make extra money

Could you use some extra cash to take a vacation, build your emergency savings or pay down debt? You can make hundreds (even thousands) of dollars more every month, with a side job. Try out one (or more) of these 38 easy ways to make money on the side and reach your financial goals faster.

1. Get Paid to Walk Dogs

Rover is an app that is free to download. Once you download the app, you can go through the application process to become a dog walker. Individuals treating Rover like a part-time job who walk two to three dogs per week two weeks a month average around $1,000/month. Those walking two to three dogs four weeks out of the month can earn an average of $3,300. Overnight boarding is also another way freelancers can earn with Rover.

One person saved $40,000 with his Rover side gig! That’s a pretty awesome side hustle (especially if you love dogs – and who doesn’t??).

What You Need To Get Started

You can start a Rover account on your desktop, mobile browser or app. On the app, tap “more” and select “become a walker.” Then choose “ get started.” Then you will go about building your Rover profile. The Rover website has tips to help your profile to stand out (a selfie with a dog is always a good choice).

After you create your profile, it will be submitted to the Rover team for approval. You will need to pass a background check. Once you’ve passed, your services will appear to be available for individuals in your area. You’ll begin getting requests and, if you’re available, you can take the job. Then you’ll start earning cash!

2. Make Money from Home with Survey Sites

Survey sites like Survey Junkie and Opinion Outpost are an easy way to make money without leaving home. Although most sites won’t be able to replace your full-time job, it’s a good way to supplement your income or make extra cash.

Many survey sites have gotten a bad wrap, however, both of these sites can help you make real money.

What You Need

All you have to do is sign up and start answering questions to start making money. There are no additional requirements except that most sites require you to be at least 18 years old. You’ll also need a valid email address and payment information.

3. Take Pictures of Your Receipts

It may sound odd but you can actually earn cash by snapping a photo of your receipt with Ibotta. On top of Ibotta giving you cash to shop (literally), you’ll also get a $20 sign-up bonus after redeeming your first 10 offers in 14 days. Most of the time, the offers aren’t even linked to a specific brand. You’ll get $1 back just for buying a box of tea, for instance.

What You Need

Register with Ibotta (the app is free to download). After downloading Ibotta, search for items on your shopping list within the app. Once you’re back home, take a picture of your receipt and scan the barcodes of the items you purchased using your phone.

4. Play Games on Your Phone

Mobile gamers can start cashing in on their game time with Mistplay. It is the first program of its kind and it allows you to rack up loyalty points. All you have to do is choose a game within the mixlist in the app. Then you’ll start getting paid for playing mobile games! Loyalty points can be cashed in for gift cards (Visa, Amazon, Xbox, Google Play, Starbucks, and more). The most you can expect to make per month is about $50 but that’s a pretty significant amount to earn for just playing games on your phone. Get started here.

5. Make Thousands Selling Online

Since the launch of eBay, selling online has been a popular side hustle. Now, there are a number of sites where you can sell clothes, things you’ve made, or other items. Consider listing handmade items on Etsy.

What You Need

Amazon is great for selling mass-produced products as well as secondhand books. Select Amazon FBA businesses have been able to grow their monthly income to six figures. The most profitable of categories on Amazon FBA is still books (yes, real books). If you can manage to purchase a bulk number of books for a low price you can sell them on Amazon for 1000% of their original price.

You can also sell items around the house like appliances and household items on Craigslist. This platform is great for selling larger, unneeded items like furniture, old cars, electronics, outdoor items, and appliances.

eBay produces fewer million-dollar sellers than the Amazon FBA program, but if you have the right items, you can do well. Antique sellers and people with collectibles do best on eBay.

The average American is sitting on nearly $300 dollars worth of old technology in their homes.  Now is the time to sell it. The best site to ensure that you get the maximum cash for your old phone, tablet, smartwatch and Mac is SellCell.com. SellCell is the US’s no 1 price comparison site for trading in old electronics.  The company compare 30 of the biggest buyback companies to ensure that the user always gets the maximum price for their old device. It’s really simple to use the user simply enters the make and model of the old tech and in seconds they are presented with a range of buyback companies who will buy their old device.  SellCell is really helpful as it saves the user the time and hassle of having to visit multiple buyback companies and always offers the most cash.  Once the user has selected their buyer it only takes a few days before they are paid out for their old stuff.

6. Rent a Room in Your House

By now, most of us have heard of Airbnb but you may not have considered using it as a way to earn extra cash. On average, Airbnb hosts make about $924 per month. That number varies though, depending on the space you’re renting and average prices in your area. The more you have to offer, the more you can charge. Based on the site, in Atlanta, renting a whole space can earn you about $2,007 per month. If you don’t already have a spare room to increase what you can earn using Airbnb, talking to an architect or a builder about increasing your property value can help as an idea for your property home improvement.

Airbnb Requirements

All you need to do to get started with Airbnb is post a few photos of your rentable space. Whether it is the whole house or just a portion of it, pictures are what will sell your space (that and good ratings). On the Airbnb site, you can choose your location and what you’re renting (whole space, private room).

You’ll also want to block out any days you don’t want people staying in your home, as well as minimum and maximum stays. After you’ve done that, you’ll want to also establish rules. For instance, most Airbnb hosts don’t want you to throw a party in their home or smoke inside. Then you can begin accepting guests! Signing up only takes a few easy steps.

7. Get Paid To Unlock Your Phone

S’more is a relatively new app that you can download on your phone that allows you to earn points by adding advertising content to your lock screen. Once you download the app, you’ll get paid every day the app is active on your phone. The average pay is 10 cents per day (that’s an extra $3 per month).

How It Works

That may seem too good to be true, but people have actually been able to make some cash this way. S’more will display relevant content on your screen. When you unlock it, you can choose whether or not you’d like to learn more about the offer. If you’re not interested, no big deal. You’ll still earn points for allowing S’more to use your phone for the ad. Points can be cashed in for gift cards. Learn more here.

8. Earn Up to $25 an Hour as a Babysitter or Petsitter

Calling all baby and children lovers!

Many teenagers babysit, house sit, or petsit to earn money in high school. However, it can prove to be a great side hustle later in life as well. If you have good references, you can pull in a significant amount of money.

What You Need

Care.com is a great website to browse open babysitting and petsitting jobs in your area. The site requires you be at least 18 years old to apply for babysitting positions. Each job will have specific requirements you must meet before applying. For instance, some families will require you to have CPR certifications. Other families would prefer you have 10+ years of experience with kids. Visit the site to sort through open nanny positions that fit your qualifications.

9. Earn Extra Cash as an Uber Eats Delivery-Partner

You can make a lot of cash easily just delivering food for Uber. Fares may vary depending on where you deliver. However, it’s one of the easiest and fastest ways to build your bank account.

Learn more about becoming an Uber Eats delivery-partner and start earning before you know it.

What You Need

Some of the requirements to become an Uber Eats delivery-partner, are that you must be at least 19 years old, and have a driver’s license and insurance. You’ll also need at least one year of driving experience. Uber Eats delivery-partners must also have a 1998 model vehicle or newer.

10. Get Paid to Drink Beer

Who wouldn’t love getting paid to drink beer? Well, good news! You can.

Similar to secret shoppers, Secret Hopper pays people $20 to visit local breweries and rate their experience. Keep in mind, you will have to pay for your brews upfront, then Secret Hopper will send you about $20 via PayPal within a few days. As long as you keep your tab under $20, it is essentially drinking for free (who wouldn’t love that).

11. Invest for Income

Recent SEC changes mean it is cost-effective to start building up passive income flows. With a lot of newer fin-tech startups, you can start investing and earn extra cash without much effort. In fact, you don’t even have to have a ton of cash to get started. You can start investing with as little as $5. Many of these apps allow you to evaluate your desired risk level. Generally, the higher the risk, the more money you’ll see immediately.

Good places to start are newer brokerages like Robinhood, Webull or Stockpile.

12. Get Paid to Work Out

Although it may not be as exciting as getting paid to drink beer, you can also earn money hitting the gym. Here’s how you can turn your workout into cold, hard cash.

Sites like DietBet and HealthyWage provide a way to make extra money while getting healthy. You put a certain amount of money on the line and challenge yourself to reach certain goals. Then, in the end, if you have met those goals, you’ll double your money (or more). Both of those sites require an initial investment though.

If you really want to earn cash without any money out of pocket, AchieveMint is absolutely free and pays you to go to the gym or share healthy meals on social media. For every 1,000 points, you receive $1. The app is completely free, and you don’t have to do anything but exercise and live a healthy lifestyle to get paid.

What You Need

DietBet has some requirements betters must meet to be able to participate. Everyone must be 18+ and have a BMI (body mass index) of at least 18.5%. If your BMI would fall below 18.5% after losing 4%, you will also not qualify to participate. DietBet users are also asked to refrain from binging, purging, dehydration, and any medical weight-loss surgery. HealthyWage has the same guidelines.

13. Grocery Shop for up to $25 an Hour

Shopping is probably the last thing that comes to mind when you think of ways to make money. However, with services like Instacart, you could earn hundreds of dollars. If you sign up and are accepted, it can be a great side hustle (especially if you’re able to pick up groceries in your area without traveling too far).

What You Need

Basic requirements for becoming a shopper with Instacart are that drivers must be 18+, eligible to work in the U.S., consistent access to a vehicle and smartphone, and the ability to lift between 30 and 40 pounds. If that sounds like you, check out Instacart to get started.

14. Get Attractive Yields From Real Estate

Yieldstreet, as its name implies, looks to help investors realize high real estate investment returns. You can begin making passive income by signing up on the website.

Get Started With Yieldstreet

Getting started with Yieldstreet is fairly simple. First the site asks you whether or not you have had access to high-yield investments )other than real estate) in the past. Then they ask about your investment interests. You can then choose what assets interest you the most (Art, Commercial, Legal, Marine, and Real Estate).

Then you’ll be asked to decide how soon you’re looking to invest. You’re then prompted to start an account. The minimum investment you can make is $5,000, but you’ll see high-yield returns. Depending on your risk tolerance, Yieldstreet may be the best option for you. Sign up and see.

15. Pick Up an Extra $50 Being a Friend

RentAFriend.com pays you to be a friend. For instance, people who are new to the city might “rent” a friend to see what the city has to offer. Or, you might be hired to attend an event.

What You Need

You can earn as much as $50 an hour, just for being someone’s friend. There are no membership fees or fees associated with this.

16. Invest Outside The Stock Market

If you’re looking for a way to get into investing without jumping into the stock market, check out Fundrise. Their team chooses real estate for you to invest in. They negotiate the prices for you and keep the prices low. You can also choose your goals for your money (supplemental income, balanced investing, long-term growth).

How To Get Started

The smallest amount you can invest with Fundrise is $500. With between $500 and $1,000 you will have a “starter” account and have between five and 10 projects in your investments portfolio. There are two other tiers called Core and Advanced. With Core, you invest between $1,000 and $10,000 and will be involved with 40+ investment projects. Advanced members need an initial investment of $10,000 and will be involved in 80+ real estate projects.

After choosing your tier, you’ll need to submit the money into your Fundrise account. Then, let the folks there do the rest. They’ll balance your portfolio based on your growth desires and you’ll be able to see all the progress along the way.

17. Build Passive Rental Income from Real Estate 

Want to buy your own real estate investments, rather than putting money toward someone else’s? 

Start building a portfolio of rental properties. With each property you buy, you add more monthly income – income that keeps coming every month, from here to eternity. 

That makes them a great source of retirement income as well, since you don’t need to sell off any assets to generate revenue. In fact, rental properties only drive your net worth up as time goes by, as the properties both appreciate in value and the renters pay down your mortgage.  

Rents also rise alongside inflation, unlike yields from bonds, so they also keep growing over time. But the best part about earning money from rentals on the side is that you can calculate your rental property income in advance. Using a rental income calculator, even novice investors can predict returns for any given property before buying.

That means never making a bad investment again, at least when it comes to real estate.

18. Earn as Much as $100 Testing Websites

Companies like UserTesting are always looking for people nationwide and will pay you to test websites. Depending on the site, pay may vary. Typically, testers are paid per test study, starting at around $8 per test, up to as much as $100 per test. If you pick through the offers, you may be able to land a high-paying gig for little-to-no-effort on your part.

What You Need

To start earning extra cash, you’ll need to be at least 18 years old and have access to a laptop or desktop computer. Smartphone access may be required for some testing as well.

19. Rack Up Cash Back

No matter what time of year it is, Ebates can help you earn cash back on all of your purchases. This company provides you with cash back opportunities at more than 2,500 stores. Throughout the year, you can get up to 3% cash back on eligible purchases at participating retailers by using the linked card. During the holiday season, Ebates is known to increase your cash back to 10% or more.

What You Need

To start getting money back with Ebates, simply link a valid credit card to your account and shop. After you do that, sit back and watch your rewards stack up!

20. Use Your Credit Cards

Swiping your credit card definitely isn’t the best way to earn extra cash, but if you are disciplined, you can get cashback. Read your card’s terms and conditions to see what purchases are eligible. And, of course, always pay your credit card bill in full each month.

Credit card issuers typically offer cashback and sign-up bonuses for using the card. If you use your card for purchases you’d make anyway, such as on groceries and everyday purchases, you could potentially earn hundreds of dollars per month. Keep in mind that it’s important to pay your balance in full each month so you aren’t charged interest, otherwise, the APR will likely cancel out any extra money you earn. Also, be on the lookout for annual fees and calculate whether or not any bonuses or cashback are worth paying for the card.

What You Need

A credit card that awards you for the purchases you make. Be sure to research and sign-up for cards that offer the most cash back for the categories you most often spend in.

21. Make Old Furniture New

Restoring old furniture is a big business and it usually doesn’t cost much out of pocket. Plus, you can usually find old furniture that no one wants for free on the side of the road, or online with various local garage sale sites. If you have some extra time to paint and restore the furniture (and don’t mind dumpster diving), you can resell it and make quite a profit.

What You Need

You’ll typically need something to restore, such as old furniture. Try to find free items and check with friends and family. You’ll also need materials for restoration and repainting.

22. Sell Your Home Grown Food

If you like to garden (and are actually good at it), you might want to consider planting some produce and selling it. Many people make hundreds of dollars selling their vegetables at farmers markets and to other people in the community. Besides produce, however, if you happen to live in an area where you can keep chickens, it’s possible to make some extra money selling eggs.

What You Need

Gardening is fairly simple, but you’ll need to research what grows best in your area. Other supplies you’ll need to include a small area for gardening — although there are many indoor options as well, seeds, gardening tools, and patience.

23. Capitalize on Your Spare Change

Acorns investing app has changed the world of investing and made it possible to get shares in the stock market with pennies. Yes, pennies! All you have to do is link a bank account and, similar to many bank’s “keep the change” option, Acorns rounds up your purchases and puts your change into investments.

Signing Up With Acorns

It is easy to get started with Acorns. All you need to do is start an account on your desktop or via the mobile app. Once you sign up, you can decide what you want your risk tolerance to be and how long you’re looking to invest. These pieces of information will help Acorns invest your spare change wisely.

Then, link a bank account and/or debit or credit card. You can link multiple accounts to increase your investments. Once you’ve linked accounts, you’ll want to make an initial deposit of $5 to get started. Then, sit back and watch your investments work for you. Acorns will round up your purchases and invest the change. You can also set up a daily, weekly, or monthly amount to deposit into your Acorns investing account. Sign up here.

24. Sell Your Trash

If you cringed reading that – you’re not alone. Selling your trash seems like a really odd way to earn a few extra bucks, but people do it! Dumpster diving has become popular over the years and, as it turns out, one person’s trash really is another person’s treasure. You can earn cash from selling everything from your old wine bottles to magazines online. At the very least, you can get some change for it at your local recycling plant.

25. Share Your Knowledge

There are various services online that will hire you to tutor and teach a variety of subjects from English to history and math. Many of those services pay around $10 to $15 per hour and don’t always require a teaching degree. VIP Kids is a great example. Some online teachers have been able to turn it into a full-time job. You can also look for opportunities to tutor at local colleges and schools if you prefer in-person opportunities in your area.

What You Need

For online teaching, you’ll need an internet connection. It will depend on the service you teach through whether you need a degree or certification. Popular services you can try include Teachaway.com and International TEFL Academy.

26. Participate in Clinical Trials

It might sound intimidating, but a lot of people make extra money participating in clinical trials. Often this involves trying out medication or certain procedures for research. Sometimes the trials can last over days or months and can pay as little as $25 per visit or hundreds of dollars.

What You Need

Most clinical trials will have requirements that you will need to meet in order to qualify for the trial. Check with medical facilities in your area for any opportunities.

27. Watch Movie Previews

That’s right – you can get paid to watch movie previews! InboxDollars has been a well-known side hustle site for some time. However, did you know the app will actually pay you to watch movie previews and other videos? Sign up today, and you’ll get $5 immediately!

What is Required

To earn money watching videos with InboxDollars, you’ll need to watch all of the shows on that specific playlist. This can take up to half an hour, depending on the list. Watching videos on InboxDollars can help you earn up to $225 per month though, so it is definitely worth the extra effort.

28. Landscaping and Odd Jobs

Shoveling snow and mowing lawns seem to be jobs that people are always looking for help with and if you don’t mind doing those tasks, you can earn pretty good money taking care of it for others. There are also a wide variety of odd jobs that you can get paid for as well. You can choose to advertise on your own, or you can join apps like TaskRabbit, which allows people to find you and hire you.

What You Need

You’ll need some way to advertise your services plus any tools necessary for landscaping or odd jobs. You might already have most of the tools or materials you need so you just need to get started to start earning extra money.

29. Sell Your Sperm or Eggs

Selling your sperm or eggs might seem shocking, but it’s an easy way to make some extra money when you’re in a pinch. First, check local clinics, but you can also sign up to sell sperm or eggs with companies like NWCryoBank.com.

What You Need

For this option, the clinics might have certain requirements you’ll need to meet before you can be paid for sperm or eggs. Some of the factors for consideration might be age and health.

30. Shop for People

Yes – yet another way you can get paid to hit the stores!

Not only can you earn money shopping for people and basically running errands, but you can also get paid to be a mystery shopper. Some of the companies that will pay you for mystery shopping include Market Force and BestMark.

What You Need

You can advertise your shopping services free with sites like Craigslist or you can sign up to be a mystery shopper with a company that pays you. For either option, you really just need to be willing to take the time to shop at specific retailers.

31. Shop Online

You are probably thinking, “how am I going to make money by shopping online?” The answer: Paribus. Paribus is an app that helps identify where you could have possibly gotten a better deal on the internet and gets you the better price. After they’ve done that, you get the additional cash.

How It Works

Sign up for Paribus through the website or the app (be sure to use the email address you use for online shopping). After that, Paribus then has access to your email receipts. When you make a purchase online, they will check it and be sure you’re not being overcharged. If the company you shopped with has price matching guarantee (most do), then you’ll get the cash deposited into your Paribus account.

32. Evaluate Google and Other Search Engines

You can get paid to evaluate search engines and search results. This typically means giving your input on the quality of the pages that come up when you search specific terms. Companies like Appen pay people $12 to $17 per hour to evaluate websites and social media pages.

What You Need

There is typically a test and hiring process to become a search engine evaluator, and you’ll need, at least, an Internet connection and computer.

33. Offer Services on Fiverr

Fiverr has typically been used for single projects, however, many freelancers have been able to make a living on the site.

Some people are actually working full-time on Fiverr these days. You can offer nearly any type of service and get paid, usually around $5 per task. There are options to include add-ons and additional services if you need to increase your rate. Whether you’re a graphic designer, a writer, or someone who can carry out simple tasks online, you’ll likely find some way to earn money on Fiverr.com.

What You Need

What you need to make money on Fiverr depends on the types of tasks or services you provide, but for the most part, you’ll simply need a computer and Internet connection.

34. Trading with Bitcoin Robots

This sounds like a thing of the future but we assure you, it is real! Bitcoins and robots seemed like things of the distant future just a couple of years ago. Now you can make the most of your trading using both.

One of the best ways to make money today is by trading with a Bitcoin Robot. These robots were created around 2016, and are still being put up to good use. With a lot of volatility in the crypto market, the best way to make money today is by setting up a bitcoin robot such as the Bitcoin Trader and let it perform the trades automatically on your behalf.

35. Check Your Wallet For Rare Coins and Bills

Believe it or not, those crumpled-up $1 bills in your wallet may be worth more than face value, especially if they are stamped with a rare serial number. Collectors will pay serious cash for odd bills. Check out our post 17 Bills in Your Wallet Worth More Than Face Value to see if your hold any additional value and how you can cash them in.

36. Become a Mock Juror

You won’t want to skip out on this jury duty!

Being a mock juror used to entail spending an entire day locked away in a conference room. However, the great age of technology has made it easy for you to earn some extra cash as a mock juror for lawyers prepping for cases. OnlineVerdict and eJury are two such websites where you can sign up and make between $5 and $60 per mock case. These typically take less than an hour.

Qualifications Needed

To be a mock juror, you’ll need to be at least 18 years old. You’ll also need to be a citizen of the United States and free of any felony convictions. To create an account on either of the sites mentioned above is totally free but may take a few minutes. You’ll have to answer questions about your background, income, political opinions, and more personal information.

37. Let Nielsen Take a Look Inside Your Fridge

Remember Nielsen Consumer Panel? The organization used to be interested in what you were watching on television. Now, they want a look inside what the average American has in their refrigerator. All you have to do is scan the UPC codes after you go shopping and send them to Nielsen. After that, the company will reward you with points, which can be used on various items. You could even earn enough points to win a vacation or brand new car!

38. Flip Thrift Store Finds

Thrift shopping has become much more popular in recent years as becoming financially savvy has raised in popularity. You can turn your next thrift store visit into a side hustle. Find underpriced items in the store and sell them online for a profit. There’s no telling how much you’ll be able to make!

Selling Items Online

Before you get started with this venture, you’ll want to know where you should sell and how much certain items are worth it. Many people who sell on eBay, for instance, sell a certain type of item almost exclusively. This typically involves collectibles, antiques, large metal signs or odd items people are willing to pay big bucks for. Craigslist is good for flipping the items quickly to locals for a small profit. If you’re lucky enough to find clothing with the tags still on it at the thrift store, you may be able to sell it for a notable profit on the Facebook Marketplace. Do a bit of research before you starting flipping.

39. Credit Card Sign-up Bonuses

We’re adding one more to our list as most people don’t realize that they can actually earn money with credit cards.  Some are actually earning hundreds of dollars a year through sign-up bonuses. Click here to learn more about which credit cards offer the best sign-up bonuses. Besides sign-up bonuses, you can earn cash back on everyday purchases.

Bottom Line

Each of these options can help you make more money and get closer to reaching your financial goals. Whether you want to save more, pay off debt, or go on a nice vacation, you’ll find plenty of ways to make money on the side to get there.

Read More

• 100 Ways to Make an Extra $100 This Month
• Clever and Easy Ways to Make Extra Money for Christmas
• Ways to Make up to $1,000 Extra Every Month

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