From grabbing a side gig to cashing in on special offers or monetizing your existing assets, there are dozens of ways to earn extra cash. The internet and the gig economy are both great resources for people seeking flexible ways to supplement their incomes. However, they aren’t your only options. You can take advantage of bank offers, rent out a spare room in your home, or even sell your data. Follow these tips to accelerate your earnings, reach your savings goals, and stabilize your finances.
Snag a Bank Bonus
Both large national and smaller regional banks have started offering attractive bonuses to new customers in a bid to earn more business. They aren’t small potatoes, either. Some of the biggest bonuses on the market are worth $1,000 or more. You’ll need a commit a decent amount of cash to your new account to take advantage of the most lucrative offers, but this is money for nothing (if you have the funds available). Explore current offers by referring to our article on the best savings account bonuses of 2019.
Rent Out a Spare Room
If you’ve got a spare bedroom and you enjoy playing host, you could start earning a healthy side income by renting the space on a site like VRBO or Airbnb. Just take appealing photos that showcase the space at its best. Make sure it lives up to the pictures when guests arrive too. Then just be a friendly, sociable, and easygoing host. You’ll get good reviews and things will build from there.
Get on the Carsharing Bandwagon
Turo is fast becoming the “Airbnb of carsharing.” It allows people to turn their second vehicles or underused primary vehicles into extra cash. List your car on the site and people seeking affordable alternatives to car rentals will come calling. Just make sure you price your vehicle properly, which you can do by comparing similar listings in your area. Why should your car spent most of its time sitting idle in a garage or parking lot? Rent it out and enjoy the proceeds.
Puts Ads on Your Ride
Companies like Carvertise offer a novel concept that makes it easy to bring in an extra $100 per month or more. Simply let them put ads for businesses on your personal vehicle. Partner companies get cost-effective promotion, and you enjoy a low-effort way to earn a few extra bucks. The ads are completely removable too, so there’s risk to damaging your car. You can learn more about the Carvertise model by checking out their FAQ.
Do Odd Jobs
TaskRabbit is widely considered the top site for people who want to do odd jobs. You can determine your own rates and advertise skills to people in your area who need them. You could be earning a potentially high side wage while setting your own hours and availability. Alternative options include platforms like Field Agent, Zaarly (limited locations so far), and Swagbucks.
Earn Money From Tour Data
If you use Google, Facebook, or pretty much any other major online service, you’re giving away your data for nothing to tech giants who make billions off it. A growing number of savvy internet surfers are reclaiming their data by monetizing it for themselves. All you have to do is be okay with the idea. Then you can install a free app on your smartphone that will allow a consumer research company to track trends in your online activity. Trusted names in this fast-growing space include National Consumer Panel, SavvyConnect, and Nielsen Computer & Mobile Panel. You can also explore emerging options like Ocean Protocol and Datum.
Become a Rideshare Driver
Driving for a rideshare company like Uber or Lyft is one of the most commonly cited ways to earn extra money. There’s a good reason for that. The only real barriers to entry are car ownership (or access) and valid license and insurance. Apart from those requirements, anyone from practically anywhere can start earning $15 to $25 an hour (or more) by providing an on-demand, point-to-point alternative to taxis and public transit. Rideshare companies have come under fire in recent months for exploiting drivers. Be sure to do your homework before you start!
Create Online Tutorials
As an online tutorial creator, you will choose a subject area you have valuable expertise in, make instructional videos, and upload them to hosting platforms. Depending on how many learners access your material, you could create a valuable passive income stream. If your videos are good, they will deliver extra money month in and month out without requiring any additional work. Of course, your income potential rises with a larger volume of videos, so there are incentives to building your business. You can also find remotely based tutoring jobs through platforms like VIPKid, Tutor.com, MyTutor247, TutorVista, and many others.
Participate in Consumer Research
Consumer research is big business, and you can cash in. Sites like Swagbucks, LifePoints, and Survey Junkie make it easy to take surveys and earn a little bit of extra cash. You can also really accelerate your earnings by participating in focus groups. They require more of a time commitment but tend to pay much higher. Try Brand Institute, Harris Poll Online, Toluna, and VIP Voice.
Become a Part-Time Loan Agent
Loan agents, also known as closing agents, work casual-part time hours and often earn very good money for their trouble. According to some sources, loan agents in 2019 are making anywhere from $75 to $200 for every appointment. The work is easy, and you don’t need any previous experience. Many companies hire loan agents primarily based on location — the closer you are to your employer’s borrowers, the greater your likelihood of being hired.
Help Maintain Mobility Equipment
If the mobility company Bird has started operating in your city, you could snag a lucrative side job by helping maintain their electric scooter fleet. As a Bird worker, you’ll be deployed to pick up scooters listed as needing some juice. Visit the location, charge the scooter, and dock it if it’s not already docked. That’s it. The gig pays up to $30 an hour, anyone can do it, and training is provided. Other E-Scooter or bike companies, like Lime or Spin, offer similar gigs.
Keep Books
If you have formal training in business or accounting, you’ve already got the necessary skills to keep books for small businesses. If not, you can easily train to become a bookkeeper by getting voluntary certifications. Some businesses will even train you themselves if you have appealing credentials. The only hard educational requirements are usually limited to a high school diploma or the equivalent. Start small with a local mom and pop shop. There’s potential to grow from there.
Freelance
You can’t spell freelancing without “free,” which is what you’ll be when you get to set your own hours and rates while making money doing something you enjoy. The internet is a great source of freelance work opportunities, with common jobs including copywriting, proofreading, web design, coding, and programming. If you’re proficient with any of these skills, sites like Indeed, Upwork, and Freelancer can help you get started with no previous experience.
You can also advertise your availability for casual work both online and offline. Some ideas: provide music lessons, academic tutoring, dog walking, house sitting, babysitting, painting, junk removal, landscaping, or handyman services.
One Final Word of Advice
If you’re looking for opportunities online, it’s a good idea to be wise to some common red flags. The sad reality is that a lot of unscrupulous operators look to draw people into online scams. Having knowledge of these scams is the best way to protect yourself. If you’re thinking about trying out a remote working opportunity, research the company making the offer first. Walk away if you find bad reviews, no reviews, or discover that the company doesn’t have a meaningful internet presence. Golden rule: never, ever, pay your own money to start a job.
Shutterstock
