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Personal Finance · 2026
(2026) 12 Apps to Improve Your Finances This Fall
Photo by Ezequiel Garrido on Unsplash.
Fall is a good moment to tidy up your money. Here are some apps and sites, from quick ways to earn to simple tools for saving and investing.
No. 01
Earn by testing games and apps
Play games, test apps, earn cash.
Testerup pays you to try mobile games, test new apps, and complete surveys, with more than 2,000 tasks to pick from and individual offers paying up to $129. Most tasks take about 15 to 20 minutes, and your earnings are paid out straight to your PayPal account.
Who it's for: people who'd rather play a game or try an app than spend the evening filling in survey forms.
How to get started
- Create your Testerup account (US, 18+, with your own PayPal account).
- Pick an offer — mobile games, app tests, or surveys.
- Complete tasks to build your balance, then cash out to PayPal.
A more entertaining way to earn than straight survey work.
Get Started →No. 02
Turn downtime into rewards
Games, surveys, and your pick of payout.
Zip Rewards is a rewards app built around short activities — mobile games, surveys, and partner offers. You accumulate points as you complete them, and once your balance clears the app's minimum you open a claim link and choose how you want to be paid, from bank transfer to a prepaid card to a gift card.
Who it's for: people with pockets of downtime — commutes, waiting rooms, lunch breaks — who want those minutes to produce something. Not a substitute for income.
How to get started
- Download the app and create an account.
- Pick an activity from the home screen — a survey, a game, or a partner offer.
- Complete it to start building a balance, then request a payout once you clear the minimum and pick how you want to receive it.
The amounts are small; so is the effort required to start.
Get Started →No. 03
Turn spare time into cash
Over $1 billion paid to members.
InboxDollars pays you in cash for everyday online activities like surveys, games, and watching short videos. It's a US-only platform made for earning in your downtime, and it's worth trying a few survey platforms to see which one fits you best.
Who it's for: US users who want to fill idle minutes with small, straightforward cash tasks.
How to get started
- Create your InboxDollars account (US only).
- Complete surveys, watch videos, or play games to earn.
- Cash out once you reach the payout minimum.
A handy option for filling idle minutes with a little income.
Get Started →No. 04
See if you can save on auto insurance
A bill that hits every month is a bill worth checking once a year.
Auto coverage lands every single month, which is what makes a small difference worth chasing. Twenty-five dollars a month is $300 a year, and $4,500 over fifteen years. And because every carrier weighs the same driver differently, the price you pay now may not be the price you would be quoted today.
Who it's for: anyone who has wondered whether they are getting a good deal on their auto coverage, especially if it has been a year or more since the last time you compared.
How to get started
- Answer a few questions. ZIP code, vehicle, driving history: the standard set any provider asks for.
- Compare the rates that come back, at the same limits and deductible you carry today.
- Pick the one that fits, or keep what you have. Either way you know.
Rate inquiries like this one do not affect your credit score, so the only thing checking costs you is the few minutes it takes.
Compare Rates →No. 05
Earn passive rewards with a research app
Passive rewards, no tasks required.
Nielsen Pulse is a market research app that rewards you each month simply for keeping it installed — and it comes from the company that measures TV ratings. Once it's set up, it works quietly in the background, measuring things like which shows you stream and where you shop online, with no surveys or tasks to complete. You earn $3 per month for each device you connect, and $18 per month when you connect your TV.
Who it's for: people who want truly hands-off earnings and don't mind sharing anonymous usage data in the background.
How to get started
- Download and install the Nielsen Pulse research app.
- Connect your devices and agree to the app terms.
- Keep the app installed to earn your rewards each month.
Set it up once and let a bit of passive income roll in, month after month.
Learn More →No. 06
Earn by sharing your opinion
Take surveys. Get paid.
Survey Junkie pays you for taking online surveys about products and brands, with over $55,000 paid out to members every day. Complete three or more surveys a day and you could earn as much as $100 a month — four or more a day pushes that to as much as $130.
Who it's for: people with spare minutes who don't mind sharing opinions in exchange for cash.
How to get started
- Create your Survey Junkie account and fill out your profile.
- Take the surveys matched to you — the more you finish, the more you earn.
- Complete three or more surveys a day to start earning toward that monthly total.
One of the simplest ways to turn a few spare minutes into extra cash.
Get Started →No. 07
Earn rewards for everyday tasks
Nearly $700 million rewarded to date.
Swagbucks rewards you for things you already do online — taking surveys, shopping, watching videos, and searching the web. Your points add up and convert into gift cards or PayPal cash, and it's worth checking their current sign-up bonuses when you join.
Who it's for: multitaskers who want rewards for the shopping, searching, and watching they'd do anyway.
How to get started
- Create your Swagbucks account (available to US members).
- Earn points by completing surveys, shopping, or watching videos.
- Redeem your points for gift cards or cash through PayPal.
Small everyday actions can quietly add up over the course of a month.
Get Started →No. 08
Build credit history from scratch
A secured card, no hard credit check.
The Self Visa® Credit Card is secured by your own money. You put down a refundable deposit of at least $100, and that deposit becomes your credit limit — so the card can only ever spend what you have already set aside. That is the whole design: a real revolving credit line, without the room to dig a hole with it. Every on-time payment is reported to all three credit bureaus, which is what actually builds a credit file. There is no hard credit inquiry to apply, and you can apply directly without opening a Self Credit Builder Account first.
Who it's for: people whose goal is to build a credit history. It is not for anyone looking for more room to spend or another balance to carry — the deposit is the point, and paying in full each month is what does the work.
How to get started
- Apply online with your basic personal, income, and expense details — no hard credit inquiry.
- Fund your deposit, at least $100, by debit card or bank account. That amount becomes your credit limit, so your spending stays capped at money you already have.
- Use the card for small purchases you can cover and pay in full on time each month — Self reports the activity to all three bureaus.
Credit history takes months to build, which is the best argument for starting now rather than later.
Apply Now →$0 annual fee for the first year, new customers only; $25 annual fee thereafter. Variable APR of 27.49% as of July 2026 — rates vary, so check Self's site for current rates and full terms.
No. 09
Get cash for what you already do online
Earn in your free time.
KashKick deposits real cash into your account for the everyday things you already do online, from playing games to answering surveys, and it has paid out over $5.4 million to members so far this year. It's built for US users who want an easy, low-effort earner.
Who it's for: anyone who spends time online and wants to turn games and surveys into a little cash.
How to get started
- Sign up with your email, or connect using PayPal.
- Confirm your account to activate it.
- Start completing offers and surveys to earn cash.
A low-effort way to pick up a bit of extra spending money.
Get Started →No. 10
Turn spare screen time into small payouts
Games, surveys, and app trials, priced per task.
Freecash is an offerwall: advertisers pay to get people into their games, apps, and surveys, and Freecash passes back a share. Every task shows its payout before you start, from $0.50 for a survey to $5 or more for a game milestone. The platform says it has paid out over $119 million to users since 2020.
Who it's for: anyone with pockets of dead time who wants small, frequent payouts. Not a second income.
How to get started
- Sign up with an email address or a Google, Apple, or Facebook login. It takes under a minute.
- Pick a featured game offer and install it through the Freecash link, allowing tracking when prompted. Installs that don't come through the link don't credit.
- Hit the offer's milestones to claim the $10 welcome bonus, then keep going toward the $20 first-cashout minimum. That threshold drops to $5 afterward, and the first withdrawal requires ID verification.
Modest by design, and honest about what each task is worth.
Start Earning →No. 11
Start investing
1M+ active members, $5B+ in assets managed.
Stash makes investing approachable, letting you build a portfolio and begin with as little as $5 — professional financial guidance without the sky-high fees. It's a beginner-friendly way to start putting your money to work over time.
Who it's for: beginners who want a guided, structured way to start investing without a big upfront balance.
How to get started
- Sign up for Stash and verify your identity.
- Choose your plan and set up your Smart Portfolio.
- Link your bank and deposit at least $5 to begin.
Starting small today is how long-term investing habits get built.
Invest Now →No. 12
Turn a fixed bill into a smaller one
The pet aisle, delivered and discounted.
Pet food, litter, and pet supplies add up fast, and you buy the same things every month out of habit. Chewy discounts your order when you set up Autoship, runs deals across everything your pet needs, and brings it to your door — so it's one less errand and a smaller bill.
Who it's for: anyone with a pet who's still hauling food and litter home from the store at full price.
How to get started
- Add the things you already buy — food, litter, treats, flea and tick.
- Choose Autoship at checkout and set the interval to match how fast you go through it.
- Place the order. It ships to your door, discounted, on repeat.
And if you'd rather not commit to a schedule, the deals are there for one-off orders too.
Shop Chewy →You don't need every app here. Pick the one or two that fit how you already spend your time, get set up, and let the habit build from there. A small step this fall is still a step forward.
Some links on this page may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Self Visa® Credit Card: minimum $100 security deposit required; the deposit is refundable on account closure after any outstanding balance is settled. Approval is based on eligibility, including income and expense requirements. Self is not a bank — the secured Self Visa® Credit Card is issued by Lead Bank, First Century Bank, N.A., or Sunrise Banks, N.A., each Member FDIC. Results vary.
Chewy discounts and new-customer eligibility vary by product and promotion. Autoship is a recurring order — you set the interval and can skip, reschedule, or cancel any time from your account.