We could all use some extra cash. Whether it’s to pay off your debts faster, save up for a vacation, or buy yourself that new gadget you’ve been wanting, it’s always helpful to have that little extra in your pocket. Luckily, there are a myriad of ways to make yourself a nice little side income, and you can do these whether you have a full time job or you’re looking to work from home. Try these tips out and start earning now:
1. Sell your old clothes
You’ve probably got old clothes sitting in your closet that you’ve forgotten all about. Clear them out and sell them online on sites like eBay or ThredUP. With ThredUP, you can get paid almost instantly if you’re selling less than $60 worth of clothes. Clear out the clutter and make some money along the way. It’s a win-win.
2. Tutor children
This tip works especially well for students, as they can tutor in the subjects they’re studying themselves. Teach the subject you enjoy and set your own hours. Sign up with a website such as Tutor.com and make around $9 per hour to start with.
3. Become a mystery shopper
Love shopping? Become a mystery shopper and get paid to go shopping. Sign up with a site like Marketforce and pick out assignments to do. Go undercover in stores and restaurants. Then, fill in the form after your visit and collect your money. The profit you make isn’t large, maybe a couple of dollars on a typical job, but it’s a great way to get your meals out and other luxuries paid for.
4. Scan your receipts for cash
You have to buy your essentials regularly, so why not earn some extra money for doing so? The Ibotta app offers rebates on certain products, from milk and eggs to luxury products like Birchbox subscriptions. If you’ve purchased something included in the app, use your phone to scan your receipt and get a rebate. The rebates vary in price, from 25 cents for a can of Reddi-wip to $2 for a bottle of sunscreen, but they can quickly add up.
5. Recycle your phone
If you’re about to upgrade your phone, don’t let the old one sit around doing nothing. Try a site like The Whiz Cells, which will find the best price and buyer for your phone. The money you make depends on the model and condition of your handset. For example, an iPhone 4S in good condition can go for around $60.
6. Drive people around
If you have your own car and want to work flexible hours, working as a driver for Lyft could be for you. Lyft is an app that lets people request drivers near them. It promises to be quicker than hailing a traditional cab. As a driver, you can make around $35 an hour with them.
7. Rent out your house
Do you have a spare room you never use, or are you often away from home? Why not rent out your space to travellers for cash? Airbnb will let you list your place for free, and you can set your own availability and pricing. What you can make varies, but this blogger made $2,276 a month renting her place out.
8. Do surveys online
Many companies are looking for people’s opinions to improve their products and advertising, and they will pay you for your feedback. Sign up with a site like Swagbucks or MySurvey and fill out surveys in exchange for points, which you can cash in for Paypal payments or coupons for your favorite stores. What you earn depends on how many surveys you complete, but the smallest payout on MySurvey is $10, which you can earn rather quickly.
9. Get paid to tweet
If you have a large Twitter following, companies may want to pay you to promote their products by Tweeting about them. Companies such as Sponsored Tweets will pay around 50 cents to $20 per Tweet, depending on your audience and the age of your account.
10. Rent out your driveway
If you have a parking space that you aren’t using and you live in a busy area, you may be able to rent it out to others. It’s free to advertise your spot on sites like Just Park, and you can make up to $150 a month.
11. Sell your photos
Are you a keen photographer? Businesses are always looking for stock photography, so why not sell your snaps? There are plenty of sites that will sell them for you, such as Shutterstock or Getty Images. Starting out, you can make roughly $50 a month, which can go up if your photos are in demand.
12. Participate in medical studies
If you have a flexible schedule and are fairly healthy, this may be for you. Payments can vary depending on what study you take part in, but some people can make a decent living by becoming human guinea pigs. Try sites like the NIH Clinical Center to find studies you may be eligible for.
13. Search the web
Why not get paid for something you do anyway? Qmee puts an ad on onto your browser and rewards you for using your favorite search engine. When you click on a sponsored link, you’ll be rewarded. There’s no minimum payout, so you can claim your rewards quickly. One tester made $1 on their first search, which they could claim straight away.
14. Review websites and apps
Many companies are looking for people to test their websites for usability. User Testing lets you sign up to test and answer questions about these sites, earning $10-$15 for about 20 minutes of work.
15. Start a blog
If you have a special interest and can write entertaining and interesting prose, you can be a blogger. Pick your subject, start writing, and start building an audience. Bloggers have said that they can earn between $1,000 and $10,000 a month when they become established.
16. Sell your notes
If you’re a diligent student, make some cash from those who aren’t. NoteSale lets you upload your notes and sell them to your less-dedicated classmates. You can make roughly $3 per set of notes, but you can make more if they’re typed up, rather than handwritten.
17. Do odd jobs
Lots of people have odd jobs around the house that they’d rather not do, and that’s where you come in. For traditional jobs such as lawn mowing or painting, try sites like Craigslist. If you can offer a more unusual service, such as designing a logo or even pretending to be someone’s girlfriend on Facebook, try Fiverr, which lets you sell any job for $5.
18. Be an affiliate marketer
Do you have a lot of sales know-how but no product to sell? You could do well as an affiliate marketer. Promote other people’s brands and products, and when they sell, you get a cut of the price. If you do well, you can earn around $100 a day. Try out Amazon or Clickbank to get started.
19. Try new products
Some companies will offer users money to try out new products and services. If you sign up to a site like CashCrate, you can get these products sent to you. Once you’ve tried them, you’ll be paid. Most users average between $25-50 a month.
20. Write articles
Much like blogging, if you’re good at turning out entertaining and informative articles, you can make money from it. Try sites like Article Sale and Ghost Blogger to get started. Payment depends on length and quality of articles, but on average you can expect around $25 per article.
For most people these days, it’s getting increasingly harder to feel content working at a 9-to-5 desk job, let alone survive on a single stream of income. Dissatisfaction with jobs not only leads to burn out, high stress levels, and loss of health – it also explains why billions of dollars are wasted on loss of work productivity.
Thanks to the internet, there are hundreds of ways to offer your services and reach those willing to pay you. Make the most of your spare time and make some money on the side — whether it’s to supplement your income or put away for a rainy day.
