Whether you’re saving up for something special, paying off debt, or looking to make your life more comfortable, supplementing the income from your full-time job is a must. But how do you generate this extra income?
Opportunities abound for those who need a side hustle that will help them achieve greater financial freedom. If you’re looking for a cash infusion, here are a few ideas that will help you learn how to make an extra 500 a month or more!
Table of Contents
Tutoring
Tutoring is a profession that will always be in demand, and with the rise in virtual learning over this past year, it has only grown more essential. Even when remote learning starts to decline, you’ll still see the demand for tutoring in the years to come.
For most tutoring platforms, you will likely need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree for the subject you wish to teach, a stellar track record of working with students, and the ability to effectively teach others in-person or online.
If you wish to tutor online, you can turn to resources like Chegg, TutorMe, or Tutor.com. You can also list your profile online to attract pupils. This way, you’re bringing in money every week.
That being said, tutoring, like most side hustles, can bring in fluctuating revenue. It’s important that you increase your financial literacy and make a plan for the future to avoid experiencing any obstacles along the way.
Starting with a resource like Digital Honey can make sure you get the most out of your side hustle endeavors!
Selling on eBay
Some may consider selling their stuff online, such as board games or books, to make some extra cash. Although this is a great way to make cash quickly, it’s not sustainable and won’t produce the money you need to get through the month or beyond.
Instead, focus on flipping items on platforms like eBay. Flipping entails looking for deals at garage or estate sales, online, or even locally and reselling them for a profit. Whether you’re great at finding steals or repairing products, flipping may be the opportunity you’re looking for.
Consider moving to other platforms like Craigslist, Amazon, and Facebook Marketplace to diversify your income if you want to make even more per month. Platforms like Amazon make it easier to sell merchandise, but may not be so great for collectibles or beyond.
Whether you plan on using Amazon or Facebook Marketplace along with your other seller platforms, do your research to make sure they’re a good fit for what you’re selling.
Rent Out a Room on Airbnb
Whether you have an additional dwelling unit, an extra bedroom, or a whole property at your disposal, it doesn’t have to sit there collecting cobwebs. Rent out your space on a month-to-month basis on Airbnb!
Airbnb is an online marketplace to help travelers around the world find temporary lodging for a couple of weeks, a night, or more. If you’ve been interested in passive income apps but didn’t know where to begin, Airbnb is one of the top apps to get started with to make extra money.
Freelance Writing
If you have a knack for writing, you may want to try your hand at freelance writing. Freelance writers produce content with the goal of furthering a clients’ marketing efforts.
Freelance writers may be tasked with writing a wide variety of content types, such as writing articles or blogging, creating advertising copy, and more. Every type of writing requires special skills, even blogging. Make sure to do your due diligence before you get started.
Of course, dipping your feet in the water will tell you whether or not this is your forte and if you really want to work for yourself. To get started, you can create an account with platforms like Textbroker or WriterAccess to gain access to lots of opportunities.
If you enjoy writing or blogging, you can then work on building a portfolio and attracting higher-paying clients on platforms like LinkedIn! You may even want to create your own blog to generate passive income through products like e-books or online courses instead.
Make Money on the Side Delivering Food
Not all side hustles have to be work-intensive. If you want a side hustle that’s easy to do and can be done at any time during the week, you may fare better at making money on the side delivering food.
The gig economy has given many the freedom to decide when they work and allows them to make extra money whenever they need it. Whether your favorite app is GrubHub, Postmates, Uber Eats, or DoorDash, there are plenty of platforms to get started with.
You may even wish to diversify your platform choices so that you can pick up a request any time you need some extra cash!
Check out our review: Postmates vs DoorDash to see which one makes the most sense for you!
Mow Lawns for Money
Mowing lawns is a dirty way to bring in extra income. If you have great landscaping skills, have your own front yard to show as proof that you can properly care for a lawn, and an entrepreneurial spirit, you can definitely make money doing this.
That being said, the lawn care industry has become highly competitive, and it may not be so easy finding clients when they already have established businesses with great reviews to choose from.
You’re going to be up against many businesses in your area, so come up with a plan beforehand. You can do this with a quick search on Google to know how others have navigated this industry alone.
Manage Social Media for Small Businesses
Growing a social media account can seem foreign to some small business owners, but when it comes to brand awareness and drawing in potential customers in the area, it’s a necessary action. That’s where you come in.
If you have thriving social media accounts and know all that there is to know about social media marketing strategies, whether it’s Facebook or Instagram, pitch local businesses in your area and make them aware of the importance of a strong social media strategy.
Then, provide them with examples of how you’ve grown your own accounts, what strategies you would use to help them reach their audience, and close the deal! You can easily run multiple accounts with ease on the side without spending too much of your day doing so.
Video Editing
The more technical the skill, the more you can make in the process. One skill to consider leveraging to bring in more income is video editing.
Editing short films or other content can easily be done from home, and as long as you have a portfolio of work (even something small posted on YouTube) and a track record to prove your skills, you can start finding work on platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Indeed.
Standing out may be the hardest part, but you can circumvent this by creating a stellar portfolio and communicating effectively with prospective clients. The more you put in, the more you’ll get out of it!
Build Websites
Another technical side hustle that many business owners need is website building or blog building. These programmers are tasked with creating an aesthetically pleasing, functional platform that will attract and retain visitors.
Some of the skills that you’ll need to have or develop to be successful include HTML/CSS knowledge, Javascript knowledge, and SEO skills (if you’re building more developed platforms for clients or ones you wish to flip later).
There are two ways you can make money with this. You can either leverage your high-income skills to offer your services on a freelance basis (following the same advice above as our previous suggestion) or build your own creations for yourself and flip them for a profit.
Flipping can be a bit harder, but if you can build a website or blog that generates revenue and find a buyer that doesn’t want to start the process from scratch, you can sell it for two to three times what it’s bringing in.
That being said, this doesn’t offer guaranteed income, so if you want to make sure you’re getting paid, go for the first option instead.
Dropshipping
Dropshipping has become a very popular way to start your own business. Once you know what it is, you can understand why.
For the most part, those who wish to operate an online store have to deal with every aspect of their business.
This means creating their digital storefront, packing products, monitoring inventory, and so on. This can be quite demanding for those looking to generate additional income.
Dropshipping makes owning an online storefront far simpler. Rather than having to manage every aspect of your business each month, you forward all orders to a manufacturer, who then fulfills those orders for you.
If you’re skilled at design, marketing (like Facebook Ads), and sales and just need someone to take care of the heavy lifting for you, consider turning to drop shipping as a side hustle. With the right strategy, you can make far more than $500 a month!