A big reason why Ben and I started Breaking The One Percent was to help people learn about different ways to make extra money. We talk a lot about all of the different ways to make extra money, from just simple gigs on the side, to launching full blown startups (and everything in between).
Related: How this RN Built a $100,000+/yr Side Hustle at 28
Obviously, earning extra money is something that can really change your life. Money can buy you freedom in more ways than one, despite what people may say.
Earning extra money on top of your day job can improve many areas of your life:
- Less stress from living paycheck to paycheck
- Reduce the burden of crippling debt
- More opportunities to save for a dream vacation
- It can be passed on to others for social good
- You can retire earlier
- It can be snowballed into even more wealth
The purpose of this post is to serve as a source of ideas for you to make extra money. Let this list be a source of inspiration to you!
Whether you’ve only got a few spare minutes to make a quick buck or if you are willing to burn the midnight oil in the hours after your full-time job and put in maximum effort, there are so many ways to make extra money.
There is a ton of information on this page, so I suggest bookmarking it and coming back periodically.
Alright, let’s get to it!
My Top Ways to Make Extra Money
There’s something on this list for everyone, but I wanted to start things off with my personal favorites in terms of making extra money.
1. How to Make Extra Money Fast: Get Paid to Do Online Surveys
Companies are willing to pay money to get inside the heads of consumers. If you’re looking for how to make extra money fast, look no further. They’re free to join and free to use. Pro tip: It’s best to sign up for as many as you can as that way you can receive the most surveys and make the most money.
Survey Junkie – Survey Junkie works much in the same way that Swagbucks does. All you have to do is sign up to be eligible for surveys. Once you complete a survey you earn a certain amount of points that you can exchange for cash paid directly to a PayPal account or you can redeem your points for gift cards. Super simple.
Sign up for Survey Junkie and get started making money today!
Swagbucks – Perhaps the most well-known and trusted of all the survey sites, users earn “Swagbucks” (also known as SB’s) for each survey they complete. Swagbucks even gives you a FREE $5 as an incentive just for signing up.
Sign up for Swagbucks and claim your FREE $5 here.
Vindale Research – Vindale Research asks for information about you that they can match you with fitting surveys. At up to $50 a pop for some surveys, and a free $2 just for signing up, it pays to check in daily to see which ones are available to you. Cashouts are through PayPal.
Sign up for Vindale Research and claim your FREE $2 here.
Inbox Dollars– Cash and simplicity. Those are my two favorite parts about Inbox Dollars. After a few minutes of answering questions and watching a couple tutorial videos on how the site works, I had $5 added to my account. Pretty sweet!
Sign up for Inbox Dollars and claim your FREE $5 bonus here
VIP Voice – You use the points you get from completing surveys to enter into sweepstakes and auctions for great rewards. Prizes include vacations, electronics, appliances, and much more.
Get entered into a $1,000 sweepstakes just for signing up.
Survey Club – Participate in latest & highest paying research, product test, focus groups, clinical trials, and survey opportunities. Get paid each time you take part in a paid research study (deposited directly to your PayPal account).
Sign up at Survey Club and get started for FREE today.
EarningStation – Earn points by taking surveys, shopping online, watching videos and signing up for great products. Redeem your points for gift cards to your favorite stores like Amazon and Walmart.
Sign up at EarningStation and get started for FREE today.
MyPoints rewards members when they shop online, take surveys, play games, watch videos and more. Similar to Swagbucks, plus they give you a $5 gift card for free after signing up.
Sign up for MyPoints and claim your FREE $5 here.
2. Start a Blog
This can be just a simple side hustle, or it can turn into something really special; it’s up to you. I’m a huge fan of blogging because I love writing and connecting with people all over the world. If you want to get started, read my post From 0-$100k: How Anyone Can Start Blogging. If you need some inspiration, check out how we made over $7,100 in one month from blogging. Seriously, don’t discount the incredible opportunities that blogging can provide!
HostGator has one of the best deals on the internet right now for getting a money-making blog up and running. They make it simple and easy to get started (and have everything you need all in one place), which is why I like recommending them to ambitious new bloggers. Zero tech knowledge needed!
Use coupon code “BTOP60” to get 60% off the price of your blog (this offer expires soon!)
If you’ve already got your blog up and running and are wondering how you can get more traffic, check out our brand new course: The Perfect Pin: How to Create Viral Pins that Drive Insane Amounts of Traffic (we get over 100k monthly visitors from Pinterest each month)
Take Your Blog From $0 to $12k+ Per Month
In this FREE 7-day email course, you'll:
- Discover your perfect niche and how to write amazing content your readers will love (and share!)
- Learn the best ways to make money as a new blogger
- and more!
3. Drive with Uber
This is a really good use of your time if you are open to trying creative ways to make money. Check out this article to help you get started.
4. Earn More Interest on Your Savings
Move your savings over to a bank account that actually pays you a decent interest rate on your savings. Discover Bank’s online savings account has an APY several times higher than the national average. Take 10 minutes out of your day and do this- over time, it really does make a difference.
5. Become a Freelance Proofreader
In 2014, Caitlin Pyle made over $43,000 by working as a freelance proofreader…part time. When she wasn’t working, she even had time to go on several fun vacations. After she had a ton of success doing that, she decided she wanted to teach others how to do the same thing, so she started up Proofread Anywhere. Sign up for one of her free workshops to learn more about making money as a proofreader.
6. Sell Your Stuff
Most of us are guilty of hanging onto things that we never use, myself included. Take a day and go through all your old stuff and get rid of some of it! One tool that is really helpful for this is Decluttr. you can enter your items barcodes into their valuation engine and they’ll give you an instant offer. Then you simply pack all your items into a box and then ship your items to them for free. Get cash for your stuff with Decluttr.
7. Donate Plasma
Donating your body is a great way to help other people in need, and some donation centers even pay donors. I regularly donate platelets and plasma with the American Red Cross (who unfortunately do not compensate donors), but it’s a great way to give back to the community.
To find a plasma donation center near you that compensates donors, visit donatingplasma.org.
8. Get Cashback When You Shop
Technically you’re not getting money, but you’re getting money back (cashback) on purchases you would have made anyways. Cool thing is, this is on top of any discounts/coupon codes you already have. The two best sites that offer cashback on your online purchases are Ebates ($10 free signup bonus) and Swagbucks ($5 free signup bonus).
9. Sell Custom Designed T-Shirts
I recently stumbled upon a really neat website, Teespring.com, where you can design t-shirts and sell them online. If you can come up with some cool designs and use Facebook ads to target exactly who would love your designs, you can definitely make extra money with this side hustle.
10. Invest Your Savings
Depending on your age, you should be netting around 7% year with a balanced investment portfolio. Have $50,000 in savings? That is $3,500 dollars per year that you are missing out on by not investing. And getting started is easier than you think. Check out How to Make Money in the Stock Market, courtesy of Mr. Money Moustache. And FYI, Ally Invest has a promo going on right now where you can start investing in stocks for only $4.95 per trade (one of the cheapest around).
More of My Favorite Ways to Make Extra Money:
11. Peer to Peer Lending
Using money you already have to make more money is usually a pretty smart move. Using a service like Lending Club is a great way to act as a lender and earn interest on your money. Essentially, you act as the bank, which is pretty neat. Lending Club is the world’s largest online credit marketplace connecting borrowers and investors. Definitely something worth looking into!
12. Manage Social Media for Businesses
This can also include advertising, but many businesses also need help just filling up their social media profiles with relevant (and consistent) content. If you enjoy learning about social media and want to take things a step further and make extra money, social media management is a great option. If you’re good at it, it can also open up a lot of doors for you down the road. This is a great article from Small Biz Trends on How to Start Your Own Social Media Business.
13. Sell Gift Cards You’ll Never Use
We all have them. That random store that you never go to, but your grandma thought you’d love. Raise is a marketplace for buying and selling gift cards online. It’s free to join, and consumers can either buy discounted gift cards or sell their gift cards in exchange for cash.
14. Participate in Paid Research Studies
If you live near a university, there are likely all sorts of research studies looking for participants. While I was an undergrad at Virginia Tech, I got paid $500 to participate in a 6 week dietary study. The study provided all my meals and paid me, but I had to eat a 5,000 calorie diet of 50% fat for 6 weeks, plus I had multiple muscle biopsies taken, urine/blood testing, etc.
15. Use Swagbucks for Online Search
Swagbucks is a great way to passively earn cash and Amazon gift cards with very little work. They have a search tool, which is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded “SBs” for the things you do through their website. Redeem SBs for rewards. And by signing up through our link, they give you a free $5. Boom.
16. Trade Options
Warning: don’t do this without at least SOME understanding of what you are doing. Trading options is similar to trading stocks, but there can be higher risks involved. Etrade is a great platform for options trading, and right now they have a promotion where they are offering commission free trading for 60 days when you open an account. To learn more about trading options, read this Simple Guide to Making Money with Options.
***no longer a valid offer as of 09/06/2017
17. Join the Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel
Install the app, surf the web, and get entries into their monthly $10,000 sweepstakes. Learn more about Nielsen Digital Voice here.
18. Install the Shoptracker App
As the name suggests, this app tracks your shopping habits (anonymously) for market research companies. You get a free $3 just for installing the app!
19. Consulting for Local Small Businesses
This side hustle can easily become a full time job! If you’ve got expertise in an area and think you can help small businesses near you, give this a shot. For instance, Ben and I know a lot about running Facebook advertising campaigns, so we approached the owner of our gym if he would let us design a few campaigns for him. And of course he was thrilled to get the help! Here’s a useful 18 Step Checklist for Becoming a Small Business Consultant.
20. Affiliate Marketing
That’s how this website is able to generate thousands in revenue each month without selling anything. It’s one of the easiest ways to make extra money online. Setting up an affiliate-focused website is fairly simply, but it will take quite a bit of time and effort to draw in enough traffic to make decent money. Our article From 0-$100k: How Anyone Can Start Blogging is a great starting point!
Other Ways to Make Extra Money:
21. Create an Online Course
If you’ve got expertise in a certain area, package up your knowledge into an online course and sell it. This has become a very popular business model for online entrepreneurs over the past several years. The two big websites that are used to sell online courses are Udemy and Teachable. Check out this awesome article by Regina on How to Create an Online Course that Sells.
22. Offer Resume Help
This can either be done locally or through an online service like Fiverr. Resumes are something that people can be very insecure and self conscious about, which means there is always a demand for services that will help spruce them up. Holly Hanna from The Work at Home Woman wrote a really useful article on How to Make Money from Home with Resume Writing.
23. Become a Bartender
If you live in a college town, this can be a really lucrative side hustle. Get a better idea of how much you can expect to earn as a bartender here.
24. Pet Sitting
Especially around the holidays, this service is in high demand. People want someone they can trust to look after their pets while they are out of town. The Simple Dollar has a pretty nifty guide on how you can make money pet sitting if this sounds like something you’re interested in.
25. Start Personal Training
If you have a passion for fitness and love helping others improve their health, you might consider becoming a personal trainer. With social media, there are now more ways than just 1 on 1 training to make extra money in the fitness industry. Smart Asset wrote a great piece on The Economics of Personal Training.
Take Your Blog From $0 to $12k+ Per Month
In this FREE 7-day email course, you'll:
- Discover your perfect niche and how to write amazing content your readers will love (and share!)
- Learn the best ways to make money as a new blogger
- and more!
Related:
![[Blueprint for $1K] How to Get Your First $1,000 Month as a Blogger](https://www.breakingtheonepercent.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/earn-1k-feature.jpg "[Blueprint for $1K] How to Get Your First $1,000 Month as a Blogger")
34 Responses
This is such a great list! I actually just wrote a post about how to make more money at your current job. I can really recognize all the work that went into putting this post together.
Thanks Jessica! I’m hoping everyone can at least find SOMETHING on this list they can try 🙂
Ohhh what an amazing list! Thank you, Jeff, for taking the time to put this together. It’s one of the greatest list for newbies who want to make money, also a nice list to get ideas if you’re stuck.
39. Test Apps and Websites is very interesting.
I’ve always wanted to donate plasma but I don’t weigh enough to meet their requirements. I recently just thought of doing a grocery delivery service by picking up people’s online grocery orders for them. A little extra goes a long way! 🙂
Thanks, Sarah! I would definitely pay for grocery delivery if it existed in my area. It’s a valuable service and a great opportunity for the go-getter!
Wow, what a detailed post. I am a wedding planner and its great way to make money for sure!
Thank you!
Fantastic resources! Many of these are helpful for people who cannot hold full time jobs, too.
Thanks Arien! You’re right, there are a lot of flexible options here- many of which can TURN INTO full time jobs if someone works hard enough 🙂
Wow! Highly extensive list with tons of great out of the box ideas! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Thanks Brittany! Tried to come up with a few that weren’t on the other “make money” lists out there 🙂
Great ideas and covers a multitude of possibilities. I’m sharing this.
Thanks for spreading the wealth, Margaret!
Way to share and be unstoppable! Cheers to 2017!
Thanks Rhonda 🙂
My brother is an Uber driver and an Amazon Flex employee. Both are great ways to make money and create your own schedule!
I hadn’t heard of Amazon Flex before- it looks awesome! I’ll have to add that to the list 🙂
As a woman I’m a bit skeptical about certain tasks in my area. I’ve been trying hard to find work from home. I enjoyed your list though!
I really enjoy writing stories. I have found that I get to be creative and make some money on the side through ThisBookisWrittenforYou. All of the writers get to collaborate on a book and then get a portion of the sales. It definitely isn’t a get rich quick type of thing but to be creative and get a portion of any book sale is pretty cool!
I’ve thought about using Dietbet for weight loss. I think it’d be really motivating!
Never thought shifting the pounds was a solution for getting paid. May have to check that one out!
Marketing tools are awesome for increasing your income- great list!
Nice Jeff, always looking for a more stable income. I’ve had success in the past with ebay and tonerconnect!
thanks for the list.
Hi, came across this information after trying to brain storm of fun way to make extra $$. I’m a RN and work 3 days a week and have 4 days off! (Best part of the job 🙂) I am thinking of trying to purchase Authenticate designer handbags and creating a page to resale. My delima is how to find a reputable supplier. Do you have any ideas?? I’ve even gone to Designer handbag selling sites and asked…all I get are members wanting to sell me “their” purchases at a small discounted price.
Hey Stephanie!
Having your own site to sell gently used handbags is probably going to be a really, really difficult endeavor for what its worth. It will be hard to get enough eyeballs/visitors on those bags to generate enough sales to make you any meaningful income (it’s an incredibly small niche and almost too specific in nature). Not to deter you from the idea completely but you’ll need to commit to several years of patience to really hit a home run in that field.
I think you’d have two paths to success with that sort of idea:
1) commit to learning SEO and building a brand – you can write guest articles on other designer/clothing sites and get links back to a website you create
or
2) it would likely be easier to emulate what some of these big MLM girls are doing with their FB groups. Rather than advertise your products on FB, look for ways to build a page with a large following of interested users. A lot of these Lula Roe girls that do exceptionally well have large facebook pages with 10,000+ likes they “go live” on facebook and have Lula Roe parties showing off their goods/sales.
I would surmise 2 would be the best way to kind of approach things if you’re really up to that challenge!
Ben
Thank you for the input. I think your probably right….the purse selling would be a huge challenge. Thank you for the suggestions 1 & 2. My husband owns a complete auto care business and we are leaning towards purchasing vehicles from individual sellers to resell. That may be the more certain route to take. We have access to auto technicians and auto equipment etc. I was kinda trying to do something myself, I’ll get back to brain storming!
Thank you,
Stephanie
Hey Jeff,
Thanks for sharing this extensive list. What a great resource. I included it in my round-up post on 200+ ways to make extra money: http://www.runthemoney.com/make-extra-money-this-year/
Thanks,
Dave
Thanks Dave! Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for including ours on your list.
I have a way to make extra money that most people haven’t seen or thought of that’s almost as easy to do as going for a walk! I provide a litter cleanup service on foot using inexpensive hand tools outside retail, office and industrial properties. I’ve been doing this since 1981 and share how in my book, Cleanlots.
Saw your guest post on Michelle’s site and was totally impressed. Congrats man!
Wow! Thats so useful. I will bookmark it for my further use as I found here so many important resources. I got inspired to read this post.
This is an amazing article. Keep up the good work. i saw your post on pinterest.