We could all use some extra cash in our pocket, but it is not like anyone has time to get a second job or the resources to start a business. Most of the time we are left wondering, is there anything simple and easy I can do to put a few extra bucks in my wallet when I get home from work? Well, there is! We have put together the top 6 ways you can make some easy money on the side.
1. Drive In Your Free Time: Uber, Lyft
Nowadays the easiest way to make money is to work for a driving service on a side. We are sure you have heard of the big names out there such as Uber and Lyft , but have you heard how easy it is?
Simply pass a background check and get your car inspected to begin driving. Don’t have a car? No problem either! You can actually rent a car through Uber or Lyft , maintenance and insurance included, any time you want!
The best thing about these services is that you set your own hours. Want to drive all day and make hundreds of dollars, just get in the car and start! Want to drive for a couple hours after work and put a few extra dollars in your pocket? Just get in the car!
Thinking about checking it out? Both services offer bonuses and incentives for signing up. Click the links to learn more!
2. Deliver In Your Free Time: Postmates, Uber Eats, DoorDash
One of the biggest reasons why people DON’T want to drive Uber or Lyft on the side is because they don’t want strangers in their car. No problem! Uber Eats, Postmates (acquired by Uber), and DoorDash are all legitimate options to make money on the side delivering things to people’s doors.
These services operate very similar to Uber and Lyft; you set your own hours, start and stop whenever you want, and take home everything you earn. This is a great option for people that want to make some money on the side without the hassle of keeping customers happy.
3. Rent Out Your Unused Stuff: Turo, HyreCar, GetAround, Spinlister, Loanables
Not looking to hop in your car every night? Just rent out your stuff! Nowadays there are options to rent out everything from your car to your clothes.
If you have enough downtime where you don’t need your car, you can use sites like Turo to list your car for others to rent. Turo allows you to list your car for free, respond to requests from people to rent it out, and meet the guest to hand over the keys. They even have a Carculator to let you see how much you can make! HyreCar and GetAround are 2 alternatives that operate similar to Turo.
For anything and EVERYTHING else, check out Loanables. These sites will allow you to list just about anything to rent out. We have seen listings for clothing, musical instruments, party venues, and even a snowball machine!
4. Take pictures of the stuff you’ve already bought: Nielson, Fetch Rewards
There are many institutions that want to measure what consumers buy and are willing to pay to collect that data. What this means for you is that you can get paid just for sharing that gallon of milk you already bought at the store.
Nielson is a global measurement and data analytics company that seeks to give a complete view of consumer and market data worldwide. One of the ways they make this possible is by offering consumer panels. They will pay panelists (such as you!) to take inventory of what they have bought through scanners on their phones. Check out the link above to see which panels they are offering and how you can start getting paid!
Fetch Rewards is another option to start earning on things you’ve already paid for. Simply download their app, scan your receipts after you’re done shopping and earn points on thousands of products whenever they appear on your list. Redeem your points for hundreds of rewards they have available. Click the link above to check it out for yourself!
5. Don’t Throw Out Your Junk Mail: Small Business Knowledge Center
Small Business Knowledge Center conducts marketing studies with thousands of panelists to learn about trends in direct marketing. As one of these panelists, all you have to do is send in all of that junk mail and promotional email that you would otherwise toss in the trash, and you will earn participation points that you can turn into prepaid Visa debit cards. Simply fill out your panelist profile and start sending in that junk! Don’t worry, all personal information is kept 100% confidential and you will never be solicited for participating.
6. Download an App, Start Collecting Money: Panel App, UpVoice
Did you know there are companies that will actually pay you just to install their app on your phone? Companies such as Nielson and even Google are always looking to collect more data on web usage trends and are paying participants to provide it.
Panel App is an app available for your phone that will give points and rewards for taking location-based surveys as well as just having the app installed. Earn gift cards and even enter to win larger prizes such as an Xbox One or PS4! All shared information is confidential and you can opt-out at anytime.
Do you spend a lot of time on Google Chrome? Install the UpVoice Chrome extension and collect tokens for visiting participating sites that you would be visiting anyways! These sites include Facebook, Amazon, Youtube, and Twitter. New rewards are constantly being added, but currently include e-gift cards to places such as Amazon, AMC, Best Buy, Nike, iTunes, and more!