25 Legit Ways to Make Extra Cash

Wondering how to make extra money with a side hustle? Read on.

Last updated April 28, 2026 | By Team FBZ

If your goal is to make some extra cash, you've come to the right place. Whether you want to make money from home, make money online, or get out of the house to earn your extra cash, we've got you covered with this mega list of easy money-making ideas. They range from part-time work to passive income, but most are side gigs you could easily do in your spare time without risking your full-time job.

Here is a long list of our favorite ways to earn extra cash and make money online – scroll through and find the ones that are best for you.

Set up direct deposit - pocket $400

Earn a bonus of $50 or $4001when you open a SoFi Checking and Savings account and make an eligible direct deposit within the first 25 calendar days of the promotional period. Eligible direct deposits totaling $1,000-$4,999 unlock the $50 bonus, and $5,000 or more unlock the $400 bonus.1Easy.

It basically takes no extra work at all other than following the steps above. Plus, your new account could earn up to an insane 4.00% APY2on savings (3.30% APY standard + 0.70% APY boost for six months) on top of the bonus.1

Open your account and earn up to a $400 bonus

Let banks compete to help you get out of debt

If you really want to get out of debt, you can let banks compete against each other to help you out. It can be nearly impossible and anxiety-inducing to make debt payments all on your own, but this clever site lets banks compete to assist you.

It’s called LendingTree3, and they can match you with loan providers that compete to give you personalized rates and offers for your situation and could help you pay off your debt quickly.

Think about it this way: For example, $30,000 in credit card debt at 25% APR will cost you $622.60 every single month in interest alone. But, with a rate as low as 6.50% APR (possible through LendingTree’s lenders that compete for your business), you’d only pay $160.69 interest.

That’s over $460 a month you’d get to keep for yourself in this scenario!4 Even better, you don’t necessarily need a perfect credit score (credit requirements vary by lender) and checking for loans won’t affect your credit.

Truthfully, this company exists to help you get ahead in life. They have a 4.5/5 rating on TrustPilot with more than 15,000 verified reviews, and you can see your options quickly. It’s certainly worth a shot if you’re feeling suffocated by debt.

See if your $30K+ credit card debt is eligible for options with LendingTree

Borrow potentially $1,000s from your home's equity to help you get through 2026

If you want to pay a large expense now, like a home improvement project or credit card debt, you may have considered using your home equity as leverage to borrow a large sum of money.

But with interest rates rising in recent years, a cash-out refinance or home equity loan may not make financial sense.

Here’s a potential solution: Get a home equity line of credit (HELOC) instead.

Using LendingTree’s simple HELOC matching tool3 (yes, the company from the commercials), you can compare rates and see what works for you.

How a home equity line of credit is different: Your line of credit acts similar to a credit card, where you can withdraw funds when you need them, and you’re only responsible for minimum monthly payments for what’s called the “draw period,” which is usually 10 years. After this borrowing period ends, you pay off the rest of your balance during an extended repayment period, which is usually 20 years.

Plus, as a revolving line of credit, rates are usually variable, so you won’t be locked into a fixed rate if they ever go lower.

To get started:

  1. Check out LendingTree’s HELOC matching tool.
  2. Answer a few questions.
  3. Be matched with personalized offers for you.

Visit LendingTree

Ask this company to help settle your credit card debt

If you have been making minimum payments on your credit cards for years, you already know the feeling: the payment goes out every month, but the balance barely moves. That is not your imagination. With average credit card interest rates above 20%, most of your payment may be going toward interest, not your actual balance.

National Debt Relief offers a different path. If you owe more than $20,000 in credit card debt, medical bills, collections, or personal loans, their team could work with your creditors to negotiate and settle your enrolled debts for less than the full amount owed. Clients who complete the program typically save around 45% before fees, or 20% including fees, over 24 to 48 months.5

There are no fees until your debts are settled, which means National Debt Relief only gets paid when they deliver results for you.

Try National Debt Relief

Set up direct deposit and complete qualifying activities - pocket $400

If you aren't banking with Truist, you're missing out on a boost of extra cash just by following a few simple steps.

Earn a bonus of $400 after you open a new Truist One Checking account online between March 26, 2026 and July 9, 2026 using promo code AFL400TR1Q226.6To earn the $400 bonus, your account needs to receive at least 2 qualifying direct deposits totaling $2,000 or more and complete 20 qualifying debit card purchase transactions within 120 days of account opening. The reward will be deposited to the new checking account within 4 weeks after the qualification requirements have been met and verified. Terms apply.

This is a great way to supercharge your earnings. It basically takes no extra work at all other than following the steps above. Plus, your new account offers benefits like no overdraft fee and options to avoid a monthly maintenance fee on top of the bonus.

Open your account and earn a $400 bonus

Save potentially $1,000 or more on home insurance in Columbus

Most people don't even think twice about what they pay for home insurance. Huge mistake. Especially if you want more money in retirement. If you live in Columbus and you haven’t checked rates recently, you could save potentially $1,000s.

Provide Home Insurance is actively helping homeowners score huge savings on better home insurance. They bring top insurance providers together to compete for your business, potentially giving you a better deal. This could drive the cost down for you by orders of magnitude.

You could slash the cost of home insurance by tapping into potential discounts and incentives most homeowners probably don’t even know exist.

You might be eligible if you check these 3 boxes:

  1. You own your home.
  2. You are willing to switch providers to save money.
  3. Your ZIP code qualifies.

Complete this short questionnaire to see if you qualify

Save up to $2,000 on every flight you take (yes, it’s crazy)

Sounds kind of insane. And maybe you’re skeptical if this actually works or not. But either way … you’re probably curious. If you want to save a ton on travel (even international), Dollar Flight Club makes it so you could potentially pay less for any flight you take.

They’ve been helping travelers save since 2016 (so you know they’re the real deal), shipping crazy flight deals straight to your email — up to 90% off normal price for many flights. Just pick your destination and let them do the rest. They hunt deals 24/7 so you don’t have to.

Now, some insider info: They *do* offer a free version … but it puts you on a 2-3 month waitlist. Skip the wait and get instant access to the best deals with a Premium+ membership instead. For a limited time, FinanceBuzz readers can try Premium+ free for 14 days!

How to try Premium+:

  1. Enter your email at the link below.
  2. Pick your departure airport and dream destinations.
  3. Enter your payment info and start your free trial of Premium+.

This is the fastest way to unlock the best flight deals that could save you up to 90% off flights. At the end of the trial, you’ll be upgraded to the $99 per year membership.

Enter your payment info here to start your free Premium+ trial

Limited-Time Offer: Earn a $250 bonus with this incredible cash back card

For a limited time, the Chase Freedom Unlimited®(Rates and fees) lets you earn a $250 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening (limited-time offer)

In addition to this limited-time welcome offer, this card lets you earn cash back on everything you buy. Earn 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

And it gets better (really): This card also gives you 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 15 months. That means you could finance large purchases or pay down high-interest debt for over a year. After the intro period, the APR is 18.24% - 27.74% Variable. Oh, and the annual fee is $0

It's almost a no-brainer to apply. But don't delay — the limited-time offer for this card won't last forever. 

Good or excellent credit (typically 670 or higher) is recommended.

Click here to Apply Now to the Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Earn up to $1,000+ online by taking surveys

$1,000 might sound crazy … but with a company called Freecash, it’s possible to earn that much and possibly even more with their simple surveys.

While it might sound strange, these market research surveys are a known way to make extra cash online. Of course, they won’t make you rich … but if you have some extra free time, the money you earn could be enough to cover gas, groceries, coffee, and more!

Follow these simple steps to earn as much as $1,000 or more:

  1. Sign up for an account with Freecash here
  2. Take surveys
  3. Repeat daily and get paid!

Get paid for sharing your opinion by signing up here

Borrow potentially $1,000s from your home's equity to help you get through 2026

If you own your home, a cash-out refinance from Rocket Mortgage7could help you consolidate your debt. You could pull money out of your home without a second mortgage or HELOC … meaning you could tackle your debt head-on while eliminating multiple monthly payments.

For example, let's say you're able to take out $50,000 with a cash-out refinance. You use $20,000 to pay off high-interest debt and $30,000 for home renovations, lowering your total monthly payments and increasing your home's value. That's a win-win.

See how much could be available to you:Visit Rocket Mortgage and click “Take cash out.” Then use the simple calculator to estimate how much cash you could get out of your home.

See how much cash you could get

Save $28,000 over the life of your mortgage

Too many buyers overpay on their mortgage without even knowing it. Rates and fees vary wildly from lender to lender, but nobody has time to call around and compare, so they might just accept the first offer and hope for the best. Now there's a free service that does the hard part for you.

It's called Own Up, and it compares mortgage offers from a network of top-rated lenders so they compete for your business and you can pick a great deal.8You fill out a quick 5-minute profile (no hard credit pull),9get matched with top-rated lenders, and see the comparison side by side.10

Thnk about it this way: On a $400,000 mortgage at 7.00%, you'd pay over $558,000 in interest over 30 years. Drop that rate just half a percent to 6.50% and you'd pay around $510,000. That's $48,000 back in your pocket, just from shopping around for a better rate.11

Own Up customers save on average $28,000 over the life of their loan,12and it costs you absoloutely nothing to find out what you'd save.

Own Up is 100% free — there’s no direct consumer fee for Own Up’s service. Own Up is compensated by lenders, not consumers. See what you could qualify for at the link below before you lock in a rate you might regret.

Check your rate in 5 minutes (free)

Pay no interest into 2028 with this no annual fee card

If you're struggling to pay down high interest debt (or you're planning a major purchase this year), this might be the exact thing you need. There's a card that allows you to completely pause credit card interest into 2028 ... and the best part is that it could be easier than you think.  

Wells Fargo Reflect® Card(Rates and fees) is an extremely powerful card that gives you 0% intro APR for an astounding 21 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers. (Then APR is 17.49%, 23.99%, or 28.24% Variable.) That's right — you can now finance large purchases you've been sitting on without paying massive interest. Or, transfer crippling high interest debt to this card and let your payments go directly to paying down your balance, without piling on additional interest charges — all with no annual fee.

This is by far one of the longest intro APR periods we've ever seen. Plus, this card comes with even more perks like cell phone protection, roadside dispatch, and you could access deals from various retailers and merchants through My Wells Fargo Deals, making it practically a no-brainer. 

Apply now for the Wells Fargo Reflect® Card card

See if you could find unclaimed money in your name

There could be as much as $2,08013 in unclaimed money in your name. Government agencies and private businesses are holding nearly $60 billion in unclaimed cash and the only way to claim yours is to know where to look!

BeenVerified is a company that helps you get this unclaimed money back. It takes about 5 minutes to check for it. Note: BeenVerified deep scans billions of databases to discover your lost money so it can take a few minutes for them to do the search.

Here’s how to see if you have unclaimed money:

  1. Click the link below.
  2. Answer a few questions like your name, state, and age.
  3. Start your $1 trial to see what money may be available.14

Averages range on how much money you could claim, but it could be as much as $2,08013.

Start your $1 trial here to see your unclaimed money. After the trial period, you will be charged the full monthly subscription price.

Earn cash every month for sharing your views on the news

The news is crazy eveyrwhere, but now you could make money from it with a website called YouGov.

YouGov lets you take short surveys on the latest headlines in exchange for points. You can then redeem points in minutes for cash or gift cards to stores like Amazon and Walmart. The results of these surveys are then often featured in the media, so your views could also shape the news.

Over 26 million people take YouGov surveys, and they’re rated “Excellent” on Trustpilot for helping members ear real cash every month. Sign up for free in minutes. You can earn points immediately by completing the introductory survey. Click the link below to get started!

Start earning cash for your opinions now

Access up to $500K of your home equity with no additional monthly payments

If you want to access your home equity — but don’t qualify for a traditional HELOC — Splitero could be perfect.

How it works: Splitero is a Home Equity Investment product that bets on your home's future value going up. You get cash now, and when you cash settle, sell, or refinance, you give Splitero a small portion based on how much your home is worth then.

(By the way, if your home value decreases, the value of the percentage Splitero is entitled to also decreases. That could be a lot safer for you.)

Splitero is rated “A” by the BBB and you can use the money however you like. Pay off debt, renovate your home, or invest, all without worrying about additional monthly payments.

You may qualify if you:

  1. Have some equity in your home — 30% or more.
  2. Have a credit score of 500+.
  3. It’s your residence, and you live there.
Enter your home address here to pre-qualify in less than 2 minutes

Find out what you’re missing in your finances with this 100% free personalized plan

Maybe you think you’re doing “fine” with money. But nearly everyone has blind spots. Hidden mistakes and missed opportunities that cost you $1,000s over time.

But studies show people with a financial plan are 3.7x more likely to feel confident about reaching financial goals,15because it helps them realize exactly what’s holding them back.

Our new tool builds you an intelligent, 100% free personalized financial plan that uncovers what you’re missing. In minutes, it analyzes your real financial situation and reveals changes that could have a massive impact on your life and money.

Here’s how to get started:

  1. Click the link below.
  2. Answer a few quick questions about your income, goals, and financial situation.
  3. Securely connect your accounts through Plaid (banking, savings, credit cards, debt, investments).
  4. Instantly receive your personalized financial plan, including insights that highlight what you may be doing wrong — and what you can do instead.

The tool looks for inefficiencies and missed opportunities across your spending, saving, debt, and long-term goals. You get clear recommendations, and even projections showing how your net worth could grow by making simple changes.

This service is 100% free. Click the link below and gain the clarity you need about things you have no idea you’re missing right now.

Click here to get your free personalized financial plan and discover what you’ve been missing.

Ohio residents, save big on new windows

Old windows drive up your home's electric bill. But if you live in Ohio and your windows are 5+ years old, you could save big.

Renewal by Andersen is actively helping homeowners score huge savings. Their certified master professionals install high-quality, energy-efficient windows that could help reduce energy bills and improve comfort.

They make it extremely easy to upgrade your windows with financing options available and special limited-time offers. The entire process is hassle free.

Get started now if you check these 3 boxes:

  1. You own your home.
  2. Your windows are 5+ years old.
  3. You live in an available ZIP code.

Complete this short questionnaire to get started

BONUS: For a limited time, buy one get one 40% OFF.16 Plus, get $200 off your purchase!16

See if your $30,000+ of debt is eligible for this debt relief program

If you have a lot of credit card debt, getting out of it can feel stressful (and nearly impossible). Here’s the problem: the longer you put off tackling it, the harder it gets to fix. If you don’t take control of it early on, it can add undue stress to your life for years. But what if there was a way to resolve your debt once and for all?

ClearOne Advantage can help.17 If you have more than $30,000 in debt from credit cards, medical bills, collections, or personal loans, their representatives may be able to help you resolve your debt for less than you owe — with one low monthly program payment.

Best of all? There are zero upfront fees, and you could be debt-free in 24-48 months. To get started, just answer a few simple questions and get connected with a caring representative. The consultation is completely free and only takes a few minutes to see if you qualify!

See if your $30k+ in credit card debt is eligible for ClearOne Advantage

Access up to $150 per day of your paycheck with no mandatory fees

If you need a few dollars in between paychecks, a little daily cushion can go a long way.

With the EarnIn app18 you can access up to $150 per day of your paycheck and up to $1,000 per pay period — and EarnIn won’t charge you any mandatory fees.

Yes, you read that correctly. You have the option to access your pay as you work and not have EarnIn charge you at all. The EarnIn app does not charge any interest or mandatory fees on a standard Cash Out.

You even have the option to access the money within minutes for a small fee.19

The best news? There is no credit check, no interest, no late fees – ever.

How to get started:

  1. Visit EarnIn and create an account.
  2. Link your bank and employment info.
  3. EarnIn will verify your paycheck and you’re all set!

Get started with EarnIn here

Ask this company to help you pay off your late tax debt

Past-due tax debt is overwhelming.

It weighs on your mind and causes massive anxiety. You end up emotionally and physically drained. Even worse when the IRS starts sending letters threatening wage garnishment and huge fines.

Tax Relief Advocates is designed specifically to help you get out of tax debt faster and could reduce some of the debt you owe.

While most tax companies just put you on a payment plan and file your taxes for you, Tax Relief Advocates talks to the IRS directly. They can help you pay off your tax debt faster while potentially reducing what you owe.

Important: Not everyone will qualify. To take advantage of this special program you must owe more than $10,000 in past-due taxes.

Answer a few questions to get started

Freecash
4.9
info
Freecash Benefits
  • Get paid for testing apps, games, and surveys
  • Payouts can go as high as $225 per offer
  • “Excellent” Trustpilot Rating (54,000+ reviews, 4.6/5 stars)
  • Cash out instantly with PayPal starting at only $5
Earn up to $225 per offer with Freecash here

Bottom line

There are lots of articles out there full of endless ideas on how to make money. But it really doesn't have to be hard, and you don't have to do the typical things like sell your stuff on Craigslist or Etsy, drive with Uber or Lyft, or sort through low-paying jobs on Fiverr or Mechanical Turk. If you have an internet connection, you can do just about anything we've recommended.

If you're spending time on social media, consider switching to one of the ways to make money listed above. You could also commit some of that spare time to taking an online course so you can learn a high-demand freelancing skill. Over time your commitment to making money and improving yourself will pay off!