How to make $5 a day: small daily habits that add up

How to make $5 a day is one of the most searched money questions, and it’s a great one to ask, because $5 is a friendly, reachable-feeling target. The trick is to treat it as a small daily goal you pace yourself with, not a number anyone can promise you. Then you build a few easy habits around it.

Here are the habits that work best, starting with the one that fits into time you already spend on your phone.

1. Set your goal and track it

A goal only helps if you can see it. Pick your daily target, then check in once a day.

In Playout, that’s easy: the app shows today’s earnings, game by game, and your balance sits at the top of the Home screen in your own currency. Every four hours your coins convert into money there, and the balance only ever goes up until you cash out.

Some days you’ll play more and some days less. That’s fine. A weekly look at your balance tells you more than any single day.

2. Play a few levels in your downtime

The easiest earning habit is one you’d do anyway. With Playout, every level you finish in a game from the shelf adds coins: on the bus, in a waiting room, during an evening on the sofa.

Short-level games suit this best. Crown Crush, Hexa Pop and Candy Cannon Sort all have quick levels, so a few spare minutes turn into several finished ones. See the full list of the best games to earn money.

3. Keep your daily streak

This is the single most useful daily habit. Finish five levels in any game each day and your daily streak grows by one. Your best streak sets a coin boost that applies to every coin you earn from then on, and it stays with you even if the day count starts over.

Keep a streak going for a week and you bank a streak freeze, which covers one missed day.

4. Finish your daily challenges

The Challenges tab has a fresh set every day, such as finishing a number of levels in a named game. Each finished challenge earns a ticket, and a full set unlocks a dice roll that multiplies a coin reward. Tap Claim on each one. See daily challenges.

Challenges spread you across different games, which also helps the weekly Live Event.

5. Grab the quick daily extras

A few small bonuses on the Home tab take seconds:

• The daily quiz: one question, coins for a correct answer and a prize for every answer.
• The daily event: bonuses for finishing a number of levels before its countdown ends.
• The wheel and short surveys also add coins.

On their own they’re small. As part of your daily routine, they help your balance grow.

6. Check in on your Monnies

On the Passive tab, little characters called Monnies fill a coin vault for you, even while the app is closed. Make it part of your daily visit: wake any sleeping Monnies, tap Collect, and grab the free daily pack. See Monnies and the vault.

7. Try today’s Arcade game

The Arcade tab has a short skill game every day. Finish the shown number of levels to unlock it, and every run pays coins, win or not. Reach the day’s goal and you win the prize shown. See the Arcade.

8. Add one non-app habit

Your daily goal doesn’t have to come from one place. A couple of everyday ideas pair nicely with a reward app:

• Sell one thing a week you no longer use, like a book, a jacket or an old gadget.
• Use cashback on purchases you were going to make anyway.
• Pack lunch or brew coffee at home a few days a week. Money you keep counts toward a goal just as well.

For more ideas, see our guide to the best apps to make money.

A simple $5-a-day routine

Here’s a routine that fits into a normal day:

1. Morning: open Playout, answer the daily quiz, check today’s challenges.
2. Commute or lunch: finish five levels to lock in your streak.
3. Evening: finish a challenge or two, collect your Monnie vault, try the Arcade.
4. Weekly: look at your balance and cash out when you reach the minimum.

Think in weeks, not days

A daily goal keeps you motivated; a weekly view keeps it relaxed. Playout’s weekly Live Event works the same way: finish levels across several games during the week to collect items, and if you collect enough by Monday, you win a share of the prize pool, paid into your balance as real money.

What to expect

Treat $5 a day as a pace, not a promise. With Playout, what you earn grows with how many levels you finish, how regularly you play and the bonuses you collect. It’s gift-card money for time you’d spend playing anyway, not a second income. Read how much you can earn playing games for more.

When you reach the low minimum, cash out to PayPal or a gift card. Payouts usually arrive within minutes.

Playout is available worldwide on Google Play for Android. Install it, pick a game, and start your first streak today.