5 Fairly Simple Money-Making Ideas To Survive Hard Times

If you are facing difficult times, you need an effective way to supplement your income. It’s tough out there and finding a way to make money simply is an important part of getting by, whether it’s a temporary problem or a longer-term issue you are trying to deal with. 

There are some obvious ideas, like getting in on the gig economy to drive for a ride-share company. If you do choose to drive, be sure your insurance policy covers it and take steps to be safe out there. 

Related: 101 Ways to save money this month

1| Recycle 

Go through junk drawers and cupboards to find all of your old gadgets, whether it’s an old phone, laptop, or tablet. There are plenty of websites out there that will buy your old tech for a fair price. It’s a great way to get yourself a little stack of cash. Of course, you can only do it once so, when your gadgets are gone, they’re gone. 

You can also sell your old clothes. Again, there are plenty of websites designed for selling your wardrobe, whether you have clothes you don’t wear anymore, luxury items, or shoes you’ve never worn. There are even some sites, like ThredUp, you can sell to directly and will cover all the shipping costs. 

You can also sell photos, whether it’s landscapes or otherwise. If you take a look at the images blogs and websites use, you can shoot along those themes and upload photos that are more likely to take off. All of the major stock photography sites offer a commission if your photos make sales. 

2| Cash For Reviews

You’re not going to earn a fortune this way but reviewing music for Slicethepie could net you an extra $50 a month. And all you need to do is listen to music and give your opinion. 

There is also a wide range of websites that will pay you to take surveys. Some of them offer vouchers or gift cards, but it’s extra cash you can use to live! And it’s something you can easily do while you listen to podcasts or watch television. Some surveys are short and pay a few cents, but other more intensive options can pay $10 or more. 

3| Scan Your Receipts 

An app like Ibotta can pay well and all you have to do is scan your receipts. You’re already spending the money, whether it’s on groceries, coffee, or cosmetics. You can get rebates by uploading your receipt. It isn’t about going out and buying specific items because they offer high rebates. It’s about taking advantage of the offers when you’ve just been to buy milk or you’ve been to Home Depot for whatever reason. 

4| Test Websites 

You might not realize it, but a lot of major companies seek feedback on their websites. They are willing to pay money for you to provide feedback on how usable it is. You can earn ten cents in a few seconds or $15 for a more time-consuming questionnaire. Checkealos pays around $10 for a 30-minute session, and Ferception pays as much as $25. There are more, you can sign up for all of them and choose the higher-paying options when they’re available!

5| Eat With 

This is for the introverts out there, particularly the ones who love to cook. Eat With is a great site that operates worldwide and connects travellers from all over. You can sign up to host people for dinner food experiences. As the host, you set your rate per guest, you choose the dates and times you are available, and you also set the max number of people you will host. You might be surprised by how much you can earn hosting a small dinner party.