50 Ways to Make Extra Money
If you’re looking to earn some extra money with a side hustle, you’re not alone. I’ve talked to hundreds of people who have been interested in making extra money but don’t know where to start.
As many of you know, I’ve truly enjoyed side hustling over the years along with the benefits that come with diversifying your income.
Some of my side hustles have been small or generated a few hundred bucks while others have turned into a successful business venture.
Regardless of what type of side hustle you’re looking for, I put together this massive list of over 50 different ways to make extra money that truly work.
Online Income Ideas to Make Extra Money
Bake and Sell Dog Treats
I used to have a homemade dog bakery that was quite profitable. Today I teach people how to bake and sell dog treats online or in-person.
Pinterest Virtual Assistant
Since 2016, I’ve helped fellow businesses and bloggers with anything Pinterest related. As a part-time Pinterest manager, I made around $3,600 per month.
My Become A Pinterest VA Today! program helps virtual assistants break into the niche. The only requirement is that you enjoy using Pinterest.
Start a Blog
Learn how to start a blog here, and check out one of my 90-day guide for bloggers to learn more about earning affiliate income as well as other ways to monetize your blog.
Affiliate Income
If you want extra money that doesn’t really have a cap on how much you can make then affiliate marketing is for you.
This has been one of the top ways I grow my online income, and it can be yours too. The Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course tells you all you need to know about the passive income possibility.
Sell Digital Products
If graphic design is a passion for yours then you can use Etsy to sell digital products online. Get creative and make printables that people with love for years to come. Create it once, upload it to Etsy, and if it’s popular you will easily increase your monthly income.
If you are stumped on what you could create, this free ebook teaches you what types of printables to make each and every month.
Sell on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace or Nextdoor
Today I primarily use Facebook or Nextdoor to sell things online. I rely on Venmo or cash for payment.
Craigslist is still a popular place to sell things, and I’ve used it a few times to help get rid of things around the house.
For all of these options, I’ve had the most success when adding a full description of what I’m selling and adding plenty of pictures.
Research Studies
There are paid research studies out there that focus either online or in person. Online studies are great because you don’t have to leave the house to make the money.
Companies will pay for you to come on and share your opinion on a subject, product, or service. You can easily make $50 from completing research studies.
Sell on eBay
eBay offers another way to earn cash from selling your old stuff. eBay is a great place to market what you’re trying to sell to people all across the globe.
Create a Course
If you have a talent you take to create a course to show the world all about it. People use courses as a way to give advice and offer people an opportunity to learn something new that they might not have had before.
I have hosted my courses on Teachable for over five years. Learn how to set up a course.
Take Surveys
One of the most straightforward side hustles I do is taking surveys and earning cash back.
Take as many surveys as you’d like whenever you’d like. Some of my favorites are Swagbucks, Pinecone Research, and Survey Junkie.
Tutor
There’s also a way for you to make extra money by being a tutor. Sites like VIPkid pay between $14-$22 per hour for tutors to teach English online.
Resume Writer
Resumes are extremely important when searching for a job. Recruiters won’t even consider you unless your resume contains what they are looking for. Resume writing is another way to bring in some income right from home.
Quick-Pay Gigs
Petsitter or Dog Walker
Dog owners don’t always have the time to walk their dogs. They might even need someone to help watch their dog while they leave town for a few days.
Rover is a site that I’ve used in the past to find pet parents who need a sitter. If you are a pet lover and have a flexible schedule you can start your own pet sitting business from home.
Product Tester
There are companies out there who will pay consumers to test their products. It’s typically just a trial size of a product and all you’ll have to do is record your thoughts or concerns on the product or service.
Rideshare Driver
If you enjoy driving and want to earn cash for your time, rideshare companies like Lyft and Uber are some of the best options available.
They’ll just have to run a background check on you collect a few documents, and verify your car is in working condition before you can hit the road. The great thing about this is that these apps pay weekend and you can drive whenever you want.
Earn Cash back Shopping Online
Online shoppers can earn cash back on purchases through platforms like Rakuten. Just for signing up with them, they’ll give you a $10 welcome bonus.
Grocery Delivery
Not everyone likes going to the store and shopping for groceries. People will actually pay you to shop for and deliver groceries right to your doorstep. Instacart and Shipt are just a few of your options.
Farmers Market Vendor
For a couple of years, I was a vendor at a Farmer’s market and loved every minute! Farmers Markets are a great place to showcase your skills making crafts or baked goods.
Mystery Shopping
I have earned a few thousand from being a mystery shopper. There are plenty of companies out there that don’t really require any sort of experience prior to you getting started. Secret Shopper and A Closer Look are a few of my favorites.
Check out how I made over $2,000 from mystery shopping and other side hustles.
Deliver Food
Food delivery is another popular side hustle to do in your spare time. Many Restaurants use this service to customers who aren’t able to make it into their physical location. Apps like DoorDash, GrubHub, and UberEats are great options to start with.
Deliver Pizza
Most of the big pizza chains offer delivery. If you have one in your area and need cash you can keep your tips and also get a biweekly check with your hourly wages.
Fiverr
Showcase your talent through Fiverr as a freelancer. Even though it is in the name, you are allowed to charge more than $5 for a service. Some of the freelance community include writers, editors, musicians, and designers.
Deliver Alcohol
Not only is there grocery delivery, but also alcohol delivery as well. Companies like Saucey are a fantastic way to help keep drunk drivers off the road and have their next case or bottle of alcohol delivered to their home.
Start a Side Business
Amazon Private Label Side Hustle
Another way you can use your creativity is by becoming an Amazon Private Label seller. I’ve listed the steps I’ve taken to sell on Amazon here!
Freelance Writing
If you enjoy writing then freelancing can be a great option to dive into. You take on as much work as you can handle, which can help you really build up your monthly income. Choose the niche your comfortable with and go for it.
Facebook Marketing
There are plenty of small businesses out there that haven’t figured out Facebook ads. You can step in and help them start getting their business noticed. There is a course called Facebook Side Hustle course that tells you step by step how to get started.
Active/Outside of the Home
Mow Lawns
This is typically reserved for teenagers, but sometimes you have to do whatever you can to earn extra money. Promote this service with posters around the neighborhood, or post in the neighborhood Facebook group.
Lifeguard
If you know how to swim, then save people who can’t by becoming a lifeguard. Also, be sure to know how to perform CPR, but hopefully, you would never have to use it. Your local pools and park districts are a great place to find these positions.
House Sit
House Sitters is a great place to connect travelers to people who can look after their home in their absence. You might do simple tasks like feed their fish or water some plants while the homeowners are away.
Babysit
Platforms like Care and Sitter can be resources for earning extra money babysitting. Parents will pay you to watch their children but might request a phone or in-person interview first.
Mover
Have the muscle and energy to be a mover? This side hustle is a great way to stay in shape and help people in your community be moved into their new home or apartment.
Detail Cars
People sure spend a ton of time in their cars. They don’t always spend a ton of time cleaning or detailing them though. This can be a great side hustle, that will a little word of mouth can explode into a great choice.
Personal Trainer
Personal trainers are an extra way to make money that I don’t see going away. People want to get in shape, but don’t always know-how. That’s when you can come in and show them proper routines and practices to help improve their body.
Sport Referee
If you look through your park district’s job board, you’ll most likely to a list of sorts that need a referee. Some common ones are basketball, soccer, or volleyball. All you typically need is a pinstriped shirt and a whistle.
Recycle Scrap
Recycling scrap can be a way to cash in on metal you’ve had laying around your home. Moist metal has some sort of value. The list includes aluminum, silver, tin, copper, and steel, but doesn’t stop there.
Semi-Passive Extra Ways to Make Money
Advertise on Your Car
You can also spend your extra time advertising a product or service while driving your car. Carvertise is specifically for rideshare drivers and Sticker Ride is an option open for everyone. StickerRide will even reimburse you for gas, car washes, and parking.
Rent on Airbnb
You may have stayed at an Airbnb, but have you ever considered becoming an Airbnb host?
All it needs to be is an extra room in your home, which doesn’t even have to be really special.
Traveling is a big part of people’s lives, if they happen to be going to your city Airbnb is a way to help them have a bed at night. They do offer a calculator to help you figure what you’d make per night based on your zip code.
Sell Old Electronics
Electronics are something to really take focus on when looking through old things. Electronics are in and out of popularity, but even with the new versions out you can still make some quality income off selling certain electronics.
Invest
Feel free to grow your money through investing as well. Have you heard of dividend investing?
This is where you buy a portion of a company and enjoy the dividends of the companies profits. Doesn’t that sound like it can really pay off?
Rent out Your Car
If you own a car that you don’t drive a ton rent it out on Turo. Turo is the world’s largest car-sharing marketplace and using the platform to share vehicles earns drivers an average of $700 a month!
Rent out Baby Gear
Baby Quip actually allows parents to rent out their baby gear on the platform. If you aren’t using your crib, stroller, or car seats make some extra money with Baby Quip.
Rent Storage Space
You can also rent out your unused storage space. Neighbor lets you list space in your basement, garage, bedroom, or even closet. Self-storage companies can get expensive, but Neighbor offers a nice alternative to that.
Unique Side Hustles
Donate Plasma
If you have a plasma center near you, donating plasma is another option to earn. It’s a little more extreme than some of the other ways to make extra money on this list, but I’ve actually tried it.
I made at least $200 a month and funds were available to use on my prepaid visa card immediately.
Pour Alcohol
I was a product demonstrator, specifically alcohol tastings. I did have to bring my own table and table cloth, but the bottle I was sampling was already at the location I just had to purchase it with the company card.
Podcasting
Podcasts are very popular these days. They are just another outlet to share your skills and expertise with the world.
Advertising your product and service can be a way to really make the podcast worth it.
Voice Over
It’s never too late to pursue a career in voice-over. Voices posts over 5,000 new jobs each month and is one of the top places to connect and begin a career.
Rent out Your Pool
Have a pool that you can’t use every day? Swimply allows you to rent it out to neighbors or whoever sees the listing.
Hosts don’t have to be home during the rental and if they aren’t comfortable with people using the restroom in their home they can request Swimply to supply a portable restroom instead.
Play Games on Your Phone
AppKarma allows you to earn by simply playing with apps. You’ll just have to download the games after you get AppKarma and continue to play them to receive bonuses.
Test Websites
Do you like sharing opinions about websites? UserTesting is a way to get paid to share your thoughts and give an honest opinion about what you see on a website.
YouTube
Make videos, grow your channel, and get views. YouTube is yet another way to earn extra money doing something you love.
Declutter Your Things
Declutter your home and earn. Decluttr breaks down how much you can earn before you send the products off. LEGO’s and books are just a few items that you can sell through Decluttr.
As you can see, there are so many cool side hustle ideas to try out. All of these are legitimate and can help you start earning money fast.
Remember, there’s nothing wrong with being a ‘serial side hustler’ and having one, two, or even three different side hustles.
Focus on ideas that you enjoy and your personal area of expertise.
