Rents due! Late on your car payment? The feeling of anxiety when your not able to pay your bills can be stressful on you and your family. Some extra income can make a significant difference to your finances, and can ease some of that pain. Sure, you could search out a cleaning job or bar work in the classified ads, but wouldn’t it be much more empowering to stand on your own two feet. Not only that, but by being in complete control you can dictate the work you do andwhen you do it. There’s nothing like a little bit of convenience, especially if it rescues you from waiting on tables. Knowing where to start can be a little bit intimidating, so we’re going to run through some amazing ideas that can help you make more money in 2018!
1. Earn Money On Your Checking Account
Monthly fees on your checking account and ATM fees can certainly add up. If you’re still using a brick and mortar bank, you’re probably paying all kinds of fees, and you may not even realize it. By not paying those fees an extra $20-$50 a month can add up quickly. With Aspiration Summit Checking Account you won’t have all those nasty fee.Aspiration is an online bank thaT has zero montly fees, zero ATM fees, and zero overdraft fees on debit card purchases. That’s alot of zero’s that can help you save money. Aspiration also has better interest rates than most banks, starting at 0.25%. The average interest rate on a bank account is a meager 0.06%, so signing upfor Aspiration can help you save and make you money at the same time.
2. Get Paid To Watch Videos Online
I’m sure you have heard about Netflix and chill. How about Watch and Earn! With Swagbucks you can do just that. Big brand companies want to know your opinion on products and they are willing to pay you for it. As well as watching videos Swagbucks will ask you to completing surveys, playing online games, performing web searches, and signing up for promotional offers.
3. Stop Over-Paying On Monthly Bills Get Your Money Back
AskTrim works on your behalf to negotiate some of your most common bills with major providers. Many monthly subscription-based services are eligible for this digital negotiation with a feisty little robot who speaks up on your behalf. If you’ve been wondering just how much money you’re throwing away every month, you may want to start researching what this bot can do for you.
Millions of consumers have already started using Trim, saving more than $1.2 million on their monthly bills. This grand total should be cause for massive celebration. Meaning thousands of users have been able to take money out of the hands of big corporations without having to pick up the phone. You can simply Sign up through Facebook or Email.
4. Get Paid For Your Human Intelligence
One of the easiest ways to generate a little extra cash in a short amount of time is by completing human intelligence tasks. And, don’t worry, these tasks do not require the sort of IQs usually associated with Harvard graduates. Instead, they’re fun, easy and won’t eat into your free time too much.
Human opinions are a crucial aspect of market research; without the opinions of consumers, organizations will have no idea how their products are going to be received. As a result of this demand, an entire industry has sprung up around online surveys. Few minutes of your spare time completing a survey, you should head over to sites such as InboxDollars and Mypoints
5. Get Paid To Get In Shape
Losing weight is certainly a tough task, but is it actually possible to lose weight and gain money at the same time? It sounds like the most unbelievable offer ever for staying healthy, looking good and keeping your bank balance topped up, but it’s all true thanks to HealthyWage. First off, you need to head over to the HealthyWage and check out their HealthyWage Prize Calculator so that you can enter the following information: The amount of weight you’re aiming to lose – this has to be at least 10% of your starting weight and can range from just 10 pounds up to 150 pounds. Then how much time you’re willing to take to lose this weight (6 – 18 months). The amount of money you’re happy to stump up each month, this can be between $20 to $150 per month. Once you’ve entered all this data, it’s time to commit and hit the Sign-Up button. The final step, of course, is the hardest and that’s to lose the weight and claim your prize.
6. Get Cash Back On What You Purchase
I hate it when I buy something and find out a week or month later I overpaid! Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. This tool Paribus can get you cash back on things you’ve already purchased. Free to sign up the app scans your receipts and negotiate a price matching refund when it sees a price drop. Requesting a refund!
7. Earn Money When You Shop
Another great free app is Shopkick its available on both Android and iOS. When you walk into one of the listed stores on the Shopkick app. You can earn what are called “kicks” for just walking inside! Simply open the app and stand in the store’s entrance for a moment or two until the app recognizes where you are. Also by scanning the bar-code of an item, you are going to purchase you can earn more kicks. Eventually, if you can earn enough Kicks you redeem them for gift cards at your favorite stores like Walmart, JC Penny, and Amazon.
8. Getting Handy with Arts and Crafts
Some of us are blessed with a natural talent to create with our hands and this can result in beautiful creations that people want to have in their homes. For you, it may seem like nothing more than a past time when you’re painting landscapes or crafting wooden ornaments, but you need to be confident that your talent is in demand. And that’s why, if you’ve got the skills, you should seriously consider getting involved in the following:
Handmade Jewelry
Thanks to sites like Etsy, there’s now a highly profitable niche to be found in making handmade jewelry. From jewelry tassels to skull shaped earrings and right through to amber pendants, the only limit to your product range is your imagination. And people are making some serious income out of it, so it certainly pays to get involved.
Obviously, there are going to be a number of costs that you incur due to the materials required, your labor and shipping, so it’s crucial that calculate all these costs before you get started. You’re then in a position to work out your profit margin – aim for at least 20% to make it worth your while.
Wooden Artwork
Wooden artwork is a big deal at the moment as people love the rustic look and nothing says rustic more than a piece of wood with an aged design on it. And it’s very easy to create bespoke designs. All you need to do is get hold of some aged (but clean) wood and some wax paper.
You’ll want to divide your designs into two sections: off the shelf and bespoke. There are numerous designs that people are always going to want to buy such as specific words (Home, Love etc), but there will also be a demand for personalized designs as well. With the materials only bringing in a low cost, this is a craft which can bring in huge profits.
Design Greetings Cards
It seems like there’s an occasion to celebrate every month be it birthdays, Christmas, Hannukah or even Grandparent’s day, so why not take advantage of this and create cards for every occasion? Again, this is a low cost craft which requires nothing more than card, colours and inspiration.
It pays to create a range of different price points as each customer is different. Some will be looking for more elaborate designs and are happy to pay a premium (even over $100), whilst others will be in the market for something simple and cost effective (costs start from just $1).
Knit Gloves for Winter
Okay, we only need gloves in winter, but when we need gloves we really need gloves to protect our hands from those dreaded icy chills. And, again, this is a need that can be seriously exploited to bring in a little bit of extra cash.
Gloves and mittens can go for as little as $10 and for as much as $50, so there’s a clear profit available at all price ranges. Wool, for example, is relatively low cost and the only other financial outlay will be postage which, for gloves, is very low. So, if you’re prepared to spend the fall knitting gloves then prepare to make a ton of money in the winter on Etsy.
9. Provide Lessons in Your Chosen Skill
You don’t have to become a tutor in an academic subject, so don’t worry if you’re not a professor of math. Instead, take a look at the skills you have: maybe you’re an amazing guitarist or perhaps you know how to paint nails like an absolute pro. Whatever your skill, there’s a good chance someone wants to learn it.
If, for example, you fancy teaching guitar, you’re looking at earning a minimum of $50 per hour. Therefore, just giving four lessons a month would earn you $200 and hardly impact on your free time at all. In order to succeed, make sure you employ word of mouth with local adverts.
Tutor Someone
If you’re a teacher of an academic subject or just happen to excel in one then there’s no reason why you can’t tutor on the side. The most popular subjects are always the hardest subjects, so it’s perfect for those with a mastery of math, science and foreign languages.
Costs are dependent on your local market, so make sure you understand the average income in the area that you plan to tutor. However, with local tutor costs ranging from between $17 to $50 an hour, even just a few extra hours work a week can bring in a healthy income.
Teach Online
Thanks to the availability of free video conferencing through apps such as Skype and WhatsApp you can teach people from all over the world english and much more. VIP-KID you can teach part-time. Naturally, you’re going to need to provide evidence of your qualifications, so get ready to send documented proof of your degrees/diplomas for academic subjects or if, for example, you’re giving guitar lessons, send a video of you tearing up your fretboard.
There may be a little bit of investment required to ensure you have a good camera to use, but this cost can easily be built into your fees and soon pay for itself. Again, costs are going to be dependent on your skills, but around $29 per hour is a good starting point.
10. Become a Freelancer
You’ve probably picked up a few skills throughout your education and career that you can turn into a profitable freelancing business, so why not take the plunge? It’s estimated that 50% of the US workforce will be freelancers by 2020 and this means that there’s no better time to use your well-honed talents to generate a second income.
Writing
One of the most popular forms of freelancing, writing is also one of the simplest. All it involves is a word processor and your imagination. And practically every type of writing gig is available on sites such as Upwork, PeoplePerHour and Guru; clients from all over the world are looking for writers to craft compelling copy, blog posts or even just proofread emails.
Depending on the task and your abilities as writer, you can easily take on one or two jobs an evening and still find time to head down to the gym and dip into Netflix. Writing jobs can start from as little as $5 for the most basic tasks such as proofreading, but when it comes to creating e-books then you can easily start earning three figure amounts.
Stock Photography
Some people have a natural talent for picking up a camera and taking well composed, beautiful pictures. Rather than storing these on a memory card, though, why not try and earn a little bit of money out of them through stock photography sites?
By contributing your work to sites such as Shutterstock, you can earn around $0.55 per photo sold and this can soon turn into a nice passive income as you upload more and more photos. The most important thing is to be unique with your work as Danny Groner of Shutterstock explains:
“Don’t look too much at what other people are doing. It’s really important to say ‘This is me, this is how I’m going to do this, and create a style”
Virtual Assistant
Organization is crucial for succeeding in business, but many business owners find themselves swamped by the demands of their day to day activities. And, if you’re mega organized and thrive on pressure, then you could bring your skills to the table as a virtual assistant. Working remotely, you’ll organize appointments, type documents and even take phone calls on behalf of clients.
With an average hourly wage of just over $15, working several hours a week as a virtual assistant can soon see the dollars mounting up in your bank account. So, if you want to put money towards that new car or holiday, head over to Upwork and start applying for the many jobs on offer.
Website Design
The internet is big business, so many businesses and enterprises are trying to raise their online profile. Key to this is a good website, but to be a great website it needs to be unique and innovative. Therefore, clients are looking for creative talents who can build a website which stands out.
You can easily earn $50 for designing the most basic of websites, but if a large scale website is required then clients are more than prepared to pay upwards of $5,000 on Upwork. And it’s not just fully fledged websites that are required, clients often need small bits of code designed to help tweak existing websites and these jobs can range from $15 up to $100+.
Data Analysis
Good data analysis can provide serious benefits for any organization, but we’re in an era of ‘big data’ and analyzing all of this is expensive. That’s why many businesses are turning to Upwork and Experfy to hire freelancers who have the experience to crunch their data.
With fixed price jobs on Upwork starting at $50 and even going over $700, working as a freelance data analyst can make paying your monthly bills a lot easier.
Graphic Design
Those of you with an artistic temperament may not know this, but there’s a huge demand for your talents in the 21st century. And, thanks to websites such as Upwork and 99designs it’s now possible to connect clients and freelancers from all over the world.
Maybe you’ve got a real flair for designing eyecatching logos or when it comes to visual aesthetics for book covers you’re a genius. Either way, the jobs on offer to graphic designers can range from $20 for a website logo up to $200+ for a book cover.
11. Profit from Your Due Care and Attention
If you’re a careful and conscientious character then, believe it or not, you can make money out of these amazing traits. In particular, taking care of certain tasks and needs for peoples’ personal lives can bring in an easy source of revenue.
Babysitting and Night Nannying
Young children need a lot of care and attention, so where does a parent turn when they need a break from parenting? That’s right, a babysitter; if you’ve got proven skills in looking after children then advertising by word of mouth can soon land you jobs where you earn close to $14 per hour.
Then, of course, we move onto night nannying which involves taking care of a baby’s needs overnight whilst the parents get some much needed sleep. This invaluable service – which again relies of word of mouth – can easily deliver $200 for a night shift.
Housesitting
Peace of mind can often be a luxury, but sometimes it’s a luxury we can’t do without. And, when homeowners are away from their place of residence, they want to know that their house is safe. The best way to ensure this is by installing a housesitter to keep an eye on it.
You’re going to have to rely on word of mouth, but once you start landing housesitting gigs, you won’t believe how easy they are. And, for a daily wage of around $38, all you’re going to have to do is water plants, collect mail and keep an eye on the house.
Dog Walking
Dogs need a lot of exercise, but this takes and effort – two commodities which are always in short supply. And that’s why many dog owners are turning to dog walkers to take care of this essential task. So, if you know how to handle a Labrador and can keep up with a sprinting greyhound, dog walking could present a serious opportunity for you.
Word of mouth, of course, is crucial to drum up business, but there’s also the avenue of working through Wag! which is an app that provides dog walkers to dog owners. With potential earnings of $15 – $25 a day for each dog, this is a side business which will swell your finances and keep you healthy.
12. Turn Your Knowledge into a Product
If you have a wealth of information about a certain niche then maybe it’s time you packaged it into something you can sell. The quickest and easiest way to do this is to concentrate on the digital world as costs can be kept to a minimum, but don’t discount the physical real world either.
Write and Publish E-Books
Thanks to sites such as Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, Apple’s iBooks and independents such as Lulu it’s now incredibly easy to publish an e-book with the potential to bring in a nice, passive income on the side. Try turning your existing blog into an e-book or just write a new story from scratch.
The best part of publishing e-books is that it’s possible to generate massive profits of up to six figure amounts if you pick the right niches. Don’t go out looking for nothing more than a massive profit, though, as Kerry Wilkinson advises:
“Write for the right reasons – ie yourself. If I had set out to sell tens of thousands of copies and sign with a publisher, then I would likely have ended up achieving nothing because I would have been focused on the wrong things”
Sell Workout Plans
If you’re a fitness trainer or simply work out to the max with amazing results, there’s a lucrative market in the world of online fitness plans. Everyone wants to look good and maybe your methods can help them look better than ever by sharing your knowledge.
It’s a tough niche to crack, so you need to build a following through social media and word of mouth – it also helps to have an amazing physique to back up your workout plans as people want proof that they work before paying for them. Costs for basic workout plans can start at around $9.99 but this form of passive income can even lead to six figure incomes if you’re lucky.
Digital Information Products
Digital information products (DIP) contain a lot of information and provide immense value to consumers, but what are they? Well, a DIP is usually centered around a certain niche – such as internet marketing – and is made up of resources including e-books, webinars and videos etc.
So, if you’re an authority on a particular subject and can provide fresh insights, creating a DIP and selling it could easily earn you $49 per sale. Storage costs are virtually zero due to their digital form and they can easily be sold on Ebay or promoted through your own website.
Podcasting
Podcasting is getting bigger and, with advertising revenue due to increase by 25% a year up to 2020, there’s never been a better time to get involved. And if you possess a wealth of knowledge on a specific topic (and a microphone), you could just take a healthy slice of that advertising revenue.
If you’re able to regularly bring in a large audience then there’s no limit to how much you can earn from affiliates. Dave Jackson produces a number of podcasts every month and in any given month he can earn a net income of just over $1600 for talking about subjects he loves.
Medical Research Studies
In order to advance medicine, researchers need to test new treatments on human subjects in order to get them approved. Acting as a test subject you’ll be asked to test new treatments and medicines. On some occasions this could be, for example, trying a new flu medication or taking in part in a study on light therapy for acne.
And the good news is that these studies are highly lucrative for the subjects with the Flu Camp in London paying subjects up to $5,000 for taking part. If you want to find out more about the types of studies taking place near you then head over to CenterWatch. Remember, though, that side effects are almost guaranteed and some people cope better than others with these.
Become a Mechanical Turk
You may be wondering what a Mechanical Turk is, but don’t be alarmed as it’s just the name of Amazon’s marketplace for human intelligence tasks. On here you can find a wide range of clients looking to pay people tasks that can include identifying music performers, selecting the best photo out of a collection of similar ones or even editing transcriptions.
With around half a million tasks available at any one time, Mechanical Turk has plenty to offer you in your spare time. Jobs can be completed in minutes or hours and it’s possible to earn around $6 to $10 per hour.
Focus Groups
Focus groups are like the older and sophisticated brother of customer surveys. So, instead of just spending a few minutes answering some questions, you’ll be signed up to answer in-depth questions over the course of an hour or sometimes over a number of weeks. And sometimes, as you can see at Focus Group, they can be really fun and include tasting new snacks or watching new TV shows.
The money on offer is very attractive too with earnings ranging from $75 to $300 an hour in some cases. And, as Will Leitch states, this can soon add up if you know how to play the game:
“If you know how to game the system, you can do one of these a week, sometimes even more. (My record is four)”
13. Become an Actor or Model
It’s unlikely that you’ll become either the next Brad Pitt or Claudia Schiffer, but it doesn’t mean you can’t earn money from their respective trades. You’ll almost certainly have to resign yourself to never winning an Oscar or working the catwalks in Milan, but there’s still money to be earned.
Film/TV Extra
Films and TV shows always need extras to help fill out scenes filmed in restaurants/coffee shops/hospital waiting rooms and that’s where you come in. All you need to be able to do is sit or stand in the background. And that’s it!
Websites such as Backstage regularly advertise for extras, so you should regularly keep an eye on their listings to see if you suit the necessary requirements. The hours may be long, but it’s a fun job where you can meet famous actors and earn between $8 – $12.50 an hour.
Modeling
Yes, that’s right: you can be a model and you can get paid for it. However, rather than featuring on the front cover of Vogue, you’re going to concentrate on live modeling for artists. Obviously, if you’re not comfortable with stripping down to nothing this is not for you, but if this is your bag then you can earn some easy money.
Now, the online world is full of dubious characters, so avoid online requests for models as this could be risky. A much safer option is to approach local art classes and galleries to enquire about potential modelling gigs. And the reward for this artistic endeavour? Between $20 – $30 for sitting still.
14. Make Money from Your Talents
You’ve no doubt got a special skill which comes naturally to you, but many people relegate these to a mere hobby. Whilst this provides a relaxing outlet for your energies, it also means that you’re missing out on a revenue source which you could seriously enjoy working on.
Altering Clothes and Tailoring
Mending and altering clothes is a special skill, so if someone needs repairs or modifications to a suit, for example, they’re going to struggle to do it themselves. Going to a professional seamstress or tailor, however, is rather expensive and a budget option is much more preferable. And if you’ve got serious needle skills then this is where you can offer your services.
Word of mouth is crucial for a side business such as this, so make sure families and friends know about the service you’re offering. Earnings wise, you should be looking to charge between $20 – $25 an hour to compete with established outlets and provide value for customers.
Baking
Baked goods are incredibly tasty, but perfecting all the necessary culinary skills to achieve this isn’t easy. As a result, people are constantly looking for a fantastic baker who can provide cakes for special occasions and businesses such as coffee shops are always looking to stock up on snacks.
And, if you know how to bake and decorate a delicious wedding cake or cook up a tray full of amazing muffins, baking could be a profitable sideline for you. Advertise your skills on social media to build word of mouth advertising and you could soon be making wedding cakes for three figure amounts.
DJ at Celebratory Events
Sure, you’ll need an in-depth knowledge of equipment and mixing techniques, but if you’re considering a side career as a DJ then you probably already have these skills. And they’re skills which can easily be applied to weddings, birthdays, bar mitzvahs and any other type of celebration you can imagine.
Starting a YouTube channel to demonstrate your DJ skills is essential – as is building a reputation through word of mouth – but the payoff can be gigs which earn you around $1,000 for three hours work.
Repair Electronics
We’re living in an age where everyone owns at least a cell phone, tablet or laptop and it’s fair to say that these products are vital for our everyday lives. So, when one of these gets damaged it spells disaster. And electronics aren’t always an easy product to repair, so if you know your way round a PCB or even a broken screen, this could be a niche for you.
It’s a niche which can be highly profitable with screen repairs for iPhones being charged out at around $190. Spare parts are essential, but these can easily be found on Ebay or through electrical wholesalers.
Wedding Photography
For a couple, their wedding day can be the most important day in their life together and capturing this is a priority. So, if you’ve got a good photography portfolio then this is a side business you could easily get involved with.
You’ll need to advertise your portfolio online through sites such as Instagram and Facebook to demonstrate your talents, but word of mouth is, again, essential to ensure that people know about the talents you have to offer. And, when you start landing wedding photography gigs, you can look to earn between $2,500 – $3,000 per wedding.
As you can see, there are a massive range of options for making extra money in 2018, so there’s no reason why you can’t get started straight away. Make sure you focus on your strengths and, by exploiting these skills, you’ll soon find that a side job can boost your income for just a few extra hours work a week.