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Ways To Make An Extra $1,000 A Month

Last Updated: January 1, 2023 BY Michelle Schroeder-Gardner - 106 Comments

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you. Please read my disclosure for more info.

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If you are new here, welcome to my post about how to make an extra $1,000 a month and the different ways to side hustle! I suggest you read my monthly income blogging reports as well, where I show you how I have earned over $5,000,000 online with my work from home business. how to make an extra $1,000 a month

One question I receive a few times each month from new readers is what they can do to make extra money each month, such as how to make $1,000 a month. They’re not sure where to start when it comes to earning extra income, or even if it’s possible to make 1000 a month.

I understand this.

Before I started side hustling, I didn’t know much about different ways to make extra money. Then, I started blogging and came across so many side hustlers I couldn’t believe it.

They opened my eyes and showed me that side hustling and making extra money above and beyond my day job was possible.

Related articles on how to make an extra $1,000 a month:

  • 75+ Ways To Make Extra Money
  • How To Work From Home Selling On Amazon FBA
  • 8 Items To Sell Around Your Home For Extra Money
  • 30+ Ways To Save Money Each Month
  • 12 Work From Home Jobs That Can Earn You $1,000+ Each Month
  • 24 Best Work From Home Jobs

The reasons for why I first wanted to make extra money and learn how to make $1000 a month included:

  • We wanted to pay off my student loans quickly. I knew I didn’t want to be paying my student loans 20 years down the line. Due to side hustling, I was able to pay off my student loans in just 7 months!
  • The fact that we weren’t saving as much as we would have liked. We were saving a little, but not enough where it actually mattered.
  • We knew we wanted to travel. With the income we had at the time, traveling just didn’t seem possible.
  • We wanted to pursue our passions and not feel stuck in a job that we didn’t love.

These side hustles completely changed our lives for the better, and we still can’t believe how different our lives are from just a few years ago.

We feel incredibly lucky, but I do attribute how far we’ve come to all of the hard work that was put into side hustles.

There are many different ways for you to make extra money each month, and even ways to make an extra $1,000 a month are possible. You may not be able to make $1,000 from just one side job (you may need 2 or 3), but depending on the amount of time and effort that you put into it, it may be possible.

If you say “Oh, $1,000 is NOT possible,” then I want you to think again. There are plenty of other side hustlers out there sharing their journey about how they are making extra money, you just have to look. They are proof that it is possible.

Below are my tips on how to make an extra $1,000 a month:

 

Start a blog to make extra money.

Of course, this one is going to be the first on my list of different ways to make an extra $1,000 a month due to the fact that I am a blogger and I write online. I’m currently earning around $100,000 a month and travel full-time, and you can read more about how in my monthly online income reports.

I created Making Sense of Cents almost six years ago, and since then, I have earned over $5,000,000 with my blog.

Blogging changed my life for the better, and it allows me to earn thousands of dollars a month, all by doing something that I love.

My blog was created on a whim as a way to track my own personal finance progress. And, when I started in 2011, I honestly didn’t even know that people could make money blogging!

I did not create Making Sense of Cents to earn money from home, but after only six months, I began to make money.

Blogging is quite affordable to start, and it’s easy as well.

Related content:

  • How To Quit Your Job And Become A Full-Time Blogger
  • How I Successfully Built A $1,000,000+ Blog
  • The Ultimate Guide To Blogging Income Sources
  • How I Made $979,321 In One Year
  • How To Make Extra Money

Blogging has allowed me to take control of my finances and earn more money. It means I can work from home, travel whenever I want, have a flexible schedule, and more! As you can see, blogging completely changed my life for the better, and if you are interested, I urge you to learn how to start your own.

I recommend checking out my online course for bloggers, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. I have earned over $1,000,000 through affiliate marketing and I share my exact strategy and tips in this very informative online course. If you’re a blogger (even if you’re a new blogger!), then you NEED this course.

You can easily learn how to start a blog with my free How To Start a Blog Course.

Here’s a quick outline of what you will learn:

  • Day 1: Reasons you should start a blog.
  • Day 2: How to determine what to blog about.
  • Day 3: How to create your blog. In this lesson, you will learn how to start a blog on WordPress. My tutorial makes it very easy to start a blog.
  • Day 4: How to make money blogging.
  • Day 5: My tips for making passive income from blogging.
  • Day 6: How to grow your traffic and followers.
  • Day 7: Miscellaneous blogging tips that will help you be successful.

 

Answer surveys to make money from home

Did you know that you can get paid to answer surveys and test products? They’re free to join and free to use!

Companies need people like you and me to take surveys because they want to know what we actually think of their products and of their company. This gives them valuable feedback so that they know how to improve.

It’s usually best to sign up for as many survey websites as you can as that way you can receive the most surveys and make the most money. You may not receive very many surveys from each website, and by signing up for all of them then you can get more and make more money.

Some of the survey companies that I recommend as one of the ways to make extra money include:

  • American Consumer Opinion
  • Survey Junkie
  • Swagbucks
  • InboxDollars
  • Opinion Outpost
  • Pinecone Research
  • Prize Rebel

Here are 11 Paid Online Survey Sites if you want to learn more.

 

Become a bookkeeper to earn money from home.

Ben, founder of Bookkeeper Business Academy, explains how becoming a bookkeeper may be a possibility for you.

Ben helps people start and grow their own bookkeeping business with his online bookkeeping course.

And, guess what?

You don’t have to be an accountant or have any previous experience!

In this interview, we talk about:

  • What a bookkeeper is.
  • The typical clients a bookkeeper has.
  • How much new bookkeepers earn.
  • How to become a bookkeeper.
  • The positives and negatives of bookkeeping, and more.

Learn more at Make Money At Home By Becoming A Bookkeeper.

Also, you can sign up here for Ben’s free series that will teach you more about running your own virtual bookkeeping business.

 

Walk dogs or become a pet sitter.

If you like animals, then becoming a dog walker or pet sitter can be a fun way to make extra money. Plus, you may even get paid to house sit in fun places as well.

You may be going over to people’s home in order to pet sit for them, or they may bring their pets to you. It is something that you will decide, as you are in total control of your pet sitting business!

I have personally hired dog sitters on Rover, and I know plenty of others who are dog sitters and fog walkers on Rover as well.

With Rover, you can set your own schedule and make your own rates as well. You can also make the decision on who you will watch and take care of, and even conduct interviews to make sure that it is a good fit.

You can learn how to sign up as a dog walker or pet sitter on Rover here.

 

Become a graphic designer.

As a graphic designer, there are many ways to make extra money. You may be making Canva templates, selling stickers, creating logos, designing printables, and so much more.

You may work for others, or you may even be your own boss!

You can learn more about some of these options in these blog posts below:

  • How I Make $2,000+ Monthly Selling Canva Templates
  • How I Make Money Selling Printables On Etsy
  • How To Make $1,000+ A Month Selling Stickers Online

 

Deliver food.

If you want to make extra money by delivering food, you can check out companies like DoorDash, Instacart, Shipt, UberEats, and more.

There are many different companies out there, and some drivers work for more than one because it gives you more opportunities to make money.

You may be delivering groceries, restaurant orders, or more.

I have used many different food delivery services over the years and it is a great service to use.

 

Freelance writing.

As a freelance writer, you would be writing content for other companies. Companies around the world are constantly looking for freelance writers, so this can be a great way to make an extra $1,000 a month or more.

I’ve done plenty of freelance writing in the past, and I know of many other freelance writers.

As a freelance writer, you may be able to get anywhere from around $50 to well over $1,000 per article that you have written. This will depend on your experience, the topic you are writing about, and who you are writing for. Typically, as you gain experience in freelance writing, your rate will increase as well.

As a freelance writer, you may be writing about travel, finance, news, lifestyle, and so much more.

You can learn more at How I Earn $200,000+ Writing Online Content.

 

Start a niche website.

If you want to start a website, then starting a niche site may be of interest to you. This is different from a blog, and it is a way that you may be able to earn $10,000 a month or even more. Now, of course, this will take hard work and time to get to this point.

A niche site is a website that focuses on one specific topic.

So, you may decide to write on something such as dog care, credit scores, hiking gear, RV life, woodworking, baby gear, and so on. This is a very specific topic that you would be writing many blog posts about, instead of something more general such as travel or personal finance.

I recommend signing up for the free training How To Build A Money-Making Niche Site. In this free webinar, you will learn how one person sees 200,000 pageviews per month (in just 8 months) with their niche site, why niche sites are a great way to make money, and a 3-step framework for creating your niche site and making money with it.

You can also learn more at How I Make Over $10,000 Each Month With A Niche Site.

 

Have a yard sale.

If you want to learn how to make an extra $1,000 this month, then one way is to host a yard sale.

Everyone has items around their home that they can sell, and between having a yard sale and selling your more expensive items online (such as on eBay and Craigslist), you may bee able to make $1,000.

Now, you most likely will not be able to earn $1,000 every single month by hosting yard sales, because eventually you may run out of things to sell. But, you may be able to earn some money by hosting one or two and getting rid of some clutter in your home.

After that, you may decide to get into flipping.

A similar idea is to find items to flip in order to make extra money. I recommend watching the free webinar Turn Your Passion For Visiting Thrift Stores, Yard Sales & Flea Markets Into A Profitable Reselling Business In As Little As 14 Days, to learn how to make money by flipping items.

 

Pick up trash.

You may be able to start a litter clean up business and earn $30 to $50 an hour. And, if you scale your business and hire employees, you can even grow this into a much bigger business and earn even more money.

Businesses hire for litter clean up because the exterior of a property is important, and businesses want it to be clean. Property managers are who typically pays for this service, just like how they would pay for landscaping, snow plowing, and more.

One great thing about this side hustle is that you most likely will not need a lot of equipment or gear in order to start this. You will want a trash picker upper and perhaps a broom, but not much more than that.

You can learn more at How I Started A $650,000 Per Year Litter Cleanup Business.

 

Transcriptionist.

Transcription is a career path where you may be able to earn $1,000 a month.

A transcriptionist transcribes audio files into text. Marketers, advertisers, authors, filmmakers, speakers, and more all hire transcriptionists.

As a transcriptionist, you may be able to start out at around $15 to $20 an hour.

In this my interview, Make Money At Home By Becoming A Transcriptionist,

 

Virtual assistant.

I was a virtual assistant for many years, and I currently have my own virtual assistants as well!

It is a much needed service and career path, and it is only expected to grow.

I had no previous experience, and I simply learned skills as I worked.

As a virtual assistant you may be doing tasks and jobs such as managing social media, formatting articles, scheduling meetings, handling an email inbox, and more. It all depends on who you are working for as everyone needs something slightly different and there are so many different industries that you may be working in.

There are many benefits of becoming a virtual assistant too. For example, you may be able to create a flexible schedule that suits you, be your own boss, and work from home.

You can learn more at How This Person Earns $10,000 A Month At Home as a Virtual Assistant.

 

Start an online course.

By starting an online course, you may be able to earn over $1,000 a month.

There are many topics that you can teach in your online course such as:

  • personal finance
  • travel
  • cooking
  • painting
  • music
  • pet care
  • self-care

And so much more!

You can pretty much create a course on any topic. If it’s something that you feel that you are knowledgeable about, then this can be a great way to make extra money.

You can learn more at How I’ve Made Over $1,000,000 From My First Course Without a Big Launch.

 

Rent out a spare room in your home.

Do you have spare rooms in your home? If so, then you may be able to make extra money by renting them out.

When I bought my first home, I had several roommates over the years. This helped me to better pay my bills, and they got a comfortable place to live.

Of course, there are some things to think about before taking on a roommate, such as what rules you should set and whether or not you should rent to a friend.

You can learn more at What You Need To Know About Renting A Room In Your House.

 

Airbnb Experience Host.

This is a newer way to make money. Think of it as a job similar to a tour guide.

You can host cooking classes, walking tours, go on bike rides, walk around town with pub crawls, do a guided kayak trip, and more.

You can learn more at How to Make Money as an Airbnb Experience Host.

 

Affiliate marketer.

Affiliate marketing is my favorite way to make money. It can be semi-passive income, and allow me to earn money while I am sleeping or on a vacation. Of course, you do still need to put work in, but I find that I work less hours overall due to me being able to put work in ahead.

Affiliate marketing is when you try to earn money by placing an affiliate link on your website, social media accounts, etc. and have people purchase a product through your link.

For example, you may link to a crockpot, book, clothing item, or a personal finance app, with the goal of having someone purchase or sign up for the product or service through your link.

If you get someone to sign up through your affiliate link, the company rewards you for promoting their product.

You can learn more at What You Need To Know About Affiliate Marketing For Beginners.

 

Earn passive income.

There are many more ways to make passive income other than affiliate marketing.

Passive income is an amazing way to make extra money, and I highly recommend it.

Passive income is when you are able to make an income that doesn’t require a ton of work to maintain.

Now, you will need to do something in the beginning to start earning the income. That work can be either a time or financial investment. After most of the initial work is done, passive income continually comes in without as much effort from you.

Passive income streams include:

  1. Affiliate marketing
  2. High yield savings accounts
  3. Dividend paying stocks
  4. Rental real estate (becoming a landlord)
  5. Renting out a room in your home
  6. Writing an ebook, such as a romance novel, biography, or fiction book
  7. Selling stock photography
  8. Selling digital products, such as printables
  9. Renting out your unused RV
  10. Building an online store

You can learn more at 18 Passive Income Ideas To Earn $1,000+ Each Month.

 

Become an online tutor.

Course Hero is a website that helps high school and college students with course-specific questions.

Using the website, students connect with Course Hero tutors on a wide range of subjects and classes, which makes this a great online work from home job for people with different educational backgrounds and experience.

What might surprise you to learn is that you don’t have to be a certified tutor, a professor, or a teacher in order to become a Course Hero tutor.

However, you will need to share information that proves you have expertise in the subjects you would like to help students with.

Tutors earn an average of $3 for each question they answer on Course Hero. Earning between $12-$20 per hour, Course Hero tutors earn an average of $300 a week.

 

Build an online store.

This is one of the work from home jobs that many people are surprised to hear about. But yes, you can start your own online store, and you don’t need to have tons of experience or a lot of money to do so. Many people start with absolutely no background.

I had the opportunity to interview Jenn Leach of E-commerce and Prosper, who explains exactly how to start an online store.

Jenn is a corporate mom turned e-commerce store owner and blogger.

She started her online business a little over three years ago, and since then, she has developed and grown three successful online e-commerce stores earning an average of $19,000 per month.

She is super successful despite only spending around 5-10 hours per week on her e-commerce business.

You can read our interview at How Jenn Makes Over $10,000 A Month With Her Online Store In Less Than 10 Hours Per Week.

 

Run Facebook ads for local businesses.

Did you know that you can make a living from Facebook? With Facebook advertising, you can help businesses expand their reach.

And, yes, this is a skill that you can learn!

Last year, business owners spent over $88,000,000 per day on Facebook ads. This is expected to continue to grow, and it is one of the largest advertising spaces that exists.

My blogging friend Bobby Hoyt knows a lot about this topic. Bobby is a former high school teacher who paid off $40,000 of student loan debt in a year and a half. He now runs the personal finance blog Millennial Money Man full-time, as well as a digital marketing agency for local businesses that he started in 2015.

I interviewed Bobby about running Facebook ads, and in our interview, you will learn:

  • How he started earning income through running Facebook ads
  • Why small businesses want Facebook ads
  • How a person can find their first Facebook ads client
  • How much you can make doing this type of work – the average is around $1,000 extra a month per client

Also, Bobby has a free webinar on this topic too. His webinar (you can sign up here) will teach you how to start this business even if you’re brand new, how to find paying clients, and more.

 

Babysit or nanny to earn extra income.

When I was in high school and before I could drive, I watched a child who lived in my neighborhood. I worked around 40 hours per week in the summer, and a little bit less when school was in session.

I found a flyer on my neighborhood bulletin board, called them, had an interview, and was hired. The pay was $10 an hour, which definitely was not bad for a 14-year-old, and for me to walk just a few homes down the road.

The kid was also amazing and was not once ever a terror, even though I started watching him when he was around 8 months.

Does anyone know what the average pay for babysitters is now these days? That $10 an hour I received was around 10 years ago…

 

Mow lawns for a side hustle.

If you’re wondering “How can I make $1000 fast legally?” – this is a great place to start!

Mowing lawns can actually be a quite profitable business. I know of a few people who constantly have mowing jobs. They make somewhere around $30 to $50 per lawn and do around 20 to 30 lawns a week.

If you’re already doing lawns, then there may be other services that you may be able to add as well. You could also clean gutters, do Spring or Fall yard cleanups, garden, and more.

There is one drawback though. Depending on where you live, there may not be grass all year-long, which means that there might be a period of around 6 months where you don’t have any work. Usually during this time though, many lawn companies switch to being snow-related companies – such as shoveling snow or plowing snow.

 

Teach English to earn money from home.

Did you know that you may be able to teach English online to children?

VIPKID is a company that allows you to work from home, create your own schedule, and earn $18-21 per hour (many teachers are earning over $1,000 per month) all while teaching English online.

They are currently in high need of teachers, too!

This company has been featured on Forbes, CNBC, Wall Street Journal, Woman’s Day, and more.

Here’s VIPKID’s teacher requirements:

  • Applicant must have an Undergraduate degree.
  • Minimum one year of traditional teaching experience or the equivalent in mentoring, tutoring, or alternative education.
  • You need internet and a computer.
  • Lesson plans, course materials, etc. are all provided by VIPKID.
  • You should have fun teaching engaged children.

You can apply to teach through VIPKID here.

 

 

Sign up for free courses that will teach you how to make an extra $1,000 a month.

There are many great free courses that will teach you how to make an extra $1,000 a month and more.

  • How To Start A Blog FREE Course: With this free email course, I show you exactly how to create a blog, from the technical side (it’s easy – trust me!) all the way to earning your first income and attracting followers. Each day for seven days, you will receive an email in your inbox that will help you create a successful and profitable blog, all from the very beginning. You can sign up here.
  • How To Work From Home Selling On Amazon FBA: The first year that Jessica’s family ran their Amazon FBA business together, working less than 20 hours a week total, they made over 6 figures profit! Check out this interview for more information on how to work from home selling on Amazon FBA. Jessica also has a FREE 7 day email course that will help people understand all of the basics of this business. I recommend signing up for it now!
  • Make Money Proofreading By Becoming A Freelance Proofreader: In 2014, Caitlin made slightly over $43,000 by being a freelance proofreader, while also going on several fun vacations. Caitlin has put together a FREE 76-minute workshop, where she answers all of the most common questions about becoming a proofreader, and she even shows you how to use the most popular tools used by proofreaders around the world. You can sign up for free here.

 

Other jobs you could do to make an extra $1,000 a month include:

  • Sell services on Fiverr. There are many services you can sell on Fiverr and earn money. This may include website design, logo design, video editing, voice over, social media management, game coaching, career counseling, online music lessons, resume writing, translation, and so much more.
  • InboxDollars is an online rewards website I recommend. You can earn cash by taking surveys, playing games, shopping online, searching the web, redeeming grocery coupons, and more. Also, by signing up through my link, you will receive $5.00 for free just for signing up!
  • Teach another language. This could be one-on-one tutoring or even creating your own course!
  • Tutor.
  • Become a personal trainer. This may be at a local gym or you may do this where you are your own boss.
  • This isn’t a job, but student loan refinancing can be helpful! You can save a lot of money through student loan consolidation such as with Credible, especially if you have high interest federal or private loans. Plus, Credible is giving Making Sense of Cents readers a $100 bonus when they refinance with Credible.
  • Use Rakuten when you shop online for free cash back. If you sign up you can also score a free $10 cash back through my link.
  • Substitute teach.
  • Post on social media –If you have social media accounts, you may be able to make money by posting advertisements on your accounts. One company that is popular for this is Izea. You can learn more about making money through Izea here.
  • Rent out your house to vacationers.
  • Housesit. You may be able to housesit around the world and in amazing places. I have heard that this can be a fun and great way to save money on a vacation.
  • Sell items online to learn how to make money online.
  • Part-time retail job.
  • Find a part-time or full-time job on Snagajob (there are tons of jobs listed all over on this website!)
  • Take part in research studies.
  • Mystery shop.
  • Coach/referee at a school and/or a sport.
  • You can find even more ways in my post 75+ Ways To Make Extra Money.

If you don’t want to work any more than you already do, then read my post How To Save 50% Or More Of Your Income. This post shows you many great ways to cut your budget.

 

How to make $500 extra a month?

If you’re looking to make $500 a month, I recommend reading How To Make An Extra $500 A Month – 26 Great Ideas To Start This Year.

If you need to make extra cash, there are many ways to do so. You could sell crafts on Etsy or items on eBay, find gigs by walking pets or pet sitting on Rover, freelancing on UpWork such as by freelance writing, starting a YouTube channel, answer online surveys, become an Airbnb host, become a social media manager, do yard work, deliver Uber Eats, sell through flea markets, sell to thrift stores, write blog posts, sell on Facebook Marketplace, proofread grammar, and more.

There are part-time jobs, full-time income jobs, jobs that only require a laptop and internet connection, and so much more.

 

How can I make $1,000 extra fast?

Learning how to make an extra $1,000 a month may be very possible for you, as you learned from the list above.

Whether you are thinking about hosting yard sales, starting a business on one of the many online platforms, becoming a secret shopper, selling jewelry, dog walking, making Youtube videos, delivering groceries, becoming a graphic designer, or trying one of the many other options on this list, there are many different ways to make an extra $1,000 a month.

If $1,000 a month sounds too unrealistic for you, try to think of it as simply earning $33 a day. That may seem much more attainable. You may have to find a part-time job, a full-time job, start your own business, or something else, but I’m sure there is something out there that will allow you to earn $1,000 extra a month so that you can change your life.

I hope you enjoyed today’s article on how to make an extra $1,000 a month.

What do you do for extra money? Are you interested in learning how to make $1000 a month? Do you think making an extra $1,000 a month is possible?

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Filed Under: Budget, Business Income, Career, Extra Income Tagged With: Budget, Career, Extra Money, Self-employment

About Michelle Schroeder-Gardner

Michelle is the founder of Making Sense of Cents, a blog about personal finance and traveling. She discusses how her business has evolved in her side income series. She paid off $40,000 in student loans by the age of 24 mainly due to her freelancing side hustles. Click here to learn more about starting a blog!

Comments

  1. Clarisse @ Make Money Your Way says

    March 13, 2014 at 2:47 am

    My daughter is taking her violin class every Tuesday for 2 hours and her violin instructor is a graduating student in college. His hourly rate is pretty high because it’s a one on one lesson. He uses his talent and passion in music to earn while still studying.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 6:49 am

      Yes, that’s a great way to make extra money. Thanks!

      Reply
  2. moneystepper says

    March 13, 2014 at 3:10 am

    At the moment, my side income comes from investment income (in the form of dividends), blog income from moneystepper and selling old stuff on ebay. When I go back to the UK, I intend to start teaching French lessons as an English native to form another stream of income.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 6:57 am

      Sounds like you have some nice side incomes that are diversified. Good job!

      Reply
  3. Income Surfer says

    March 13, 2014 at 4:32 am

    Great list Michelle. I didn’t start my website to make an income either and I certainly don’t earn what you do, but the revenue adds up. After a while a magazine editor contacted me through my blog and asked me to write exclusive content for them. They are simple little articles, but it’s completely flexible and averages $550-600 per month.

    Something else for your list above. Detailing cars or boats. People need the service and everyone hates doing it :o)
    -Bryan

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 6:59 am

      Good job on the writing income!

      And yes, that’s another great job to add to the list. Thanks!

      Reply
  4. Dave @ The New York Budget says

    March 13, 2014 at 5:15 am

    I have a band and we play gigs in NYC. I basically only use the earnings to fund my music hobby, but it works out well for me!

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 7:06 am

      That is awesome Dave!

      Reply
  5. DC @ Young Adult Money says

    March 13, 2014 at 6:29 am

    My goal in side income was similar but still slightly different. I did it to offset our monthly loan payment. So I didn’t intend to pay down my loans faster, but my intention was to make the cash flow a net zero. Ironically it’s about $1k/month which lines up perfectly with this post. I was able to do it through blogging and spreadsheet consulting. I still want to pursue spreadsheet consulting but want to try to figure out how I can make it a scalable business instead of just me trading my time for $.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 7:07 am

      Good job on the $1K! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Alexandra @ Real Simple Finances says

    March 13, 2014 at 8:18 am

    Right now I make $15/hr babysitting for one child. I have tried to get jobs at $18 for two children, but some parents are reluctant to pay that. I think it depends where you are looking to sit. There are some rich towns about 30-45 minutes from me, and I’m sure I could get $20+ an hour there — the trade off is that they usually expect you to wash dishes or do laundry as well.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 11:50 am

      $15 isn’t bad at all! That sounds good to me.

      Reply
      • Tarynkay says

        March 17, 2014 at 6:37 pm

        I get paid $10/hour to watch one five month old. However, I do this while staying home with my two year old, so it makes sense to me that I am only making $10/hour to do this. I would expect to make more if I were not caring for my own child at the same time. I can make money while not having to pay for childcare, so that works out well for me.

        Also, nannying is different than babysitting. I have a friend who left her corporate job to nanny and she makes more as a full time nanny than she did in corporate. She also charges a sort of retainer fee- once the kids are in school, the family agrees to continue paying her a reduced rate $30K/ year and she will pick them up from school and make them do homework and stuff. The families agree to this b.c they want continuity of care for their kids. She picks up part time work on the side when the kids start school.

        We have mostly lucked out with swapping for free babysitting with friends. I have paid for a teenage babysitter once and then it was $10/hour (she told me how much she charged, I paid it.) I did not make nearly that much back when I was teenage babysitting, it was usually more like $5/hour.

        Reply
  7. Mark Ross says

    March 13, 2014 at 8:23 am

    Great list about ways to make money! I think being good at writing and networking can really get you a lot of opportunities in the online world.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 11:54 am

      I agree!

      Reply
  8. Amanda says

    March 13, 2014 at 8:29 am

    There’s a website called “Teachers Pay Teachers” where you can purchase pre-made lesson plans that I’ve been meaning to look into further. I know that when I was working at the theatre, I had a really hard time finding drama/acting lesson plans for kids and teens, and when I did, they were all the same things over and over again. I assume/hope that because most schools (sadly) cut funding to the arts all the time and have non-drama teachers teaching drama that there will be a demand for this?
    The boyfriend and I have also thought about opening an Etsy shop, but we haven’t really gotten into the specifics of that yet.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 11:55 am

      I think that’s a great idea about the lesson plans. An Etsy shop sounds great too.

      Reply
    • Sarah says

      March 13, 2014 at 9:47 pm

      Teachers Pay Teachers is a great website to sell teaching materials, also checkout teachersnotebook. It is another great website, although geared more towards the younger grades.

      Reply
      • Amandaa says

        March 14, 2014 at 8:27 am

        Thanks Sarah! I didn’t know about teachersnotebook 🙂

        Reply
    • Beth says

      March 24, 2015 at 6:26 am

      This is awesome. Didn’t know about it and I teach drama at a college level so I can translate that to a high school level easily. Thanks!

      Reply
  9. Shannon @ Financially Blonde says

    March 13, 2014 at 9:18 am

    My hubby is a tutor on the side and it is amazing how much money he can make. Now is typically a time to get tutoring jobs for kids taking the SAT 2 exams. There are a number of exams and if you have a “specialty” in the subject you can make up to $150 an hour depending on where you live.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 11:56 am

      Wow $150 an hour sounds amazing!

      Reply
  10. Alice @ Earning My Two Cents says

    March 13, 2014 at 9:34 am

    I have been side hustling for a few years but in the last few months I have really scaled it up because I can see the potential for it to make extra debt payoff money which I sorely need. I mystery shop a lot, freelance write, use apps that pay me, take online surveys and anything else I run across that will make me extra cash. I too thought about a part time job at a clothing store or something like that, but I prefer the flexibility to work a lot or a little, depending on my schedule. That allows me to still spend time with friends, travel, work full time, and take care of home and family responsibilities.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 12:08 pm

      Yes, flexibility in a schedule is important, and that’s why I worked so hard for online income.

      Reply
  11. Mr. Utopia says

    March 13, 2014 at 9:48 am

    Where there’s a will there’s a way, right? If you want to earn extra money, you’ve got to be motivated. If you are, you can find ways to make that side income eventually no matter what you’re doing. Writing online seems as if would have the most long-term upside though.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 12:13 pm

      Yes, exactly 🙂

      Reply
  12. Holly@ClubThrifty says

    March 13, 2014 at 10:11 am

    I used to clean houses and babysit when I needed more money. Now I’m more likely to sell stuff I have or try to pick up a few more jobs!

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 12:16 pm

      Yes, I’m all about picking up a few more jobs too!

      Reply
  13. Andrew@LivingRichCheaply says

    March 13, 2014 at 12:13 pm

    I’m a little obsessed with blogging too…and I didn’t know much about it until I started. It would be nice if I could make something from it, but I probably have to post much more consistently and work on other aspects as well. It seems like freelance writing is a great option. I would like to write a few things here and there, but I don’t know if I want to make a commitment…heck I barely have time to write for my own blog. I’d like to pursue that though as a little extra side income will definitely help with buying a place.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 12:17 pm

      Blogging is easy to get addicted to!

      Reply
  14. Michelle S. says

    March 13, 2014 at 12:48 pm

    That is awesome Michelle!

    Reply
  15. Grayson @ Debt Roundup says

    March 13, 2014 at 2:12 pm

    Well, I blog, write, manage other blogs, and do coding work on the side. I have done some lawn mowing in my day and it was good money.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 5:06 pm

      Sounds like you do a lot Grayson!

      Reply
  16. Lena says

    March 13, 2014 at 3:35 pm

    That’s a great list, Michelle! I don’t make much money blogging but my main side hustle is translating. If you know another language, you can make a little extra this way too! I don’t make much (usually $400-500) but my schedule is very flexible, so I have plenty of time to be a Mom too 🙂

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 5:07 pm

      Sounds like an awesome side hustle!

      Reply
    • Sam says

      March 12, 2015 at 7:19 am

      I’m interested in translating! How do you do it if I might ask? :))

      Reply
      • Sheila Rowland says

        October 20, 2022 at 7:13 am

        Try your local school district/college. I’ve worked in both and they posted all the time about needing translators, even encouraging us to share the info with family/friends!

        Reply
  17. Jason B says

    March 13, 2014 at 3:53 pm

    Ebay has been great for me this year. I’m always looking for more things to sell.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 5:17 pm

      Glad eBay works for you. I just don’t have the patience.

      Reply
  18. Michelle S. says

    March 13, 2014 at 5:08 pm

    I’ve always wanted to learn how to knit, but I think I’d be horrible at it!

    Reply
    • Heather says

      January 26, 2015 at 8:31 am

      Think positive! And try a kids’ circular knitting loom- I love using my daughter’s! Directions for kids crochet or knitting or anything is much simpler for ANY beginner to get going.

      Reply
  19. Dan @ Our Big Fat Wallet says

    March 13, 2014 at 9:13 pm

    Here in Calgary the photography business seems to be growing substantially. I’d love to give it a shot as a side hustle but I’m a horrible photographer 🙂

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 10:47 pm

      Haha yeah it might not work if you are a bad photographer 🙂

      Reply
  20. Sarah says

    March 13, 2014 at 9:48 pm

    I just recently started Substitute Teaching as a way to bring in extra money (I recently left my full time teaching job to become a stay at home mom) and have been trying to break my way into the online writing business, but it is has been so long since I’ve written anything for publication. My skills are rusty at best.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 13, 2014 at 10:48 pm

      That’s awesome Sarah. It takes time to get into online writing 🙂

      Reply
  21. Michelle S. says

    March 14, 2014 at 7:10 am

    Good job on the writing income! I’m sure you will have no problem increasing that.

    Reply
  22. Stefanie @ The Broke and Beautiful Life says

    March 14, 2014 at 3:55 pm

    I worked three days this week at a corporate event literally opening and closing doors and looking pretty. I made $30/hour. No joke.

    Reply
    • Alice @ Earning My Two Cents says

      March 14, 2014 at 8:16 pm

      That sounds easy and profitable! How do you find gigs like that?

      Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 14, 2014 at 11:23 pm

      Wow that’s awesome!

      Reply
  23. DESIREE H says

    March 14, 2014 at 10:32 pm

    My side income is doing giveaways. My husband was demoted, so I have really been trying to help by winning gift cards for groceries or my twins expensive soy based formula, or gas cards, etc.
    This has helped us out a lot. Thanks

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 14, 2014 at 11:24 pm

      Thanks Desiree!

      Reply
  24. Jo-Ann Brightman says

    March 16, 2014 at 4:46 pm

    Right now I don’t have a side income ,but I am reading all these articles and trying to decide if I could start doing one of these things.

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 19, 2014 at 6:09 pm

      Yes, you should! 🙂

      Reply
  25. KATHLEEN BARRETT says

    March 19, 2014 at 12:16 pm

    I get $20 an hour to babysit 1-3 kids evenings and weekends on top of my day time job!

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 19, 2014 at 6:13 pm

      That’s awesome!

      Reply
  26. Victoria says

    March 19, 2014 at 5:38 pm

    This is a great and informative post. I have taught corporate sales and marketing on the side. Last year, I made quite a bit. That side income goes into the Thailand and Indonesia holiday fund for this summer! I haven’t made anything from the blog yet as I’m building up my “portfolio” with guest posting!

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 19, 2014 at 6:14 pm

      That’s an awesome side job!

      Reply
  27. JULU B says

    March 22, 2014 at 10:07 pm

    My side job is cleaning once a month for a friend’s shop. I help to clean, organize, etc. It is how I make extra money. It helps especially for slow time at my current job.
    Thanks

    Reply
  28. virender yadav says

    November 1, 2014 at 10:45 am

    Very nice post on making money online. I thank you for posting such very valuable posts

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      November 30, 2014 at 10:08 am

      Welcome! 🙂

      Reply
  29. Joyce says

    November 30, 2014 at 3:49 am

    Just have to chuckle here; I’m old enough that when I was a babysitter, the going rate for the best of us was 50 cents/hour, which is what I usually got paid. That wouldn’t cut it today, not by an means, but decades ago, it felt like I was rich when I got paid $5.00 for a full night’s sitting (with three kids) 🙂

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      November 30, 2014 at 10:08 am

      Haha no, 50 cents an hour definitely would not cut it 🙂

      Reply
  30. Deryn @ Running on Real Food says

    January 7, 2015 at 12:12 am

    haha, you are awesome! I love the “side-hustle” idea. Right now I just have a very small amount of income from my blog but I’m increasing my efforts for 2015 (aka more hustle). I love your ideas for adding bits of extra income! All the best this year 🙂

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      January 7, 2015 at 8:39 am

      Thank you Deryn!

      Reply
  31. Marta says

    January 26, 2015 at 3:06 pm

    Photography is a nice way to make extra income but a big thing about that is there’s also a lot of competition and finding clientele can take some time! But it’s definitely worth it if it’s your passion!

    Reply
  32. Lisa says

    February 2, 2015 at 9:03 pm

    here is the question I have….how do you start blogging and what do you blog about? I am really interested in doing that, I just don’t know where to start.

    Thanks

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      February 2, 2015 at 9:37 pm

      Hello!

      Here are some blog posts that should help you out 🙂

      https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2013/03/tips-for-beginner-bloggers.html
      https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2014/08/how-to-start-a-wordpress-blog-on-bluehost.html
      https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2013/04/how-to-make-money-blogging.html

      Reply
      • Lisa says

        February 3, 2015 at 4:29 pm

        That is awesome, thank you so much!

        Reply
  33. Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says

    March 19, 2015 at 7:22 pm

    I don’t make anything even close to $1000 a month, but it is a goal I’d love to reach. I clean houses, substitute teach, and write for Textbroker.

    Thanks so much for the tips on how to make money writing from home. I’ll be checking those out for sure.

    Reply
  34. Lindsay says

    March 24, 2015 at 6:34 am

    I love this post! I am a certified American Heart Association CPR/AED/First Aid instructor. I do this as a side hustle. I personally haven’t made much money off of this because of the rate I charge, but there is potential to make quite a bit off of teaching classes. Especially if you offset the initial investment by affiliating yourself with a company that will either let you borrow the CPR manakins and other supplies. I also make $600/yr as a secretary for a Fire District. It certainly doesn’t sound like much but when you break it down I make $25/hr because they meet once a month for approx. one hr and then I have approx 1 more hour per month of work to do for prep for the next meeting!

    Reply
  35. John C Thomson says

    March 24, 2015 at 8:17 am

    I am 70 1/2 and retired, but the need for additional income is ever present in these days economy. I am drawn to articles and blogs that describe ways to earn that extra income through their personal efforts. I don’t understand why non-profits don’t utilize these same methods instead of trying to separate you from your hard earned income. Anyway, thanks for the information. I recently, well 8 months ago, quit smoking, hence adding $360 a month back into the budget. I quit my morning coffee stop at DD and added another $60. There are other ways to add by subtracting.

    Reply
  36. Kaylyn Pate says

    March 31, 2015 at 4:23 pm

    Do you have any good recommendations for mystery shopping? I’ve always been interested in it, but I’ve been skeptical of it. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Michelle S. says

      March 31, 2015 at 6:33 pm

      Hello!

      Yes, check out my post on mystery shopping for more information and a recommendation 🙂 – https://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2012/04/mystery-shopping.html

      Reply
  37. Erika Belvin @ BizyMommy says

    April 10, 2015 at 11:59 pm

    I am working so hard for that extra 1000 a month blogging!!! Its such a great start and a great extra amount of money!

    Reply
  38. Rose says

    June 9, 2015 at 5:43 am

    Very helpful information. Appreciate it.
    I do a paid for surveys site and I make around $400 a month. It won’t make you rich but it covers my electric and water bill lol. It’s really not hard.

    Reply
    • emmarie says

      September 13, 2015 at 5:04 am

      What site do you use?

      Reply
      • Cindy says

        February 14, 2017 at 7:24 am

        Hi Michelle!

        Came across your blog only recently. Like this post! Was currently looking for side jobs online. And the survey companies that I found was all looking for US citizens. Do you know any companies that are interested in Europeans? Cuz for now I didn’t find any. Maybe I missed something, but never hurts to ask. Thanks anyways.

        Reply
  39. Lily says

    July 9, 2015 at 11:42 am

    Hi Michelle, love your post, they always encourageme to make extra cash, I wanted to try the Swagbucks but I couldn’t complete the registration, I don’t know if it is because it asks for a sign up code or what I tried several times and nothing. If you could help me register I will be thankfull.

    Reply
    • Melyssa Jaskiewicz says

      August 18, 2019 at 4:50 pm

      Did you get it to work? – Melyssa

      Reply
    • Jacob lucky says

      July 12, 2020 at 12:52 pm

      I want to join

      Reply
  40. Gaurav Gahlyan says

    July 10, 2015 at 4:24 am

    I have been looking to increasing my monthly income. $1000 a month is a decent salary in itself, here in India. And while not all options are feasible, because they pay less for doing them here, some of them are still worth a shot. Thanks for listing them down. 🙂

    Reply
  41. Mary says

    September 8, 2015 at 6:00 pm

    I just started my blog because I wanted to share my experiences and reach out to new people–honestly, it never occurred to me that it could be a source of income! DUH! Thanks for opening my eyes. I still have so much to learn…

    Reply
    • john says

      June 2, 2020 at 7:10 am

      Is bloging it same as youtuber?

      Reply
      • David says

        June 8, 2020 at 7:30 am

        Well no. A youtuber posts videos, streams and stuff like that. But a blogger posts stuff on internet sites (example this page is a blog)

        Reply
  42. Sara says

    November 9, 2015 at 11:41 am

    Great ideas! I am trying to find a way to increase my income by around $1,000 a month so my fiancé and I can buy a new home.

    Thank you for your encouraging post!

    Reply
  43. Lisa Russell says

    November 30, 2015 at 2:36 pm

    I would love to learn more

    Reply
  44. christina carrozza says

    January 1, 2016 at 11:54 am

    Yes, your question about how much babysitters or nannies make? Well in NYC, going rate is 15-16 per hour. And can go up to 20-30 an hour.We negotiated a flat rate per week with our nanny. It can be lucrative to make extra money. Pet sitting is also expensive. Some pet sitters can make 20 and hour also. Dog walkers also make some decent money, especially in NYC. I really had no idea how costly it could be until we had a baby and started doing research!

    Reply
    • Alyssa says

      March 6, 2017 at 6:16 pm

      Professional nanny here- by law a nanny must be paid an hourly wage, not a weekly flat rate or anything resembling a salary. $15/16 is on the low end for NYC.

      Reply
  45. Scott Penton says

    February 7, 2016 at 8:12 pm

    Great list of Hustles, but don’t forget to Give, The more you give the more you get 🙂

    Reply
    • John says

      November 6, 2018 at 4:55 am

      Yeah okay. if that was true i would be rich as F right now. But im broke as shit. and about to go homeless. So STFU

      Reply
      • John says

        April 13, 2019 at 3:41 pm

        That garbage attitude you have might have something to do with your luck

        Reply
        • Jay says

          January 19, 2021 at 6:25 pm

          John, I am not that religous but you have to thank God every day. You have to have graditude. Also try to eat right and meditate and get rid of your tv.

          Reply
  46. Sarah says

    February 14, 2016 at 8:20 pm

    I just wanted to take a minute to say thank you so much for inspiring me and showing me that it is possible to make quite a bit of money blogging! I am a singer/songwriter and instead of doing a traditional website for music, decided I would like to start a blog! I am really excited to have my own story unfold 🙂

    Reply
    • Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

      February 14, 2016 at 11:14 pm

      Welcome 🙂

      Reply
  47. Omar Saady says

    May 1, 2016 at 11:19 pm

    Hi
    Great list

    Every one is looking for ways to make an extra income including me. Personally I started my search journey 3 years ago when I were in debit of $10000. I started by taking Survey, listening to the Radio and reading Emails. There are a number of websites that will pay you to listen to the radio, read advertiser’s emails and take surveys. I’ve tried about a million of them, but there are only a few of them that I would recommend. Inbox Dollars is one of those companies.

    Thanks
    Omar

    Reply
  48. Michelle Schroeder-Gardner says

    December 26, 2016 at 11:06 am

    It’s all about promoting your blog on social media, guest posting, and networking with others 🙂

    Reply
    • Mbali Schmidt says

      January 15, 2017 at 8:57 pm

      Hi MIchelle, firstly let me thank you for beautiful work. It rally helps us.

      I am interested in the Motif investing platform. I went through their website. I am so clueless with what is going on in the trading/ investing world. is there a way for you to contact me or me contacting you (for privacy purposes to you we can even communicate via email). I would like to get more understanding of it. I would like to invest with Motif

      Reply
  49. Niugini says

    May 21, 2018 at 7:29 pm

    Thanks. Now it is hardwork. $1000 per month does not come easy. It is hard work that brings this amount. I am working hard…hopeful.

    Reply
    • john says

      November 6, 2018 at 4:56 am

      I have worked very hard my whole life, and i am broke as sh!t..
      Work smart not hard.

      Reply
  50. Nancy Nasr says

    July 25, 2018 at 5:03 pm

    Hi Michelle, I am impressed and I’d like to congratulate you for your success! Also, I’d like to ask you if would you recommend to start a blog to someone who English is their second language, also how long does it take to start making money from the moment your blog is set up and ready to be discover? Thank you. Nancy.

    Reply
  51. Jon Snedeker says

    August 20, 2019 at 3:02 pm

    I love this long article about making $1000 or more every month, thank you so much for adding value and putting it together! It has some really great ideas in here!

    Reply
  52. Adriana Sargent says

    June 6, 2020 at 2:47 pm

    Any little extra income helps. $1,000 a month would cover most families grocery budget and that is a big relief for many during these hard times of Covid-19 when many families turn to food banks to help them through these tough times.

    Reply
  53. Tinney says

    August 15, 2020 at 8:49 pm

    I love this long article about making $1000 or more every month, thank you so much for adding value and putting it together! It has some really great ideas in here! thank you so much may God bless you??

    Reply
  54. Uche Onuekwusi says

    August 5, 2021 at 1:25 am

    Another great way to make money online is to get a remote job. You can find remote jobs at vizajobs.com

    Reply
  55. Gillian Romain says

    August 30, 2021 at 12:07 pm

    Before Covid I used to donate plasma. It brought in about $270 just for sitting in their very nice facility for about 1 1/2 hours.

    Reply

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My name is Michelle and I'm the author/owner of Making Sense of Cents. Learning how to save money and make more money changed my life. It allowed me to pay off $40,000 in student loans, start my own business, and I now travel full-time.

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