side hustle Archives - Living Simply Fabulous

7 Ways to Make Extra Money

Looking for a few ways to make extra money?

No matter if you’re unemployed, self-employed or underemployed – it is very important for you to have multiple streams of income.

You can call it a side gig or a hustle, but making extra money should be on the tippy-top of your to-do list.

When you have money to pay down debt, pad your savings, or help others – life becomes a zillion times easier.

Related Posts:

Here are 7 Real Ways to Make Extra Money

1. Start a Blog

If you want to make money online, I truly believe starting your very own blog is one of the best things you can do. If you’re passionate about a topic and enjoy helping people, then blogging can be very lucrative.

There are many bloggers out there who have turned their blogs into full-time money-making machines and you can too.

I recommend finding a profitable niche that piques your interest and to go from there. Blogging won’t make you rich overnight, but if you view it as a business from the very start, making money is possible.

If you’re ready to make extra money blogging, read my step-by-step guide on how to Start a Blog to get started.

You can get a free domain and a year’s worth of hosting for as little as $3.95 a month if you sign up with Bluehost through my link.

2. Teach a Class

You probably know a little more about a topic than most people. These could be skills you learned while on the job or through your experience with a hobby of yours.

No matter how little you think you know, there are plenty of people out there who are looking to know what you know.

Consider what most people ask you for your expertise or advice in and develop a course from there. What you teach can be as technical as programming code or as creative designing an arrangement of silk flowers.

You could teach your course locally through your community parks and recreation department or teach online. There are many platforms out there such as Teachable and Udemy to help you to set up and deliver your course.

3. Tutor

As a former teacher, tutoring just seems like a natural fit for me and I continue to do it, even when I’m not in the classroom. Depending on the subject, I charge on the average $35/hour.

Not a teacher?

Don’t worry. There are many non-educators who have been very successful in tutoring students in all subjects at every level.

If you’re good with numbers or a grammar nerd, you’ll find many tutoring opportunities, especially during the academic school year. In fact, the more specialized the better.

Have great test taking skills or received high test scores? You could help someone prepare for their SATs or GREs.

Check Craigslist for local opportunities or sign up with a company such as Varsity Tutors, Tutor.com or Care. If you’re interested in tutoring exclusively online, you’ll find plenty of opportunities on Chegg.

4. Sell Unwanted Items

Whenever I needed to make extra money, I would always go through the house to see what I could sell. I would sell mostly electronic items such as an iPad, a Kindle, and cell phone, but have also sold furniture such as an eight-drawer dresser I no longer wanted.

If you have items lying around that you no longer want or need, look to see if someone else would want them.

If selling online, make sure to create a great headline and take great pictures. Do some research first to find a competitive price.

Pricing wrong can turn people off and you’ll find yourself stuck with those items. Look to sell on sites such as Craiglist, Amazon, or Ebay.

Depending on the item, you’ll have better luck on certain platforms than others.

5. Join a Network Marketing Company

I know, a lot of network marketing and direct selling companies get a bad rep. They are often synonymous with pyramid schemes and sleazy meetings.

That’s too bad because there are a lot of great companies out there that are not only legit but highly profitable to those who join.

According to the Direct Selling Association, there are more than 20 million people associated with direct sales or network marketing either as a seller or consumer.

The low-cost entry makes companies such as Beachbody, Avon, and Herbalife great opportunities for people to try their hands in entrepreneurship. It’s also an ideal way for stay-at-home moms to bring in extra income.

I have been associated with companies on both sides and have seen the good, bad, and the ugly.

Just do your research before signing on. I’m currently a distributor with this company and make extra money just by sharing products I use and love (while getting healthy at the same time).

6. Run Errands for Busy People

When I worked as a personal assistant for a real estate agent, she would always have me run errands for her. These errands involved doing her grocery shopping and letting the house cleaner into her home.

Though I hated that part of the job, I realized that there were a lot of people out there who were too busy to do their own shopping and would love to pay someone to do it for them.

If you have extra time on your hands you could pick up a few tasks for people here and there. Seniors who are unable to get around like they used to could be some of your best customers.

You could look in directories such as Craigslist for jobs, or you could sign up with a company. If you’re quite handy, you’ll find plenty of opportunities on sites such as TaskRabbit, Amazon Home Services, and Thumbtack.

7. Become a Dog Sitter

Love pets, but don’t want to own another one? Well, dog sitting is a great way to bring in extra money each month.

Most of us treat our pets like family anyway, so it’s only fitting that we put the time and money into finding someone who will take care of them as well as we do.

If you have space in your home, you can start offering sitting or boarding services to pet owners. Many times pet owners are unable to take their pets with them when they travel and prefer someone’s home over a kennel.

Two years ago, I found the best sitter in the world on Rover. After a background check and acceptance, you can set up your own profile.

They offer fast payment and premium insurance to you as an approved sitter. You set your own rates and great reviews will get you repeat customers.

There you have it. I hope you found these additional ways to make extra money helpful. Have you ever tried any of these and if so, how was your experience with them?

Making Money/

21 Surprisingly Easy Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month

The truth is that most of us would like to make extra money each month.

Living paycheck to paycheck is a real bummer and having additional ways to bring in extra income can keep us afloat.

If you find yourself making too little or spending too much, then you may appreciate these 21 surprisingly easy ways to make $500 a month.

If you haven’t already, go to my post on 5 Easy Ways to Make $100 or More a Month. I show you ways you can literally make money sitting on your butt.

Making an extra $500 a month or more can be life-changing, and that’s why I encourage people to find easy ways to bring in additional income.

Not only can these moneymakers help to make ends meet, but they can keep you from having to get another job.

Surveys

I have signed up with several survey companies and never was consistent in completing them. However, when I realized how easily and quickly I could earn cash completing surveys, I set some time each day to complete them.

With one company, in particular, I’m able to earn around $100 to $150 a month or more. If you diversify your efforts among several companies, making an extra $500 should be pretty easy.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is still my favorite when completing surveys. Even though they have many opportunities to earn Swagbucks to redeem later for gift cards, completing their surveys is where I focus most of my time and attention.

I like to go for the surveys worth a lot of points because even though they may take 30 or more minutes to complete, you’ll know almost immediately if you don’t qualify or if they’re not accepting any more people.

Other Survey Companies to consider signing up for:

Earn cashback every time you shop! Sign-up for Rakuten (formally Ebates). Rakuten is totally free and you’ll earn cashback on regular purchases. Use my link here and you’ll earn $30 cashback on your first $30 purchase! Sign up here to start getting cash back whenever you shop.

15 Best Survey Sites to Make $1000 + a Month

Mystery Shopping

Like to shop? If so, you may be interested in mystery shopping.

Years ago when I was in-between jobs, I would spend a lot of time completing shops for several companies.

Mystery shopping involves accepting a shop and completing it as specified. You are usually reimbursed for your purchase and/or given a fee for the shop.

Your job is to see if employees know their stuff and rate their customer service skills. So if you’re someone who loves completing Yelp reviews, you will love going mystery shopping.

You can make more money if you sign up for several companies and is very organized and detailed in submitting reports. I also recommend only accepting shops in your local area. It doesn’t make sense to

I also recommend only accepting shops in your local area. It doesn’t make sense to waste your money on gas because this will not likely be reimbursed.

In addition, consider the amount of money you’re willing to spend upfront.

Though you are often reimbursed, there’s a limit and you may have to wait a while to get your money back. This is a good side gig, so don’t depend on it to take the place of your income.

Some Mystery Shopping companies I recommend:

BestMark

Sinclair Customer Metrics

Market Force

Intellishop

Start a Blog

If you’re looking to make some side money or replace your full-time income, blogging can be an easy way to bring in $500 or more each month.

Many small and mid-size blogs are easily bringing in hundreds and thousands each month, so the possibilities are there. If you have an interest in a great niche, you can make money blogging.

Consider, however, that making money from blogging is not immediate and will take some consistency on your part, so don’t create one on a topic you’re not passionate about.

Some bloggers I know are profitable in the first six months of starting a blog, so if you have something to share with the world, start blogging. If you haven’t already, go over and read my post on How to Start a Blog.

Sell Products on Amazon

Not interested in writing and selling Kindle books on Amazon? Then you don’t have to.

There are so many ways to make money on Amazon including selling products.

Most people know about selling on eBay, but Amazon is a great way to sell products through their Fulfilled by Amazon program.

You can also list products on Amazon and deliver them yourself. Selling on Amazon is great if you can find a niche product that will sell well and allow for a pretty decent profit margin.

This 23-year old makes over $40,000 a month selling products on Amazon. Watch her tell her story below.

Plan Parties

Now I’m not talking about a wedding or event planner in the traditional sense. Instead of planning parties for other people, you can make money planning and hosting parties.

You will secure a place to have the event and you will sell tickets to the event. Depending on the type of party, you can make hundreds and thousands every month.

It’s a moneymaker that has helped to raise thousands of dollars for our family reunion. Consider planning a party if you’re looking to make some extra money.

A fun and simple side hustle to start.

Become a Virtual Assistant

If you have a skill that would benefit small business owners, try your hand at becoming a virtual assistant. If you’re pretty techy when it comes to WordPress or graphic design, you can work for bloggers to help them with their business.

Making money as a blogger is a slow process, but in the meantime, you can be a virtual assistant to someone who runs a more established blog.

You can start off with websites such as Fiverr or Indeed to look for virtual assistant jobs.

The following companies help you to find legitimate virtual assistant work, but there are usually costs associated:

More Great Ways to Make Extra Money Each Month

Join Ebates. This is one of my favorite reward companies out there. I do most of my shopping through Ebates and earn cashback on all of my purchases. It doesn’t take much for me to earn $100+ each month. Sign up with my link and get $10 added to your account.
Host and Plan Parties. If you love to entertain, then consider making a business out of it. Planning parties is not only fun but can be lucrative as well. See how I’ve made thousands planning parties with my family and friends.
Share your thoughts and opinions. Make your voice count and join a focus group. Find opportunities in your area and earn $75 to $150 for completed surveys.
Sign up to GrabPoints. I recently found this program and have fallen in love with it. Another way to earn gift cards by completing offers, watching videos, refer friends, and much more. Sign up through your computer or download the app for your phone.

Driving People Around

If you have time during the day and have a fairly recent 4-door car, you can make money by driving other people around.

Sign up for companies such as Uber or Lyft and make hundreds (even thousands) every month. Check out my post How to Make Money with Uber – The Ultimate Side Gig.

You’ll get out of it what you put in it, so your pay will vary. However, as an independent contractor, you’re your own boss and can set up your own hours.

My Uber driver today told me that he doesn’t go home until he meets his daily earnings goal of $150, which is a good side income (or full-time for some).

Making money online is not as difficult as it might seem. If you are looking to make a few extra hundred each month, then I highly recommend that you try the money-making endeavors on this list.

But don’t quit your day job just yet.

As with most money-making opportunities, the amount you make may be minimal. You’ll make more money if you’re consistent and if you pair them up with different opportunities.

Making Money/

How I Make Money Outside of Blogging

If you haven’t already, go ahead and read my post on How I Make Money Blogging. Considering I haven’t made much money with this blog (yet), I know you were wondering how I managed to eat. My survival currently depends on a few thing such as keeping expenses low and hustling like a mutha. Side hustles are my thing, but to put them in perspective I wanted to share with you how I make money outside of blogging.

If you’re interested in starting your own blog, Hostgator is a great hosting provider. Get up to 70% off your next website.

Here Are the Ways I Make Money Outside of Blogging

I’ve been an advocate of multiple streams of income for years. When I was a teacher, I always looked for ways to supplement my income because your girl here really liked to shop. So, I thought I would publish this post showing you guys some of the ways I make money that does not involve blogging. This is something I considered doing when I start posting monthly income reports. Until then, I don’t think it would hurt to give a glimpse of how I bring in income to pay bills and eat (since many people were concerned I was missing a few meals – not).

Here are a few of the ways I make money outside of blogging.

Business Coaching

I mentioned coaching in my post How I Make Money Blogging, but I included it on this list because I do work with entrepreneurs who do not run online businesses. I mostly help them to set up their business as well as gain clarity about running an online and “traditional” business. I am not a graphic designer, but I have a basic knowledge of computers and offer a WordPress set-up service for those who don’t.

Direct Sales and Network Marketing

I’ve participated in direct sales and network marketing for over 20 years. My mom and aunts always bought from Avon and when I was 18, I signed up to become a representative. Though I didn’t remain with Avon long (I bought more than I sold), I continued to bounce from company to company as either an independent business owner or a customer.

I’m not a great sales person, but if there is a product or service I believe in, I don’t mind telling my family and friends about it. Having said that, I am currently an independent business owner for two companies Total Life Changes and Melaleuca. Having lost my mom to cancer over a year ago, I believe in doing what you can to live a healthier and cleaner lifestyle. I’ll write a post later about each company and my participation in each.

I hope to increase my participation in both companies, especially since I believe you’ll get out what you put into them. Direct sales and network marketing have gotten a bad rep over the years, but the industry speaks for itself. Pyramid schemes do exist, but because of laws and regulations, the companies that participate in that behavior don’t stay around long. There are reputable companies out there and many people are making money from these companies. According to the Direct Selling Association which regulates the industry, there are over 20 million people involved in some form or fashion, most likely as a consumer. I just recommend that people do their due diligence when selecting a company and stand behind products and services that they really enjoy.

Writing

I’m not a great writer by any means, but I love to write. I write not only for my blogs, but I also write and publish books on Amazon. The course K Money Mastery helped me with my Kindle publishing strategy. One of my books, How to Make Money Planning and Hosting Cabarets is published on Amazon and is part of their Direct Kindle Publishing program. Participation prohibits the book being available for sale on other platforms.

I’m in the process of writing an ebook for this blog and when I’m finished I will be sure to let you know. I am currently in the process of writing an ebook that I may sell on this blog. Amazon is great for the exposure, but there’s a cap on what most people expect to purchase an ebook for when on Amazon.

Online Surveys

I have to admit that I don’t make a lot of money filling out surveys. Most of it has to do with the fact that I’m not really consistent in completing them. However, I do earn money or gift cards by participating in online reward programs, which most of them offer surveys you can complete to earn points that can be redeemed for cash, gift cards and more points. Most of them also offer referral programs you can credit for sharing your link with family and friends. Click here to see which online rewards I participate in.

Selling on Craigslist and Amazon

Whenever I get low on cash or otherwise have junk I have no clue what to do with, I’ll post on Amazon or Craigslist. Now my junk may surely be someone else’s treasure, so I use the term lightly. Some items I have sold either on Amazon or Craigslist are an old Kindle, an IPad, exercise DVDs (which I probably should have kept) and many textbooks. Depending on how fast I needed the money or how much I could get for the item depended on which platform I would sell it on.

I would probably make a good side income with selling items in my home I no longer need, but I haven’t put that much effort into it. Most of it has to do with the fact that I no longer binge shop like I used to, so I have less clutter and junk just lying around. Most of what I have now is what I use and can’t seem to part with.

Affiliate Marketing

As I’ve mentioned before, I love affiliate marketing. I became involved in affiliate marketing ever since I learned what it was and decided this was how I was going to make money online. I mention affiliate marketing on this list because before I started blogging, I created and published niche sites. These websites were four or more pages surrounding one product. You may have noticed these types of sites as either product reviews and comparisons. You probably landed on a page after putting into the search bar “Which is the best diet pill to lose weight” or “iPhone vs Android” and noticed that the author gave the pros and cons and included links to purchase these products. These are affiliate links!

As bloggers we include affiliate links within our blog posts, however, these niche sites had no other purpose than to educate you on a product or service with the hope you will buy them. The purpose is not to build relationships with their readers because they don’t want you to leave with hopes of coming back, they want you to buy right then and right there.

I’ve had niche sites on diet pills, skin-lightening creams, diabetes diet plans as well as a supplement that lowers cholesterol. I don’t focus on these sites as much because they’re pretty much hands-off. I used to have about 10 niche sites, but since then I have let go of the ones that were not performing.

My goal was to create one new niche site each month, but this has had to take a back burner because I’m now laser-focused on this blog and my relationship/dating blog. You can read how I make money blogging.

Tag: side hustle