5 Legal Ways to Make Extra Money

Open bank accounts with promotional cash incentives:  You can make hundreds of dollars just from opening bank accounts.  Chase, Bank of America, Sterling Savings, and many other banks all have promotional offers when they open new locations.  When a new bank opens in your area ask what incentives they have to open an account.  A typical promotion offers $100 for opening a new account.

Get money from bank and brokerage referrals:  Once you open accounts with banks you can refer your friends and make money as well.  Here are some banks with referral programs.

ING Direct = $10 per referral and your friend makes $25 for opening the account.
Virtualbank = $20 per referral and your friend makes $20 for opening the account.
Bank of America = $25 per referral.

The same applies for stock trading brokerage accounts.  These generally require more money to open, but the same principle applies.  Some examples of these accounts are:

Zecco Trading
Options Xpress
Sharebuilder (Now owned by ING Direct)

Recycle cans and bottles:  Generally you can make 5 cents per can or bottle.  After your next house party collect all of the cans and bottles and take them to your local redemption center.  I recommend  storing them outside in a large garbage can.  When the can gets full, redeem your cans for cash.  *Some cans won’t be accepted by the machines, do not throw these cans away.  Instead, smash them and take them to the local metal scrap yard.

Scrap metal:  Those old car wheels, weight sets, and washing machines are worth their weight in scrap.  Typically they weigh the metal material and give you cash there on the spot.  Some people offer their old scrap metal for free on sites like Craigslist.org and Freecycle.org.

Sell unused products on eBay:  We all have random stuff lying around.  Remember your junk may be someone else’s treasure.  Lego’s are extremely valuable to collectors as are some figurines.  Don’t count on making any money however on your old Beanie Baby collection.