5 Easy Ways to Make Some Cash
It can be hard to make ends meet, especially in the present COVID-19 job market. Thankfully, there are some easy ways to make some money to get through the month.
And now that we are in the 21st century and have the most helpful tool created by man at our fingertips, the internet, finding these additional sources of money has never been easier!
Plus, after we go over these valuable tips and tricks on how to make an extra penny, we’ll share with you why Connect - our 100% free service- can help you make the most out of that hard-earned cash.
Host a virtual garage sale
It can be hard to give up the things that are near and dear to you, but if you are hard on cash, it might be time to clean out your closet.
Items like clothes, jewelry, and electronics are always easy to sell - and with a large number of websites and apps built to help you offload your items, the job has never been easier.
And when we mean apps, we mean to get on your phone and download an app. No eBay. No complicated bidding website. Just put up a price and picture and wait for a buyer.
Some of the better electronic markets out there are Postmark, TheRealReal, and Mercari. Be aware that although these services are easily available, they normally take a commission for using their platforms.
Cash in on your expertise
Although you may be thinking, “this sounds like a job,” it’s not. There are tons of websites online that can help turn your hobby into an easy way to make some dough.
Do you enjoy building furniture? Then go to TaskRabbit and find people who want you to assemble the new desk they bought from IKEA.
Like to write? Go to Upwork and find companies that want some of your original freelance work.
How about taking pictures? Just go to SmugMug and find people who want to buy a photograph of your cute dog.
I can keep listing these all day, but for your sake, I won’t. Just know that whatever you like to do in your free time can probably put a little extra cash in your pocket.
Shop and earn money in the process
With COVID-19 keeping everyone cooped up in their houses, it’s no longer an option not to use online stores.
More than a quarter of the world used e-commerce websites to purchase at least something this year already. That’s almost double the number of online shoppers than in 2014!
Unfortunately, many of the best e-commerce websites are overlooked simply because they don’t start with A- and end with -mazon. One such website is Rakuten which gives you a little money back on each purchase you make.
Rated as one of the top e-commerce websites, they accomplish this impressive feat by sharing some of the commission they get from big box stores like BestBuy and JCPenney with you.
So, before you immediately think about going to Amazon, take a look at websites like Rakuten and get a little extra money on the side
Rent out your car or some extra space
Both of these options have some additional risk but can easily make you the most money.
Sites like Turo and HyreCar were built to make it easy for anyone to rent their car. Just list your vehicle on their website, and interested drivers in the area can come and rent it out.
If you are more interested in renting out that extra space you have in your apartment, then you should simply go to Airbnb. They are easily the most popular online hospitality service on the market.
As an added benefit to both of these services, your car or living space will be under an additional insurance plan provided by the developer while it’s being rented.
Just note that this insurance does come at a cost, so be sure you understand the cost-benefit of using any of these services.
Give some money to someone else
This might sound contradictory to the whole idea of putting more money in your pocket, but peer-to-peer lending is a great way to make the most out of any extra money you might have on hand.
Peer-to-peer lending networks such as Prosper, Peerform, and Upstart allow you to be a banker of sorts. By putting in just a tiny amount of cash towards someone’s loan ($25 is usually the minimum), you can get your money back with a little extra.
This method is a little complicated, so be sure to do a little research before you start throwing money at people.
How to Manage These Extra Income Sources
So now that you have all these additional sources of income, how are you going to manage them?
The easy answer is to use personal finance software. Finance management products are easily the best way to budget, save, and keep track of the money you make every month.
That’s why we at Connect have developed an easy and 100% free online banking product that can help you keep track of your income sources.
Simply go to our website at Connect.com, create an account, and you can gain access to one of the best money management tools available in minutes! Plus, as an added benefit, we also provide you with a free alternative credit score.
An alternative credit score is similar to a credit score but is built from data based on payment of everyday expenses such as phone, utility bills and, subscription services.
These factors - which are overlooked in traditional scoring methods - are being used more and more to determine how financially savvy you are with paying loans and saving money.
So, before you begin raking in that extra cash, be sure you can make the most out of it and sign up for Connect today!