How would you like to make an extra $500 a month? How about $1,000 or more? It’s entirely possible to earn extra cash every month, working flexible hours virtually, out of your home, or even car, all while maintaining your regular job.
An extra $6,000 or $1,000 per year can make a huge difference in your finances, allowing you to pay off credit cards, auto loan, student loan, or start saving money for a rainy day or investment. Over the course of just a few years, that will make a huge positive difference for your family’s financial situation.
In part one of this bog, we brought you the first seven of our 25 ideas for earning extra cash every month. Today, we’ll cover numbers 8 through 18.
Please note that this isn’t “free” money, multi-level marketing or a quick and easy way to get rich. These jobs take a lot of hard work, sacrifice, and sometimes training or education, but with relatively low (or no) start-up costs and a ton of flexibility, you could realistically earn $1,000 extra every month in the time you sit on the couch and watch TV.
- Set up a mobile detailing business
You can start your own cottage car detailing service just by purchasing about $100 worth of equipment and cleaning supplies and putting in some elbow grease. You can start by advertising on Craigslist or other sites, but eventually, forming relationships with local companies, parking lot owners, and even high-scale restaurants, golf course, and pool clubs, will mean that you have a steady stream of regular, repeat clients.
- Host someone through Airbnb or VRBO.
Do you have an extra bedroom suite in your house, a nice finished basement, or even a vacation property? Register it on VRBO or Airbnb, the world’s biggest hotel-alternative website where you can rent it out for a set price at a daily, weekly, or even long-term monthly rate.
Even if you don’t want other people staying at your place while you’re there, why not rent it out every time you go with the family on vacation are out of town on business? You could make some great extra money or even fund your entire trip!
If you live in a major city, you can do the same by renting out your car when not using it through sites like GetAround and RelayRides.
- Sports coaching
If you have children that play sports, then you know that it’s a very serious endeavor. In facts, kids are specializing in specific sports earlier than ever, participating in highly-competitive leagues outside of their school athletics program. They’re also looking to develop skills or a level of fitness that will give them an edge – or even get them a chance at a college scholarship.
If you’re an athlete or played/play a specific sport at a high level, why not take the opportunity to coach a child or teen? It’s fun, you can get a workout, too, and you’ll earn surprisingly good money while helping to shape their sports career.
- Online Focus Group research
We mentioned focus groups in part one of this blog, as just about every company, brand, and product look for people to give critical feedback. But if you don’t live in New York, Las Angeles, or a major city, it could be hard to find opportunities to participate in focus group – except that the Internet solves that problem.
In fact, there are more chances than ever for regular people to serve as focus group participants, as companies have taken their research online. These run on just about every industry and product you can think of. For instance, you can help real-life attorneys prepare for big cases as a mock juror on ejury.com, or other similar sites for focus groups, reviews, and opinions.
ProOpinion, Focus Pointe Global, Inspired Opinions, Harris Poll Online, Toluna, SwagBucks, MySurvey.com, Opinion Outpost, iPoll and Hiving. Some of them only offer a gift card (why not?) for a few minutes work, but others offer $100 – $200 for a more intensive focus group if you’re chosen.
- Deliver groceries
These days, a huge part of the online shopping customer experience is the convenience of receiving your goods quickly, safely, and right to your front door. Amazon Prime, Zappos, and many others have made their name and grown exponentially by having fantastic delivery.
You know who else is delivering? Food services and grocery stores are the next big wave of delivery services, and they all need reliable drivers. Some of them even pay $30 an hour or more, and you can do it at your convenience or in your spare time.
You can do this through the website themselves, third-party delivery apps that are looking for drivers, companies that need daily food and supply deliveries, or even set up your own book of regular customers that are looking for a personal shopper.
- Sell crafts or homemade goods on Etsy and other sites
If you make any sort of cute, creative, or personalized craft, you’re sitting on a goldmine if you market and sell it correctly. No matter if it’s little pillows, hand-painted signs, or personalized clothing, it’s easier than ever for people to find and purchase your goods thanks to sites like Etsy, Amazon Handmade, and promotional platforms like Pinterest.
- California residents can get up to $300 just for turning off their lights!
Amazingly, residents of California can earn a big chunk of change –sometimes up to $300 per year – just by syncing their home utilities to a program called OhmConnect. This online utility portal will aim to reduce your energy usage by one hour per week and works with Pacific Gas & Electric Company, San Diego Gas & Electric or Southern California Edison. You even get $20 just for signing up!
- Become a wedding officiate
There are SO many photographers, videographers, DJs, musicians, planners, and even caterers that work the wedding circuit, but you know who else is in demand? Someone to officiate all of those weddings!
You’ll have to go through some training and a certification process to adhere to your state laws, but from there, you can link up with other venues and professionals that work weddings and advertise as someone who can legally wed couples. It’s great money because even just working an hour or so for one wedding a weekend, you could make $300-$500!
- Start your own online course
Have you ever noticed that just about EVERYONE has their own online coaching or teaching platform, with ads on Facebook and other social media? In fact, authors, business coaches, fitness trainers, real estate moguls, Bitcoin traders, and a representative from just about every other profession makes great money by teaching or coaching others how to do the same these days.
It can take some legwork of setting up websites, marketing systems, and course materials to get started, but from there, you can advertise with Facebook ads and reap the benefits. Or, you can try to register a new course through an existing platform like Udemy, Skillshare, or Pathwright to get started faster.
- Teach adult education classes
While so many courses and educational platforms have moved online, there is still an opportunity to teach on a local level, face-to-face. Adult education programs are just as big as ever, with night sessions consistently taught at local high schools, town halls, and community centers. Just check with your local adult education program what kind of classes they are offering, and you can either apply to teach an existing class or petition to create your own!
- Online tutoring
The online education market has exploded over the last eighteen months, with unprecedented opportunities for regular people to work as freelancers, earning great money on the side or even as a full-time job. Do you speak another language? Have experience in business or sales? Can teach yoga, chess, or other sports? Have a degree or are particularly proficient in a certain skill?
No matter what your expertise, there are people that need coaching, teaching, and tutoring. It’s also time-efficient for both of you and cheaper for your client to conduct these sessions online, as you can use Skype, Facetime, or other software to reach out to people all over the world.
With a little work, promotion, and time investment, you can literally make as much you’d like!
