Ways to Make Money Without Getting A Second Job

You could want to earn extra money for various reasons. It could be to make ends meet, increased responsibility, or a short or long term goal you set for yourself. However, is it really easy adding a second job to an existing full-time job?

To be honest, a lot of people will rather request for a promotion at their present place of work than look for a second job anyway.

I love what I do on daily basis in my job. However, having a second job will add more stress to my life. Why will I want to get a second job? I just can’t spare the time. Having a second job will deny me of valuable time I spend with my family.

We live in the best of times and you don’t have to actually look for an extra job to supplement your earnings. There are now various offline and online methods of boosting your income on the side.

Keep reading as I take you through some fantastic opportunities.

1.     Sell items on Amazon, eBay or Craigslist

Why go through the stress of setting up a garage sale when you can automate the process? By listing items on eBay or Amazon, you will be leveraging the purchasing power of their existing audience.

All you have to do is create an account with them and start listing your items. It can range from home furnishings to clothing and accessories and computer equipment.

Three things that are just as important as the product you’re selling is a detailed product description, contact information and high-quality product images. You can chip in with free shipping to attract more customers.

I have gone through this particular journey myself and you can read up on my experience here. An advantage Amazon has over eBay is the Amazon’s fulfilment centre and Amazon FBA for beginners. You can also read up more about it here.

I have other articles that explain how to make money on amazon in detail, how to build a brand and import to sell.

2.     Dropship or start an online store

Dropshipping and eCommerce stores have gained a lot of popularity over the years and I know why. Imagine not having to invest in inventory while still selling your physical and digital products from the comfort of your home?

The major difference between the dropshipping model and the conventional buying and selling is that you don’t buy anything until a purchase has been made.

This means you can start dropshipping with little or no capital at all. All you need to invest in is a little bit of time to research your products and suppliers.

The model is simple, you simply get a reliable supplier who sells inexpensive goods and you market their products. This can be done through a website, email marketing, social media or however you choose.

3.     Sell Crafts

I like the idea of selling crafts a lot. Handcrafted items like beads and crotchet are things a lot of us do as a hobby already, so why not monetize it?

With the right market, it can be an easy way of making money. This is because of an increase in the demand for unique products; mass-produced products can sometimes be too competitive to market. Think about it, you can dedicate your evenings to making crafts.

However, making crafts is one thing and actually selling is another. Your social media page or contact list can only get you so far. You will have to rely on online options to maximize the potential of your business.

The most popular platform for handcrafted items is Etsy. They specialize in crafts and that gives it an edge over other multipurpose platforms like Amazon. They also have various tools that will help you sell your products as well as promote your brand. You can then leverage the power of your social media pages, contact or email lists to gain more visibility.

The downside of using Etsy is that the company maintains control over your store and can close it at any time. Although this doesn’t happen often. If this is a worry for you, you can choose to set up your own website.

You can also rely on offline marketing and referrals to help boost your sale.

4.     Sell food or baked goods

Can you cook or bake? Do you enjoy doing it? The good thing is that you can actually leverage it to make extra income. And all you have to do is find time to bake or cook.

You may already know this but there are a lot of people out there who would rather buy food than cook. You can create different weekly menus and start marketing.

You can also create partnerships with local stores and businesses to help sell your baked treats. If you’re serious enough about it, you can find contracts with businesses interested in serving foods at their events.

However, an important thing you must do is check for any food laws in your country before embarking on this journey.

5.     Launch an online resource

Another way to conveniently make money on the side is by sharing your expertise. Let’s say you’re good at bookkeeping, for example, you can leverage your expertise.

What you’ll want to do is launch an online ebook or course, start a blog or a vlog.

If you choose to go with this route, you must be ready to put in a lot of work initially. But the good part is that once you get it right, you can earn great passive income.

6.     Join the sharing economy

The sharing economy has been a hit in the past decade and you can leverage this to boost your income. You should be able to make from a few hundred to thousands of dollars a month through this approach.

You can choose to rent out your car on Turo and hail a cab or ride a bike to work instead. Rent out a spare bedroom on Airbnb. If you have quality cameras lying around the house, you can rent it out on Cameralends. You can even rent out things like a sailboat on Sailo and snowboard on Spinlister.

Making money through Airbnb is the most popular of this approach so here is a free tip. You can make an immense profit by renting out your whole house rather than a spare room. It’s best to do this during the holiday season so you can go on a vacation or visit family.

7.     Selling Services Offline

You can plug your free hours with rendering offline services. You can study your environment and look for opportunities that you can take advantage of. But things like gardening, cleaning gutters and lawn mowing are opportunities you can always readily see around.

You can also get creative and teach things like music, martial art, how to bake and more. You can also become a home tutor.

Transport is also another aspect you can focus on. Companies like Uber and Lyft are quite popular but they are not available everywhere. You might want to do your research on the ride-hailing services available in your region.

Bonus: Making extra money through online freelancing

Freelancing is an ever-growing field and the possibilities of growth are still immense. The advantage of freelancing is that you can always work at your own convenience and pace. If you choose to try out the freelance route, you can give the list below a try. The important thing is to find out what you’re good at and try to leverage it.

• Carry out Surveys
• Start a hobby blog or guest post
• Become an affiliate marketing
• Use freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr