Introduction
Hey everyone, it’s Tom here with thisonlineworld.com, and I hope you’re all having a fantastic day today. So, there’s no denying that times have gotten a little bit tougher financially pretty much around the world. You know, the cost of goods has gone up, renting or owning a home is super expensive, and it can feel kind of tough to just get by these days.
And that’s why in today’s video, I’m covering six different websites and ideas you can use to potentially get free money to help you out. Now, this video is a little bit different than my normal videos, and it’s including a mix of side hustles but also financial resources you can use to potentially get some free money and assistance. One of the ideas I’m sharing in this video is actually an idea that paid me $[amount], in just [hours] back when I was in college. So, you don’t want to miss this one. There are some really cool, creative ideas in this one, so let’s get to it!
1. Naming Contests
What Are Naming Contests?
With the first category of websites that can potentially give you free money is to use websites that pay you to come up with names for small businesses. Let me explain this one because it’s a bit creative.
The way this idea works is you basically find websites where you can enter naming contests or slogan contests and get paid for coming up with really creative ideas for small business owners. These are basically crowdfunding websites where business owners host contests trying to find a new catchy name or slogan for a business they’re launching.
Websites for Naming Contests
With these websites, you can sign up for free, find some naming contests going on, and submit your ideas. If you’re picked as the winner, you usually get anywhere from about $[amount] to $[amount] in PayPal cash.
-
Squadhelp: I found a website called Squadhelp where you can find plenty of naming contests. At the time of me making this video, there were about [number] active naming contests on the website. Some of the ones I saw were to name a new high-end deck construction brand, another one was for a nonprofit, and one was for a vitamin brand.
-
Naming Force: This is another website I found, and again, there are hundreds of naming contests going on.
-
Brand New Name: Another similar website I found.
Is This a Worthwhile Side Hustle?
Yes, this isn’t exactly a website that gives free money just for free. You have to be creative and come up with some slogans or a good business name, but again, if you’re competing against, let’s say, a few hundred people, I think that’s actually pretty decent odds.
This is a side hustle I tried back in college. I never actually won, but I think it’s a really cool idea and it’s definitely where I would recommend starting if you know you kind of like marketing and you want to try a creative side hustle.
2. Scholarship & Grant Websites
Why Scholarships and Grants Are a Great Option
The second website that gives you free money is more of a category of websites rather than just one in particular, but it is scholarship and grant websites. It might sound crazy, but it’s estimated that up to $[amount] million in scholarships go unclaimed each year and that $[amount] billion in student grants also go unclaimed.
Where to Find Scholarships & Grants
The simple reason people honestly just don’t know where to look for scholarships or where to look for grants, and so much of this free money just goes unclaimed every year. The reality is there are tons of nonprofits, rich individuals, companies, or organizations out there that want to give back to the community. They want to give money to students, families, or entrepreneurs — you just have to really do some digging and find these grants or scholarships and apply.
-
CareerOneStop.org: One resource I wanted to share with you is called CareerOneStop.org, which has a really cool tool that lets you sort by country and look for different grants, scholarships, or prizes.
-
Google Scholarships: You could also just Google lists of scholarships or different prizes or grants going on.
Personal Example of Success
Here’s a personal example that just shows not enough people are doing this. I was in my college marketing class one day, and our professor mentioned a competition in passing called Canada’s Next Top Ad Exac, which was basically a marketing competition. He mentioned that the top [number] teams got a $[amount] prize, and those teams would then compete for an opportunity to win a $[amount] prize later on.
So I went home that night, wrote a two-page submission, and a few weeks later, I got a phone call saying I was in the top [number] teams. I ended up winning $[amount] in gift cards that I used to furnish my first apartment.
3. Cash Back Shopping
How Cash Back Websites Work
The third category of websites that pay you free money is using different cashback shopping websites. This is another one I’ve covered on this channel before, but I think it’s something everyone should be doing. It’s a really simple way to just get free money for purchases you’re going to make anyway.
Cashback shopping websites pay you with free cash back when you shop online at certain stores. So, if you have an upcoming shopping trip, you might as well use one of these websites to get a little bit of that free money back in your pocket.
- Rakuten: I recommend Rakuten, which lets you earn cash back at thousands of stores like Best Buy, Walmart, Macy’s, Kohl’s, and more. I’ve used Rakuten for years, and I write about it on thisonlineworld.com. As a personal example, I bought a new laptop last Black Friday because my old one broke, and I just shopped through Rakuten. I got like $[amount] back in cash back.
Why Rakuten Is Great
I also like Rakuten because you can earn bonuses by referring your friends, and it has thousands of different stores, dining deals, travel deals, and tons of other ways to save money. It pays you with PayPal cash every quarter, so you’re getting real money back in your pocket, not sweepstake entries or gift cards.
4. The Awesome Foundation
What Is the Awesome Foundation?
The fourth website you can use to potentially get some free money is called The Awesome Foundation. If you have a side business or some kind of entrepreneurial idea but you need a bit of funding, this is exactly where the Awesome Foundation might be able to help.
This website gives out $[amount] grants every single month to people who have an idea but need a little bit of cash to make it happen. Since it started, it’s granted over [number] grants and paid out over $[amount] million.
How to Apply for Funding
It works in chapters across eight different countries, and if people pitch an idea they want to start but need a bit of money to get it off the ground, they can get a $[amount] grant. Some of its past projects include a coffee cart side hustle, an orphanage education mission in Mexico, a biking camping trip, and even an urban farming project.
5. Unclaimed Money Searches
How to Search for Unclaimed Money
The fifth website that gives you free money is a category known as unclaimed money searches. This idea is more for the United States, but other countries might have a similar system, so do some research in your country.
Essentially, the idea is to search for unclaimed money that is owed to you by either the government or a financial institution. Examples include employers who owe you unpaid wages, unclaimed insurance money, tax refunds, or investment money that might be owed to you.
- MissingMoney.com: In the United States, one website you can use to start this search is called MissingMoney.com. You can search for your name or your family members’ names to look for unclaimed money opportunities.
6. Crowdfunding Websites
Using Crowdfunding for Free Money
The sixth and final category of websites that give you free money are crowdfunding charity websites. Now, when researching this video topic, I saw a lot of videos talking about starting a GoFundMe campaign or Kickstarter or Indiegogo campaigns, asking for free money during times of need.
Things to Keep in Mind
Crowdfunding can be awesome, but you might spend a lot of time on these websites, and you may not get any money back. While it can work, I personally prefer side hustles where you are more in control, like grants, scholarships, and naming competitions.
Conclusion
That does it for six different ways, websites, or side hustles you can use to potentially get some free money. Again, I saw this video topic all over YouTube, so I wanted to research it and make a video about it because I think the idea is super cool. Honestly, there are ways to get some financial assistance or a little bit of extra side cash when money is tight.
This isn’t covering other ideas, like turning to the gig economy, using online survey sites, getting a part-time job, or looking for cash odd jobs on different classified websites. There are honestly tons of ways to make side money when you really need it.
If there’s an idea in this video you really liked or one you didn’t like, I’d love for you to let me know in the comments. I’m also going to be linking my ultimate free money guide from thisonlineworld.com down below, which has a bunch of different free money apps and ideas you can try as well.
Thank you so much for watching! I hope you all have a fantastic day and week, and as always, don’t forget to check out thisonlineworld.com for more unique ways to make and save money. Catch you guys in the next one!
