6 Sources of Free Money You Could Be Missing Out On

by Jason Topp

Are you leaving money on the table? Read on to find out if you’re taking full advantage of these sources of free money.

What are the two words that people love most? Oftentimes, it’s free and money! Who doesn’t want to get free money?

What’s amazing is the number of people who I run into on a regular basis who continue to leave money on the table!

If you woke up this morning, got your cup of coffee and went to the front porch to get your paper and instead found a nice, crisp $100 bill, would you pick it up? Of course you would! You wouldn’t pick up your paper and say, “Oh, a $100 bill” and turn and walk into your house, and yet thousands of people are doing just that.

One of the best feelings in the world is putting on a pair of pants or a jacket and reaching in the pocket only to pull out a crumpled $10 bill that you forgot about! I love that! So, let’s find some free money.

1. Company 401k Match

It amazes me the sheer number of people I run into who are unsure of what their company 401k match is or even if they are contributing enough to maximize the full matching potential of the employer.

If the company says, “We’ll match dollar for dollar up to five percent,” and you’re only putting in three percent, that is just plain silly!

Review your company’s plan to determine if there are some matching opportunities that you’ve left on the table.

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2. Rebates

How many of you bought a product with a nice little rebate only to forget to submit the form along with proof of purchase and receipt?

According to the National Consumers League, “Only two to three percent of all those who buy a product with a rebate ever end up receiving the funds.”

Rebates are easy to forget but worth remembering. And they are easier to do now more than ever since most can be done online.

Every little bit counts towards getting free money!

3. Missing Money

So, technically, this doesn’t have to do with finding free money, but it does have to do with finding your own missing goods.

MissingMoney.com is a national database established by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA). MissingMoney.com enables owners to perform comprehensive searches for lost assets required by law to be turned over to the states. Just go to the site, type in your name and state, and see if there is any unclaimed property waiting to be returned to its rightful owner.

My coworker actually told me about this site after he found some goods that he was missing.

4. Not Joining a Rewards Program

I know there is a hot debate over credit card rewards programs. I won’t get into that here other than to say that if you diligently pay your credit card balance in full each month, you should have some type of rewards card.

But, what I do know is that there are plenty of grocery stores, gas stations and the like that offer free “rewards programs” or loyalty discounts if you sign up.

One example is the Speedy Rewards from Speedway Gas Stations. This is not a credit card. It is simply a loyalty rewards program where you can accrue points to spend on free items.

We have a lot of Speedways near us, and yet my wife and I still haven’t signed up for their rewards program! We have friends who tell us how great this program is, so we need to get signed up and start swiping at the pump!

Expert Interview: Why Some Rewards Programs Don’t Benefit You

5. Leaving Money in a Checking Account

This is basic. Yet it’s amazing to me how many people leave large chunks of money in their checking accounts, earning zero! Even if you moved some of the money to a savings account that only earned one to two percent, you’d be better off. Every thousand dollars earning a half percent gets you $5. No, it’s not great, but who wouldn’t take $5?

There are plenty of high-yield savings accounts out there that can help earn extra money. You’re leaving free money on the table.

6. Not Using Cash Back Shopping Sites and Apps

This is especially true when you’re shopping for necessities. Sometimes, that might be groceries. Other times, it might be clothing or a refrigerator. In any case, if some company wants to give you a little of that purchase price back for using their app, why not?

Look into sites such as Capital One Shopping, Rakuten, BeFrugal, and Ibotta. It might surprise you how quickly that cash back can add up.

Reviewed September 2023

About the Author

Jason Topp is the founder of RedeemingRiches.com. The mission of Redeeming Riches is to think biblically and practically about our money so we can redeem back the misguided views that wealth leads to happiness.

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