What would you do if you could have a bit of extra income? Would you fund a hobby, or save for a trip? Or finally buy that dream house? Maybe you are one of the 15% who are using a side hustle to start a new business.
In any case, if you want to earn some extra cash, you aren’t alone. As the gig economy grows, so do opportunities to make a bit of money on the side. It’s just a matter of knowing what your options are.
This post includes 101 simple, actionable ways to make extra money. Whatever your situation, skills level or experience is, I’m sure you can find a couple ideas here that you can put to use immediately to earn that extra cash fast – and maybe regularly.
1. Ask for a raise
The simplest option comes first. If you already have a job, start there. Put together an ironclad case for demanding a raise. Then, present that case to your boss. It’s nearly always worth a try.
2. Get a second job
If plan A didn’t work out, look for opportunities outside your current employment. Consider picking up an extra shift or two each week at the local grocery store, shopping mall or restaurant. These places always need people. A hospitality career can be rather profitable in fact and help you earn into six figures.
3. Do micro tasks
“Subscribe to an Email List,” “Add a Comment to a Blog” - these are just a few examples of micro tasks. Sign up at Microworkers.com or TaskRabbit.com to make a bit of side money performing quick chores.
4. Rent out your car
If you’ve got a spare car, you can earn money through car sharing. The setup is quite simple. People often need cars for errands or one-time tasks and you can rent out yours for a fee.
5. Make and sell DIY things
Jewelry, prints, sculptures, fan art and more; if you are a skilled artist, you can turn your products into profits online on platforms like Etsy.
6. Scrap your old gold
That old jewelry you’ve got lying around could be worth more money than you know. Even if it’s tacky or broken, your local jewelry store may be willing to pay you for the metal itself.
7. Work as a handy person
Can you do small home repairs and remodeling jobs? Get some tools together and start a handy service. Charge a reasonable rate and you are sure to get plenty of business.
8. Get a delivery job
Use your car, bike or scooter to make deliveries. Small business owners and consumers alike would often rather pay an individual to make small deliveries than go through a major, corporate delivery service.
9. Become a mystery shopper
Mystery shoppers earn money by evaluating customer experiences for restaurants and stores. It’s a part-time role that can earn you a few extra hundreds per month.
10. Participate in medical research
Contribute to medical science and earn some cash. Find and sign up to participate in medical trials. Depending on the length and nature of the study, you could earn up to thousands of dollars.
11. Join focus groups
Sometimes companies need more information than what they would get from a simple survey. So, they gather consumers together into focus groups and pay for participation.
12. Sell your old clothes
If you have some staples in mint condition occupying space in your closet, consider selling them on Depop. If you own designer or vintage garments and accessories, you can make even more cash via Vestiaire Collective.
13. Set up a concierge vintage/luxury store
If sales go well and you run out of items to sell, consider sourcing more unique items from friends, acquaintances and local vintage stores or online through sites like Eames.com. Make sure that you have an eye for details though and always authenticate the luxury goods you plan to sell.
14. Flip property
You no longer need to be wealthy to dabble in the real estate market. Thanks to micro and crowdfunded real estate investing, you can get started with as little as $500.
15. Use rewards programs
Every time you buy groceries, coffee or fast food you could be earning cash and rewards. Sign up for the rewards programs at the places you visit most frequently. Then, use the resulting rewards for cash back, gift cards or future savings.
16. Participate in GPT sites
GPT means “Get Paid To’”. These are sites where you can take surveys, sign up for free samples, print coupons and perform other tasks to earn points. These points can be converted into gift cards or cash. Swagbucks, Earning Station and InstaGC are three of the most popular GPT sites.
17. Teach English to little kids
Palfish is an app that allows you to teach English to kids in China. It might be hard to believe, but you don’t even have to speak Chinese. Alternatively, you can always find local students for tutoring.
18. Rent out your space
Do you have a spare room or unused garage? Someone who needs living space or room for their stuff will be glad to pay you for it. Or if you are OK with catering to guests, sign up with Airbnb.
19. Give someone a ride
Check out Uber and Lyft to earn some extra cash with your car. There are also designated driver services that pay you to drive people home safely.
20. Sell your unwanted electronics
Get rid of those unused TVs, video game consoles, mobile phones and computers. Take them to your local video game seller or auction them on eBay. Walk away with cash.
21. Install a lock screen app
It’s simple. See an ad when you unlock your phone. Get paid. You won’t earn much, but those pennies can add up to something nice.
22. Invest spare change
A lot of mobile banking and investment apps will round up your spending to the nearest dollar and invest the change. It can be a nice way to get your feet wet in investing without much effort.
23. Provide moving help
Check the Craigslist labor gigs section and earn extra money helping people move and unpack.
24. Wrap your car
Wrap your car in ads. Then, earn a small commission when people respond.
25. Do seasonal work
Retailers and holiday specialty stores need help during certain times of the year. These are great times to earn extra cash by taking a few shifts.
26. Watch movie and television trailers
Volkno will give you points to watch movie, video game and TV trailers. You can turn these in for Amazon gift cards. Sure that’s not cash, but who said that you cannot sell or trade those for dollars.
27. Become a content writer
Earn extra cash as a freelance writer. I have previously written about how to launch a freelance writing career.
28. Become a consultant
If you already have a ton of hands-on experience in a certain niche, consider consulting other businesses or individuals as a freelancer. Even part-time consulting can net you some serious income.
29. Do customer service and administrative support from home
Use your admin skills and earn a second income. A lot of companies are more than glad to hire remote, part-time reps who can work from home.
30. Offer childcare
Watch kids to earn some spare cash. Keep them entertained and you’ll enjoy referrals and repeat business.
31. Open an investment account
If you are new to investing, consider a robo-advisor service. Most will allow you to start investing with as little as $20.
32. Switch bank accounts
If you can afford to let your money sit, consider bank account churning to earn some extra income in the next year.
33. Sell your old textbooks
Forget the school bookstore. Sell your textbooks directly to other students instead through FB groups or Uni forums. You can profit, they can save.
34. Join a mock jury
Law firms will pay you to sit on a mock jury. This helps them to plan legal strategies or determine if a case is worth pursuing. Be aware that some information you deal with could be sensitive or upsetting.
35. Write product reviews
Receive free samples and create detailed product reviews and walkthroughs. Even better, you keep the products most of the time.
36. Flip items on eBay
Hit up garage sales, Craigslist and thrift stores. Resell the items you get for a profit on eBay.
37. Work as an extra
Keep an eye out for casting calls for extras. It’s a great way to make money and a free meal. However, this option is mainly limited to larger cities.
38. Walk dogs
Get some exercise while you earn by walking dogs in your neighborhood. Or you can take it one step further and organize a doggie daycare.
39. Buy storage lots
Buy storage lots at auction, then profit from the contents within. Just be aware that you might find some duds along the way.
40. Look for unclaimed cash
Refunds from utility companies and forgotten bank accounts are just a few examples of unclaimed cash that could be in your name.
41. Enter a contest
Use your talent as a writer, poet, artist, musician or cook to make money entering and winning contests. Years ago, I entered over a hundred essay writing contests and won eleven of them. That was some nice cash in my pocket.
42. Grocery shop for cash
Work for Shipt or other companies to earn money by doing grocery shopping for others. You can also volunteer to cook some meals for a little extra if you are confident in your skills.
43. Reconsider your phone cable and internet plans
Are you really watching all of those channels? Can you save money with a new provider or by bundling? You won’t know until you ask.
44. Start a house sitting service
People will pay up to 50 dollars a day, even more for you to keep their homes safe while they travel. You can earn even more money for watering plants, light cleaning or pet sitting.
45. Score and administer standardized tests
Testing centers need smart people to administer and score SAT, ACT and other tests. You can do the job part-time if you are good with those.
46. Work as a ref or umpire
Spend your weekends and evenings enjoying a sport you love. Sign up as a ref or umpire at your local league or club.
47. Be a model
If you can stand still for long periods of time, you could work as a life model. Check out your local college or university for openings.
48. Become a programmer
Got a knack for writing codes? There are hundreds of people out there happy to pay you nicely to help them create apps, websites or manage databases.
49. Become an interpreter
Help people who speak different languages communicate and understand each other fast and get paid for it. Plus, you get to attend cool events like sporting contests, business meetings or economic summits.
50. Work at major events
Work major events as security, clean up and tear down, serving food, parking cars, or doing a variety of other tasks. Check out Craigslist or event websites for more information.
51. Learn to fix computers
You don’t need a degree to configure and repair computers. Sometimes just a few classes will do. Make money as your own, one person Geek Squad.
52. Prepare taxes for your friends and family
Take tax prep classes for free at H&R Block. Then, use your knowledge to earn extra money in your spare time. You can also market this service to freelancers and SMEs. They’ll appreciate it.
53. Mine cryptocoins
Set up a Bitcoin mining rig in your home. This will require some upfront hardware investments, but can pay off in the long run.
54. Rent out your hardware to others
Computing power is now in high demand and you can “rent” remote access to your computer and GPUs on a per hour basis to AI researchers who need that power. You can do that through services like Vectordash.
55. Sell your gaming assets
Dedicated gamers will pay you for points, characters and other premium in-game assets. Browse the forums to find a buyer.
56. Start an affiliate blog
Create a review blog, then sell advertising space and/or earn affiliate commission from purchases made through your referral links. I had one of my blogs making $9,000 a month in affiliate commission before I sold it.
57. Sell your blog
And if you already have a blog making some income, consider selling it. Oh, my affiliate blog? I sold it for $280,000.
58. Work as a translator
If you speak more than one language, use your talents to earn money online. Freelance translators are always in high demand.
59. Evaluate search engines
Check out Appen and Lionbridge to make money evaluating search engines and other online tasks.
60. Be a substitute teacher
If you have a college degree, you could sign up to work as a sub in your local school district. That is as long as you are good with kids.
61. Publish an eBook
Everybody has at least one book in them. Publish yours online and find the right audience to make a bit of extra money.
62. Help someone with their resume
If you have decent writing skills or HR experience, consider helping job seekers with resumes and cover letters.
63. Do financial aid paperwork
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is super intimidating to some people. Make some money each year doing this paperwork for them.
64. Become a YouTube personality
You don’t need to be the next Taylor Swift to make your mark on YouTube. If you have a great personality and a talent, you can make money off of your channel and by selling your merchandise.
65. Get a vending machine
Place a vending machine in the right location and you’ve just found yourself a regular source of income.
66. Tutor online or in person
Use your talents to tutor people of all ages. There’s a demand for almost every skill from math to English to web design.
67. Create stock photos
Get a good camera and start taking breathtaking photos. Register on iStockPhoto or some other stock photo sites and upload the photos. You earn a royalty for each download or purchase or you could even sell the photos outright.
68. Click on websites
Use the Serpclix plugin to conduct web searches and earn money for visiting specific websites.
69. Be a researcher
Busy professionals need people to find answers and information for them. Online researchers serve that function. You can sign up with one of the companies and do some Googling for cash.
70. Detail cars
Car enthusiasts will pay a hundred dollars or more to have their cars fully detailed inside and out.
71. Plan events
Do you throw great parties? Use those skills to plan events in your spare time. You can always start locally with friends and family and expand from there.
72. Edit and proofread documents
Help writers and business professionals put their best work out there by working as an editor and proofreader on the side.
73. Test websites
Sign up at UserTesting.com or Test.io to work as a website and app tester. Don’t worry, no technical skills are needed.
74. Buy and sell domain names
Have you ever wished you’d come up with a popular domain name? If inspiration hits, register that URL. Somebody could offer you prime cash for it later. Or you can always purchase expired domains and re-sell those for a fee later.
75. Save your change
Don’t spend your change. Toss it in a jar instead. At the end of the year, you could have a nice bit of cash.
76. Sell your gift cards
Make money from those gift cards that you’ll never use. Many Gamestop locations will buy them for up to 80 cents on the dollar.
77. Become a Nielsen family
It’s true! Nielsen will pay you to track your viewing and shopping habits.
78. Make money when you search online
If you use GPT sites, you can conduct searches through them to earn a few cents on certain searches. It’s not much, but it can add up over time.
79. Become a social media manager
Help small businesses manage their social media accounts. Busy entrepreneurs also often need people who are savvy about social media engagement and can help them with scheduling content, editing photos and writing engaging captions.
80. Take surveys
Your opinion could be worth more than you realize. Graduate students, market research firms and business owners will pay a hefty sum for your thoughts. Just ask Google how.
81. Grow your personal social media profiles
Influencer marketing is all the rage right now and brands are eager to endorse even micro-influencers. That is as long as they have genuine, engaged audience. So start building one!
82. Become a notary public
As a notary public, you can charge a paperwork fee to stamp and notarize a variety of documents.
83. Join a street team or become a brand ambassador
Radio stations and other businesses need people to attend events as brand ambassadors or street team members. These are the folks who pass out samples, sign people up for drawings and hand out fliers and bumper stickers.
84. Provide assistance to the disabled or elderly
If you like helping others, you may be able to work as an assistant to a disabled or elderly person. Many need help with shopping, chores and other daily tasks.
85. Replace cracked screens
Replacing a phone or tablet is expensive. That’s why many people would rather repair them. Learn to do this work yourself and you can earn quite a bit of money for each repair.
86. Transcribe audio and video
If you’ve got a good ear, there is plenty of work for audio and video transcribers. The job is a bit monotone, but pays relatively well if you do it quick.
87. Be a tour guide
Do you know all the best burger joints in your town? Are you a local history buff? Many tourists no longer want the ‘traditional’ experiences. Instead, they want interesting experiences curated by locals. Consider creating your own tour and marketing it online or via Airbnb.
88. Grow and sell fruits and vegetables
If you have the space to grow a garden, it can be a place for sustenance and profit. Sell your spare crops at a local farmers market or build your own roadside stand with organic produce.
89. Sell confectionery
And if you already have a garden and a lot of produce, consider starting your homemade jam label and selling the extras to others.
90. Host dinner parties
For those who love to entertain, there’s a service called Eat With. Sign up and get paid for inviting others to dine with you. You can host as many or as few gatherings per month and set custom rates for attendance.
91. Apply for grants
If you have a bit of experience with writing grant proposals and filing all the related paperwork, there are a lot of people who will pay you a hefty sum for your skill.
92. Create an online course
No skills is off limits. People will gladly pay to learn how to downsize, be funny or become a baking maven. Develop a curriculum, shoot video and publish your course on SkillShare or another service.
93. Host one-off workshops
Prefer to deliver hands-on training in person? Team up with a local co-working or a community center to host a workshop and teach others a valuable skill.
94. Plan vacations for others
A lot of busy folks will gladly pay someone to find and book the best hotel for them, organize transfers and source some fun things to do in the their destination. This is a great side hustle for those with a bit of a travel experience.
95. Become a personal/group trainer
Of course you will have to be in a good shape and know some work drills. If you are not a pro though, you can always host “light” classes for elders or kids.
96. Design logos
You will need to have some artistic taste, learn typography and color coordination and Photoshop (or alternative software). But your investment can pay off fast as loads of businesses need great logos.
97. Retouch photos
Most photographers (and professional Instagrammers) often don’t have time to edit all their photos. So become their assistant if you are good with photo editing software.
98. Create photo content for brands
With the rise of visual platforms like Pinterest and Instagram, a lot of brands need attractive graphics and product images for social media. If you are good at shooting flatlays, consider offering your services for a fee.
99. Become a voiceover artist
For those with a pleasant voice and a bit of acting skills, doing voice overs can bring in some nice income. You can get paid around $15-$30 for one audio minute.
100. Sign on as a VA
There’s plenty of virtual assistant job offers around the web. Basically, you’ll be someone’s PA for a few hours per day and manage different admin works online.
101. Wash cars for cash
Help your friends, acquaintances and neighbors wash their cars for a fee. Do a good job and you could start getting repeat business and referrals. With more clients, you could hire others to help you and turn it into a company.
There are opportunities for motivated people to make extra money. Not every option is a good fit for every personality. Still, there are at least a few choices that should work well for everybody.
