One of the best things you can do for your financial life is to increase your income because let’s face it, there’s only so many things you can cut out or save money on.
So I made you a list of things you can do to increase your income! (You’re welcome). 😏
This list is broken down into:
- Extra Money: These are things that you can start doing TODAY to bring in extra income. You most likely won’t get rich from doing these things, but money is money!
- Make Money With Things You Already Do: I’m going to show you how to monetize the things you already do (like exercising!), and how you can make more money at your job (if you have one).
- Online Side Hustles: These are things you can do online to make some serious cash, but you may not be able to make a full-time income with. Now if you stacked some of these things to create multiple streams of income….
- Make Money Offline: Some of these things are side jobs you can do, or some passive things that require leaving the house. Like the online side hustles, you may not be able to fully replace your job income with these things, but you can always stack them!
- Business Ideas: These are the things that have the potential to bring you a full-time income!
I’ve included a small explanation for everything and some links to resources to help get you started!
Let me know if you’ve ever tried any of these things or plan on trying something from this list!
Make Extra Money
Answer Surveys
One of the easiest ways to make extra money (that you can start today) is by taking surveys online!
There are a lot of different companies that want people’s opinions so that they can make their products better for consumers and they’re willing to pay!
If you want to get started here are our favorite websites for taking surveys:
Answer Professional Questions With JustAnswer
JustAnswer is a website that enables anyone to ask experts (laywers, doctors, mechanics, and more) questions anonymously.
Check these out if you want to get started:
- How to Make Money Online with JustAnswer.com
- Is JustAnswer.com A Scam Or Make $1000/Month As An Expert?
- JustAnswer Review: How Much Can You Earn As An Expert?
Join A Focus Group
This is similar to taking surveys. People will gladly pay to hear your opinions on things like food, TV shows, politics, and more.
The difference is, these are usually done in groups, and in real time. For example, for an in-person focus group, you’ll go to a place with a group of people and give your opinion and someone will moderate and take notes.
For online focus groups, you’ll join a chat room and give your opinion and someone will also moderate.
Check these out if you want to get started:
Get Credit Card Rewards
Since you most likely use your card to purchase things, why not switch to a card that gives you rewards?
There are cards that can give you cashback, points for travel, and points that you can redeem for a variety of things (concert tickets, hotel stays, and more).
Check these out if you want to get started:
- 16 Best Cash Back Credit Cards – Reviews & Comparison
- Best Cash Back Credit Cards of June 2019
- The Best Cash Back Credit Cards of 2019
Test Websites
Website owners want to make sure that their websites are user-friendly, so they sometimes pay people to test the website and give their opinion.
You can make $15+ for just 15-20 minutes of your time!
Check these out if you want to get started:
Make Money With Things You Already Do
Negotiate Your Bills
One of the easiest things you can do to put more money in your pocket, is to negotiate your bills.
Now, you can call each company that you use, and ask them for a lower rate on things.. But really who has the time for that?
✅ You can use Trim Financial Manager to do all of the heavy lifting for you! They will analyze your bank accounts and show you how much you’re spending and where you can save some money (kind of like Mint). And they will also cancel subscriptions you no longer use, and can negotiate a lower rate on your utility bills!
Did I mention that Trim is also free?
Automate Your Savings
Hopefully, you’re already saving money… You are saving money, right?
Okay you’re saving money putting it away in a savings account – so that should be enough, right?
✅ Skrrt skrrt, hold up. You can use Acorns to actually automate your savings. They will round up your purchases and put it into an investment account (taxable or a non-taxable retirement account) so your money will grow!
Make Money By Walking
Did you know that you can make money by just walking and/or running?
✅ SweatCoin is an amazing phone app that will give you a type of cryptocurrency called SweatCoins (for every 1,000 steps you can get about 1 SweatCoin).You can redeem the SweatCoins for things like movie theater giftcards, running shoes, Apple watches, iPhones, Paypal cash, and even trips!
The app is totally free and can run in the background while you get your 10,000 steps in 😏.
Make Money By Losing Weight
Trying to get into shape? Maybe you want to try and lose a few pounds? Want to make some money in the process?
✅ HealthyWage will pay you cash for losing weight!
If that sounds like something you’d be into, you can visit:
Use Ebates When Shopping Online
Let’s be honest with each other (we’re all friends here) – you probably shop online at least once a week, right?
Are you getting cashback when shopping online (I’m not talking about your credit card!).
My favorite website for getting cashback when shopping online is Ebates! They usually have the highest cashback percentage, and there’s a handy browser add-on that you can download that will remind you to “activate” the cashback!
Here are my favorite cashback websites:
Earn More Money At Your Job
If you already have a job and you want to earn more money, here are a few things you can do to increase your income (besides getting a higher paying job).
💚 Ask For A Raise
If you’re doing a great job at work, if you’ve taken on more responsibility, and/or you just work at a place, that doesn’t do yearly raises, it might be a good idea to try asking for a raise!
I know it may seem scary, but if you’re doing a great job and can make a case for yourself, it doesn’t hurt to ask, or at least reach out to your manager to inquire what would make you eligible for a raise.
Here are some resources to help you out:
- Everything You Need to Know About Asking for a Raise
- How to Ask for a Raise
- 8 Managers Share The Best Way To Ask For A Raise (And Get It)
💚 Get A Promotion
Getting a promotion can make a huge difference in your financial life, according to Ramit Sethi, a 1-time $5,000 salary increase invested and compounded over 40 years will add up to $1,398,905.20!
Asking for a promotion is probably scarier than asking for a raise, but it can be done!
Here are some resources to help you out:
- How to ask your boss for a promotion (with word-for-word scripts)
- The best method to ask your boss for a promotion
- Moving on Up: How to Ask for a Promotion
💚 Earn Bonues At Work
If your employer does year-end bonuses or bonuses for completing projects, make sure you’re doing whatever you need to do to get that bonus! Have a conversation with your manager early on to make sure you’re on track.
If you’re at a workplace that doesn’t usually offer raises you can still speak with your manager to see what you can do to get one.
Here are some resources to help you out:
- 5 Ways to Earn a Bonus
- How to boost your chances of getting a year-end bonus
- What Is Bonus Pay and Why Might an Employer Pay It to Employees?
💚 Work Overtime
Okay, this probably isn’t the most fun option – but hey, it’s money!
Working overtime can give you the ability to get time and a half pay, and can show your managers that you’re passionate about your job – which can make asking for a raise or promotion easier.
Here are some resources to help you out:
Online Side Hustles
Create an Ebook
If you’re looking to create a stream of passive income, why not an eBook?
You can create an eBook on almost any topic, you can sell it through your own website if you have a blog, or through Amazon so it can be read on kindles.✅ If you’re interested in creating your own eBook, I suggest the course eBook By Number (from Start a Mom Blog)
Make Money Searching Online
Did you know that you can earn money for simple web searches?
If you’re interested in this side hustle, visit InboxDollars
Become an Editor/Proofreader
If you’re interested in proofreading blogs or books and want to learn how to get started, check out: ProofreadAnywhere
Become A Resume Writer
This is a great side hustle that can be done from anywhere in the world.
Resumes are a huge deal, and can be the difference between getting passed on by a recruiter and getting an interview.
Sound interesting? Check out these resources to learn more:
- How to Make Money From Home with Resume Writing
- Student Creates Resume Templates That Bring In $462/Month
- How 4 Freelance Resume Writers Earn Money (One Made $320K Last Year!)
Make Money With Sponsored Social Media Posts
If you have a following on almost any social media platform, you could use that to get paid by companies for posting sponsored content.
To find out more, visit: Making Sense of Sponsored Posts
More Online Side Hustles:
Here are more online side hustles that you might be interested in:
- Forum Moderator
- Start a YouTube Channel
- Chat Support
- Search Engine Evaluator
- Teach English Online
- Investing in Stocks
- Peer-to-Peer Lending
- Real Estate Investing
- Get Paid For Commenting
- Sell Photos Online
- Sell Custom Products (Like T-Shirts!)
- Sell GiftCards
- Enter Contests and Giveaways
Make Money Offline
Here are some amazing ways you can make money offline:
- Drive for Uber or Lyft 🚗
- Become a Landscaper
- Housesit
- Walk Dogs
- Groom Pets
- Scoop Poop 💩
- Shovel Snow
- Babysit
- Petsit
- Be a Handyman
- Clean Homes
- Furniture Mover
- Photographer
- Sell/Donate Blood, Plasma, Eggs, etc.
- Bartend
- Be a Substitute Teacher
- Be a Lifeguard
- Deliver Newspapers
- Sell Stuff on Declutter
- Sell Things on Craigslist
- Sell to Secondhand / Consignment Stores
- Sell Breast Milk
- Have a Garage Sale
- Be a Part of Medical Research Studies
- Rent Out Your Car
- Rent Your Workspace
- Tutor
- Be an Au Pair
- Cuddle With Strangers (Yes I’m Serious!)
- Advertise on Your Car / Home / Body
- Mystery Shop
- Be an Extra in a TV Show or Movie
- Cook For People
Business Ideas
Start A Blog
There are people like Michelle from MakingSenseofCents who regularly make $100,000/month from their blogs!
The good news is that you can easily start a blog for under $4/month with Bluehost.
If you’re seriously thinking about starting a blog, check out thee resources:
- Starting a Blog: A Complete Guide for Serious Beginners in 2019
- How To Make Money Blogging (In No Time)
Create A Course
Creating courses can be a great source of passive income if you do it right (you only need to create the course once and you can keep selling it for as long as you want).
Alex and Lauren from Create and Go are six-figure course creators, Natalie Bacon is a six-figure course creator, and Michelle from MakingSenseofCents is a six-figure course creator also!
I’ve taken courses for blogging, self-development, exercise, and language learning (안녕하세요)!
If you’re interested in creating your own course check out these resources:
Other Business Ideas:
Here are other business ideas you might be interested in pursuing:
- Become a Social Media Manager
- Freelance Writing
- Transcriptionist
- Virtual Assistant
- Bookkeeper
- Sell on Amazon
- Sell Things on eBay
- Sell on Etsy
- Rent Your Space on AirBnB
- Become a Caregiver