Between studying and socialising, your time at university might be filled with far more TikTok or YouTube videos than you’d care to admit.
But we have a solution.
Why not do more with your spare time by making some extra cash, for the most part, without even having to put your phone down.
Sound good? Well, there are now lots of apps and websites out there that allow you to use your data to receive cash and other monetary rewards.
That said, you need to make sure you’re choosing the most lucrative apps/sites and avoiding any scams. And we can help you do this.
Below, Evalian has put together a guide of the different ways you can use your data and your spare time to get cash and rewards.
Read on to find out more.
1. Take some online surveys
You might have heard that these online surveys are a bit of a time-consuming con and you can’t really make much money from them. But that’s only if you don’t go to the right places.
If you do it right, these can be a really easy and quite fun way to make some cash. Just be sure to check out the reviews of any online survey apps or websites before dedicating your time.
Some online survey apps that we know to be good include Toluna, Neilsen and Citizen Me.
And nowadays, sites like these allow you to answer survey questions in exchange for cash straight to your PayPal account, or in some cases, for Amazon vouchers and other products.
This is becoming an increasingly popular way for students to make money and in the case of apps like Citizen Me, you can earn anything from 10p to five pounds for answering a few questions and this goes straight into your account.
So over time, these extra earnings can really add up.
2. Get paid for searching the web
Did you read that right? Can you really get paid for searching the web?
Yes, you can!
This is perhaps the easiest way to make some extra cash because it requires very little work on your part. All you need to do is go about your day and allow the app to monitor your browsing habits.
This data is then used by market research companies to get a better insight into what people are looking at online.
There are two well-known sites that allow you to get paid for doing this and these are Qmee and Swagbucks.
We’ll look at Swagbucks in more detail later in the article, but the idea behind Qmee is that you get rewards for searching in sites like Google, Bing, Yahoo and Amazon. All you have to do is install it on your browser.
Each Qmee result has a cash reward attached and your money will go straight into your PayPal account.
3. Put up with pop-ups
If you don’t mind putting up with adverts every now and then, this can also be another way to make money. Apps, in particular the Gener8 Ad app, allow brands to show their adverts to those who have signed up.
This means each time you see one of their ads; you’ll receive points. Over time, these points will add up and eventually, you can trade them in for Amazon vouchers, charity donations and a number of other great products listed on the app.
4. Make money as you spend
There are a few ways that you can earn money while you’re shopping, which is great news when you’re a social student who is always out and about. For example, there is an app dedicated to university students that allows you to make instant money as you shop, eat and drink.
The app is called Fygo and once you’ve downloaded it and signed up, you can start earning right away.
Each time you shop at a participating shop, cafe or restaurant using the card you signed up with, you’ll get instant cashback sent straight to your account.
Another way to make money while shopping is to share your habits with research companies that want them.
So another great app is CheckoutSmart.
All you have to do is upload a picture of your receipt once you’ve finished shopping and you’ll get instant payments to your PayPal account. But more than this, you’ll get exclusive offers in participating stores which include Asda, Aldi, Ocado, Spar, Superdrug and Waitrose.
This app has been rated so highly it has appeared in a number of big publications, including BBC and Good Housekeeping.
5. Do a variety of different online tasks
We mentioned Swagbucks earlier as a way of getting paid to browse the web. But there are also lots of other tasks you can complete through the app to make money.
It has become a very well-known app in the UK, especially amongst students. It involves completing tasks such as surveys, web searches or watching videos.
And once you’re up and running and completing your chosen tasks, you can start earning your Swagbucks.
Once you have enough of these, you can trade them in for Amazon vouchers or get cash sent straight to PayPal if you prefer.
6. Become a secret shopper
Last but not least, why not become a secret shopper?
You may have heard bad things about these secret shopper schemes in the past, but with Roamler, an app created by a Dutch tech company, that has all changed.
To get started, you need to request an invitation from the Roamler UK Facebook page. Once your account is all ready to go, you can start getting paid tasks. The more tasks you complete, the more you are offered – it’s that simple.
The only slight catch is that you need to do a couple of free tasks first to show you’re committed, but once you’ve done this, you can really start to earn some cash.
And hey, if you love to spend your free time out and about in restaurants and shops, you might as well make some money from it, right?
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- How to Cope with Financial Emergencies During Your Degree
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