13 ways to save and earn money on a rainy day

(FOX 13) - How does getting paid to watch a movie, surf the web, or go shopping sound? You’ve heard of saving for a rainy day, but FOX 13 Consumer Reporter Sorboni Banerjee has 13 ways to save - and even earn money - on a rainy day.

If you get stuck inside thanks to Matthew – here’s how to use the time to make it rain.

1. Check your budget for leaks. Use these apps to help track what’s really going in and out of your bank account, with pie charts to clearly see what changes you can make. www.mint.com and www.levelmoney.com

2. Deal with cloudy credit. You can pull your score and full report for free once a year. https://www.consumeraffairs.com/online/credit-report/#

3. Watch that heat index. You can save up to 7-percent on your utility bill for every degree above 78. Ask for an “energy audit” from your provider, for free, to find out where you’re wasting.

4. Break up annual bills over 12 months and put away a little each month so there are no surprises.

5. Forecast your food. Surveys show the average family spends around $230 a month on meals prepped outside the home. Plan you meals for the week and make them at home instead.

6. The road to retirement can be foggy. Take the time to streamline your contributions and research different options, like whether you should contribute to an IRA as well as your 401k. www.smartasset.com

7. Freelance from your couch. You can get paid to proofread blogs or update small businesses’ social media at http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com. Or get paid to blog, tweet and take photos and videos at www.izea.com.

8. Get money for movies. When the weather keeps you indoors, head to a movie and then get paid to fill out a survey after, on things like the previews and turn out, for market researchers. www.certifiedfieldassociate.com

9. Get paid to shop. Similarly, you can get paid to share your shopping experience. Is the store neat? How was it organized? And how about the customer service? Check sites like www.swagbucks.com and www.inboxdollars.com for availability in the Bay Area.

10. Get paid to try out websites. Some will give you up to $10 a pop to try out a new website and give the owner feedback on how it works, and if you like it. www.usertesting.com

11. Be a Search Engine Evaluator. You can make $12-$15 for an hour of work, providing feedback on search engines on sites like www.leapforce.com, www.lionbridge.com, and http://appen.com/company/opportunities/.

12. The Anonymous App. Companies want to see what sites you visit and how often you check email on your phone. The "smart panel" app anonymously measures how you use your device without getting your personal information, and you can make up to $75 a year for letting it run in the background. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vertoanalytics.smartpanel&hl=en

13. Project Payday lets you get paid to do a free trial of a product, as long as you remember to cancel the trial before you get charged. https://www.projectpayday.com/home.cgi