make money

  • 11 Ways to Make an Extra $1,000 a Month

    When my husband and I got married, we knew we had some financial goals we wanted to meet pretty quickly. 

    Together we had six figures of debt, and we knew we wanted to pay that off as soon as possible. Thinking about making these student loan payments twenty years from now sounded miserable, so we settled on a payoff timeline of about seven years. 

    We also had some big purchases we knew we wanted to save for. We also had plans to give up our apartment and buy an RV so we could travel the country in it.

    We also knew we wanted to buy a home when we got back to Wisconsin, so we wanted to start preparing for that early.

    So I guess you could say we’ve got an expensive few years ahead of us. 

    The best way for us to aggressively pay down our debt and save for our financial goals at the same time has been to increase our income. 

    $1,000 in extra income per month can go a long way!

    In this post, I’m sharing how you can make an extra $1,000 a month to start tackling your financial goals. 

     

    11 Ways to Make an Extra $1000 Per Month

    There are affiliate links in this post, meaning I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information, see my full disclosure policy here.

     

    Why is it good to make extra money?

    How many times have you read a personal finance book or blog post that said you should stop buying lattes or start clipping coupons to reach your financial goals?

    Yeah, it might not be terrible advice, and those things can help you to save a few dollars here and there. But are you really going to pay off your student loans or buy your dream house by saving a few dollars here and there? Probably not. 

    Rather than ruthlessly cutting small things from our budget, my husband and I have found the best way to reach our financial goals is to make more money. 

    After all, we really wanted to be able to aggressively pay off debt while also enjoying live music and eating out since those are our favorite things to spend money on. 

    Making an extra $1,000 a month can make a huge difference in helping you to reach your goals. 

    With $1,000 extra income per month, you could pay off your student loans in just a few years rather than the 10-20 years it’s scheduled to take. 

    With $1,000 extra income per month, you could save the downpayment for your dream home in just a few years. 

    With $1,000 extra income per month, you could take an amazing vacation every year and still have enough to save aggressively for retirement. 

    I’m telling you, making extra money is the secret you’ve been looking for!

     

    What are the best ways to make extra income?

    When you first think about it, $1,000 sounds like a lot of money. And don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely more than spare change. 

    But when you do the math to figure out exactly what you have to do to hit that number, it’s actually not as hard as you’d think!

    An extra $1,000 could be:

    • 25 hours per week at $10 per hour
    • 10 hours per week at $25 per hour
    • $250 from four freelance clients each
    • 10 online courses sold for $100 each
    • 8 musical lessons taught for $125 each

     

    START A BLOG

    I can honestly say that starting a blog was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Not only is it something that I genuinely enjoy doing, but it is also an amazing way to bring in additional income every month. 

    There are plenty of different ways to make money blogging depending on what interests you. You could make money through affiliate marketing, sidebar ads, working with companies on sponsored blog posts, or selling your own digital products like eBooks and online courses. 

    You can start your own blog or niche site on just about anything. I’ve seen successful blogs in just about every niche you could think of. As long as someone out there is interested in it, you’ve got a potential audience. 

    And for what it’s worth, I was able to launch my tiny personal finance blog into a six-figure freelance writing business.

     

    BECOME A FREELANCER

    When you work as a freelancer, you’re an independent contractor providing a particular service to another person or company. 

    If you’ve got a specific skill set to be a freelance writer, graphic designer, or social media manager, you can find work as a freelancer online. 

    In 2018, in addition to running my blog, I started picking up freelance writing clients. In just a little over a year, I was able to take my freelance writing income from just a few hundred dollars here and there to $10,000 per month. 

    My favorite resource to get started with freelance writing is the online course Earn More Writing. In this course, six-figure freelance writer Holly Johnson teaches you how to get started with freelance writing and make serious money online. 

     

    START A YOUTUBE CHANNEL

    We’re living in an increasingly visual world, so it’s not surprising that video continues to become a bigger and bigger deal every year. 

    And while it might seem like it’s too late to start a YouTube channel (hasn’t it all been done already??), there’s definitely still room for anyone who has something unique to bring to the table. 

    Certain niches tend to really go hand in hand with video, but honestly, people have been successful on video in just about every niche!

    If YouTube sounds right for you, I recommend finding an online course on video and editing. With so much competition out there, people really expect high-quality videos. 

    Start sharing your creations with the world, and before you know it, you’ll start bringing in extra money. 

     

    BECOME A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT

    One of the awesome things about the rise of online businesses is that it’s created an entirely new career — Virtual assistants. 

    A virtual assistant (aka a VA) is an independent contractor that provides administrative services for online clients. 

    Plenty of online business owners hire VAs to help them in all areas of their business. Some do really basic administrative tasks like responding to emails, while others might have a more narrow specialty, like running someone’s Pinterest account or doing all of their social media scheduling. 

    You can find VA jobs on just about any job board these days. You can also join Facebook groups for business owners and find anyone looking for VA services. 

     

    START A SERVICE-BASED BUSINESS

    Plenty of people make extra cash by offering services to people in their community. If you have a talent, chances are other people are willing to pay you for it. 

    For example, the photographer my husband and I hired for our wedding actually does that as a side gig, and she has a different job she works as her full-time job. 

    She’s at the point where she’s definitely making more than $1,000 per month, but you’ve gotta start somewhere! 

    A service-based business could also be something as simple as mowing people’s lawns in the summer or shoveling their driveways in the winter. 

    Plenty of people offering service-based businesses start off just to make some extra money and then end up going full-time later on. 

     

    TEACH ENGLISH ONLINE

    Another easy way to make $1,000 per month is by teaching English online. You can do this by using a site like VIPKID. 

    VIPKID is an online education service that connects kids in China with English teachers. And no, you don’t have to be an actual English teacher to join. 

    On VIPKID, you can make up to $22 per hour teaching short half-hour lessons to kids. The best part is that you can make your own schedule, meaning you can make an extra $1,000 per hour in your spare time between other commitments.

     

    START AN ETSY SHOP

    If you’re crafty, Etsy can be a great way to make some extra money every month. Etsy is an online marketplace where you can sell anything that is handmade or vintage.

    You can sell hand-made items on Etsy, like jewelry or knitted items. You can also sell digital items. Plenty of people sell printables and spreadsheets of all kinds. 

    I had an Etsy shop as a part of my business model for a number of years, and it was a great way to make a little extra money every month. 

     

    JOIN THE GIG ECONOMY

    One of the best things about technology today is that there is no shortage of apps you can download and immediately start making money. 

    These apps exist in what is called the gig economy, where you make money by picking up gigs.

    One way to make money with apps is by driving for Uber or Lyft, where you make money by driving people around in your own car. You’re basically a freelance taxi, and you can pick up a few rides whenever you’ve got time. 

    You can also make money online by delivering things. Apps like DoorDash and GrubHub allow you to sign up to deliver food. Other apps, such as Instacart pay you to go grocery shopping for other people and deliver their groceries to their homes. 

    There are also gig apps that don’t require driving anyone or delivering anything. Sites like Rover, for example, allow you to make money by pet sitting or walking people’s dogs. Sounds like a fun way to make money to me!

     

    TEACH OTHERS A SKILL

    You might be noticing a trend with this list, but the gist of it is that you can find a way to monetize just about any skill. 

    Depending on the skill, you might be able to teach lessons in your community. 

    For example, let’s say you’re skilled at a particular musical instrument. Chances are there are people in town who are interested in taking lessons. 

    If you’re teaching people locally, you can start sharing your services on social media. You could also offer a few lessons for free and ask those people to spread the word about your services. 

     

    RENT OUT A ROOM ON AIRBNB

    If you have an extra room in your house or a house or apartment you’re not always using, you could make extra money by renting it out on Airbnb. 

    This can be a great way to make a bit of extra money without too much of a time commitment. 

    Even if you don’t live in an area with a ton of tourism, there are almost certainly people coming into town for events, businesses, or to visit friends and family. 

    I know it can sound super sketchy to let a stranger come stay in your home with you, but you can screen the people who stay with you. Plus, someone coming to visit the city is probably going to be spending most of their time out, so you won’t run into them too much. 

    I’ve even read about people who rent out their apartments during their city’s tourist season and then just crash with their parents anytime someone books the place. 

     

    GET A SECOND JOB

    So many people are constantly on the lookout for the next big side hustle that they forget all about the original side hustle: getting a second job. 

    Often, these are the side jobs where you can actually earn the most money the most quickly. 

    You might think that sounds crazy, but hear me out!

    I started my blog in 2014. It started as a hobby, but it didn’t take long for me to learn that people actually make money from their blogs. As soon as I learned that, I wanted in. 

    I worked on my blog for an entire year before I made a single dollar. That first year was spent building a framework I could make money from home with later. 

    It was another year or so before I was making $1,000 per month. 

    Now don’t get me wrong — Plenty of people make a lot more money with their blogs a lot more quickly. But to do that, you have to devote a lot of time to it. As in, you skip all those happy hours and weekend plans with friends because you’re always working.

    Contrast that with my husband, who took a side job as a bartender for a couple of nights per week while we were working to save money.

    When he started that job, he was immediately able to start earning $1,000 per month (or more). There was no period of “building a framework.” 

    While it took me a couple of years to get to earning $1,000 per month on my blog, it took him no time at all. 

    So if what you’re really looking for is just an extra $1,000 per month, getting a second job might be the quickest way to make it happen. 

     

    Final Thoughts

    An extra $1,000 of income a month can have such a big impact on your life. It doesn’t take that many hours per week to get there, and yet it can actually be life-changing. 

    I can tell you that when I was going through my divorce and at my lowest financially, that extra monthly income is what got me through it. 

    Whether you want the extra month to pay off debt, save for a financial goal, or just live a little bigger, all of the tips on this list can help you to get there. 

  • 25 Creative Ways to Save Money

    I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty much always looking for ways to save a bit of money every month. In fact, finding a few key areas in our budget to cut back and a few ways to get a little extra cash have helped us tremendously in reaching our financial goals.

    Unfortunately, sometimes it feels like you’ve cut costs as much as you can, and you’re stuck on ways to save more money. But the good news is there are almost certainly a few strategies you haven’t even thought of yet.

    In this post, I’m sharing 25 of the best ways to save money that you might not have already tried. These creative savings tips can go a long way to helping you build up your savings account or create a little extra wiggle room in your budget.

    You don’t have to incorporate all of these money-saving tips, but just adding a few of them to your budgeting strategy can go a long way.

     

    25 Creative Ways to Save Money

    There are affiliate links in this post, meaning I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information, see my full disclosure policy here.

     

    Start a Budget

    The most effective way I’ve found to actually start saving money is by creating a budget. I know it seems simple, but a lot of people aren’t doing it!

    There was a long time when I didn’t feel like I needed a budget. I didn’t think my spending was a problem, and I had money left at the end of every month.

    Then I sat down and started tracking where my money was going, and I was slightly horrified. Seriously, the amount of money I was dropping on take-out and trips to Target was eye-opening.

    Once I sat down and created a monthly budget for myself, I was quickly able to cut back my spending and start saving more money.

    Ready to start your own budget? Head over to this post on creating a monthly budget and some extra budgeting tips.

    And once you’ve got your budget up and running, here are some of my favorite budgeting apps you can use to stay on top of it every month.

     

    Automate Your Savings

    If you find that you don’t have money left at the end of the month to put into savings, then it’s time to reevaluate how you’re doing things.

    Instead of saving whatever you have left at the end of the month, put money into your savings first, and then only spend what’s left.

    The best way I’ve found to do this is by automating my savings. On the first of each month, when I get paid, I have an automatic transfer set up from my checking account to my savings account.

    I don’t have to think about it, but I’m still managing to put away money every single month. It’s not money I miss because it gets transferred literally the same day I get my paycheck before I even have a chance to notice it’s gone.

     

    Download Money-Saving Apps

    These days there are plenty of apps that can help you save money or get cash back on purchases you’re already making. Here are a few of my favorite money-saving apps (btw, they’re ALL free):

    • Ibotta: I use Ibotta pretty religiously to get cash back on groceries, and I get at least a little back every week! All you do is upload a picture of your grocery receipt and you’ll earn cash back on certain purchases. One of the reasons I love Ibotta so much is that they offer cash back on things like produce and generic brand products that you can’t normally find coupons for.
    • Rakuten: Ebates is a service that gives you cash back on just about any online purchase. And they now allow you to get cash back on in-store purchases too!
    • Dosh: Dosh is an app that connects to your debit and credit cards and gives you cash back on purchases. One thing that sets Dosh apart from other cashback apps I’ve used is that you can get cash back at some local restaurants.
    • Acorns: Acorns connects to your bank account and will round up the spare change on your purchases and invest them. It’s 100% hands-off, and you aren’t investing a significant amount of money, so it’s a great way to start investing.

     

    Start Meal Planning

    Meal planning is essential when it comes to saving money on groceries. Meal planning can help you avoid wasting food, as well as cut down on impulse purchases. Meal planning can also help you avoid those nights when you aren’t sure what to make for dinner, so you resort to eating out.

    We used to plan our meals a lot more strictly. Now we’ll usually just plan one or two proteins for the week and buy ingredients we know work well with it. However, when we were on a tighter budget, we would plan every meal down to the ingredient and wouldn’t buy anything that wasn’t a part of our meal plan.

     

    Check in on Subscriptions

    Have you ever checked your bank statement and realized you were still paying for a subscription you had completely forgotten about and weren’t using?

    *slowly raises hand*

    Yeah, I’m guessing I’m not the only one.

    These days there are so many random subscriptions out there for as little as $5 per month that it’s pretty easy to forget about them.

    It’s not hard to figure out what subscriptions you’re paying for. You can either take a few minutes and scan your bank statements or sign up for a service like Trim to automatically scan your accounts and find recurring subscriptions.

    This would also be a good time to check in on subscriptions you are aware of and decide if you really use them. If you’re paying for every TV streaming service, do you really watch them all? Be honest with yourself!

    Finally, figure out where else you can save. My husband and I had been paying for separate Spotify accounts for years before we realized we could save money by signing up for a family plan! 

     

    Save Money on Books

    I love to read, and I can power through a book pretty quickly.

    There was a time when I was picking up a new book just about every time I stepped foot in Target. However, that was getting pretty darn expensive.

    Turns out, it’s super easy to get your reading fix for a lot less money.

    I invested in a Kindle a few years ago, and since then have rented free eBooks instead of buying books. You can do this through your local library or, if you’re an Amazon Prime member, through the Prime Lending Library.

    If physical books are more your style, you can also rent actual books through the library.

    I still buy books occasionally, but only if it’s a book I know I’m going to read more than once. And since I’ve cut my spending on books so much, I don’t feel bad about occasionally spending money on one I know I’ll get a lot of use out of.

     

    Compare Grocery Prices

    Even if you’re planning your meals and your grocery list ahead of time, you can still save even more money by comparing prices at different grocery stores.

    Stores like Aldi can save you a ton of money on non-name brand foods. Meanwhile, discount stores like Costco can also help you to save money by purchasing items in bulk.

    We typically start our grocery shopping by hitting up Costco for items we need to stock up on. Then we head over to Aldi or the other discount grocery store nearby to get everything else we need. We shop around the items that are on sale. So if the local grocery store has a great price on the meat we like, we’ll buy that. In other cases, we might buy a bunch of sale items to use later on.

    To get the best grocery prices, you might have to commit to shopping at more than one store. If you’d prefer to save time and just hit one store, figure out which stores in your area have the best prices on the things you buy the most.

     

    Ditch Your Gym Membership

    Working out is great for your health and all, but the cost of a gym membership can really add up!

    Luckily, there are great alternatives to paying for a gym. When the weather is nice, your options for exercise outdoors are pretty much endless! Running, walking, hiking, and biking outside are all awesome alternatives to hitting the gym.

    But I live in Wisconsin, and it’s definitely not warm enough year-round to exercise outside. When it starts to get colder outside, I find options for working out indoors.

    There are about a million free workout plans online. There are also tons of workout videos on YouTube (yoga and Pilates are my favorites). Finally, there are free apps that will create a customized circuit training workout for you.

    If a gym membership is a must-have for you, consider a cheaper option like Planet Fitness. It will have everything most people need to get their workout in.

     

    Find Free Events

    My husband and I love finding new events and activities to check out in town. Unfortunately, this could also get expensive.

    We’re lucky to live in a city where there are always a ton of free activities going on. Just a quick scan through local Facebook events will probably show you quite a few options in your area.

    Even if you live in a smaller town that doesn’t have quite as many events going on, you can probably still find some free activities to check out.

     

    Start a Garden

    If you’re lucky enough to have a yard, you have a great opportunity to save money on groceries! By growing your own garden, you can save money on produce year-round.

    You can save money on seasonal veggies during the summer. And if you’re growing veggies that can be easily frozen, you can save money year-round!

     

    Analyze Your Credit Card Habits

    There are plenty of people out there who will tell you to never have a credit card. And while I agree with the sentiment of not spending money you don’t have, I don’t think credit cards are the problem.

    If you’re diligent about paying them off every month, credit cards can be a great opportunity for rewards, whether those be in the form of cashback or travel points.

    That being said, it’s important to know your spending habits. If you’re someone who carries over a credit card balance and is spending money on interest, then stop using your credit card. Because in that case, it is costing you money.

     

    Avoid Impulse Purchases

    You guys, I used to be SO bad about impulse purchases. I literally could not walk into a Target without impulsively buying a book, clothes, or some piece of home decor I really didn’t need.

    And what made it worse was that I was a stress shopper, so I would hit one of my favorite stores when I was upset and spend money.

    If you’re also an impulse shopper, create a rule for yourself that anytime you want to buy something, you have to wait 30 days. If you still really want it after 30 days and it’s within your budget, then you can buy it.

    That will help ensure you’re only buying things you really want and need and not just impulsively purchasing something you may never use.

    Read More: How to Reduce Impulse Buying Once and For All

     

    Unsubscribe From Marketing Emails

    One of the best ways to avoid impulse shopping is to unsubscribe from any marketing emails you get.

    I don’t know about you, but getting a daily email with the best sales at my favorite clothing stores really makes me want to buy clothes.

    Sales are great. But a better way to shop sales is to find an item you really want or need and then wait for it to go on sale. You’re getting the same deal without getting that daily reminder of your favorite stores.

    Pro Tip: There are plenty of free services that allow you to track the price of items and get a notification when they go on sale. Google Shopping and Capital One Shopping are just two examples.

     

    Take Care of Your Health

    This may not seem like something that is going to make a big difference in the short term, but taking care of your health can have a huge financial impact in the long run!

    Healthcare is freaking expensive, and staying as healthy as possible will help you cut down on healthcare costs.

    Consider the cost of even your run-of-the-mill flu. First of all, if you’re an hourly employee, you’re losing out on that money when you call in sick. And even the cost of over-the-counter cold or flu medicine is steep. And that’s just a minor illness. It’s nothing compared to the long-term healthcare costs of an unhealthy lifestyle. When it comes to major health issues, the price tag can be thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

     

    Pack a Lunch

    I realize the idea of packing a lunch to save money is not exactly a revolutionary idea, but I had to list it anyways. It’s such a basic tip that SO many people ignore.

    The cost of eating out really adds up. And sure, I would love the ease of just grabbing lunch out every day. But I also have a limited eating-out budget every month.

    I would much rather devote that part of my budget to date nights with my husband or grabbing brunch with my best friend versus spending it all on lunch.

    When I worked in an office, the easiest way I found to consistently pack a lunch every day was just to make sure I made enough of every dinner so that I could bring some for leftovers the next day.

    Now that I work from home, we just always have the ingredients on-hand to make a simple lunch, whether it be sandwiches, salads, or even mini charcuterie boards.

     

    Make Your Own Cleaning Supplies

    I don’t know if it’s having a dog and a baby, or perhaps a husband who is a very messy cook, but we go through a lot of cleaning supplies in our home. And personally, I can’t think of a less exciting thing to spend money on.

    On top of that, I get really freaked out by the number of chemicals in most cleaning products, especially with a pet and a little one in the home.

    The good news is that there are plenty of options that are way cheaper and way less harmful. It’s amazing what can be done with some water, vinegar, and a few drops of essential oils!

    I currently make my own all-purpose cleaner and disinfectant, but for someone with the desire, you can make just about any cleaning product at home.

     

    Trade Your Night Out for a Night In

    We love going out for dinner or drinks, but the cost definitely adds up.

    Lately, we’ve started inviting friends over for homemade dinners and game nights. It’s way cheaper, and everyone has a great time!

    You could do potluck style and have each of your friends bring a dish to pass. You could also suggest that everyone bring a game or activity.

    It’s a great way to have fun with your friends while sticking to a budget. Plus, it’s more personal than heading to a noisy bar or restaurant where you may not get to talk to each other much anyway.

     

    Avoid ATM Fees

    ATM fees have gotten a little ridiculous, and I always kick myself later when I end up in a situation where I need cash and haven’t planned ahead.

    If you’re someone who carries a bit of cash on you all the time, then it’s probably easy to avoid ATM fees.

    But for people like me who don’t typically carry cash, just make sure you plan ahead and know when you’ll be somewhere that you have to pay cash. That way, you can take cash out ahead of time at an ATM where you won’t have to pay a fee.

     

    Make Your Own Coffee

    I love grabbing a latte from the local coffee shop as much as the next person, but those daily coffee runs can really add up!

    By making your coffee at home instead of grabbing a latte every day, you could easily save yourself over $1,000 per year.

    You can find a way to compromise your daily Starbucks habit without giving up good coffee, too. As a way to get myself to spend less money on coffee, I treated myself to a Nespresso. I get a daily latte for a fraction of the price of a latte from a coffee shop. Yes, there was an upfront cost with the Nespresso. But it’s already paid off several times over.

     

    Sell Your Stuff

    There’s a quote I’ve seen a lot lately that says, “Look around. All that clutter used to be money.” I’m not sure who said it first, but it definitely speaks to me every time I see it.

    The good news is that even though you already spent the money on all that stuff, it’s not too late to make some of it back.

    Just last weekend, I sold a small appliance from my kitchen and a bag full of clothes and made over $100!

    The Facebook Marketplace or other sale apps can be a great place to sell items to other individuals. Whenever I list something for sale, I usually get a dozen or more responses. Local clothing resale shops will give you money for your gently used clothing. You can also go with an online service like ThredUp that will send you a bag to ship your clothes back and will give you money for the ones in good condition.

     

    Drink More Water

    Most of us are probably spending money on beverages. That might be coffee, soda, juice, alcohol, etc. One of the easiest ways to save money every single day is to trade some of those beverages for water.

    And I’m not talking about bottled water. Get yourself a water filter to keep in your fridge, and you’ll always have cold, filtered water ready to drink anytime.

    Plus, most of us aren’t drinking nearly as much water as we should be, so this swap will be good for your health as well as your wallet.

     

    Keep an Emergency Fund

    For people who are struggling to save money, the idea of building an emergency fund can seem daunting. But it will also save you even more money in the long run.

    An emergency fund can help you pay for unexpected expenses that pop up, such as car repairs and medical bills.

    With an emergency fund, you’re stuck either putting these expenses on a credit card or just letting them go unpaid – both of which will cost you more in the long run.

    An emergency fund will help you in the short term when the emergency happens, but will also help you save money in the long run. Look at it this way – if you have a financial emergency but don’t have an emergency fund, you end up putting that expense on a credit card. Then, not only are you paying for the cost of the financial emergency itself, but you also end up paying interest – possibly for years afterward.

     

    Quit Bad Habits

    There are some bad habits that can cost you a heck of a lot of money. If you’ve got one, you probably already know this is killing your budget!

    I’m not proud to admit it, but I was a smoker for almost a decade. Not only is smoking obviously incredibly harmful to your health, but it’s also really freaking expensive! I’m definitely saving hundreds of dollars per year by not buying cigarettes.

    Other expensive habits could include excessive drinking, wasting food, and carrying excessive debt.

     

    Refinance a Loan

    There was a time a couple of years ago when my monthly car payment was taking up more of my monthly budget than I was comfortable with. I looked into refinancing and was able to get a lower monthly payment and a lower interest rate, saving me money in both the short term and the long run.

    If you’re dealing debt in the form of car payments, student loans, credit debt, etc., it may be worth looking into refinancing for a better deal.

    My favorite way to refinance loans is through Credible, which is a an online loan marketplace. No matter what type of loan you’re trying to refinance, Credible will show you loan offers that you may qualify for at the best rates.

     

    Create Budget Accountability

    Creating a budget for yourself is one thing, but sticking to that budget is a different story altogether.

    In order to make sure you’re sticking to your budget, create some accountability for yourself. There are plenty of personal finance bloggers who started their blogs initially as a way to stay accountable to their budget and document their debt-payoff journey.

    When my husband and I were dating and were working on paying off debt and budgeting, we hung a whiteboard in our living room where we tracked our monthly budget, as well as our debt payoff progress.

    It seems like a small step, but the whiteboard hung in a place where we saw it all the time and it helped to create accountability and remind us of our goals.

     

    Final Thoughts

    These 25 ideas are just a handful of simple tips to save money. There are definitely a LOT more ideas out there!

    But just by incorporating a few of these tips, you can start to really see a difference in your budget every single month.

    I know how overwhelming it can be to live on a tight budget. I also know what a breath of fresh air it was to incorporate some of these money-saving ideas and really start to feel more confident with my money!

  • 35+ Legit Ways to Make Extra Money

    I love thinking of and talking about ways to make extra money.

    Like most people in my generation, I graduated college with my fair share of student loan debt. And let’s be real, life is just expensive in general. And rather than just getting by, paying my bills, and being able to put a little extra in savings, I want to reach real financial freedom someday.

    And I truly believe that side hustles and extra income will be able to change my life – and yours too! Because of that, I’m sharing 35 ways to make extra money.

     

    35+ Legit Ways to Make Extra Money

    There are affiliate links in this post, meaning I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information, see my full disclosure policy here.

     

    Start a side hustle

    1. Start a blog: This one is first on the list because it’s seriously my favorite of all the ways to make more money! Blogging started as just a hobby for me, but as soon as I realized the income potential, I dove right in.

    2. Become an influencer: These days, it’s possible to make money with your online presence without even having a blog! If you have a significant following on social media, you can become an influencer and get paid to promote brands on social media (primarily Instagram). 

    3. Start an Etsy shop: If you’re a crafty person, Etsy is definitely for you! Etsy is an online marketplace where you can sell anything that is handmade or vintage. 

    4. Freelance writing: Not only can you make money writing for your own blog, but you can become a freelance writer and make from other sites as well. I started off using my freelance writing income to supplement my income before turning it into my full-time job. The best way to learn about freelance writing is through the course Earn More Writing, which is what I used to help me make money through freelance writing.

    5. Editing: In addition to freelance writing jobs, you can also find freelance editing jobs. Lots of blogs and websites hire freelancers to edit their articles for them.

    6. Affiliate marketing: Affiliate marketing is where you make a commission selling someone else’s product. Bloggers make a lot of money with affiliate marketing, but you definitely don’t have to have a blog to be successful at affiliate marketing! You can share affiliate links anywhere, such as your social media pages, and make a commission when someone uses them. 

    7. Become a virtual assistant: More and more companies and individuals are hiring virtual assistants, so it’s becoming a more and more lucrative career. A virtual assistant (or VA) does administrative tasks for a person or business, but it’s done online instead of having to go into an office.

    8. Social media management: If you love being on social media and figuring out social media strategy, you can become a social media manager for other companies. Many companies and websites outsource their social media management rather than bring on someone full-time to handle it.

    9. Sell your photography: If you’re good with a camera, you can use that to make extra money. You could become a part-time photographer and take on jobs on the weekends, or you can sell your photography to a number of different stock photo sites.

    10. Start a different business: The options for online businesses are pretty endless these days, and chances are you can take something you’re passionate about and figure out how to make money from it online.

    11. Self-publish books: These days, it’s surprisingly easy to publish a book. You can self-publish and sell your book solely as an eBook or even sell physical books through Amazon.

     

    Make extra money online

    12. Sign up for Rakuten: If you shop online, Rakuten is seriously the easiest way to make more money because it gives you FREE cash back on purchases you’re already making! You just sign up and click on a link through the Rakuten website when you make your purchase, and you’ll get cash back. You can sign up for Rakuten here and get $10 when you spend your first $25!

    13. Get cash back on groceries: Apps like Fetch Rewards and Ibotta allow you to get cash back on groceries you already purchase! You just upload a picture of your receipt, and you’ll earn cash back on certain grocery purchases. I use Ibotta every week and ALWAYS find something to get cash back on.

    14. Teach English online: These days, it’s super easy to find work teaching English online, and companies like VIPKID actually pay you really well to do it. You can get paid $17-$22 per hour and make your own schedule.

    15. Airbnb: If you’ve got an extra room in your home, try renting it out on Airbnb. If you live in a popular city, you might be surprised just how much you can make.

    16. Take online surveys: There are tons of companies that will pay you to take market research surveys online! They’re free and easy to join and use. The best site I found for online surveys is Survey Junkie.

     

    Offer services to other people

    17. Pet sitting: If you’re an animal lover, this one is seriously right up your alley! This could either mean you staying at someone else’s home or having their pet stay with you. Either way, it’s a win-win because you’re getting paid to hang out with animals.

    18. Babysitting: If pets aren’t your thing, but you love kids, look for babysitting or nanny jobs instead. You’re not going to get rich taking care of someone else’s kids, but it’s definitely a way to make some extra money.

    19. Housesit: Believe it or not, you can make money looking after someone’s home while they’re out of town. Sites like TrustedHousesitters can help you to connect with people who are looking for someone to housesit for them. This is an even more lucrative offer for people who are traveling and can save money by housesitting instead of paying for lodging. TrustedHousesitters is specifically for pet lovers!

    20. Yard maintenance: You can make money by mowing lawns and doing other lawn maintenance in the summer or shoveling and plowing snow in the winter.

    21. Clean homes: If you’re one of those rare people who really don’t mind cleaning, then getting paid to clean homes might be right up your alley!

    22. Rent out your car: Apps like Turo allow you to rent your car to others for the day.

     

    Sell your stuff

    23. Sell on eBay: eBay is still a great place to sell used items and ship them to their new owner.

    24. Sell on Craigslist: Craigslist is a great way to find local buyers you sell your used items. The one downside to Craigslist is meeting up with a stranger, so I always like to do this in a public place!

    25. Sell on Facebook: Facebook’s marketplace makes it super easy to sell stuff online. I’ve had a lot of success with this. The big upside to Facebook over Craigslist is that it’s a little easier to vet the person you’re meeting up with.

    26. Sell on Poshmark: If you’ve got a closet full of clothes you don’t wear, you can make extra money by selling them on Poshmark.

     

    Make extra money at your job

    27. Ask for a raise: Asking for a raise at your current job is a great way to make extra money because it doesn’t require you to take on extra work. You’re just making more doing the job you were already doing!

    28. Work overtime: If you work an hourly job, consider working extra hours to make extra money.

    29. Get a promotion: If there’s room to grow in your company, see if a promotion is available.

     

    Other ways to make extra money

    30. Pick up a seasonal job: During the holidays, there are tons of seasonal jobs available. This really comes in handy since the holidays are when most of us could use a little extra money anyways. In addition to a little extra money, you also might be able to take advantage of an employee discount for some of your Christmas shopping.

    31. Sell plasma: Did you know there are companies that will pay you for your plasma? The process is similar to donating blood, but you get paid for it. A lot of friends of mine did this in high school and college for extra money, and you can earn about $50 per donation.

    32. Sign up for credit card rewards: There are lots of credit cards that offer cash back for using them or for spending a certain amount of money in the first three months. Make sure only to go this route if you really feel you’re responsible enough for a credit card (because let’s be honest, not everybody is).

    33. Invest: Investing obviously isn’t a sure thing, and it’s not as quick of a way to make money as some of the other things on this list. But if you have the money available, you might consider investing.

    34. Become an Uber or Lyft driver: A part-time job that you can do completely on your own schedule is becoming an Uber or Lyft driver. You don’t have a schedule, so you can work around your life, and you can make a lot of money if you’re available to drive at peak times.

    35. Get a part-time job: Check out local businesses to find a part-time job. Jobs such as retail, serving, and bartending are ideal when you have your nights and weekends free.

     

    Final Thoughts

    Let’s be real – most of us could really use a little extra income these days. Whether you’re trying to get out of debt or saving for a big goal, making a little extra money is a great way to do it. Hopefully, one of the ideas on this list will speak to you and be just what you need to bring in a little extra money every month!