wikiHow Forums Side Hustles

Best way to make some extra money?

WikiTapirGlider952
09/06/24 11:06 AM
I work full time and am looking for a flexible side hustle that I can do to make extra money in my free time. I'm trying to save up for my first house and would love to be able to bring in a little extra cash every month that I can put towards my goal so I can reach it faster. Thanks for your ideas!
WikiGnuTamer434
09/06/24 1:34 PM
Have you looked into donating plasma at all? If there's a clinic nearby, you can usually donate twice a week and get paid around $50 each time. Not only are you making some extra cash, but you're helping others in need too!
WikiTapirGlider952
09/06/24 4:02 PM
ok donating plasma is for sure going on my to-do list haha. just donating plasma 2x a week would pay for my groceries. would love other ideas for making money fast though if anyones got them? ideally things i could earn a lot of money doing? thanks!
wikiHow Expert
09/07/24 8:14 AM
One strategy for making extra money is money flipping. A form of money flipping that has become popular is reselling items on Amazon or eBay. A quick trick to do this is there are a lot of apps that if you scan a barcode, it will tell you how much these items are selling online. So, if you happen to be in a store like Costco or Walmart and you see something like sales, you can quickly look up to see what Amazon and eBay are selling these things. A lot of times, Amazon and eBay will mark things up because of the convenience that they offer with two-day shipping. So, a quick way to make money is to look for items that are undervalued in brick-and-mortar stores but are marked up on online retailers or things on sale and then you just buy them out and you flip them online. That's called online flipping. A lot of people do it.

Another way that people flip money fast is through day trading. Day trading, like anything, you have to be very good at it. So, if you choose to day trade, invest in education, and learn how to read technical indicators or technical analysis. A lot of days traders lose money. So, if you go this route, be sure to educate yourself on it just you would with anything else in life.

Another way to flip money quickly is through real estate. Wholesaling real estate is a quick way. Basically, with wholesaling real estate, you're flipping real estate contracts. An example would be you convince Person A to sell you their house. You get that under contract for a price, let's say, $100. And then now you sell that contract to someone else for a higher price than $100. For example, Person B, you sell it to them for $120. So, now you make $20. Another way is you could just buy a distressed property, you can fix it off and then you flip it and you make money because you put the time and effort into remodeling it. Someone who doesn't want to put the time and effort in remodeling it, they will buy it from you. You make money that way.

A third way to make money, which is very illegal but you should watch out for it so it doesn't happen to you, is Ponzi schemes. Ponzi schemes or pyramid schemes are when people make ridiculous promises, they take money from you and then they give it to somebody else. So basically, you borrow from Peter to pay Paul. A lot of people do that, such as Bernie Madoff who has gone to jail. Most recently, Sam Bankman-Fried from FTX had done it with crypto and he's being tried in jail. So, Ponzi schemes or pyramid schemes are a quick way to flip money but watch out so it does not happen to you.
WikiWombatReader897
09/07/24 6:12 PM
I'm a college student and I make extra money through participating in paid research studies and doing tasks on MTurk. While the research studies I particpate in are through my universtiy, you don't have to be a student to participate in them, you just have to be in their target demographic, so I'd recommend looking for studies near you. MTurk is done through Amazon and is a place where you can find tasks you can do virtually, like filling out surveys or editing text. MTurk is a bit of a grind but when I have some time on my hands it's nice to be able to earn a bit of pocket money.

Are there other side hustles I can do as a college student to make extra money?
wikiHow Expert
09/07/24 8:13 PM
There are a bunch of different side hustles you can do. One of the easiest and best side hustles for someone in college is to be an English teacher or an English tutor to foreign students. A lot of countries like China and India spend a lot of money to learn English. And requirements are pretty low. You have to be fluent in English. And most of these sites don't require a college degree. There are a bunch of websites where you can do this. If you go to Google and just type in being an English tutor to a foreign country, you'll see a lot of different options that pay very well. And it's something fairly easy that you can do from home. All you really need is your phone and an iPad or a computer. The websites usually give you the lessons.

Another thing is we live in a gig economy where you can pick up all these gigs that are already there. So, if you own a car, you can drive for Uber or Lyft. If you have a car or bicycle, you can do things like Instacart to give people their groceries. There are a lot of apps where you can walk dogs through earning money. There are a lot of apps that help you monetize your spare time.

There's also freelancing. You can go on websites like Fiverr to find jobs people need, like creating graphics for them or social media posts. In terms of freelancing, there are apps where you can do housework for people, anything from painting a wall in their house to mowing their lawn. You can sell items online or clothes that you no longer use. You can sell textbooks that you no longer use. If you rent a house or you rent an apartment with a spare room, you can always rent out a room in an apartment that you live in or you rent. You can start a small business and do anything like consulting. If you have a skill, talent, or knowledge, there are a lot of websites where you can put your information out there for people to find you. I know LinkedIn started a new service where you can tell it your skill set, and it will try to match you with people looking for those skills.

Lastly, also looking to apply for a part-time job or internship. A lot of employers know that when you're a student, they let you take time off for finals, which is important. So, I think those are just the most popular ways.

What do other wikiHow readers have to say?

Other wikiHow readers have submitted their own tips on topics similar to this one.

Reader Tips from How to Make Money from Home
Anonymous wikiFox
Anonymous wikiFox
Clean your room. Do chores around the house. Tell your parents you need money for a class trip. Take care of a neighbor's pet or children. Sell old junk. Sell gum and rubber band bracelets.
Anonymous wikiMongoose
Anonymous wikiMongoose
Most home-based jobs are done through the internet, but you can also make money from home even if you’re not tech savvy by running a day care at home. It is important for you to find a home-based job that you are happy with and are also good at so you can earn a significant amount that can sustain your lifestyle.
Anonymous wikiGator
Anonymous wikiGator
Give your home based business time to take off--building a new client base doesn’t happen overnight so cut yourself some slack and give it time.
Anonymous wikiGibbon
Anonymous wikiGibbon
Check for loose change around vending machines or parking meters. Collecting and saving spare coins and dollars here and there can surprisingly add up over time. Just make sure not to take money that clearly belongs to someone else.
Anonymous wikiGopher
Anonymous wikiGopher
Have an eye for a bargain? Consider reselling items on sites like eBay. Or better yet, for convenience, take quality goods you no longer need to local pawn and consignment shops. You set the price.
Anonymous wikiDolphin
Anonymous wikiDolphin
Sign up with reputable websites to take online surveys in your spare time. Just be aware most pay small amounts, more like pocket money, so temper expectations. But over time it can add up.
Reader Tips from How to Make Money Fast
Anonymous wikiButterfly
Anonymous wikiButterfly
Check anywhere you might have stashed or lost money. Look in the couch, in the pockets of clothing, in a drawer, in an old purse, etc.
Anonymous wikiDugong
Anonymous wikiDugong
If you are destitute, consider seeking emergency assistance from a reputable charity.