20 Apps That Make You Money online

1. iPoll

Android and iOS users can earn gift cards, airline miles, magazine subscriptions and more for completing 15- to 20-minute surveys. After downloading the app, you’ll tell the app a little about yourself to help iPoll match you to future surveys. Complete as few or as many questionnaires as you like, but the more you participate, the more you earn.

Most surveys pay $1 each, according to IveTriedThat.com. But you can earn up to $10 on some. You can request a payout when you have $35 in your account, according to IveTriedThat.com.

2. Swagbucks

Accumulate points called SB by searching the Web, completing surveys, watching videos, referring your friends, shopping in the app’s mall, completing special offers, voting in daily polls, finding swag codes and entering fun contests via social media and the Swagbucks blog. These points can be redeemed for gift cards from stores like Amazon, Target and Walmart or for PayPal cash. At the time of writing, Swagbucks has given out $97,751,668 in distributed rewards. Download the app on your iOS or Android device.

3. Slidejoy

Get paid an average of $5 to $15 per month, according to CNET, for putting ads on your Android device. Every time you check your phone, you’ll see a card with a news story or promotion. You can slide left to learn more about it, slide up to see another card or slide right to use your phone as normal.

You don’t receive any more or less money for engaging with the content, so you essentially do nothing to get paid. Keep the cash you earned or donate it to the Jericho Project, Got Your Six or TutorChatLive.org.

4. Pact

Cash in for achieving your health and fitness goals. Download the app on your iOS or Android device, make a weekly pact to exercise more or eat healthy, use the app to track your goals and earn an average of 30 cents to $5 per week for achieving results, depending on the number of activities completed.

Your activities are verified with GPS, photos and other services. If you fail to meet your pact, you’ll have to pay up.

5. BookScouter

Earn money by selling your old books. This iOS and Android app allow you to scan or enter the barcode number to instantly compare buyback prices from leading book-buying websites. Choose the buyer offering the highest price and ship your book for free.

Registration is easy. Simply use your email address to create an account or log in through a host of eligible social networks.

6. AppTrailers

Watch trailers of new apps spanning 30 seconds or less on your iOS or Android device and get paid for it. Earnings start at 500 points (50 cents) and can be redeemed for gift cards or cash via PayPal, according to Dailybucks.info. Another way to earn cash with this app: Upload videos and get likes.

7. Loot!

Complete actions for your favorite brands, such as taking pictures or sharing content on social media, and get paid for it. To get started, download the app on your iOS or Android device, browse through the different brand campaigns and complete an action. When you reach $10, earnings can be withdrawn through your PayPal account. So far, users have earned more than $100,000.

8. Gigwalk

Find as much or as little contract work as you want by connecting with local businesses in need of your skill set. Download the app on your iOS or Android device, register your account and apply for gigs you see on the map or the list. Gigs pay from $3 to $100, and you get paid through PayPal.

9. Ebates

Earn up to 40 percent cash back every time you shop online at one of 1,800 participating retailers. Plus, you can earn up to $50 for referring two friends. Simply download the app on your iOS or Android device. Payments are made every three months by paper check or PayPal, or you can have your money sent to a charity, organization or family member.

Read: How Downloading Free Apps Like RedLaser Can Save You Hundreds on Christmas Expenses

10. Clashot

Get paid by taking photos of art, cities, food and more with your smartphone and selling them on Depositphotos. Android and iOS users can sell photos for 50 cents to $80, and royalties average 44 percent per sale. Users are required to register an account at Clashot, share a photo with a complete description and a model release and complete a quick verification process to start selling.

11. Ibotta

Earn cash back for shopping online, submitting a receipt or linking a loyalty account by downloading Ibotta with your iOS or Android device. Before shopping online, head to Ibotta to unlock cash rewards by completing simple tasks. After shopping at a store, simply scan your product barcodes and send a photo of your receipt to have your purchase verified. When using a loyalty card, just remember to scan your card or enter your phone number.

12. Mobee

Get paid to mystery shop at businesses in your area. Simply download the app for your iOS or Android device and search for a mission that interests you. It only takes a few minutes to answer the five to 10 questions you’ll be asked, and within 24 hours you’ll be eligible to receive quality and credit points.

Expect to earn between 150 points ($1.50) and 3,000 points ($30) for each completed mission, according to the book “Easy & Quick Money.”

13. Surveys On the Go

Get paid for sharing your opinions on various things, including the news, entertainment, sports, technology and more. Download the app on your iOS or Android device, sign up and complete all available demographic surveys. You’ll be notified when new surveys are available.

Pay ranges from 25 cents to $5 in cash for completing surveys, and it averages $1 each. When you reach $10, you can cash out through PayPal.

14. Shopkick

This iOS and Android app shows you popular products and rewards at popular retailers and gives you kicks (points) for walking in the door, more for scanning items and even more for making purchases. Most rewards are worth 250 kicks, and 500 kicks equals $2. Create an account to set up your profile and then you’re ready to start.

15. Tap Cash Rewards

This Android app allows you to earn gift cards and cash for downloading, installing and playing the newest free games and apps; watching videos and completing simple tasks. After earning enough credits, you can redeem them for Amazon, Google Play gift cards or cash through PayPal.

16. Google Opinion Rewards

Android users can respond to a survey from Google and receive up to $1 in Play credits, but the credits vary, depending on the survey. Download the app, answer a few questions about yourself and wait to receive your first questionnaire. Expect to receive an average of one survey per week, covering topics such as “Which logo is best?” and “When do you plan on traveling next?”

17. Money Machine

Earn cash by completing easy tasks, like downloading apps and watching videos. Offers are available each day, making it possible to earn points that can be cashed in via PayPal or traded for the various offers. You can also earn referral points by sharing the Android app with your friends.

18. Snap by Groupon

Make clipping grocery coupons a thing of the past by downloading this app on your iOS or Android device. Browse the offers for the week before heading to the market and save any you want to buy to your Snap shopping list. Take a picture of your receipt after purchasing the items and request a cash payment after earning at least $20.

19. Field Agent

Earn approximately $3 to $12 per task for completing simple jobs, such as visiting your local discount store and taking a picture of an assigned product and verifying its price. Download the app on your iOS or Android device, complete your profile and start making money that will be sent to your PayPal or Dwolla account. The app is used by hundreds of small businesses and major companies, such as General Electric, Johnson & Johnson and Walgreens.

20. Iconzoomer

Share snapshots of your consumer activity and earn extra cash. Download the app on your iOS or Android device, create a profile and wait to receive your assignments. Expect to be asked to take pictures of things like what you’re eating for dinner or the shoes you’re wearing.

Share a review of the products you photograph and submit the image to receive five credits. You can request a PayPal payout when your account balance reaches 200 credits.

How to Make Pizza at Home That's Better Than Takeout

Pizza is the crowd-pleasing choice for busy weeknights and fun weekend dinners alike. Pizza's an instant party!

How to Make a Pizza

Let's start with the base, the crispy crust that holds it all together. With the crust, you can go a few ways: 1.) Use pre-made fresh pizza dough (available at Trader Joe's, for example) and bake it in the oven; 2.) Use pre-baked crusts (such as Boboli) or even English muffins and pita bread for personal pizzas; 3.) Make your own pizza dough.

Here's how Chef John makes his. It's a simple no-knead pizza dough. (He also makes a pretty mean Cauliflower Pizza Crust.) Watch the video to see exactly how the pizza dough should look before setting it aside to rise. You'll also see Chef John's patented “rotate, stretch, and tuck” move for forming the dough.

Pizza Sauces

Now for the sauce. There are loads of delicious pre-made marinara sauces for pizza sauce. We have oodles of homemade pizza sauce recipes. Beyond red pizza sauces, don't forget pesto sauces, white sauces, or even a simple olive oil and garlic sauce. They will expand your pizza potential by almost infinite proportions. For more on mixing and matching pizza sauces and toppings, check out 20 Ways to Make Homemade Pizza.

Pizza Toppings

There's almost no limit to the toppings you can pile on a pizza. Tomato sauce and pepperoni you know. But apples and walnuts? For sure. Fresh figs and prosciutto? Of course! Sweet corn and peas? Well, in Europe and Japan, corn and peas are common pizza toppings. Bottom line, pizza is open to an infinite amount of creativity where toppings are concerned.

We asked Matt Robinson of Real Food by Dad for some of his favorite pizza-topping combos:

Breakfast Pizza topped with crumbled bacon, diced red and green peppers, and fried eggs.

Chicken and Broccoli layered with pesto or with an alfredo sauce instead of the traditional red sauce.

Veggie Lovers is great as anything can go on it. Throw any odds and ends of veggies onto a bake sheet and roast them in the oven, then use Harissa for the base sauce. And to keep it simple, use a mix of mozzarella and Parmesan for the cheese.

Taco Pizza works great. It's such an economical choice, and the ingredients are always stocked in the pantry. For the sauce, it's usually a puree of black beans or refried beans, and then layers of traditional taco fixings.

Almost BLT Pizza. A variation on the classic sandwich using bacon, spinach and sundried tomatoes.

Here are a few additional ideas for varying pizza sauces, toppings, and cheeses:

• White Pizza with Porcinis
• Chicken Garlic Pizza
• Portobello Mushroom, Fresh Peppers, and Goat Cheese Pizza
• Fig and Goat Cheese Pizza
• More Pizza Recipes

Once you have your toppings lined up, think about the order you'll lay them down on the crust. It matters!

Layering the Pizza

Layer the ingredients one way, and you have pizza perfection. Arrange the same ingredients in a different order...and it's curtains. For example, if you put the cheese down first, then layer tomatoes and basil on top, the basil burns and shrivels and the cheese doesn't brown. Possible pizza fail.

Of course, you can put tomato slices on top of the cheese. Tomatoes have a high moisture content so they won't caramelize; instead, they'll dehydrate slightly for a more concentrated tomato flavor.

Choosing Cheeses

Mozzarella, Fontina, and Parmesan cheeses all work great. These cheeses are all very low in moisture, so they'll brown fairly quickly.

Now let's get this thing in the oven!

1. Generally, the hotter the oven, the better the pizza will be.

Place a pizza stone on a lower oven rack. Preheat the oven between 450 and 500 degrees F (250 to 260 degrees C) -- the stone needs heat up while the oven heats. Large, thick-crusted pizzas might need an oven temperature closer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) so the crust can cook completely before the toppings burn.

Pro Tip: For a crunchy crust, preheat a baking sheet or cast iron skillet in the bottom of the oven. Once you load the pizza, toss ice cubes into the hot pan to create a burst of steam.

You know another way to get a terrific crust? Put your pizza on the grill.

2. Form the pizza dough and place it on a peel dusted with a little flour or cornmeal. If you like, lightly brush the crust with olive oil. This helps create a golden brown, crispy crust rather than a dry, dusty outer crust. See how to make and form your pizza dough.

Okay, the oven is hot and the pizza's all topped and ready to roll.

3. Now let's slip it onto the hot pizza stone.

But first, jiggle the peel to make sure the pizza isn't sticking. You want it to slide off the peel easily. If it's stuck, gently lift the sticky dough and dust with a wee bit more flour or cornmeal.

Place the tip of the peel on the edge of the stone at the back of the oven. With one swift motion, jerk the peel back out from under the pizza. If the pizza slides freely on the peel, it should land perfectly in the middle of the pizza stone. If the pizza sticks to the peel, your toppings will slide off the pizza onto the stone, and the kids will hear you say those words you're not really supposed to use in front of them.

Close the oven door and let the pizza bake.

4. After 5 minutes of baking, check the pizza. If some spots are browning faster than others, turn the pizza; slip the peel underneath it like a giant spatula. Rotate the pizza on the peel and return it to the baking stone using the same swift motion described above.

If you like, remove the pizza from the oven halfway during baking to brush more oil on the crust. This added oil will help darken the crust and make it even tastier. For a little garlic flavor, infuse the oil with minced garlic.

5. The pizza is done when the cheese is melted to a medium-to-dark brown -- color means flavor. Carefully remove the pizza with the peel and let it cool slightly. If you want, top it with additional fresh toppings. Slice with a pizza wheel or chef's knife, and serve to your adoring crowd.

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Feel the Burn: When pizza scalds the roof of your mouth, don't blame the cheese. Most likely, it's the sauce. That's because heat is conserved in the wet sauce, and an insulating layer of cheese is very likely adding insult to injury. Next time you get a slice fresh from the oven, lift the heat-trapping lid of cheese with a fork, and you'll see how the steam pours off the hot, hot sauce. It's like the molten core of the earth in there.

How to Make a Perfect Burger: A Step-by-Step Guide

Some burgers are just better. It's all in the technique — how you form it and how you grill it.

Start with the Right Beef
The best burgers are made from freshly ground, high-grade beef chuck in an 80/20 mix (meat to fat). Spread the beef out flat and season with salt and pepper. If you have a secret ingredient like Worcestershire sauce or chopped bacon, add it now. Toss together gently. You don't want to overmix.

Making the Patties
Grab 5 to 6 ounces of meat and lightly toss from hand to hand, forming a ball.

Pat It Into a Disk
The patty should be at least as wide as your bun and about 3/4 to 1 inch thick.

Perfect-Burger Secret Tip
Make a divot in the middle of the burger with your thumb to help it keep its shape while cooking. These patties can be made ahead and chilled in the fridge.

Get Grilling
Preheat the grill to medium or medium-high over direct heat. Oil the grate with a neutral-flavored oil like canola or vegetable. When the oil begins to smoke, it's hot enough to add the burgers. Make sure your burgers are at room temperature and season them again with salt and pepper. Put the burgers on the grill and let them be. The less touching, the better the burger. For a juicier burger, resist the urge to press down. Cover the grill.

Time to Flip
It's time to flip when the burger releases from the grate without sticking.

Doneness
For medium burgers, cook for about 5 minutes per side. For well-done, go a little longer.

Toppings

To add cheese, move the burgers to the cooler side of the grill, top with cheese and cover the grill for a minute to let the cheese melt. Place the patties on buns, add other toppings and serve.