10 Ways to Make an Extra $500 Next Month

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Guess what, y’all! We just wrote our last daycare check…like ever. Like forever EVAH! BOOOYAH!

Yes sireee! Our youngest daughter starts Kindergarten in a couple of weeks, which means no more daycare! As we wrote that last check, the confetti started flying, the family marching band struck up a tune, and Holly and I danced until we collapsed. It’s like a dream come true.

Seriously, though, no daycare bills are a huuuuge boost to our financial fitness. We’ve been paying daycare and preschool costs for 7. Long. Years. We went with in-home daycare to keep costs down, but we’re still talking more than $100 a week.

Now, it’s like we got a raise…a $500 per month raise! And it feels freakin’ awesome!

10 Ways to Make an Extra $500

Anyhoo, this got me thinking about other ways to make some extra money. Suuuuure, we use a budgeting trick that easily saves us $500, but that’s not money we create. It’s found money.

So, I picked my crusty brain to come up with a few things anybody can do to earn extra cheese. Some of these could make an extra $500 on their own. Others are a good starting point to assist your efforts. Either way, they’ll all help you make some extra cash and relieve stress on your budget.

And of course, if you use any of our affiliate links we’ll earn a small commission. You make money, we make money, everybody wins! Enjoy!

Part-Time Job

Ah yes…the part-time job. It’s the good ‘ole fashioned way of making extra money. Even though there are plenty of ways to make money online, getting a traditional part-time job is still a tried and true way to add to your monthly income. Plus, it can be one of the most lucrative…and you’ll start earning money immediately. Places like restaurants, department stores, gas stations, and even offices hire part-time help all the time. Heck, even when I worked as a funeral director, I relied heavily on part-time staff. Just dust off your resume and apply for a part-time gig.

Drive for Lyft

This definitely could be considered a part-time job, but I wanted to single it out because it’s not a traditional job. These days, a great way to make extra money is by becoming a driver for a rideshare company like Lyft. You’ll get paid to use your own car and drive people around town. Do it just a few hours a week, and you’ll be bringing in extra cash before you know it. Learn how you can make extra money driving for Lyft here.

Take Online Surveys

Taking online surveys is an easy way to make some fast cash. It’s probably not going make 500 dollars on its own, but it can be used as a supplement to your other money-making endeavors. Depending on the site, you can either get paid in cash, gift cards, or other rewards. Make money with just one site, or sign up for them all! Find our list of the best paid survey sites here.

Pick Up Overtime Hours

Don’t want to add an extra job to the mix? Try picking up overtime and holiday hours at work. Let’s assume you make $15 an hour. Overtime pays time and a half, so you’ll make $22.50 for each hour of overtime. By working just 6 overtime hours a week, you’ll make an additional $540 for the month. That’s as easy as working through your lunch break every day and staying an hour late just once a week, provided your boss allows it.

Freelance Writing

If you’ve got the writing skills, freelance writing is an excellent way to make extra money. In my opinion, the best way to start getting gigs is starting your own blog. Freelancing accounts for the majority of our income, and it all started with the blog. We’ve even got a handy step-by-step guide to starting a self-hosted blog here. Once you’ve established a writing portfolio, shop your work around to other bloggers and companies. Freelancing can pay huge dividends, and you can learn how we make over $200,000 a year online here.

Babysit

You might think babysitting is just for kids. It’s not. Adults can leverage babysitting to make extra cash too. And when you’re an adult with some experience, you can even charge even more! If you’re a stay-at-home parent, consider watching other people’s kids during the work day. In the evenings, college kids, high school students, and even adults can pick up 1 or 2 babysitting gigs to net close to $500 a month. Each job adds up, and your side business can grow quickly if you promote yourself.

Mow Lawns

People love their grass. They hate mowing the lawn. Offer to take care of it for them and make some extra money! Where I live, you can make a minimum of 20 bucks a pop to cut grass. Usually, all it takes to get jobs is knocking on a few doors in your neighborhood. Pick up 6 clients, mow once a week for about an hour each, and you’ve made $480 next month. Not bad for just 6 hours of work per week. Then, when the seasons change, offer to rake leaves and shovel snow. Chances are your mowing clients will pay you to take care of that too.

Sell Your Junk

Got some extra crap lying around the house? Get rid of the clutter and make some extra money doing it. We’ve sold thousands of dollars worth of stuff on Craigslist. From furniture to lots of maternity and kids clothes, we’ve sold it all. Heck, if you’ve got a few big-ticket items, you can even make an extra $500 in a garage sale. Sell your stuff, pocket the cash, and keep that smile all the way to the bank.

Collect a Signup Bonus

You knew I didn’t forget this one, right? Collecting a credit card signup bonus is one of the easiest ways to make extra money, provided you use the card for your regular spending.

>>Compare the best rewards cards here

Let us know Thriftaholics! What could an extra $500 do for your budget? What are some ways you use to make extra money?

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