How to make money from all that useless trivia knowledge


Have you ever affectionately been called a nerd by your friends and family? Did you spend time memorizing all of the answers on the backs of your Trivial Pursuit cards when you were younger? Has anyone ever commended you for your seemingly-endless bounty of factoids and trivia? And, most importantly, do you happen to know what hockey team Wayne Gretzky played for during his active years in the 1980s? (For the record, it was the Edmonton Oilers, but you already knew that, didn’t you?) If you’re a huge fan of trivia, but you’ve always been told that your hobby would never pay off, then now’s your chance to look your naysayers in the eye and tell them otherwise. Why? Because there are, in fact, many ways you can pocket a few extra dollars from your secret trivia aptitude!

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Try Your Hand on Jeopardy!

If I had to take a wild guess as to where you are every single night around 6:30 p.m., I bet I wouldn’t be far off if I said you were comfortably perched on your couch inside your home, watching your favorite game show on the television set. Tell me, would I be correct? There are very few game shows as fun and exciting to watch as Jeopardy! (though fans of American Ninja Warrior may tend to disagree with this), especially if you’re a major lover of all things trivia. Regardless, if you find yourself knowing all of the questions before the answers are halfway out of Alex Trebek’s mouth, you may be a good candidate for this world-famous program. Tryouts are held regularly, though they are admittedly fairly competitive. However, you could win some darn good money from it. Ask Ken Jennings: he walked home with a cool $3.5 million from his stint on the show!

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Join a Local Trivia Team

If the thought of hot studio lights and millions of eyes trained upon you while you answer trivia questions makes you more than a touch nervous, then you may want to skip over Jeopardy! completely. That doesn’t mean that you should give up your dream of earning some cold, hard cash from your knowledge, though. Many cities host trivia games at their local watering holes and coffee shops, and they’re pretty much always eager to invite in new faces. If you’re not sure where to look for one of these teams, ask around. Your friends may know of one of these groups. Or check your local social networks, as these trivia teams may be advertising their need for new players there. While they do require a small, upfront investment (usually around $25 to play), you can easily net a couple hundred bucks before the night ends!

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Show Off Your Skills Online

Maybe you’re totally shy and you don’t want anyone watching you offer your trivia answers. That’s fine. No judgement here! Some people are natural extraverts, but others are a little bit more introverted and don’t want anyone to know that they’re competing in trivia games. If that sounds more like you, then you may be interested in knowing that there are many online trivia games that have massive pools of money just waiting to be won. All you need to do is register your username and show up!

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Use Your Love of Trivia to Your Advantage

Not everyone is a fan of trivia. Some people find it downright boring, really. But if you are one of the elite few who get excited when someone starts a sentence with, “Did you know…?” then you may be exactly the type of person who could pocket some extra change thanks to your hidden talent. While you may not earn enough to quit your day job, nobody’s going to turn their nose up at a couple extra bucks here or there, right? Who knows…maybe if you hone your skills enough, you may find yourself becoming the next mega-million dollar winner on Jeopardy! — or any of the other numerous apps or shows that reward trivia buffs like yourself!


More about Jael Josevich

“I’m a writer with a passion for baking, coffee and all things Kristen Bell. Also a reluctant Taylor Swift fan who loves scary movies and is scared of everything.

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