15 Creative Ways To Make Extra Money On Your Spare Time

Do you keep thinking what if you could call the shots, work remotely, flexibly, or just spend your days doing something you are passionate about rather than slaving off at your 9 to 5?

If 2020 isn’t the year that has shown everyone that multiple streams of income are the way to go then I do not know what will. We live in uncertain times and getting an extra buck through passive income for rainy days could be the best thing you have ever done for yourself.

Too many people have the resources and skills to make this a reality but are unaware of the steps to take to make it happen.

The majority of us spend most of our life living paycheck to paycheck or have seen that same pattern from our elders and although there’s no crime in that we all need to put food on the table but the urge to break free from that cycle keeps creeping up on you.

The first mistake people make is thinking too much about it - doubting- ‘what if I FAIL?’ But isn't that a feeling you have with every new job? wondering whether you’ll fit in or stand out? And worry about if you can get the work done and up to standard for that matter.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying quit your day job but as mentioned before 2020 has taught us that ‘multiple streams of income is a necessity’. And if you don’t have a crazy business idea, the next big thing, some new invention, skills, or a passion that can be monetized there are several other ways to ACHIEVE this

Here are 15 ways to make money online and on your spare time

1. Selling online

You would be surprised what people are willing to spend their money on, it could be almost anything, packaged professionally and advertised properly for your target market. Examples of things you could sell are old clothes that don’t fit or you just don’t wear, antiques that have been stashed away in the garage, D.I.Y crafts or paintings, or if you have some start-up money you could buy products in bulk on Amazon(cheaper) and sell them individually with mark-up price. Remember to research the market value and check out a list of the best sites to sell your products.

2. Market research (survey)

Companies are always looking for people to make their market research easier and that is why they will pay to hear your input. Most of us, especially in 2020, spend a lot of time on the internet doing basically anything to keep busy when instead you could make some easy money from answering a few questions and although you won’t make a lot of money from just one survey it is better to check out a list of paying survey sites so you can make a little from too many and stack up those racks.

3. Walk dogs

Like childcare services, dog owners need help taking care of their babies and if you are a dog lover this could be easy money for you. And luckily with more people owning pets and needing some assistance, there are apps created to make finding a dog-walking gig easier for as much as $10 to $25 an hour depending on the app and location. And for some, if not most, you can walk as many dogs as you can handle if their owners are comfortable with that.

4. Buy groceries

One common way to make money in 2020 is becoming a personal grocery shopper, which means you get paid good money to shop and deliver groceries for people who are either too busy or just unable to shop for themselves such as working professionals with limited free time, those who are homebound for health reasons, such as seniors or those with health problems that prevent a trip to the grocery store. The money you make depends on the size of the grocery order although this differs by region, a grocery order that is valued at around $200 would make you $25 but statistics show that shoppers make between $18 and $35 an hour, with an average of $27 an hour.

5. Deliver food

Just like groceries, some people prefer having their ready-made food delivered to them, and unfortunately for them or rather fortunately for you, not all restaurants deliver and that is where you come in. All you have to do is sign up for one or more of the leading food delivering apps and the apps do the most important part which is helping the customer access the online food or ordering platforms, search for the right restaurant or the dish they want to order, place their orders, pay easily, and connect you to customers to ensure successful deliveries.

6. Tutor

If you are a smarty-pants then put your brain to work and help someone who is trying to be like you, no honestly, don’t let 2020 cause you brain damage by wasting those precious cells scrolling on your social media all day. You could give individual or in some cases small groups, instructions to help them help themselves by assisting or guiding them to become independent learners who are ready to conquer those test papers. Be a hero and check out 15 Legitimate Online Tutoring Jobs to Make Money at Home. 

7. Teach language

There are several languages to teach, with the world partly shut down still, more and more people are looking for interesting things to do, spend their time on and learning a new language is one of the most common. If you’re looking to teach English, specifically, the best way to go about it is to get a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate to better your chances even with minimum to no experience, you still stand a chance to be approved at the best online teaching companies to work for in 2020.

8. Rent your car

It is always a good idea to put something you don’t use to good use and earn money. If you have a car you can do without once in a while or as regular as the income keeps growing you can make money by renting out your car, listing takes less than an hour in most cases. After your profile is set up, you can let people pay you cash to use your vehicle. All you have to do is choose from a list of car renting sites based on your personal preferences, program availability in your area, and the payout then make some money.

9. Driver

Some people are just not comfortable lending their car to others and with some extra hours on your schedule then maybe driving the customers to their destination at hours flexible to your daily plans. Check out apps that pay you to drive and get started. 

10. Become an ambassador ( influencer)

A lot of brands are looking for people to help promote their products and services. The best part is, you don’t have to have a huge following to be considered or any experience. All you have to do is check out a list of brands that fit your style, follow their prompts, and be consistent in promoting their products and services. Besides the chance to make money, this opportunity comes with benefits such as working a flexible schedule, have an awesome resume booster, and a chance to build your network.

11. Game apps to win money

Isn’t it everyone’s dream to make money playing games? Of course, it is! Okay.. maybe not everyone but if you love gaming online and have experience in playing and winning those online games, then you should consider playing and getting paid to do what you enjoy doing. Several apps can help you start making money online and you do not need to buy any gaming console instead all you need is a computer, the internet, and some gaming experience.

12. Blogger

There are millions of companies across the world that play bloggers to contribute to their website, most clients charge per word or from 50$ to $250 for a post that is over 1000 words count for beginner level writings. And pro rates in money-making niches like finance and technology amongst others, you can make from $600 to $1000 for posts around a 3000 word-count but if you’d rather have your blog follow these 7 steps to make money blogging.

• Setup a self-hosted blog for yourself.
• Start publishing content that stands out.
• Build consistent traffic to your website.
• Build a community around your brand.
• Start making money by selling ads.
• Make money by selling your products or services.
• Make money through affiliate marketing.
• Step 6 refers to charging costs per click (also called pay per click) these ads are usually banners that you place in your content or sidebar. Each time a reader clicks on the ad, you are paid for that click.

13. Rent extra space

It isn’t ideal to have strangers in your personal space at the moment but if you have a holiday home or a basement apartment built in a way that can prevent access to the main house then this might be a profitable plan for you. Firstly, you’d have to prepare the space into a guest-friendly accommodation, sign your house up for apps such as Air BnB and figure out what to charge according to area and facilities.

14. Photography

If you’ve got a camera, and the skills for it you can earn money doing what you love—taking pictures and fortunately for you it isn’t like the traditional photography career where you have to go to an event or a studio but can work from the comfort of your own home or if you find yourself at the right place at the right time you can sell a newsworthy picture to news publications or magazines. In the meantime, check out the number of ideas for aspiring photographers to make money online.

15. invest

With some extra cash in your wallet, it is a wise decision to let your money grow over time and that is what most people do, invest to build wealth but investing can also provide you with another source of income, assist you during rainy days and help fund your retirement in the future while increasing your purchasing power over time. The main point is to balance potential gains with the risk involved because markets can be volatile, and that is exactly what happened during the start of the 2020 pandemic, ‘the market rang up some of its biggest daily declines ever, followed by some of its strongest rises ever’ despite the ongoing recession, the market rebounded after a strong sell-off in the year, So if investing is the next plan for you, consider all factors such as the current presidential election that may also cause markets to be volatile.