Whether you’re saving for a big purchase or trip, looking to build an emergency fund, or just give yourself more flexibility, multiple streams of income is always a great idea. But if you’re busy or working full time, it can seem overwhelming to find ways to earn extra cash on the side. Where do you start? What are the best types of opportunities to pursue? What’s actually worth your precious time? And what will pay off? Here are 30 incredible ways to generate extra income that you can incorporate into your weekly routine.
Choosing the Right Way to Earn Extra Cash
Before diving into any of these opportunities, spend some time really thinking about your objectives, strengths, and situation. My post about how to choose the best side hustle for you is a great place to start! You may also want to reflect on where your passions lie to see how you can align opportunities to what brings you joy.
Get clear on what types of opportunities may be the best fit, and keep them in mind as you read through these options.
Online Opportunities
Want to earn extra money from home? These online opportunities let you work from pretty much anywhere.
1. Open an Etsy shop.
You can sell handmade products, vintage goods (items over 20 years old), or craft supplies. I opened my Etsy shop in October 2015 and it’s what allowed me to leave my corporate job in January 2017 to pursue self-employment full time.
Related posts:
How to Sell Things on Etsy: What You Need to Know (an introductory post)
How to Start Selling on Etsy Successfully (how to actually build a business)
Making Money on Etsy: How I Doubled My Income on the Cheap (a case study on affordable marketing tactics)
How to Promote Your Etsy Shop: 10 Affordable Ways (a thorough list of marketing tactics that won’t break the bank)
Ready to start? Sign up here to get your first 40 listings absolutely free.
2. Sell products on Amazon.
This isn’t something I’ve tried, but it can be quite lucrative and drop shipping options prevent you from having to store inventory yourself. Check out Amazon’s Getting Started Guide for more information.
3. Start a blog.
While blogging is by no means a get rich quick opportunity, it can be an incredible platform to spread your message and help others, with longer term financial gains. Plus, you can start a blog with SiteGround for only $3.95/month which is a low-cost way to try it out.
Interested? Check out my post on the best way to start a blog in 8 easy steps. I’ve also pulled together two round ups of the best blogging tools for beginners: both for free tools and paid tools.
4. Start earning cash back on your purchases.
If you’re an online shopper, cash back sites will rock your world! Plus, you can get up to $15 in bonuses when you sign up and make a purchase.
Related posts:
How to Save on Online Shopping by Using Cash Back Sites
Why You Need to Sign up for an Ebates Account Today (and Get $10!)
Giving Assistant Review: How to Earn Cash Back (and Get $5 Now!)
5. Take online surveys.
If you love sharing your opinion, online surveys are a fantastic way to earn extra money doing something you enjoy. To make the most of this form of income, sign up for as many sites as you’d like and complete all available surveys. This will help your earnings build! Here are some options:
U.S.
- Survey Rewardz: Earn cash and rewards like Amazon gift cards.
- ClickPerks: Earn cash and rewards like electronics and gift cards by filling our surveys, shopping online, and watching videos.
- E-Poll Market Research: Earn reward points and cash them in for gift cards and other rewards.
Canada
- VIP Voice Canada: Earn VIP Points for every survey you complete. Use points towards sweepstakes, auctions, and prizes.
- DailyRewards: Get paid to read emails, take online surveys, play games, and go shopping. And get $5 just for signing up!
- iSurveyWorld: Get paid to take surveys.
Worldwide
- Grab Points: Open to residents of Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, United States. Receive gift cards for things like downloading apps and watching videos, in addition to completing surveys.
- Swagbucks: Open worldwide! Get a $5 signup bonus when you join through my link. Earn gift cards for doing things like taking polls, answering surveys, and more.
- Toluna Surveys: Test products and give your opinions to earn rewards.
Find even more in my post The Best Legit Surveys for Money You Can Start Today.
6. Become a site tester.
Sites like UserTesting will pay you to visit and interact with websites or apps, complete a series of tasks, and speak your thoughts aloud. And they pay you $10USD via PayPal for every test you complete (normally 10-20 minutes each).
7. Sell your services on Fiverr.
I’ve used Fiverr often as a customer, but would recommend also checking them out for opportunities to be a seller. Check out their guide for monetizing your digital services.
8. Publish eBooks on Amazon.
If you enjoy writing or project management, consider self publishing opportunities. While some of you may know I published The Confidence Toolkit last year, you may not know that I’ve also published six other eBooks. That’s because I had them written by ghost writers and then published under pen names.
In short, I did keyword research to find out what topics were popular but underserved on Amazon. Then, I hired writers on Upwork to write short eBooks to specifically address these topics. Using graphic designers on Fiverr, I had cover artwork made and then uploaded everything to Kindle Direct Publishing.
I earn about $100-150USD per month passive income on these books, each of which cost no more than $60USD per book to have written and packaged.The great thing about eBook publishing is that you can publish as few or as many books as you’d like. While there’s a bit of an up front investment in getting the book created, it yields passive income on an ongoing basis without much ongoing work or oversight.If you want more information about publishing eBooks on Amazon, I’d recommend reading Kindle Money Mastery by Stefan Pylarinos. He also has a YouTube channel where he posts videos about publishing Kindle books.
9. Publish articles through the GoRead Buzz Program.
GoRead is a platform for authors and book lovers to connect. They have the GoRead Buzz Program (read more about that here!) which lets participating offers share in the profits of the site by publishing content and engaging on the platform.If you’re an author or content creator, it’s a great way to grow your audience and earn money at the same time!
10. Freelance.
With the growth of websites like Upwork, it’s easier than ever to find freelancing jobs from clients across the globe. These can be anything from writing to proofreading to graphic design, and everything in between. You can also find Virtual Assistant jobs if you’re looking for broader or more administrative tasks.Once you build your portfolio on Upwork, you can grow your business further by starting your own website, taking on clients in your local area, or hiring a team.
11. Start using affiliate marketing.
If you’re not familiar with affiliate marketing, it involves you promoting a specific website, product, or service, and then receiving a commission when someone takes action based on your recommendation. Sites like MaxBounty and Share a Sale are all great places to start in signing up to be an affiliate for various brands.
When it comes to promoting these products, it’s most effective if you have an established platform like a blog, but you could also take advantage of this opportunity if you have a large social media following or an email list.
12. Teach others!
With sites like Udemy and Skillshare, it’s never been easy to create and sell your own courses. You can teach anything from how to create powerful presentations in PowerPoint to coding to photography and everything in between.
Plus, if you sign up for Skillshare through this link, you’ll get a free 1 month trial to check out their courses. This is a great way to see what types of styles and topics are popular which will act as market research when you create your own course.
13. Sell products on eBay.
Yes, anything from your own products to designer jeans can be sold on eBay! Sign up today.
14. Start a YouTube Channel.
Like blogging, YouTube isn’t easy to monetize quickly, but it can be part of a great long term strategy. I don’t often post to my channel, but it’s a great resource for when the content I want to share lends itself better to video than to a post.
15. Clean out your closet.
As I shared in this post, you can cash in your closet by selling old clothes and accessories! Poshmark and ThredUp are great sites to use. (Canadians, Trend Trunk is similar!).
16. Sell your photos.
Yes, some websites will pay you for photos you’ve taken, especially if they are high quality and in popular niches. This post from The Work at Home Woman has lots of great advice on getting started.
17. Become an online tutor.
If you like teaching one on one, consider tutoring. There are tons of opportunities available to tutor online in all different subjects. The pay varies depending on the site and subject matter, and some jobs require certain certifications or degrees. A few tutoring sites to check out are Wyzant and Course Hero.
Watching and Overseeing Opportunities
18. Start babysitting.
For many of us, this was our first job and for good reason! If you love kids, babysitting can be fun and rewarding. Plus, if you babysit during naptime or at night, you may be able to multitask or work for part of your visit! If you live in the U.S., check out SitterCity for opportunities in your local area. Otherwise, ask around in your neighbourhood or search local Facebook groups or job sites for opportunities nearby.
19. Become a petsitter or dog walker.
If you love animals, this can be a fantastic way to earn extra money! Use sites like Rover to find prospective clients in your geographic area.
20. Start house sitting.
Sites like Mind My House, House Carers, and Trusted House Sitters are wonderful ways to find opportunities near you. Love to travel? Look for houses in places you’d like to visit to score free accommodation!
Network or Multi-Level Marketing Opportunities
21. Work as a Stella & Dot Stylist.
Stella & Dot offers great network marketing opportunities, especially if you love fashion and accessories. You can sign up here.
22. Sell makeup and skincare products.
If you’re a beauty lover, consider selling Avon, Mary Kay, or Arbonne products.
Rent Your Stuff or Space
23. Rent your house or part of it.
Become an Air BNB host or VRBO host and start making money off any unused rooms or floors of your home.
24. Rent your parking spot.
If you have extra parking space, consider renting it! JustPark is a great resource for finding potential renters.
25. Rent you car.
If you have an extra car or simply don’t need yours every day, consider renting it. Some great sites to connect you with people looking for a car are Turo, JustShareIt, and GetAround.
Interactive Opportunities
26. Participate in focus groups.
Similar to online surveys, focus groups pay you for your opinion, feedback, and input.
27. Start driving with Uber or Lyft.
If you enjoy driving, this can be a great option. Set your own hours, choose when you work, and avoid rush hour if you’d like! Get started with Uber or Lyft today.
28. Become a delivery person.
Options include:
29. Lend a hand.
Can you mount a TV, lift heavy things, or build furniture? Join TaskRabbit and get paid for completing tasks like this in your neighbourhood. You can also offer to give your neighbours a hand with things like shovelling driveways, mowing lawns, cleaning homes, and more.
30. Become a mystery shopper.
If you like shopping and want to get paid for it, consider becoming a mystery shopper. From what I’ve read, BestMark and Shoppers Confidential are two great places to check out.
So there you have it: 30 ways to earn extra cash on the side! Leave me a comment below and let me know which one(s) you plan on trying out.
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