Knowing if you need some extra cash in your pocket is pretty easy. All you have to do is look in your wallet. If a single fly buzzes out like in the old cartoons, you know it’s time. The not-so-easy part? Figuring out how to make extra money.
These days it seems like everyone is working some kind of side gig, renting things out, or selling unwanted stuff to make extra cash—which is awesome. But how did they find out all those ways to make money? Well, they probably stumbled across this list of 34 ways you can make extra money. Or you know, another list somewhere—that’s totally possible too.
Either way, it’s time to put your money goals into action and earn some extra cash at home, online or on the side. Oh, and let’s be clear, these are all legit ways to make money—nothing shady or too good to be true here.
Now let’s get to work!
How to Make Extra Money Online or From Home
Ways to Make Money on the Side
How to Make Extra Money by Selling or Renting
Don’t Forget This Way to Earn Extra Money
How to Make Extra Money Online or From Home
1. Tutor online.
If you think being a tutor means you made straight A’s through high school and college, think again. Online tutoring companies like Tutor.com, TutorMe and Studypool hire tutors to share their knowledge with students on a wide group of topics—so you don’t have to know everything about everything!
Just be careful when figuring out which tutoring gig to take. Some users on these on-demand tutoring sites are really just looking for someone to write their essay or do their homework for them (aka cheat). Be smart when sifting through the postings.
2. Become a user experience tester.
Every business hopes their website gives great information, hits their goals, and—oh yeah—makes money. But if something isn’t working, the business needs to know why, and a lot of them call on user experience testers to give feedback.
Enter you. Are you good at knowing if a website is user-friendly just by spending a few minutes scanning the web page? Companies like UserTesting or TryMyUI will pay you for your feedback. Most of them boast that you’ll get $10 for a test and up to $120 for live conversations!1
3. Take surveys.
Look into survey sites like MyPoints or Survey Junkie where you’ll get paid just for taking surveys and giving your opinion. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, right? Just remember, these sites are looking for really specific things when they pick people. So you might not qualify for every survey you come across.
Plus, you’ll have to finish a certain number of surveys before you can cash out your points. It’s not a get-rich-quick plan by any means, but that extra cash can still add up over time. If you’re the patient and persistent type, give it a shot.
4. Get cash back from apps.
There are plenty of mobile apps out there that can show you how to make extra money just by doing simple things. I’m talking really, really easy here—like grabbing-your-phone-and-scanning-your-receipt easy. Check out mobile apps like Ibotta, Rakuten, Shopkick, Receipt Hog and Dosh to score some extra cash without too much work on your part.
5. Teach English.
It’s kind of like going the tutoring route, except you’re teaching English with a company like VIPKid (a big favorite of fans in our Ramsey Baby Steps Community on Facebook).
Now, if the word teach makes you a little nervous thinking of the stacks and stacks of grading and paperwork coming your way, don’t worry. They’ll handle all the lesson plans and grading for you. But you do need a four-year degree (in any field) and two years of experience in the world of teaching, tutoring or coaching. If you’re qualified, this one’s a win-win!
6. Get paid for your creative skills.
If you’ve got creative skills but just haven’t connected with someone who needs your awesome work, why not freelance in your spare time with Fiverr? The site connects freelancers specializing in writing, editing, graphic design and voice-over work to clients needing those creative minds in their corner.
Want to earn extra cash but don't know where to start? Take this quiz to find the best side hustle options!
You’ll create a profile (almost like a cross between an online portfolio and a resumé) that potential employers can scan to check out your experience, rates and specialties. Get ready to make extra cash by letting your creativity flow!
7. Offer your services as a virtual assistant.
If you’re organized, love a good challenge, and want to work from home, becoming a virtual assistant may be the perfect opportunity for you! Plus, who doesn’t love a little variety in their workday? And you get to help business owners create a better balance between their work and home lives. Check out sites like Upwork and Zirtual to find opportunities in this field.
8. Become an influencer.
If you have a large following on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, or even your blog, you might consider becoming an influencer. Then you can get paid for your posts!
Whether it’s fashion, cookware or home décor, you can become a go-to resource for businesses to get even more exposure on the internet. Just reach out to brands you love and let them know you’d like to work together! And if you’re open to affiliate marketing and sponsored content, check out ShareASale and Amazon Associates too.
9. Become a social media manager.
Okay, what if you love social media but don’t love showing off your own face? Well, you can help other companies boost their social media presence.
Plenty of companies use these platforms for free marketing and as a way to stay connected to their customers (or future customers) or build a following. But it can be a huge task for smaller companies to keep up with all that. Which is where you come in. If you have a knack for creativity, love connecting with others, and have a knowledge of different social media channels—this might be right up your alley!
Ways to Make Money on the Side
10. Get paid for your photos.
Do you have photos of gorgeous sunsets and perfectly staged lattes cluttering up your camera roll? You can make extra money for those. Foap pays up to $10 for a photo (some can fetch more for special “missions”) though they’ll take 50% of your sale.2
Keep in mind, there’s no guarantee that people will buy your photos. But even if you only sell a few, that’s some easy money for something you’re already doing: snapping pics of all your random life moments.
11. Drive for Uber or Lyft.
If you’re strapped for cash but want to work on your own schedule, think about becoming a driver for Uber or Lyft. You can drive as much (or as little) as you want and set your own schedule. Plus, you get the added bonus of meeting new people and having interesting conversations along the way.
Of course, the amount of money you make depends on your location and how often you cart people around. So if you’ve got a free Saturday every now and then, you might want to spend it as a glorified taxi driver exploring your city and getting paid for it.
12. Become a food delivery driver.
If you love driving but you’re not a fan of small talk, look into delivering food with Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub or Postmates. This is a great way to make extra money in your free time—while also knocking out audiobooks or binging your favorite podcast.
13. Join a focus group.
Love sharing your opinion? Why not get paid for it? Check to see if there’s a local focus group in your area or online. You could earn cash just for doing taste tests or trying out different products. Just make sure you fit the type of things they’re looking for before applying.
14. Deliver groceries.
If you love the thrill of shopping but don’t want to spend your own money, have I got an opportunity for you. With Shipt, you get paid to shop and deliver groceries to clients. And Shipt says their shoppers make up to $22 an hour!3 That’s $22 an hour you’ll get paid—for shopping! Instacart is another great option to look into.
15. Take up babysitting.
Teenagers usually have the corner market on babysitting. But there’s no reason you can’t get in on it too. And truth be told, it might be easier than you think to land a gig. Most parents will jump at the chance to have a date night. But sometimes, finding a sitter they trust is tricky.
Let people in your friend group, neighborhood Facebook group, church and workplace know you’d be happy to watch their kiddos in your spare time (for pay, of course). Or you can always sign up for a service like Sittercity or Care.com to help you land some babysitting jobs. You set your schedule and the rate, and you can easily charge $15–25 an hour depending on the location and family.
16. Start pet sitting.
Are you an animal lover at heart? How about making some extra money just by taking a dog for a walk or boarding a cat for the weekend? You can advertise your own pet-sitting business on social media, put up signs in your neighborhood, or use a website like Rover or Wag. They let you set your schedule and set up your own fees for services. If you do use Rover, keep in mind that they take a cut of what you make.4 But they can also help you find jobs you wouldn’t know about otherwise, so it’s worth checking out!
17. Advertise on your car.
The app Wrapify will pay you to drive with a business advertisement wrapped around your car. Once the car is wrapped, you really don’t have to do anything except drive around town like you normally do.
It sounds strange, but it’s actually pretty rewarding: The more you drive, the more you’ll earn. Wrapify says the average person who does a full wrap on their car makes about $264–452 a month.5
18. Do tasks for people.
If you’re trying to figure out how to make money on the side with quick fix-it jobs or running errands, TaskRabbit might be your best bet. You can do all kinds of things from yardwork to putting together furniture. (Everyone shopping at Ikea will become your new BFF.) This is the perfect way to make extra money if you like to tinker with things.
19. Deliver for Amazon.
Everyone loves getting packages, so why not spend a few nights a week driving around town bringing people joy? Sign up to deliver packages with Amazon Flex and set your schedule for as much or as little as you want to work.
20. Turn your commute into cash.
Between commuting to work and driving the kids to soccer practice, most of us spend plenty of time in our cars. Here’s another way to make extra money while you’re riding around: With Roadie, you can get paid just for driving a package (or even a pet!) from point A to point B along your route.
And check your area for apps that reward you for carpooling around town. Here in Nashville, we have Hytch, which partners with some companies to reward you for carpooling with one or more people. You’re already driving to work each day, so why not get paid for it too?
21. Become a photographer.
If you have a nice camera and a good eye, snapping a few photos might be just the thing you need to figure out how to make extra money. You can go as all in with this as you want. Maybe you only shoot family sessions and birthday-cake smashes on the weekends. Or maybe you decide to start a business as a wedding photographer! The choice really is up to you.
Check the going rates for sessions in your area so you don’t price yourself too high—or too low. And be sure to include the time you’ll spend editing photos and talking to clients when you’re setting your own rates. Even if you charge just $75–100 for a one-hour session, that can add up pretty fast!
22. Take up car washing/detailing.
If you’re a major car fanatic, this might be a natural fit for you! It’s amazing how many people will pay someone else to do something they don’t want to do. You can even take the business on the road and meet your customers wherever they are! You might need to buy a few things to get your business rolling, so keep that in mind as you set up shop.
23. Become a financial coach.
Are you passionate about helping people take control of their money? Same. You can make some extra cash through financial coaching in your spare time—no special skills required. Our Financial Coach Master Training will walk you through all the tools you need to help bring people hope as they figure out this whole money thing.
24. Start a blog.
The great thing about a blog is you can focus on pretty much any topic out there. If you’re a great cook, do a food blog. If you’re passionate about fitness and nutrition, start a health blog.
Just be prepared for the slow game with this one. You can definitely make good money with a blog . . . but you can also end up making next to nothing.
Using things like Google AdSense or affiliate marketing (where you get a cut when someone buys a product you promote) and even connecting with the right people can really impact your readership and the cash you make.
25. Start your own (online) business.
If you’re just looking for a quick way to make cash on nights or weekends for a short stretch of time, then maybe this one isn’t for you. But if you’re ready to turn your dream of starting your own business into a reality, there’s never been a better time to do it! Online platforms like Etsy, Amazon FBA and Big Cartel have made it easier than ever.
Here's A Tip
Want to get a head start on figuring out which of these side hustles is the best option for you? Take my free side hustle quiz. It will give you a personalized list of side hustles that make sense for your skills and schedule.
How to Make Extra Money by Selling or Renting
26. Rent your home.
If you have a spare bedroom or can stay with your in-laws or friends on short notice, you might want to consider renting out your home on Airbnb. Let’s say you decide to rent out your upstairs guest room and bathroom to two guests. Here in the Nashville area, you’d have a monthly earning potential of over $2,000.6
But what about the risks of opening up your home to strangers? Airbnb offers accidental damage coverage on your home—up to a million dollars of coverage, to be exact. They also offer host protection insurance just in case a guest gets hurt while staying on your property. So kick that worry to the curb!
Even though Airbnb doesn’t screen each individual guest, they do let hosts and guests rate each other. That way you can feel more at ease about who you’re letting into your house.
27. Rent out your car.
If you have a vehicle that just sits in your garage for long stretches of time, you might find a car rental service like Turo is one of the easiest ways to make some extra money. On average, you could make a jaw-dropping $10,516 a year—just by renting out your ride!7
And don’t worry: The company covers your vehicle with $750,000 of liability insurance and offers theft and damage coverage.8 So let your renter hit the open road while you sit back and count that extra cash.
28. Sell old phones and electronics.
Is it just me, or does it seem like new electronic gadgets come out every day? And when you’re ready to upgrade (paid for in cash, of course), what do you do with the old stuff you don’t use anymore? Well, you could just shove it in that random junk corner (where everything goes) or you can sell it! Sites like Swappa and Gazelle will take those old phones, gaming systems and laptops off your hands.
29. Get rid of old movies and music.
Channel your inner minimalist and get rid of all those dusty DVDs or CDs on your entertainment stand or in boxes under your bed. I mean, when was the last time you popped in your DVD of the 2014 version of Godzilla? Turn it into cash, and make the whole process easier with Decluttr.
You can scan the bar codes of items you don’t want anymore and see how much money the company will give you. Instead of waiting around for a buyer to maybe purchase your item, Decluttr will buy your stuff outright.
30. Rent out your baby gear.
Do you have baby items taking up space in your garage but you aren’t ready to part with them yet? After all, you might want another kid . . . maybe one day. Instead of selling that high chair or baby jumper, why not rent them? I’m. Not. Kidding. On websites like BabyQuip, their Quality Providers earn around $1,000 a month renting out things like cribs and strollers.9 Seriously.
31. Sell unwanted stuff.
Sift through your hall closet, attic and garage for everything you don’t use anymore. What can you live without? Of course, you can always sell items on tried-and-true sites like eBay and Craigslist. But don’t forget about apps like OfferUp, VarageSale, Poshmark, thredUP and Facebook Marketplace that make it even easier to make extra money by selling secondhand stuff.
32. Sell your kids’ clothes.
Let’s be honest—those little people grow out of their clothes faster than you can keep up. When it’s time to get rid of the clothes they’ve outgrown, you have a few options: put them out in your standard yard sale, sell them to a consignment store, post them on social media, or use the good ole internet. Apps like Kidizen are specially designed for selling your kids’ gently used threads. And of course, you can use other sites I already mentioned (like Poshmark, thredUP, Craigslist and eBay) to sell children’s clothing too.
33. Sell those unused gift cards.
Aunt Betsy gave you a PacSun gift card for Christmas, and you’ve never even set foot in the place. Instead of letting it collect dust, sell it! Websites like Raise let you sell your unwanted gift cards and make a little kickback off of them. After all, every gift card deserves a loving home, doesn’t it? And then you can put that extra money to good use. Thanks after all, Aunt Betsy!
34. Rent your belongings.
Okay, I already talked about renting out your home, car and even your old baby items. What else is there? Oh, only everything else. The popular renting company Fat Llama (quite the name—I know) lets you rent out nearly any of your belongings!
Some of the most in-demand items are camera equipment, projectors, and lighting and audio equipment. So if you’re a photographer, videographer or just a tech-gadget lover, you could make a good amount of cash here. But the possibilities don’t end there. You can even rent out your lawn mower . . . or tractor . . . or scooter. Who knew? Well, now you do!
Don’t Forget This Way to Earn Extra Money!
Now that you know how to make extra money, try a few of these (or all 34 if you’re an overachiever) and see just how much you can drum up.
And when you start bringing home that extra money, make sure you’re using it to its max potential—by budgeting! Our free budgeting tool EveryDollar will help you do just that. You're going to be working hard to make all that extra money. And budgeting will make sure it works hard for you too.
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About the author
George Kamel