Helpful Apps That Make You Money

There are millions of apps on the market that do little but waste time and money. Sure, these apps may be fun, but the truth is, they aren't always a good investment.

If you want to make the most out of your app usage, why not check out some apps that make you money, instead? Money is useful, and it can help you achieve even cooler things in life.

Not sure where to start? Here are some of the most interesting apps that make you money, long-term and short-term.

(Note: For the sake of article length and actual quality, we're going to avoid talking about obvious ones like Uber and Lyft.)

Starting off with our list of apps that make you money is Make Money — Earn Easy Cash. Admittedly, you do have to do some light work to get the money, but it's absolutely legit and does allow you to cash out while doing typical things.

This app allows you to earn cash for "secret shopper" missions. Just check out store displays, stop in, and rake up points, until you cash out. There aren't really many other super easy ways to make money with this app, but that's not a bad thing.

Most people can make around $10 in three weeks, so there's no reason not to try it out.

Have a cluttered house? Then, among all the apps that make you money, Lego will be the most useful. This app is designed to let you quickly sell the items you already own to interested buyers in your local area — and that, in turn, can make you a decent amount of money.

Of course, this won't help you make money unless you're willing to part with your things. Decisions, decisions, right?

Ebates is one of the most helpful apps that makes you money while you're out and about doing something already in your routine: shopping! This app has rebates to over 2,500 different stores, including grocery stores, clothing stores, and tech stores.

Considering we all need to spend money to survive, it's safe to say Ebates will at least let you see some of that money back.

Swagbucks has become a huge way to earn more money while waiting in line, or staying in traffic. Basically, it's a legit offers app that lets you complete small tasks or get cash back for purchases. Everything from surfing the web via your phone, to partaking in polls can get you more money.

At this current time, Swagbucks has disbursed over $97 million in cash. So, it's safe to say that this is one of the most legitimate among the popular apps that make you money.

Looking for some spare change that allows you to have a flexible schedule? Gigwalk is one of the more popular apps that make you money, by letting you find new "gigs" to do. Gigs can be anything from taking a survey to checking out a person's store — or even something simpler.

If you're looking for a part-time job or beer money, this is a great app to try out.

Many people dream of being a photographer who can make some extra money by just selling shots online. Clashot makes that process way easier, and even lets you take photos with your phone. This makes it one of the best apps that makes you money by using your creative side.

If you have models in your photos, you will need to sign a release. However, you can charge as much as you want for the photos you make — up to $80, actually. Royalties are 44 percent, so you might make quite a bit of money, if you know what you're doing.

Ibotta is one of those shopping apps that acts a lot like Swagbucks; except it requires you to purchase goods in order to make money. However, there's some good news to this — a lot of the items they offer rebates on are things you'd buy regardless.

Casual use of this product can easily get you around $25 a month. That's why we're calling it one of the better apps that earn you money while you shop.

All of these apps tend to focus on YOU doing stuff to make money, but what if you just don't have the time to put your nose to the grind? Stash is an app that automatically invests your cash; it makes money for you.

You get to choose what you invest in, how much you invest, and how frequently you do. Then, just kick back and relax while your money makes more for you.

Stash also has a new "Retire" feature, which allows you to set away money for your retirement. They've even recently installed a Smart Save app that socks away money intelligently. If you're looking for apps that make you money while you sleep, this is a great one!

Looking for a way to make money while you're waiting for your Frappuccino order at Starbucks? One of the best apps that make you money can help — Surveys on the Go.

As everyone knows, Fortune 500 companies want to know peoples' opinions, so that they can better market their goods. Surveys on the Go allows you to get paid for taking surveys.

A typical survey will pay out about a dollar once completed, and no, you don't have to "accept offers" to get paid. If you're looking for quick cash, this is a great app to try out.

Taps for Money is part survey app, part shopping app, and part game app. And, it pays you in real cash via your PayPal account. To make $15, you have to reach a million taps on the program. Getting taps can be done via a game, a lottery, a survey, and more.

If you're looking for an app that can entertain you a bit, and also lets you make a bit of money, this is one of the better options. That being said, there are other apps that make you money faster — and if you're looking for big bucks, you might be a bit disappointed.

If you can't guess, my preference as far as apps that make you money involves the "set it and forget it" route, or the "get paid to do what you're already doing" route. Acorns is an app which, like Stash, works by letting you invest in a "set it and forget it" way.

The app basically invests your spare change for you, and gives you the option of getting cashback from companies that partner up with them. So, it's kind of like Stash meeting Ibotta, all with a little more ease.

Since it invests your money, you basically make money while you sleep with this app. It's awesome like that, right?

Having trouble getting the urge to go outside and walk? If so, you might like Sweatcoin, an app that pays you to walk outside. (Yes, outside only.) Every 1,000 steps is a single Sweatcoin in payment, which in turn translates into about a dollar.

Once you get enough Sweatcoins, you get to turn that into money or fitness gear. If you have a long walking commute, or if you just want to earn more cash, this is one of the best apps that make you money while reaching your goals.

Earn rewards the more you walk, and know that you're doing a good thing for your body. It's one of the best rewards apps for people looking to improve health, and get paid to do so. This is a great way to make money without endless surveys, if you ask me.

Last on our list is MoBee, one of the only apps that make you money by letting you be a secret shopper. This neat little app lets you check out stores, give your real opinion on the snooty lady at the counter, and in return, you receive money.

A single mission can pay anywhere from 50 cents to upwards of 8 bucks. So, this could turn a trip to the mall into a seriously profitable excursion — assuming you don't buy anything, of course. Oh, they also let you earn cash from your favorite stores, too. So, it makes sense to download this app.