"Imagine you found yourself $1,000 richer each month. What would you do? Build your emergency fund? Pay down debt? Go on a vacation? While this might seem like a far-out scenario, adding an extra $1,000 a month to your bank account may be easier than you think.Â
An extra income can go a long way to help you reach your financial goals and reach them faster. So, what can you do so you can see more dollar signs in your bank account each month? Aside from the solutions like negotiating a raise or finding a higher-paying job, you can take on additional work to supplement your income. This could be a part-time job, a side hustle, or even a lucrative hobby. If you’re wondering how to have a side hustle or where to even start, don’t worry, I have you covered. I’m sharing 15 ways you can earn an extra $1,000 a month (or more!).
Here’s How to Make an Extra $1,000 a Month
This list is by no means a complete list of all the ways you can earn an extra $1,000 a month. But I hope it gives you an idea of some of the options available to help you reach your financial goals. Let’s dig in!
1. Start Freelance Writing
If you love to write, picking up freelance writing may be your ticket to an extra $1,000 a month. And the awesome thing is there are many different forms of freelance writing you can take on. From article writing to copywriting to SEO writing to technical writing, you can find what style of writing works best for you. All you need to get started is a computer, great writing skills, knowledge of correct grammar, and the ability to research, depending on the style of writing you choose.
There are a few ways you can search for freelance writing work. You can search traditional job boards like Indeed or LinkedIn for available opportunities. You can check out specific publications or companies to see if they’re for hiring freelance or part-time roles. You can also browse websites like Upwork and Fiverr to find writing projects or one-off opportunities. If you can turn one of these opportunities into a long-term gig, even better to ensure a steady stream of income.Â
Your earning potential while freelance writing is limited to the amount of extra work you can take on and the amount of work you can find. Many freelancing writing jobs pay per piece or hour, and rates vary depending on the length and difficulty of the assignment. According to Upwork, the average per hour ranges from $15 to $65, and per piece ranges from $50 to $500 or more based on the type of work and complexity. If you find clients to work with on an ongoing basis, you can charge a retainer (i.e., upfront cost for the month to perform an agreed-upon service).Â
2. Begin Blogging
Speaking of writing, blogging isn’t dead, so don’t count it out of the earning extra income equation. Starting a blog, especially a blog that caters to a specific niche, is a nice way to earn extra income on your terms. Determine what you’re passionate about and use that as a jumping-off point. The key to blogging is your audience. The bigger and more engaged your audience, the more money you can earn per month. Also, as with most side hustles, your earnings potential is going to be based on how many hours a week you can dedicate to first start a blog and then maintain it.
The streams of income for a blog range from sponsored content to ads to affiliate marketing. If you’re just starting out, your rates will be much lower than a seasoned blogger. Since most bloggers set their own rates, the income potential greatly varies based on your audience and traffic. Think from a couple of hundred dollars per sponsored post to a couple of thousand dollars.
3. Practice Graphic Design
Graphic design is a fun side hustle to start, no matter if you’re looking for easy money to expand on your day job or to learn new skills as a hobby. Similar to freelance writing, there are a multitude of ways to dabble in graphic design, like logo design, website design, social media graphic design, making your own designs to sell printables online, and more. To build your design clientele, it helps to have a portfolio of your work ready to share (a website helps!). You can then reach out to your network to inquire about opportunities or apply for opportunities on job boards.Â
Taking on this side hustle to earn extra money helps if you already have the basic skills down. This way, there’s less lead time to learn the work, meaning more money in your pocket faster. The amount you can earn per project or that you can charge per hour is going to be based on your level of expertise. According to ZipRecruiter, the average hourly freelance design rate is $35.
4. Assist with Bookkeeping
Do you have an accounting or business background? Are you good with numbers? If so, bookkeeping might be the part-time work that can help you pad your pocket. Bookkeepers help clients with their bookkeeping and accounting needs, like payroll, recording transactions, monitoring accounts, and data entry. To find bookkeeping clients, you can connect with local small business owners in person or online, hit up traditional job boards, or utilize freelance sites like Freelancer or Flexjobs to find opportunities.
According to Indeed, bookkeepers make between $15 and $30 per hour. This rate can fluctuate depending on where you live and the location of your clients (i.e., virtual or in-person).
5. Become a Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistant work has become popular in recent years, especially given the shift to remote work during and after the pandemic. A virtual assistant side hustle looks like performing administrative tasks remotely for clients, like managing emails, scheduling appointments, making phone calls, booking travel, and other administrative items a client may need help with. To become a virtual assistant, you need to be organized, have great communication skills, and be highly efficient in time management. College degrees usually aren’t a requirement.Â
According to ZipRecruiter, the national average hourly rate is $24. Like most jobs, the more experience you have under your belt, the more you can increase your rate.
6. Sell Something on Etsy
If you’re an artist, aspiring artist, or just really creative, Etsy can help you reach a larger audience than your local farmers market to sell your items at a low start-up cost. While there is more effort to take photos of your products, list the items, maintain your page, and facilitate any questions with customers, there is the potential to earn more than you could if you were to solely list on your own personal website. A few ideas of what you can sell on Etsy include handmade items, digital prints, spreadsheets (think budgeting or debt pay-off spreadsheets), jewelry, digital downloads, paintings, giftable items, and so much more.Â
To help you get your page off the ground, Etsy outlines how to get started selling on its website. While there are some fees associated with listing your items on Etsy, you’re gaining access to more potential customers without having to leave home. From college students to stay-at-home moms to corporate girls with a creative side, everyone can make money on Etsy. How much you can make is really determined by what product you’re selling, how much you’re selling it for, and your associated costs.
7. Manage Social Media Accounts
No matter if you’re working as a social media manager for your day job or if social media is your hobby, you can find a side hustle as a freelance social media manager. Social media experts are hired by clients who want to outsource their social media strategy and execution to someone who knows the ins and outs of platforms. Individuals can also be hired to help with digital marketing strategy and to promote items on social media, like running Facebook ads for local businesses. To start, determine what type of clients you want to serve (i.e, a specific industry or niche, the size of the company, or individuals), start building connections to find clients, and secure your rates. You might also be able to find freelance opportunities on job boards.
Your passion for social media could help you secure an extra income each month, the amount of which will fluctuate depending on how much you decide to charge and how much work you’re able to take on. According to Upwork, a freelance social media manager’s rate is $14 to $35 per hour.
8. Complete Online Surveys
Online surveys are an easy way to make money that requires no experience or expertise. Websites will ask you to answer questions about a specific topic and will pay you in exchange for your time. A few of these websites include BrandedSurveys, Google Online Rewards, Harris Poll Online, LifePoints, InBoxDollars.com, One Opinion, Survey Junkie, and more.
It’s a lucrative activity to engage in during your spare time if you’re looking to earn extra money from home. According to ZipRecruiter, you can make, on average, $31 an hour as an online survey taker.
9. Thrift Your Clothes or Household Items
Selling clothes, household goods, toys, and furniture can help you earn extra monthly income. You can sell your items online or to thrift stores so someone else can benefit from the gently used items. Or you can purchase used items and upcycle them to give them a new life. Thrifting is a hobby for many people, but with a little effort, it can be turned into a long-term profitable business. All it takes to get started is a smartphone camera, a little practice taking photos, and the time it takes to list the items online or visit a local consignment store.
The potential income from thrifting will depend on the type of items you’re selling and the frequency. Items like revamped furniture will likely bring in more money than a vintage t-shirt. But if you’re willing to take the time to hunt, you might be able to find hidden gems in thrift stores that you can sell for a profit on eBay.
10. Create an Online Course
If you’re an expert in your field or you want to monetize your skillset, creating an online course can be a lucrative way to bring in extra income. This side hustle takes more upfront work than some of the other ideas on the list, but it can bring in more money passively in the long term. The first thing you need to do is pick your course subject and create your course outline. Then, you have to develop the course and choose your platform. Some websites you can utilize to host your course include Skillshare, Udemy, Teachable, Thinkific, and TrainerCentral. Once you have your course ready to go, arguably the most important part of the process is marketing your course. No one can sign up to take your course (and pay you) if they don’t know it exists. You can leverage your own social network on social media as well as a personal website or email list if you have one.
According to onlinecoursehost.com, you can make $1,000 to $100,00 a year selling online courses. The biggest variables are the price of your course or courses, the amount of traffic to your course, and the conversion rate at which people sign up to take your course.
11. Take Up Tutoring
If you’re looking to leverage your expertise from your day job as a teacher or academic or if you work in a specialized field, tutoring is an efficient way to transfer your skills into a side hustle. To get started tutoring, get connected with your local schools, search job boards, and reach out to your local network. Some companies hire online tutors, like Tutor.com, Elevate K-12, Brainfuse, and TutorMe. Once you secure a tutoring gig, there may be some upfront work to prepare for your sessions based on the needs of the person you’re tutoring.
The rate you’ll be paid as a tutor depends on a few different things, such as your qualifications, experience, and education level, the subject you’re tutoring on, the age group you’re tutoring, and whether it’s in person or virtual. Indeed states, the average tutor rate in the United States is $23.72 per hour.
12. Teach a Fitness Class
Looking for a way to work on your wellness and your wealth? Try teaching a fitness class. Depending on the class type you’re interested in teaching, there may be an upfront cost to get certified and land a teaching position. Some instructor positions require specialized training like the 200-hour teacher training course for yoga instructors, the National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT) course to become a personal trainer or Zumba training. Other fitness studios may offer training as a part of the position, like cycling studios.Â
Your pay will vary depending on if you get paid a flat rate per each class you teach or if you get paid hourly, and the type of class you’re teaching and where. According to ZipRecruiter, the national average hourly rate for a group fitness instructor is $25.
13. Deliver Food
If you have reliable transportation and want a seemingly simple side hustle, delivering food can help you land an extra $1,000 a month. To get started, pick the company you want to deliver for, like Instacart, Uber Eats, DoorDash, etc. Most companies clearly list on their website the criteria for applying to become a delivery driver. Follow the steps to apply and wait for the next steps from the company.
Per Salary.com, the average pay for a food delivery driver is $24 per hour, not including tips. That means to make $1,000 a month before taxes, you’d have to work around 41 and a half hours. If you consider there’s around four weeks in a month, that comes out to between 10 and 11 hours of work a week. That means you’re looking at an extra hour and a half of work a day split evenly between seven days.
14. Focus on Creating Content
If you’re already creating and posting content on social media, why not try to get paid for it? Becoming a content creator can be a fun hobby turned side hustle. And for some, being a part-time content creator can become so lucrative that they opt for turning it into a full-time job. To get the ball rolling, all you need is a smartphone to record videos and take photos, the time to edit your content, and some creativity. More established content creators might utilize professional photographers and videographers, but all you really need to get off the ground is an iPhone and an idea. Some creators opt for a specific niche, like fashion, beauty, nostalgia, or motherhood, while others go for the more lifestyle content route. You also need to pick your preferred platform and tailor your content to fit the style. Instagram tends to be more aesthetically pleasing pictures and reels, TikToks will be more casual and down-to-earth, and YouTube will be longer-form video content, for example.
No matter what you choose to focus on, your biggest goal as a content creator is to build an engaged audience. It’s not just about the followers but how engaged your followers are with your content. Brands and potential partnerships want to know that if they collaborate with you that their product is going to get in front of their target customer. Your rates will likely start lower and work their way up as you work to build your audience.Â
15. Host Your Home
If you have a private room in a home, you can make money listing your space on rental platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, or Homestay. If you have an entire home to offer as a vacation rental, the more potential income you can bank. Most sites have easy-to-follow instructions to apply to host your place with helpful guides to get you started.
According to Earnest, Airbnb hosts make, on average, $924 a month. A few things to keep in mind that affect your potential earnings when hosting your home are the size of your home, frequency of hosting, the cost to pay for any cleaning services or maintenance, and any fees charged by the rental site.
Something to keep in mind when trying to find a way to earn extra money each month is the more enjoyable the work, the more likely you are to want to continue doing it. It’ll feel a lot less like work and more like a hobby you’re getting paid for. Also, you don’t only have to pick one thing to do each month to earn extra money. You can mix and match and choose multiple ideas from this list that will add up to an extra $1,000 a month.
Maybe you want to write about a topic and then create content around your work. Or maybe you want to create an online course about how to host your home on Airbnb. This list isn’t exhaustive by any means. There are so many more ways you can make extra monthly income, like getting a part-time job as a bartender or a boutique attendant or working sporting events. Get creative! There truly isn’t anything you can’t do if you set your mind to it.
