Why even bother with ways to make extra money? Well, unless you’re a Rockefeller, the answer is obvious.
Everyone wants some extra cash. No matter how much you have, you can surely find ways to spend just a bit more. But money has that nasty habit of refusing to grow on trees. Therefore, it’s no wonder everyone and their mother is trying to earn more money than their main hustle is paying.
Why Should You Look Into Ways to Make Extra Money?
You probably already know the answer to this question. You might have some debt or student loans lurking around the corner, crippling your every paycheck. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get rid of them without living like a Spartan?
Even those people who live comfortably wouldn’t say No to an extra few hundred bucks every month. Not worrying about your financial situation can reduce stress and give you more opportunities in life. If you have a side hustle, you won’t have to choose between paying rent and going out, between putting a dent in your debt and going on a vacation.
Need a Stash of Cash? Surefire Ways to Make Extra Money
1. Taking Online Surveys
If you don’t have a lot of time and don’t need a lot of side cash, taking online surveys can help you supplement your income. There are plenty of sites out there that will pay you to take surveys for them, and some will even give you a little cash incentive when you first sign up.
2. Watching Online Videos
Some websites that offer online surveys also offer video watching for money. If that’s more your speed, you can get a buck or two (or, more often, a gift card that you can later sell or redeem for cash) for watching video ads. It’s easy and, even though the money isn’t that great, you don’t need any skill or even that much effort.
3. Running Simple Errands for Money
There are many websites out there that connect people who don’t have the time or energy for menial tasks with people willing to do those tasks for money. Standing in line, picking up stuff from the dry cleaners, getting groceries, doing small repairs, and many other jobs are up for grabs on these types of websites. Most of these jobs involve delivery service so to be more efficient, you can use Apple Maps to get directions to work and your destination.
4. Renting Out Your Car Or a Room In Your Home
If you’re one of those lucky people who can afford a big apartment or a house and have no idea what to do with the extra space, try renting out a room. That will diminish your monthly expenses and give you an extra few hundred bucks each month.
Alternatively, you can also rent your car. If you live in a big city and are a reasonable person who understands that public transport is more efficient and environmentally friendly than driving a car back and forth every day, you probably have a vehicle sitting idly while you strut around in the subway. So, why not put it to good use? Companies that will rent out your car to people will give you a high percentage of the earnings. What’s more, they’ll also insure your vehicle.
5. Selling Old Clothes and Other Stuff Online
If you’re prone to piling up stuff for sentimental reasons, you might not like this or similar ways to make extra money. Selling old, lightly used clothes or stuff that’s been lying around your house that you haven’t used in a while is an excellent way to get an extra buck or two.
Of course, the downside is that this isn’t a steady source of additional income. You can’t exactly sell everything you own just because you need extra cash every month. But, you can sell everything that you can part with or those things you don’t use anymore. Then, who knows? Maybe you’ll get into the business of buying and reselling stuff on eBay. It’s a good side gig that doesn’t take much time if you’re organized.
6. Dog Walking or Dog Sitting
Dog walking is a bit more time-demanding than dog sitting, but both jobs are excellent ways to make extra money. And, if you have a primary job that can be done from home — you’re golden! You can earn extra cash while working on your main job. All you have to do is play dog-sitter and walk the pup when you take work breaks.
Another similarly sweet gig is house-sitting. That one really doesn’t demand that much effort or time. If you can get your foot in the door and build a reputation of a reliable sitter, you can make quite a bit of cash.
Read More: 12 Apps That Pay You To Walk: Make Your Steps Count
7. Tutoring
Of course, not all ways to make extra money are completely effortless. Sometimes you have to put your skills to use. Online and in-person tutoring is an excellent way to do that. If you think you have a degree that you can in no way cash in on, guess again. You can tutor kids or prepare them for university courses that are close to your field of expertise.
What’s more, you can also tutor people in practically anything. You don’t need a degree or a certificate to do so. You can teach English as a second language to non-natives, or tutor kids in math, science, physics, etc.
If you don’t know how to get started, or how much to charge, make Craigslist your first stop. Browse other tutor pages to see what they charge and adjust your rate according to that (and your level of experience).
8. Freelance Translating, Writing, and Proofreading
If you have a penchant for writing or a degree in English Literature that you have no idea what to do with, try finding a side gig as a writer or proofreader. And if you know another language besides English — congrats! You actually fall into a tiny category of people and can put that skill to good (monetary) use.
Sites like Fiverr and UpWork are full of job opportunities for those who can write, proofread, and translate. You might have a difficult time getting those first few gigs, but after that, if you prove your worth, it should be smooth sailing. Depending on how much free time you have, you can make anywhere from a few hundred bucks to a thousand each month.
9. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is by no means a quick way to make extra money, but it can become a steady source of income. The main issue with selling other people’s products and services online is that everyone is doing it.
However, if you’re lucky to have a blog with some decent, organic traffic on it, affiliate marketing is the next logical step.
10. Crypto Trading
Cryptocurrencies have been the talk of the town these past few years, and everyone’s been trying to get rich fast by exploiting them to their fullest potential. Of course, there’s really no way to get rich overnight. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make a bit of extra cash.
There are quite a few platforms that allow you to trade cryptocurrencies. If that’s something you’re into (or something you don’t mind learning about), platforms like these can be one of the ways to earn extra cash.
A Few Parting Words
There are quite a few ways to make extra money — if one knows where to look. Not all of these suggestions are quick ways to get your hands on some cash, but all of them are doable and don’t require much knowledge and skill. Of course, always be on the lookout for new opportunities outside of this list. You never know when the perfect side hustle will appear!
