Nowadays, almost everyone is feeling the pinch. We live in an expensive world, after all, which, unfortunately, isn’t going to get cheaper anytime soon. In fact, things will more than likely become even more pricey. Although there are ways to trim your expenses and save some money, these frugal behaviours are only going to help you for so long. Eventually, there won’t be any more costs to cut down. Because of this, it’s vital that you start looking for ways to make extra money too. Thankfully, there are plenty to choose from, many of which you can do from the comfort of your own home. With that in mind, here are thirteen ways to make money without leaving the house.
- Change Your Bank Account
Although it sounds too good to be true, some banks genuinely pay you for opening a new savings or checking account with them. Many will also pay a friend or family member if they shared the deal with you in the first place. These promotions frequently change, with different banks offering different rewards, so, if you haven’t already been given a tip, it makes sense to do a quick online search. This way, you can compare the bonuses offered by each of the establishments. Changing your account might also give you a better interest rate, making your money go further.
- Shop With Rewards Cards
Even when you’re trying to cut costs, there will be certain purchases that you need or want to make. Rather than pay for these items on your debit card, you might want to sign up for a rewards credit card. These cards offer cashback on every purchase, which you can usually put towards a gift card of some kind. You just need to make sure that you make the credit card repayments each month. You don’t want to put yourself in debt, after all. You can also sign up for loyalty cards at most stores, which let you collect points that you can exchange for money off.
- List The Spare Room
Having a spare room in your house is a privilege that few people know. These spaces can be used for a variety of purposes, from home gyms and offices to games rooms and dens. Some people also turn their spare room into a guest bedroom. If this is how your space is set up, then you might want to list it online. You’re not going to have guests over all the time, so, when the room is free, you could rent it out to anyone that needs it. If you live in a popular tourist spot or a big city, you should have no problem finding temporary roommates on listing sites, like Airbnb.
- Host A Yard Sale
We all have stuff in our house that we don’t really want or need. For some of us it’s the gym equipment we bought for a failed New Year’s resolution and for others it’s the toys and clothes that our little ones grew out of long ago. Nothing good will come from keeping this clutter in your house. Getting rid of it, on the other hand, could put some money in your pocket. Because of this, you may want to try hosting a yard sale outside your house. Alternatively, you could list those items online, either individually or as a group, and post them to whoever buys them.
- Rent Out Your Stuff
Selling your belongings is a permanent solution, which gives a single boost of cash. Renting them out, however, allows you to keep making money for months or years to come. If you have anything that you need at home, but don’t use all the time, like power tools or camping equipment, then you could allow people to rent them from you. There are many people that would much rather do that than buy those things themselves. There are lots of websites that allow you to do this or you could list your items privately in newspapers and on social media.
- Go Back To School
Having a degree won’t make you money immediately, but it does give you the tools to secure a higher paid job. For this reason, you should consider going back to school. If you don’t have the time to be on campus every day, then there are many online courses that you could try. You could even attend midwifery school online, only heading to campus now and then. Depending on your circumstances, attending school might make you eligible for certain scholarships and grants too, which would give you extra cash to play with once you’ve spent what you need.
- Pay Off Your Debts
Like getting a degree, paying off your debts is no get-rich-quick scheme. However, once your debts are cleared, you’ll have fewer bills to pay each month, leaving you with a lot more money. Reducing your debts won’t always be easy, but it is necessary to improve your financial health. The first step in this undertaking is going through all of your bills and working out exactly how much you owe and who you owe it to. Once you’ve done this, you can decide which debts to tackle first. Making extra money and cutting costs around the house will make this much easier.
- Sell What You Create
There are always people on the lookout for handmade crafts. These individuals love one-of-a-kind items, which means that, if you have any sort of crafty hobby, you could build up your own little business. Painting, knitting, photography, and even origami all result in beautiful products that many are more than willing to pay for. Rather than keep everything that you create, you should start your own online shop. There are many sites that allow you to do this, including Etsy and eBay. You could also upload your photographs to a stock image site, like Shutterstock.
- Teach Your Skills Online
Everyone has a skill that they could potentially teach to someone else. You might play an instrument, for example, or know how to speak another language. Some people are also very knowledgeable about plumbing, gardening, and mathematics. Whatever it is that you are an expert in, you may want to share your knowledge with others. There are many ways that you could go about this, such as tutoring over Skype, uploading YouTube videos, or creating presentations. You might also want to start your own blog or write a book about your skill.
- Start Your Own Blog
Blogging used to be a hobby at best, but, these days, people have turned their passion for writing into a small business. You can easily create your own website, often very cheaply, and write about almost anything that you like. Common topics include parenting, travel, and personal finance, but if you have a love of something else, then write about that instead. You can be sure that someone out there will want to read whatever it is that you write. Building up a loyal following can be tricky, but you’ll find the process goes much quicker if you upload on a regular schedule.
- Take Care Of Children
Children are silly creatures at the best of times, so looking after kids can be a fun and rewarding experience. If you’re a parent yourself, then offering your childcare services to others will take very little effort. After all, you need to feed, clean, and tidy up after your own little ones anyway. Start by offering to babysit your own friends and family’s children.
- Look After People’s Pets
Not everyone is a fan of children. If you’re of that mind, then you might enjoy taking care of animals instead. Most people these days see their dogs, cats, and rabbits as members of the family. This means that, when they go away, they don’t usually like to put their pets in kennels, as they aren’t given very much attention. Becoming a pet sitter means that these animal parents would be more likely to leave their furry friends with you, especially if you vowed to play and exercise the animals for specific lengths of time each day.
- Share How You Feel
Businesses will often gladly pay for your opinions. When new products, services, or websites are launched, these companies need feedback from regular people to make changes and improvements. You could offer this feedback through online surveys, reviews, and more. Sometimes these businesses will pay you in gift cards, rather than cash, but, as long as it’s a gift card that you can use, it still works out well for you. Just be aware that not all survey sites are legitimate, so always do your research on companies before providing any personal details.
Cutting costs can only get you so far. If you want to make big improvements to your financial health, then start making extra money too.
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