In this day and age, one income stream may not be enough to meet all of your financial goals and expenses. Whether you’re saving for a big purchase or future trip, trying to pay off debt, adding a child to the family, or even thinking about going back to school, you may be trying to supplement your income in some way.
Plus, adding a little extra cushion to your budget probably won’t hurt. I remember when my husband was going back to school right before the pandemic. With the help of a side gig, we were able to earn enough extra income to cash flow school expenses and more make ends meet.
If you are looking for a flexible way to supplement your income, there are many side hustles and concerts you can take it to allow you to work remotely from home. That way, you won’t have to worry about juggling fixed work hours with your probably already busy schedule.
Here are the top 7 ways to start supplementing your income right now.
1. Use online surveys
Taking online surveys may not make you a millionaire, but it is a simple and easy way to earn extra money and supplement your income. Survey sites like Swagbucks, Survey Junkieand GAUGE Research offer paid surveys that you can take from your phone or computer. The more surveys you complete, the more you earn.
While the payouts for individual surveys may be small, they can add up quickly over time. Additionally, many survey sites offer other ways to earn, such as watching videos, signing up for offers, or playing games. To maximize your earnings, register with multiple survey sites and check regularly for new opportunities.
You can even take things up a notch and ask focus groupswhich are face-to-face or online conversations with a brand or research company where you share your honest opinions about a service or product. In the past, I’ve done focus groups on topics like fast food, technology, and cleaning products. Check out sites like FocusGroup.com, User chatsand Mindswarms. Many of these sites now offer online discussion groups so you don’t have to leave your house.
2. Part-time work from home
Working remotely often allows you to set your own hours and work at your own pace. This flexibility is ideal for balancing a full-time job or other responsibilities. In addition, you will save time and money by not having to commute.
Part-time remote work ranging from customer service roles to virtual assistant or data entry positions. You can choose from options that match your skills and interests to start earning extra money right away. Just keep in mind that you may not be able to work whenever you want, but you should try to find a shift that suits your availability.
Platforms like Remote.co and FlexJobs are great options to start with as these job board sites are focused on work from home opportunities. However, sometimes you may need to do some additional research on your own. Check out companies that are popular for telecommuting, e.g Amazon, U-Hauland Williams-Sonomaand set up alerts for updates to their Careers page so you can also apply directly for positions.
3. Sell services on Fiverr or Upwork
If you have a skill or talent, consider monetizing it to supplement your income. Platforms like Fiverr and Upwork connect freelancers with clients looking for services in a variety of fields and categories such as graphic design, writing, programming and marketing.
Fiverr and Upwork allow you to create a profile that showcases your skills and experience, making it easy for potential clients to find you. When you sign up, all you have to do is list your services, set your rates, and promote your profile.
To succeed on these platforms, focus on building a strong profile and collecting positive reviews. Reviews are everything on Fiverr and Upwork. To get started, you may need to offer special discounts and complete services at a more competitive price to attract more customers and gain experience. However, you can soon start increasing your rates as your profile grows and your skills increase.
4. Rent out your space with Airbnb
Do you have a spare room or unused property? Rent it out Airbnb can be a lucrative way to supplement your income. Airbnb is a popular platform and is used by millions of travelers around the world.
So if you have a spare room or basement and live in an area popular with travelers, you can earn some extra cash as a host. With Airbnb, you can set your prices when creating a listing and availability for your space. If you don’t want to rent it for certain days, just block these dates in your calendar.
Airbnb handles all the work, such as collecting payments, screening applicants, and more. If you’re considering signing up, you can even get an estimate of how much you can earn based on the size of the space and the area you’re in.
Another feature that can help you earn money with Airbnb is the Experiences tab. Airbnb Experiences allows locals to host unique activities and experiences for travelers in their city. Whether it’s a cooking class, guided tour or adventure activity, you can turn something you enjoy into extra cash by creating and hosting an experience.
5. Start a blog
Blogs have been around for a long time and starting a blog is still a great way to supplement your income if you have a clear strategy and a little patience. You won’t make money overnight as a blogger, but there are still plenty of income streams you can start with a successful blog.
Some people may tell you to focus on your passions and start blogging about it. But if you really want to create a blog that you can monetize, you should first research popular topics. See what people are interested in and topics where it’s easier to monetize your content.
For example, a blog about being a mom might be a great topic, but it’s a bit broad and your audience might not know what to expect. But if you teach your children at home, you can focus your blog on this topic. Once you build traffic, you can create digital products like e-books or an online course on how to get started with homeschooling, or download guides and checklists to help parents.
Once you’ve built a following, you can monetize your blog in a number of ways, including advertising through ad networks such as Google Adsense and Mediavine, sponsored postsor affiliate marketing.
While building a successful blog takes time and effort, the potential rewards make it a worthwhile investment. If you are able to make money by integrating relevant ads on your website, you will earn passive income after putting in a lot of work and effort up front.
6. Sell products on Etsy
Etsy is a global marketplace for handmade, vintage and craft supplies, but it’s also a great place to sell digital products like printed materialsworksheets, stickers and chart templates.
That start selling on Etsycreate a store and list your products with high-quality photos and detailed descriptions. It is also important to price your items competitively with respect to your materials and time. Etsy charges a small fee for each listing and takes a percentage of your sales, so factor that cost into your pricing.
You can promote your business through social media platforms, Etsy SEOplacing digital ads and reaching out to customers to build a loyal following.
If you want to be long-term success on Etsymake sure you provide excellent customer service and timely communication. The key is to differentiate yourself and constantly improve your products and services.
7. Start pet-sitting
If you are an animal lover, pet sitting is a fun and rewarding way to supplement your income. Many pet owners need reliable caregivers when they are away and similar platforms Rover and PetBacker make it easy to connect with clients in your area.
Pet sitting offers flexibility in choosing your schedule and the types of pets you would like to care for. Whether you watch dogs, cats, or other animals, this side gig lets you make money while doing something you truly enjoy.
Before you begin, make sure you’re comfortable with animal-sitting duties, which may include feeding, walking, and administering medication. Building trust with your clients and their pets is also important, so focus on providing excellent care and communication.
My family travels several times a year and we often work with a dog sitter from Rover. Before we hire someone, we like to set up a meeting to make sure our dog gets along with them first.
But we are happy to pay $35 to $40 a night for her to pet sit, and often the sitter is also watching another dog. So, if you just watched a few pets a month, you could easily make another few hundred dollars or more a month, especially if you add other services like dog walking.
Top up your income
There are several ways to supplement your income, whether you want to take a short-term approach working gigs or a long-term approach by building a blog or side business. Narrow down your needs and availability to determine how much you want to earn each month and what a realistic plan looks like for you.
Thanks gig economyit’s easier than ever to earn extra income in your spare time. Most of us can shave a few hours off if we cut back on TV or social media, but that doesn’t mean we have to give up days of rest and fun. Just try to balance your time on your sources of income and choose an option that interests you and that you think you would do well. Which idea would you start with to supplement your income?
