4 Ways to Make Money - wikiHow (2024)

Co-authored byAlex Kwanand Danielle Blinka, MA, MPA

Last Updated: January 31, 2024

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   Offer dog walking or start a pet-sitting business. Caring for pets is a great way to earn extra money without spending anything while also getting some fresh air. Advertise your services online through your local classifieds or on a personal website. As another option, you can create an account with a service like Rover.^[1]

   • Be sure to let clients know what services you offer before they hire you. For instance, you might specify that you will walk dogs, feed and water all pets, and play with pets. However, you might stipulate that you won’t administer medication.
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   Babysit for extra cash if you’re good with children. Talk to people you know to see if they may be in need of a babysitter, and post about your availability as a babysitter on social media often. Additionally, you might create an account on a site like Care.com to attract more clients.^[2]

   • It’s a good idea to get CPR certified if you want to babysit, as this will make you more marketable to clients and will be safer for the kids.

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   Become a tutor if you’re very knowledgeable in a subject. Check online to see how much tutors make in your area. Next, choose a subject that you know well and pick a grade level that you can easily teach. Advertise yourself as a tutor by posting flyers, posting online, and talking to people you know.

   • For instance, if you have a degree in math, then you might offer to tutor students in algebra or trigonometry. If you have a degree in English, you could help students with writing or grammar.
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   Perform landscaping services. Post flyers and hand out business cards to advertise yourself as a local landscaper. Be specific about the jobs you can perform, like mowing lawns, clearing brush, and manicuring plants. If you’re good at gardening, plant flower beds and hedges.

   • Don’t offer any services that you don’t have experience doing. If you disappoint a client, you may lose a lot of business.

   Tip: Ask satisfied clients to tell others about your business. Word of mouth is often the best way to get new clients.

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   Complete errands or tasks for the elderly. Older people often need help with buying groceries, cleaning their home, performing home maintenance, and paying bills. To find clients, contact your local community center or church to find out if anyone needs help. Additionally, you might post an ad in your local classifieds or talk to people you know to find out if they know someone who needs help.

   • For instance, you might spend a few hours each week doing a client’s grocery shopping, cleaning their house, and paying their bills.
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   Find odd jobs online for extra cash. Search sites like Craigslist, Fiverr, and Zaarly daily for gigs that you can do. For instance, you might be able to run errands for people, hand out flyers for events, clean up trash, or take care of small home maintenance projects.^[3]

   • Always be careful when responding to ads on the internet. If a gig sounds too good to be true, it probably is.^[4]

   Variation: You an also use apps to look for tasks you can do for cash. For instance, apps like GigWalk and Task Rabbit help you connect with people looking for someone to do odd jobs for them.

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   Make a website or start a blog. Create a website or blog that focuses on your passion, then post something new every day. Try to offer your readers something they can use so that they keep coming back. To generate revenue, post ads on your site, include paid content, or sell subscriptions that allow access to more content.^[5]

   • It often takes awhile to make money from a website or blog, and it’s very competitive. However, it’s possible to earn money this way.

   Variation: Depending on the subject of your website or blog, you might try selling affiliate items to make extra cash. This involves linking to items on sites like Amazon or other retailers. If your readers click on the items and make a purchase, you’ll earn money.

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   Become a freelancer in an area where you have expertise. If you have a skill that’s in demand, you can sell your services directly to clients who need them. Advertise your services on a personal website and look for freelancing jobs on sites like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fivrr. Additionally, hand out business cards and encourage happy clients to tell others about your work. Here are some ways you can earn money as a freelancer:^[6]

   • Do programming or coding.
   • Design websites.
   • Do graphic design.
   • Write.
   • Edit or proofread.
   • Become a consultant if you have expertise.
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   Complete online surveys for extra cash or gift cards. Online surveys don’t pay much, but they can help you earn money in your spare time. If you do a lot of surveys, you can get cash rewards. However, don’t pay to sign up with a survey company, as a legit website won’t charge you. Here are some survey sites to try:

   • Global Test Market
   • Survey Junkie
   • User Testing
   • Mind Field Online

   Tip: You may want to create a dedicated email account for doing online surveys, as you’ll likely receive a lot of marketing emails once you start doing surveys.

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   Sell items you aren’t using any more. Your old tools, clothes, DVDs, CDs, video games, records, books, and household items could be worth a few bucks to someone else. Host a yard sale, take your items to a local resale shop, or post the items for sale online.

   • Resale shops often focus on a particular item, such as clothing, books, or video games. Search online for a shop in your area.
   • If you want to sell your items online, try Ebay or Amazon. As another option, sell your items locally through Craigslist or your local classifieds.

   

   Find opportunities in your community. "Reading this article made me realize there were money-making opportunities right in my neighborhood that I'd never considered before. I put up some flyers offering dog walking services and was really excited when people started calling me for help. Now, I earn cash doing something fun that fits my schedule. The tips on marketing gave me the confidence to put myself out there." - Ciobotaru Al.

   Enhance your skills for profit. "I've always been pretty good at math, so I liked the suggestions about tutoring. I updated my website to show I offer algebra and geometry lessons. I wasn't sure anyone would be interested, but I also put up flyers at the library and school. It was awesome when students started signing up — and their friends and siblings, too! Now, I have a steady stream of work that I find rewarding." - Andrea V.

   Turn trash into treasure. "I used to just donate all my old stuff, but this article opened my eyes to how you can resell things online. I started checking out thrift shops more carefully and even scanning books with my phone to see their value! With some patience and luck, I've been able to sell enough on eBay to make some nice extra spending money each month. It takes time, but it's worth it." - Carlos L.

   Find your creative niche. "I've always enjoyed making beaded bracelets but considered it just a hobby until I read this. The article gave me a push to open an Etsy shop and take my jewelry more seriously. I spent time getting appealing photos and pricing things reasonably. It's been so exciting to get my first sales! I love that I can earn money doing something creative that I'm passionate about in my free time." - Deb B.

   We want to hear from you! Advice from our readers makes our articles better. If you have a story you’d like to share, tell us here.

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   Flip clothes and accessories from thrift stores or yard sales in online auctions. Look for clothes and accessories that are in good condition, especially items from popular brands. Post your items for sale online through sites like Ebay, Etsy, and Depop. Price them so that you’ll make a profit, even after you pay for shipping.

   • It may take time for your items to sell, so be patient.
   • When you first get started, look up the items you plan to resell to get an idea for how much they go for. Then, add in estimated shipping costs, which you can find by visiting your local postal service website. That way, you don’t accidentally pay too much for the items.
   • It’s helpful to stick to items you know about. For instance, look for items from stores you know, or pick up brands that are easy to recognize. Similarly, you might focus your efforts on products you have some expertise in, like vintage video games or designer purses.

   Variation: As another option, you might resell clearance items from popular stores. If you combine sale prices with coupons or store loyalty points, you might get great deals that allow you to make a profit by reselling these new items online.

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   Hunt for under-priced used books that you can sell online. Download an app that reads ISBN numbers so you can scan the barcodes on books. This will pull up the book’s current price on Amazon so you can see if it’s worth trying to resell it. Then, visit used book stores, thrift stores, and garage sales to look for high value books. Post the books for sale online using sites like Amazon or Ebay.^[7]

   • You will likely need to scan a lot of books before you find one that’s worth reselling, so persistence is key.
   • It’s best to keep a low profile as you do this.
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   Try flipping houses if you have experience with making home repairs. As you may know from watching popular home improvement shows, flipping homes involves buying up a lower valued property that needs work, and then fixing it up for resell. To get started, you’ll need to have financing either through a bank a partner. Then, you can buy a property that’s priced below market value. After you renovate the property, you may be able to sell it for a profit.^[8]

   • Flipping houses may look glamorous on TV, but it’s actually really difficult, dirty work. If you don’t have experience in doing home repairs, then it’s probably not a good idea for you to try flipping houses.

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   Sell handmade crafts or jewelry through an online shop or at local events. Use your crafting skills to create products that you can sell. Then, open up an online shop through a site like Etsy. To increase your sales, set up a booth at local events, festivals, and gatherings to sell your products.^[9]

   • Some events require you to pay a vendor fee to sale your items, so always inquire about cost before agreeing to have a booth.

   Tip: When you price your items, be sure to add in the cost of materials. Additionally, track how long you spend on your items so you know roughly how much you’re making per hour.

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   Become a freelance photographer and sell photos online. If you have a nice DSLR camera and take good photos, do photography sessions or take photos of events, like parties and weddings. As another option, create fine art photos that people may want to hang on their walls, or take stock photos to sell online on sites like iStock Photo, Shutterstock, or Alamy.^[10]

   • Before people will hire you as a photographer, you’ll need to build a portfolio of your work. To get these photos, you might volunteer your services for free at a few events before you start charging people.
   • If you take artistic or stock photos of people, make sure you get a signed consent form from them before you post the photos for sale.
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   Refinish old furniture from thrift stores, yard sales, or online ads. Sand down the furniture to smooth out the surfaces and buff off some of the old paint or stain. If you want to restain it, use a lacquer or paint thinner to remove the stain. Then, re-stain the piece. If you plan to repaint it, apply a primer and let it dry. Next, apply at least 2 coats of paint, letting each coat dry for at least 24 hours. If necessary, add new hardware to finish the piece.^[11]

   • Sell your refurbished pieces on your local classifieds, like Craigslist. As another alternative, you can offer them for sale on handmade sites like Etsy.

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