Sometimes there’s not enough room in the budget for extras. Perhaps you have your eye on a new pair of shoes, are eager to upgrade your living room with a new couch or you have to be the first in your friend group to possess the latest gadget. If you need funds for a shopping spree or splurge, consider the following tips to earn extra money.
Get a side gig
A part-time job or side gig is one way to earn another paycheck to cover wanted expenses. If you love dogs, offer your services as a dog sitter or dog walker. NerdWallet recommends the Wag! app to help coordinate gigs. Of course, you can always start close to home with the canines in your neighborhood or with the furry members of your coworkers’ families.
Remember those Friday and Saturday nights you spent as a teen babysitting? Even though you’re no longer a teen, a babysitting gig will earn you extra money now. Set up a profile on Sittercity or Care.com to connect with families in need, suggests NerdWallet.
Use your day job to fuel your side gig interests. If you’re a writer or editor (or dream of being a writer or editor) look for freelance writing and editing opportunities online. “Websites such as Upwork, Fiverr and Freelancer offer opportunities to do a variety of freelance jobs, such as writing, programming, design, marketing, data entry and being a virtual assistant,” according to NerdWallet.
If you’re a teacher, consider tutoring students outside school hours or online. Entrepreneur contributor R.L. Adams suggests checking out sites Skooli, Tutor.com and Tutor Me for teaching opportunities. “You could easily tutor a subject like math or science, while also teaching a language if you’re bilingual. You could also tutor musical instruments like the guitar or piano, along with a slew of other subject matters,” Adams writes.
If you love to drive, consider logging some hours as a driver for Uber or Lyft.
Declutter and sell
What you already own may be the key to the extra money you need. Look around your home and start sifting through your stuff. Are there items that you don’t use or don’t want? Perhaps your blender is just taking up space in your cabinet or you can’t remember the last time you rode your bicycle or you’re not in love with some pieces of your wardrobe. Instead of letting items you don’t want cluttering your home, sell them. You can post them on sites like Craigslist, Freelance Marketplace, eBay or even Instagram. Poshmark is an option for your clothes and accessories as well as home goods.
You can also make selling your clothes fun with a party. “This will take a little planning, but you could host a ‘raid my closet’ party. Simply invite your friends, family or coworkers to your house and let them pick out the stuff they want to buy from you,” advises Entrepreneur VIP contributor John Rampton.
For another option, consider brick and mortar stores like pawn or consignment shops to sell your merchandise. Additionally, you could be community-minded and host an old-school yard sale.
Consider one or all of these methods to generate extra income for the items you have on your wish list.
