What would you do with an extra $750 per month?
Are you a stay at home parent looking for ways to bring in cash for “extras”?
Looking for ways to minimize interest paid on debt?
Would like to start investing early and/or saving for a nest egg?
Would you like to take advantage of some free time to earn more money?
Whatever the reason, there are plenty of options out there to make an extra $750 a month without getting a “real” part time job, and even if you already have a full time job. Whether you’re looking for something remote, online, in person, freelance, there are so many ways to earn extra cash. In fact, some might argue there are an overwhelming number of options, so how do you find the best fit and make the best use of your time?
I’ve got some great news for you! I put in the time to distill a massive list of those options down to the top 12 most realistic ways to earn at least $750 more per month… so you can get to work and start earning cash right away!
Blogging
Guys, you must be on to me at this point that this is virtually always #1 on my list. Blogging can literally be for anyone/everyone including YOU because you can literally write on any topic that interests you. Even if you are not a great writer, can’t you get more excited about sharing information and experiences that bring you joy?
You do need to keep in mind that blogging is a long game. You can not expect to build a profitable blog right out of the gate. However, once you are in a rhythm of consistent posting, there are quite a few options to monetize a blog fairly quickly from affiliate sales to sponsorships to advertising. As a blogger you are in the driver’s seat from allocation of time and scheduling to earning potential, making it an attractive option for many.
Once you grow your audience to a sizeable following, there will be increasing opportunities to monetize. The long held rule of thumb is that you can expect to make $1 for every subscriber. If you have 15,000 email subscribers, you should be able to profit about $15,000 per month. However, I would argue that these metrics are not necessarily linear. If you get to the point that you in fact have 15,000 engaged subscribers, you can start making some serious cash depending on how you choose to monetize. I have also seen bloggers with a very small but very engaged following build a successful (and highly profitable blogging business).
If you need to very quickly make at least $750 per month, keep in mind that blogging (for big time profits) is a long game. You must be committed to generating quality content consistently to grow an audience. One option to consider might be to pick up some freelance jobs as you are growing your blog. I personally went this route to grow my first blog into a six figure business. With long term focus and consistency, a blog can be a satisfying side hustle or career with unlimited earning potential.
Here just a handful of posts I’ve written on how to build and grow a profitable blog :
How to Start A Blog in 28 Minutes or Less
How to Make Money As A Food Blogger
How To Build A Profitable Blog in 2020
12 Things You Should Do Right After Starting A Blog
20 Surprising Affiliate Programs for Bloggers
Web Development
This may not be realistic for everyone, but if you know how to code OR you’re open to learning, you can make some serious cash (full-time or part-time). There are also a ton of resources on the web that will teach you how to build a basic website. It is very realistic to charge somewhere in the ballpark of $1000 for a basic website.
If you are particularly interested in the latter, learning how to build basic websites, I suggest you check out sites like Skillshare or Treehouse. Both of these sites will give you access to online training courses and other resources to support your development.
Audio Transcription
Audio Transcription is becoming a very popular side hustle due to high demand and a ton of scheduling flexibility. As an audio transcriber you will need to listen to audio recordings and convert them to written documents.
Some may opt to go the freelance route but there are also audio transcription companies that eliminate the added challenge of identifying clients and new jobs. One of the most well-known audio transcription companies, called Rev, is a good place to start. Based on their entry level hourly rate, you will need to commit to about 35 hours per month to earn $750.
Drop-shipping business
If you have more of an entrepreneurial itch, drop shipping is a model that allows you to sell a product and run a store without ever holding any inventory. In this model, you are the retailer, standing between the manufacturer and the customer. You will identify the product(s) you would like to sell, execute your own marketing strategy, and develop a business model, considering any overhead and shipping expenses to turn a profit. In turn, the manufacturer is responsible for creating the actual products, packaging the products and shipping the products directly to the buyer’s home.
A drop-shipping business is an attractive low-risk model, allowing you to pay only for products that you have sold to existing customers. You do not have to assume the hassles and risks of creating the actual products, carrying inventory, as well as packaging and shipping products. For many, this is a more attractive model than the Amazon FBA program if you are able to willing to take on the challenge of marketing your own brand and products.
Amazon FBA Program
The Fulfilled By Amazon (FBA) Program is similar to the Drop Shipping Model except that Amazon will cover the order fulfillment and support your marketing efforts (at a cost….). This model is very appealing to retailers that do not want the hassle of packing and shipping orders.
It is important that you are very selective about the products that you sell through FBA because your margins will be more narrow. There are tools such as Jungle Scout that will help you identify the most profitable FBA niches and products. Some of the recently popular categories include baby products, activewear, and small electronics.
Because Amazon is also assuming the responsibility of shipping, most successful FBA sellers would recommend opting for small and lightweight products to start. Buyers are increasingly expecting free shipping even if they are not Prime members so it is important to incorporate the overhead expenses of shipping into your pricing model.
Start a YouTube Channel
YouTube is a great way to generate a quick boost in income, long term passive income and anywhere in between. With the rise of the blogging culture and an exponentially increasing consumption of video content, many tech-savvy adults (even kids!) are drawn to the idea of starting a YouTube Channel. You can start a channel on ANY topic, it’s entirely free to start, and there is an opportunity for free stuff and a potentially impressive income.
Starting a YouTube Channel is crazy simple.
- Sign into YouTube and click on the user icon on the top right side of the page.
- Click on the gear icon to access your account settings.
- Select “Create a new channel”
- Choose “Use a business or other name”
- Enter your brand or company name and click “create”.
While the channel itself is free to create, most if not all highly successful YouTube stars would likely recommend that you invest in audio and video equipment at the right time. As a beginner, you can of course make it happen with a smart phone and a PC with simple editing software to publish content.
Make sure to develop a strategy before you jump in. Bloggers and YouTube brands most often work from a content calendar. Come up with a plan to build momentum and maintain consistency in the types of content you are publishing.
Not sure which angle to take with your YouTube videos? “How to” videos are among the most sought-after content on the web. Try browsing some of the most popular videos to get an idea for what’s trending. The most viewed content tends to answers questions we often have.
Once you’ve create a content schedule and started producing content, the next steps will be to optimize your SEO, build your network, and connect with followers social media.
Much like blogging, there are quite a few ways you can monetize a YouTube channel. Here just a handful of ways you can generate income through YouTube:
- Use AdSense for advertising revenue
- Affiliate Sales
- Become a YouTube Partner with brands
- Work with companies to create sponsored content
- Sell products related to your videos
Virtual Assistant
Do you have a fine attention to detail? Are you friendly and personable? Are you organized and diligent? Have you considered working for someone as a virtual assistant?
As a VA you will need to get required tasks done well and done on time. You can have a relatively flexible schedule and the opportunity to work for a long-term client. Depending on your background, skills, and willingness to train there are literally hundreds of tasks you could be asked to complete. Below is a list of some of the types of projects and tasks you could be asked to complete. Don’t let the list overwhelm you! Just because it is listed here does NOT mean it is a required skill for all VA positions whatsoever.
- lead generation
- sales calls
- customer support
- social media management
- email/inbox management
- website design
- graphic design
- managing other freelance workers
- travel arrangements
- scheduling appointments
- spreadsheets
- editing and proofreading
- keyword research
- content research
- bookkeeping
- data entry
- client outreach
- transcription
If you decide you are interested in applying for position as a VA, you will want to “pitch” examples of valuable skills and jobs you may be able to bring to the table. Most of all, you need to demonstrate a high degree of motivation, willingness to learn, and excellent communication skills to succeed at the position.
Delivery Driver
Did you know that you can make between $18-25 per hour as an Amazon Flex driver? I have to admit, there is something massively appealing about the flexible schedule and the chance to take a drive to make some extra money. Of course, one option is to deliver food from one of the many food delivery services, but there are also several other delivery driver options. If you like the idea of hitting the road in your free time to earn some extra cash, here are some delivery driver companies (of all types) as well as ride-sharing companies:
- DoorDash
- Favor
- Flex
- Grub Hub
- Delivery Drivers Inc.
- Postmates
- Shipt
- Caviar Couriers
- Uber
- UberEats
- Lyft
- Skipcart
- Instacart
Freelance
Now this is potentially a big category but one of the best ways to make some extra cash for your skills and services. Of course, there is always a demand for bloggers and writers but there are also a million different niche services that could earn you some extra cash. Whether you are good with numbers, a decent artist, or even just friendly and personable there is something you can offer for money as a freelancer. Heard of Fiverr? Fiverr is just one (of many) online platforms that connects freelancers to customers worldwide. If you browse on Fiverr you will see services ranging from bookkeeping, to personalized birthday video creators, to proofreading, to graphic designers. You have a clever idea on how to make money with some Freelance work? Go ahead and float that idea on one of these platforms and you might find yourself a very good hourly rate for your time and efforts.
Write an E-Book
Did you know that literally anyone can write and publish and e-book?
Here are the key steps to publishing an e-book:
- Write a book worth buying.
- Create an Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) account. You do not have to publish the e-book on Amazon, although I do recommend it if you are first-timer. By creating an account on KDP you are increasing your pool of potential eyeballs on your product (the ebook)
- Format your ebook for publishing. Make sure your paragraphs aren’t too long, break the book into chapters, etc.
- Upload your ebook to KDP.
- Select a publishing date.
- Generate excitement for the release. If you already have a blog or website, that is a great platform to generate some hype around the launch.
- Publish your book.
Do you already have a blog? One of the fastest and easiest ways to self-publish is to organize some of your successful or most interesting blog posts into a book. The biggest chore here is going to be the formatting and organization of the book to optimize readability.
Sell on eBay
In college I made $2000 selling my old stuff on eBay in one month to pay off credit card debt. It can be done!
Start with old items you can part with. First you’ll need to take some good, original photos. You do not need a high end camera–even a camera on your phone will do. Keep in mind that your audience on the web is increasingly visual. Be sure to take photos in adequate lighting in a way that accurately captures the product, keeping in mind scale as well. eBay recommends using images that are 1600×1600 pixels.
Next you’ll need to come up with a description for your item. The best way to SEO your item for sale is to add as many “tags” as possible. The more tags, filters and descriptive keywords for the item, the easier it is for buyers to locate your product.
Then you’ll need to come up with a price. To get a ballpark price or the item, log into Ebay and use the search bar at the top of any page to locate the product. Next go to the left-hand panel on the search results page under the “Preferences” section, select “completed items” under “show only”. This will display sold items that match your item for sale. You’ll see here I searched for sold and completed “tree skirts”.
When you first launch your store, you may want to consider pricing your items lower to get your first few sales under your belt. At that point, your goal should be to provide excellent customer service and speedy shipping to start collecting great reviews! Many people also opt to list their items on social media to increase the number of eyeballs on their products for sale.
Selling on eBay can be a legit, lucrative side hustle. Heck, if you are able to grow a nice business selling your own products, you can always offer to sell products for family and friends as well for a cut of the profit. And if eBay isn’t your thing, there are so many other options and platforms out there to sell your old stuff: Bonanza, Poshmark, Mercari, Craigslist, Kidizen to name a few.
Most of these sites make it very easy to snap and upload pictures and add in a description to get your listing live.
Rent Out Your _____
The amount of monthly income that you can generate here is simply a function of what you have at your disposal to rent. Do you have a spare room? Car? Storage space? Office space? RV?
There are apps, like Turo, that will allow you to rent out your car when you’re not using it.
Renting out your belongings and dwelling(s) is a great way to leverage your stuff when it’s not in use for a passive income source. With the sharing economy, people are more willing (and happy!) to share resources. Get creative and start earning some cash for your stuff!
Another angle that can be used for rentals OR selling your stuff on eBay is to find items to buy and either rent or resell. This may sound daunting, but check out Facebook marketplace, yard sales and flea markets. Try to get a fee for the types of items that sell for a solid profit and enjoy the thrill of the hunt! There are plenty of people that have turned this into a source of full time income!
For example, I’ve refinished a couple of furniture pieces that I purchased on Facebook marketplace for literal pocket change. I then resold these items on marketplace for a nice profit. I could have easily listed these on eBay or Craigslist as well, but the new shipping option on Marketplace makes it very easy to list and sell items across the country.
Now that we have explored several options to earn an extra $750+ a month, it’s your turn. Be sure to leave a comment to tell me which of these worked for you. Hopefully one thing you take away from this article is that there are quite a few options (and more not even covered in this article) for building a side-hustle to pad your wallet every month. With strategy and focus, you can easily earn that extra $750 a month to pay off debt, fund your future dream vacation, or help cover your rent. How will you spend your extra time to make some extra cash?
