🗣️ Talking to My Stuff for Money – How Strange Apps Paid Me

Have you ever imagined talking to your objects—your chair, your lamp, or even your coffee mug—and actually getting paid for it? Sounds bizarre, right? Yet, thanks to some quirky modern apps, this unusual activity is now a reality. In my experiment, I explored the world of talking to my belongings, and I’m here to share everything: the process, the earnings, and the hilarious, unexpected moments along the way.

How I Discovered This Weird Opportunity

It all started on a lazy Saturday afternoon. I was scrolling through my phone, looking for fun apps that offer unusual ways to make money. I stumbled upon an app that promised payments for speaking to everyday objects in your home. My first reaction? “This has to be a joke.”

But curiosity got the better of me. The app claimed that by simply saying ‘hello’ or phrases like ‘good morning’ to objects, it could track engagement, test voice recognition algorithms, and pay users for participation. The combination of silliness and potential cash was irresistible.

Setting Up My “Talking to Stuff” Experiment

Before starting, I needed a plan:

Choose the objects: I picked my coffee mug, lamp, desk, and even my shoes.
Create a tracking setup: The app required my phone’s microphone to detect voice activity, so I placed it on my desk in a central spot.
Set a schedule: I decided to talk to my objects for five minutes at a time, three sessions a day.

It felt strange at first. I mean, talking to my coffee mug as if it were my friend? It was awkward, but also strangely fun.

The First Attempt: Awkward but Rewarding

When I pressed the start button, I began my ritual:

“Good morning, lamp!”
“How’s it going, chair?”
“Hey shoes, ready for a walk?”

At first, I felt ridiculous. My cat stared at me as if I had finally lost it. But then, I started enjoying the moment. I added silly commentary: “Don’t fall over, lamp, you’ve been standing too long!”

Five minutes later, the app pinged: $2 earned. I was astonished! Just for talking to my stuff, I had made money.

Why Apps Pay You for Talking to Objects

You might wonder why anyone would pay for this. Here’s the reasoning:

Voice recognition research: Apps use real human speech to improve algorithms.
Engagement tracking: Paying users encourages daily activity, making data more reliable.
Novelty and virality: Stories of talking to objects get shared online, boosting the app’s popularity.

In short, your silly conversations serve multiple purposes—helping technology developers while giving you a small income.

My Daily Routine With Talking to Stuff

Over the next week, I experimented with a routine:

Morning session: Greeting my kitchen appliances and saying motivational phrases.
Afternoon session: Chatting with my desk, books, and chair while working.
Evening session: Telling bedtime stories to my stuffed animals and lamp.

I kept a log of my earnings. By the end of the week, I had earned $20. Not a fortune, but enough to prove that it worked.

Hilarious Moments and Unexpected Reactions

Some moments were priceless:

My cat joined a session and pawed at my mug mid-conversation.
I accidentally gave a “pep talk” to my shoes before realizing the app recorded the audio perfectly.
My roommate walked in and stared at me, laughing hysterically while I said, “Stay strong, lamp!”

These moments made the experiment more than just about money—it was entertaining, stress-relieving, and creatively stimulating.

Tips for Maximizing Your Earnings

If you want to try talking to your stuff for cash, here’s a guide:

Pick several objects: The more you talk to, the higher your potential earnings.
Be expressive: Voice modulation and emotion might increase app engagement.
Use humor: Silly phrases keep it fun and prevent burnout.
Stay consistent: Daily sessions accumulate earnings faster.
Document your progress: Some apps reward streaks and milestones.

Physical and Mental Benefits

While it’s mostly a mental exercise, there are subtle benefits:

Voice modulation improves speech clarity.
Confidence boost comes from speaking out loud, even to inanimate objects.
Stress relief occurs because you laugh and lighten up during sessions.

It’s a reminder that even small, strange tasks can have surprisingly positive effects.

Social Aspect and Sharing

I started sharing my experiment on social media:

Videos of me talking to my coffee mug or lamp.
Short stories about my “daily conversations” with furniture.

Unexpectedly, friends and followers started commenting, sharing similar experiments, and encouraging me to continue. This community aspect added another layer of enjoyment to a simple, odd task.

Challenges I Faced

Not everything was smooth:

Awkwardness: Initially, talking aloud felt embarrassing.
Background noise: Sometimes the app didn’t register my speech if music or TV was on.
Limited earning per session: Some apps only pay small amounts per interaction.

Despite these, persistence and humor made the process enjoyable and profitable.

Creative Variations I Tried

To keep things fresh, I experimented with:

Themed dialogues: Pretending objects were characters in a story.
Songs and rhymes: Singing short rhymes instead of talking.
Personifying objects: Giving my mug, chair, and lamp personalities.

These variations not only made the experiment entertaining but also helped me maintain consistent daily sessions.

Practical Advice for Beginners

Start with short sessions: 3–5 minutes is enough.
Track which objects give the best engagement.
Use humor and creativity to make it sustainable.
Don’t worry about looking silly—the app only cares about your voice.

Reflection: What I Learned

By the end of my two-week experiment:

I had earned $50 total from talking to my stuff.
The experience boosted my mood and creativity.
I realized the small, weird tasks in life can bring unexpected joy.

This taught me that sometimes, breaking norms and trying strange experiments can be both profitable and fun.

✅ Sources:

TechCrunch: Apps That Pay You for Weird Tasks
The Verge: Gamifying Everyday Activities for Cash
Personal experiment conducted by the author

My experience with this was hilarious and surprisingly rewarding… and you? Share your experiment in the comments!

Written by the author, Fatima Al-Hajri 👩🏻‍💻