Most of my friends know – if they ever need extra money to come to me.
No, not because I will give them money, but because I have an endless list of ideas for them to use!
I’m serious – I literally have 12 notebooks & binders full of pages and pages of money making ideas. It’s not that I’m money hungry – I just love helping others figure out ways to build a life they want, whether that’s travel, working on something fun on a flexible schedule, paying for their kids college, or having fun with family & friends.
I have these notebooks full of ideas for making extra money because I love being creative AND I have a degree in accounting and have spent a lot of time in the business world, so using my interests and skills to come up with business ideas comes naturally to me.
When I was younger, I used to think I needed to try out all these ideas for myself. After having over 15 different types of jobs and businesses over the years, I realize that my place is in the ideas realm. Helping others figure out what to do with their abilities is way more fun to me than starting a new business of my own!
I started this new series of blog posts so I can start putting all of my ideas out there for everyone to use. Feel free to use any of these ideas to earn a little bit of spending money for yourself (like with Survey Junkie) or to supplement your primary income (like with shopping for Instacart) or even to create a business for yourself so you can quit your job! Let me know if you end up using one of my ideas in the comments below!
Whether you need $100 or $1,000….
Like I said, I love finding new ways to make extra cash. There really are a lot of jobs out there that take little experience, but can pay off BIG TIME!
Let’s face it, most of us could use an extra $100, $200, $500, or even $1000 bucks now and then. Whether it’s for an emergency or for fun, having that cash buffer comes in handy from time to time. Sometimes, it isn’t a buffer, it’s a necessity.
When you need to make just a little more to pay the rent or send your kids on that school field trip, these jobs could be the difference between cash-flowing or charging to credit.
Ideas for Earning Extra Cash
If you have the extra time, you have all it takes to make a little extra money. This list is just to get you started on planning. I wrote this list at first for all the stay-at-home-moms who read my blog and want a way to make money from home, to contribute to their family finances. But I realize that this is bigger than that – this post is for ALL MOMS, dad, students, and maybe even kids who need to make more.
Sometimes all you need is for someone to get your creative juices flowing to come up with the perfect side gig for you. My hope is that this list of money making ideas will get you on the road to earning extra money and getting ahead of your finances.
So exactly how can you raise money for all the little and big expenses that come up in life?
Small Side Gig or Real Income? You Decide
In this post you will mostly find a ton of ideas for things you can do to earn side income in your spare time. Some of these things could become full fledged part time or full time businesses, depending on how far you want to take them.
I hope you are able to find some unique money making ideas in this list. Good luck on your adventures! 😀
100+ Ways to Make Extra Money
I thought it would be neat to go over exactly 100 ideas for generating extra income when you need it. Most of these ideas are long term options, but a few of them could be implemented for times when you have more urgent money needs.
These are all actual ways to earn money. Whether you go small or go big with these opportunities is up to you.
- Start a blog
- Flip antiques
- Become an Instacart shopper (probably my most recent best idea, considering how popular Instacart is!)
- Take surveys – Here are some of my favorites >> Harris Poll | VIP Voice | Survey Club | Clear Voice | Product Report Card | Survey Junkie …I am working on an even bigger list, so you can sign up for these in the meantime and stay tuned! 😀
- Sell on Fiverr (with upgrades)
- Swagbucks
- Dog walking
- Seasonal retail jobs
- Recipe creator for bloggers
- Ebates
- Teach coupon classes
- Resume writer
- Clean houses
- Dog grooming
- Teach freezer cooking
- Character dress up (clowns or princesses)
- Video creator for bloggers
- Date night/moms morning out sitting service
- Babysitting
- Vacation planner
- Run errands
- Sports lessons (i.e. golf or tennis)
- Collect and resell specialty items (i.e. snow globes)
- Complete tasks online (i.e. task rabbit)
- Interior design
- Snow cone stand
- Sell crafts on etsy
- Sell newspapers
- Painting murals
- Personal shopper
- Start a toy review blog
- Makeup specials (prom, etc)
- Online writer (HubPages)
- Sell baked goods at farmer’s markets
- Virtual assistant
- Start a local email newsletter (i.e. events)
- iPhone glass repair
- Independent consultant (Mary Kay, Thirty One Gifts, Scentsy, etc)
- Hyper focused coupon blog for one store
- Calligrapher
- Cut or style hair
- Swagbucks
- Make and sell seasonal wreaths
- Tutor
- Lyft or Uber driver
- Watch repair
- Sell personalized kids clothing
- Create coloring pages
- Junk removal
- Shovel snow
- Sell on eBay
- Pressure washing
- Flamingo yards
- Mulch flower beds
- Instagrammer (focus on fitness, decorating, style, etc)
- Flip storage unit contents
- Supply delivery (Lowes, etc)
- Sell and let go app
- Sealing driveways
- Leaf removal
- Social media manager
- Birthday party planner
- DJ
- Vines
- Mystery shopping
- Notary
- Food delivery services
- Repair mailboxes
- Lawn mower repair
- Professional organizer
- Life coach
- Scrapbook assembly
- Wedding planner
- Car detailing
- Gutter cleaning
- Buying and reselling used furniture
- Book reseller
- Sell coupon binders
- Consignment sale seller
- Elderly companion
- House sitting
- Recycling metal cans
- CafePress designer
- Set up blogs for other people
- Homemade meals
- Lead group fitness boot camps (Camp Gladiator)
- Hedge trimming
- Create coupon newsletter
- Pet sitting
- Invest in the stock market
- Cupcake food truck
- Make and sell personalized wooden signs
- Event planner
- Goodwill flipper
- Youtuber
- Voice over acting
- Freelance writer
- Customized Girl creations
- Substitute teacher
- Design printables
- Sell things from around the house on Craigslist.
- Arts and crafts instructor (at Michael’s or the local rec center)
- Bake specialty cakes for birthday parties
- In-home birthday party specialist
- Udemy
- Teach Zumba or yoga
Ok so I got a little carried away and added 5 extra ideas! LOL
What would you do with an extra $200, $500, or $1000?
Would you finally take that trip to Disney World? Would you pay of your credit card debt, fix your car, help a loved one, get that outfit you’ve been desperately wanting, go on a nice vacation? There are literally thousands of things you could use it for.
Let’s think about all the reasons why you’d need extra money in your daily life:
- $800 for car repairs
- $100 for your daughter’s gymnastics leotard
- $600 for the holidays
- $400 to repair your air conditioner or heating unit
- $500 for new tires
- $200 for an unexpected dentist bill
- $1000 payment toward your kid’s braces
- $400 for a second-hand fridge
- $200 for a gaming system or $100 for games
- $300 to loan a friend for various reasons
- $350 for your new car payment
- $250 toward your an upcoming vacation
- $150 to repair something that’s broken around the house!
- $600 for an unexpected vet bill. grrrrr
- $850 for your kid’s broken bone emergency room visit :/
- $100 for an upcoming field trip
- $1,000 toward a new vehicle down payment
- $200 for a fancy kitchen gadget you’re dying to get
And the list could go on and on. There is no limit to the number of things you might need extra cash for along the road of life.
Medical or dental costs alone can really add up, ad that’s before you consider things like house repairs, field trips, vehicle costs, clothing, education, food, and more.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Stay tuned for more posts that delve deeper into each item on the list so you can narrow down which one may work your you!
More Posts on How to Earn Money
- How to Make Money Blogging ($5,000 example from my own blog) – Blogging is just an unbelievably flexible way to earn income from home. In this post, we’ll go over exactly how you can make money with a blog.
- Blogging Income Reports Collection
- 4 Reasons NOW is the Perfect Time to Start a Blog
- How One Family Makes Over $100,000 per Year Selling on Amazon
- COMING SOON! >> How to Create a Job for Yourself That Pays $20 an Hour – A friend of mine learned a specific skill set and then leveraged it into a legit job for herself. It’s been so successful that her husband is about to quit his job!
Ben @ How to Make Extra Money Fast says
1) this list is awesome- definitely a few things on it I haven’t considered before when working on a similar list
2) I love your images on pinterest (they’re what got me here in the first place) – great work!
Lena Gott says
Thanks, Ben! I love your images, too! 🙂
Janet Stelly says
Great ideas for saving money! Thanks!
Chhavi @ Mrs Daaku Studio says
Hey Lena,
This is SO comprehensive.
I blog about making money online and I don’t think I can think of anything else right away…
You’re right.. we never know what comes up. Last month, for me, it was the change of tires and doctor appointments.
Thank you for this post!