Would you like to make money, but don’t know where to begin? You’re not alone.
1. Volunteer for Overtime
One of the easiest ways to earn some extra money fast? Ask for you can put in overtime at your full-time job. It’s not the most exciting, but many companies offer extra pay for working longer hours.Growing up, I volunteered for overtime opportunities whenever I could. For example, one summer I worked at a school doing maintenance and setting up the classrooms. Since we were behind, I was more than willing to work a couple of weekends during the end of August. And, that extra money was definitely worth it when I went back to college.
Also, with most full-time jobs, you get paid extremely well. In fact, all non-exempt employees who work more than 40 hours a week must be paid at least one and one-half times their regular hourly rate—aka time and a half. For example, a worker earning $10 per hour would be entitled to 10 overtime hours at $15 per hour if they worked a 50-hour week.
2. Pick Up an Extra Shift
The worst part of being an hourly employee is not being able to pick up additional shifts when you need them. In the same vein, employers are frustrated when there is no one available to cover a shift.Instawork connects hourly workers to businesses that need extra help to solve this problem. As an example, if you work as a barista at Starbucks, you may be able to pick up shifts at nearby coffee shops whenever it is convenient.
3. Earn a Promotion
The corporate ladder can be climbed if you prove your value to your boss and go above and beyond. As such, the more responsibilities you have, the more money you make.4. Ask for a Raise
Believe it or not, there is more work involved in getting a raise than in getting a promotion. Put yourself in your boss’ shoes. Are you more likely to pay more for additional responsibility or more money for the same service?5. Do Something Awesome at Work
The majority of employees ignore the suggestion boxes provided by their employers, for example. However, if your company pays bonuses for workable suggestions, this is the perfect opportunity for you. Even better, the bonus may be yours since no one else is participating. Of course, the best scenario would be if your employer implemented your idea.There may also be a chance for you to obtain an on-the-spot reward.
Examples range from supporting a coworker to handling an angry client’s phone call. Some employers offer this as it’s an excellent opportunity to recognize staff members who deserve special recognition.
6. Take Advantage of Your Company’s Employee Referral Program
It is possible to earn between $25 and $1,000 per employee you refer through referral programs at many companies. And, I don’t know about you, but that chunk of change could make a big difference in your finances.7. Use the Tuition Referral Program Offered by Your Company
There are also many companies that offer tuition reimbursement programs to assist their employees in paying for school. So, it might be a good idea to focus on your education in the short term. And, as a bonus, you could have your employer pay for some, if not all, of your educational costs.8. Don’t Miss out on Your Employer’s 401(K) Match
“If you work for a fantastic company, one of the best perks that may offer is matching your 401(K) contributions,” says Due Founder and CEO John Rampton. “While you may not be able to access this today, it’s yours when you retire.”“We find that most 401k match contribution levels are tiered,” he adds. “A generous match might include a dollar-for-dollar match on the first 3 percent-5 percent of the employee’s deposit.” After that, most 401k programs contribute 50 cents for each dollar over the next 3 percent, up to 10 percent.
9. Get a Higher-Paying Job
You can boost your starting salary with career accelerators like Pathrise. Taking part in Pathrise’s 8-12 week part-time program can help fellows earn over $12k if they finish their part-time program, which provides coach-to-peer coaching and tools to help them get a better, higher-paying job.10. Open a New Bank Account
In order to attract your business, many banks offer bonuses just for opening an account. For example, BMO Harris offers a $300 to $500 bonus for consumers who open a Smart Advantage Account, Smart Money Account, or Premier Account.11. Refund Your Credit Card and Bank Fees
Make no mistake about it. Financial management can be challenging. Thankfully, using Recoup, you can manage subscriptions, lower your bills, and get bank and credit card fees refunded.12. Become a Member of a Rewards Credit Card and Receive a Sweet Bonus
You may receive a $100 or more bonus with some cards if you spend a certain amount within the first three months. When you pay your balance in full every month, you’re taking advantage of free money here.13. Reduce Your Bills and Cancel Your Subscriptions
Sometimes the easiest way to make some extra dough isn’t through promotions, bonuses, or side hustles. Instead, it’s about saving. More specifically, where you can cut back.A few areas where people often overpay are cell phone service, cable TV, internet, and electricity. With that in mind, contact your providers and ask for better rates. You may also want to compare and switch providers.
- SiriusXM, $16.99 per month
- Spotify, $9.99 per month
- Netflix, $15.99 per month
- Amazon Prime, $12.99 per month
- MasterClass, $15 per month
- Gym Membership, $40 per month
I’m not going to cut all of these subscriptions. Some, however, are expendable. For example, since I have Spotify, I can cancel SiriusXM. Also, I can bundle Spotify and Hulu for $10.99 a month. So, see ya later Netflix.
14. Collect Cash Through Micro-Investing Apps
In order to make money with this strategy, you may think you have to invest long-term. However, that’s not always the case. You can earn cash just by signing up for a number of investing platforms and micro-investing apps! While you’re setting money aside for the future, why not pick up some free money as well?15. Post Gigs on Fiverr
For first-time freelancers looking to build their experience and portfolios, Fiverr is a great place to start. Whether you are good at logo design, animation, editing, or voice-overs, you will find tasks to suit your skill set. Each project starts at $5.16. Become a Virtual Assistant
Are you passionate about writing or social media? Have you thought about blogging but don’t want to start your own site? As a virtual assistant, you will help other people manage their social media accounts and websites. It may even be possible to turn this side hustle into a full-time job depending on your schedule.17. Teach English
Do you work as a teacher? Or do you have a bachelor’s degree from an American institution? In that case, you might be able to teach English to children in other countries online.18. Tutor Others
You don’t have to limit yourself to teaching English. Online tutoring is possible for pretty much any subject as long as you have a computer, an internet connection, and expertise in a particular subject area.19. Coach or Consult
You might be interested in pursuing a coaching or consulting side hustle if you have some skills that people find useful. You might be an online business whiz, or you might be an expert with social media or green investments.20. Take Online Surveys
Online surveys can be filled out in your spare time—if you have it. The process is very easy and, although not much, you can be paid for doing it. Simply register, and these companies will contact you when a survey that matches your profile is available. Most of the time, these are surveys conducted online for big brands for market research purposes.21. Become a User Experience Tester
The goal of every company’s website is to provide customers with valuable information, meet their goals, and, of course, make money. However, if something doesn’t work, businesses need to know why. And, that’s where users experience testers come into play.22. Pick Up Tasks on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk
Mechanical Turk is an Amazon platform that pays you for small jobs. It won’t make you a millionaire, though. At most, these gigs pay between a few cents and a few dollars. In some cases, you may be able to benefit from stringing several of these tasks together.23. Watch Videos
This might sound too good to be true. But, it’s possible thanks to the survey site InboxDollars.Simply log in to InboxDollars.com to see the available videos. By watching them, you can earn free cash or gift cards for popular brands from InboxDollars.
24. Play Games
If you are bored, do you spend hours playing games on your phone? What if you got paid for it?25. Sell Your Photos
Do you love taking pictures? Is your camera roll full of sunset photos and perfectly staged group photos or dishes? It’s easy to make extra cash with your photos without being a pro. Photo sales on Foap can fetch $10 or more (special “missions” can fetch more) but they’ll take 50 percent of the sale.26. Design Products on Cafepress or Etsy
A site like CafePress lets you sell digital items for a percentage of the profit. With just some design software, you can do this. It is also possible to include topical or trending designs, such as custom logos and inspirational sayings.Whether you hire a designer or not, you still need ideas for this online business. Ideally, you should understand design yourself and have no overhead involved.
27. Write Resumes
Do you see a lot of resumes at your company right now? Are you hiring at your small business? Do you have experience working in HR?28. Sell Crafts on Etsy
Are you into woodworking, jewelry making, embroidery, or pottery? Create an Etsy shop to sell your home goods, art, and knickknacks.29. Become a Ticket Broker
With the right knowledge of sports or entertainment, you can resell the tickets for a profit using a service like StubHub.com or Craigslist. Or, if you put your tickets through Ticketmaster, you can sell them back.30. Serve on a Mock Jury
In order to find out what is lacking in their case, lawyers frequently hire out a mock jury. For just a day’s work, you can earn up to $100, which is not bad considering how little work you have to do.31. Solve Interesting Problems
On behalf of its corporate clients, MindSumo asks you to answer certain questions. Rewards range from $550 to $1600 for the best and most creative answers.32. List Your Spare Space
Another way to make extra money is by renting out your house or spare bedroom. It is likely that you will have to spend some money on cleaning, replacing home goods, and paying for service fees. Also, before you begin renting, make sure you read your rental agreement carefully.33. Rent Your Car
Your underutilized car can be rented out with HyreCar.34. Rent Your Rv, Boat, Etc
You car isn’t the only vehicle that you can rent out. If you aren’t using you RV, you can list it on RVShare. You rent list your boat on GetMyBoat. And, if there’s a bike just sitting in your garage, put t up on Spinlister.35. List Old Baby Gear
Is your garage full of baby items you haven’t gotten rid of yet? If you’re planning on growing your family, it’s understandable that you don’t want to sell these items. But, in the meantime, you can rent these baby gear on sites like BabyQuip. In the case of cribs and strollers, their Quality Providers earn about $600 a month.36. Rent out Your Belongings
We already discussed renting out your house, car, and even some of your old baby stuff. Other than that, what else can you rent out? Well, pretty much anything you own via Fat Llama.37. Become a Friend
You can actually earn money by being someone’s friend. Seriously. But, it’s strictly platonic.38. Trade in Old Phones, and Electronics for Cash
You can earn money easily by trading in your old, unwanted electronics. These include smartphones, laptops, tablets, game consoles, and fitness trackers.Electronics and gadgets like these can be sold for buyback services online. There are several electronic buyback companies, including ItsWorthMore, Decluttr, Gazelle, and Trademore.
39. Sell Unused Gift Cards
Don’t let your unwanted gift cards sit in a drawer collecting dust. Though you may not get full face value, at least you won’t lose money. Also, keep in mind that you did not purchase them. As a result, you’re essentially getting free money.40. Sell Your Gently Used Clothes
Do you have clothing you no longer wear eating up valuable storage space? Then you probably have someone—or several someones—who will gladly take them off your hands.41. Cash in on Your Old Textbooks
If you’re still in college or a recent graduate, money is probably tight. A fast and easy way to make some extra cash is to sell the textbooks you no longer need. Some options include Amazon, BookScouter, or GoTextBooks.42. Get Rid of Your Unwanted Items
Take a look through your closets, attics, and garage for anything you no longer need. What items do you no longer need? What doesn’t bring you joy?43. Have a Yard Sale
Today, you can make fast money by having a yard sale. Organize the items you’d like to sell, set a price that’s fair, and schedule your sale day.Unless you live in a neighborhood with a lot of traffic, you might not need to advertise much. However, if you live in a remote or secluded neighborhood, you might want to post on Facebook or hang flyers in your neighborhood.
44. Sell Your Lesson Plans
A popular marketplace for educational materials is Teachers Pay Teachers. While not guaranteed, educators might be able to fetch several hundred dollars part-time.45. Sell Mobile Data
Each day, we give companies like Facebook so much of our data for free. But did you know that you can earn money this?If you share your internet usage behavior with Nielsen, for example, you are rewarded. It’s as simple as downloading the non-intrusive app. Your usage earns you points as they track it. Points can be redeemed for prizes and sweepstakes entries.
46. Pawn Your Valuables
Desperate times call for desperate measures.If you’re facing financial difficulties but will be getting some money soon, consider pawning something of value. But, you will have to repay the loan with interest if you want to retrieve those items.
47. Drive People Around
There is no simpler way to earn money than driving people around with services like Uber and Lyft. The most appealing aspect is the flexibility. Whenever you have the time and want to make some money, just turn the app on.48. Cash in on Your Commute
It’s common for us to spend a lot of time in our cars, whether we’re commuting to work or driving our kids to soccer practice. But, did you know that you can earn extra money while riding around?49. Advertise on Your Vehicle
Here’s the ultimate definition of passive income—even if it sounds a bit out there. You can earn money by driving around your car with a business advertisement wrapped around it using the Wrapify app. As soon as the car is wrapped, just drive around town as usual.50. Deliver for Doordash
Across the country, DoorDash has become a popular delivery service. Rather than having people in your car, you can still make some dough using your car. DoorDash offers 100 percent profit sharing on delivery fees. In other words, you keep everything! Why? Instead of charging you, DoorDash charges restaurants.51. Grocery Deliverer
Besides delivering food from restaurants, you can also deliver groceries. Which, might be a better option if you don’t want your vehicle to smell like takeout. Besides, this is a popular trend at the moment, as families want groceries delivered.52. Deliver for Postmates
Using PostMates, you can make some extra money. And, better yet, you don’t even need a car, just a bike to deliver in busier cities and downtown areas.53. Become a Task Rabbit
By using TaskRabbit, you can tap into an existing market of people looking for help with chores in your area. This wouldn’t be considered passive income per se because the tasks are not always small. Often, projects include furniture assembly, TV mounting, housecleaning, moving boxes, or gardening.In addition to this platform, there are others that offer bigger tasks, such as home renovations.
54. Bartend or Wait Tables
These service industry jobs are frequently in-demand. Moreover, they’re perfect if you want to make money during your downtime, like evenings and weekends.55. Babysit
For many, babysitting and child care was the original income stream for teenagers. My sisters made serious bank doing this. And, I even got paid to watch my cousins. Even if you aren’t a teenager anymore, it’s still a good way to earn extra income.56. Dog Sit or Walk
Americans spend a staggering amount of money on their pets each year. In fact, it’s estimated that $126 billion was spent on pets in 2021. As well as pet food, veterinary care, and toys, pet sitting and dog walking are also included.57. Housesit
When many families are on vacation during the holidays and during the summer, this is a great way to earn quick money. How? By house-sitting for them.58. Organize Offices
Despite being quite successful, some people struggle with organization. But, having a disorganized office can cost them money if documents are lost. If you’re good at creating order out of chaos, you might be able to organize offices for at least $100 each.59. Find Seasonal Work
Looking for a temporary gig? Get seasonal work such as lifeguarding, shoveling snow, or retail work during the holidays. It’s typical for employers to hire up a month or two ahead of their busy season, so make sure you’re on their payroll before then.60. Become a Garage Flipper
Here’s how this works. You hit up garage sales, flea markets, or even ads online to find deals. You then, as the name implies, flip these items for a profit. Rob and Melissa Stephenson of the Flea Market Flipper did this as a side hustle. Today, they have a thriving business as garage flippers.61. Sign Up as a Mystery Shopper
Business owners often want to know how their products and services are performing from their customers’ perspective. With that in mind, you have the opportunity to be their eyes and ears. Online applications are available through IntelliShop, BestMark, and Sinclair Customer Metrics. Before signing up, do thorough research and beware of scams.62. Donate Blood or Plasma
Technically, you aren’t donating since you are being compensated. Regardless, those who are willing to endure a few needles can make money selling plasma.63. Participate in Medical Studies
It is possible to get paid for travel and study-related time when you participate in most clinical trials. At Meridian, for example, most clinical trials pay $75 to $4,500 to participants, although not all research studies pay.64. Lead Walking Tours of Your City
By leading city tours, you can convert your hometown knowledge into cash. Do you have detailed knowledge of the history, ghost stories, beer, food, architecture in your town? If so, you can lead tours for people who want to learn more about your hometown.65. Venue Gigs
Whether if it’s a sporting event or concert, venues of all sizes need to fill positions like ticket takers and security. Often, you can do these during the evening or weekend.66. Wash or Detail Cars
The demand for car washes and detailing is always high. Furthermore, without a permanent location, you can be a mobile car washer and detailer. When starting out don’t be shy about reaching out to your neighbors or making flyers.67. Invest in Your Health
For most people, money is a motivator. An even greater motivator, though, is the prospect of losing money.Using the psychology of motivation, sites like HealthyWage and DietBet incentivize their users to lose weight. These sites offer you the chance to lose weight while earning some extra income by placing bets.
68. Go Look at Stuff
WeGoLook pays you $18 to $200 to look at eBay purchases, cars, rental properties, and vacant lots. Report back what you find by taking pictures, verifying information, and taking notes.69. Join a Focus Group
Wouldn’t it be great if you could earn money sharing your opinions? If you live in your local area or online, you might be able to join a focus group. Simply trying out different products or doing taste tests could earn you money.70. Pressure Washing, Lawn Mowing, Carpet Cleaning
The two things most homeowners dislike are manual labor and spending a lot of money on tools. But, what if you have these tools? Well, you could rent them out. Or, offer to do these services yourself if you don’t mind putting in the elbow grease71. Collect and Sell Scrap Metal
Even though it’s not always easy to remember to separate your cans and bottles from the rest of your recycling, it’s a great way to get quick cash. To exchange them for cash, take them to a redemption center near you. Depending on where you live, you will receive five to ten cents per can or bottle. Not much, But it can add up.A second option is to trade scrap metal for cash. When recycling aluminum cans, copper, steel, or copper, however, you need to determine whether it’s ferrous or non-ferrous so that you can earn money.
72. Craigslist Gigs
Companies and individuals can post jobs and gigs on Craigslist in the lower right corner. If you’re in a pinch, it’s worth exploring as you might be able to snag both local or remote work.73. Earn Money While Traveling With Pleasebringme
Getting paid for bringing specific items along is a great way to make money when you travel. PleaseBringMe is a travel barter service that pays you for performing tasks uniquely related to your country of residence.74. Become an Extreme Couponer
In times of financial difficulty, coupons are a great way to save a few dollars. And, this has been especially true thanks to inflation.But, in addition to saving money through extreme couponing, you can also make money-sharing coupons. Plus, sharing coupons can help you make money online.
75. Find Missing Money
Have you ever heard of MissingMoney.com? You can find out if you are owed money from former service providers, banks, or financial institutions. It only takes a few seconds to perform this search and you can discover a property (aka “missing money”) that belongs to you.In the USA, one out of ten people do not know that they have unclaimed funds. If you think you might be one of them, check out MissingMoney.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How Can I Earn Money Online Easily?
- How Can I Make Money Fast at Home?
- How Can I Make Money Right Now?
- What Fast-Cash Options Should I Avoid?
- Payday loans. A payday loan is a short-term loan repaid in a lump sum to a person who has a bank account and a source of income. Typical fees on two-week loans amount to nearly 400 percent interest per year.
- Payday installment loans. You can get payday installment loans in stores or online. Credit is not a factor. The long-term effects of interest charges are severe. For example, a $2,000, three-year loan at 400 percent APR will cost you over $22,000.
- Credit-building payday loans. Payday lenders rarely report on-time payments to the credit bureaus, which would help your credit score. A few lenders do, and they also reduce interest rates on subsequent loans if the borrower’s credit improves. However, rates can still be excessive.
- Auto title loans. In places where short-term loans are legal, you need to hand over your vehicle’s title as collateral. As such, your vehicle can be seized if you don’t repay the loan.