Take a look at your bank account. Could you use a little extra money from time to time for certain expenses?
Maybe you already work 40 hours a week at your job and feel like you make plenty of money to support yourself and your family. But are you maximizing your earning potential?
Do you have free time at home to make extra money?
Many people are able to actually double their monthly earnings thanks to a side hustle. If you worked hard enough at it, it could even become your next full-time job! If you're a stay-at-home parent, or simply someone looking for a way to make extra money, here are our tips to earn money quickly from home.
1. Add a Side Hustle
The best way to make extra money is to do extra work. Adding a side hustle to your resume has lots of advantages — first and foremost, the amount of money you will make in addition to your regular salary. Follow your passions so that your side hustle feels like fun instead of work.
How to Find a Side Hustle to Make Extra Money
Make sure that no matter what happens, you always maintain your most consistent source of income to the best of your abilities. That means let your full-time job occupy your mind while you're there, and work it like it's the only job you have until you leave.
Also, never let your side hustle weigh you down financially. The point of a second source of income is that it should be a boon to your cash flow, not another money sink. Even if investing a bit in the side hustle has the potential to create more profit down the road, carefully consider your choices before ever committing, or else you could find yourself in a serious bind. There are quite a few pyramid schemes advertising as real businesses, so do your research!
The only time you should ever spend money on your side hustle is for immediate return on investment (ROI). If you aren't going to make better money instantly as a result of your expenditure, it's not worth it!
Side Hustle Ideas
1. Babysitting
If you spend a lot of time at home with your kids, there's a great chance another parent in your neighborhood could use the help.
Simply offer up your babysitting services at local community meetings like church or other events. Or, put up signs around town with info about the service.
Your kids will love the playmates, and your wallet will love the extra money!
2. Give Your Opinions
If you ever find yourself sitting around and doing nothing but watching TV on the couch, start turning that free time into profit!
Websites like Survey Junkie and Vip Voice allow users to take surveys for 10 to 15 minutes and make several dollars each time. By the end of the month, you can make some serious money on the side!
3. Sell Your Stuff
Take a look around your house. Like most Americans, you probably have a sizable DVD or CD collection gathering dust!
Websites like eBay, Decluttr, or Amazon allow you to sell your collection to others for a good amount of cash. Or you can download an app like Letgo to see if anyone in your area wants to purchase them.
Plus, you can sell all your old electronics, appliances, and even clothing. You never know what kind of money you have lying around the house in the form of unused clutter!
4. Get Good in the Kitchen
Think about it, you have a factory capable of producing products that can sell like hot cakes right in your home -- your kitchen!
If you teach yourself to cook food items that people in your community might enjoy, you can rake in some serious dough. Everything from baked goods to holiday dinners will sell at a decent price, so offer up your cooking skills to your community!
5. Trade in Your Old Electronics
Do you need two old iPhones? Are you ever going to use your iPad from 2014 again? The answer to those questions is probably no, and you can make extra money by trading them in. Plenty of stores and online entrepreneurs buy old electronics, which they refurbish and sell. Look through your house for things you can trade in, such as:
- iPods
- Laptops
- Gaming systems
6. Sell Your Freelance Services Online
You can learn how to make money from home by trying out a new career. If you have ever dabbled in graphic design, edited friends' papers for school, or worked for a radio station, for instance, you may have skills you can sell online. You can find freelance positions for writing, editing, podcasting, and a slew of other specialties.
These jobs usually take a few hours but don't require a full-time commitment. You may eventually find you're so successful at making extra cash from home, you want to make freelancing your primary job.
7. Rent Out Your Car
You probably know you can make money working for a ride-share service. But your car can also help you create extra income from home, without ever leaving the house. You can rent your car out to other people so they can use it to pick up groceries or drive to work. Sign up through a company that will connect you with the renter and take a small slice of the fee. It's mostly passive income you do nothing to earn.
8. Offer Tutoring Services
Whether you're a math whiz, speak perfect Spanish, or are a great violinist, your expertise could help a student who needs extra assistance. You can tutor or give lessons to children of any age as well as college students in your home. Using word of mouth or social media to advertise your services can generate a lot of initial interest. Then others will refer you to their friends as you improve your reputation.
9. Start a Blog
If you have a passion for a subject and a minimal understanding of technology, you can start a blog. You'll be able to make money from home by sharing your thoughts and opinions with people who also care about what you love. You can find blogs on all types of subjects, including:
- Fitness
- Books
- Sports
- Parenting
You don't have to be an expert writer or photographer to become a successful blogger. An interesting point of view, unique insights and relatability are much more critical to building a blog following. Once you have some readers, you can make money by selling advertising for your site or adding affiliate links.
Other Ideas for Extra Income:
- Take pictures at weddings and other special events.
- Offer small business accounting services if you have a background in finance or accounting.
- Provide sports lessons for children and young adults, such as pitching in baseball or playing soccer.
- Referee or umpire games for local sports leagues.
- Draw illustrations for picture books if you are a good artist.
- Instruct fitness classes or offer personal training services.
- Walk dogs or provide pet sitting services.
- Offer makeup and hairstyling if you're particularly skilled at either.
- Offer repairs for homes, automobiles, computers -- if you're a capable craftsman or technician, there's always someone who needs something fixed.
- Find local businesses that need assistance with social media, such as posting things to Instagram or Facebook.
- Play Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny at the local mall during the holiday season.
- Open an online store selling your homemade art, clothes, or other crafts.
If any of these spark your interest, give them a try! You never know if it might transform your finances—and your life—for the better.
How to Be Successful at Your Side Hustle
Here are some tips for launching a successful side hustle:
- Treat it like your primary job: Always be on time, follow through on your promises, and keep all your commitments.
- Keep your primary job and your side hustle separate: Don't do your books for your side hustle while working at your primary job. Don't take calls for your primary job while doing your side hustle. Keep the two of them apart so you can remain professional in both arenas.
- Advertise your services by reaching out to friends: Ask them to help you spread the word by posting about your services on social media. Free advertising and word of mouth are the best ways to make new connections.
When you do all these things, you will succeed in your side hustle and make more money.
2. Find Another, Better Job
If your current employer won't budge on the pay raise that you deserve, you have two options.
The first is to find a second job. This can be anything from full-time employment to a side hustle. With a second job, you have another guaranteed source of income. And if you eventually want to leave the first job, you'll have an income stream to fall back on.
The next is to shop around for another employer altogether. Remember, you have value and give value to your employer. It may take some time, but you should prioritize finding gainful employment that appreciates your worth.
3. Reduce Your Monthly Bills
When you spend less, you save more. Your biggest monthly expenses are regular bills, such as your mortgage, electric and water payments, and cell phone bill. If you can lower these, then you will have more disposable income.
How do you decrease your bills? It's time to get creative. Consider refinancing your house to lower your mortgage. If you rent, look for an apartment with lower rent or that includes utilities in the rent for the same amount of money. Have car insurance? Look for lowered rates for switching agents. Decrease water and electricity through conservation. And shop around for a better cell phone price from a competing carrier.
4. Find a Roommate or Renter
If you are the sole breadwinner, you probably have considerable weight on your shoulders to get those bills paid every month. The stress may even hold you back from trying out alternatives to your current line of work.
That's why you should find someone who can split those bills with you: a roommate! Finding a roommate can be difficult, especially with differing lifestyles, a lack of space, etc. But if you know the right person for the job who you can coexist alongside without much fuss, they can help you save tons of money. It's just like getting a raise.
If you're not ready for the long-term commitment, rent out your spare room on Airbnb or Vrbo. You can make cash without putting in much effort, and you also get to meet new people.
5. Get Out of Debt & Save
It may seem counterintuitive at first—why would paying a lot of money right now or saving money lead to a pay raise?
If that money goes toward eliminating one of your biggest bills (and stress factors), you will essentially give yourself more money every month. We always advise our customers to continue saving even under the harshest conditions. The smallest amount you put away today will assist you tomorrow.
Whether it's college debt, credit card debt, or an auto loan, paying off what you owe and starting to save is a fantastic way of changing your financial situation. That money can be used for all sorts of things every month, so work to get out of debt and start saving ASAP.
6. Apply for an Online Personal Loan
If you need more money, you can give yourself a raise by increasing the amount of disposable income you have. But even the savviest saver will need a little extra income now and then that savings won't cover.
Apply For a Personal Loan Online
So here's another great way to change your finances overnight. Even if you have bad credit, you can apply online for a personal loan from Atlas Credit at one of our locations. The sudden influx of money will feel exactly like a big holiday bonus from your boss. That cash can be used wherever you like, even toward a project that will pay you back in the long run.
If you're interested in a quick and easy personal loan from Atlas Credit, apply online or in-store today. You can find Atlas Credit locations across Texas, Oklahoma, and Virginia. Find a location near you to speak with one of our friendly representatives about loan opportunities.
