52 Ways to Make Extra Money in 2023
I‘s time we address the flip side of your finances: ways to make extra money. More than ever, earning extra income can be the way to meet your financial goals. This could be goals like getting out of debt, saving for college or simply having extra money during the holidays for gifts.
Thanks to suggestions by my Twitter followers, readers, and other bloggers I’ve been able to put together a solid list of 52 ways to make extra money. And most, if not all, of these ways to make money can be done even with a full-time job.
Easy Ways to Make Extra Money
If I haven’t tried any of these methods, I give you a resource who has. When possible I’ve tried to link to an example of the opportunity actually making money. You should be able to find something here that fits you and your skills.
1. Swagbucks
Swagbucks – You earn points, called SB, just for watching videos, answering surveys, discovering special deals, shopping, or searching the internet.
There is no limit to the amount of SB you can earn, and they can be redeemed for free gift cards to all of the top retailers (Amazon, Target, Starbucks and eBay included) or for cash (PayPal, VISA gift cards).
– Sound too good to be true? Don’t worry. Swagbucks is legit and safe. Check out our list of legitimate paid survey sites review to learn more about the opportunities and to get several $5 bonus offers.
2. Deliver Food for DoorDash
Being a food delivery driver is back in style! People all over the country are signing up to deliver food because it is easy money that can be made on your own schedule.
This is how it works: When a person places a food delivery order from a restaurant, the restaurant notifies DoorDash that they need a driver to pick up and deliver the food.
You might think restaurants have their own drivers, right? Wrong. Turns out outsourcing drivers to services like DoorDash is cheaper than hiring drivers and paying them to sit there and wait for orders to come in.
As a driver with DoorDash, you get a notification when a delivery is ready in your area.
It’s up to you to go pick it up or not. If you choose to pick up the food, the DoorDash app will provide you with specific instructions on where to go, how to get there, customer’s name, etc. DoorDash pays a minimum of $10/hour but say drivers earn $25/hour on average.
Maybe this could be your new side hustle?
3. Shop for and Deliver Groceries With Instacart
Love to shop? Well then working as an Instacart shopper and driver may be a great fit for you. Instacart defines itself as a service that “connects customers with shoppers to deliver fresh groceries to their door.” Like other delivery services, Instacart allows their shoppers to set their own hours, which could make it a great fit for students or anyone with a busy schedule.
To be a shopper for Instacart, you’ll need to be at least 18 years old, own a smartphone, and be able to lift 30 to 40 pounds. Instacart says that they pay their shoppers on a weekly basis.
One of the really interesting things about Instacart is that shoppers can work their up to higher responsibility role, like shift lead or site manager. So while Instacart may start out as a way to make a little extra money, it could evolve into a legitimate career. Get started as an Instacart shopper.
4. Drive People to the Airport
Have you ever heard of Lyft? Of course, you have! This is a great earning opportunity for someone with a reliable car and the ability to navigate their city’s streets.
The main barrier to entry is having an approved car that is efficient to keep your costs down. But there are lots of stories of Lyft drivers making an extra $1k a week outside of their normal day jobs! Not bad. Plus, this is a fun way to get to know your city, help tourists make plans, and get to know interesting people.
Related: Uber Review
5. Get $5 Cash to Start Investing
There are plenty of ways to get started investing, and one popular method is using an investing app, such as Acorns or Stash.
We like Stash because they give you $5 cash just for signing up and investing $5! Once you download their app, you are asked to select a portfolio of stocks and ETFs, based on who you are and what you care about. For example, you may be passionate about space exploration or tech companies or environmentally conscious corporations.
Next, Stash will recommend a portfolio. Then the app serves you regular investment education articles so you are learning as you go. And they only charge $1 a month
This is how Acorns works: let’s say you buy a coffee for $2.65. Acorns is synced to your bank account (or credit card) and will automatically round that purchase up to $3, taking the $.35 and investing it in the stock market. It’s a very painless way to save AND build your wealth over time. You can invest your spare change for $1 a month. Sign Up to Acorns for Free.
Acorns now also offers an Acorns Spend checking account. This takes the features of the other levels of Acorns and adds in a checking account with a debit card. For $3 a month, you get the Acorns Invest account, the Later account (for retirement), and the Spend checking account. It comes with free bank-to-bank transfers, free ATMs (or fee-reimbursed ATMs) nationwide, and no overdraft fees or minimum balance fees.
6. Rent Out Your Space
If you have an extra room in your house, consider listing it on Airbnb. Airbnb is a new way to travel for many people around the world. Instead of booking through expensive hotels, why not stay at someone’s house? As a guest, you can choose high end to low end, choose to stay with other people or opt for privacy. And as a host, it’s a great way to make side money, utilize unused space, and meet new people! How much you can earn depends on your area so I recommend finding out by becoming an Airbnb host yourself!
No extra rooms, beds, or couches for a weary traveler to rest his head? No problem! You can still rent out another space: your parking space. Homeowners who live within walking distance of major tourist attractions or sports venues will often sell parking spaces in their driveways or on their lawns.
But even if you don’t live just down the road from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway or a major music festival, you may still be able to profit off of a parking space. And why not park on the street while you rent your parking space to a neighbor? Sites like JustPark and SpotHero can all help you find a renter for your primo parking spot.
7. Bartending or Waiting Tables
Both are the perfect jobs for nights and weekends. That’s when all the big tips are made anyway. I should know. I waited tables in my post-college days.
Bartending at nights in a busy bar can really bring in some extra cash and is probably better than waiting tables! You can typically bring in at least $1 for every drink you serve.
I recommend making a list of some of the nicest restaurants or bars in town you can find and start applying. You may need some experience first but set your sights high, especially if you have work experience as a professional. And the same thing can be said for professionalism, dependability and work ethic.
8. Take (Legit) Online Surveys
Did you know that you can get paid to do quick and easy online surveys? Here are a few websites to get you started:
- SayMore is a research and survey company that offers rewards for individuals who participate in their research activities. By registering for free and providing basic information, users can earn points by taking part in surveys. These points can be exchanged for rewards such as gift cards. SayMore focuses on the USA and requires participants to be located in the country. Sign up for free.
- Opinion Outpost bridges the gap between your opinions and the companies who need them. Members can earn cash, rewards and be entered into a $10,000 quarterly prize draw. Sign up for free.
- PrizeRebel lets you take surveys, watch videos and complete offers for cash. You can also choose from gift cards such as Amazon, Walmart Target and hundreds of other free gift cards. You can get started in less than 5 minutes and earn from both your phone or desktop with no limitations on earnings.
- Inbox Dollars lets you take surveys, watch TV, play games, and more, and you automatically receive $5 just for signing up. The site is designed to connect brands and consumers, so be aware that your contact information will be shared with the brands you interact with. Sign up for Signup and get $5 Cash Bonus.
- Branded Surveys will use your profile to match you to variety of the surveys. You collect points for every survey you complete. Refer friends and earn more points. Redeem your points for gift cards or via PayPal or Branded Pay. Sign up for free.
- Microsoft Rewards may also be an option, and is pretty well passive since you’re only required to search with Bing or try new Microsoft products, services, or features.
Here’s a list of other sites you can earn a few bucks at.
9. Get Cashback When You Shop Online
One idea to make extra money that I initially left off my list is to use Rakuten (formerly Ebates.com) when you shop online. Rakuten is a free service that gives you cash back just for shopping like you normally would. Join free now and receive $25.
10. Dog Walking or Pet Sitting
If you love animals and live in an urban area then walking dogs is a viable side hustle idea.
People are busy going to work each day and are forced to leave their animals stuck in the house. This is not good for the dog or the owner. Not only because dogs get lonely and need to be around people, but also because they deserve fresh air and the chance to go to the bathroom outside!
Offering to walk a group of dogs once or twice a day can really rake in some extra money. You could create signs and hang them up around libraries and churches, or perhaps take the modern approach and sign up with Rover. Rover is an increasingly popular marketplace that connects dog owners to dog walkers in their neighborhood. Check out Rover today.
Or you can take dog walking a step further and get paid to take a dog in while the owner is away!
Have you ever checked to see what it costs to board a pet? Those places are not cheap! Do some research and charge 10 – 20% less.
Plus you could post your ads on Craigslist or around town. But don’t expect people to just leave their loved one with a stranger. Make sure you offer your references and that you have all their necessary information if Fido gets injured or sick.
Rover can help you here, too – Become a Pet Sitter.
11. Baby Sitting
If you enjoy kids and are good with them, this can be a fun and easy way to make a little cash. You can advertise your babysitting services for free online with Sittercity.com. Anyone in need of a babysitter can browse their website for free. Also, we have an interview with a babysitting expert. Listen to the interview here.
12. Teaching Lessons/Tutoring
We all have special skills or talents. For some it’s athletic and for others, it might be academic. Either way, using these skills can help your community as well as help you make extra money.
As an example, if you’re a good swimmer you might be able to pick up a weekend swim teacher gig at your local recreation center. But keep in mind that some places may require a special certification or that you be a lifeguard.
A friend of mine was a collegiate soccer player. During the off-season, he coached competitive youth soccer teams and gave private lessons to youngsters who wanted to accelerate their game. He grossed over $500 per month for coaching a couple of teams and private lessons.
If you have a knack for a certain subject and live near a college, consider offering up your brain power and teaching skills for some quick cash. Grade school kids need help too, and parents pay better than college students. You can take this idea to the next level and scale by tutoring online.
To be successful, you have to have a good grasp of the concepts but also be able to find a way to relate topics using real-world examples.
Need to beef up your skills? Check out our list of the best online training sites. Many are free to use.
13. Car Valet
If you hook up with a for-hire car parking service (the type hired out for fancy neighborhood parties) you can make some nice cash tips in just a few hours at night and on the weekend, when parties are held. The key here is to do a great job by showing hustle and being super friendly. This was one of the most enjoyable jobs I had during graduate school. Who doesn’t like to drive nice cars?
14. Rent Out Your Car
Did you know you can make money simply by owning a car? It’s true, thanks to a company called Turo. Turo is a “car sharing marketplace.” Next time you’re in a new city and need to rent a car–instead of using an airport car rental, you could use Turo and rent actual people’s cars! (Similar to how Airbnb replaces hotels).
Turo lets car owners earn money in three ways: local pickup (renting your car from your own driveway); delivering your car to local places; and also by leaving your car somewhere to be picked up (such as at the airport). Earn Money with Turo.
Even if your car rarely goes unused long enough to rent it out to a visiting driver, you can still potentially “rent it out” by turning your vehicle into a rolling advertisement. The site freecarmedia.com pairs car owners with advertisers who are looking for mobile billboards.
Drivers can earn up to $400 per month by agreeing to have their vehicle wrapped with a vinyl decal (called a car wrap) provided by an advertiser. Generally, your program will last anywhere from 6 to 24 months, and you get paid for following your normal driving routine.
Related: 11 Ways to Make Extra Money With Your Truck
15. Sell Yourself Online with Fiverr
Get creative and sell yourself! (it’s not what you think) There’s a company called Fiverr that connects people who can do things for other people. We all have talents and some of them can be quite marketable. For example, you could offer to design logos, create online content, put together scrapbooks, paint a pretty picture or even lending your voice to a podcast! Gigs start at $5 but a person can make much, much more. Listen to my podcast episode with a successful Fiverr creator. And sign up with Fiverr today.
16. Write an eBook
I hesitate to put this one in here because an eBook by itself usually doesn’t make extra money unless you’re an excellent marketer. What a great eBook can do, though, is act as a sales lead to one of your other online businesses.
That said, lots of people are making extra money by publishing their own books on Amazon. For instance, my friend Bob published a few books on Amazon on how to make money blogging and has done very well. The first book provided basic tips for a small price, but his next book, Pro-Blogging Secrets, is offered at a premium price and he also has an online course.
Are you seeing the possibilities here? Think about what book, or series of books you could write to help people in your field of expertise. You might start with an eBook offered on your own website that covers the basics. Use the eBook as an opportunity to tell people about your more in-depth book on Amazon and finally, follow through with an advanced book offering.
17. Create Logos or Business Names
If you’re good with Photoshop and can work quickly you might make some decent cash with this online business. Are you a graphic designer or do you have some artistic talents that you know others are looking for? Why not make extra money for your bottom line by designing logos or other graphics for people’s websites, for their newsletters or for other print applications?
And while you’re at it, why not help name the business itself? Believe it or not, you can make money by submitting business name ideas. There’s a company called Squadhelp that bridges creative minds all over the world with business owners, to come up with the best name possible. PT Money hasn’t tried the the product ourselves, but apparently there’s a decent chunk of change to be made! Check out Squadhelp.
18. Write Reviews
There are many websites that will pay you a little cash to write product reviews. If you’re knowledgeable and can write fast, this may work for you. The key here is to differentiate yourself by providing a thorough and honest review of the product. This works even better if you can find a niche that you’re passionate about.
A website like Upwork might be a good place to start sharing your resume and experience in this area. UpWork replaced other well-known sites Odesk and Elance. Simply set up a profile and start applying for jobs.
19. Make Money Blogging
This isn’t quick money, but you can make decent money with a little luck and solid, consistent effort. Believe me, it can be tough and a bit time consuming, but it can be done. I started PT Money in 2007 and since then the site has grown considerably, now viewed more than 200,000 times per month. The key to blogging is to have a long-term goal of making extra money in mind. You can get started by reading my article on how to make money blogging.
20. Seasonal Flower Delivery
Being a flower deliverer can be a great side hustle. You can possibly take on a part-time position or take advantage of the high demand for drivers during seasonal holidays such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.
Valentine’s Day deliveries are made on the day of Valentine’s Day and maybe even some on the day before. Mother’s Day deliveries are usually made all weekend long (Friday, Saturday and Sunday).
The amount of pay for the seasonal deliveries depends on the area you work in. If a flower shop in a city takes orders for deliveries to be made in surrounding areas; they typically will pay more than the deliveries made in town. A temporary holiday delivery driver could make $3-8 per successful delivery.
When I participated as a holiday temporary driver, I could make 10 deliveries in one trip then go back to the flower shop to reload more deliveries. You could easily make $200 per day.
Ziprecruiter shows the average salary for Flower Delivery Driver is $14 per hour. Hourly rates can range from $8-31 per hour.
The best thing about being a flower deliverer is that you always put a smile on someone’s face.
21. Launch a New Business
You might think you need to launch the next Facebook or Uber to make money with a small business, but nothing could be further from the truth. The trick to launching a profitable new business is to figure out how you can make money doing something you enjoy or have some experience or expertise with. Once you have a business in mind, you can use a service like Thumbtack to list it.
Make lists of things you enjoy doing, and start thinking about how you could make money from them. Read about what you need to know to turn a hobby into a business here. What if your hobby isn’t something you can monetize? For more business ideas, check out our list of the top 20 unique business ideas.
22. Freelance Writing
Similar to writing reviews, you can become a freelance writer and make extra money writing articles and website copy.
While you don’t have to be a professional journalist to write for a website, it helps if you’ve blogged or had your own website where you blog regularly. Even better is showing that you have some experience in the niche in which you’re trying to find a job.
Right now on Upwork, they are looking for more writers. So set up a profile and start offering up your fast writing skills. You can make decent money with freelance writing and some people are able to make it a full-time business.
Check out this interview I did with a freelance writer who has had a lot of success and shares how to start a freelance business.
Related: How to Become a Ghostwriter
23. Sell Your Photos
Digital Photography School offers several books to help you take nice pictures. Get them up on the web at a broker, or Microstock site and make extra money. You can sell your photos to stock photo websites like Dreamstime or Shutterstock to make some cash. It’s not as easy as that, but those are the basics.
Another option is to take photos locally for homeowners. Many people don’t have good home listing photos of the home they’re trying to sell. But if you notice, many of these pictures, aside from the ones done by professional photographers, have bad lighting, show clutter, etc.
So if you’re good at taking pictures and have a nice camera, you might be able to sell your photo taking services to real estate agents or to people trying to sell their own home.
24. Pressure Washing
If you love being outdoors and are into cleaning, pressure washing can be an excellent side gig for you. All you need to do is to get a pressure washer and learn how to use and maintain it. With this skill, you can turn dirty homes and buildings into shining ones.
If you want to earn some extra money and feel a sense of satisfaction, power-washing could be a great side hustle. You can clean decks, driveways, and even trashcans to make them look brand new. Give it a try if you have power-washing skills and want to hit the streets for some extra income! Collect payment using a free card reader from Square!
Related: 11 Side Hustles You Can Start Today with a Phone & Card Reader
25. Start an Online Store
Setting up an online store is extremely easy with sites like eBay, Amazon, Etsy and CafePress. Assuming you have a product in demand, is high quality and learn how to market your site, you can begin making some serious cash. There are plenty of full-time eBay entrepreneurs out there.
Check out these resources I found on Amazon to get started:
- eBay: Find All You Need To Sell on eBay and Build a Profitable Business
- Selling On Amazon: How You Can Make A Full-Time Income Selling on Amazon
- Starting an Etsy Business For Dummies
- How to Start a T-Shirt Business on Merch by Amazon
- Dropshipping–Does it Really Work and Can You Make Money?
While it’s certainly possible to DIY your online store’s website, you can be up and running with no fuss when you use an all-in-one ecommerce site like BigCommerce.
BigCommerce is a turn-key solution for online entrepreneurs that gives you a number of built-in features, including several marketing options that allow you to find (and woo) your target customers. Also, their product comes with integrated education to help you make the most of your online store. And you’ll get excellent loading speed, payment security, and site functionality.
For anyone who would rather focus on their product, marketing, and sales than on maintaining the website for their online store, this kind of ecommerce service is invaluable. You get the beauty and functionality of a website designed by a professional web developer without having to shell out the money for one. Not to mention the fact that you will not have to spend time or money troubleshooting bugs in your website when you use the well-designed turn-keys offered by BigCommerce.
BigCommerce offers a 15-day free trial, and prices start at $29.95/month, making this an excellent choice for a reasonable price.
26. Sell Bottled Water
Buy bottled water in bulk at Costco or Sam’s Club and sell it for a dollar where there are a ton of people: parks, festivals, concerts, etc. People are crazy for bottled water and this is a little summertime gig that can bring in more money than you’d think on a hot sunny afternoon.
Here’s a bonus tip: give some of your proceeds to a charity you care about or that you know will resonate with people. In doing so, you’re bottled water business isn’t all about your profit. You’re helping better our world and also provide a thirsty person some water to drink.
27. Sell Your Body
Not talking about the oldest profession here. I’m talking about your plasma, hair, eggs, and sperm. For hair check out BuyAndSellHair.com. I’ll let you do your own research on this one. 🙂
28. Have a Car Wash
Find a business that’s willing to loan you their parking lot and gather up a few friends to wash some cars. Take donations or ask for very little. People usually do this to raise funds for an organization, but there’s no reason you couldn’t do it for the You Foundation.
All of that said, if you want to take washing cars to the next level, there are some full-time business owners operating mobile car wash and detailing services. You provide a convenience to people by meeting them at their place of business or even their home to clean their cars. People love their cars and even more when they are shining bright.
29. Cleaning Houses
This is a job with flexible hours but requires a bit of elbow grease. Some homes would provide their own cleaning supplies and tools.
Do you know there are companies and people out there that make some pretty good money offering their cleaning services to households and companies? They’ll come in and charge you either a set fee per room or an hourly fee to clean up. They can come weekly, monthly, or whenever you think you need some extra scrubbing. What’s the point? Why not have the person they hire be you? Not sure how to get new customers? Check out Thumbtack as a place you can list your cleaning service.
30. Get a Census Job
Perhaps you’re interested in measuring America. “Census Bureau Regional Offices conduct continuous surveys–other than the once-a-decade population count–to supply the nation with important statistics on people, places and our economy.”
The US Census website states that the local field workers understand their communities best and are an important part of conducting surveys with residents. You get to work out of your home and you’re also reimbursed for your mileage. The Census Bureau is hiring across the United States and you can search temporary field positions here.
31. Sell Your Baked Goods
Are you skilled at a few special recipes or are your friends going crazy over your cakes? You know who you are. It might be time to use your talents to start making some extra money. People love to buy homemade goods, especially when you have a signature item or a story behind it. You can contract your items out for parties, meetings, etc. Or, consider holiday sales for local Christmas parties, birthdays and more.
32. Start a Lawn Care or Snow Removal Business
I grew up doing this job on the side and loved it. But it’s not just a teenager gig. With this side job, you can help your neighborhood look sharp as well as make some extra money. Many people pay over $30 per week for lawn care service. For various reasons, people are too busy, don’t have the equipment, etc. to take care of their own lawn.
I think you can do well with this business if you start with people in your neighborhood and ask them if you can have an opportunity to perform this service for them. Word of mouth will travel fast if you provide a good value. Consider Thumbtack as another way to find local customers. I think the key to doing very well here is to package your service. For example, try to find a price that works for mowing, weeding and fertilizing altogether.
You can potentially make even more money by offering to handle snow removal in the winter. Shoveling snow is often a homeowner’s least favorite job, and there are many homeowners who simply cannot handle their own shoveling because of physical limitations. Typically, snow removal companies charge a flat fee for the winter, no matter how many times it snows.
You can offer to remove snow a la carte, or you can copy the standard procedure and charge a flat rate. If you already own a snowblower (or can invest in one), this can help you speed up the snow removal process and allow you to take care of multiple neighbors each time it snows. (A snowblower will also save your back muscles!)
33. Be a Mystery Shopper
Get paid to shop and share your experience. In short, stores or restaurants hire people to evaluate their services to ensure quality. Obviously, social media can impact a brand when a customer isn’t taken care of well.
Mystery shoppers help prevent this from happening. As a mystery shopper, you’re compensated to provide impartial feedback about products and services. Your feedback may very well prevent the next social media rant. We’ve devoted an entire article to Mystery Shopping that you can read about here.
34. Become a Ticket Broker
No special permit required. If you know sports or entertainment enough to pick the right events and have access to purchase the tickets at face or below, then you can use a service like StubHub.com or Craigslist to re-sell the tickets for a profit. I’ve done this both out of necessity and just to make extra money.
35. Paper Route
There is no job too small when it comes to earning to save more or pay off debt and a paper route is about as basic of an extra money job as you can get. Yep, people are still buying newspapers these days. Nothing like a nice clean, crisp paper with a good cup of coffee to start your day.
This job will likely take up your early morning hours. You can also search for a paper that only comes out once a week if you want to work less. The bottom line is that a paper route is still a valid way to make extra money and I’d be remiss to leave it off this list.
36. Play Music in Church or at Weddings
Some churches don’t have volunteers for their music. A talented pianist, guitar player, etc. can make pretty good money doing this on the weekends. Most churches offer tryouts on occasion. This idea is pretty easy to get started in that you just need to reach out to your worship pastor or someone in that ministry and let them know you have the talent and some experience. Don’t be shy!
37. Teach English as a Second Language
To get started teaching English as a second language to adults, go through your local schools and colleges to find classes where teachers of English are needed.
You can also teach English from the comfort of your own computer with the website VIPKid. This company, which is headquartered in Beijing, pairs English teachers with children in China between the ages of 4 and 12 to provide the kids with an international learning experience via video conference.
38. Collect Aluminum Cans
I collected cans in my teens and made a few extra bills for spending money. If this idea is of interest, you might be motivated to hear the true story of Maisie Devore who was able to raise money collecting cans for a community swimming pool. She was able to save $73,000 over three decades and is still collecting. Whoa! Learn more about this idea by reading my collecting aluminum cans for cash post.
39. Place Signs in the Yard
In our local neighborhood, we’ve seen this service hired out to place signs in people’s yards for announcements or funny pranks. Ha! If you’re out and about on a Sunday you’ll see plenty of people putting put signs for open houses. You’ll probably have a great opportunity for this extra money idea if you can locate a neighborhood where lots of real estate agents or putting out there own signs.
Wouldn’t an agent rather be prepping the house for sale or doing marketing activities than placing a sign at a busy intersection? You bet and that’s why outsourcing to you could work!
40. Stage Homes
People who are having trouble selling their homes these days and could use a second pair of eyes to stage their home for the quick sale. To help people sell their houses, your staging services need to get buyers to envision themselves in the property. This opportunity takes some passion and skill for the job. You’ll have to be comfortable telling people they need to remove clutter, rent furniture, etc. to get it in top selling condition.
You’ll need some designing skills as well as additional resources at your fingertips, such as a furniture company, storage options, etc. This will take some work getting set up, but once you’ve done so, you can start networking with realtors. Consider offering some discounted services to make a name for yourself.
41. Sell Your Big and Generic Stuff On Local Sites
My local Craigslist.org is the first place I go to sell something. It’s best for items you think will appeal to everyone (therefore justifying the smaller audience) and large items that can’t be shipped. Craigslist.org is great for taking your yard sale items online for local sales. For example, a friend recently bought two fans from people that live close to him. These one-off type items do very well on Craigslist. Just remember to use common sense and be safe out there.
Of course, Facebook and apps like Next Door have made the local marketplace for selling stuff even more local. Don’t forget to test them out as well.
42. Sell Your Unique & Ship-able Stuff Online
I mentioned an idea above to create an online store but you could also just declutter your house and sell things you no longer use (CDs, DVDs, kitchen appliances, etc.). There is a platform that makes this really easy, it’s called Decluttr. You download their app and scan the item and Declutter will tell you the price at which to sell.
Check out Decluttr (or for more information, read our Decluttr review!) Listing items on eBay is of course another option, sign up by going to www.eBay.com.
43. Sign Up with Upromise
Upromise puts money in your kids college funds while you do your normal spending. Yes, it’s another way to make extra money or to use your own money for other goals since you’re not having to save as much for your kids college. Just remember to make wise decisions with your spending. You’re not spending so your kids can go to college.
The Upromise contribution is a side-benefit to spending on items already in your plan. Check out our full Upromise review.
44. Retail Arbitrage
Find items that you know are selling below their full value (either online or through a deal website like SlickDeals.net), discount stores (Marshalls, Ross, etc.) buy them and sell them for more on eBay or Amazon. Once you find your product niche you can set up a system. Don’t read over that too quickly.
You need to find a particular product or niche to really make this work. Otherwise, you’re met with different shipping costs, always trying to figure out new margins, etc. Don’t try to be everything to everybody. Try to be good in one particular. Maybe it’s a product you’re passionate about such as selling trucker hats. 🙂 Click here for more on this idea.
45. Re-sell Computers
This is slightly different than eBay Arbitrage. Find a distributor that will sell to you at their discounted prices. List these items online. Buy and ship to your heart’s content. Basically, you become a reseller of computers and other hardware.
Another thought here is to sell computer parts. Can you find a part that seems to be in demand? If you can supply the demand, you may just have yourself a part-time business.
46. Look for Odd Jobs
People need your help and they will pay you for it. Seriously. The “gigs” section of Craigslist.com is a classic place to find jobs, as is the bulletin board at your local church. We wrote a post on all the places to find work.
Traditional job search sites can be over saturated with applicants but non-traditional places, as mentioned, can provide you a means for earning some extra income. You just have to be a go-getter and get hungry to find them. You could consider driving for Doordash or downloading the TaskRabbit app which has a plethora of ideas.
47. Have a Garage Sale
The stuff you can’t sell online, you could sell from your garage on the weekends.
Many neighborhoods plan annual or bi-annual yard sales. If you have items to sell, this is a great time to do it as the neighborhood as a whole can bring in a lot of traffic and help you perform better than you would on your own. If that’s not possible, consider partnering up with a couple of families in a popular neighborhood.
48. Bank Account Opening Bonuses
Many banks will give you a cash bonus just for opening an account with them. Talk about easy money! Banks are in tough competition for your business and will pay $100, $200 or even $300 just for becoming a customer.
For example, right now Chase Bank is offering $200 cash for opening a checking account, and then another $150 cash for opening a savings account. Certain qualifications must be met. But if you do qualify, that’s one easy way to earn $350 cash! Collect $350 cash with Chase Bank
49. Paint Street Numbers
With just a few paint and stencil supplies you could walk the neighborhoods with curbs and solicit your curb number painting services. Obviously, you need to be somewhat handy with a can of spray paint and stencils, otherwise, you might have people coming after you if you mess up their curb. However, there is a business for this as people are out there making it happen.
50. Adjust Your Tax Withholding
The average tax refund in 2018 was $2,895, which breaks down to a little over $240 per month taking an unnecessary trip to the IRS and back. The fastest way to make some extra money is to keep your own in your paycheck, rather than letting Uncle Sam hold onto it for a year.
Most people do not claim all of the allowances they are allowed to take, which is why they end up getting a large refund check each spring. Do you regularly get a large refund? Then it may be time for you to file a new W-4 with your human resources department. Your new W-4 should reflect the proper number of withholding allowances you are eligible to take.
You can use the IRS withholding calculator to determine exactly how many allowances you may take, and file the new W-4 with your workplace at any time. And you’ll start seeing fatter paychecks within one to two pay cycles, depending on your HR department.
And there is no need to be nervous about making such a change to your W-4. The withholding allowances you enter into your W-4 do not determine your tax bill, just how much you pay per paycheck. That means it’s perfectly legal to change the withholding allowances on your W-4, provided you claim the correct number of allowances on your actual tax return.
51. Sell Your Unused Gift Cards
Every year, up to $1 billion on gift cards go unredeemed, according to the research firm Tower Group. It’s likely that you have at least one random gift card buried in a wallet or drawer somewhere that you will never actually use. Cash in your unused gift cards by selling it on a gift card resale site like CardCash or Cardpool.
You won’t be able to sell the card for its face value. But you may get as much as 90% of that value. Start your resale process at GiftCardGranny.com, a comparison site. It will give you a good sense of how much your card will be worth. When you sell the card, the site will generally cover the cost of shipping the card to them. And you’ll receive your payment within three to seven days.
52. Give Tours of Your City
No one knows your hometown like you do, and you can translate that into cash by leading tours of your city. Are you the foremost expert on ghost stories, beer, architecture, or crime (or anything else!) in your town? Then you can start leading tours for people who want to hear your stories! Check out ToursByLocals.com.
Have you tried any of these ideas? Let us know how it went!
I’m 74, disabled, stuck at home, but I still think I can help someone . Have all this time on hands, just looking for someone with guts to give me a chance..
I make extra money in rural areas.
I have a 35 acre farm I rent 1 acre parcels to people who want to plant a garden
the cannot because they live in apartments. I get $125.00 twice a year.
I have 10 acres that I do this on. so that puts about $3,000 in my pocket enough to
pay taxes and insurance.
I hunt for Ginseng in the woods. I take a road trip up North. I usually find about
10 pounds within a month, I then sell them for $800.00 per pound and use to seed
to plant my own.
Also, I cut wood on half with someone. I then sell my half and also get enough to
use all winter for free.
I make around $1,000 a month on the side.
Hello,
My friend is profiling a few people for his company. He is an entrepreneur, and currently expanding his business worldwide and looking for like minded people to work with. Wondering if you are open to other opportunities, you could then have a chat with him and get more information about the business.. Please do let me know.
I definitely will writer an eBook. The marketing will need time
Re-writing poorly written ads for a 1% commission sounds interesting. A very creative way to make extra money!
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I feel Cashcrate is not working in India. I tried through my friends in US too, but looks there is some problem. You may review it
These are some good ways for an extra source of income. I have my own business that involves network marketing. For those who don’t know what that is, ill give a short explanation for it. If you advertise the amazon logo on your facebook account or any other website and people click on the amazon logo and purchase a product from amazon then you’ll be able to earn commisions. If you are interested please contact me at 707-478-8299.
Yes I have been trying to make money online for a long time I am getting frustrated as well but I have made a few hundred dollars but it’s not enough it’s hard to make money online without referrals so getting the referrals is the problem the thing I have been doing is posting on Facebook but the problem is that friends usually aren’t interested.
If you know how to sew and own a sewing machine, alterations can be very lucrative. Once you get more and more experience, you can provide more and more services such as custom draperies and wedding attire alterations.
Great info, I have some ideas but this is great!
Hi PT,
I have been doing your 52 week savings challenge……it is great to watch the money grow, and so easy!
I do believe I have been reading your blog since 2007:-)
Good work
Hello Philip–good list but most of the activities are so cliche and yet more creativity could be better employed here…this would make me work more hours for a little more pay and still keep me in the debt circle for so long. it would require me to worker harder so that i can make more money and yet am at the point where i want my money make more money with me getting less actively/ physically involved. Some call it ‘Working Smart’ unlike traditional options that have often helped many to stay afloat without helping them soar to financial growth and prosperity. Thanks though
Most of these ideas can be scaled up to meet the needs of more customers and can have a huge impact on your financial prosperity. People who land on this page are looking for ways to make money right now. Some of these may be cliche, but that’s because they are proven. You can start making money tomorrow with most of these ideas. You can then, overtime, scale/pivot these active jobs into more passive entrepreneurial efforts. For example, you could start bar tending tomorrow and then one day become a bar owner or beer/wine producer or event planner or whatever you dream up. The point is to get going with something and look for ways to add more value to more people.
Great article! I have found that blogging has been a great way to make an income. The key is to create content that people are looking for, and to learn the traffic generation methods that make it accessible to people who are looking for it.
i have been looking for this list… thanks so much for sharing it. i myself plan to start guest blogging to increase my network. again, thanks!
The key to making money online is patience, you have to have a solid plan with steps, unfortunately people get so excited about the prospect of making money then after 1 or 2 months they get fustrated and quit. But you can’t do that you have to push through the rough times to see the end to success!
@Curtman40
Of course, I appreciate your response to my grousing and since I’m in my 2nd half of life, I know fully well that any new endeavor requires patience. It is not being excited about the prospect of making money; it is the frustration of being led down numerous rabitt holes. Instead of a straight forward survey, one just seems to spawn countless other questionaires.
I understand the need to build a profile, but again, after several minutes of answering repetitive questions, I am either told I don’t qualify, or I’m sent an email which contains a broken link, or…you get the idea. I would gladly spend 30 – 45 minutes answering a survey, submit, and earn the amount of $ it said it would pay. But, these last four days have been a royal waste of time.
Do you know when I registered with cashcrate.com, it netted 16 different survey websites, and yet, several used the exact same format as others, with the exact same questions, etc., etc., etc.? If they are related, they need to streamline, and not have the consumer answering repetitively and sitting at their laptops for needless amount of time.
I have come to the conclusion it is a racket. I don’t expect you to have any kind advice to this ongoing diatribe; I’m just so darn frustrated that I fell for it all. I had the modest hope of maybe $75 – $100 monthly; I’ll take peace of mind instead.
I have tried to sign up & complete cash for surveys in the past and then felt like I was being led down a rabitt’s hole, going from one “skip” and/or “submit” to another without ever, seemingly, actually completing the entire process. So, when I saw CashCrate recommended in ptmoney.com, I thought it was going to be more straight forward, but, alas, no, I entered the rabitt’s hole once again, coming up for air only after an entire hour spent hopping, skipping, and jumpring all over the place, netting 25 cents in earnings! Has this been anyone else’s experience and what has been done to remedy the situation? It seems like there must exist an insider’s trick or, at least, know-how that I am missing.
Thanks to those who will share their advice.
@moxie1956 Thanks for sharing your experience with CashCrate.com. That’s certainly disappointing to hear that you weren’t able to make the $50-$75 a month that I expect. Maybe they are just going through a seasonal downturn or something. Like I mention above though, the real money with Cash Crate comes in the referrals. Find a way to consistently refer a large amount of people to the site.
Having more than two jobs is badly needed to cope up with high standards of living nowadays… A very good article Philip
I would agree with most points for sure, but some are silly and not worth the time. Thanks for the post! #8 is hardly a PT way though.
relax rob, lol.
out of business now apparently.
12-21-12
Great advice on how to get extra cash. If you are a famale you can also be a baby sitter on the weekends.
Wonderful. Love it. A proven way to make money is to GIVE AWAY free, valuable information. Not only does it brand you as an authority, it triggers the need to reciprocate some how. Like commenting!
Thanks for sharing great ways to make money.Its post is so helpful for me.I am really excited to try out these ways.
I got a good idea… find a little-known artists music online and burn duplicate copies of their cd, then go stand on the road where homeless people usually bed for money and just sell the cd’s for $5 each
that’s a terrible idea. lol.
You can make extra money left and right if you just know where to look. If you like to ‘tinker’ I’d suggest going to the DIY section on Pinterest. You can find thousands of projects there to make, and you can sell them at a nice profit. You can make 20, 30, or 50 bucks at a time, in real money. Not the ‘get rich online now!’ stuff you see around. I make old teapots into lamps, or old shirts into aprons and sell them locally on Kijiji or Craigslist. It’s totally doable.
The hardest part in making extra money is always the FIRST STEP in how you can earn extra cash. These tips will serve as a spark for those who are really confused where and when they should start with this financial journey. Making money is not all about intelligence, it is all about making your intellect work for you to have money. It is the wit-the “street-smart” style of approaching things.
Hey Dasjung . . . The Nike logo was bought for (I beleive) close to 35.00 from a college student. THAT is what is being talked about. The Nike logo is BY FAR on of the most recognized logos in the world, so maybe you should take a second look at the world. Just because someone isn’t trained doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be able to make money with their talents. The hard truth is training is not necessary to practice graphic design, just preffered, where as being a doctor REQUIRES the training. For EXAMPLE, I can go out into the world and become a manager of a business if I have the knowledge WITHOUT any training in the Business Management profession. Deal with it, Just because you have training in Graphic Design doesn’t mean that you and your peers are the only ones who can create a logo. Logos are one of those things that can either be elaborate (in which someone might come to you), or simple (in which someone might come to anyone who has shown the ability to do so).
You are absolutely right! The owner of Nike went into a art college and paid a girl 35 to design a logo… she later fought him in a lawsuit, but all she ended up with was a lifetime supply of nikes
How do u become a mysery shopper? There are so many websites on the internet how can u tell if its real.
@FrancesRivera Here’s some info on mystery shopping jobs http://ptmoney.com/mystery-shopper-jobs-deciphering-the-mystery/
I found this very helpful. My mom is struggling with the bills and I needed some new ideas on what I could do to help. Thanks so much!
Excellent Compilation Philip!
I agree that blogging is a slower, more time-consuming process, but the long-term rewards can be golden. I do a combination of things, including blogging and I find that although blogging is pretty slow in giving you results, once they are well-written and SEO optimized, the Google bots will lick them like a delicious vanilla ice-cream cone.
Blogging is also one of the cheapest ways to make money online, aside from the time and and intellectual input that you have to invest. As you begin to make money from your blogging efforts, you can easily outsource for greater scalability. I also use Bluehost and I like the fact that it seamlessly integrates or interfaces with WordPress. You can set-up a domain or subdomain in minutes and start blogging in seconds. I love it!
Ebooks can be a hard path to online success too, from my personal experience but as you rightly said, it can be a great gateway vehicle to drive traffic to other monetized sites. Having said that though, getting your ebook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Lulu, Smaswords etc., is a great way to get noticed and make money overtime. An arresting e-book cover is a MUST! And if you are a DIY freak like me, you could do your own e-book cover for $0. I also use a graphic design software similar to Philip’s.
Overall though, these are some great money making tips.
Hi Phillip,
These are great ideas. I’m wondering if you might have more info on how to do #10 Re-write Poorly Written Ads – and how to work out the logistics of collecting the 1% commission. As a bit of a grammar purist, I have wondered about doing this kind of thing before.
Thanks!!!
Don’t degrade the jobs of graphic designers just because you might know a little Photoshop. There’s a lot more that goes into designing a logo than just know the basics of a program.
@dasjung Not really. I designed mine on MS Paint using a free font. Ha! Cost me exactly $0.
@Philip Taylor The point is that this is design is specialized job and is not just a side job. Just because an individual may know a thing or two about the technical aspect of a program does not warrant them to fill that role as a designer. There’s more than just drawing a mark in a program. There’s strategy in brand development, marketing, etc… This is insulting to the creative industry to label logo and branding as a scheme to make extra money.
@dasjung Well the creative industry needs to get over it then. Makes them sound like a bunch of cry babies trying to make the world stop revolving. Everything is a scheme to make extra money. Including the work by the most serious, professional web designer. Every type of work has different levels of professionalism, and thank goodness we live in the U.S. where people are free to trade goods and services at the levels they deem appropriate. Free enterprise and liberty are beautiful words. I’m all for standards. I’m a CPA. But I’d never tell someone not to help people with taxes as a little side business. And that’s federal taxes! This is logo design. Logo design!My latest conversation: http://ptmoney.com/taking-time-off-work/
@Philip Taylor So by what you’re saying, I can be an unaccredited doctor or surgeon for someone (for example) but do it at a much lower rate than the accredited doctors and surgeons. Since I know what a scalpel is and I wear rubber gloves, I’m a doctor. So, I don’t have to have to respect the profession of medical science at all since I think I know what I’m doing and just go for it.
@dasjung No. That’s a foolish comparison and you know it. Would I use a surgeon for a small cut on my arm? No, I’d just drive to Target and buy some over the counter ointment and a bandaid.
Get some perspective. Logo design isn’t brain surgery.
If someone wants to pay for high end services from a professional, accredited logo designer they can.
But not everyone needs that level of service. Some people choose to do it themselves or pay a beginning freelancer to do it.
This post is not an affront to getting certified, accredited, degreed, or what ever else. I like those things.
But the post is aimed at people who are struggling to find ways to bring in some extra cash to pay their bills. They need to do something NOW.
I’m sorry if it hurts your feelings somehow, but anyone can design something and charge whatever the hell they want to do it. And I applaud them for it.My latest conversation: http://ptmoney.com/taking-time-off-work/
@Philip Taylor I was merely using medical science as an example profession. It’s quite obvious that you don’t have any professional courtesy and downplay professions in which you don’t understand. Logo design isn’t just logo design. I don’t know what the profession of a public accountant entails, or a lawyer perhaps, so I’m not going to give advice on matters that I don’t especially have knowledge in.
Yes, it’s America and we have the right to trade goods and services, but is it really correct to continually job out special services to those who aren’t qualified or knowledgeable and degrade the values and craft of those who are truly passionate about what they do? America is missing the value of craft in business and industry these days.
@dasjung If your takeaway is that I don’t have courtesy or that I’m down playing graphic design then you are completely mistaken. Not once did I downplay a profession! It seems you may just be looking for a fight for some reason. Borderline trolling.
I completely disagree that America is missing the value of craft. The beauty of America is that someone can make whatever they want and find a buyer for it. Free markets are wonderful. It creates almost unlimited choice.
Your attempt at controlling your profession is a joke. Just go be the best designer you know how to be and charge whatever you want. Just because I suggest it is a way to make extra money doesn’t mean you need to lower your standards.
Absolutely perfect response, and I must say, I completely agree. It isn’t an example of two different professions so much as it is a mediocre analogy for the purpose of exaggerating how important a profession is.
The truth is, Logo Design isn’t really necessary, all it is to most people is a catchy little graphic for some company that probably won’t cross their minds twice. In other words, Graphic Design, in comparison to medical science, is at the pinnacle of insignificant.
It shows your true ignorance by calling someone an idiot. In no way was this thread used to alienate anyone, but merely having a heated discussion of professions and their importance. If you didn’t read my comment correctly, I said…”for example.” I know the difference between graphic design and being a surgeon. Those of you who are obviously majorly left-brained will never understand the creative industry. You’re right, anyone can be a bad designer, or a bad surgeon, or a bad accountant coordinator…etc. That’s why there exists terrible brand identities, malpractice suits, etc as well. All I was saying that the creative industry shouldn’t be held below the threshold of what is real and what is a fake profession. All professions should be respected in their own right. Period.
And ThunderCock… design isn’t just logo design. It’s brand development. Without it, there wouldn’t be major companies being recognized in their commercial standing in the world. IE. Nike, Microsoft, Apple, American Express, etc. Without brand identity, they would just be another company in the field with nothing noteworthy except the fine-print that the consumer will not read out-right . Brand identity combined with strategic marketing methods make for strong company understanding to the consumers. Without consumers, thees companies would be nothing.
@dasjung
While I think that your initial response to Phillip’s suggestion about design was a little too strong, Dasjung, I’ve got to chime in here and observe that Phil, ThunderCock and Dumbass, by resorting to name calling and simplistic reasoning, come across as VERY lacking in both decorum and sound reasoning.
@dasjung
While I think that your initial response to Phillip’s suggestion about design was a little too strong, Dasjung, I’ve got to chime in here and observe that Phil, ThunderCock and Dumbass, by resorting to name calling and simplistic reasoning, come across as very lacking in both decorum and sensitivity. If a guy wants to expect, even demand, high quality in his field of choice, I beleive he has a right, if not a responsibility, to do so! Also, Dumbass, be careful who you call Dumbass. You just show YOUR true colors by doing so.
@Strongman @dasjung I didn’t name call and I agree that it isn’t appropriate. I should have deleted those posts. It’s not a goal of mine to be sensitive though. Truth and clarity are far more important.
@Philip Taylor
Thanks for your response Phil. I see where you’re coming from with regards to sensitivity. It DOES seem, however, that truth and clarity can be expressed with so much more civility in this world of ours where so little of that seems to exist these days. Truth and clarity expressed elegantly and with civility will always be better received and, hence, achieve better and longer lasting results, than when expressed brashly or without regard for the experience and perspective of those who may see things a little differently.
@dasjung It sounds like you paid a lot for your education, as did I. But you got to face it, today’s technology allows the average Joe to accomplish a comparable logo with much less effort than you or I could put into it, and the savings outweighs the extra benefit of our knowledge. We, as designers, have been out done. It is time to go back to school, unfortunately…
@LauraGesicki I disagree Laura. Technology can only let an individual go so far with design. It all starts with the thought process and possessing the “designer eye.” This “eye” cannot be taught, but is rather a natural talent and ability to recognize good design from bad. Technology is merely a tool to display our ideas. Nothing beats natural talent and creativity.
@dasjung No doubt! I know this and you know this, and any other highly skilled and educated designer will also know this. But what about the customers? The people who are looking for a logo design with much consideration of price in this economy. Knowledge and talent expect the monetary reimbursement it deserves, but unless everybody has a trained eye to recognize it, they just aren’t going to dish out the money for it. That is the point I am trying to make. It is like calling the neighborhood handyman instead of a high cost plumber to fix a small leak.
@dasjung @Philip Taylor
It’s not really insulting I picked up a Photoshop Element 8 and Cs5 Extended while deployed to Afghanistan and before hand I had used a friend trial version with plenty of free time and nothing else to do you can become very talented in these aspects, I myself designed numerous things for my company and batallian won many awards (including a deployment coin I designed) if you have the talent you do not paticularly need to attend a $63,000 university to prove it, most of these schools (I’ve read many reviews) don’t fully go through many of the aspects required for the degrees they issue and many find they are out of school with no work and a mountain of bills, NO THANKS market yourself well enough and your personal talent can get you anywhere without a degree and four wasted years of your life.
…and it totally looks like an amateur made it.
Haha. That’s my point. It doesn’t matter. I’m laughing all the way to the bank.
Good idea! I especially like the one with the water. Thanks for sharing.
Also you can recycle can, plastic and glass. Having a garage & yard sales is good extra money too.
I will try to make extra money by affiliate marketing. I choose clickbank. Do you have any suggestion for me to do it well?
@minka_kelly2 Find someone who’s had success with Clickbank. Their model/offerings don’t really work well for me so I can’t advise.
@minka_kelly2 Find someone who’s had success with Clickbank. Their model/offerings don’t really work well for me so I can’t advise.
I just started a personal blog! It focuses on personal development; it’s sort of my journey to mastering myself and people can follow along if they want. I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to monetize it much, but maybe with Google adsense I could make a little income.
About blogging, I like writing, and I think I have tons of opinions but, how do you make money from a blog?
@trusweetheart Different forms of advertising or by selling your own product or service.
@trusweetheart Different forms of advertising or by selling your own product or service.
Some great Ideas. Thanks for the comprehensive list. I need to get working!
applying for class action lawsuits settlements is great way to make extra buck!
Philip, I owe it to you and I’ll keep spreading the word about how great this information was and how it helped me get paid! benny
great information. i recently used your “Start an Online Store” suggestion, but quick turned it from junk in my garage to small business. i found a way to make some quick doe. i found these, “8 point and 7/16 wrench catv cable star key security tool” listed on eBay for $50.00 each. Found the source (newelectronx) that sells them for $5 to 15 bucks per piece. I sell them on craigslist for a good return. i’ve been making good money every since. i’m not wealthy yet, but income is going smoothly and sell aren’t that bad. profit is at least $35 per sale. if i sell eight pieces per day then i make like $280 which is better than a 8 hour job to me. so online selling works.. try it
This is great, Benny! Way to go!
I have a personal blog that I use for journaling. I became good enough that I opened my own business as a social media consultant. I’m now making a decent amount of extra money. I am also a photographer with a lot of graphics program experience, so I make a little more by doing graphic design, photography, and even digital enhancement. You don’t have to be the best at something in order for it to be profitable; you just have to put in the work and be better or cheaper than other people out there. However, it IS work.
I know starting a blog is a way to make extra money. I just wish it was not take so much time it is not easy. To come up with new things to write about plus getting the traffic to your site. Just like your list here no way you just set down and wrote this all at once it took a lot of research and searching your brain. Great info and thanks for taking the time to put it all together.
Writing an eBook, like you said, is not easy. First you have to have something to write about, which often means that you need to be some kind of respected expert in the field you wish to write about.However, if you can get past the initial trouble of selecting a topic, becoming an expert, and finally writing about that topic, that’s when the hard part really starts….
…Marketing an eBook is definitely the hardest part. Ebooks have exploded in popularity and the market is unfortunately saturated with crap from people who thought they could write a quick eBook, put it on an affiliate network, and make millions. However, if you CAN find a good way to market (or possibly have others market by having it listed on affiliate networks) then an eBook can be a great way to make some residual income.
@mihai21
How do you get started with CPA ?
@chickadee33 CPA stands for cost per action.
basically you sign up to a website like cpalead,mgcash,etc and you put offers to your site and you get paid once a person complete an offer.
2 things I’m doing now to make money after having lost my FT job:
1. Focus groups – going into an office and giving opinion on products/services ($45 – $200)
2. Medical research studies (not good if you’re afraid of needles) ($50 – $750)
For example, a few months ago I did a yogurt study. I filled out a short online blog and went into the office for 2 hours to talk about the yogurt. I left with $175 Visa Gift Card. I’ve done about 15 focus groups over the last 10 years. Easily have made $1000. It truly is easy money.
For these, it helps if you live near a major city since you’ll have access to major research hospitals (like in Boston) and most of the Focus group offices are in major cities.
Sources: For medical research, go to Craigslist and look under “Volunteer” or “Etc.” jobs.
For focus groups: Google Focus Groups & your city. Just get in the database and they call you when you might fit one of their demographic groups.
I have been doing pretty well with zip nada zilch. It is another free trial site but you can make $60-$80 per referral with the Big Cash option, or $20 per referral with the One option. Check it out. Easily making an extra $5,000 per year.
@nhoudek Did you mean $5,000 a month or a year? Thanks 🙂
@nhoudek Did you mean $5,000 a month or a year? Thanks 🙂
People keep asking below, but never get an answer. How do you get into Affiliate Marketing??
@Mprymas Sign up with one of the affiliate networks like cj.com. Check out all of the merchants and see if there are any that interest you and you could promote somehow. Do you have a site or other online presence where you are creating content?
Decide on a Niche you want to market to, then look for a good affiliate product to market to that niche. Affiliate marketing works a lot better if you have a niche website or blog, once you’ve created one then you can look for 4-5 affiliate products within that niche to promote.
Not all products have the same income generation potential, with some products you earn a commission when you make the sale, for other products, for instance Web Hosting, you can continue to earn a commision month after month after the sale, when your customer pays their montly subscription.
@Philip Oh, thanks. And to think I’ve been doing it wrong all these years. :p
Oh, my! That is quite a comprehensive list of ways to make extra money. I think many folks are looking to make an extra buck – especially online. And somehow just because it is online, they think it should be easy as well. My experience is that most of the money making ideas are good but need persistence and follow up before they start generating serious coin.
I agree CashCrate is easy income. You just really need to invest your time into it.
Helpful tips. Thank you for posting.
The best freelancer sites are odesk.com and elance.com
Thx for the tips
This was good but I was wondering if you had an idea for me to start my own online business. I’m only 13 and a lot of these are for adults . I don’t live in a “neighborhood” so I can’t deliver paper or walk dogs. I like babysitting and I’m good at it but I dont get many requests because I’m only 13 . Any advice / ideas would be appreciated. Thx
@Holllllygallly Online businesses are great. You could try blogging or create an online store: http://ptmoney.com/make-money-with-an-online-store/
If you like to write maybe you could do some freelance writing?
@Holllllygallly If you have a computer at home you could participate in online surveys, some of them are open to kids your age.
Awesome 52 ideas to make extra money. How about becoming an affiliate marketer? There’s also money in affiliate marketing 🙂
There’s definitely money in that. I can attest. Maybe that’s what you’re smile is about? 😉
I’ve been doing affiliate marketing for the past 6 months and it pays pretty good money. In addition to that I receive training on how to do well. The best thing about it besides getting a side income, I didn’t have to pay anything to get started. So many scams out here asking for money. If you want to make money and not spend it I have a few suggestions.
Good point, Kay. With very few exceptions NEVER pay to start making money online. You don’t have to do it. You can find several free resources to help you get started. The only thing you’ll have to invest is your time, and a LOT of it.
how do i find one that isnt a scam
How do I get into affiliate marketing? How do I start??
How do you market? Do you have your own website or blog where you put the Affiliate Links?
How can I get started? Where do I need to sign up? Thanks!
Cashcrate.com is an excellent way to make money. You complete offers and take surveys and get payed for it. I read an article on it from a guy that has doing it for sometime now and he explained it as voluntarily signing up for spam and gave a whole layout of the best way to do it. and you can actually make decent money. Pretty much make a separate email for spam.
Yep, it’s a nice way to make quick money. Albeit, not a huge sum. It could help you earn a few extra dollars each month. The referrals, if you can start getting them, are where the bigger money comes into play.
I am doing affiliate marketing to get side income. it’s a good source of money by at home work.
how do you get started doing affliate marketing? I want to do this.
This was SO helpfull. Thanks!
Re: Become A Ticket Broker. You can only sell tickets for face value on Craigslist. You can sell them for any price on Ebay.
Good to know, Jo. Thanks for pointing that out. I like Stubhub these days.
Cashcrate seems nice especially if the member is US resident. But the opportunity for international member is scarce and limited. I have tried blogging, which I agree is not an easy money but the payment is good. I also tried freelancing, which definitely worked for me.
/kristen
I personally have enjoyed working a direct sales/home based business on the side. I found a good, legitimate company with very low upfront costs/overhead. It has been a great experience. Just be sure that the company offers training and some sort of simple, step-by-step system and it helps if they are in the DSA Top 100– instantly proves their legitimacy!
I really like the idea of writing poorly written ads. It seem like it can be easy and you can make a small profit. I know that use to work at a school and we got our extra money from writing grants. People can write grants to start a business so I am in the process of trying to write my own grant to start a community program for teens. its a litte extra money and I still get to do what I love. If you have any kind of hobby you can prob. turn that into some income if you can get creative. Good luck
Thanks, a well compiled list Phillip, and good to do as well as using some ideas from your 104 Ways to Save Extra Money article.
I’m always after a way to make some extra money. 😉
I think affiliate marketing is also a good source of money by at home work.
If you are creative and don’t have an outlet for your creations to sell, ETSY is a great place online to sell your stuff. It’s like ebay for handmade items only. I’m just sayin’.
Yeah But I’m going homeless….. my ex-husbands stopped paying childsupport for my three kids I’m single, just got laid off because my boss decided to sell the office to someone who had just gotten out of jail for fraud in the medical system and I’m thirty four.
I have tried child support enforcement and the people are waiting for my ex-husband to return the crumpled of form in the trash to them.
WHAT DO I REALLY DO IN THIS ECONOMY?? I HAVE NEVER BEEN FIRED BEFOREE
Sorry Stephanie times are hard now. I hope everything turns out ok for you and that you find another job fast.
Sorry Stephanie times are hard now. I hope everything turns out ok for you and that you find another job fast.
good ideas.
Great ideas, I’m going to try to collect cans for some extra money.
I’ve done things like mystery shopping, freelance writing and article writing sites.
I’ll give some ofthe other opotions you’ve suggested a try.
not very helpful where i live nobody can do all that stuff and actually make money but thanks for trying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Another good way to make money AND get free stuff is to become a party consultant for companies like Partylite, pampered chef, ect.
The CashCrate idea is a great one. I highly recommend it as I too am a CashCrate user!
Some great ideas here. I have a friend who makes a couple hundred a month donating Plasma. If you don’t mind getting pricked, it’s not a bad gig.
I see a comment made by Stella including some freelance sites. This does work. I use oDesk and it’s been a big help in bringing in a little extra money. I also agree with some of the other comments that mention people should think of or view more ideas of making extra money, because it really is possible to make extra money instead of just sitting around moping about not having money to pay the bills or buy something special.
This could be helpful for an unemployed person.
And there are plenty of those these days, sadly. 🙁
I’m one of them. Lost my FT job in 2011. Doing very pt work as supplemental income with a skill I have. But it is not enough.
This list is simply fantastic. People often say that they have no way to make extra money. In very many cases, they are just short of ideas and motivation – and you have provided plenty of both. Great stuff.
Helpful post, Thanks for sharing! 🙂 Great stuffs here.
@Zoe – Good point. In some locations, scalping, or reselling tickets for more than face value, is against local law.
They make this a law because scalpers rarely pay the tax on their sales.
So, as long as you don’t sell for more than face value, and/or pay the taxes on the sale, then you’re ok.
interesting tips, the only thing is, buying and reselling tickets is called “scalping” and is illegal (at least where I live!)
Wow. That’s great about the freebie world. Finally! Anyways, intelligent post you have here 😉 I find it very helpful.
this worked a little but ive heared of all of those b4 and i dont really find them helpful 🙁 srry….
This list is great, and I’m sure a lot of people can make good use of this considering the high unemployment rate! I might pass it on to clients that we can’t help modify their mortgages!
Wow! Seriously great list. Thanks for sharing 🙂
There were several great ways to earn more money from your computer. I found a most profitable ways is simply search an idea around on the net and select few that really be able to implement as offline business. You see, most people nowadays so skeptical about make money online. That because so many program online was take first, give later. And a very sad thing about that was so rare that programs give real value to people. And not few were a scam scheme.
There were few online biz that really can be implement as offline biz.
But that not impossible to find that fit for you. I’m sure if you just could find one, stick with it, focus, you will get what you seek.
Just an example something I did join for months was Take and Give Management System. It simply about give first, take later. I love it.
Just search it on google, you will find that fit for you.
you forgot buy gold
Love the list! Add flipping websites though. Flipping websites is another easy way to make extra money. You can build and flip websites for $100 – $500 each and they take very little time to create once you know all the steps.
I HATE the word “flipping.” It is unprofessional, and people who are knowledgeable real estate investors say “wholesaling.” If you are going to be “flipper” of anything, then please think of something sensible to call yourself or do something else.
@martster
Just calling it what it is. You buy something and then you turn it over to someone else quickly. Chill, dude.
I have found temp agencies to be great at times for finding part time jobs. Most of them will make it hard on you and may even try to steer you away because they focus on full time jobs, but a good one can find a part time job for you. I used them when I was just out of college to get data entry jobs while my main job paid so little.
Another pt job I enjoyed was proof operator at a bank. They only need people for a few hours a night so it is a great chance to earn extra money and it pays pretty well for good 10 key people! I did this for a year when I was facing a layoff in order to save up money.
Hi, I have seen some ideas to make money on parttime basis. Those may interest you.
Definitely an interesting post! As a writer what excites me in your post is the option of freelancing. Being in this field for quite some time now, I can suggest some more websites that can fetch you some good freelance jobs.
Another way to make money! We are looking for ambassadors to promote our education services/tutor to universities. Make commissions on any revenue you send our way. No cost/side income especially if you are connected to universities or have friends studying in college
Waiting tables and bartending are good ways to make extra money, but it’s not exactly if the work was easy. And if you don’t have any experience good luck applying at the nicest place in town, most restaurants require experience. Also if you have problems dealing with demanding, hungry people – STAY AWAY! The hours are late, sometimes you won’t make any money. Especially right now, starting at new place will be difficult, if you can get hired expect to be the first one cut every night (aka less money) as those with seniority will want to stay. It still is a good deal though. I’ve put myself through college (chem major) without loans, never lived in the dorms, and I have about 10K in the bank. I will continue working in the restaurant biz even after I have a “Real Job,” the extra 10-15K/year for part time work is worth it.
Delivering pizzas is the one that always gets me. If you do this, you’re supposed to notify your insurance company and they will jack up your rates, negating any earnings you might get. If you don’t do this and have a wreck while delivering pizzas, you could negate your insurance.
@leslie – I completely disagree with you about the money thing. It’s actually the other way around. Most of these do not require money.
As for time…well, I didn’t name the list “52 ways to MAKE extra money” without reason. Basic economics…to get value you have to produce value, which takes time and effort. I’ll email you next time I see money falling from the sky. 🙂
Unfortunately, most of these things cost money just to get started and take a lot of time.
How about those consumer studies? I did one for $60 on cable. Just takes a little of my time and they pay cash. There are several in my town and they are pretty interesting too.
Excellent list. I was surprised to see my Freebie Trading Interview up there at number 13. It’s definitely a great way to make money online.
[edit: everyone interested in Leslie’s freebie trading idea should watch his video tutorials on freebie trading.]
This post also made me realize that I’ve tried a lot of stuff to make money, lol. I’ve done a bunch of those things listed up there.
Creating websites
Blogging
Write an eBook
Writing Reviews
Driving People to the airport
Play Music at Church
Sell Stuff on Ebay
Bank Account Opening Bonuses
Rent out a room
Thanks for the list. It brought back memories.
This is a great list of money making ideas. I have done a few of the thing on your list and have had some success with selling on eBay, and Craigslist.
I have had the most success in the last 14 months with Freebie Trading. Yes, you have to be dedicated and detail oriented, but its worth it.
I make over $27K in 2008.
Some really good ideas in there. My dream is to be a buyer and reseller. A couple years ago when the Wii was so hot I managed to buy 6 of them right around Christmas and resold them for a nice profit. I’d love to do something like that full time but its so hard to figure out what items will make a profit.
Also like selling bottled water, you could try selling umbrellas on a rainy day. I’ve often thought about picking up a bunch from the dollar store and heading over to a college campus or downtown during rush hour to see what I could get for em.
Great list, PT! Thanks for including my article!
Excellent list and definitely too long to properly analyze. So I will just comment on the most recent idea I have used; ticket broker. I have been purchasing tickets to sporting events (WWE UFC)and selling them on ebay with a great profit margin. You won’t make a fortune but an extra couple hundred dollars is allowing me to go on vacation again!
After reading the list I have to admit no one can honestly say that couldn’t earn a little extra money.
Sometimes I think we make up to many excuses to why we can’t make any money.
Great post though definantly worth a stumble.
Wow, that’s a comprehensive list and even a few great additional recommendations in the comments. I will pass this along on my blog as well.
Did you mention recycling? Does anyone still go around looking for cans to turn in for cash anymore?
That made me tired just reading it. Is it sad that ice done probably 70% of these and I’m still broke?
Great list!
Another idea is to umpire for youth sports.
Great list of things to do to make extra money! Just goes to show that there’s always something you can do to go that extra mile if you’re coming up short.
Become a party DJ or help with a DJ company. The work isn’t too difficult and you can make decent money for a few hours work. I used to work for a friend’s company and used his equipment. Same idea holds true for a photographer.
Excellent ways to make money – definitely something I’ll share with my readers in my weekly roundup. Thanks for the mention! 🙂
Great post! If you are looking for opportunities, you will find them.
A very long list. Including some things I’d like to try. I’m wanting to buy broken electronics, and sell them working. I’m pretty handy with that sort of thing.