It’s difficult to make ends meet while you’re in college. You never seem to have enough money and everything costs more than you expected.
Before you get desperate enough to roll up a sleeve and sell your plasma, download these five apps to your smartphone. They’ll do more than help you lower your expenses. They can actually earn you money.
Foap
Image via Google Play
Price: Free
Operating system: iOS and Android
If you have a talent for taking photographs, Foap will give you a way to earn extra money by selling your pictures to companies that need stock images. Once you download the app to your phone, you just have to post your photographs on the Foap Market. Each one that sells will earn you $5.
You can improve your chances of making money by using a smartphone that comes with an excellent camera. The LG V10 has a 16MP f/1.8 camera with optical image stabilization so you can rely on strong picture quality to attract more buyers on Foap.
Ibotta
Price: Free
Operating system: iOS and Android
Ibotta helps you lower your expenses and earn money at the same time.
Before you go shopping, open the app and complete simple tasks to access rebate codes for items you might buy. The rebates are accepted by a wide range of national retail stores including:
- Kroger
- Publix
- Target
- GAP
- Bed Bath & Beyond
After you purchase items, use your smartphone’s camera to take a picture of the receipt. Alternatively, you can link your store’s customer loyalty account to Ibotta to simplify the process.
It usually takes less than 48 hours for Ibotta to credit your rebate. Once you’ve accumulated $5, you can withdraw your cash by sending it to your PayPal or Venmo account.
NCP Mobile
Image via Google Play
Price: Free
Operating system: iOS and Android
The National Consumer Panel (NCP) wants to know what you think about the products you buy. In fact, it’s willing to pay you for your opinion. In addition to earning rewards, you get to participate in sweepstakes that can net you hundreds of dollars.
Your smartphone makes it easy for you to share your purchases and opinions with NCP. Download NCP Mobile, go shopping, and reap the rewards.
This is essentially like taking online surveys. The difference is you can do it right on your phone. Unlike many of those other companies, NCP also has the advantage of paying you in real money instead of coupon codes and services you don’t even want.
InboxDollars
Image via Google Play
Price: Free
Operating system: iOS and Android
Most customer loyalty programs give you discounted prices on select items. While that’s helpful when you’re trying to live on a tight budget, you’d probably rather have money instead of discounts.
With InboxDollars you get paid for online activities like:
- Shopping online
- Playing games
- Taking surveys
- Redeeming grocery coupons
- Searching the Web
InboxDollars has partnerships with companies like Wal-Mart, Target, and Netflix. The next time you buy a new outfit or rent a movie, you could earn a little money. Just open the InboxDollars app to make sure you get paid.
Slidejoy
Price: Free
Operating system: Android
Take a chunk out of your smartphone bill by making it earn money for you. The Slidejoy app makes it easy to earn a few extra dollars a month. It will display ads on your lock screen and pay you for looking at them.
You don’t even have to buy anything. Just looking is all that’s required.
While you certainly won’t get rich from Slidejoy, you’re making money from something that you will do with or without the app. You’d might as well get paid for using your phone.
If you find yourself hunting for loose change in your couch at the end of the month, you need to find an easier to way to make money. That doesn’t have to mean picking up an extra shift at work. You just need the right apps.
