25+ Legitimate Ways to Make Extra Money

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I’m so excited to share ways to make extra money. One thing I really enjoy is learning how I can earn cash on the side.I’m a stay-at-home mom and I’ve always felt limited when it came to finding a side hustle.

I worked for a few years as a Real Estate Agent before I started my family.  I really enjoyed that job but it meant I couldn’t be home with my kids.

After many prayers, my husband and I decided to downsize our lifestyle so I could be a stay-at-home mom. I love being a stay-at-home mom but I also love earning extra cash. I’m excited to share this journey with you!

My goal is to share all the best ways to make extra money.  There are so many options now with the internet growing.

How Can I Make Extra Money?

So many companies are going virtual which means you can find a side hustle that works for you.

Whether you have 1 hour of spare time or multiple hours to offer.  This is the place where you will find ways to earn extra money.

Making extra cash on the side can serve many purposes.

  • If you’re in debt (most of us are), you can start paying that down.
  • If you’ve been needing a vacation or want to take one more often, it can help you save more money.
  • If your finances are tight, it might help you loosen up a little bit.
  • You might reach your goal of retirement sooner.
  • You may have the option to not leave your home to earn a living. This can save you on gas and other expenses.
  • You can be more generous.
earn extra money

Ways to Make Extra Money Online

Making money online is becoming more and more common. It’s an easy way to find a side hustle even if you have a full-time job.

1. Teach International Students Online

Tutoring online is available for several different subjects. The pay is different depending on the subject and some jobs may require a certification or degree.  There may also be tutor opportunities available in your area.

You can use your teaching skills by teaching ESL to Chinese students in the comfort of your own home.

2. Design and Build Websites

If you have the talent to design and/or create websites you should check out the listing on Flexjobs to earn extra income.

3. Become a Pinterest Virtual Assistant

Pinterest helps businesses gain more exposure on the internet. This is where a Pinterest Virtual Assistant comes in. You can help businesses keep up with their Pinterest accounts.

If you like being on the internet, becoming a social media manager may be a great choice for you. There are lots of resources available to help you get started as a Pinterest VA.

4. Write for Other People

If you love to write, you may want to consider becoming a freelance writer. Bloggers and businesses look for writers for their websites and products.

Check out this freelance writer course. It will help you become a freelance writer in 30 days or less.

5. Become a Proofreader

If you like to read, making extra money as a proofreader may be the perfect fit for you. Check out this free proofreading webinar to see if you can work it into your schedule.

Make Extra Money

How to Make Extra Money From Home

6. Take Surveys

Surveys will give you a little extra cash each month. There are several different survey companies that are legitimate. Survey Junkie is one of the more popular ones.

7. Get Paid to Search Online

Swagbucks is one of my favorite ways to earn free gift cards online. All you do is search through their search engine (instead of Google for example) and you earn points.

You can redeem your points for gift cards.  Visit Swagbucks to sign up today.

8. Become a Virtual Assistant

There are lots of companies today looking for virtual assistants. The nice thing is you can find virtual assistant jobs with flexible hours.

This virtual assistant and work from home guide is a great place to start.

9. Get Cash Back Shopping Online

Did you know you can get cash back at most stores when you shop online? I’ve earned over $700 in cashback! The best part is you can shop how you normally would shop online.

The best cashback site is Ratuken (now known as Rakuten). They are the most dependable and they do pay. Read about how I get cashback shopping online.

10. Sell your Gift Cards

Have you received a gift card that you don’t want? You can sell your unwanted gift cards online and earn cash. Sites like Raise.com can help you earn 80-90% of the amount on the card.

11. Teach a Skill Online

Do you have a skill you can teach? You can create your own online teaching course and earn passive income. Check out Udemy and see what you can offer.

12. Offer your Services

If you have a service to offer you can list your services on Fiverr.  They are the largest freelance service marketplace.

Examples of services to offer include logo design, video lessons, writing, and online research for writers. Check out Fiverr to get started.

13. Start a Blog

Having a blog is fun and rewarding. A blog will allow you to earn passive income but it takes a lot of work and dedication.

How to Earn Extra Money On The Side

14. Become an Uber or Lyft Driver

From what I hear, Uber and Lyft provide exceptional pay. They allow you to be your own boss. I was able to get details from Chris who is a Lyft driver.

15. Become a Notary

Notaries are always needed. Becoming a mobile notary would be a great way to get out of the office.  The cost to become a notary is usually less than $100.

Since Notary certification is given by the state, you should check out how to get a notary certification.

16. Start a Child Care Service

You can provide child care. If you love children, this would be a blessing to you and the child. It could also become a great part-time income opportunity.

17. Be a Substitute Teacher at the Gym

I have a friend who fills in for the gym teacher a few times a month. She gets around $20 per class. This is basically like getting paid to work out.

If you are going to the gym anyway, you may want to inquire about this. It would be a win-win situation.

18. Pet Sit for Extra Cash

We are always looking for someone to pet-sit our little dog. He doesn’t do well at boarding facilities because he needs so much attention.

This would be perfect if you love animals. You may think this is one of those kinds of jobs for teenagers but it could definitely be done by any age group.

19. Clean Houses

I’m not a huge fan of cleaning and would love to have someone clean my house.  I have a friend who cleans to make money on the side.

She has options available to just clean a bathroom cleaned if needed.  You can offer “a la carte” cleaning services or full-service cleaning. It’s very flexible.

20. Become a Photographer

You don’t have to have a full-blown business to achieve this.  Every year I hire someone to take my kid’s school pictures. I love nature pictures. They usually take us to a forest nearby to take our school pictures.

This last year, I was charged $20 per child.  I have three kids and this only took the person 30 mins. She made $60 for half an hour! She doesn’t even print the photos. She sends me the files and I get them printed.

21. Sell Products on eBay

Selling stuff on eBay can be a part-time or full-time side job. It’s completely up to you. You can earn $20 or $1,000 selling on eBay. It’s totally flexible.

22. Become a Personal Trainer

You can have a side job as a personal trainer. My friend has a full-time job and got her personal training certification so she could make part-time money.

23. Start a Car Detailing Service

I have a friend that has a car detailing business.  It doesn’t have to be big. You can have just a couple of customers and make good money on the side.

I’d rather have my car cleaned by him than by the car wash. He does a great job and the price is about the same.

24. Host an Airbnb

Hosting with Airbnb is a great opportunity to earn money. If you have extra room in your home, you can host with Airbnb.

25. Offer Yard Services 

Earn money on the side by mowing lawns, pulling weeds, raking leaves, and more. Pretty much anything yard-related that people don’t want to do. I’ve hired kids from our youth group to pull my weeds. It was well worth the money.

Extra Cash

Earn Extra Cash

26. Shovel Snow

Shoveling snow is my least favorite thing to do. We get snow every winter and I would pay someone to shovel my snow. This would be a great way to stay in shape and earn some money at the same time.

27. Offer Moving Services

Some people don’t like moving stuff. People will actually pay someone to help them move things around their house.

A bonus is if you have a pickup truck. People will pay to have something moved from point A to point B. If you don’t mind moving things then this may be a good side hustle for you.

28. Become a Music Instructor

If you have musical talent, you can definitely use that talent to make extra money. I have a friend who is a great piano player.

She uses her talent to teach children how to play the piano. She charges a set fee per month and has around 15 students.  She teaches piano out of her house which keeps her expenses low.

29. Offer Computer Repair Services

Computers have become a necessity nowadays. If you love working on computers, you may want to consider offering computer repair services in your community. My friends’ husband works as a computer tech at our local school district.

When he’s not at work, he is available to help with computer issues. We’ve taken a few electronics to him and have been very happy.

30. Have a Garage Sale

You don’t need a ton of stuff to sell to have a garage sale. Every season my neighbor does a garage sale to clean out her house. She makes a couple hundred bucks every time.

The best part is it doesn’t have to be complicated. Find out how to set up a garage sale without tables.

Internet Safety Tips for Making Money Online

If you plan on making money online, make sure to read through these internet safety tips. There are safety practices that everyone should be aware of when pursuing a job online.

The internet is dangerous so you should equip yourself with these safe internet practices. Here are some things to help you search the web safely when you’re trying to make extra money online.

Be Aware of SCAMS – Scams are on the rise and are easy to fall into. Be aware that a job online would never require you to pay something in order to get an online job. Services that offer to help you find an online job are most likely scams.  A great way to avoid this is by choosing a reputable company to work for. You can go directly to them to get the information you need about a job. You should also check the Better Business Bureau and the internet for reviews of the company.
“Get Rich Quick Schemes” are a LIE – Making money online follows the same principles as making money in the world. It all takes hard work. Don’t get tricked into a scheme that promises to make thousands of dollars a day without putting the time into it. It’s a lie so don’t do it.
Create a Separate Email Account – Having a separate email for an online job allows you to keep your personal email private. Thankfully, emails are free. You should create a new one so you can protect yourself online.
Add Malware Protection on your Computer – You should protect yourself with virus protection on your computer and/or device. New viruses are created daily and corrupt more and more computers.  It’s not only expensive to fix but it can be invasive in your personal information. Make sure you protect your personal information.
Don’t Share Your Personal Life Online – You should only share what you absolutely have to online. Instead of giving out your cell phone number, you may want to consider using a Google voice number. Internet privacy is getting worse and worse so make sure to stay informed about the best practices.

Earning Money on the Side

Earning extra money on the side can take minimal time.

Just like anything, it takes effort to make a change. If you want to find a way to find a side hustle, you will need to look for one.

It’s up to you how much time you want to put into it. I created this list to show you that there are multiple ways to earn cash in your spare time.

Don’t be discouraged by thinking it will take a ton of time to do this. Most of these ideas are simple and the extra cash may be really helpful in your situation.

Once you secure an extra income source,  you can start saving that extra money or pay off some credit debt. If you do have debt with credit cards make sure to read about debt settlement.  It may or may not be good for you.

I personally follow the Dave Ramsey method for most things. Make sure you are working towards the baby steps so you can stay on the right track.

I’d love to hear about how you are making money on the side.  Let me know in the comments below.

One more thing, if you’re looking to save money, make sure to head over and check out my list of the best ways to save money. This list contains all the things I do to save. Saving money helps me get to stay within my budget categories and live my life to the fullest.

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