Everyone can benefit from making more Money.

Whether you’re paying off student loans, building your emergency savings fund, or saving for a down payment on a house, increasing your income can help you reach your goal faster.

More people are becoming savvy to this fact every year. In a recent DollarSprout survey, 57% of respondents stated that they have a side hustle.

About 73% of respondents reported earning $200 or less with their side hustle per month. However, almost one in six people earn at least $500 each month in addition to their primary source of income.

Imagine what an extra $500 per month could do for you. You could reach your goals months or even years sooner. But with so many side hustle options out there, how do you know where to begin?

This list includes some of the best side hustle ideas out there today. Each one is broken down into the level of difficulty, income potential, a description of how the side hustle works, the requirements, and how to get started.

Be sure to choose a side hustle that fits your goals and lifestyle. For example, if your goal is to make an extra $500 each month, then you shouldn’t choose something like taking surveys online. But if you just want to earn a free gift card here and there with little time and effort, then taking surveys may be a good option.

Easy Ways to Start Making Money

There’s something on this list for everyone, but I wanted to start things off with some of the most low-effort ways to make extra money. If you’re looking for ways to make money without investing a lot of time or effort, these are for you.

Complete online surveys

   LESS THAN $250      EASY       THIS MONTH      FLEXIBLE   

Brands and companies value the feedback of others as it helps them make informed decisions on current and future products and services. That’s why they’re willing to pay you for your thoughts by sending you surveys. While you won’t get rich taking paid online surveys, they can give you a bit of extra cash.

Branded Surveys

Branded Surveys offers a $1 sign-up bonus when you create your account. Users earn points for taking polls and surveys. The more you take, the more bonus points you can earn.

Swagbucks

While you can get paid for taking surveys on Swagbucks, you can also earn cash for online shopping, watching videos, and playing games. You can redeem Swagbucks points for gift cards or transfer your cash balance to your PayPal account.

InboxDollars

InboxDollars pays you for taking surveys and doing other simple things like watching videos and downloading apps. You get $5 when you sign up, and you can redeem your rewards for a check in the mail, Visa gift cards, or retail gift cards. 

Let someone negotiate your bills

   LESS THAN $250      EASY       THIS MONTH      FLEXIBLE   

Even though it’s not technically a side hustle, saved money is just as good as earned money. As the world becomes increasingly subscription-based, those recurring expenses can quickly add up. Most of us have at least one or two subscriptions that we pay for and don’t use.

There are several apps now that specialize in helping people cut back on their subscription spending and other bills. The most notable are Trim, Truebill, and Billshark.

Deliver food

   $250+      EASY       THIS MONTH      FLEXIBLE   

The food delivery trend has exploded in popularity over the past couple of years. Grocery shopping or picking up food at a local restaurant can be time-consuming. People who are pressed for time can pay you to deliver food to them so they don’t have to do it. You’ll go to the grocery store or restaurant, pick up their orders, and deliver it to their home or office.

Postmates

Postmates pays you for the miles you travel, the time you spend waiting for orders at grocery stores, restaurants, and retail shops, and how many orders you complete in an hour. It also allows you to keep all of the tips you earn.

After you sign up and download the Postmates app, you’ll see an alert when a new delivery request is available. All you need to do is tap “Accept” to take the job.

Instacart

Instacart delivers groceries to people’s homes. Once you claim an order as an Instacart Shopper, you go to the grocery store, buy the customer’s products, and deliver them to their home. You’ll get paid every week via direct deposit for all the gigs you completed the previous week.

Uber Eats

Uber Eats serves as a third party between customers and restaurants. Once a customer places a restaurant order via the app, you pick it up from the restaurant and deliver it to them. You’ll then get paid a fixed fee for picking up and dropping off the food as well as per mile for the distance you travel.

DoorDash

DoorDash customers can place food orders from a long list of restaurants. If you deliver for DoorDash, you’ll know how much you’ll earn before you complete the job. Unlike other food delivery platforms, the app will show you a guaranteed amount based on order size, driving distance, traffic, and other factors.

Get cash back when you shop

   LESS THAN $250      EASY       THIS MONTH      PASSIVE   

You can get cash back on almost anything you buy nowadays thanks to the uber-competitive online shopping world. If you aren’t taking advantage of cash back offers or think they are too small to even bother with, think again. Over time, we’ve seen many readers accumulate hundreds (and sometimes even thousands) of dollars worth of cash back rewards.

There are dozens of different cash back apps and browser extensions so it’s a good idea to find two or three that you like and run a quick comparison anytime you are considering buying something online. For instance, Rakuten may offer 4% cash back on Nike shoes, but Wikibuy may have a special 8% offer.

Store people’s stuff at your house

  LESS THAN $250      EASY      NEXT MONTH      PASSIVE  

If you have any extra space in your home — a garage, basement, attic, driveway, or even a closet — you can make extra money by renting it out on Neighbor.com.

The app connects you with people in your area. You can chat with people interested in your space to get more information before approving them. Once approved, you’ll meet your new tenant, store their stuff, and get paid for every month they rent with you. Try Neighbor’s income estimator to see how much you could earn.

Sell your old smartphone

  LESS THAN $250      EASY      THIS MONTH      ONE-TIME  

If you’re like me, you probably have at least one old smartphone lying around that you never got rid of. You can make extra money by selling all your old smartphones and technology online.

eBay is one option. But if you don’t want to create a listing, find a buyer, and ship it yourself, consider using a site like Decluttr. Use their free income estimator to see how much your device will sell for. Then ship it for free and Decluttr will handle the rest.

Open a high-interest savings account

  LESS THAN $250      EASY      NEXT MONTH      ONE-TIME  

One easy way to make money is to move your savings over to a bank account that actually pays you a decent interest rate. High-interest savings accounts offer up to 25x the national average interest rate. You’ll typically find these accounts at online banks. Without brick-and-mortar locations, they’re able to offer customers a better deal. You might not make much extra money with this method (depending on how much you have in savings), but it’s some additional income that you don’t have to think about once it’s set up.

Get a bank sign-up bonus

  LESS THAN $250      EASY      NEXT MONTH      FLEXIBLE  

If you already have a decent amount of money sitting in a savings account (maybe you are saving up for a home purchase), cashing in on bank deposit bonuses is some of the easiest money you can make.

I recently got a $300 bonus for depositing $25,000 into a new bank account (the offer is no longer current so I won’t mention the bank here). Some banks offer even higher bonuses for bigger deposits.

List a room in your house

   $500+    EASY       THIS MONTH      FLEXIBLE   

Have a spare room in your house that you’re not using? You could be missing out on extra money by listing it on Airbnb. On game weekends where I live, homeowners can make several thousand dollars just by turning their house over to eager game-goers for a few days.

I’ve even known people to stay with friends for the weekend and split the rental profit. Check out Airbnb’s calculator to see how much you could make.

Cash in your unused credit card rewards

  $250+      EASY      THIS MONTH      PASSIVE  

I currently have over $1,500 in unused credit card rewards on my account. I didn’t realize my rewards balance was so high until I thought about booking a vacation for next year and logged into my account to see if I had unused points.

If you have a cash-back or travel rewards credit card, don’t forget to check your balance for rewards. You may be able to use your rewards to pay for holiday gifts, groceries, or apply them to your outstanding credit card balance. That may not technically make you any extra money, but it can help you get ahead by using money you didn’t know you had.

Try real estate crowdfunding

   $250+      EASY       3+ MONTHS      PASSIVE   

If you want to start real estate investing but don’t have enough money for a large down payment on a rental property, crowdfunded real estate investing is a viable option. An online crowdfunding platform like Fundrise can help you get your foot in the door. It allows investors with smaller amounts of money to pool together their resources and buy shares of private real estate investment trusts (REITs).

For as little as $500, you can use Fundrise to buy into private residential and commercial properties. Once you’ve invested your money with Fundrise, its real estate professionals handle the details. You don’t need to do a thing.

Rent out your car

   $250+      EASY       NEXT MONTH      PASSIVE  

Do you own a car but stay at home to watch your kids, use public transportation, or travel without it often? If the answer is yes, you may be able to rent out your car to others and make money while you’re not using it.

Known as the world’s largest peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace, Turo can connect you to people who are looking for a vehicle to rent. There are over 10 million members and more than 350,000 vehicles listed. Whether you have an economy sedan, pickup truck, or luxury SUV, you can list your car on Turo.

Walk dogs in your neighborhood

   $250+      EASY       THIS MONTH      FLEXIBLE  

When people with furry family members go out of town, they often hire dog sitters. If you love dogs and don’t mind taking care of them, dog sitting may be the perfect side hustle. You can dog sit in your own home or their home and make great money doing something you enjoy.

Rover is a website that can connect you to dog owners in your area who are in need of dog sitters. With Rover, you can set your own schedule and select the age and size of the dogs you’d like to care for. You can also take advantage of Rover’s free pet care education resources.

Rover dog sitters normally charge between $20 and $40 per overnight stay and $20 to $30 per walk. Rover collects a 20% service fee and you receive the remainder via PayPal or a mailed check.

Let apps save you money

  LESS THAN $250      EASY       THIS MONTH      PASSIVE  

Dosh gives members cash back on things they do every day. Whenever you shop at a Dosh partner location using a card connected to your account, you receive cash deposited straight to your Dosh Wallet.

There are no coupons, no promo codes, and no scanning receipts. Just download the app and shop. You also get $5 for every friend you refer to the app. Cashing out is easy, too. Transfer your earnings to a bank account, PayPal, or donate to your favorite charity from within the app.

Make sure your credit isn’t costing you

  LESS THAN $250      EASY       THIS MONTH      ONE-TIME  

Bad credit could be costing you hundreds of dollars per year. The lower your credit score, the higher interest rate you’ll have to pay for car loans, credit cards, and other debts. You can make that money back by staying on top of your credit score.

For day-to-day credit monitoring, I like to use Credit Karma. The Credit Karma app provides a snapshot of your credit situation all in one place. It also gives you personalized savings advice in areas where you could be overpaying, such as car and student loans.

Invest in the stock market

  LESS THAN $250      EASY      3+ MONTHS      PASSIVE  

Investing your money in the stock market can give you a higher earning potential than just stashing it away in a savings account. You can invest your money in accounts like employer-sponsored 401(k) plans or a brokerage account.

Keep in mind that when you invest in the stock market, there are no guarantees. This means that you may lose money if there’s a recession or stock market crash. Before you invest, it’s a good idea to have paid off your high-interest debt and have an emergency fund in place. Once you’re ready to invest, consider your long-term financial goals.

Invest online with a robo-advisor

  LESS THAN $250      EASY      3+ MONTHS      PASSIVE  

Robo-advisors use technology to efficiently manage your portfolio. That means fewer fees and no hidden costs, so you get to keep more of what your investments earn. There’s no minimum deposit required to start investing with Betterment, a top-rated online investing platform.

Already have a portfolio? Use Personal Capital to see how well your investments are performing and where they could improve. Their free Investment Checkup tool compares your current portfolio allocation to the ideal allocation needed to fund your goals.

Get interviewed 1-on-1 by brands

  LESS THAN $250      EASY      NEXT MONTH      FLEXIBLE  

Online surveys are great for making a little bit of extra money, but for some research projects, companies want to go even deeper. Sites like Respondent.io cater towards these one-on-one interview opportunities.

Since an interview is more involved than your typical survey, the compensation is usually much higher — and qualifying for interviews is more difficult. For the ones you do qualify for, though, you will often find opportunities to earn upwards of $200 or more for an hour of your time.

Make a budget

  $250+      EASY      THIS MONTH      ONE-TIME  

While not exactly a way to bring in extra money, making a budget can help you see areas where you’re spending more than you realized. Even a quick review of your bank and credit card statements can show leaky holes in your finances. You may find subscriptions you forgot to cancel, bills that increased out of nowhere, or items you shouldn’t have been charged for. A few tweaks to your finances can free up hundreds of extra dollars you didn’t know you had.

Smartphone-Based Ways to Make Extra Money 

If you only have a few minutes here and there, you can still use that free time to make extra money right from your smartphone. Here are some free apps that pay you just for using them.

Get paid to watch online videos

  LESS THAN $250      EASY      THIS MONTH      FLEXIBLE  

Sites like Swagbucks offer ways to make extra money beyond just taking paid surveys. Companies need to test video ads and that’s where you come in. Watch short videos on the app and earn points that you can redeem for cash. They even give you $10 just for signing up.

Install certain apps on your phone

  LESS THAN $250      EASY      3+ MONTH      PASSIVE  

Nielsen Digital Voice gauges how people spend their time using technology. When you install the Nielsen app, you earn points for every hour you spend using your smartphone. You’ll also get entries into their monthly $10,000 sweepstakes.

Sell your old textbooks

  LESS THAN $250      EASY      THIS MONTH      FLEXIBLE  

Textbooks are notoriously expensive, and no one likes paying full price for them if they don’t have to. If you are a student or have graduated recently, you can easily sell most of your old textbooks online through sites like BookScouter or Buyback Boss.

Of course, you won’t get the full amount that you originally paid, but something is better than nothing. And what you get from these sites is almost always better than what your university bookstore will offer.

Let an app track your data usage

  LESS THAN $250      EASY      THIS MONTH      PASSIVE  

MobileXpression is an app that tracks internet usage on your smartphone or tablet. Once you’ve been an active member for a week, you’ll be rewarded with your first gift card. Each week you keep the app on your phone, you’re eligible for additional credits you can exchange for more gift cards.

After 90 days, MobileXpression will donate a tree to Trees for the Future in recognition of your participation, and an additional tree for each month you remain an active member. So not only are you contributing to the future of the internet, you’re also contributing to the future of the planet.

Scan in-store items with your smartphone

  LESS THAN $250      EASY      THIS MONTH      FLEXIBLE  

With Shopkick, there’s no purchase necessary to earn cashback. In order to make extra money with Shopkick, all you have to do is download the app, enable your location services, and start earning kicks.

You’ll earn points just by walking into a store, and even more points for scanning items or making a purchase. Payout comes in the form of gift cards to your favorite stores, including Walmart, Target, Sephora, and Starbucks, to name a few.

Sell your old electronics

  $250+      EASY      THIS MONTH      ONE-TIME  

Do you have an old iPad sitting in your drawer, or maybe a stack of DVDs that you haven’t watched in years? Instead of letting them collect dust, look for places to sell your electronics before they lose any more value.

Brand new phones usually cost a fortune, which means that there is an ever-growing demand for used phones. Most people just don’t want to drop a grand or more on a new iPhone when they can pick up a 2- to 4-year-old model for a fraction of the price.

Invest in cryptocurrencies or refer your friends

  LESS THAN $250      EASY      3+ MONTHS      PASSIVE  

Cryptocurrencies aren’t going away any time soon. You can now use bitcoin to buy pizza, pay for your travels, and shop online. Why not use take advantage of this new form of currency to make some extra cash for yourself?

When you try out something like Coinbase and buy $100 worth of bitcoin, you get an extra $10 bonus. For every person you refer to the app, you’ll earn another $10.

Get cash back on groceries

  LESS THAN $250      EASY      THIS MONTH      FLEXIBLE  

The Ibotta app gives you cash back on the groceries you already buy. Some deals are brand specific, while others give you cash just for purchasing a certain type of item, like a loaf of bread from any brand. Choose your deals before you check out, then submit a picture of your receipt and get paid via Venmo, PayPal, or redeem your earnings for gift cards. The best part? They offer a $10 welcome bonus.

Online Side Hustles 

All you need is a computer and an internet connection for these money-making ideas.

Start a blog

  $1,000+      HARD      3+ MONTHS      WFH  

Blogging is a perfect side hustle because you can take virtually any hobby or interest you have – and create a blog around that topic. Bloggers who are able to build an audience will have many opportunities to turn their influence into income.

Some of the most popular ways that bloggers make money:

• Putting banner ads on their website
• Promoting affiliates and getting paid a commission
• Selling an online course in their topic area
• Becoming a 1-on-1 coach for readers who want more guidance

Teach English as a second language

  $1,000+      MODERATE      NEXT MONTH      WFH   

In China, there is an extraordinary demand for remote teachers that can teach English as a second language. Parents want their children to be as competitive as possible in the job marketplace, and for many Chinese students, learning English can set them apart.

There are many private companies that specialize in remotely teaching English to Chinese students, but one of the most prominent is VIPKid. Depending on your experience and how many classes you can teach, most teachers can expect to earn anywhere between $15-22 per hour. 

Sell handmade items

  $250+      MODERATE       NEXT MONTH      WFH  

Etsy is a website that connects shoppers to creators and artists who sell handmade or vintage items online. From paper and party supplies to art and collectibles, you can find a variety of items on this platform.

If you’re crafty and can make something unique you think others would love, an Etsy shop could be the perfect way to earn some income with your skills. Need some more guidance? Sign up for Turn Your Etsy Shop into a Sales Machine, created by Lisa Jacobs, who turned $100 of supplies into thousands of dollars on Etsy. This course will teach you how to avoid common Etsy mistakes, refine your storefront, and convert visitors into paying customers.

Sell custom-designed T-shirts

  $250+      MODERATE       NEXT MONTH      WFH  

I recently stumbled upon a really neat website, Teespring.com, where you can design t-shirts and sell them online. If you can come up with some cool designs and use Facebook ads to target potential buyers, you can definitely make extra money with this entrepreneurial side hustle.

Switch up your search engine and get paid

  LESS THAN $250      EASY       NEXT MONTH      PASSIVE  

Another great way to passively earn through Swagbucks is to take advantage of their search tool. Swagbucks will pay you micro amounts for eligible searches you complete using their search engine. There’s a daily cap on earnings, and they don’t fully disclose what constitutes an eligible search (to prevent abuse), but it’s an easy way to make a few extra dollars a month without much effort.

Resell gift cards that have a balance

  LESS THAN $250      EASY       THIS MONTH      ONE-TIME  

Some gifts cards seem to sit in the drawer for ages. I once got a gift card for the Cheesecake Factory for Christmas, even though the nearest one to my house was 50 miles away. Instead of letting your gift card go to waste, sell it on a site like Raise.com. You won’t get the full value, but turning a $100 gift card that you’ll never use into $85 cash is better than nothing.

Related: DollarSprout’s Raise Review

Automate your savings

  $250+      EASY       NEXT MONTH      PASSIVE  

The hardest part about saving money is actually transferring the funds out of your checking account and into a savings or emergency fund. No one wants to see their savings account drop without an immediate benefit. But with automatic savings apps like Qapital, you can save money without thinking about it. Just set a savings goal and a date, and Qapital will do the rest.

If your checking account dips below a certain limit, Qapital will notify you and put your savings on hold. That way you never have to worry about overdrafts. 

Manage social media for businesses

   $1,000+      MODERATE       NEXT MONTH      WFH   

Business owners have a lot of balls to juggle in the day-to-day course of business, and being active on social media sometimes becomes an afterthought. Keeping up on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and other social platforms is a chore, and it’s something that many business owners would gladly pay someone to handle for them.

Here’s how to become