Making money on the side can be tricky. However, if you do it right it and make it work for you, finding the right side hustle to increase your income can make paying bills less of a struggle ? and you don?t have to be Gary Vee to do it! ?Consider these possibilities for accruing extra cash.
Tips for Increasing Your Income
- Drive for an on-demand ride service: One of the easiest ways to make money currently is to become a driver for an on-demand transportation service. These services are becoming huge all over the world. Because they?re so popular, drivers are almost guaranteed business anytime they?re on the clock. Another great perk for employees of on-demand transportation services is a flexible schedule. Working for these companies, employees can mark themselves available ? or unavailable ? anytime they want, which allows them to work day or night, making room for in their schedule for other commitments.
- Pick up some extra skills: In the workforce, having certain skills, licenses, or certifications can command a pay increase over the salaries of others who don?t have those skills. One great certification for anyone to obtain is CPR certification. Being certified to perform CPR is a great skill to have in case of emergencies, especially if you work with small children. If you?re employed as a babysitter or lifeguard, being CPR certified allows you to charge increased rates because you?re better trained to ensure that the children you?re watching are safe. Many other certifications are available online, and most of them never require you to step foot in a classroom.
- Make home improvements in exchange for rent: This tip is a little tricky to accomplish sometimes, but if you?re friendly with your landlord and you?re handy with a hammer, you just might be able to exchange work for rent. The homeowner is more likely to allow this if the place you?re renting is a fixer-upper and needs a lot of work.
If this path isn?t an option, and you need to find another way to make rent, it?s important to first know exactly how much money you need to be making ? and how much of that should be going toward rent. That way, you?ll know exactly what you?re able to pay each month for rent.
- Offer pet-sitting: If you?re an animal lover, becoming a pet-sitter on the side is a smart way to make money. Not only will you make some extra cash, but you?ll get to watch some cute pets while doing so. When you pet-sit, you look after an animal whose owner is out of town. Pet-sitting is popular because pets feel better and are happier when they remain in familiar surroundings and interact socially while their owners are gone. Pet-sitting also comes with flexible hours that you make yourself. Dog walking is also often considered pet-sitting, too, and it allows you to get some exercise while making extra money.
- Sell crafts online: If you?re someone who enjoys making crafts, turn that hobby into a moneymaker. Using a site like eBay or Etsy to sell your merchandise is a great idea if you create things including (but not limited to) jewelry, clothing, candles, artwork, home decor, or beauty products.
Being a seller on eBay or Etsy requires some preliminary work. Before opening your store, it?s important that you secure the rights to your designs. After that, you?ll need to photograph and provide descriptions of your items as well as price them and then package and mail them once orders have been placed. You?ll also need to pay regular attention to the sales site you?re using and be sure to address your customers? questions or concerns.
You could use your online shop to even sell hidden gems you find at thrift shops and garage sales. Check out this video by Gary Vee searching his neighborhood yard sales to see what kind of valuable goodies you might find:?
- Use your extra room as a vacation rental: If your home is a rental, it?s best to ask your landlord or the home?s owner about this before starting. Once you get the go-ahead, start making money using your extra space as a short-term rental via Airbnb or similar online vacation rental service. One of the biggest benefits of this plan is that it doesn?t take up your time. Other options like pet-sitting or driving for an on-demand transportation service require your time, but renting on Airbnb only requires your space. Also, your marketing is taken care of and you?re paid online by the service, so the process is relatively easy.
- Cash-back/survey apps: Taking surveys and logging your purchases with cash-back apps can help you save a little money each month. While you won?t be raking in the big bucks with this tip, if you just need a little money and you have very little free time, scanning your receipts and answering surveys while you?re on the go is a great option. NOTE: Some of these apps are scams, so be careful.
- Sell your old textbooks: Many people have textbooks lying around, collecting dust. If they?re in good condition (or even if they aren?t), secondhand booksellers will often give you a pretty penny for those books. Be sure to call around to different stores to make sure you?ll get the most money for your books. Don?t rule out textbook buyers online, as they make it easy to get the book to them and get paid.
- Start a side business: If you?re an expert on something, find a way to make money doing that thing. Become a math tutor, do some freelance photography, or give piano lessons. People are always going to want to pick up different skills or improve upon the ones they already have ? and that?s where you come in with your specialized side hustle to fill the niche. If you charge competitive rates and advertise responsibly, your side business has the potential to really take off.
Whether you need to make more money to cover bills or you just want to add to your savings, there are countless ways to boost your income. Taking advantage of any of the tips above will help you feel more secure about your financial standing.
By Laura Gayle, Business Woman Guide
