Who doesn’t love free money? If you’re looking for easy ways to earn a little extra cash, you’re in the right place.

There are plenty of apps and websites that will reward you just for signing up, some even let you cash out instantly.

Whether you want to stack up quick app bonuses, cover a small expense, or just test out new platforms without any risk, this list has you covered.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through the best $25 sign-up bonus offers available today, including ones that allow for instant withdrawal with no deposit.

Let’s dive in and start earning!

Best Apps to Pay You Real Money

If you’re searching for quick and easy ways to make extra money, sign-up bonuses are a great place to start. Many platforms offer $25 (or more) just for joining, and some even let you cash out instantly.

Below, I’ve rounded up the top apps and websites offering a $25 sign-up bonus, with details on how to claim your reward and whether instant withdrawal is available.

1. Fundrise

Fundrise is a great way to dip your toes into real estate investing without needing tons of cash upfront. For as little as $10, you can start building a real estate portfolio, and new users even get a $10 bonus to kick things off.

Whether you're new to investing or looking to diversify, Fundrise offers an easy and flexible way to grow your money while investing in properties nationwide.

Start Investing with Just $10

2. Scrambly

Scrambly is a solid way to stack some quick cash by completing simple offers. Whether it’s trying out apps, signing up for services, or completing small tasks, you’ll rack up points fast—and new users get a random bonus just for joining.

The best part? You can cash out via PayPal or gift cards once you hit the minimum threshold of only $1, and some rewards process instantly. If you’re looking for a no-fuss way to earn, Scrambly is definitely worth a shot.

Start earning with Scrambly

3. Nielsen

Nielsen will pay you $60 per year in rewards just for installing their app on your devices. The app runs in the background, anonymously collecting data on internet usage to help improve market research—no surveys or extra work required.

Once set up, you’ll earn passive rewards, and the longer you keep it installed, the more you can earn. If you’re looking for easy, set-it-and-forget-it money, Nielsen is a solid pick.

Download an app and earn $60 per year

4. National Debt Relief

National Debt Relief offers a free debt relief analysis to see if they can help you lower your payments and get back on track. App bonuses are fun, but if you’re drowning in debt, a few extra bucks won’t fix the bigger issue.

To make this worthwhile, you’ll need at least $10,000 in unsecured debt (like credit cards, personal loans, or medical bills). If debt is weighing you down, it’s worth seeing what options you have—it costs nothing to check.

Get a free debt analysis from National Debt Relief

5. Self

Self doesn’t offer a $5 sign-up bonus, but it can help you build credit and save at the same time—which is worth way more in the long run. It’s a credit-building app that sets you up with a small loan, which you repay over time.

Those payments get reported to the credit bureaus, helping boost your score while you stash money away. If you’re looking to improve your credit and stack some savings, Self is a solid option.

Start boosting your credit score with Self!

6. Freecash

Freecash is one of the quickest ways to earn a $5 sign-up bonus just for joining and completing your first offer. The site pays you for trying out apps, completing surveys, and testing websites—earning points that can be cashed out instantly via PayPal, Bitcoin, or gift cards.

Unlike some reward sites, Freecash has low payout thresholds, meaning you don’t have to grind forever just to get paid. If you’re looking for a fast and easy way to stack some extra cash, Freecash is worth checking out.

Cash out $5 with Freecash today

7. InboxDollars

InboxDollars pays you real cash to do things you already do online—like taking surveys, playing games, watching videos, and trying new offers. Right now, new users can score a $5 sign-up bonus just for creating an account.

Once you're in, you can boost your earnings by completing simple tasks or cashing in on high-paying offers. Payouts are made via PayPal or check, and it’s free to join. If you want a legit way to earn extra money during your downtime, InboxDollars is an easy win.

Join InboxDollars and get a $5 bonus instantly

8. Upromise

Upromise makes saving money easy by giving you cashback on everyday purchases, and right now, new users can score a $30 bonus just for linking any financial account.

You’ll earn extra rewards by shopping, dining, and even using the Upromise credit card, with the option to boost your savings by connecting a 529 college savings plan. If you want free money and an easy way to save, Upromise is a no-brainer.

Start saving with Upromise and get $30

8. SoFi

SoFi is a mobile banking and savings platform that makes managing your money a breeze—and they’re offering new users up to $300 just for setting up direct deposit. If you receive at least $5,000 in direct deposits within 25 days, you’ll earn the full $300 bonus. Even if you only hit $1,000, you still walk away with $50.

There are no monthly fees, you can earn up to 4.00% APY with direct deposit, and you’ll get access to early paycheck deposits, free overdraft coverage, and more. If you’re looking for a modern, all-in-one bank with solid perks and a generous sign-up bonus, SoFi is a no-brainer.

Get up to $300 with SoFi Banking

9. Freecash

Freecash is one of the fastest-growing rewards platforms online, and people are making serious side money just by taking surveys, trying apps, or completing simple offers.

It’s not a get-rich-quick scheme, but it’s a super low-effort way to earn free PayPal cash, crypto, or gift cards in your downtime. Some users even make over $100 a day.

Just sign up, complete a few quick tasks, and start stacking up cash you can withdraw instantly.

Join Freecash and start earning today — it’s free to sign up and takes less than a minute.

10. National Debt Relief

National Debt Relief offers a free debt relief analysis to see if they can help you lower your payments and get back on track.

App bonuses are fun, but if you’re drowning in debt, a few extra bucks won’t fix the bigger issue.

To make this worthwhile, you’ll need at least $10,000 in unsecured debt (like credit cards, personal loans, or medical bills).

If debt is weighing you down, it’s worth seeing what options you have—it costs nothing to check.

Get a free debt analysis from National Debt Relief

11. Bingo Cash

Sounds wild, right? But Bingo Cash is a legit app where real players are winning up to $83 in just a few minutes by playing a modern twist on classic Bingo.

It’s totally free to download, and once you're in, you can enter head-to-head matches or tournaments to win actual money…not points, not tokens, real cash.

No, it’s not going to replace your 9-5. But if you’re already scrolling on your phone or just lounging around, why not make a few bucks while you’re at it?

You can cash out instantly through PayPal, Apple Pay, or straight to your bank. Download to get started (it's free) and start playing for real money today.

Download Bingo Cash

12. Blitz Win Cash

It sounds almost too good to be true, but Blitz Win Cash is the real deal. It’s a free app where you can win up to $70 per game playing fan favorites like Bingo, Solitaire, Match 3, and even Pool.

No, you won’t get rich from it. But if you’re already playing games on your phone for free, why not switch to ones that actually pay you real cash?

It’s super easy. Download the app, pick your favorite game, and jump into head-to-head matches or tournaments for real money. You can cash out anytime through PayPal, Apple Pay, or straight to your bank.

Download Blitz Win Cash and start turning your free time into real cash today

13. Survey Junkie

Taking online surveys to make that extra money is a no-brainer!

You definitely won’t get rich or make thousands of dollars per day with surveys alone, but you won’t waste much time, and you can make some money the easy way. Here is my favorite (and highest paying) survey site:

Survey Junkie pays between $2 and $50 per survey, and many of them take less than 5 minutes to complete. So if you took on average 10 surveys per day, every day for a month, you could make $375+ per month. If you took more surveys a day — the possibilities are endless.

There are a lot of scammy survey sites out there, but Survey Junkie has over 11,000 positive reviews on TrustPilot, the highest of any survey site. It’s legitimate.

Sounds like fun? Sign-up for Survey Junkie, take surveys and earn money from your phone fast. You can also get a registration bonus through here.

GET STARTED >>

Download: iOS | Android | Browser

14. Kashkick

With Kashkick, you can start getting cash rewards immediately.

Just register, begin answering surveys, referring buddies, or participating in online polls, and watch your cash gro

Unlike most survey sites, KashKick doesn't use a points system. The advantage is that there's no need to convert points into dollars, ensuring you always know how much you're earning.

And just like Survey Junkie, it has a 4-star rating on TrustPilot and countless positive customer testimonials.

Confidently choose Kashkick to make money online – you'll be glad you did. Sign up for free here

GET STARTED >>

Sign Up: Browser

15. Swagbucks

If you browse the internet a lot, this could actually turn your past time into a moneymaking endeavor. Swagbucks ($10 sign up bonus) rewards you for shopping online, watching videos, searching and answering surveys. You are credited with points that you can then redeem for cash via PayPal.

The site has awarded over $282.6 million to its users. Once you have signed up, there will be a list of surveys you qualify for, games to play, or videos to watch for cash.

In fact, you can earn well over $300 a month using Swagbucks, according to a Huffington Post report. Finding a survey worth taking is easy too, look for surveys that are higher paying and stick to those.

Once you earn money in your account you can redeem it for a gift card of your favorite retailer or you can take it as cash through PayPal.

How Swagbucks works:

1. Sign-up for free, it takes a few minutes
2. Choose the highest paying surveys
3. Then begin earning money (usually $10-$35 per survey)

Sign-up with Swagbucks and start taking paid surveys.

GET STARTED >>

Download: iOS | Android | Browser

16. Nielsen Mobile

By using the internet as you do every day, Nielsen invites you to make a difference – and you can make a quick $60 too.

Just by downloading an app, you can collect $60 per device and earn rewards. They just track your app usage and that's it.

You don’t have to do anything other than initially registering your computer or phone.

Nielsen: This company will pay you $60 a year to keep their app on your favorite internet browsing device and they also give away $10,000 each month. So you can possibly make more than $50.

Sign up through here for a registration bonus.

GET STARTED >>

Download: iOS | Android | Browser

17. Freecash

Freecash is one of the fastest and most rewarding ways to make extra money online.

Unlike other reward sites, Freecash lets you cash out in as little as 5 minutes via PayPal, Bitcoin, bank transfer, or gift cards, no waiting weeks to get paid.

With the chance to earn up to $250 per day just by testing apps, playing games, and taking surveys, making money online has never been easier.

This site is known for its elite payout rates and low minimum withdrawals, making it perfect for those who want instant results. Plus, Freecash has paid out over $60 million to users worldwide, it’s super legit.

Whether you’re looking to earn quick cash in your spare time or maximize your income, Freecash is one of my favorite ways to earn extra income.

GET STARTED >>

Download: iOS | Android | Browser

18. Acorns

Acorns is giving new users a free $20 bonus when you sign up, link your bank, and start investing with just $5.

Acorns makes investing simple by rounding up spare change from your everyday purchases and automatically investing it. There’s a reason why it has over 14 million sign ups.

Over time, even small amounts can grow, $50 a month could turn into over $100,000 in 30 years with a 10% return.

Your $20 bonus will be deposited within 10 days of your first investment. It’s an easy, hands-off way to start investing and build long-term savings.

Your future self will thank you if you sign up for Acorns.

GET STARTED >>

Download: iOS | Android | Browser

19. Cash Signup Bonuses

Cash in on the following signup bonuses available through us and you will be on your way to making an extra few bucks:

• Current Bank: Earn a $50 bonus with code WELCOME50 and direct deposit. Simple, fast, and 100% free banking.
• Freecash: Paid out over $60 million. Earn by playing games, watching videos, and completing surveys. I use this site daily.
• Fundrise: Earn passive income with real estate investing starting at just $10. Perfect for those who want their money to work for them. Get a $10 bonus when you start.

Signup bonuses offer a great way to kick start your earnings with quick cash rewards.

20. InboxDollars

Another app that offers you the opportunity to play games for real money is InboxDollars.

If you sign up before the end of this month, they also give you a $5 free bonus just to give it a try.

By spending just 5-10 minutes per day on this (either on your lunch break or during TV commercial breaks) you can earn and earn an extra $50/month just for playing games. They also offer you the opportunity to earn cash for sharing your opinion and completing surveys.

More people should be doing this.

GET STARTED >>

Download: iOS | Android | Browser

21. Current

Current is a free banking app that lets you get your money fast, no fees, no overdraft stress, just quick cash when you need it.

If you’re looking for quick money, you’ll want Current as your main bank account. Why? Because you can get up to $750 in a payday advance anytime, no waiting around for payday.

Need $20 fast? $750 fast? No problem, Current has you covered. Just set up direct deposit and unlock instant cash when you need it. You can also get a $50 wecome bonus here for extra money (use code WELCOME50 after sign up).

GET STARTED >>

Download: iOS | Android | Browser

Best Money Making Survey Sites

I sat down and studied all of the best survey apps to find out for myself which ones are legit (and high paying), and which ones are not.

If you want to compare some more, here is the list of the best money-making surveys:

22. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie's interface is super smooth and intuitive (unlike the majority of survey company websites that look like they were built in 1997), and members are paid in cash via Paypal.

Oh, and Survey Junkie also has an 8.9/10 rating on TrustPilot — the highest of any online survey company.

This is one is the more reputable survey companies out there and millions of users have already joined.

• Where it’s available: United States, Canada, and Australia
• Age requirements: 13+ years old
• Average earnings: $0.50 – $3 per survey
• Payment method: PayPal cash in all countries, or gift cards and direct bank transfers in the United States
• Minimum to cash out: $10
• Where to sign up: Survey Junkie Official Site

GET STARTED >>

23. Swagbucks – $10 Signup Bonus

Swagbucks lets you earn money in so many ways like taking surveys, shopping online, or playing games, but many people love racking up money by watching videos in their spare time.

You can cash out your ‘Swagbucks' as gift cards to hundreds of merchants or get your cash by PayPal (legit cash to your bank account). Many claim this to be one of the best reward sites in 2020 and they are currently offering a $10 sign up bonus.

• Where it’s available: Most of the Americas, Asia and Europe, and some areas in Africa.
• Age requirements: 13+ years old
• Average earnings: $0.40 – $2 per survey
• Payment method: PayPal cash or gift cards
• Minimum to cash out: $3 in gift cards or $25 in PayPal cash
• Where to sign up: Swagbucks Official Site

GET STARTED >>

24. InboxDollars – $5 Signup Bonus

InboxDollars pays members to read emails, take surveys online, playing games, and search the web!

Overall, Inbox Dollars is super easy to navigate. I’ve tried other paid survey sites and just end up overwhelmed.

They also do a nice job of breaking down the offers into categories.

And you’ll always see the amount of money you’ve earned at the top of your window, which is exhilarating.

Right now they are offering a $5 cash bonus just for joining.

• Where it’s available: United States
• Age requirements: 18+ years old
• Average earnings: $0.50 – $5.00 per survey and up to $10 and $20 or more for people in certain demographics
• Payment method: Gift cards, prepaid Visa card, or a check in the mail
• Minimum to cash out: $30
• Where to sign up: InboxDollars Official Site

GET STARTED >>

Best Money Making Apps for Android and iOS

Your next bet is to get some quick wins through freebies and sign up bonuses.

The three survey sites below are legitimate and you can join from your smartphone.

I'm not the biggest fan of survey sites, but it's worth it just to claim a quick sign up bonus.

Once you're in and a paid survey is ready for you to take, you'll get a notification. Sign up for all 3 below (will open in new tabs) and you'll get paid up to $50/per survey.

Quick Cash Bonuses

Welcome Bonus: Get 150 Registration Points here Potential earnings per month: Up to $200 What it could add up to in a year: $2,400 Additional Referral Earnings: 10% of your referral’s earnings GET ACCESS NOW Download: iOS | Android | Browser

Bonus: Get a $5 sign up bonus here Welcome Bonus: $5 Potential earnings per month: Up to $175 What it could add up to in a year: $2,100 Additional Referral Earnings: 10% of your referral’s earnings CLAIM $5 BONUS NOW Download: iOS | Android | Browser

Bonus: Get a $10 sign up bonus here Welcome Bonus: $10 Potential earnings per month: Up to $200 What it could add up to in a year: $2,400 Additional Referral Earnings: 10% of your referral’s earnings CLAIM $10 FREE NOW Download: iOS | Android | Browser

Need More Money Making Apps?

A ton of people are searching online for the best money making apps.

Well, look no further, because if you wanted more ways to make money online then these are literally the best free money making apps that'll pay you real money.

So consider scrolling back up and taking a second look.

Also, cash in on the following signup bonuses available through us and you will be on your way to making an extra $100:

• Nielsen: Get rewarded for using your devices and get up to $60 in points for gift cards when you join here and sign up your computers, smartphones and tablets to earn.
• Survey Junkie: Get paid up to $5 per survey through this link with one of the highest-paying survey sites on the web.

Signup bonuses offer a great way to kick start your earnings with quick cash rewards.

Good luck with making money with your phone!

Need to make extra cash? No matter what your reason is for needing to make 1 dollar fast, don't worry. Here are 13 legit ways to make $1 cash fast.

Today I’m going to show you some new strategies to make some extra money fast simply by clicking a few buttons on your cell phone.

(In under 5 minutes)

The best part?

A lot of these require no effort at all.

I get it. Life happens.

Sometimes you need some extra cash to pay a bill or you’re trying to save up for something you want. You don’t want to fall behind on bills and are wondering how to make money today or what apps pay you real money? Sure, another 1 dollar earned today wouldn’t hurt.

We’ve all been there, but what do you usually do when that happens?

This is an exhaustive list of things that anyone can do, today, in order to make money through the best mobile applications I've found.

If you're strapped for time, I'll go ahead and share the best apps that pay that you can add to your side hustle arsenal.

How to Make 1 Dollar Fast

Ready? I’ll only list legit ways that I’ve personally used to make money, and make it fast. We will first start with the quick wins, companies that’ll (legit) pay you money just for signing up:

Need Easy Extra $1 Fast Right Now? SurveyJunkie: Makeup to $50 per survey in your spare time from home to take online surveys, participating in focus groups and trying new products. Join SurveyJunkie Now Swagbucks: Watch videos, take surveys, shop and more to earn real money. Join Swagbucks Now to Get $10 Free InboxDollars: Has so far paid its members over $40 Million. Watch videos, take surveys, shop and more. Join InboxDollars Now and Get Free $5

Next, we’ll move on to other ways to earn with your mobile phone.

1. Make $1 Fast with Survey Junkie

Taking online surveys to make that extra money is a no-brainer!

You definitely won’t get rich or make thousands of dollars per day with surveys alone, but you won’t waste much time, and you can make some money the easy way. Here is my favorite (and highest paying) survey site:

2. Make $1 Fast Playing Games with Mistplay

We all heard the old saying “Time is money” right?

Instead of playing games on your phone like everyone else and feeling bad for wasting your time — now you can get paid for it.

Getting paid for playing games sounds like a dream. But if you download a free new app, and then download games from it and play, you earn money.

As you level up you can earn more money for cash rewards or gift cards.

This is a great opportunity for those looking to get paid for something they enjoy, like winning free gift cards and cash for playing games. I use it and it is legit and has over 35,404 positive reviews in the Google Play store.

If you’re interested, I recommend you download the app from the Google Play store for free by clicking here.

GET STARTED >>

Download: iOS | Android | Browser

3. Get Money Fast with ZippyLoan

If you actually need money now, then you can opt for a personal loan. When you need money in a hurry ZippyLoan is where to go.

You apply for a loan through the Zippy Loan site, if approved they send your loan application to one of many loan providers.

You review the loan details and e-sign if you like what you see. No risk in checking what offers you'll get.

You can borrow between $100 and $1,000 as soon as tomorrow.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could invest in commercial real estate and apartments without dealing with all the hassle of buying, improving, and re-selling real estate?

You don't have to be a millionaire to invest in these types of properties. You can now invest in large-scale real estate for as little as $500 with Fundrise.

Through their real estate investment products, investors earned an average of 8.7 – 12.4 percent on their money last year, and all without painting a wall or dealing with unruly tenants.

There is a reason why they currently have 5/5 stars on TrustPilot, you can really make money with Fundrise.

If you’re interested, I recommend you sign up for more information from Fundrise by clicking here.

GET STARTED >>

Download: iOS | Android | Browser

5. Make $50 Fast for Downloading Nielsen App

Need to make extra cash? No matter what your reason is for needing to make 15 dollars fast, don't worry. Here are legit ways to make $15 cash fast.

Today I’m going to show you some new strategies to make some extra money fast simply by clicking a few buttons on your cell phone.

(In under 5 minutes)

The best part?

A lot of these require no effort at all.

I get it. Life happens.

Sometimes you need some extra cash to pay a bill or you’re trying to save up for something you want. You don’t want to fall behind on bills and are wondering how to make money today or what apps pay you real money? Sure, another 15 dollars earned today wouldn’t hurt.

We’ve all been there, but what do you usually do when that happens?

This is an exhaustive list of things that anyone can do, today, in order to make money through the best mobile applications I've found.

If you're strapped for time, I'll go ahead and share the best apps that pay that you can add to your side hustle arsenal.

How to Make 15 Dollars Fast

Ready? I’ll only list legit ways that I’ve personally used to make money, and make it fast. We will first start with the quick wins, companies that’ll (legit) pay you money just for signing up:

Need Easy Extra $15 Fast Right Now? SurveyJunkie: Makeup to $50 per survey in your spare time from home to take online surveys, participating in focus groups and trying new products. Join SurveyJunkie Now Swagbucks: Watch videos, take surveys, shop and more to earn real money. Join Swagbucks Now to Get $10 Free InboxDollars: Has so far paid its members over $40 Million. Watch videos, take surveys, shop and more. Join InboxDollars Now and Get Free $5

Next, we’ll move on to other ways to earn with your mobile phone.

1. Make $15 Fast with Survey Junkie

Taking online surveys to make that extra money is a no-brainer!

You definitely won’t get rich or make thousands of dollars per day with surveys alone, but you won’t waste much time, and you can make some money the easy way. Here is my favorite (and highest paying) survey site:

2. Make $15 Fast Playing Games with Mistplay

We all heard the old saying “Time is money” right?

Instead of playing games on your phone like everyone else and feeling bad for wasting your time — now you can get paid for it.

Getting paid for playing games sounds like a dream. But if you download a free new app, and then download games from it and play, you earn money.

As you level up you can earn more money for cash rewards or gift cards.

This is a great opportunity for those looking to get paid for something they enjoy, like winning free gift cards and cash for playing games. I use it and it is legit and has over 35,404 positive reviews in the Google Play store.

If you’re interested, I recommend you download the app from the Google Play store for free by clicking here.

GET STARTED >>

Download: iOS | Android | Browser

3. Get Money Fast with ZippyLoan

If you actually need money now, then you can opt for a personal loan. When you need money in a hurry ZippyLoan is where to go.

You apply for a loan through the Zippy Loan site, if approved they send your loan application to one of many loan providers.

You review the loan details and e-sign if you like what you see. No risk in checking what offers you'll get.

You can borrow between $100 and $15,000 as soon as tomorrow.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could invest in commercial real estate and apartments without dealing with all the hassle of buying, improving, and re-selling real estate?

You don't have to be a millionaire to invest in these types of properties. You can now invest in large-scale real estate for as little as $500 with Fundrise.

Through their real estate investment products, investors earned an average of 8.7 – 12.4 percent on their money last year, and all without painting a wall or dealing with unruly tenants.

There is a reason why they currently have 5/5 stars on TrustPilot, you can really make money with Fundrise.

If you’re interested, I recommend you sign up for more information from Fundrise by clicking here.

GET STARTED >>

Download: iOS | Android | Browser

5. Make $50 Fast for Downloading Nielsen App

Employees are a business’s most important resource and the impact of hiring a new employee is felt from company profits to company culture.

Making the wrong hiring decision can be expensive – costing time and money. Hiring the wrong person can also damage employee morale and productivity as well as customer relationships.

While it’s impossible to guarantee every hire will be the perfect fit, there are measures you can take to make the hiring process more effective. This article outlines how you can avoid hiring the wrong people.

Provide Clear Job Descriptions

Many job postings offer information about the company but not enough about the job. Craft a clear job description outlining the following

• Job function – Describe the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities for this job. Candidates want to know what their workday will entail. Explain what the expectations are for the role.
• Qualifications – Define the requirements for the position including education, previous experience, and skills. Include any specific obligations such as frequent travel or working on the weekend.
• Values and corporate culture – Tell the candidate how the open job fits into the rest of the company, what benefits you offer and what type of work environment they should expect.

The more details you provide, the more time you will save in not interviewing unqualified candidates or those who are not a good fit.

Do Your Research

Job seekers usually do research on employers before they apply so it’s important to do your own research on the candidate.

Review their social media profiles to find out more information on the candidate especially their LinkedIn page. See if you have any connections in common and, if so, contact the connection to get their opinion on the candidate.

Pro tip from CEO himself Jeff Arnett, founder of an event security product manufacturer:

“To get a better idea about the candidate, you may want to conduct a phone screen with the candidate to help pull your research together”.

Improve Your Brand Image

Whether it is on social media or your business website, a strong brand image can help attract potential employees. Most job seekers research employers online before they apply. They visit your website and social media channels. You may have a great reputation with those who know your business but there are many candidates who won’t.

Review your company website. Is your brand clearly communicated? Ensure job seekers can find enough information about your business online.  Create a career section to provide resources potential employees may need and send a clear message about what working at your company is about. You should include information about benefits, testimonials from current employees, etc. Benefits are important to any job seeker and including testimonials from employees show what their experience is from working with you. These testimonials can also serve as content you can share to your social media as well, giving off a better company image for your business online.

A marketing expert for an online kitchen and bath renovator; Wesley Ward, claims:

“Take your business social media seriously. Make sure you are consistently posting, and all content is consistent with the brand image you are trying to project. Almost everyone uses social media today so most candidates will check out what you post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.”

Make sure all your social media channels are listed on your website as seen above for your audience to look at.

When posting, create a balance between your business/services, promotions, culture, employee shout-outs, company events, and life at the office. There are also apps available such as Preview for Instagram, which allows you to add images and rearrange them to predict how your feed would look like. Potential employees want to see what working with you is all about.

Interviewing

A person may have a powerful resume but may not be the right fit, making face-to-face interviews a critical piece of the hiring process. When the candidate comes in for an interview, pay attention to how the individual performs.

A good candidate will perform and speak well, leave a good impression on you and the team. Depending on whether you conduct interviews individually or in groups, you should evaluate the candidate on how well they performed both in the individual interview along with the group interview.

During the interview, perhaps ask the candidate what their values are and what company culture they see themselves working in, to make sure they fit with the business. When employees share the same values a company, they are more likely to be happy and succeed within that environment.

Here are some warning signs to watch out for during an interview:

• Not dressed appropriately and professionally – every ideal candidate must know how to dress appropriately for an interview
• Do not arrive on time (unless they have a specific emergency) – punctuality is very important in any business which is why candidates should plan accordingly and arrive on time
• Speak negatively about their previous employers and jobs – Not only is it unprofessional but it is a sign of negativity.
• Vague responses to questions – Candidates with the required skills and experience will speak confidently when responding to questions. If the candidate is very vague or fuzzy about their response, it means they aren’t confident about their answer.

The wrong hiring decision can be a costly mistake, both in time and money. It’s essential to do everything possible to avoid a bad hire. Create a great marketing strategy for your business and for the potential employees you wish to attract. Be very specific about the resumes you look at and make sure they include a cover letter and eliminate those who do not meet your requirements to save you time. To ensure you hire the right people, use the steps you learned in this article next time you have an open position.

Looking for jobs that don't require a degree or experience that are hiring near you? Check out this list of 33 high paying no experience jobs.

Whether you’re a fresh-faced college student, a high school teenager learning how to make money, or just breaking into a new field, chances are you’ve been confronted by the “experience paradox”.

Simply put, the experience paradox is one of the most enigmatic paradigms that exist: you need the experience to get the job, but you need the job in order to get experience.

Being able to overcome this challenge can be the difference between the freedom of having a car and having to bum rides from your friends whenever you need to go somewhere (gas is expensive!).

This phenomenon can be frustrating for anyone, especially when you know you could be a perfect fit for a job, and yet you don’t have the chance to show it.

Best Paid Jobs With No Experience Needed

The first of these best jobs with no experience? A survey!

1. Survey says…you deserve extra cash

Looking for a legitimate cash job? Then you probably know what they say about opinions…well, it just so happens some people do want to hear them. Taking mere minutes to complete, surveys are a quick way to put some extra cash in your back pocket.

Surveys are a ‘you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours’ kinda deal. Companies receive vital information from an average joe – that’s you! – and in return, you get a few dollars for your time.

There are a lot of survey sites out there, so start with these:

Survey Junkie – Survey Junkie's interface is super smooth and intuitive (unlike the majority of survey company websites that look like they were built in 1997), and members are paid in cash via Paypal.  Oh, and Survey Junkie also has an 8.9/10 rating on TrustPilot — the highest of any online survey company.  Click here to start earning money with Survey Junkie.

Swagbucks – Swagbucks makes surveys fun by having you watch videos, answer questions, play games, and use their search engine. Click here to get a $5 signup bonus with Swagbucks.

Nielsen – Yep, it’s that company that tracks TV ratings, and they want to hear from you! After installing the Nielsen app on either your phone or PC, the app monitors things like the terms you use to find sites, what time of day you use them, and even how long you browse.

2. Blog your way to a bonus

Do you have opinions you simply need to share? Well, you’re in luck!

Surveys aren’t the only way to make money with what’s rattling around upstairs.

Blogging gives you an opportunity to vent, to inform, and if you’re smart enough – and with a little help – make some extra cash in the process.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to be the next George R. R. Martin to run your own blog. You just need to have something to say, and the words to say it with. It just so happens, both of those are free.

Free blogging platforms like WordPress and Squarespace are as good a place as any to get started.

3. Write an e-Book!

The digital revolution has arrived, and with it the ability to self-publish your own book.

Sure, we all lament the loss of the physical book, but Amazon’s Kindle book store makes it easy for just about anyone to publish their very own e-Book. Whether it’s a work of fiction, nonfiction, or science fiction. Maybe even just a helpful guide on a topic you’re familiar with?

With Amazon’s Direct Publishing platform, you no longer need a publisher. Simply get yourself up to speed on the process, write something unique on an interesting topic, throw an enticing cover on the front and hit Publish.

With the power of one of the world’s largest online retailers behind you, there’s no reason why you can’t succeed!

4. Drive for Lyft or Uber

Uber and Lyft have revolutionized the transport industry. Taxis? Those are so last decade. Ride-sharing is the new face of transport, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down.

If you have a car and some spare time, then these services give you the flexibility to earn some extra cash when and where you want.

With ride-sharing services also expanding into food delivery with the likes of Deliveroo and Uber Eats, there’s no shortage of opportunities. They’re always looking for more drivers.

If you don’t feel up to driving but still have a car doing a whole lot of nothing in the driveway, then consider renting it out via Turo or GetAround. Less work, same reward!

5. Get paid for surfing the world wide web

You already browse the web, right? So why not get paid to do so! In fact, this is one of the easiest ways to make a dime online.

Simply install the Qmee browser add-on, and you’re set!

When you search online, you’ll notice the odd sponsored result featured alongside regular search results. Each of these will offer a cash reward that you simply have to click to collect.

Told you it was easy!

6. Get paid to shop

Similar to Checkout 51, Ibotta pays you for going shopping and not just on weekends.

No, really, it does!

The app presents you with a list of offers currently available on a wide range of products, from food to drinks all the way through to cleaning products. Here’s how it works:

1. Look for a product you were planning on buying, and click on it.
2. Earn extra money back by completing the extra tasks attached to the item, like taking a poll or sharing the item on Facebook.
3. Select a participating store that you’re buying the item from.
4. Upload a picture of your receipt.
5. That's it! Simply sit back and wait for the cash to show up in your PayPal.

7. Work from home by…renting your home with Airbnb

Like Uber did for Taxis before it, Airbnb is fast revolutionizing the holiday and travel accommodation industry, and you’re set to profit from it!

If you’ve traveled recently, chances are you’ve rented a place to stay via Airbnb, or at the very least give it a look. An online marketplace for people with space, rooms, or even entire houses to spare, Airbnb lets you list your place for rent just like a hotel or motel.

Maybe you’re traveling overseas yourself and want to make the most of your empty place while you’re away? Perhaps you have a spare room that currently houses nothing more than empty boxes? With AirBNB you can turn to fill that empty space in your home, and fill that empty spot in your wallet with more than a little spare change.

Alternatives like VRBO, HomeAway, and HomeStay are also worth a look.

8. Transform a Fiverr into a Fiver

If you’ve got the skills, then Fiverr can help you pay the bills and can be your part-time weekend job that pays well.

Fiverr is one of the world’s largest online skills marketplaces, featuring adverts from people the world over in need of a very particular set of skills. If you have those skills – in things as diverse as graphics and logo design through to writing and translating – then there’s a job on Fiverr for you. The best is that they pay you in PayPal, with no threshold, which you can turn into cash quickly.

9. Drop (ship it) like it’s hot

Looking for a lucrative online part-time job? Dropshipping can be the answer.

Chances are you’ve heard of Dropshipping before: the retail method where you sell products from other businesses without ever having to hold on to stock. You simply purchase the item from the retailer once you’ve made a sale, and ship it directly to your customer.

It’s an easy way to run an online store without any of the hassle!

No stock to manage. No shipping to take care of. You just sell the products and rake in the profit.

With the likes of Shopify and Oberlo, there’s never been an easier – or better – time to take up drop shipping.

Simply set up your online storefront with Shopify, and then use Oberlo to quickly and easily import the products you want to sell into your store. No hassle. No fuss. It couldn’t be easier! Legitimate Ways to Make Money from Home

10. Become an affiliate marketer

Affiliate marketing isn’t unlike drop shipping. But where the latter has customers buying items through your storefront, the former simply redirects people to online stores like Amazon via your own link.

If they buy something by following your personal link? Then you earn a cut of the sale.

That’s how affiliate marketing works.

You don’t need a website from the likes of WordPress or SquareSpace, either. You can sign up as an affiliate and share that link via social media sites like Facebook or Twitter, too.

The more people that see your link, the more likely you are to land a sale.

Interested? Sign up to the MaxBounty network, or join some of your favorite online retailers like Amazon or Green Man Gaming as an affiliate. In fact, check most every site you usually buy from online: chances are they’ll have an affiliate program that you could become a part of.

11. Go coupon crazy with Rakuten

You’ve probably used coupons before.

But Rakuten? It’s like coupons turned all the way up to 11.

In fact, even just visiting the website and signing up for a free account can net you a $10 Walmart Gift Card!

From there, you’re free to browse and buy from the hundreds of products, stores, and businesses on offer. Dell? Macy’s? Best Buy? From electronics to food, there’s offers galore, each of them offering discounts and cashback on purchases you make.

12. Become a stay-at-home salesperson

Like a door-to-door salesperson only with far less leg-work, hosting sales “parties” at your home on behalf of the likes of Avon and Pampered Chef is a great way to meet new people and make some money.

13. Earn income by watching videos

This one might just be the toughest in the list…

…who are we kidding, all you need to do is watch some short videos.

Given how easy it is to lose yourself in a never-ending cycle of YouTube videos, this one couldn’t be easier.

The catch here? The videos include ads.

While they may annoy you while browsing YouTube, you also don’t get paid to watch them. At InboxDollars, you do. Who wouldn’t watch an ad or two if they were getting paid?

14. Pave paradise to put up a parking lot

Many houses, rentals, or other accommodations include a garage, driveway, or some form of a parking space. If you’re not making use of it at the moment, chances are there’s someone who could.

Better still, they’ll pay you for the privilege.

Just Park lets you ‘let’ your parking space to busy people who are tired of paying through the nose for daily parking. The busier your area, the more you’re likely to make.

15. Sit!

It’s more than a command shouted at a disobedient dog or what we spend most of our days doing in front of a screen (guilty). In fact, it’s also a job that could net you some serious moolah.

All you have to do is sit!

Ok, so there’s a little more to it than that, but babysitting, dog sitting, or any other kind of -sitting is an easy way to make some quick cash from the comfort of your (or someone else’s) home.

If you’re feeling super adventurous? You could also expand into dog walking. Goodness knows people have more money than sense when it comes to their pets! Legitimate Ways to Make Money from Home

Interested? Rover, Tailster, or FindaBabySitter.com a look.

Note: If you’re planning to look after kids, you’ll need a CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check or similar.

16. Embrace the freelance lifestyle

Can you write a mean article? Work some website magic? Kill it on social media like a sorcerer? Then the life of a freelancer might just be for you!

In today’s side-gig economy, the demand for smaller, focused, niche tasks and in turn skillsets is growing.

This is where you come in: you can use sites like PeoplePerHour, Freelancer, and UpWork to create an online profile, complete with a list of your skills and a CV. From there, you can advertise your skills for hire or apply for jobs. Legitimate Ways to Make Money from Home

If a company or business deems your skills worthy, you’ll get the job!

Better still, freelancing means you can work for anyone, from anywhere. With the power of the web at your fingertips, you can work for clients from the US to the UK all the way to NZ!

Fulfilling and flexible, freelance work is a great way to fill your spare hours and your bank account.

17. Become a YouTube sensation

Print is far from dead, but to say the video is on the rise would be an understatement! I recently learned about how much Youtubers make and were really surprised.

While becoming an overnight sensation may be a *little* out of your reach, YouTube’s Partner Program now lets you make a profit from videos you make and upload depending on the number of views they receive.

So get that camera out and start shooting. Be original, find a unique angle, and make videos that people want to watch and the views – and funds – will follow.

18. Get paid for being an armchair politician

Do you have politics on your mind?

Let’s be honest, it’s hard not to!

If you’re feeling in the need to stand up and take action, and earn a few dollars as you do, then consider Next Wave Advocacy, LLC. Sites like this aim to raise awareness and push for law reform, and they pay people like you to call up constituents and press them to open up a dialogue with members of Congress. Legitimate Ways to Make Money from Home

19. It’s couponing, but not as you know it

Whether you’re trying to save money or make it, you’re probably sick to death of hearing about coupons.

But wait, there’s more!

It turns out there’s more to couponing than saving money on your purchases. Did you know there are sites like CouponChief out there that will pay you to find the best coupons?

Simply share your best coupons with the community, and the more people that use them, the more you’ll earn! You can also get paid to coupon and go grocery shopping with the iBotta app.

20. Become an at-home customer service rep

We know outsourcing is all the rage these days, which is why businesses are eager to get you involved in their customer service operation.

Outsourcing companies like Alpine Access and Working Solutions both specialize in this field, offering work to part-time or, better still, home-based workers.

Oh hey, that’s you!

21. Review software in your spare time

If you get the ins and outs of software and software development, then this opportunity may interest you.

The guys over at SoftwareJudge need you!

In exchange for your diligent, well-written review of their software, they’ll reward you with cold hard cash. The more reviews you write, and the more trusted you are? The more reviews you’ll land, and the more money you’ll make. Legitimate Ways to Make Money from Home

22. Don’t let your Tweets go ‘cheep’

Do you pride yourself on your social media following? Have a bunch of followers that groan at your puns and memes?

Well, you’re in luck. PaidPerTweet is here, and they’re offering to pay you to tweet messages from their group of advertisers. How much you earn depends on various metrics like how many followers you have and the tweet’s reach.

The more followers you have, the more you’ll earn.

23. Objection! Become a mock juror

Lawyers and legal representatives often use online mock trials to test out their case, work through the process, and gauge the reaction of an actual jury before they do it for real. Think of it like a wedding rehearsal dinner, only the people in suits here are far less likely to end up drunk by the end of the night…

Anyways, these mock trials need mock jurors, which is where you come in. If you’re interested in sitting in virtual court and earning a bit as you do, simply sign up at eJury.com.

24. Turn your clicks into cash

Sites like Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and Clickworker take mindless clicking and incentivize it with, you guessed it, cold hard cash.

These sites work like any other crowd-sourcing site, only instead of raising funds they ask you to take up jobs from businesses in need of a whole lot of people to complete a task, and quick!

Sure, the tasks aren’t all that glamorous. But if you’re happy to enter some data, fill in a few forms, or carry out web searches, there’s good money to be made for the work you do.

25. Tell the musicians what you *really* think

Money, money, money…must be funny…or sad, or serious, or just plain bad.

ABBA puns aside, if you enjoy talking about music as you do listening to it, then there’s a place out there that’s willing to pay you for them.

SliceThePie is the name and paying you to review unsigned bands or live acts is their game. The more reviews you leave, the higher your reputation will grow, and the more money you’ll stand to make. You’ll have more than $20 in your pocket in no time.

26. Claim anything and everything on your tax

There are still two certainties in life:

Death, and taxes. Legitimate Ways to Make Money from Home

While we can’t do much about the former, we can do something about the latter.

Whether you work part-time or full-time, chances are you’re paying more than you need to in tax. There’s also more you could be claiming on your tax return to bring your total down and save – and make! – you money.

If you’re a writer, for example, then writing supplies, laptops, and even subscriptions to word-editing programs can be fully or partially claimed. If you’re a student or a business and you’ve taken out a secured or unsecured personal loan recently, then there are deductions to be made here, too.

While you’re at it, check Unclaimed.org and see if you’re owed a refund for overpaid taxes from jobs you’ve worked in the past.

27. A picture is worth 1,000 words…and more than a few dollars

Do you have an eye for the perfect shot?

Receive a bunch of compliments on the photos you take?

You could turn those niceties into nice new dollar bills in your back pocket.

Sites like iStockphoto and Shutterstock let you upload your own shots to their online marketplace, and earn money every time they’re sold to a customer. If you’re looking for more options, Foap and Fotolia are also worth a look.

If you want to make the most money you can, find the lucrative photo subjects that have high demand but low supply.

Whoever said you couldn’t have a Saturday job by working in the arts?!

28. Say goodbye to Google and hell to your new buddy, Bing Legitimate Ways to Make Money from Home

The self-proclaimed king of the internet, Google, can now be found on almost every device whether it’s a PC or a phone. This is why Microsoft is now offering you the big bucks – relatively speaking – to use their own search engine: Bing.

How does it work? Simply ditch Google, sign up to BingRewards, and earn as much as $5-$10 every month as you search which can then be cashed in for gift cards for big sites like Amazon.

29. Have you tried turning it off and on again?

Are you the tech expert in the family? People always bugging you to help them ‘Fix their computer’ or ‘Check their emails’? With Experts Exchange, you can finally get paid for all that unpaid labor you’ve been providing over the years!

Covering anything from software to hardware, you simply help resolve users’ technical issues and get paid in the process.

30. Siri! How do I become a virtual assistant?

If you have the skills to search the web and communicate well, then you’ve got the ability to pay the bills.

How so? Legitimate Ways to Make Money from Home

By becoming a virtual assistant.

Time-poor business owners or companies just don’t have the time to complete those daily tasks that keep their heads above water. So that’s where you come in!

Sites like Zirtual and Fancy Hands are looking for people like you to fill the role of virtual assistant for people like this, helping users complete tasks like making calls, scheduling appointments, and finding the best prices on a given product. In return, you get paid for each completed task.

31. Turn your hobby into a moneymaker

Some of us couldn’t draw a stick figure to save their lives (guilty as charged!), but if you can wield a pen, paintbrush, or knitting needle like a weapon then chances are you could turn your hobbies into a real part-time weekend job.

This is nothing new. Arts and crafts have always found a place at local markets. Only now you have access to not just your local community, but the entire world!

This process couldn’t be easier. Just sign up to sites like Etsy, RedBubble, or DeviantArt, create your own online storefront, and start listing your creations.

From here? Get the word out there via Twitter, Facebook, and other niche communities that might be interested in what you make, and start getting paid for the time you probably already put into a hobby that you love.

32. Tell website owners what you really think

According to research, users judge a website in just 50 milliseconds!

This means there’s a lot of pressure on business owners and web designers to get it right, first time.

And that’s where you come in!

You're bound to have passed a judgemental eye over a website or two in your time online. Who hasn’t? “Eeww, why did they pick that colour?’ or a ‘Huh, this menu doesn’t work at all’. Now sites like UserTesting want to pay you for it part-time on the weekends.

The process is simple. You just sign up, complete a test review, and when you receive a new website in your inbox you pass over it with that same critical eye and then eye up your PayPal account for your payment.

33. Write articles

Writing is one of the easiest ways to make money online from the comfort of your own home and do it part-time too!

You won’t even need to change out of your PJ’s for this one!

Heck, you don’t even need to be a published author or experienced journalist. As long as you can write clearly and concisely, then there’ll be a writing gig for you.

But what should you be writing about? And who will pay for you? Good questions. Give these sites a look:

• ListVerse
• Writers Weekly
• TopTenz
• Cracked
• Strong Whispers
• WOW! Women On Writing
• College Humour
• Scary Mommy

Have No Job Experience?

It has been said the most valuable commodity when trying to get a job is information. However, it has also been said there is no supplement for the experience. From the time we’re toddlers to our last dying breath, the majority of our lives are structured around the acquisition of knowledge. A lot of our efforts and value are applied for the exercise of overcoming our ignorance and acquiring a skill set that will bring us prestige and fortune in the future. Ultimately, it is not the sum of the knowledge obtained that makes a person skilled. It’s the context in which the learning takes place.

You can gain knowledge and relevant skills before completing your degree program. Showing potential employers that you have already taken a few classes and/or attended a couple of webinars or workshops proves that you take initiative and are dedicated to learning. These are two things that are often sought by employers—even if the job description doesn’t list them. Initiative and willingness to learn are two qualities to highlight because they position you as a professional who will work hard to develop the skills you need for the job.

When reviewing candidates, the majority of employers base their choices off of quality, not quantity. Consequently, during the application and interview processes, it’s important to highlight the qualities that set you apart. Common qualities that employers look for in candidates include superior communication skills, leadership ability, motivation, a willingness to learn, and problem-solving skills.

The Bottom Line

There was a time when temporary positions weren’t held in the highest regard. However, as the workplace has evolved, an increasing number of employers have begun to utilize temporary staffing strategies. Today, internships and temporary assignments give professionals the opportunity to gain experience and skills in a relatively short amount of time. More importantly, they both provide not only work experience, but field-specific experience and learning. Both types of positions are just another way of showing that you are committed to building your skillset and gaining more industry-specific exposure.

Enjoyed these legitimate no experience jobs? Leave a comment below!

Understanding Health Insurance can be tricky. We are here to explain health insurance in a simple, easy, and informative manner so you can understand your health insurance options.

There appears to be a multitude of millennials and individuals that had unexpected bills because of a problem with their medical insurance or their medical practitioner. This article will cover the basics of health insurance, as is relevant for most consumers.

Remember, your choices for healthcare are personal. The health insurance policy that's best for one individual may not be the best for someone else.

Health Insurance Guide Contents

• Health Insurance Vocabulary
• An Illustrative Example
• Negotiated Rates
• Fully-covered Services
• Types of Insurance Policies
• Comparing Insurance Policies
• Lowering the Cost of Healthcare
• Preparing for Medical Treatment
• Dental Insurance
• Afterword

Health Insurance Wiki

When reviewing at a health insurance policy, there are four numbers you really want to look at when you're comparing health insurance plans: The policy's premium, deductible, co-insurance, and out-of-pocket maximum.

The premium is the cost of the insurance coverage. It can be billed weekly, monthly, or however often the insurance company/your employer decides.

The deductible is the amount that you pay out-of-pocket for medical services each year before insurance starts paying anything.

Co-insurance is the percentage of medical costs that you pay after meeting the deductible.

A co-pay is a fixed amount that you pay for a service. You usually only pay co-pays for services not subject to the deductible.

The out-of-pocket maximum is the maximum you pay for medical expenses in the calendar year. Once the out-of-pocket maximum has been met, the insurance company will pay 100% of medical costs for the remainder of the year.

Health Insurance Example

Bob pays $500/month has an insurance policy with the following characteristics: A $2,000 deductible, 20% co-insurance, and an out-of-pocket max of $5,000.

In January, Bob got sick and had to visit the doctor. Because he hadn't yet met the deductible, Bob had to pay for $150 for the visit out of his own pocket.

Current Status:

Deductible: $150/$2,000

Out-of-pocket Maximum: $150/$5,000

In June, Bob had a heart attack and went to the emergency room. The bill for the hospitalization and the diagnostic exams came out to $2,850. From the bill of $2,850, Bob is required to pay $1,850 towards the deductible (he paid $150 for his earlier sick visit) and $200 (20% of the next $1,000) as co-insurance. Bob has now met his deductible and has paid $2,200 towards his out-of-pocket maximum. Bob's insurance company has paid $800 of Bob's medical expenses.

Current Status:

Deductible: $2,000/$2,000

Out-of-pocket Maximum: $2,200/$5,000

In August, Bob needed emergency surgery and spent a week recovering in the hospital. The bill for the surgeon and hospital stay is roughly $30,000. Because Bob met his deductible, he is only required to pay the 20% co-insurance of $6,000. But Bob already paid $2,200 towards his out-of-pocket maximum of $5,000. So Bob only needs to pay $2,800 to meet his out-of-pocket maximum, and the insurance company pays the remaining $27,200. Bob is not having a good year.

Current Status:

Deductible: $2,000/$2,000

Out-of-pocket Maximum: $5,000/$5,000

Disaster strikes again. In October, Bob breaks his leg and racks up another $10,000 in medical bills. Because Bob met his out-of-pocket maximum, he doesn't have to pay anything. Bob's health insurance pays the full $10,000.

Current Status:

Deductible: $2,000/$2,000

Out-of-pocket Maximum: $5,000/$5,000

Over the course of the year, Bob spent $6,000 for his health insurance and $5,000 on medical expenses for a total of $11,000. Bob's insurance company spent $38,000 ($800 + $27,200 + $10,000) on Bob's medical expenses. Bob's wallet is hurting, but at least he has something left in it.

Under the Affordable Care Act, medical insurance providers cannot put an annual or lifetime cap on how much they'll pay for expenses for essential health benefits. Essential health benefits include emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, prescription drugs, and more.

Health Insurance Negotiated Rates

In the above example, having health insurance was financially an excellent move for Bob. For $11,000, he avoided paying $43,000 worth of medical bills. But most people don't have medical bills that exceed their out-of-pocket maximum. For those individuals, health insurance provides a secondary benefit called “negotiated rates”.

When you visit a medical practitioner or hospital, they can bill any amount they want (although some are limited by local laws). For some practitioners, the insurance company negotiates how much they'll pay them for that service. For example, a doctor may charge $200 for a sick visit. But the insurance company negotiates that they'll only pay $75 for a sick visit. The $200 bill sent by the doctor to the insurance company is called the pre-negotiated rate. The $75 bill in this instance is called the negotiated rate. An insured patient at an in-network practice will not need to pay more than the negotiated rate.

The medical practices that have a negotiated rate with your insurance company are considered to be in-network. The medical practitioners that did not agree to the discounted rates are considered to be out-of-network. An out-of-network medical provider can charge you the pre-negotiated rate. Taking the above example, the insurance company may only pay $75 for a $200 out-of-network sick visit, leaving the patient responsible for the $125 balance.

Additionally, insurance companies also may have different deductibles, co-insurance, and out-of-pocket maximums for in-network vs out-of-network visits. For example, the deductible may be $3,000 for in-network visits and $4,000 for out-of-network visits. It is usually most efficient financially to only use in-network providers.

Health Insurance Fully-Covered Services

All ACA-compliant insurance policies fully cover well visits and preventative care at in-network providers. These include medical care like immunizations and checkups. That means that someone going for a regular check up does not have to pay anything for the visit, independent of whether or not the deductible was met.

For example, Alice has a health insurance policy with a $1,000 deductible. Alice is healthy and wants to stay that way, so she schedules a flu shot at her doctor's office. Even though it's January and Alice hasn't paid anything towards her deductible, her insurance policy completely covers the flu shot and Alice does not have to pay any part of the cost.

Types of Insurance Policies

• HMO (Health Maintenance Organization): HMO insurance plans generally have cheaper premiums than the other types of plans. The drawback is that they are also usually the most restrictive when it comes to selecting health care providers. Most HMO insurance plans also require a referral from your primary care physician (PCP) to see a specialist.
• EPO (Exclusive Provider Organization): EPO insurance plans, like HMO, usually will only cover non-emergency medical costs from providers that are in-network. Referrals are not usually required in order to see specialists.
• POS (Point of Service): POS insurance plans will usually cover medical costs both in- and out-of-network, though you will typically pay less at in-network providers. Referrals from a primary care provider may be required to see specialists.
• PPO (Preferred Provider Organization): PPO insurance plans, like POS, cover medical costs both in- and out-of-network, with cheaper costs when staying in-network. A referral is usually not required to see specialists.

HMO and PPO plans are the most common. Most health insurance plans can be compared by looking at the participating (in-network) providers, whether a referral from your physician is needed to see a specialist, the deductible and/or co-pays, and the out-of-pocket maximum.

Most of these options can be improved at the expense of increasing the premium. With all else being equal, a plan with a lower deductible will have a higher premium. Similarly, a plan with a lower out-of-pocket maximum or a larger provider network may also have a higher premium.

Comparing Insurance Policies

When considering insurance policies, you’ll want to verify that your doctors are all in-network and that you’ll be able to easily visit an in-network practice in the event of an emergency. If you can’t use your health insurance to lower your medical bills, it doesn’t make a difference how low the premium is.

When comparing healthcare policies, I’ve found it worth examining the minimum, expected, and maximum cost for each policy. The minimum cost would be for the premiums and any regular prescriptions and medical visits necessary. The maximum cost would be the sum of the premiums and out-of-pocket maximums. The expected cost would be the average amount you expect to spend on healthcare over a year, including the premiums and the cost of several sick visits.

The expected cost of an insurance policy can be affected by many factors. The larger your family, the more sick visits you'll likely have during the year. The expected illnesses and complications for a 25-year old are very different than those of over 65-years old that need life insurance. Another factor to consider is that if a family member has a chronic condition, your calculation for the expected cost could be very different. Likewise, if you (or your wife) is pregnant and has been having minor complications, you can expect that you'll have many more doctor's visits than normal, and you'll need to evaluate the chance of the baby spending time in the NICU.

The expected cost of your health expenses is where health insurance becomes extremely personal.

Lowering the Cost of Healthcare

Healthcare expenses can be quite high, with deductibles of several thousand dollars and out-of-pocket maximums over ten thousand dollars. Luckily, the IRS allows people to sometimes lower the actual cost of healthcare expenses by paying for them pre-tax.

Some employers grant access to a Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA, sometimes called FSA), where money is taken out of the employee’s paycheck pre-tax. Then, as the healthcare expenses are incurred, the employee submits the receipts to the HCFSA program, which then reimburses the expenses from the pre-tax allotment. Some HCFSA programs also supply a debit card which can be used to pay for eligible expenses.

One of the biggest issues with HCFSAs is that the money allocated for them is “use-it or lose it”, meaning that only expenses incurred during the calendar year can be reimbursed from the HCFSAs. Any money left in HCFSA cannot be used in the following calendar year. While some companies allow carrying over up to $500, you’ll need to check your companies exact policy to determine what amount, if any, can be carried over to the following year.

For example, Joe allocated $2,000 for his HCFSA. Over the course of the year, Joe incurred $1,000 of medical expenses. Joe’s company’s HCFSA does not allow carrying over any funds in his HCFSA, so Joe loses the remaining $1,000 in the HCFSA.

Another option available is called a Health Savings Account (HSA). If someone has an insurance policy classified as a High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), they are allowed to open and fund an HSA. An HSA can be funded with pre-tax dollars, and unlike an FSA account, the balance is not forfeited at the end of the year. Any money left in the HSA at age 65 can be withdrawn without penalty, similar to a traditional 401(k).

Preparing for Medical Treatment

There are many stories of people being shocked with a bill for thousands of dollars. Below are the steps you can take to avoid owing (potentially) thousands of dollars.

1. Choose an in-network practitioner. Verify that they’re in-network by calling your insurance company or checking your insurance company’s online directory. Many people have been told by a secretary that the practice is in-network and then learned otherwise. If you go out-of-network, you’ll likely have to pay the full charge for the service and will likely need to submit the bill to the insurance company yourself for reimbursement.
2. If a referral or preauthorization is needed, make sure the paperwork is squared away. You may receive an EOB for the upcoming procedures. If you don’t receive an EOB, call your insurance company to verify that all necessary paperwork went through.
3. After each visit, you should receive an explanation of benefits (EOB) with an itemized list of what the doctor billed for. If there is an unexpected or fraudulent item, contact the doctor’s office to clarify why that line is included on your bill. Health providers are required to provide an itemized bill. If the charge is fraudulent, contact your insurance company.
4. If you go to an out-of-network practice, keep a copy of the statement from the doctor’s office, in case you need to submit the claim to your insurance company yourself. Even if the secretary says they’ll submit the claim to your insurance for you, they may not – and you’ll be the one who has to foot the bill.
5. Once you determine how much is owed from a medical visit, submit the expense to your HCFSA for reimbursement.

Dental Insurance

Dental insurance operates similarly to health insurance, with similar plan types, provider networks, deductibles, and co-pays. However, dental insurance policies can have an annual or lifetime maximum for services, as they are not legally required to offer unlimited benefits.

Afterword

I hope you found it educational and understandable. If I omitted any important details, or worse, made a mistake, please let me and the other readers know!

Maintaining a work-life balance is about separating your professional and personal life and not allowing one to intervene with the other. Both are equally important and should not be neglected.

When your personal life and work life are out of balance, your stress levels will increase. This will make you vulnerable to many health complications.

Following are some tips for maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

1. Take care of yourself

Sometimes people fail to recognize the importance of taking care of yourself. This is where they falter in balancing their personal and professional life. Try to take care of yourself. Some simple ways to take care of you are; maintain and practice good hygiene, spend time with family and friends, enjoy every day and take time to relax.

2. Healthy Eating Habits

What you eat each day has a significant effect on your health. Good nutrition plays a major role in helping you to lead a healthier lifestyle. When combined with physical activity, your diet can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk of chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease, and promote overall health and wellbeing. Include fruits and vegetables in your daily which are packed with all essential vitamins and minerals. Try to eat 5 servings each day. Also, try bright-colored fruits because they are rich in antioxidant properties.

3. Get enough sleep

A good night’s sleep is very important to cope with daily life stress. Get a good sleep so that your body needs to recover from day-to-day stressful events. Minimum of 7-8 hours of daily sleep is important. Sleep is as essential as healthy and nutritious food and exercise. Getting enough sleep is not about how many hours we sleep, but it’s all about how many hours we had a quality and sound sleep. Quality sleep helps us to stay active, feel fresh and happier.

4. Exercise Daily

Make exercise a regular habit. Physical activity is very important for all age groups. It helps to burn calories assisting in weight management. Exercise has many benefits like increasing life span, protection against diseases, managing body weight, etc. It is advised to spend at least 30-40 minutes daily doing exercise. Regular exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and you should commit to it for a longer life.

Exercise helps your body stay healthy. Depending on what kind of exercise you do, your body will benefit in different ways. Weight lifting helps your entire body build muscular strength with the right routine while running gives your heart a workout. Swimming is good both for building muscle and maintaining a healthy heart.

5. Limit the Use of Gadgets

A healthy way to use gadget is to determine how much value it is adding to your life. Unless it's absolutely necessary to be using it at the time, your time is better used on something more important. Many scientists believe that radiation from smartphones may cause blurring vision, headaches and earaches and may be the reason for cancer too.

Quality of work-life balance is very important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Always remember that work is an important part of your life but there are other aspects that need your time and attention. Make sure to balance things to lead a happy and cheerful life.

Working round the clock causes stress, poor health, and burnout. Instead, try to achieve a better work-life balance. Whether you are at home or at the office, it is critical to make use of your time efficiently. It'll also boost your immune system and keep you out of the doctor's office.

Want to profit from the gig economy so you can make money? You might have heard the phrase “gig economy” get thrown around in recent times — but what exactly is it?

Even though there isn’t a fixed definition, the gig economy can be briefly summarized as  “an economy in which temporary, flexible jobs are commonplace, and companies tend toward hiring independent contractors and freelancers instead of full-time employees.”

Even if you aren't directly familiar with the term, you might have come across the gig economy in other ways — think freelancers, independent contractors, or that one friend of yours who is traveling the world and sustaining themselves by juggling various odd jobs.

The Gig Economy's Impact

Based on the idea of temporary jobs, as opposed to long-term positions, the gig economy has gained much traction over the years. In fact, more than one in ten employees have already joined it, according to a new survey by ReportLinker. Think about it: would you prefer working at your own time, from a location of your choice, or working for a corporation from a tiny office cubicle? Not surprisingly, most people find the first option more appealing.

There's no denying that the gig economy has heavily influenced the way traditional workplaces function. For one, due to the growing number of people appreciating the idea of “gigs”, traditional businesses seem to be losing consumers to these efficient and relatively cheaper service providers. Take Airbnb or Uber (well-known models within the gig economy) for example. Airbnb is a success story that completely defies traditional notions of the workplace.

Even individuals can learn valuable lessons from Airbnb’s business model, and incorporate the values of personalized service and intimate focus into their own freelancing models to be more successful.

Furthermore, businesses that distance themselves from technology such as the internet tend to be left behind by the benefits of the gig economy. Experts at Rutgers University advise businesses to accept and embrace the trend and its benefits, as the freelance market is predicted to rise to 40 million workers by 2019.

For these and other reasons, an increasing number of businesses have started to adapt their business models to better suit the needs of employees, allowing for remote working, flex time and more — reminiscent of the gig economy, but still centrally controlled. In fact, allowing for flexibility was named one of the top three workplace trends in 2016.

Is The Gig Economy For You?

But is the gig economy for everyone? More often than not, freelancers themselves are their own worst enemy. When working independently, it's easy to forget to take breaks, work irregular hours, and leave tasks until the last minute.

Freelancers are often guilty of saying yes to every gig that comes their way, resulting in an overwhelming amount of work that doesn't get completed efficiently and thoroughly. It's important for freelancers to make sure they are not susceptible to these issues,  so that they can maintain a relatively stable inflow of gigs (and, therefore, income). Freelancing comes with its own share of problems, such as overscheduling, not getting bills out on time, and filing freelancer taxes.

Some critics believe that only people with certain types of personalities are poised to succeed within this sort of working environment. In an article on Forbes, Mark Murphy claims that the three traits that are integral to success within the gig economy are enjoying risk and adventure over security, being goal driven and outcome-oriented, and being motivated by achievement — rather than power or affiliation. It's important to know oneself well enough and think about whether you would succeed as a freelancer before quitting your day job to take up various gigs.

While some people are forced into the gig economy due to loss of job or unfortunate circumstances, a large number of people choose to freelance out of their own volition.

A study by Freelancers Union and Upwork found that 60 percent of freelancers said they started freelancing by choice. And half of all freelancers say they wouldn’t stop freelancing for any amount of money. So if you think you might be cut out for it, consider taking a chance with the new and uniquely growing gig economy — you might be pleased with what you find!

Gig Economy Apps

If you wanted more ways to search for gig economy opportunities, here are some highly rated gig economy apps:

1. Survey Junkie

Survey Junkie is a favorite gig economy app for many people and has over 3 million users. Sign-up for free, it takes a few minutes, then begins earning money. The survey options to choose from is extensive, with short or long surveys. You can review just about every retail product, and even music.

Longer surveys pay more. Each survey is worth a number of points. You get paid $10.00 for every 1,000 points awarded in cash via PayPal. When you qualify for a survey, it tells you how long the survey will take (approx.) and the number of points awarded. Then you can calculate what each survey is worth and maximize your time.

Sounds like fun? Sign-up for Survey Junkie, take the surveys and earn money with this gig economy app.

2. Swagbucks

Swagbucks probably the best-known gig economy app and is actually offering a $5.00 sign up bonus right now. Swagbucks rewards for more than just surveys, you can also get paid to download apps, play games, do web searches, watch videos and a lot more. The site has awarded over $195 million to its users. Once you have signed-up, there will be a list of surveys you qualify for. Finding a survey worth taking is easy. But you should look for surveys that have a point-to-minute ratio of 20.

The number of SBs (Swagbucks’ version of points) divided by the time for the survey equals the ratio. Once $1 is earned you can redeem it for a gift card of your favorite retailer. When $20.00 of SBs are earned, you can take it as cash through PayPal.

You can easily sign up with Swagbucks and take paid surveys and more.

3. Fundrise

If you are looking a gig economy app to make real wealth then you should know about Fundrise. Fundrise offers short-term real-estate deals with annual returns of 8.7% to 12.4%. Fundrise is an investment platform that allows investors to invest $10 or more in short-term (1-3 years) investments.

You pick your investment objectives, and Fundrise helps you allocate your funds.

Investors must get back their investment with returns before the company can claim a profit. Fundrise is a good way for you to set aside $500.00 to $1,000.00 from 1 to 3 years and get as good as a 12.4% return.

You don’t have to be a millionaire to invest in real estate anymore. You can now invest in large-scale real estate for as little as $500 with Fundrise.

4. Inbox Dollars

Inbox Dollars is a convenient, easy way to make money on the internet. Like the other gig economy apps on this list, you take surveys, watch videos, play games, and much more. This online rewards club has over 1 million Facebook fans and has paid out $50 million in 2017.

If you sign up before December they will give you a $5.00 instant bonus. Inbox Dollars is highly respected is accredited with the Better Business Bureau. For some spending cash and having fun earning it sigh up for Inbox Dollars.

5. Nielsen Mobile

Nielsen has been around 90 years and is trusted as a research leader and great gig economy app. Register your devices and earn rewards with the Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel. By participating in Nielsen research, you can improve products and services you use online today.

Nielsen Computer and Mobile Panel combines your unique internet usage with people like you to build a picture of internet behavior. By using the internet as you do every day, Nielsen invites you to make a difference – and you can win prizes! Nielsen gives away $10,000 each month.

By installing the app, you receive up to $50.00 a year. There are dozens of rewards that can choose from their website.

Information Nielsen app collects:

• Names and types of apps or games.
• Addresses of websites you visit with content.
• The date and how long you were on the site.
• Date, time, and how long you were on phone calls.
• Date, time, or numbers/codes for texts.
• Much more information can be obtained from a cell phone.

To qualify you must live in the U. S. be between 18 and 45 years of age. It's a really passive gig economy app. Click here to sign up for Nielsen.

7. LifePoints

What's your opinion? Surfers who sign up to take surveys at LifePoints can earn rewards.  It has been on the web since 2001 and is one of the most trusted survey sites.

For taking surveys, you can be compensated with cash, Amazon gift cards, and PayPal payouts.

LifePoints is ranked high among its users and is in the top 5 paid survey sites on the web. For extra cash, LifePoints is still a good go.

8. Fetch Rewards App

Get paid for shopping by scanning the receipt and uploading it to Fetch. Fetch does not pay cash; instead, you get rewarded with gift cards. You earn $.10 for every dollar spent and can redeem 3,000 points for a $3.00 gift card.

The great thing about Fetch is it pays for everyday activities like shopping. Fetch is new it will take time to determine if it is a good payer or a scam. This is one app that you should at least try out and decide for yourself.

9. Dosh App

The Dosh app offers cash back on purchases that you make. After downloading the app and linking your credit or debit card to Dosh, there is a $5.00 cash sign-up bonus. This app is good with restaurants, travel services, merchants that are participating with Dosh to give you cash back on in-store purchases.

After you have earned $25.00 (minimum) to your Dosh Wallet, the balance can then be transferred via PayPal to your bank. There no receipts to scan because the app is linked to a debit or credit card.

When you use your card at a participating business the cash back is automatically credited to your Dosh Wallet. If you travel (which most digital nomads do), Dosh is the app that you should be using.

10. Swag IQ

Swag IQ will pay you 1000s to answer trivia questions. This app is an online trivia game played on your smartphone.

First, you must be a member of Swagbucks (#2 on this gig app list), then go here and download the SwagIQ app and use your membership info to sign-up. Live games will randomly pop up on your phone, there is a host who asks trivia questions. You have ten seconds to respond and answer the question. There ten questions per game, to win the grand prize you must answer all ten correctly. Depending on how many players and how many answered all ten questions correctly, the grand prize will be split with the winning players.

Grand prizes are usually $1,000.00 or more but, pay in SBs. SwagIQ is an excellent way to have some fun answering trivia questions and earning some money as well.

To Conclude

There are many online gig economy apps and other passive income opportunities to make money online.

You should be aware that you are not going to get rich from most of these gig economy apps. However, they serve as a chance to have some fun online and get some extra cash for your efforts. Two apps that are really appealing are Dosh and Fetch as they offer you cash back for doing everyday shopping (which everyone does).

Whatever your taste there seems to be plenty of ways to rake in extra cash online and enjoy the process.