7 Side Hustles To Make Extra Money Each Month
Let’s be honest. We all go through periods of life where we feel like things would be so much better if we could just make extra money this month.
If you’re on a debt free journey like me, you think about this all the time. You may have an upcoming bill to pay or something unexpected pop-up and you just need a bit of extra money to get over the hump.
If you think about the 78% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, it seems like most of us could stand to make extra money each month.
So what can we do about it? The easy answer is to get a better paying job. However, I know that in most cases it is not that simple.
That is where side hustles come in.
In 2016, I started researching ways to make extra money and I was blown away by the number of opportunities available.
I have tried a number of side hustles and finally settled on the ones that make me happy and are easy to do outside of my full-time job.
Over the course of a month, I make anywhere between $300 and $500 from side hustles.
Side hustles typically don’t pay well enough to become your primary source of income, but they are perfect when you need to make extra money.
They can also be fun if you choose to do something that you enjoy. Many of them don’t even require you to get out of bed!
Here are 7 legit side hustles that you can start as early as today to make extra money each month.
1. Blogging
One way to make extra money each money each month is to start a blog. Blogging is one of my favorite side hustles because I have the freedom to do things my own way.
I love writing and creating content so this one is fun and easy for me.
There are so many things that you can blog about and the overhead costs are really low. Just pay for hosting and your domain and you’re ready to get started.
How do bloggers make money?
Bloggers make money a number of ways, but the top four ways are affiliate marketing, ads, sponsored posts, and creating your own products.
Most bloggers use some combination of these methods, but affiliate marketing is enough to get you started.
Learn how to make your first affiliate sale in 24 hours here.
2. Freelance Writing
If you love writing, freelance writing is another great way to make extra money. Freelance writing is basically writing content for other people and getting paid in the process.
There are plenty of businesses and bloggers out there that need content written. Freelance writers make anywhere between $.04 per word to a couple of dollars per word depending on the client.
I know several freelance writers that make a full-time income from writing for others.
So where do you find these clients? Join Facebook groups and talk to local businesses to find your perfect clients. They may need social media posts, web pages, or blog posts created for their website.
Send them a proposal and let them know that you are the person for the job.
You can also find clients on job boards such as Problogger, and Upwork. Just beware of red flags and scams.
Check out this course by Gina Horkey to start making money freelance writing in less than 30 days.
3. Swagbucks
Swagbucks is such an easy way to make extra money. It is basically a survey site, but there are several ways to make money with Swagbucks other than just taking surveys. I listed Swagbucks separately from survey sites for this reason.
Swagbucks allows you to earn “Swagbucks” daily for a number of tasks. These tasks include a daily poll, watching ads, completing surveys and discovering new content.
When you log into your account there are 8 things on your “to do” list to earn quick Swagbucks. In addition to those tasks, you can take surveys and watch short videos to earn even more Swagbucks.
You can redeem Swagbucks for gift cards to a large number of retailers including Amazon and PayPal.
My favorite way to earn Swagbucks is in the evening while I’m catching up on my favorite television shows.
The surveys don’t require much thought and I get excited when it is time for me to chose my gift card.
Try Swagbucks today and earn a bonus just for signing up.
4. Survey Sites
When I think about side hustles, survey sites always come to mind. While this isn’t my favorite side hustle, I do enjoy taking surveys to make extra money when I need it.
The hardest part about survey sites is actually qualifying for the surveys. Once you qualify, most of the questions are easy and you are on your way to making quick, extra money.
There are a ton of survey sites out there but beware of scams.
To help you out, I have created a cheat sheet with 5 survey sites that I have personally used and found to be legit.
Download a free copy when you sign up for my newsletter.
5. Online Teaching
Teaching online is a great way to earn extra money. You are able to set your own hours and teach classes from the comfort of your own home. There are several ways to go about teaching online.
The first way is to create your own course. If there is a subject that you are an expert in, create a course about it and market it to others that are interested.
Once you have your course materials prepared, sign up for a free teachable account to deliver your course. Set your price, and market your course on Pinterest, your other social media platforms, and your blog if you have one.
The money that you make from selling your course is all yours, so your earning potential is in your own hands.
Another way to teach online is to teach English through a service called VIPKID. This service is based in China and pays $14-$22 per hour to their teachers.
VIPKID requires their teachers to hold a Bachelor’s degree, but not a teaching certificate. All you have to do is showcase your ability to teach children in an interview and you’re all set.
Find more information about teaching with VIPKID here.
6. User Testing
Another one of my favorite ways to make extra money is by testing websites and apps.
This type of work doesn’t take much time at all and you can make around $10 per test. The tests only last about fifteen minutes.
My favorite site to test websites is usertesting.com. Once you sign up, you are able to start testing different websites and making money.
They give very clear instructions and payments are made exactly seven days after each test.
In addition to usertesting.com, I love testing games on Playtest Cloud. The objective for Playtest Cloud is similar to User Testing, except you are testing out games.
Most of the games are really fun, and the average payout is $11 for fifteen minutes of gameplay.
In my experience, payment has been made to me on the same day that I submit the test. This is a really fun way to make extra money.
Check out User Testing and Playtest Cloud to learn more.
7. Uber
If you are a safe driver, Uber is another great way to earn extra money. Uber gives their drivers the flexibility to work when they want and earn as much money as they would like as well.
It is a great way to meet interesting people while also making money. If you are a people person with a car, this is the perfect side hustle for you.
Uber requires their drivers to be at least 21, have a clean driving record, and pass a background check to get started. There are a few more requirements that can be found on Uber.com.
Be sure to read all of the information about this job before getting started. Driving for Uber may not be for everyone, but it is a great opportunity for the right person.
The Bottom Line
There are plenty of side hustles out there to make pretty easy money. You just have to look for them or get creative. You can set your own side hustle schedule and work as much or as little as you like.
Using side hustles to make extra money is pretty easy and stress-free for the most part. Just be sure to have fun and make time to live life outside of your side hustles.
Comment below to let me know your favorite way to make extra money in your free time!
Great suggestions. Gives me something to think about.
I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Thanks for reading!