making extra cash in your spare time

The 5 Easy Tips for Making Extra Cash in Your Spare Time

Whether you make minimum wage or a decent salary, there may be times when your paycheck doesn’t cover enough expenses and you need more income coming your way. This is the same situation many Americans find themselves in. According to the personal finance company Bankrate.com, 20% of Americans make money on the side. If you’re worried your current income isn’t cutting it, getting a side hustle might be the option for you.

Getting a side job is a great way to avoid becoming part of the majority of Americans who aren’t prepared for unexpected bills, like a car repair or a serious illness. With so many kinds of side jobs, you can pretty much do whatever your heart desires, from Uber driving to professional consulting. Here are five easy ways to use your spare time to bring in extra money.

Share Your Home

What’s better than making a second income? A passive income! One of the best ways to do this is to rent out a room to a roommate. Just make sure you trust that person, and that it’s really worth it to you to share your space.

Declutter

There are a few ways to declutter your home and make money on it. You could hold a yard sale, for instance. Not only does this bring in easy money, but it’ll only cost you half a day to earn around $100 or more. You might even find it therapeutic to get rid of stuff you don’t want anymore. To take it a step further, you can even ask the neighbors if they want to host a neighborhood sale to get to know the neighbors better and attract a larger clientele.

If getting up early for a yard sale isn’t your thing, sell your unwanted possessions on eBay, Amazon, or Craigslist. You can even download free apps like LetGo or OfferUp to sell individual items to people in your area.

Spend Time Outdoors

For those outdoors-lovers who spend too much time indoors under fluorescent lights, here are a few ways to earn money outside:

  • Do yard work for your neighbors
  • Mowing lawns
  • Dog walking
  • Photography

If you already enjoy being outside, you might find this sort of side hustle therapeutic, as well as lucrative.

Provide Much Needed Services

If you’re gifted as a writer or editor, you could earn some side money by running a freelance service. The same goes for graphic designers or anything that requires a computer and some Internet skills. Check out sites like Upwork and Fiverr to see if their online platforms are a good fit for you. Plenty of companies and individuals are always looking for qualified people like you, so you won’t soon run out of work.

If you’d prefer a more passive way of providing services, consider being a house sitter. There are numerous online services that let you create a profile advertising your ability to house or pet sit. If you are inexperienced, put together a profile that showcases your skills and qualifications (such as what you do well in your own home). Advertise what you’d want if you were looking for a house sitter and create a great profile reflecting that.

Another service you can offer? Tutoring. Or, if you’re well-qualified in any given area (which doesn’t have to even be related to education), you could look into teaching evening or weekend classes at a community college.

Create Something Original

If you’re blessed with being creative, there are endless possibilities and resources out there to enable you to earn money on the side.

  • Sell your artwork on Etsy.
  • Sell your photography on Getty Images or Shutterstock.
  • Create and monetize your own blog or write articles for other people.
  • Start your own YouTube channel and enable it for monetization.

If you have a mundane job that you wish was more challenging, this sort of side hustle is ideal for you. You might even want to one day leave your current job to do something more creative and fun.

Another Way to Pay Your Bills

If you find yourself penny-pinching and you haven’t heard of title loans, you should check them out. Depending on the company and your circumstances, you can get a title loan of up to $15,000.

Fill out an online request form with your basic personal info. Then, a local store associate will contact you after they’ve looked over your info. Before you drive to the company’s location, make sure to gather these required items:

  • Your vehicle for inspection
  • Lien-free title
  • Proof of income
  • State-issued photo I.D.

Once you’re at the store location, it should take 30 minutes or less for a manager to complete your car inspection while you fill out the paperwork.

The Best Way to Break the Paycheck-To-Paycheck Mentality

With nearly 60% of Americans struggling to pay for an unexpected expense last year, it should come as no surprise if you face the same circumstances. Delaware title loans are one of the best ways to stop the overwhelm you may feel about paying bills and expenses. Research your options and take action today.

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Note: The content provided in this article is only for informational purposes, and you should contact your financial advisor about your specific financial situation.

Daniel Dewitt

Daniel Dewitt is a lifetime blogger with a finely-honed ability to break down, analyze, and interpret economic trends for the layman. He's fiercely invested in spreading financial literacy and helping everyday people gain the tools they need for their own economic success.