3 Ways to Get More Money That You Might Not Know About
If you’re in need of extra cash but don’t have the time to pick up a part-time job, check out these ways to make money that you might not have thought of before.
JJ Watt, Partner
You’ve made a budget and stuck to it, sold spare items around your house and really tried to cut back on your spending, but you still don’t have the money you need for a project, a debt or something else you desperately want or need. What else is there? You might be surprised to find that there are several other options.
Pick up some gig work
If you considered and rejected the idea of getting a second job, did you think about gig work? Basically, gig work offers the benefits of a second job without the drawbacks, namely the exhaustion of adding an additional 10 to 20 hours per week on top of the full-time job that you already have. The gig economy offers many opportunities to make some extra money when it’s convenient for you.
The great thing about the gig economy is that you don’t necessarily have to have a particular skill to benefit.
If you have a particular talent, like writing, or an in-demand skill, like teaching or computer programming, you’ll find a lot of opportunities. However, the great thing about the gig economy is that you don’t necessarily have to have a particular skill to benefit. If you love animals, you can pet sit. People will pay you to mow their lawns or help them put together furniture. If you own a vehicle, driving is another tried and true way of making money in the gig economy.
Sell your life insurance
You probably knew that your life insurance policy had some value, but you might not be aware that you can collect on it while you are still alive. You may be able to sell your life insurance policy if you have whole life instead of term. You can review a guide on selling your policy through a life settlement, which can net you a significant sum of money. Do some research and find out what your policy is worth.
Research studies, focus groups and online surveys
Do you smoke, or are you a nonsmoker, or do you exercise regularly, or are you over the age of 18, or do you wear glasses? There are many research studies that need people from specific populations, and you can make anywhere from $10 to thousands of dollars participating in them. On top of that, you may be doing humanity as a whole a great service by helping scientists gain more knowledge that can help cure diseases.
If there is a university near you, check out what kind of research they are doing and see if you can sign up for bulletins about their research.
Focus groups and online surveys are in general somewhat less lucrative and may pay you something more in the neighborhood of $5 to $100, but they can be fun to participate in, and in some cases, they are things you can do while watching TV. You may be able to find a limited number of research studies online as well although they tend to pay substantially less than the ones that you do in person. You may be able to find sites or organizations that allow you to sign up and receive notifications when they do a study, focus group or survey that you might be eligible for.