A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World

50 Weird Ways You Can Make $50

Recycling wine corks, playing chess and driving new cars are just some of the ways you can earn easy cash.

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Watch your web surfing

If you have a smartphone or tablet, the Nielsen Panel—yes the same people who monitor television ratings—will pay you $50 a year to keep its app on your device and browse the web like you normally do. The information it collects remains totally anonymous, according to the company. Don’t want to wait a year for your money? Try these easy ways to make money fast.

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Save your dollars

Turns out, there are people who are looking to collect dollar bills with unique and interesting serial number combinations. Check out the list at CoolSerialNumbers.com to see if you have any of the bills that make their list and to find out how much collectors are willing to pay.

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Happy male friends clinking with beer mugs in pub
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Be a friend

Looking to do something fun and meet someone new? Sign yourself up as a friend. Yes, you heard that correctly. RentAFriend.com is a site in which paying users can contact you to attend concerts, sporting events, family functions, VIP events, and more. Perks include charging up to $50 per hour and setting your own schedule.

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Business man driving his car
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Test drive a car

Want to try out a new car? You can earn about $60 when you pose as a potential buyer through an organization like BestMark. After you try the car and hear the sales pitch, you report your experience. Shortly after, the money is yours to spend as you wish.

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Do errands

If you’ve ever forgotten to pick up something at the store—or if you know someone who is homebound—you will understand the value of this. Using an app called gopuff, users can pick from a variety of convenience store items for delivery. But how do you make money? Delivering them, of course. The company pays $10 to $12 per hour.

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Close up shot hand of business woman moving golden chess to defeat a silver king chess on white and black chess board for business challenge competition winner and loser concept, selective
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Play chess

Love chess? Awesome, because with this gig you can literally get paid for doing what you love. Use a tutoring site like WyzAnt to make $35 to $40 per hour teaching someone how to play chess. Even novice players can earn about $20 by showing newbies the ropes.

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A vintage cd player with cd
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Get rid off your DVDs

In the age of Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, and On-Demand, there may be no reason to keep that stack of DVDs. Make some cash by selling them to Amazon’s trade-in site. While you can’t get paid in cash for the goods, you can get paid in Amazon credit.

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Rack of clean clothes hanging on hangers at dry-cleaning
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Get your side hustle on

Have some free time or a skill people will definitely pay for? Check out TaskRabbit and claim some odd jobs—from picking up dry cleaning to helping hang photographs on the wall. There are also tasks that require some administrative skills. The good thing about those gigs? You can do most of them from home.

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Hairdresser's hands cutting hair.
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Sell your hair

While you may not be able to sell body parts (legally), you can sell your hair. The right kind of hair can garner more than $100, experts say. You should use a professional hair broker to get you top dollar. Untreated, undamaged hair gets top dollar rates. Thinking about getting a trim before a vacation?

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Two Green Trash Dumpsters In Front Of White Brick Wall Angle View in ghetto.
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Dumpster dive

If you know what to look for, the right metal will earn you money at scrap yards. While it may require you to get a little smelly and dirty, you could turn a pretty decent profit. Try these ways to boost your income without working overtime..

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Young business team in a meeting seated around a table in the office with focus to a smiling businesswoman listening to a colleague
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Focus group

Joining a focus group is a great way to make money, and learn about the inner workings of businesses. New companies—or companies launching new products—will pay for your feedback. You can find a focus group to join on websites like FindFocusGroups.com.

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Take surveys

Like focus groups, taking surveys can help pay out dividends too. Use sites like InboxDollars or VIP Voice in order to take surveys basically anywhere and everywhere. While payment terms for these surveys vary, it can put hundreds of dollars into your pocket per year depending on how dedicated you are to the cause.

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Wooden decor spacious bedroom with pink bedding and white walls
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Rent a room

Going to be away on vacation? Have an extra room in your house? Rent it for a nightly rate like a local bed and breakfast would do. Thanks to the popularity of Airbnb, people are comfortable staying in a home, especially if it’s saving them money.

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Hanging decorative christmas lights for a back yard party
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Rent other house amenities

Parking in the neighborhood a mess? Rent your unused driveway or garage space as a parking spot with Neighbor. Have a beautiful backyard? Rent it out for a party. Check out the app Nookzy and start renting your space by the hour, allowing you to make some extra money and maybe pump it back into that backyard oasis of yours.

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Close up image of a man opens car's door.
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Get a Lyft… or Uber

Sign up to begin driving with one of these services, which are becoming increasingly popular throughout the nation. Not only can you drive on your own time, but you can also set your own hours and only pick-up passengers when it’s convenient for you. Learn what else the most successful people say about making and saving money.

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old vintage television set
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Declutter

Seriously, Decluttr can not only save your sanity but can also provide you with enough cash to grab yourself a new wardrobe. Or replace the stuff you sold with updated stuff. Decluttr takes DVDs, CDs, and electronics too. The company promises to pay the full amount quoted and promptly—the day after the items are received.

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Close up photo of young woman walking with Beagle dog in the summer park. Obedient pet with his owner
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Walk the dog

Offer dog-walking services to neighbors or people in your building. This is especially fruitful if you have your own dog, as you can get paid for the walk you’re already taking. You can contact local shelters for this or join sites such as Rover.com or Thumbtack.com.

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hand watering a plant with watering can
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House sit

Not only can you sign up as a dog walker, but you can also sign up to house sit. Want to get away for the weekend? Now you can and get paid too. Want a higher sum? Look for people that need light maintenance—like mowing the lawn or light housekeeping—as well as a house sitter.

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different language dictionaries
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Use your language skills

If you’re bilingual, there is a pretty large market for interpreters and translators around the United States. You don’t have to work full time in order to make extra money. You can advertise your services locally or work on a contract basis through marketplaces like Fiverr, Guru, Thumbtack, and Upwork.

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Transcribe interviews

If you’ve ever been in any sort of communications field, you understand that transcribing interviews from audio to words is pretty much the worst. That’s why people will pay money to have someone else transcribe for them. The rate is by the audio hour, and the payout is usually between $15 and $25. Learn the best money-saving tips from self-made millionaires.

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doctor examines a patient with a stethoscope
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Get clinical

Whether you have a specific ailment or are perfectly healthy, you can participate in a clinical trial for extra money. While healthy adults are used as control groups, there are also trials that focus on conditions or issues that could be helpful to you. You can find clinical trials by searching on ClinicalTrials.gov.

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Stack of vintage books in multicolored covers
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Sell some books

Have a ton of old textbooks lying around from college? Or how about those novels you have already read a hundred times? Textbookrush.com has a website where you can look your books up by ISBN number for trade-in value. Sell them for cash or trade them in for credit towards new books. Did you know there are 17 ways you can actually get free money from the government?

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Background of wine corks
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Drink wine

We’re not encouraging you to drink more, but if you save your corks you can get up to $500 for a 15-pound box of wine corks. (That’s about 1,500 corks.) Here are some healthy habits of people who are great at saving money that could help you make bank!

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Summertime fun cocktails by the pool, woman hands take photograph shot with smartphone mobile cell phone
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Sell your photos

An app called Foap allows you to upload scenic photos you’ve taken on your smartphone; every time someone licenses your shot for use, you’ll collect $5.

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 street performers
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Stand still

Individual performance artists make money posing as living statues on street corners around the world. There are even companies that hire performers to work as living statues.

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Use your green thumb

It’s now legal to grow marijuana in some states—just make sure you fully understand the legal and licensing requirements to grow and sell in your city, county, and state. Did you know that whenever you buy something with your debit card you could be putting your money at risk?

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Bottle of milk for baby over blurred background
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Sell breast milk

While it’s a bit controversial, there is a market for breast milk. Sites such as Only the Breast specialize in selling breast milk, and prices typically range from $1 to $2 an ounce.

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Joystick in hands
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Game on

Get ready to bring out your inner gamer for this money-making endeavor. More and more people are making money in competitive video gaming. For example, strong players of Golden Tee, a popular golf arcade game, can make a living through the video game and its payouts; there are tournaments that pay as well.

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Secret shop

If you love to shop, then look into becoming a mystery shopper with companies like secretshopper.com. You get paid by the hour and there are cool perks like mileage reimbursement or even cash for snacks while you’re on the clock.

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Doctor holding fresh donor blood for transfusion
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Sell your blood

Blood plasma is used to treat many diseases, as well as chronic conditions such as hemophilia. Selling your blood plasma may sound a little weird, but it can earn you up to $400 if it’s your first time donating plasma. that $400 of green paper is looking mighty good right now. Find out why our money is colored green.

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Write letters

Companies such as NextWave Advocacy work with corporations, trade groups, and advocacy organizations who want people to write letters to national, state, and local legislators about a variety of issues. Dust off your grammar books and get started. Read up on these habits of people who are great at saving money.

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Be a model

Art classes often need models to pose for them—and you don’t have to be Gisele Bundchen. While you can pose clothed, you’ll get more if you disrobe. Reach out to your local colleges and art studios or check sites like Simply Hired or Indeed for these positions.

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Go to jury duty

No, not in real life. Many law schools look for volunteer jurors to help students with their mock trials. The positions are virtual—no driving to the courthouse—and you can get paid between $5 and $10 for each case.

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Get creative

If you have a creative side and like to write, check out Blue Mountain Arts on a regular basis. The site takes poetry submissions to use on their cards, paying more than $300 per poem for exclusive rights to publish it on greeting cards and other products; you’ll get $50 per poem for one-time publication in a book. Here are 10 more creative ways you can keep more money in your wallet.

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Taste ice cream

Wells Enterprises makes Blue Bunny ice cream, Bomb Pops, and Weight Watchers frozen treats. The company often needs taste-testers to sample the goodies. All you have to do is provide feedback based on their specific instructions.

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Hovering drone that takes pictures
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Make money with your drone

If you’re lucky enough to own a drone, renting it out can pad your wallet. Sites like KitSplit help handle all of the transaction details.

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Elderly woman tell her complaints to the carer
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Cuddle up

While some people are totally OK with being single, there are also times when the human touch is just… nice. If you don’t mind your personal space being invaded, sign yourself up to cuddle with people for some extra dough. Cuddlecomfort.com is a site that allows you to use your body warmth for cold cash.

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Tutor

If you are particularly knowledgeable in a certain subject, you can likely find a student who needs help. Check out WyzAnt.com, where you can set your own prices for tutoring services in the subject of your choice. The website takes a cut for its service, so adjust your rate accordingly.

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Woamn's Hand on the Car Ignition Key
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Rent your car

Does your car sit all day in a lot? Will you not be using it for awhile? Sites like Zipcar or Turo let you rent it out for a day or as long as you want to pre-screened renters. Just make sure they don’t leave you without any gas.

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Young woman using a touchscreen smartphone.
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Cruise the web

Make money testing out websites, apps, videos, ads, ideas, and more on Userlytics. Sign up for a free account and then wait for an invitation to give feedback. The tests take about 10 to 20 minutes to complete and payment is $10 or more per test via PayPal.

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Share, share, share

social media weight loss tweet progress
iStock/alexslWe’re taught pretty early on in life that sharing is caring. Put that tactic to work with Sharemagnet.com, a site that pays you to share things about brands looking for promotions on different social media outlets. Payment varies depending on the product and you get paid per click. Make sure you’re trying these effortless ways to save money.

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Use your eyes

Sign up for WeGoLook.com and literally go look at items for sale for people that can’t see the thing for themselves. The company combines technology with an on-demand workforce to ensure results. The looker visits an item and creates a report, providing the buyer information to help them decide to make a purchase.

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Become a guide

Love your city? Well, now you can show people around and make extra money too. Work on your own time with Vayable. Vayable Insiders are independent people who create unique experiences to share with others. Anyone with unique knowledge of their the area can earn.

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beagle dog, beagle dog on car windows
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Driving Miss Daisy… or Mr. Fido

Today’s pampered pets have busy owners who don’t always have time to pick them up from the kennel, drop them at the vet’s office, or take them to the groomer. If you’re willing to be on call as a driver for last-minute requests, you can build a career as a chauffeur for people’s furry friends. Rates range from $10 to $15 per hour.

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Close up woman hand holding smartphone while entering the passcode.
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Use your phone screen

Putting ads on your lock screen can offer you a way to make some extra money. Check out apps that can load up your phone with ads to make a little cash without a lot of effort.

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Man standing on weight scale
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Lose weight

Not only will you look great, but you can use sites like GymPact and HealthyWage to make money for reaching your weight-loss goals. It will be motivating to know that you have two rewards for shedding pounds. Next, read about these money mistakes that everyone has made–even financial experts.

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Sell online

Who goes to yard sales anymore? With apps for delivering food and finding a date, you can bet your money (although maybe placing bets isn’t the best idea for saving money) that there are apps for selling items you don’t want or use anymore. These are the easiest ways you can make money by selling anything from instruments to furniture online.

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Collect coins

In the age of technology, no one exchanges paper money anymore, let alone loose change. But in the rare case that you do happen to have spare change jingling around in your pocket, somewhere under your car seat, or even in your couch, save them up! Over time, 10 cents can become $1 and before you know it, you might just have enough change to buy something useful. You’ll have to be sure to roll up your coins before going to the bank to cash in.

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Guy writes in a diary some notes
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Freelance

If you are a skilled writer, or just enjoy sharing your opinions and stories with other people, you can definitely get paid to write. Sites like Upwork allow you to make an account and get hired quickly. No more waiting around for long, drawn out interviews. Some projects are long-term while others are short-term, and your pay can be hourly or fixed depending on the assignment. Next, make sure that you’re not trying to save your money with the bank with the worst reputation in America.

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Review music

Why has no one told you that you can get paid for listening to music? Well, Slicethepie has been around for over a decade and gives people just like you money for reviewing music from up-and-coming musicians. Your reviews go back to the independent artists and also to major U.S. record labels. In addition to new songs, you can review fashion items and commercials before they are released. The more you review, the more money you make for not doing much at all!