By Joan Lee
on August 27, 2019
Read in 2 min

Paychecks have stagnated over the past few decades for a large portion of the American workforce. This phenomenon is coupled with increased costs for homes, cars, health insurance and college. In many instances these expenses have gone up faster than inflation. With cash tight for many people, it's important to find ways to make extra income. There are some options when it comes to bringing home additional cash each month.

Use Your Car

One of the best ways for people to make a few bucks in their spare time is through their cars. If you have a decent vehicle, you could probably sign up to drive for a ridesharing service like Uber or Lyft. Additionally, many pizza joints deliver, and they offer opportunities for drivers to make a few bucks driving pizzas around town.

Answer Surveys

You're not likely to get rich by answering surveys online, but it is possible to pick up a few bucks in your spare time. If you're watching a football game, it's possible to watch videos or answer surveys during the commercials to earn a few dollars. You can do the same thing if you have a commute on public transportation. A few bucks here and there can add to your nest egg and provide you some money to help ends meet.

Start a Service

People in your community likely have needs. Some will require some skill. If you're looking to provide websites for small businesses, you should have at least a rudimentary knowledge of how a platform like WordPress works. Other options that can provide you with income require no skills at all. If you see people walking their dogs in a dog park, you could offer to do it for them in return for money. If you have some older people with yards in your neighborhood, you could offer to mow the lawn or rake leaves. The options for providing services are nearly unlimited. The best part about starting a service business is the relatively low startup costs that will usually be involved.

Start a Blog or Write an E-book

There are also digital options for increasing your income. If you have some specialized knowledge, you can come up with some digital content to provide for people. Monetizing a blog is one option and coming up with an e-book or a web-based training course are a couple of others. These options can take time, but they can tend to bring a few dollars your way fairly passively.

Buy a Home

Another option for earning extra money is real estate. By purchasing a home with a little bit down, you could have renters pay off your mortgage. By charging a little bit of rent in excess of your actual monthly costs, you could improve your cash flow in the process. However, it's important to remember that real estate can go down, and this could curtail your financial success for a time. Buying rental properties is not without risk. Bringing in a few dollars can be a great way to improve your family's budget. These are five of the more popular options. However, enterprising Americans have a nearly unlimited number of options to increase their incomes in a given month. All it takes is a few hours of brainstorming to figure out which would be best for you.

This is not legal or financial advice. Please consult a legal or financial advisorfor your specific situation.