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16 Legit Ways to Make Extra Money

Having one singular income is a thing of the past. Now, it’s all about having multiple income streams that collectively help you hit your financial goals.
If you don’t have your hands in a few different pots, it’s time to find an additional side hustle to supplement your full-time job and help you make extra money.
But what exactly can you do to bring in extra cash in your free time?
Have no fear — below is a list of 16 prime opportunities to make money on the side.

1. Drive for Uber or Lyft

Ridesharing — the concept that spurred the rise of the gig economy — is still an ideal side gig for those who want to make some extra money on the side. For every ride you give, you receive a fare. As long as you have a relatively new vehicle, are licensed to drive, and don’t mind interacting with passengers all day, Uber and Lyft may not be a bad choice.

2. Deliver Food

If you’d rather not deal with passenger interactions on your work shifts, you could always deliver food instead. Companies like DoorDash and Grubhub enable you to get paid to pick up takeout orders from restaurants and deliver them to hungry customers. Similar to rideshare gigs, you’ll be paid for every delivery you make.

3. Deliver Groceries

Like food delivery services, grocery delivery services bring groceries directly to customers. One of the differences is that you’ll be required to go through the grocery store and pick up the order items and then deliver them.
Companies like Instacart and Shipt focus primarily on grocery delivery. Postmates, on the other hand, bridges the gap between a few services and offers restaurant, grocery, and convenience item delivery.

4. Sell Your Things

Who says spring cleaning only has to come around once a year? We’re sure you have plenty of things you can get rid of by selling online, like old electronics, gently used clothing, or unused children’s toys.
There are a few ways to sell items that are crowding your home. You can do so using a site like eBay or listing it on Craigslist. You could also explore social media channels, like Facebook to sell your things. The Facebook marketplace has become a hotbed for mom-to-mom sales and community exchanges.

5. Rent Your Things

Another way to capitalize off unused belongings is by renting them out. In this day and age, you can rent out plenty of items. Airbnb and HomeAway are the go-to choices for renting out an unused room or vacant property you own.
You can also rent out your vehicle when you’re not using it with Turo. This is an excellent option for those who live in an urban area and are strapped with a monthly parking bill for a vehicle that’s rarely touched.

6. Start a Blog

While starting a blog is quite the undertaking that requires a great deal of dedication, it’s a lucrative opportunity for those who wouldn’t mind some passive income. Starting a blog is quick and easy, however, maintaining it with consistent content is the challenging part.
If you’re able to come up with content that drives a lot of traffic, you can then monetize it through online ads and affiliate marketing. Who knows, if your site takes off you could even hire out much of the writing and maintenance work to freelance workers.

7. Find a Freelance Gig

There are an incredible amount of resources out there for you to find some sort of freelance work. The different types of jobs that you can find freelance work for almost seem endless. It really all depends on what you specialize in, whether that be a freelance writer, editor, proofreader, or graphic designer.
Freelance sites like Upwork and Fiverr make it easy for companies to post jobs for freelancers like you to make extra money. Freelancing can be quite exciting and rewarding since you can work on a wide range of projects and are able to set your own pay rates.

8. Take Online Surveys

There are thousands of brands out there that are looking for invaluable input from consumers. With this information, brands can make educated decisions when developing their products, services, and advertisements.
By signing up for an online survey site like Survey Junkie, you can make money by giving your opinion on products. You can also sign up for services like Swagbucks and InboxDollars for even more earnings opportunities, like watching TV, online shopping, surveys, and tracking your overall online behavior.
After you’ve completed several surveys or activities, you’ll be able to cash out via PayPal, prepaid credit cards, or gift cards to your favorite stores, like Target or Walmart.

9. Test Websites and Apps

Similar to online surveys, testing websites and online applications helps companies make a better final product. In this case, the products are websites and applications.
With services like UserTesting, you can go through a website or application and complete a set list of tasks. Your behavior and interactions with the digital property will then be recorded and used to improve the user experience. You may even be required to answer a few questions regarding your experience.

10. Join a Focus Group

We might as well continue the theme of getting paid to give your opinion. By joining a focus group, you can do just that. Many focus groups will be done in person, however, you can also find online opportunities.
Focus groups help companies develop their products and services. Sometimes you will know which company you’ll be answering questions about, but in many cases, it will be anonymous to receive unbiased feedback from you and other participants.
You can find a list of focus group opportunities here.

11. Do Chores for Others

If you consider yourself handy and don’t mind getting your hands dirty, then doing household work and chores for others may be the perfect fit. This could range from assembling furniture, moving large items, cutting the lawn, and much more.
Companies like TaskRabbit and Takl allow you to sign up and find work almost immediately. Just make sure you have some experience in the skill or chore you’re offering.

12. Pet Sit or Walk Dogs

Pet lovers should come running for this opportunity. You can get paid to hang out with animals all day. Alright, so you’re not necessarily just hanging out — technically it’s still a job, but it sure doesn’t feel like one!
You can choose to pet sit, walk dogs, or even house sit with an owner’s pets with services like Rover and Care.com. Pet sitting, dog walking, and playing with animals all day doesn’t sound too shabby to us.

13. Create an Etsy Store

Calling all crafty and stylish DIYers. Etsy provides a means for you to open up your own online store and sell arts, crafts, clothing, stationery, and much more.
Esty is an online marketplace for people like you to make money off things you’ve created yourself. For example, if you’re quite a graphic designer and have an eye for detail, you could design wedding invitations, T-shirts, or printed illustrations. Figure out what you can make and start selling!

14. Become a Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants are the administrative assistants of the future. The two are nearly interchangeable, but as the name describes, virtual assistants are remote employees.
Virtual assistants help businesses and professionals run their operations smoothly. This means that you’ll be responsible for tasks like answering emails, scheduling meetings, handling customer service, managing social media accounts, or being in charge of payroll — really, whatever your employer wants you to do.

15. Use a Cashback App

Cashback apps are great ways to make extra money on the same everyday purchases that you’re already making. There are a few different ways you can go about earning cash back on purchases.
One way is by signing up for a company like Ebates and making purchases through their website. After that, you’ll be given a certain amount of cash back on those purchases.
Another way is by using a service like Ibotta. With Ibotta, you’ll sign up and connect your credit card to the app. You’ll then select certain offers, make your purchases as usual with your credit card, and then you’ll be compensated after.

16. Deliver Packages for Amazon

With the meteoric rise of Amazon comes an absurd amount of packages being sent out on a daily basis. So many, that companies like FedEx and UPS can no longer keep up with the demand.
Amazon has now turned to gig workers to help meet the delivery demand that seems to grow every day. With Amazon Flex, you can deliver Amazon packages to customers for a delivery fee. This is a perfect gig for those who don’t like interacting with customers and have a vehicle to make deliveries.

Pick One of These Ways to Make Extra Money

Establishing a source of extra income may sound intimidating, but in all reality, it’s not that far out of reach.
Pick one of the ways to make extra money above and give it a shot. Making money on the side might be much easier than you think.

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