How to Make an Extra $100 a Month

A little extra cash can help your monthly budget. But what are the best ways to make more money? Read on for some great ideas and tips to get you started.

Nearly 40% of Americans earn $8,000 a year with "side hustles," according to a 2018 Bankrate survey.

Whether you're trying to pay off bills or saving toward a long-term goal, here's a list of ways to earn an extra $100 a month.

Give Your Electronics New Life

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Why not tackle your electronic clutter to make a few bucks? If your phone, computer, or other hardware has seen better days, consider selling it using these sites.

For these options, your take is entirely dependent on the item you're listing. For example, an iPhone 8 Plus in excellent condition might earn $350 - $370 on Gazelle and BuyBackWorld, respectively, and as much as $700 on Craigslist.

Selling a big-ticket item like a phone, laptop, or game console is your best bet to earn $100.

Gazelle

Gazelle: This is a great option for selling Apple products, phones, and laptops.

• You'll need to provide accurate information about your item to receive a quote. Describe the physical state, functionality, and, if necessary, hard drive, RAM, and optical drive.

• Payment is offered via check, PayPal, or Amazon card. Depending on the method of payment, you will receive money in 3 - 10 business days.

• The site provides a free shipping label via email or a physical shipping kit via USPS.

Buy-Back-World

BuyBackWorld: This website buys over 30,000 different types of items, including cameras and GPS equipment.

• Fill out a brief questionnaire to receive a quote for your item. If you can't find your item on the site, you can request a custom quote.

• Payment is offered via PayPal or check, which can take 3 - 10 business days to receive. They also offer a QuickPay option for faster payment.

• You will receive a free shipping label via email to mail your item to BuyBackWorld.

Craigslist

Craigslist: The site is geared toward selling to local buyers. It's ideal for those who want to avoid shipping hassles.

• You create your own listing, which means more control over pricing. You may also earn more for your time.

• Use the website-provided email address or use a secondary phone number service such as Google Voice to protect your personal information and ensure your safety.

Resell Your Textbooks

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Buying used textbooks can set you back hundreds of dollars. So there's no reason to leave them collecting dust once class ends.

Consider selling your books online with user-friendly apps and websites.

Most used books will earn you $5 - $50 on the below resale sites, depending on the subject and demand. To have the best chances of hitting $100, wait until the end of the school year to sell your books.

Expect to wait 1 - 2 weeks after shipping to get paid.

BookScouter

BookScouter: A textbook buyback comparison tool that compares prices from over 40 websites.

• Find the best buyback price for your book by entering the book's ISBN into BookScouter's search engine.

• BookScouter's mobile app will quickly and easily compare book buyback prices.

• Sellers can refer to BookScouter's rating system to get more information about user experiences with various booksellers.

Valore Books

ValoreBooks.com: A highly-reviewed option for selling books in bulk.

• Books must meet buyback standards: no excessive damage, highlighting, writing, and no missing CD/DVD accessories.

• ValoreBooks requires the ISBN for a quote. The site will match any higher price you find on a different website within a week after you sell the book.

• Payment is offered via check or PayPal. Checks will arrive within 7 - 14 business days. PayPal posts to your account within 2 - 7 business days.

Chegg

Chegg: This book buy-back site has been in business for 14 years.

• Books must meet buyback standards: no excessive damage, missing or torn pages, or burns and rips.

• Chegg will not buy back international or teacher's edition books, which are usually denoted by marks on the spine, cover, or first few pages of the book.

• You can receive payment via check (10 - 15 business days after the book is received), PayPal (3 business days after the book is received), or via Chegg credit for future textbook orders

Rent Out Anything (or Everything)

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Selling unwanted valuables can turn an extra buck. But you can also rent out home goods, cars, and even your parking spot. Check out the websites to below to learn how.

Fat Llama

Fat Llama: Earn an average of $50 a week by renting out unused belongings.

• List your items for free on the website or with Fat Llama's user-friendly app.

• Approve potential renter's requests and get paid within 3 business days of the start of the rental.

• Fat Llama's Lender Guarantee covers against non-return and damages up to $30,000 per item.

What can you expect to earn?
You can earn $100 in 2 - 3 weeks (after fees), depending on what you rent.

Turo

Turo: List your car to potential renters for free.

• Use their "Carculator" tool to estimate how much you could earn based on the make, model, year, and location of your car.

• Turo offers 3 protection plans that offer different levels of coverage for physical damage; all plans offer $1M in liability coverage.

• Payments are initiated 30 minutes after a trip ends. Hosts are paid via direct deposit within 1 - 3 business days.

What can you expect to earn?
Most cars fetch anywhere from $20 - $70 a day.

Pavemint

Pavemint: A great way to rent out an unused parking spot.

• You can list both business and residential parking on Pavemint's app. All addresses will be verified to ensure no one can claim and get paid for your spot.

• Charge guests a flat rate for your space or a price based on how long they'll use it.

• Payments are made in Venmo or via direct deposit. They arrive in 4 - 6 days.

What can you expect to earn?
Hourly rates can be $2 - $6, while flat rates are anywhere from $10 - $30.

Offer Your Expertise

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Do you have expertise in a specific area? Even skills that you normally take for granted can be valuable, like language translation, neat penmanship, or proofreading.

Fiverr

Fiverr: A great option for those with slightly less time on their hands.

• List your skills on Fiverr for free. You can charge anywhere from $5 - $995 for your services.

• You can invest as much (or as little) time to create your listing. Many people post quick tasks like proofreading or translation.

• Once you complete a buyer's order, money will be transferred to your account.

What can you expect to earn?
If you charge $5 for a service on Fiverr, you'll end up with under $4 after all fees are taken out. You'll need to complete almost 30 tasks to earn $100.

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Skillshare

Skillshare: Create 30- or 40-minute courses and projects in your area of expertise.

• Skillshare offers free resources for new "teachers" to help you create your first courses in 30 days.

• Earn money from royalties based on the number of minutes watched in your classes and referrals to the Skillshare Premium Membership.

• Payments are earned monthly and deposited into your PayPal account. You cannot earn money from Skillshare without PayPal.

What can you expect to earn?
It depends heavily on how much your teachings are desired, and how well you market your content.

Teachable

Teachable: The most involved option for those who want to get creative.

• Teachable is perfect for building out a comprehensive brand of content.

• You are responsible for marketing your content and are able to set your own pricing.

• Payments are earned monthly and are deposited into your PayPal account.

What can you expect to earn?
Similar to Skillshare, you can your earnings depend so much on just how much you charge, but also how you market what you have to offer.

Participate in Market Research

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Sites like Respondent and Fieldwork allow you to earn cash by answering questions via phone, webcam, or in-person.

Respondent

Respondent: Apply to participate in studies and make an average of $140 per hour.

• Upon registration, you must connect to either a LinkedIn or Facebook profile in order to verify your demographic and employment.

• If you're invited to participate in a study, you can select a time to complete it that fits your schedule.

• Payments are offered via PayPal and can take up to 10 business days to arrive in your account.

What can you expect to earn?
Your earnings will largely depend on your eligibility. You can earn an average of $140 per hour on Respondent.

Fieldwork

Fieldwork: Join a focus group in one of Fieldwork's 11 offices across the US.

• Focus groups are primarily held in physical offices. But participants in remote areas can register through a national database for phone or online interviews.

• After registering and providing information about yourself, Fieldwork will contact you if you qualify for a study.

• Sessions last 1 - 2 hours and compensation starts at $75. Participants are paid via Visa gift cards.

What can you expect to earn?
On average, people earn roughly $30 - $75 per hour on Fieldwork.

Prolific

Prolific: A popular option for online market research with a user-friendly platform.

• Upon registration, you'll be prompted to provide information about yourself.

• A random group of eligible participants is emailed when a new study is available. Note that if you're not eligible for any current surveys, new studies are posted regularly.

• A researcher must review and approve your responses before compensation is posted to your account; this process typically takes a few days.

What can you expect to earn?
Prolific may pay less than $10 for each survey, although it will likely take less time to join a focus group.

Run Some Errands

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Helping members of your community is an easy way to make extra cash. You can assemble furniture, make deliveries, or dog sit using these sites:

TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit: Perfect for those good at handiwork, installation, and assembly, among other tasks.

• Registration requires a non-refundable $20 fee and a background check to ensure you are fit to work as a "tasker."

• New taskers attend an orientation to learn the ropes and specify a "Work Area Map" where they're willing to do work.

• Taskers are paid 85% of the price of the task performed. (15% is paid to TaskRabbit as a service fee.)

What can you expect to earn?
New taskers typically earn about $22 an hour.

Instacart

Instacart: Get paid to purchase and deliver groceries.

• You must be over 18, have consistent access to a smartphone, and be eligible to work in the United States.

• Shoppers are paid weekly; earnings can be maximized by working on peak shopping days.

What can you expect to earn?
Drivers report a per-hour average of nearly $11.

Rover

Rover: Walk, house, and play with dogs around your community.

• After your application is approved (typically within 5 days), you can accept bookings for dog sitting, dog boarding, and more.

• Your payment will be available in your PayPal account or via check within two days of completing an assignment. Rover keeps 20% of your earnings.

• Depending on what services you'll offer, you may be charged a small fee to cover a background check.

What can you expect to earn?
Dog walkers can earn about $15 an hour, while dog-sitters can earn about $40 per night.

Multi-task at Home

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These are options that can work for almost anyone. Fill out surveys, complete microtasks, or test websites during your spare time (or even on breaks at work). The money may build up slowly, but you can't beat the convenience factor.

Amazon Mechanical Turk

Amazon Mechanical Turk: Complete microtasks from the comfort of your home.

• You'll need to provide your SSN so they can verify your information. Then you're ready to complete the Human Intelligence Tasks (HITs).

• You'll need to complete at least one HIT on 10 days which may or may not be consecutive.

• Expect to be paid $6 - $12 per hour of HITs.

What can you expect to earn?
The average hourly wage for Amazon Mechanical Turk is around $2.

Opinion Outpost

Opinion Outpost: One of the more user-friendly survey websites.

• Complete a profile and provide information about yourself; it's also free to join!

• Surveys take around 10 - 15 minutes to complete.

• Each time you complete a survey, you'll earn points that can convert into cash or gift cards (Amazon or others).

What can you expect to earn?
Users report earning an average of $6 per hour of survey-taking with Opinion Outpost.

User testing

UserTesting: Get paid to test websites and share your opinions with researchers.

• Registration is simple: Enter your email address and complete a sample test. Once you've been approved, you're ready to start earning money.

• Tests take around 10 - 20 minutes and pay $10. You'll receive payment via PayPal exactly 7 days after completing a test.

• You'll need a reliable internet connection, as well as a microphone (or earbuds with a microphone) in order to offer feedback aloud.

What can you expect to earn?:
You can earn $10 for every 20-minute video you watch through UserTesting.

Put Your Purchases to Work

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You can earn and save money from regular everyday purchases. Check out a few options below.

Acorns

Acorns: Round your credit or debit purchases to the nearest dollar and watch your investments grow.

• Acorns rounds up your debit and credit card purchases to the nearest dollar and collects that "loose change" in an account.

• Once your "Round-Ups" top $5, Acorns transfers it to an investment portfolio based on your personal information.

• Depending on the plan you choose, there will be a monthly fee of $3 - $12.

What can you expect to save?
You might need 200+ transactions a month to reach $100 using acorns.

Honey

Honey: Install this browser extension and find coupon codes for 30K+ stores online.

• Honey automatically checks for available coupon codes for online stores where you shop, including e-commerce giants like Amazon.

• You can enroll in the Honey Gold rewards program to earn a percentage back from purchases on 4K+ participating sites.

• Use Honey's price history tool on Amazon and avoid overspending on frequently discounted items.

What can you expect to save?
Because it entirely depends on your shopping habits, the more time you put into historical sales trends, the more likely you are to save big.

Paribus

Paribus: Find a lower price for something you already bought? Paribus will get you a refund.

• The Paribus app identifies recent, refundable purchases based on shipping and order confirmation emails found in your inbox.

• The app will file a claim with retailers to request a refund on items whose prices have dropped by at least $3. Paribus then issues 100% of the price difference to you.

• Once a retailer confirms a price adjustment, your refund is typically issued within 3 - 7 business days to the account used to make the original purchase.

What can you expect to save?
Similar to Honey, Paribus entirely depends on how much you spend, and how much you're willing to put into price research.

Go the Rideshare Route

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Rideshare apps are popular for a reason: You can earn extra cash with own car on your own schedule. If you're thinking of joining the fleet, take a look at these options.

Uber

Uber: This rideshare industry pioneer boasts a network of over 3 million drivers worldwide.

• Meet Uber's driver requirements: at least 21 years old, in-state auto insurance, driver's license, and plates with current registration, plus a 4-door vehicle no more than 10 years old.

• Uber charges their drivers a 25% fee on all fares. Payments are initiated weekly on Mondays and reflected in driver bank accounts by Thursday.

• Uber offers car rental programs for aspiring drivers without their own car. All drivers are covered with Uber's $1M insurance policy while en route.

What can you expect to earn?
Average earnings for Uber drivers will range from $11 - $15 per hour.

Lyft

Lyft: Another rideshare industry giant, Lyft offers competitive pay for drivers.

• Lyft has driver requirements very similar to Uber, though their car requirements will vary from city to city.

• Lyft's Platform fee charged to drivers is the difference between what passengers pay and the cumulative driver earnings. Unlike Uber's static 25% fee, this fee will vary.

• The site also offers rental car programs for those without their own ride. All drivers are covered with Lyft's $1M insurance policy while driving.

What can you expect to earn?
Similar to Uber, average earnings for Lyft drivers are $11 - $15 per hour.

Hop Skip Drive

HopSkipDrive: Provides ride services for kids to help out busy parents in Southern California, the Bay Area, and Colorado.

• You must complete the 15-point certification process, which includes background checks, fingerprinting, and driver training, among other checkpoints.

• The platform's services fee varies depending on which area you're driving.

• Payments are initiated weekly on Mondays and are reflected in your bank account on Tuesdays or Wednesdays (depending on your bank).

What can you expect to earn?
HopSkipDrive claims drivers can earn up to $30 per hour through their platform.

Get Creative

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Earning extra cash doesn't have to feel like work. If you're a photographer, designer, or crafty with knitting needles, you can earn extra money by sharing your talents with the world.

When using any of these apps or websites, don't forget any transaction fees when estimating your monthly earnings.

Creative Market

Creative Market: One of the biggest online marketplaces for designers selling graphics, fonts, and illustrations.

• Your listed items go live instantly. Set your own prices and keep 70% of the sale.

• After making at least $20, you can request a payout. You will receive your earnings on the 15th of the following month.

• Creative Market doesn't enforce exclusivity with their "shop owners," meaning you can sell the same products elsewhere on the internet.

What can you expect to earn?
Depends on how established you are within the community. On average established creatives earn around $500 per month.

Foap

Foap: Upload your photos and videos to this app and get paid by brands, agencies, or anyone browsing for content.

• Download the Foap app and set up your PayPal information. Once you start selling photos, you can request a payout at any time.

• Charge up to $60 for a photo and split the sale with Foap 50/50. To maximize your chances, be sure to caption and tag your photo or video appropriately.

• Brands and agencies often host "Missions," which are special contests where selected photos and videos win larger payouts.

What can you expect to earn?
People who devote more time to listing their photos and monitoring the app will likely earn more. Join Foap's "Missions" and, if your photo or video is selected, you can earn $100 - $300.

Etsy

Etsy: One of the first online marketplaces for selling handmade goods, Etsy boasts a network of 1.8M sellers.

• Creating a shop on Etsy is free. But you'll pay a listing fee of $0.20 per item, as well as a 5% transaction fee and a 3% processing fee.

• Etsy offers three website packages to accommodate businesses of every size: "Plus" and "Premium" plans offer more advanced tools for larger operations.

• Use Etsy's support specialists to get tips on running a successful shop or communicate with fellow sellers in Etsy's community forums.

What can you expect to earn?
Well-established Etsy shop owners make an average of $500 from selling their items.

Look to the Medical Field

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Medical institutes and schools are willing to pay for time and services rendered. These can range from simple studies, to donating plasma.

Since these options are a little more invasive, you may earn $300 - $500. Clinical trials can last a month or longer. If you need to make money quickly, consider donating plasma or participating in a shorter-term psychological study instead.

Program for Healthy Volunteers

Program for Healthy Volunteers: The National Institute of Health's online resource for those open to clinical trials. These sessions may be invasive or time-intensive.

• The program offers trial opportunities for those with no significant health problems to test a new drug or device.

• Search through the website's database of nationwide clinical trials to find one near you.

• Compensation per study will vary. You may be entitled to additional compensation if asked to undergo a procedure.

Stanford Psychological Studies

Stanford Psychological Studies: Get compensated for psychological research done at the Stanford campus or online.

• Stanford's Department of Psychology regularly conducts studies on the Stanford campus, but also offers opportunities for online experiments.

• To participate in one of Stanford's studies, you'll need to complete a brief online questionnaire and provide your contact information.

• Many of Stanford's studies are paid by the hour, with some offering as much as $20 for each hour for your participation.

Donate Plasma

Donate Plasma: Get paid to provide a life-saving resource for those in need.

• Specific donor requirements will vary across donation centers. But all donors must be in good health, at least 18 years old, 110 pounds, and have not gotten a tattoo or piercing in the last 12 months.

• Once you've confirmed your eligibility, refer to the CSL Plasma website to find a donation center near you. The donation process will generally take about 90 minutes.

• Compensation varies, but CSL Plasma claims donors can make up to $400 a month.

Go Back to Basics

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There's nothing wrong with taking the old-fashioned route. Think about hosting a garage sale, recycling, or offering yardwork services to your neighbors. Although they're low-tech options, you still stand to make a decent amount of extra cash.

A well-planned garage sale can net you $500 or more over the course of a weekend. When it comes to recycling and yardwork, the money will add up more slowly. 1,000 bottles at 10 cents each is $100 by month's end. Charging $20 a lawn for cutting the grass can earn you the same.

Garage Sale

A great way to unload your unwanted items in one weekend.

• At least a week before you host your sale, check with local city ordinances and acquire any necessary permits.

• If you don't have enough items for a solo sale, ask friends and family if they have things to sell. You'll have to split the earnings, but you may attract more buyers.

• Put up at least 10 - 12 colorful signs around your neighborhood a few days before the event. Make sure your signs are clear, minimal, and include your address.

Recycle

Do good for the environment while earning some extra cash.

• States will pay varying amounts for recycled bottles and cans. Check the National Conference of State Legislature website to see if your state has a Bottle Bill.

• Ask friends and family to set aside their bottles and cans and offer to pick them up weekly.

• Check websites like Earth911 and RecyclingCenters.org to search for the locations and hours of recycling centers near you.

Neighborhood Yardwork

Help out your neighbors by cleaning up their yard (and get some exercise, too).

• Consider what yardwork equipment you have and which seasonal tasks people are willing to pay for.

• Print fliers, post them in local gathering spots, or advertise your services on neighborhood social networks like Nextdoor or community Facebook groups.

• Make sure your clients are happy with your work. Repeat customers and referrals will help you earn more cash.

Bottom Line

Before taking on a new project or side hustle, be sure to do your research. Search for tips online, ask friends about their experiences, and plan accordingly.

Over the course of a month, you'll earn some extra cash and learn some new skills in the process.