This time of year, I think we can all agree that we are swiping our cards more than we’d like. I love the holidays, but with there being a celebration every month from October through February, I am spending SO MUCH MONEY.
I’ve been working on getting better at saving and budgeting, but it also doesn’t hurt to find some ways to make extra cash. One of my goals for 2019 is to increase my income, so I am constantly looking for side hustles to make more money. While making more money is important it’s also equally important for me to make money doing something that’s fun! Making money shouldn’t & doesn’t have to be boring.
If you’re looking for ways to make your wallet a little thicker this year too, then keep reading & bookmark this post! I’m going to share with you guys 10 of my favorite side hustles that have brought me great results!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more information.
JOIN FOCUS GROUPS
This is my absolute favorite & most consistent side hustle! This month I’ve already made $315 from participating in focus groups. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with focus groups, it’s when companies will PAY YOU to provide your insight and honest feedback on a specific topic, product, or service. Some focus groups I’ve been a part of have been on topics like cars, social media, diapers, and food. They are easy & so much fun! Recently, I participated in an in-home focus group. This is where they come to you – so you don’t even have to leave your house. I made $150 just to answer some questions & give them a tour of my Christmas decor! It doesn’t get much better than that!
I talk a lot about how to participate in focus groups in a previous blog post. You can read it HERE.
The companies I work with regularly are Fieldwork, Focus Pointe Global, and Schlesinger Associates.
START A BLOG
You can make money from blogging? Say whaaattt? Sounds weird, but it’s true! If you enjoy writing and connecting with people this side hustle is for you! There are so many different ways having a blog can help bring you extra income: ads, affiliate links, sponsored posts, hosting events, selling services/products… the list is endless. Blogging has been one of the best things that happened to me. I get to make money while doing something that I LOVE.
If you’ve thought about blogging but don’t know where to begin, check out my 10 step guide on how to start a blog!
BECOME A MYSTERY SHOPPER
This is another fun one! Mystery shopping is when a company PAYS YOU to act like a regular customer & provide feedback on your experience. I’ve mystery shopped at restaurants, retail stores, auto repair shops, & even a golf course. Sometimes, the mystery shop will just be over the phone & you don’t even have to go anywhere! Not only will the company pay you for your time; they will also reimburse you for any expenses you have while “shopping.”
For example, one mystery shop I did was at a local restaurant where I had to order an alcoholic drink. My task was to make sure the bartender checked my ID. I got paid $25 for my time & they paid me back for my drink. I even got to bring a friend with me & the company reimbursed the cost of her drink as well. Who doesn’t want to get paid to drink, right?!
The companies I’ve worked with the most are Bestmark and Mercantile Systems.
Some information has been removed due to my privacy (& I am unable to disclose when & where I mystery shopped) but here’s one of my most recent pay statements from Mercantile Systems!
DOWNLOAD DOSH
I absolutely love this app! There are two ways you can make money. Once you download the app on your phone, you connect your debit or credit card & let the app do the rest of the work! Every time you make a purchase from a qualifying store or restaurant (could be online or in person) Dosh will give you cash back. I’ve literally made money filling up my gas tank, ordering pizza, & even for entry into a nightclub. ANDDD get this… whenever you refer a friend to the app & they link a card you get $5!
Download the app HERE, link your card, tell your friends & get paid. It’s that easy!
*If you’re reading this before 12/31/18, Dosh is running a promotion where you will get $10 for each friend who signs up!*
DOWNLOAD IBOTTA
If you grocery shop, you NEED to have this on your phone! This app makes it so quick & easy to make extra money. Ibotta is a rebate app where you can get cash back for purchasing things you were already going to purchase anyways. They offer cash back on things like bread, milk, ketchup, cereals… even wine!! Rebates range anywhere from .25 to $5! All you do is select the items you bought or plan on buying the next time you are at the store, upload your receipt for proof of purchase, & Ibotta PAYS YOU! Sooo simple.
I’ve racked up a good bit of money doing this over the years & let me tell you it is life changing! You can sign up for Ibotta HERE, then make sure you download it on your phone for easy access.
Here is a recent payment from Ibotta – straight into my PayPal account!
SELL CLOTHES YOU NO LONGER WEAR
It’s amazing how much money you can scrape up from selling clothes that you no longer wear or maybe that the kids have grown out of. Every season I gather all the kid’s clothes from last year’s season, I take them to a local consignment store and they give me cash for them. This winter alone I’ve made $200 from this! Sometimes they don’t take everything, but whatever they don’t buy I always donate. Extra cash & serving the community at the same time.
My favorite stores to resell my kid’s clothes are Kid to Kid and Once Upon A Child. If I’m selling my own clothes I usually go to Uptown Cheapskate.
SELL YOUR UNWANTED STUFF
Remember all that useless stuff you’ve had hidden in your basement, storage closet, and attic for FOREVER now? That’s money! Sort through it, take pictures, and post them for sale! There are so many different apps and websites you can sell stuff on now it doesn’t even make sense. I’ve had the best luck using the local Facebook garage sale groups, Offer Up, and Letgo. I’ve even used eBay a couple times! You’ll be surprised at how much stuff you have lying around your house that you don’t use or need. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
And if you really want to turn this into a side hustle, start a business selling other people’s stuff for them! A lot of people have junk they want to get rid of but are just too busy to actually get it done. That’s where you come in! Offer to sell it for them for a commission. I’ve done this for numerous people & the money can really add up! I typically like to ask for a 10%-15% commission.
LOOK UP CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENTS
Class action settlements are basically when a group of people, who’ve had a negative experience using a product or service, file a lawsuit against a company. The lawsuit is usually filed because a significant amount of people witnessed something illegal that the company did/said or they purchased something that was harmful or had negative side effects. This is a great way to earn some extra cash because there are literally so many of these lawsuits out there! Most recently, I participated in one against Aveeno because they deceptively described their products as being all natural but come to find out… they were actually using synthetic ingredients. Both of my kids use Aveeno products regularly so I qualified for this settlement! I filed a claim & I received a check in the mail & deposited it right into my bank account.
I use Top Class Action to find out about settlements because they make it super easy to file claims on their website. BUT I will say, sometimes it can take a few months before you receive your check so be patient!
BECOME A BRAND AMBASSADOR (AKA PROMOTIONAL MARKETING)
If you have a friendly & outgoing personality than becoming a brand ambassador might be the PERFECT side hustle for you! As a brand ambassador, you are hired to be the face/voice of a specific brand. Your job is to promote their products, engage with current and potential customers, and increase the company’s brand awareness. For the most part, you will be working events, giving out free samples or swag, and just talking to people about the brand. This a such a great side hustle because not only can you choose when you want to work, but you also get paid very well. Most companies will pay you anywhere from $20-30/hour.
If you’re interested in becoming a brand ambassador, 24 Seven Talent always has tons of openings! You can also find opportunities on Facebook! Just type in “Brand Ambassador in (your city)” in the search bar – a few groups should pop up where people post about opportunities specific to your area.
JOIN A MLM Company
An MLM (multi-level marketing) company is where a company pays you a commission everytime you sell their products. The more you sell the higher your commission AND if you recruit other people to sell their products with you, you can make a commission off their sales as well. Most likely, you know someone who is apart of an MLM because you’ve seen them posting about it on social media. A lot of people think MLM companies are scams… but they aren’t. A little over a year ago, I joined Younique (a cosmetics MLM) and I made pretty good money. The only reason I stopped selling was because life got super busy and I no longer had the time to put into it. But as long as you believe in the product you are selling, can dedicate the time, AND are active on social media it can be an awesome side hustle. I personally know a ton of people who make a full-time income from it!
Before joining an MLM, ask yourself this one question: would I still buy this product even if I wasn’t selling it? If the answer is yes, GO FOR IT! If your answer is no, DON’T DO IT. I don’t sell Younique anymore but guess what? I still buy their products! In order to be successful in this industry, you have to TRUST & BELIEVE in what you are selling. If you don’t your customers will sense that & you will fail every time.
Hopefully, some of these ideas will help get you started on your side hustle journey! If you know of any awesome and fun side hustles that I missed let me know in the comments! I’m always looking for new ways to earn some extra moola so I would love to hear from you guys.
I plan on sharing lots of money making & saving tip this upcoming year so be sure to subscribe to be the first to know when new blog posts are published! 🙂
I always forget about class action settlements! Good idea!
Great information! I am always looking for side hustles & I have not tried a focus group. I am going to check those out 🙂 Thanks!
Great tips! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing detailed, personally experiences and verified company names. I’ve already signed up for many of them!