I wouldn’t say I was ever a money-hungry type person, but the idea of earning money without really having to do anything for it…why not? This is a concept that instantly makes people feel like it’s too good to be true..and I get it. Chances are there are a lot of scheme-type things that are definitely too good to be true. None of those are on this list. I’ve compiled 20 things you can do to earn more money without working more. Number 9 is my favorite!
*This post contains affiliate links through which I may make a commission. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
1.Decide what you want to spend on
Have you ever really asked yourself what you like spending money on the most? If you’re anything like I used to be, you just kind of spend it whenever it comes in. Fast food sounds good, so you buy it, you see a cute shirt and you buy it. But have you ever really thought about what your LOVE doing. For me it’s dinner’s out with friends, seeing shows and traveling. I LOVE spending my money on those things.
Once you get clear about what really deserves your money it makes it so much easier to stop spending on the things that are just “quick fixes.” So, if you’ve been wanting more money to travel more, or get a new car, take a moment to decide what areas of your spending are less important. If you need a booster or some extra help, check out my Bucket List Budget.
2.Pay less in debt
The majority of American’s are drowning in debt right now. Why not try to have a little bit less? This could mean paying it off fast (but we’ll talk about that later), or just paying back less! The number one way to pay back less debt is to start with your high-interest credit cards!
Call your credit card company and ask for a lowered interest rate. Here is a script you can use!
3.Start a high-yield savings account
Whether you are trying to build a secure emergency fund or want to save for a vacation, make sure you are taking advantage of high-yield savings accounts.
These accounts will pay you an average of 5 TIMES MORE than a savings account through your bank. My top two recommendations are:
- Savings Builder – set up savings of only $100 per month to get the highest savings rate available.
- CapitalOne360 – we currently have 4 savings accounts through CapitalOne360 for an emergency, savings, and for our kid’s to stash their Christmas and birthday money.
4.Maximize your 401K
First of all, if you have access to a 401K, make sure you are taking advantage of it. I know it might feel like you are having to give away money every month, but this is one of the best ways to get totally free money. Look into what your employer offers as far as 401K matching. For example, if you contribute only 3%, they just might match that same amount. Which means, you’re actually getting paid by your employer to save money!
Because I am the one doing most of the financial management, I took the time to diversify and manage Tom’s 401K through work. I was able to look at how his 401K was being invested, make a few quick changes, and easily see the projected growth. I can’t promise it’s that easy for every employer, but I highly recommend learning the best way to diversify your 401K! My best friend during this process was Tony Robbin’s book, Unshakable.
If you are already retired, you might want to look into a program like Rule Your Retirement to help you make the most of your benefits.
5.Invest on your own
Beyond saving for retirement, try your hand at investing on your own. Again, I recommend reading a book like Unshakable beforehand just so you have a general idea of what to do. However, there are certain online investing companies that make it really easy to get started.
Acorns – Acorns is a spare change investment app, but you can choose to set up recurring monthly investments as well. Click here to get $10 to get started investing and check out my plan to turn $50 into $150,000!!
6.Negotiate your salary
If you’re looking for a pay increase, why not try starting right where you are at. Yes, you are going to have to prove and show that you are worth a pay raise, but if you are up for the challenge, it’s a lot simpler than you might think. How to successfully negotiate your salary.
7.Claim more on your taxes
When I started my first job I had no idea what number to claim on my taxes. My manager at Old Navy told me to go with “0” so I did. However, if you are hoping to get more money back each month, especially if you have a family to consider, it might be worth its raising this number a little. Yes, this will give you less of a tax rebate, but it will give you more money back each month that you can start saving, investing, and earning interest on! Because let’s face it, most tax rebates are wasted pretty quickly.
8.Alertnate subscription services
If you have Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Disney+ and Amazon…why not scale back to one subscription service per month to save yourself a little extra cash?
Chances are you aren’t taking full advantage of all of your services at the same time. Instead, you could cycle through your memberships to save more money and maybe even take advantage of free month trials!
9.Start a passive income side hustle
This one is my absolute favorite because it’s what I do to earn a living full time. Running the blog allows me to make a passive income every month. Yes, I put in the work, but during months when I don’t work, I still manage to get paid. See what happened when I stopped working for a week.
If you’re not quite sure how passive income online works, join my free training on turning your skills into a virtual money maker. I am a big optimist in the sense that you can start making money online no matter who you are or what your skillset!
10.Get money back after you spend it
There is an app that not many people have heard of, called Dosh. This app is pretty amazing in the sense that you can link it up to all of your purchases and will gain rebates on things you happen to buy that are currently running promotions with Dosh.
You can even browse the app ahead of time to make sure you are choosing places that are offering money back. For example, if you’re choosing a place for dinner, you can check the app to see what places are offering cash-back on your purchases. Plus, you get $5 when you sign up!
11.Have Trim lower your bills
There is another awesome little app called Trim that can help you by reviewing your consistent spending and then negotiate a lower monthly payment for you.
For example, after downloading Trim, they notified me that I could reduce my internet bill by $20 per month! Try the Trim app.
12.Cap your splurges
If you are known for “splurging” in a certain area of your budget. Like clothing for example. Set a healthy spending amount for yourself and then transfer that amount to a pre-paid card through Cash App.
When you sign up for the app, you’ll get a Cash App debit card in the mail you can use it like you could a regular debit card. You can also track your spending so you know how much money you have left!
This is a great way to help you have more money by not over-spending in your struggle areas.
13.Keep a change jar
Yeah, it might seem a little old fashioned, but if you are an all-cash kinda person, then why not hang onto your spare change or try the $5 Savings Challenge.
14.Watch a dog
Now, to be fair, this is extra work if you don’t already have a dog. The thing is, we already have 2 dogs, so I signed up to be a Rover dog watcher! If you are already letting dogs out every day, feeding them every day, why not get paid to have one more cuddle buddy to hang out with? Click here to learn more about my Rover experience.
15.Use energy-saving products
If you could save on electricity and water every month, it might not make a huge difference, but it will definitely increase the amount of money you get to have in your pocket every month! Here are a few products to look into that can help you reduce your energy bills every month.
16.Sell your stuff
If you have extra stuff lying around the house, why not commit to one week of selling some of it! You can turn to places like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist to help yourself avoid the whole garage sale craziness!
However, my personal favorite place has been Mercari. All the items I have listed have sold rather quickly and the shipping process is super easy.
17.Get paid while you drive
You know how many Uber drivers I have met who said they will just pick up someone on their way to work? I mean, why not? If you’re already on your way somewhere, you can simply turn on your Uber notifications and accept and rides from people who happen to be headed in the same direction as you! Plus, with Uber, you can get paid quickly and up to 5 times per day!
18.Get paid to grocery shop
Already hoping to make it to the grocery store? Why not slap on a Shipt t-shirt or get paid with Instacart? Heck, stay at home moms could do this job to fun to get out of the house and make some extra cash.
Again, you are putting in a little work, but if you are already making your way to the grocery store for something, why not make someone else’s day by scooping up their groceries too?
19.Try credit card hacking
Now, if you are someone who struggles with overspending or are in insane amounts of debt, I do not recommend credit card hacking. However, if you know you are trustworthy with money, it might be something worth looking into!
Just by paying your monthly recurring bills on a credit card that gives you points or cash back, you could instantly start getting money for doing nothing more than paying your bills!
20.Ditch wasted memberships
If you dread going to the gym, why not ditch the useless membership for a 20 minute walk outdoors every day? Of course, you might have other wasted memberships besides the gym. Take the time to look into where your money is going each month and cancel anything that is not getting it’s use!
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