the side. The trouble is keeping all of that running smoothly and keeping our cash flow predictable.

We came up with seven of the best apps that can help bring in hundreds of dollars extra every month.

1. You Could Earn $300/Week for Pretending to Shop for Yourself

This first gig doesn’t require a resume. You just need a phone and a little time to shop.

A company called Intouch Insight lets you browse tens of thousands of mystery shopping jobs in the US and Canada. They’re one of the biggest mystery shopping companies in North America. 

People who mystery shop regularly typically earn about $200 to $300 a week. These jobs take anywhere from 5 minutes to a couple of hours to complete.

Lots of shopping gigs cover your food, fuel and other purchases. And everyone gets paid through PayPal twice a month, with payouts on the 15th and the last day of the month.

There are generally no requirements to mystery shop, but some gigs may require specific age or other restrictions for compliance reasons. 

We know you’re great at shopping. So why not sign up as an Intouch Shopper and get paid to mystery shop in your free time? 

2. Turn Your Screen Time into Real Money — Just $5 to Cash Out

Your smartphone is in your hands at all times. Whether you’re at home or on the go, you can shop online, play games, explore new apps, etc. You’re doing this anyway — why not make a quick buck for it, too?

You can use an app called Copper to discover games and take surveys In return, Copper rewards you with free “creds” that you can convert into cash.

Here’s how it works: discover games and surveys through the app and earn creds as you go. Protip: making small in-app purchases can help you hit big goals quickly — just $5 of in-app purchases could earn you up to $30 in creds! Or you can play the games without making any purchases. 

Once you have 500 creds (equal to $5), you can cash out via direct deposit or gift cards. You can earn 223 creds right away just for downloading the app and signing up. Average earners cash out on their very first day.

Ready to transform your phone time into real rewards? Download Copper today and join over 200K people who have already earned over $300,000 in creds.

3. Foap / Stock photography

If you have a smartphone and a photographic eye, making money may have just gotten a lot easier. Oh – you’ll also need access to marketable scenery.

An app called Foap lets you turn your smartphone photos into cash.

Here’s how it works:

1. Download the free app and create an account.
2. Take a quality photo and upload it to Foap’s marketplace.
3. Someone buys the license to your photo for $10. You make $5.

If your photo sells 20 times, you make $5 each time and end up with $100 in your pocket — all for about five minutes of work. Pretty cool, right?

4. Add $500 to Your Wallet Playing Games on Your Phone

We all love to make money on our phones while relaxing at home. Here’s another one that will pay you serious money in your downtime. 

With an app called KashKick, you could get paid for things like answering survey questions or downloading and playing a game — up to $500 in your first month.

You can earn money by playing games or trying new products and services, but surveys are the main way to make money.

Once you earn $10 in your account, you can immediately get paid via Paypal. This is an easy way to make a little extra money while you’re killing time on your couch. All you need is your phone or computer.

It takes just a minute to sign up, and you’ll immediately earn $1 just for completing your profile on the site. You’ll be that much closer to cashing out. 

5. Find Hourly Gigs

If you’re looking for hourly gigs, try signing up for ShiftGig. The platform connects workers to gigs in a number of industries, including food service, hospitality, retail and customer service.

Here’s how it works:

• Download the app and apply. You’ll talk about yourself, your interests and your experience.
• The Shiftgig team will review your application, and, if you pass, you’ll be onboarded. (It’ll also perform a background check on you.)
• If you’re approved, you can start searching through available shifts in your area.

6. Find Quick Tasks with Tasker by TaskRabbit

Similar to ShiftGig, TaskRabbit helps you connect with people in your area who need help getting things done — anything from picking up dry cleaning to calling customer service and tolerating the hold music.

Keep an eye out for virtual tasks, which are mostly centered around personal assistance, administrative work or research help. You can do those an earn money without even walking out your door.

Rest assured you won’t be getting paid pennies to solve someone’s Excel woes. Check out these tips from users who make more than $2,000 a week through the app.