13 Ways To Earn More Money Right Now

No matter your circumstances, there are plenty of ways to earn more money.

You can even boost your income without making a huge life change. Whether you ask for a raise, change jobs, add a side hustle to your routine, or something else, you can boost your earnings to fight inflation, put more money in your bank account, and achieve your goals.

Keep reading to learn some of the best ways to bring in more cash, and don’t be afraid to try many different options to maximize your earnings.

13 ways to increase your income

Here are 13 ways I’ve found to increase your income. Not every method will work for every situation. See which approach works best for you and start your journey to make extra money.

1. Ask for a raise

I suggest starting with what you have first, which, in this case, may mean your job. What do you have to lose if you can work the same hours and make more money? However, there’s a catch. Don’t just throw the idea at your boss when it comes to mind. You must prepare.

Action to take: Before talking to your boss, take stock of what you’ve accomplished at this company. Can you share data to show your worth, such as how much sales have increased or how much money you’ve saved the company? Did you recently complete a major project and have results to share from it? Try to find ways you’ve stood out from others and quantify them.

2. Look for a better-paying job

If you’ve maxed out your earnings at your current job, it may be time to find a better-paying role. But remember, there’s more to your job than the salary. Consider the commute and its costs, such as tolls and parking, company culture, and benefits. For example, I had a job five miles from my house and didn’t have to pay for parking. My employer also covered my insurance costs, so when I looked for a new job, I wanted the same benefits or a new salary to compensate for the financial perks I would lose by leaving my current job.

Action to take: Don’t take a new job at face value; you can negotiate the salary and benefits to ensure they fit your goals and needs. When looking at jobs, do your best to determine the salary range and benefits. If they are much worse than what you have, reconsider applying. But if the salary and benefits are worth it, try negotiating to maximize your earnings. You may even find that your current job will counter-offer with more money if you leverage another offer.

3. Pick up freelance gigs

If you’re good at what you do, consider freelancing on the side to earn more money without a job change. This means you may use the same skills you use at your current job but pick up clients on the side, bringing in more income as your schedule allows. There are so many freelancing gigs to choose from. You could be a freelance writer, designer, social media manager, virtual assistant, accountant, or consultant. You could also pick up gigs for things you’ve always wanted to try and never made a career out of.

Action to take: Take inventory of your skills and determine what you want to do. For example, do you want to capitalize on the skills you already have or do something new? When I was on this journey, I knew I wanted to do something other than my full-time job. I have always had a passion for writing, but I have worked in the finance industry. I was able to combine my passion and skills to become a freelance writer.

4. Drive for a ridesharing app

If you have free time and a car you like, consider driving for a ridesharing app to increase your income. Uber and Lyft are easy to sign up for if you have a valid driver’s license, a four-door vehicle, and can pass a background check.

I like rideshare apps as a side gig because the timing is flexible — you can work whenever you want without committing to a set schedule. If you’re available, you turn the app on and accept rides as they come. You don’t have to accept every ride, but the less downtime you have, the higher your potential hourly rate.

Action to take: If you decide to drive for Uber or Lyft, determine which one has the higher demand in your area. Then, download the app and sign up for an account. Follow the prompts to get approved, and you can immediately begin accepting rides after approval.

5. Walk dogs or pet sit

Walking dogs or pet sitting is another favorite side hustle of mine because it doesn’t feel like work. You get paid to play with or care for dogs, cats, and other critters, and you can do it whenever you like. Like most freelance gigs, you determine the services you’ll offer, what you’ll charge, and when you’re available. For example, do you want only to walk dogs, or will you pet-sit them at your or the owner’s house?

Action to take: Decide what services you want to offer and then advertise to your friends and family or set up an account with Rover to reach a larger audience. Rover usually takes a 20% fee out of your earnings, but the platform is solely for pet-sitting and can help you save time finding gigs and organizing your jobs. Owners also get reassurance that sitters are trustworthy, as you must go through a background check to get approved by Rover.

6. Do handyman tasks

You can turn your skills into a money-making opportunity if you know your way around a toolbox. There’s a market for all handyman services, such as hanging TVs on the wall, replacing flooring, repairing decks, moving furniture, or even cleaning the house. The nice thing about this is you decide how much your time is worth and set your rates and schedule.

Action to take: Make a list of the services you’re capable of and willing to provide and decide how you want to get clients. You can advertise via word-of-mouth or social media or leverage apps like TaskRabbit to advertise your services to more people. TaskRabbit only charges a small fee when you sign up, and then all money earned is yours — they don’t take a commission (instead, they charge customers a service fee).

7. Help run errands

If you aren’t handy around the house but don’t mind running errands around town, consider signing up for apps like Instacart or Postmates. These platforms allow you to shop on other people’s behalf and deliver the orders to their door. I like this earning opportunity because it gets you out of the house while allowing you to make money rather than being stuck at the computer to run a freelance gig.

Action to take: If you want to shop for customers, sign up for Instacart or Doordash. If you prefer to run general errands at a range of retail stores, you’ll probably want to go with Postmates. These platforms aren’t picky about the car you drive if it’s reliable, and you must pass a background check to qualify. If you get approved, you’ll earn a flat fee and keep 100% of tips.

Read our Ultimate Guide to Earning Money as a Shopper with Instacart.

8. Take online surveys

Online surveys are one of my favorite ways to supplement my income. While you won’t earn enough to pay the bills, they are a great filler when you have downtime, especially while waiting for your kids at practice or sitting in a waiting room.

Almost anyone can make money taking surveys, but you must pass individual screeners for each survey you’re invited to participate in to see if you qualify. Finding the platforms with surveys you qualify for takes a little time, but earning a few dollars for 10 to 15 minutes of answering questions may be better than scrolling through social media.

Action to take: I suggest signing up for several survey platforms to cast a wide net. Set up a separate email account to receive notifications about available opportunities. Surveys are usually first-come, first-served, so you want to act quickly, especially on the higher-paying one. Some of my favorite platforms include Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, Branded Surveys, and MyPoints.

9. Rent out your car

If you have a car you don’t use often or at all, consider renting it in a peer-to-peer marketplace where you make money renting out your car. I only suggest this if you use legitimate platforms like Turo or Getaround, both of which offer liability protection should something happen to your vehicle. I like Getaround for its forward-thinking approach that allows renters to unlock your vehicle with an app, so you don’t have to worry about being present for pick-up or drop-off. This is one of the lowest-effort ways to earn money because all you have to do is keep your car in good condition.

Action to take: Determine which app is more popular in your area, Turo or Getaround, and sign up for a host account. If both are available, compare your options. Turo doesn’t charge a monthly membership fee, while Getaround does. Both apps also have a “take fee,” which is a percentage of the rent that they keep to cover administrative expenses.

10. Rent your house or space in your house

If you have the space to share, your house can help increase your income. Sometimes, people aren’t up for hotel rooms with limited or no kitchen space and only one bathroom. With apps like Airbnb, you can rent your home, spare room, or even a sofa bed to paying visitors. This could net you a decent profit, possibly up to $100 a day or more, depending on your home and location.

If you don’t want to open your house to strangers, you can rent empty space for storage. This includes space in your garage, attic, basement, or even parking lot or garage. The Neighbor app helps you list your space in your area.

Action to take: Determine the space you want to rent out, take pictures of it, and write a compelling listing for either Airbnb or Neighbor. Remember that there can be hundreds of similar listings, so determine what makes yours stand out — central location? Modern appliances? Cozy digs? Be sure to check the rates other hosts charge to stay competitive.

11. Use your car to advertise

If you don’t want to rent out your car, consider leasing ad space on it, as companies will pay you to advertise for them. Professionals install the ads without damaging your car. The downside is that you must qualify for the advertisement, which depends on what a brand wants from its drivers, such as a certain number of miles driven or a specific area covered. But according to Wrapify, drivers earn an average of $264 to $452 for a 360-degree car wrap per month. Your earnings will vary depending on your location, how much of your car is covered, and the campaign.

Action to take: After you decide to advertise on your car, it's kind of a waiting game. You can download an app like Wrapify, complete your profile, and then wait for campaigns that become available in your area.

12. Sell your old things

Old-but-working electronics, books, furniture, and anything else you need to offload can be exchanged for cash. You can use apps like OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, or eBay, depending on what you have to sell. If you have a lot of stuff and don’t have time to list everything individually, you could also host a garage sale.

Action to take: Take inventory of what you have to sell and determine where they would sell best. For example, designer clothing and accessories do well on Poshmark, antiques and collectibles may do better in eBay auctions, and large items do best with local apps like Facebook Marketplace and OfferUp.

13. Get cash back from shopping

If you’re going to shop, you might as well learn how to make money while you do it. Sites like Rakuten and Ibotta offer a certain percentage of cash back at select retailers. Sometimes, these sites may even have double or triple cashback promotions and/or referral bonuses, which could increase your earning potential.

Action to take: Sign up for free platforms like Rakuten and Ibotta and before you shop, either online or in-person, check the apps for cash back opportunities or even promo codes to save a little cash on your purchases.

FAQs

Bottom line

Earning more money is easier said than done, but it can be done. Whether you ask for a raise at your current job, find a new one, use apps to earn spare cash, or explore options for making money online, you can tap into earning potential you didn’t know existed.