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2020 has been a real humdinger. Unemployment is currently at 13.3% and there are entire businesses and industries that have been shaken up to the point that they may not return.
It’s left a lot of people reevaluating the future of their careers. And in the meantime, struggling to make ends meet. So today I’m sharing ways to make extra money that pay well and start paying quickly.
And even if you’re still blessed with a job, no matter what profession you’re in or hours you work there are opportunities for you to increase your income.
Promoting yourself locally and to your Facebook friends will get you the most money but also consider using sites that solicit particular jobs because it’s easier to go where the buyers are than to attract them to yourself.
23 Ways to Make Extra Money During a Recession
Here is a list of ideas to spark your imagination. Not all of them include active work, some are passive income, some of them require a little extra learning but none of them require a degree. And most important, there is virtually no start-up cost.
Want 10 more easy side hustles I didn’t list here? Get my 10 favorite side jobs I did to pay off $78K of debt in two years.
Ways to Make Extra Money at Night
Nick Loper has a great catchphrase on the Side Hustle Show, “Your 9-5 makes you a living, but your 5-9 makes you alive.” Night jobs don’t have to be minimum wage soul-sucking events. The biggest bang for your buck is thinking outside the box.
You may have to try a few of them and see what you like and that’s okay. Most of these have low start up costs to get started. This helps keep more in your pocket and make them great jobs to make extra side money to save more, payoff debt, save for a baby, save up for a wedding, or any other money goals you have.
1. Babysitting or House Sitting
You might think this one’s a lost cause but as the mother of a toddler, I can tell you: working from home with young children is almost impossible. When parents that are employed or self-employed need a few uninterrupted hours, you can provide that service. Join mom groups on Facebook or check out sites like Care.com or UrbanSitter.
Rate per hour: $15 – $20 for babysitting, $25 – $45 per day house sitting
2. Deliver food
While people aren’t going out to many places, they’re ordering a lot of UberEats, DoorDash, Postmates, etc. Sign up for as many services as are available to you so you can do multiple deliveries and limit your downtime.
Since 2020, these types of services have skyrocketed. The average income can be much higher if you sign up for a few apps and are efficient.
Rate per hour: About $8 – $12 after vehicle expenses
3. Shop for groceries
I’ve long praised the value of grocery delivery. A $1.99 fee for pick up or $10 to keep your family safe is way more affordable than impulse buys and hospital stays. Instacart and Shipt are great services. Again, sign up for all available services to get the most out of your time.
Rate per hour: $15 plus tips
4. Tutor Online
School has officially moved online! And with the uncertainty of some schools opening in the fall, many parents will be turning to online tutoring for the first time. Tutor.com, Chegg, Wyzant and StudyPool are some popular sites you can check out.
You can also make $20+ an hour for teaching kids online through VipKid.
Rate per hour: $25
5. Senior Help
You can get paid to hang out with seniors, do some house tasks, and run errands via Papa. Papa has not stopped service due to COVID-19 and you can earn up to $15 per hour.
Rate per hour: $11 – $15
6. Rideshare
You can make great money driving people around like a taxi service using your own car. You can sign-up for Uber, Lyft, and more through an app and start making money asap. Just make sure to follow the practices to keep yourself safe.
Rate per hour: $9 – $12 (but good drivers can report way more)
Ways to Make Extra Money on Weekends
You might have to give up some Saturday morning cartoons or Sunday afternoon naps for this one but you’ll get them back eventually! These are great ways to make money to help you hit your financial goals. Most of them are super easy too! They are perfect to make some extra cash to payoff debt or hit your money goals faster.
7. Yard Work
Grass still grows and people like healthcare professionals have less time on their hands. If you have a license you can use Zaarly to connect with homeowners. Otherwise, offer your services on Facebook Marketplace or task sites like TaskRabbit.
Rate per hour: $15
8. Pet Sit
Pet parents may also want to send their pups away for virtual meetings or just to get some full-focus time, So pet sitting via DogVacay or Rover can be a way to earn money.
Rate per day: $25 – $35
9. Clean Homes
Cleanliness has never been more of a priority and if you’re willing to clean you’ll likely be able to find work. If you already have paid experience as a cleaner, sign up with Handy. Otherwise, use a task site like Takl.
Rate per hour: $50 – $90
10. Move Furniture
You can move or assemble furniture from people’s online shopping sprees via Thumbtack or TaskRabbit!
Rate per hour: $15
10. Mystery Shopping
Mystery shopping is a legit way to make money. There are some scams out there but there are also many legitimate companies. This is a great way to get paid to do things you’re already going to do like get your oil changed, buy groceries, or get takeout.
Some of my favorite mystery shopping companies are:
Amusement Advantage
A Closer Look
Confero
Coyle
iSecretShop
BestMark
Rate per assignment: $8 – $100 depending on difficulty and time it takes
Ways to Make Extra Money Reselling Goods
With a little research and creativity, you can make good money reselling used goods from yard sales and thrift stores or from sites like Alibaba. If that’s too much commitment try taking your gently used clothes, etc to resell stores.
Reselling clothes online are going like hotcakes these days since a lot of people would rather shop safely in the comfort of their homes.
11. Amazon FBA
FBA, Fulfilled by Amazon, allows sellers to sell on Amazon and for a small fee Amazon provides storage, packaging, and shipping assistance. It takes a little more upfront cost but can be a good side hustle for someone looking to start something more long-term.
12. Resell on eBay
If you have a knack for finding great deals on used products (like my husband does) then reselling on eBay is a great side hustle!
13. Sell clothes
If you have extra time on your hands and a closet full of nice clothes you don’t see yourself needing anytime soon, sell them to Plato’s Closet, Poshmark, or ThredUp.
14. Sell used exercise equipment
If you haven’t used that elliptical all quarantine, it’s time to sell it to someone who will. You can try selling on Facebook Marketplace, Play it Again Sports or Swap me Sports.
Ways to Make Extra Money at Home
Online work-from-home jobs are my favorite. I’ve spent many a morning up at 6:00 AM working on my computer before going into work. There’s also opportunity for passive income on some of these which makes them sustainable in the long-term.
Some of these are perfect for your lunch break too. Just bring your laptop and work while eating.
15. Virtual Assistant
You’d think with more time at home I’d have more time to get little tasks done but it’s only shown me I don’t. So I just hired a virtual assistant during the quarantine. I used Instagram but there are also sites like 24/7 or Belay.
Rate per hour: $15 – $50
16. Teach a Course
IF you have a skill, knowledge, or experience that people would pay to have, create a course and sell it on your website or a course site like Udemy or Skillshare.
Rate per hour: Depends on many things
17. Search Engine Evaluation
I used Appen and Leapforce to make extra money while we were paying off debt and it was the easiest/ most boring work ever. I have a list of 10 easy side jobs and links to apply to Appen, Leapforce, and more in the PDF. Scroll up to get it!
Rate per hour: $40
18. Transcribe Audio
Interviews, meetings, etc get transcribed, even more in this work-from-home culture we’re in right now. TranscribeMe and Rev are popular sites I use and provide a lot of work. The pay isn’t as high as some other jobs on the list but this one could be good if you’re a fast typer.
Rate per hour: $15
19. Proofread & Edit
Quarantine might be just the break budding authors have been waiting for to write their novels! If you’re a grammar whiz then offer your services on sites like Scribendi.
Rate per hour: $20
19. Data Entry
Data entry was my very first online job. I’d do 30 minutes in the morning, go to work, do some more on my lunch break, then do some before I went to bed. This is super easy (sometimes mind-numbing) stuff you can do to make some quick cash.
Rate per hour: Average – $15
Ways to Make Extra Money by Renting
If you’re lucky enough to have something in-demand that you can rent out it’s a great way to earn income without much hard work, minus a little cleaning after.
20. Your RV
People are rethinking air travel and international travel is all but canceled so families are rethinking their vacation plans. If you have an RV, consider renting it out via RVshare.com.
21. A Room/ Your House
Airbnb and Homestay are back so if you have space you can rent, post it. You can post your space now and block out the next few months to get a reservation while you wait for the pandemic to dissipate.
22. Your Boat
Boats are probably the safest place to be right now so if you have one, rent it out on Boatbound or GetMyBoat to profit from it!
23. Your Car
You can rent out your car when you’re not using it like an Enterprise store. You can check out the most popular car rental companies like Turo, Getaround, and JustShareIt to get started today.
If you’re renting out your things, you need to make sure you keep a little bit of money back for repairs from your earnings.
There are several ways to make more money from home and online. You just have to do your due diligence and research. You want to make sure you are making enough money to justify it. You can definitely make enough money to help cover a job loss or just make more money to help you pay off debt fast.
Get started organizing your finances so you can simplify your life and spending.
The Next Step…
If you’re really ready to take this to the next level, checkout the Income Accelerator Bundle. It is jam packed with 50+ job links to help you make $1,000 + every single month like clockwork. There is so much stuff packed into this amazing bundle and all for one low price!
I have literally taken the guesswork out of looking for a job for you because I have done the research for you.
If you are ready to make $1,000 + each month consistently, check it out HERE.
Jen Smith is a personal finance expert, founder of Modern Frugality and co-host of the Frugal Friends Podcast. Her work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Lifehacker, Money Magazine, U.S. News and World Report, Business Insider, and more. She’s passionate about helping people gain control of their spending.
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