65+ Ways to Make Extra Money

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Between Andrew (my husband) and I, it seems like one of us is always working! We are busy bees, but we also like to be able to do fun things. Since we’re down to just one income sometimes we have to get creative with ways to make extra money. Here are a few of the things we’ve done over the years, as well as other miscellaneous ideas our friends or family have done that might help you out.

Without further ado, here are our top 65+ ways to make extra money.

1. Mow lawns. I never said all of these jobs would be glamorous! If you like being outside, this might be the perfect gig for you! 
2. Trim trees or help with landscaping. While mowing may not be your thing, some people pay even more to have those bigger yard projects done. Our town has an ordinance where the trees have to be so far above the sidewalk. Few people adhere to it. If I owned a chainsaw, I would go door to door and ask people if I could help them out for a fee. I have a feeling they’d say yes just to get it off their to do list. 
3. Shovel snow. Depending on where you live, you know that white stuff has to get moved by someone! Whether you do this all by hand, with a snowblower, or with larger machinery – charge others for your time. I used to pay $40 each time I needed my 100 foot, double garage driveway cleared out. It was expensive, but so worth the backache I saved! 
   
4. Do the heavy lifting. My husband used to be a lineman for his college football team. He’s a big, strong guy. He gets asked all the time to help lift heavy things. He could definitely charge people if he wanted to (but he generally helps out for free with the idea that what comes around goes around). 
5. Babysit. If you’ve always had a knack for kids, find some local kiddos to babysit. I’ve seen many moms ask for help in Facebook groups and even directly on their Facebook page for nights and weekends, and sometimes even when they go on vacation. 
6. Do in home care. Many kids aren’t your thing. No problem! There are many elderly and handicapped individuals who may need some help on a regular basis. See if there’s a local company that you can work for part-time, or ask around to get hired individually. 
7. Keep your eyes out for random side jobs. My mom has helped picked grapes at a winery. Hubs and I both used to help pick rock growing up. Local kids can often be seen raking leaves in the fall. There are lots of jobs out there, you just have to keep your eyes and ears open to them. 
8. Create something. If you’re naturally crafty, create things for people. Maybe you’re good at knitting or crocheting. Sell your hats or scarves for others.
9. Open an Etsy shop.  If you’re really crafty and have the time, open an Etsy shop! People will pay good money for homemade items, so put your skills to use beyond your typical family and friend market. 
10. Sell greeting cards. One friend of mine makes the most gorgeous greeting cards out of paper and charges $5 for each one. My grandma does more basic cards, and she still gets $2 per card. Those who want to give someone homemade but don’t have the time to make it, a few bucks for a card is a great idea.
11. Make scrapbook photo albums. Many people love the way a finished scrapbook looks, but they don’t have the time or knowledge of how to make one. I know people that make $100 per scrapbook. Just track your hours and the supplies used so you know you’re getting your moneys worth. 
12. Become a Virtual Assistant. There are so many jobs a VA can do these days. Post on social media for people, help write blog posts, or simply link up blogs to linky parties. That’s just a few ideas! If you are good with technology or writing skills, you can be a VA. I recommend getting started here.  
13. Umpire or referee sporting events. If you know much about sports, it isn’t too tough to get certified to ump or ref. Yes, you need to actually be certified for most varsity or college games, but often middle school games or junior varsity just need anyone with some basic knowledge. Call the local school or gym to see if they need people. 
14. Teacher drivers’ education. If you’re already a teacher, consider getting your drivers’ ed endorsement. Andrew has made thousands each summer he does this. One year he paid off his credit cards and his car, and the next he more than paid for our wedding. Maybe I should talk him into teaching again this summer! 😉
15. Sell on Teachers Pay Teachers. As with the point above, if you are already a teacher who creates lesson plans, games, or activities on your classroom – sell them to other teachers! Create an account, learn some basics, and get started! You’re not going to get rich quick, but it’s a nice little chunk of change after awhile. 
16. Sell your graphics or pictures. The Teachers Pay Teachers link above is a great way for graphic design people to sell their digital clipart. There are even some who sell their original graphics right on the website. While there is a fair amount of competition, if you have unique, kid-friendly images and designs you can do well. 
17. Drive a bus. If you have your CDL (or want to get it), consider adding your passenger endorsement so you can drive bus for local schools or a bus company. You often get into games for free, and many times the bus driver gets to eat for free if the team stops somewhere after their event. 
18. Drive for others. You don’t need a CDL to drive for others. I know many people who are willing to pay for a ride to the next town or to the doctor. Our local school even pays one person to drive a student to the next town. The school also pays someone to drive the lunch van to another location each day. The local pharmacy pays someone to bring the prescriptions each day. How cool is that? That lady gets paid for driving to and from work each day!
19. Rent your car. If you don’t need your car, let others rent it from you for a day, week, or longer at a time. (Just make sure to check into how that works with your car insurance company. Do they need their own coverage in case something would happen?) 
20. Coach a sport. Good with kids? Love sports? Then consider coaching. Our area is always in need of good coaches. Call your local school or youth center to see what they might need. 
21. Teach a class. I teach continuing education classes for teaches online. In the past I’ve taught students in Asia via Skype. (Here’s a link to the company if you’re interested. You do not have to be a certified teacher.) If you’re good at painting, host a painting class for others. If you can bake, invite some people over to your kitchen to show off your skills. Find what you’re good at and teach it. Many people are willing to pay for knowledge. 
22. Tutor others. If you’re good at a particular subjects – say math or chemistry – you might be able to make great money tutoring high school students at night. But there are even adults who will pay good money to help improve their English skills or pass the GED. 
23. Substitute teach. If you primarily work nights or evenings and have a clean background check, you may be able to substitute teach. Call the local school to see what the requirements are. Our local school is always looking for good subs. Some people are able to keep busy 4-5 days of the week. 
24. Give music lessons. If you’ve always had a good singing voice or could play an instrument well, give lessons to those who want to learn more. 
25. Work at a local carnival, rally, or event. There are often many local events that take place every year, and they are looking for temp help. Andrew and I both worked at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally for a summer. It was about a two week gig where we each brought in about $1500 in that time frame. Not a bad way to make a few extra bucks while people watching and having a great time as well! (I really need to look into doing this again!)
26. Find other temp jobs. You don’t have to just thin of local events to find a temp job. Many people need temps year round! Is someone going on maternity leave? Are people struggling to keep up with their daily lives, so they are hiring help? Scour the classified ads online and in the paper to see what you might be able to pick up temporarily. 
27. Talk to family and friends. Put it out there on Facebook and by word of mouth that you’re looking for odd jobs. When we’ve done this in the past, we’ve helped build fences, picked rock, knocked down old farm buildings, and more. Many times our dearest friends and family would rather pay someone they know instead of a random stranger. Let them know you’re in the market!
28. Help a farmer. Farmers have a LOT going on! Many times they could use an extra hand. Andrew has been paid good money helping in the tractor. I’ve spend years helping my dad with the horses. You might be working on farm equipment, building new fences, tearing down old buildings, or helping with livestock. It’s hard to tell, but it’s something I thoroughly enjoy! 🙂
29. Watch livestock. Many farmers like to sneak away once in awhile for a vacation and they need someone to watch the livestock for them. Whether it’s just checking everything over, feeding once or twice a day, or actually having to operate the heavy machinery – you might be just the person for the job!
30. Walk dogs. If livestock isn’t your thing (or you live in a city or town), you might just want to walk dogs. It’ll get you some exercise, and the owner won’t feel guilty for leaving their furry loved one when they go to work each day. 
31. Train animals. If you have a knack for training animals, put it to good use. You can teach some basic commands one-on-one with the owner or offer a full class. Or use your specialty skills to create a hunting course for dogs, as an example. 
32. Do landscaping. Andrew used to work for a landscaping company, so he has a natural eye for landscaping. Me? Not so much… If you have an eye for landscaping, help people out. Many people would love to have someone help them draw out their ideal yard. Some might even go as far as having you go pick everything out when they purchase it and help them plant everything. 
33. Paint. I despise painting! And I’m sure I can’t be the only one. Hire that out if you can. Whether it’s a small inside project or a larger, outside one – get paid for your time. Andrew once got a month of rent for free for painting the house he lived in. Bartering at its best!
34. Sew or fix holes in clothing. If you have any type of sewing skills, put them to work! I know there have been times where I’ve been too busy to sew a button back into place for months at a time. If I had been able to pay someone a few bucks to do it for me, I would! My grandma loves helping people out in this way.
35. Iron for others. I know ironing is more or less a lost art anymore, but you just never know who might still want their pants steam pressed daily. Find out. Then charge them to take care of it. 
36. Do others’ laundry. There are companies popping up all over the internet that allow you to work for them doing other people’s laundry. I don’t have any real knowledge if they are reputable, but it got me thinking that I could set up something local. I’ve just never gotten around to it. (particularly since we are doing the whole apartment living thing and I can’t justify that many quarters!)
37. Get rid of your own stuff! It’s amazing how much money we’ve made getting rid of things in our apartment that we don’t use. I’ve listed much of it on the local Facebook page, and some of it I’ve sold on eBay. You can make good money just cleaning out items you no longer need or use. 
38. Sell items on eBay, Craigslist, or Amazon. There are many people who have made great money (and sometimes even a living!) by selling goods on these websites. Do a Google search to learn how. 
39. Sell books. You can often find books in thrift stores or at rummage sales for very little. Turn around and sell them on the websites listed above, or even on half.com 
40. Rent your old textbooks. College students are often looking for ways to save money, so rent them the books you’ve kept around. 
41. Start a blog. I’ve been blogging in one format or another since 2011. There is a lot of free information out there that you can Google or find on Pinterest, but this book really helped me out. 
42. Write. If starting a blog yourself sounds too overwhelming but you love to write, try writing for others. Many companies use ghost writers to help them keep new content going up each day. Or find a local newspaper that needs help. There are many people here in our small town who write the sports columns or cover evening meetings and write up an article for the paper. 
43. Edit. People write things all the time, but many of them know they need a good proofreader. Sell that skill! Check out other people’s resumes, papers, articles, or blog posts for them. 
44. Design websites or blogs. If you have the knowledge, help others set up their blogs and websites. While still in high school, I got my dad started on his first website. He still maintains it to this day thanks to the skills I taught him. If you’re really good with graphic design, there’s great money to be made in creating logos for others to use on the website. You might want to start with a website such as Fiverr.
45. Clean houses. If you don’t mind cleaning, have others hire you to keep their homes clean.
46. Become a part-time custodian. Many businesses and school need evening help getting everything clean and ready for the next day. This would be a step up from cleaning houses, but it might be more regular hours and pay too. 
47. Sell fireworks. Andrew and I both spent one summer selling fireworks. We each had completely different experiences because it was before we met, but he made about $750 in a week, where I made over $1,000 over the course of a summer – most of that coming during the 4th of July week. 
48. Lifeguard. It seems like there are always a shortage of life guards in our area. Look into any possible positions and then get certified if that interests you. 
49. Work at an ice rink. Andrew spent one winter working at the ice rink. He sold hot chocolate, rented out skates, and did some general supervision skills. It was a great college job because he could work on homework if it was slow. 
50. Join a multi-level marketing company. I’ll be the first to admit I used to think these were pyramid scams, but it’s crazy how much money some people can make within these companies! They are people who more than replace their regular income and do this for a living. Or they are others – like me – who simply enjoy the products and like to earn a little side income. If you’re into essential oils, please consider joining me. 
51. Flip houses. I realize not everyone is going to be good at this, but if carpentry and construction are your thing – go for it! My uncle has done this several times, and I know he’s always at least doubled his money. 
52. Be a handyman. My uncle could do this as his full-time job if he wanted to. He’s so great at helping people with their big and small construction projects. He doesn’t even need to advertise due to the quality of his work and word of mouth. (But you might need to in order to get started.) 
53. Create jewelry to sell. If you have an eye for all things sparkly and glittery, then this idea might be for you. I once taught a sixth grader who had an eye for the most beautiful jewelry. She sold it herself to other people, and she even approached a local craft house and they bought some of her line. What a great idea from someone so young!
54. Get a retail job. There are many stores who need part-time, temp help around the holidays or during the summer. Many times they have big notices in the store as soon as you walk in as to what positions are open, and sometimes they even post the pay.
55. Work at a call center. Both Andrew and I worked at call centers in college. They were evening jobs that allowed us to go to classes like normal, so it was the perfect fit at the time! 
56. Sell your photos. There are many different websites that sell stock photos. Most of them pay to get new photos, as long as you give them the rights to sell your work. If you have an eye for photography, this can be a great way to make some extra money. 
57. Take pictures for special events. Many people don’t want to pay a professional for their wedding photos, or that photo shoot of their newborn. If you have an eye for photography and a decent camera, you can help them out. I paid just $400 for a full day of wedding photos taken by two friends. They are just as awesome – if not more so – than the $2,000 worth of photos I would have gotten from the professional. 
58. Be a DJ. It doesn’t take much anymore to set up a basic music display for a local dance. Whether you are the disc jocky for a local junior high dance or your friend’s wedding, it’s just one of the many ways to make extra money. 
59. Run a photo booth. When we were planning for our wedding, we found all sorts of great ideas online for creating a photo booth inexpensively. We just didn’t follow through. If I had found someone who would do the work of setting it up for me, we would have loved to have one! 
60. Make cakes. Speaking of weddings, my sister has started making cakes for all occasions. She’s always loved to bake, so this just made sense for her to continue doing what she already loved! I have another friend who makes cupcakes for birthdays, anniversaries, and every other special event. They both do great work, love what they’re doing, and make some awesome side money!
61. Cook for others. Making cakes or cupcakes not your thing? No problem! There are lots of people who pay to have a decent home-cooked meal. I’ve known plenty of people who make good money cooking for groups of harvesters or hunters each year. If you love to cook and you can get paid to do it – try it out!
62. Rent out your home. Each year my grandma rents out her house to a group of hunters for a week. She gets her Christmas spending money, and they save compared to what they would pay for a big resort or hotel. My parents have also talked about doing this for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Consider what local events you might be able to capitalize on, and go from there. Think about it? You might finally be able to afford that vacation because you just used your house as one of the ways to make extra money! 
63. Rent out a room in your house. Maybe you can’t give up your entire space for a week or more, but I bet you could find a room to rent if your house is big enough. One friend of mine rents out the basement bedroom to a legislator each year when she comes to the capitol. She and her husband make some decent money for almost no work on their part. 
64. House sit. If you don’t have a home of your own, watch others’ homes while they vacation. 
65. Rent your garage. Many homes and apartments don’t have garage space. So if you have space to give up, let others use it for storage or their own vehicle. It’s an easy way to make some extra money each month. 
66. Sell your unused gift cards. See if family or friends will buy that $50 gift card for $40. Or look online for websites that buy them from you. I’ve done this on several occasions with gift cards for places I don’t visit or with ones that were close to expiring. (Just be honest about the expiration date to the person buying it!) 
67. Deliver newspapers. The papers have to get on people’s doorsteps somehow, so why not be the one doing it? Just factor in the cost of gas if you plan on driving. 
68. Become a home decorator. If you have an eye for what goes together, sell that skill! I certainly can’t do it, so I’d be willing to pay to have someone help me out. 
69. Enter contests and giveaways. You can only win if you enter! But keep in mind that you shouldn’t have to pay money to enter any of these. 
70. Recycle cans or other items. There’s money to be made here, although it’s not a lot for the average recycler. 

Phew! There are just a few of the ways myself and those I know have made extra money over the years. What would you add to this list? I’ve love to add more as time goes on.

This post is linked up with Your Modern Family, Worshipful Living, Sincerely Paula