by Jan Roland

You love your fur baby dearly, but sometimes it costs money you don’t have. So what can you do? Try a few of these ways to make a little extra needed cash.

You love your pet and your pet loves you. And if you’re like me, you’d give them the best of everything if you could.

Unfortunately the best costs money. According to the ASPCA, you’ll spend an average of $1,314 in the first year that you adopt a small dog. A big dog could cost $1,843.

Do you have a cat in your family? The ASPCA estimates that you’ll spend $1,035 in the first year. Source: SmartAsset.com.

That money has to come from somewhere. Here are some simple ways to find some extra money to spend on your pet child.

Get Cash Back When You Grocery Shop

Groceries are a big part of my budget. Probably your’s too. That’s why I was so happy to find the Checkout 51 app. It’s a free app that will give you cash back on your grocery purchases (sometimes even pet food and treats!) You can sign up with Facebook or your email. All you have to do is to browse your offers, shop at your favorite store, upload your receipt and get your cash back! For instance, this week I got cash back on ground beef, apples, and soda.

Don’t Let What You’ve Saved Slip Through Your Fingers!

Once you’ve started saving some money, you’ll want to put it in a safe place. Why not get the account ready now? This tool will provide you with safe, insured online banks that will pay you top interest rates on your savings. Some will even allow you to open your account with as little as $1 and have no monthly fees.

Intelligent Multitasking

No matter where I go, people are multitasking. And while most are just texting or checking email, I like to use that otherwise wasted time to make some money. I do it by taking online surveys.

You won’t get rich with these, but if you’re just watching TV, (and that’s how the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says we spend 2.8 hours per day) why not earn a dollar or two per hour on your tablet or phone? The only thing you need is your opinion!

One of my favorites is Survey Junkie. You tell them a little bit about yourself at the free signup and you’ll earn rewards that can be cashed in via Paypal when you complete their surveys.

Opinion Outpost has a more detailed questionnaire when you register. That allows them to better target the surveys they offer you and hopefully the payout for answering them. They even gave me extra points for filling out the initial questionnaire. Signup is free and you could win $10,000 if you’re lucky!

Swagbucks allows you to cash in for gift cards or via Paypal. You can earn points for filling out surveys, watching videos, activating notifications and other activities. When I signed up, they even had discounted gift cards available. You could use your Swagbucks or cash to purchase them. Some were for places that I normally shop. It’s like multiplying your Swagbucks! And, once again signup is free.

Is Your Credit Score Costing You?

Your credit score can cost you or save you money – from what you’ll pay for a loan, to how much your auto insurance costs, to whether you get the job you want. And, the simple fact is that most people don’t even know their score. Much less whether there’s an error in their credit file that can cost them (1 in 4 contain significant errors).

That’s a shame. Because it only takes a minute to learn your score and it doesn’t cost you anything.

If you don’t know your score (or haven’t checked it recently) you can get it free at Credit Karma.

Also request your free annual copies of your credit reports. You might find an error that’s costing you money!

Is My Credit Card Company Cheating Me?

What has your credit card company done for you? Mostly not much! But it doesn’t have to stay that way. You can get free cash by using a cash back credit card. You use your card for so many purchases. Why not get a discount when you do? The best way to find the best cash back card for you is to compare offers for cash back cards. In just a few minutes, you could create a monthly source of income and never do another thing to earn it!

If You Carry a Credit Card Balance

If you carry a balance, you’ll do better with a balance transfer card. Especially if your credit score is above 650. Be sure to pay down as much as you can while your interest rate on that balance transfer is low, or better, at 0%.

Is Your Auto Insurance Company Ripping You Off?

Your rates keep going up. And you see the ads saying you can save by comparing but you’ve never taken the time. The truth is that you could be giving away money for inferior insurance each month. There’s no better time than right now to see if you can pay less for auto insurance. It might take a few minutes now, but it could pay you back each and every month!

Reviewed May 2021