At a time when nearly half of retirees claim their retirement expenses are higher than they anticipated, a 2025 survey by investment management firm Schroders found that extra money can help you pay off debt sooner, strengthen your emergency fund, make budgeting a little easier, and accomplish other financial goals.
1. Sell unwanted gift cards
Don’t throw away any unused gift cards. Consider selling the card at a discount on a marketplace like CardCash, GiftCash, Gift Card Outlets, or GCX if you don’t intend to use it. According to a Bankrate poll conducted in August 2024, the average amount of unused gift cards, gift vouchers, or store credit for Boomers is $227, while the average value for Gen Xers is $255.
How much you can earn:
Depending on the shop, offers can vary, but according to CardCash and GiftCash, sellers can get up to 92% of the value of a gift card. (Note: Gift cards with expiration dates are not accepted by certain markets.)
Advice:
You may be able to exchange your unwanted gift card for one at another store, possibly for more than the value of your existing card, depending on the marketplace.
2. Participate in paid surveys
In exchange for taking part in surveys on a range of goods and subjects, survey websites such as Survey Junkie, KashKick, PrizeRebel, Respondent, and User Interviews give cash or points that can be redeemed for gift cards. But you might have to divulge private details like your age, residence, and phone number. Before registering, thoroughly read the company’s privacy policy.
How much you can earn:
Generally speaking, longer surveys pay more. A check on Respondent in early August revealed that a 10-minute survey cost $30, while a 30-minute survey cost $60 in late July.According to Nick Loper, creator of The Side Hustle Show, a podcast that examines the world of side gigs, “Survey Junkie had the best reliability and user experience in our testing but still paid relatively little on an hourly basis.” Respondent and user interviews pay significantly more, typically between $50 and $150 per hour, although they frequently call for specialised work expertise.
“To get the most out of these opportunities, sign up for a mix of general survey sites and higher-end research panels; complete your profile in full so you’ll be matched with targeted, better-paying surveys; and check daily to spot and prioritise higher-value studies,” advises Keith Spencer, a career expert at FlexJobs, a job search website that focusses on work-from-home and flexible-hour positions.
3. Assist locals with little jobs
Get compensated for doing a variety of jobs for members of your community. Using an app like TaskRabbit, InLine4You, or Spotblaze, you can get paid for standing in line for someone at a restaurant, concert, sporting event, or other event; delivering groceries using Instacart, Uber Eats, or Grubhub; or assisting someone with furniture assembly, hanging artwork, or other household chores using a marketplace like Fixr, Handy, Porch, or Thumbtack.
The amount you can earn:
TaskRabbit pays an average of $27 per hour for line-standing fees, which are usually determined by how long you’ll need to wait in line. Depending on their area, Instacart delivery drivers often earn between $8 and $25 per hour. Depending on the size and complexity of the furniture, furniture assemblers on the home remodelling marketplace Angi usually charge between $50 and $150 each item.
Advice:
“It makes sense to take time to make your profile shine because TaskRabbit clients choose between a number of freelancers when they’re looking for help,” says Kathy Kristof, founder of SideHusl.com, a website that evaluates and ranks alternatives for making money. “Take a nice selfie. Take pictures of your work both before and after.
4. Use credit card incentives
According to a 2023 CreditCards.com survey, about 1 in 4 Gen Xers and Boomers using rewards credit cards have unused points. That’s a risk and a lost opportunity: Consumers lose hundreds of millions of dollars in credit card rewards annually, according to a 2023 federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau study. To find out how many points, miles, or cash back you have, check your credit cards.
The amount you can earn:
According to a LendingTree poll, over one-third of cardholders with unclaimed cash-back incentives have accumulated $100 or more.
Advice:
Check the fine print to find out if the rewards on your credit card expire if you don’t use them within a certain time frame.
5. Exchange used electronics
For used devices including laptops, tablets, telephones, streaming media players, headphones, wireless routers, and gaming systems, some merchants provide gift cards or store credit. Best Buy, Costco, Walmart, Amazon, Target, and Staples
How much you can make:
The condition and market worth of a used equipment determine how much you can get for it. Early in August, Best Buy offered $30 for a used pair of Bose 700 headphones, Costco offered up to $450 for a used Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ 256GB tablet, and Walmart’s trade-in program offered up to $288 for a used iPhone 14. The retail behemoth gives an extra 20% off the purchase of a new Amazon device for certain trade-ins.
Advice:
Examine more than one trade-in program. To locate the greatest deal on your device, “shop around for the best rate,” advises Julie Ramhold, a senior editor at the daily deals website DealNews.
6. Test apps and websites
With testing firms like UserTesting, Userlytics, and uTest, you may get paid for giving feedback on websites and applications. These websites are used by companies to get customer feedback in order to enhance their goods or services.The average hourly wage for UserTesting, Userlytics, and uTest testers is between $20 and $37, $25 to $38, and $21 to $39, respectively, according to the employment and recruiting website Glassdoor.
7. Make receipts digital
Don’t discard your receipts; by scanning them with an app like CoinOut, Fetch, Ibotta, or Receipt Hog, you may be able to earn cash or gift cards. These apps collaborate with hundreds of merchants, including home improvement stores like The Home Depot, grocery companies like Kroger, warehouse clubs like Costco, and big-box retailers like Walmart.
The amount you can earn:
The frequency with which you shop and scan receipts from participating retailers determines your earnings. The founder of CoinOut claims that devoted users can save up to $200 annually, while Ibotta claims that its regular users save an average of $261 annually. Small sign-up bonuses and bonuses for referring new users are also offered by several receipt-scanning apps.
8. Take a secret shopping trip
Companies in the retail and market research industries pay individuals to visit stores, eat at restaurants, stay in hotels, or visit other establishments in order to record information about topics like cleanliness, customer service, and product quality. Additionally, some provide reimbursement for internet purchases. Companies like BestMark, Confero, IntelliShop, Market Force, and Second to None offer these “mystery shopping” possibilities. The Mystery Shopping Professionals Association (MSPA Americas), a trade association, is another place to hunt for work.
Advice:
The Federal Trade Commission cautions against falling for mystery shopping employment frauds. According to Spencer of FlexJobs, “for safety, stick to established companies, only communicate through official channels, and avoid any “mystery shopping” offers that ask you to cash checks or send money in advance.
9. Get compensated for playing video games
Do you enjoy using your computer, gaming console, or smartphone to play games? Platforms for testing video games, such Mistplay, InboxDollars, PlaytestCloud, and Swagbucks, allow you to earn money or points that can be exchanged for gift cards in exchange for comments that developers use to enhance gameplay and address issues.
Your earning potential:
The payouts are minimal. A 15-minute game test usually earns $9, according to PlaytestCloud. Additionally, some businesses provide incentives for signing up, such as the $5 bonus offered by InboxDollars to new testers and financial compensation for promoting new players.
Advice:
Play regularly. Depending on how many days they play in a row, game testers can unlock additional incentives for streaks on Mistplay, InboxDollars, and Swagbucks.The
10. Write down audio and video segments
By transcribing audio or video recordings of business and legal procedures, including phone calls, conference meetings, and courtroom hearings, you can make money off of your listening and typing talents. Freelance transcription jobs are available from companies like Rev, Speechpad, TranscribeMe, Quicktate, CastingWords, GoTranscript, Transcription HUB, and SpeakWrite.
How much you can earn:
For every minute of audio transcription, most businesses pay independent contractors a set fee. Depending on their level of experience, Speechpad transcriptionists earn between $0.25 and $1 per audio minute; Rev transcriptionists earn between $0.30 and $1.10 per audio or video minute; and GoTranscript transcriptionists earn up to $1.75 per minute, frequently based on the language.
“To increase your earnings, concentrate on improving your typing speed and accuracy, familiarise yourself with different audio formats, and take advantage of any practice tests or training materials the platform offers,” advises Spencer. “Seek out specialised transcription in fields like legal or medical for higher pay as you begin to gain experience.”
Disclaimer:
The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only. We do not guarantee any specific income, earnings, or financial results. Individual results may vary based on skills, effort, experience, location, and market conditions. Any earnings examples mentioned are not promises of actual results. Always conduct your own research before participating in any side hustle, online platform, or income-generating activity.