10 Things You Can Do To Make Extra Money

10 Things You Can Do To Make Extra Money

People with jobs, bills, and families often find themselves strapped for cash. If you find yourself falling into this category, the following 10 ways to make extra money can help you get out of debt or cover unexpected expenses without having to resort to your credit card or taking out a payday loan. The best part? Most of these methods are relatively easy to implement, meaning you can earn extra money in no time!

1. Sell something you no longer need
   There are plenty of places to sell your things online, but not all of them offer a high return on your time investment. If you have an old smartphone, camera or laptop that you don’t use anymore (or even if you just have an old USB cable), try getting cash for it with Decluttr . When we checked out Decluttr , we were amazed to learn how much money people can make selling old CDs, DVDs and games. The company pays top dollar for your unwanted CDs and DVDs, which can be mailed or dropped off at one of their locations near you.We like that all sales are final with no negative feedback for being slightly imperfect—the risk is entirely yours to take!

2. Get paid by taking surveys
   Swagbucks is a rewards program that pays you for taking online surveys, watching videos, shopping online, playing games and more. By doing these activities and answering survey questions, you earn points called SB. SB can be redeemed as cash or gift cards to hundreds of major retailers including Amazon, Target and Walmart. As part of your membership, they'll also give you a $5 bonus when you refer friends who earn 300 SB in their first 30 days (up to $350 per referral). Once you have 1,000 SB you can withdraw it all or request PayPal payments (minimum of $50). My brother earned over $800 through them before he turned 18! Click here to read my full Swagbucks review.

3. Take advantage of cash back offers
   Cash back credit cards are a great way to make some extra money on everyday purchases. In addition to rewards and sign-up bonuses, many cards offer cash back for certain categories of purchases, like groceries or gas. Plus, those who pay off their balance each month can take advantage of 0% interest rates on new purchases. Some cards even provide additional benefits, like gift card bonuses or travel insurance coverage. When choosing a cash back credit card, opt for one that best fits your needs while offering competitive rates and as many perks as possible.

4. Sell your old textbooks
   Even if you aren’t going back to school, you can make money selling your old textbooks. If you have a good condition textbook, sell it and buy one in better condition. There are plenty of ways to do that and don’t forget about Craiglist or any other college book sales that might be available in your area. They always need new books for students, so sell yours! This way you can get some cash from your old books and save yourself from paying full price for new ones.

5. Sell unwanted gifts on eBay or Craigslist
   If you have old gifts laying around, why not put them to good use? It’s easy to sell unused items on eBay or Craigslist. Simply log on, enter a few key details about your item and post it for sale. Within minutes, you could have someone interested in buying your used gift for an even better price than you paid. For sellers that don’t know how to get started, lots of online resources are available with step-by-step instructions and videos that walk through each process from start to finish. If you don’t want to use eBay or Craigslist directly, consider using one of their marketplaces like Amazon or Etsy instead.

6. Use your skills as a babysitter
   Babysitting is a great option to earn extra money if you enjoy children and have an evening or weekend free here and there. Some parents are willing to pay for night babysitting, which can help you make up some of your rent cost. If you love children, find out from friends if they need a sitter—many people want a sitter but don’t know how to go about hiring one. Be sure to check with local babysitter associations and networks. They will often connect parents looking for babysitters with local teenagers in need of work.

7. Drive people around town
   Become an Uber driver. Uber is a mobile app that connects drivers in need of extra cash with people who need a ride and are willing to pay for it. As an independent contractor, you’re allowed to drive as much or as little as you want. The more you drive, though, the more money you can make. You can also earn tips on top of your fare: there’s no tipping at Uber unless you elect to do so yourself. It’s easy to get started—if you pass a background check and have insurance, just download and apply! More than 20 cities offer Uber service—how about yours?

8. Rent out extra space in your home
   Got an extra room you don’t need? Consider renting it out. For instance, if you live in a two-bedroom apartment with your significant other and make $40,000 per year—that's about $4,250 per month—you could rent out one of those bedrooms at $200 a month to help offset some of your monthly expenses. If you were to rent it out for 100 nights per year at that rate, you could easily generate over $1,000 in monthly income. Granted that might not be possible if every night is booked or if there’s only one bedroom available at your place — but sometimes people want to stay in someone else’s home when they visit their town anyway.

9. Become an affiliate marketer
   If you’re reading a post on affiliate marketing, chances are you already know what it is. But for those of you who don’t, affiliate marketing is a way of monetizing your site by publishing ads or product links and earning commissions when someone clicks through and makes a purchase. Many professional bloggers use affiliate marketing to supplement their income with additional passive income streams. If you decide to go down that route, consider partnering with an established brand that offers commission-based sales instead of going at it alone from day one. While having your own site is great if it’s successful, remember that in many cases affiliate marketing will be more lucrative since companies will pay you a higher commission rate because they already have an established customer base.

10. Learn from our mistakes - what NOT to do
    There are many ways to make extra money and sometimes we don’t see them or just overlook them because we think they won’t work. Before you go and start looking for a part-time job, first think about all of your resources (the things you have at your disposal) and look at jobs that require those skills. For example, perhaps someone in your circle is willing to pay you to help out with a task that you enjoy doing – like fixing up an old car, painting a room in their house or maybe mowing their lawns. The best way to figure out how to make money is simply by thinking about what it is that you can offer people - what do you enjoy doing that most people don’t want to do?