Who doesn’t want to make a little extra income? Whether you have a full-time job or stay at home to raise the kids, you’ve probably wondered from time to time how you can bring in a little extra money to make that extra car payment or simply go out to dinner with your spouse once a week. The fact is that it’s not that hard to find ways to make some extra.

Easy Money

1. Go through your junk. All those old clothes you’ve been hanging onto for years, thinking you’ll wear them again once you lose that stubborn twenty pounds, are not doing you any good and they’re taking up space. Let’s face it; the chances of you getting back into that size are pretty slim, so why torture yourself?

Gather up all your old clothes, previously enjoyed books, dilapidated furniture and stuff you don’t need and sell it. Have a garage or yard sale or list interesting items on eBay. You don’t just have to sell your own junk either. Sift through the thrift stores for any eye-catching collectibles and list them with online auctions. You may be surprised just how much money you can earn.

2. Love shopping? Become a mystery shopper! This may take research and time filling out registration forms, but once you’re accepted by a secret shopping company you get paid to do what you already love.

Secret shoppers can earn money not only from shopping, but also from dining out and traveling. This means that you don’t have to leave the kids at home to earn extra income and you can even dine out with your spouse and get paid for it. Being a secret shopper means that you need to have a good eye for detail and a great memory, since writing down notes on your shopping experience can give away the fact that you are, in fact, a secret shopper.

3. Take advantage of the credit card cashback option. If you already use credit cards for making purchases and you pay the balance down regularly, a cashback credit card is not a bad idea. Credit card cashback income is based on how frequently you use the credit card, but the cashback incentive is too good to pass up for anyone looking for a rewards card.

Keep in mind that you need to use the cashback credit card frequently for the rewards to accumulate and you need to be able to pay off the balance every month to avoid paying interest. If you can do this, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be enjoying credit card cashback from your purchases.

4. Freelance on the side. No matter what your current career is, chances are you can put your talents to good use in your off hours. Ask yourself if the skills that you use in your profession can be offered to the community away from work. An electrician could provide as-needed services on evenings and weekends outside of the company they work for. A graphic designer employed by a local newspaper could open their own part-time design business on the side. You can offer your own expertise in the form of blogging, which can generate revenue based on advertising.

5. Consider a direct selling opportunity. You probably have several friends already involved in some type of direct sales, whether it be selling beauty products or craft supplies. Getting involved in direct sales does have a start-up cost, but it’s virtually your own business after that. This type of opportunity can be either part-time or full-time, depending on how much you want to put into it.