When Money Is Tight, These 7 Resources Will Help Nearly Everyone

When you log into your bank account, how do your savings look? Probably not as good as you’d like. It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.

But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?

We’re not judging — we don’t roll like that. We’re here to help. We just don’t want you to have to sell those Elvis-Presley-signed velvet pants you inherited just to pay some lousy plumbing bill. Those pants are sweet.

Try these tips to get the ball rolling, and start building up your savings so you can breathe a little easier.

1. Get up to $100,000 From This Company

Every month, you make payments toward your credit card debt. But you never seem to make a dent. It’s because of those sky-high interest rates — as much as 24% interest. It can feel impossible to get ahead.

But Fiona could help you find offers to cut your interest rate by 70% as soon as tomorrow. 

Here’s how it works: Fiona can match you with new loan offers at a lower interest rate — as low as 5.20% APR*. That’s 70%* lower than the average credit card interest rate. And it’s the key to finally getting ahead.

You can use this new loan to pay off all your existing credit card debt, then you’ll be left with one (cheaper) monthly payment that will help you get out of debt faster.

If you have a credit score of at least 620, you could get up to $100,000. With no collateral. And terms go up to 144 months.

Worried you won’t qualify? Take two minutes to check online and see if you could cut your credit card interest rate by 70%.

*Based on creditworthiness. Average credit card interest rate is 24.72% as of 8/14/23, according to Forbes Advisor’s weekly credit card rates report.

2. Get Paid to Play Bingo

We all have our go-to time-killers on our phone. But this one actually gives you the chance to win up to $83 every time you play.

It’s a free app called Bingo Cash, and right now you could octuple your money — as in 8x — when you play. Right now, when you add $10 to your account, Bingo Cash will give you a $5 bonus to use toward tournaments, where you could win up to $83. 

You’ll compete against other players at your skill level, all using the same board, and the top three players can win real money — anywhere from $1 to $83.

And no, this isn’t one of those spammy apps. There aren’t even any annoying ads. Over on the App Store, it has over a million downloads and more than 15,000 ratings, averaging 4.7 stars (out of 5).

Want to see if you could turn your $10 deposit into $83 in winnings? Just download the free app and start playing your first game immediately.

3. Add $500 to Your Wallet for Trying Out Apps

Our smartphones are the world’s greatest time-killers. You can browse Facebook; play a game; download a new app.

You’re doing all this anyway — why not get paid for it? With a website 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.

4. Get Paid Up to $140/Month Just for Sharing Your Honest Opinion

It sounds strange, but brands want to hear your opinion. It helps them make business decisions, so they’re willing to pay you for it — up to $140 a month.

A free site called Branded Surveys will pay you up to $5 per survey for sharing your thoughts with their brand partners. Taking three quick surveys a day could earn up to $140 each month.

It takes just a minute to create a free account and start getting paid to speak your mind. Most surveys take five to 15 minutes, and you can check how long they’ll take ahead of time. 

And you don’t need to build up tons of money to cash out, either — once you earn $5, you can cash out via PayPal, your bank account, a gift card or Amazon. You’ll get paid within 48 hours of your payout being processed, just for sharing your opinions.

They’ve already paid users more than $20 million since 2012, and the most active users can earn a few hundred dollars a month. Plus, they’ve got an “excellent” rating on Trustpilot.

It takes just a minute to set up your account and start getting paid to take surveys. Plus, right now, you’ll get a free 100-point welcome bonus just for becoming part of the community.

5. Get Paid $225/Month While Watching Movie Previews

A woman wearing converse and jeans works on an Apple laptop.
Carmen Mandato/ The Penny Hoarder

If we told you that you could get paid while watching videos on your computer, you’d probably laugh.

It’s too good to be true, right?

But we’re serious. By signing up for a free account with InboxDollars, you could add up to $225 a month to your pocket. They’ll send you short surveys every day, which you can fill out while you watch someone bake brownies or catch up on the latest Kardashian drama.

No, InboxDollars won’t replace your full-time job, but it’s something easy you can do while you’re already on the couch tonight, wasting time on your phone.

Unlike other sites, InboxDollars pays you in cash — no points or gift cards. It’s already paid its users more than $56 million.

Signing up takes about one minute, and you’ll immediately receive a $5 bonus to get you started.

6. Stop Making Payments to Your Credit Card Company

If you’re carrying around credit card debt, you know how hopeless it can feel. The interest rates alone can make it feel like you’ll never escape.

Meanwhile, your credit card company could care less. They’re getting rich off those sky-high rates, after all. 

Luckily, The Rate Chopper could help you start to get rid of all that debt — as soon as a few days from now. Here’s how: The Rate Chopper could match you with a lender and a new loan at a lower interest rate you can use to pay off all your credit card balances. Now you’ll just have one bill to focus on, and with the lower rate, you’ll likely be able to pay off your debt that much faster.

If you have a credit score above 600 and you need to borrow up to $50,000, The Rate Chopper can help you find a loan with rates as low as 5.99% APR.* That’s way better than the 20% or more your credit card is charging you. 

It only takes a few minutes to complete the form to get your personalized results —  and checking won’t affect your credit score. Plus, The Rate Chopper keeps your information encrypted and secure. 

And if you’re worried you won’t qualify, it’s free to check and see if you match with a lender. You’ll need to enter your Social Security number when you fill out their form, but The Rate Chopper uses data encryption to help keep your information safe.

It takes just a couple minutes, and it could save you thousands of dollars. Totally worth it.

7. Get Paid to Try Out Free Games on Your Phone (With No Purchases or Ads)

Wouldn’t you rather companies just pay you to try games with the money they’d otherwise spend on annoying you with ads? 

That’s exactly what a free app called Cash Giraffe does — it pays you to try out new mobile games they know you’ll like, instead of bombarding you with ads. 

Games are added regularly to Cash Giraffe and there are lots of genres to choose from, including arcade, action, adventure, strategy and more. No, you don’t have to pay a deposit and or sit through any ads at all. It’s completely free — the more you play, the more you earn. 

Once you’ve earned enough tickets, you can cash out for real money in less than 48 hours and get paid via PayPal (or gift cards from Amazon, Google Play, Playstation Network, Best Buy and others).

Ready to get paid to play games? Just download the free Cash Giraffe app to start earning gift cards for playing new games on your phone. 


Some of the links in this post are from our sponsors. We’re letting you know because it’s what Honest Abe would do. After all, he is on our favorite coin.