We live in times with an uncertain future and a world where the costs of living keep rising year after year. It seems like, no matter how much money you make, you always struggle to pay all of your bills and loans. However, people run into unplanned expenses all the time. Your car breaks down, or you have to go to a birthday, or have an emergency, are all things that can stretch your finances over the limit. If you’re in a similar situation, you should know that there are all kinds of methods you can try to earn an extra $500 every month. Keep reading, and we’ll give you a few options on how to do just that.
10 Easy Ways to Make Extra $500 per Month
- Take Paid Online Surveys
- Start Using Cashback Apps
- Sell What You Don’t Need Via Decluttr
- Start Your Own Blog
- Become a Virtual Assistant
- Use Credit Card Rewards
- Become an Online Proofreader
- Become a Driver
- Make Money On Photography
- Work Out And Get Paid
- Special Offers to Get More Rewards
So, let get started..
Important Statistics
Before we get to the methods, we must look at some of the stats to give you a better idea of how things work. Based on the data collected by the Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking or SHED, the results are demotivating.
According to this survey, 40% of adults in the US struggle to cover unexpected expenses of $400. 1 out of 5 adults doesn’t make enough money to cover all of their monthly bills, and 1 out of 4 doesn’t make enough money to pay for medical care. That’s a huge percentage of people living in the US that adds up to over 60 million residents in total.
According to another survey, 35% of Americans didn’t make enough money for a normal life in 2019, while around %50 of citizens live from one paycheck to another.
As you can see, a large portion of the population is struggling to make enough money to cover their basic needs, so legally making an extra $500 every month is always welcome. Here a few methods that can help you achieve that if you want to secure your future.
1. Take Paid Online Surveys
One of the easiest ways to make an extra $500 a month is by completing online surveys. Let’s be honest, most people spend at least an hour or two surfing the internet over their phones, so why not earn some cash while you’re at it? A few survey sites allow you to complete different questionnaires and get paid for your answers. SurveyJunkie is one of those websites, but you can do the same at Toluna Influencers and Swagbucks. All you have to do is download the app, answer a few questions, and you’ll get a certain amount of cash on your PayPal account. Repeat the same process over and over, and you’ll get that $500 in no time at all.
Each survey takes about 5 minutes to complete, and it will get you between $0.50 and $10, depending on the questions. The best thing is that you can become a member for free, and if you complete surveys, you will get paid no matter what. Once the money is transferred to your PayPal account, you can use it any way you please.
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2. Start Using Cashback Apps
Many people are unaware that there are multiple cashback apps that allow you to make 500 dollars quickly and without too much hassle. These apps offer cash rewards every time you buy something, without a catch. Here’s how they work:
- First, you have to download one of these apps.
- Then, install the app and use it to scan your receipts.
- Repeat the process with every receipt, and you will earn some cash back!
You might have a hard time earning 500 bucks, but you will surely be able to make a few hundred dollars if you scan every receipt within a month. If you combine that with surveys and other methods from our list, you could earn much more than 500 dollars.
RELATED: Try the Rewards Survey and get a $30 Reward instantly.
3. Sell What You Don’t Need Via Decluttr
Each one of us owns stuff we don’t need or use anymore. That’s why some people organize garage sales. They make room in their garages while getting some money in the process. While that’s a pretty good method of making some extra cash, it’s limited locally, so you might not get the amount of money you need to cover your monthly bills.
Well, we’ve got great news for you. There’s an app called Decluttr, and it allows you to put your garage sale online, which increases your chances of making a sale and thus, earning the money you need for bills and other expenses. You can do the same by using Facebook’s native feature called Marketplace, and you can also post your items on Craigslist and eBay.
The beauty of using this app is in its simplicity. You just list the items you don’t need for sale, and when someone buys them, you just send them directly via mail, and you receive your money directly on your PayPal. The app isn’t designed for all types of items, but if you have old DVDs, CDs, and gadgets, it will help you get some cash in a matter of days.
All you have to do to get started is to download the app, scan the items you want to sell, and if they are accepted, you will receive a free shipping label. Just pick the items you want to sell and ship them immediately. The money you get will be sent to your PayPal account, but you can also get direct deposits and even checks. It’s as simple as that.
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4. Start Your Blog
If done right, blogging can become your primary source of income. Many successful bloggers started blogging to earn some extra cash but ended up becoming professional writers. The good thing about blogging is that you don’t need to invest a lot to start doing it. If you own a laptop or a PC, you can start blogging right now. With a little bit of luck, you can turn your blog into a career and earn more cash than doing any other 9 to 5 job.
Blogging is not that hard, but it does rest on specific rules you have to stick by if you want to succeed. Once you start your blog, you probably won’t be very successful at first. However, as you keep improving your skills, your chances of success will increase as well. Not only that, you’ll get to discuss ideas with people from all over the planet, and if you like writing, blogging can help you start your dream job. It can make you much more than $500 per month.
Watch a few tutorials, read through as many blogs as you can to get a better idea of the style that works best, and then write what you’re thinking about on a piece of paper as a concept. After that, expand your original idea, and if you’re skilled with words, running a blog will make you happier than you can imagine.
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5. Become a Virtual Assistant
To become a virtual assistant, you must be ready to learn and do as you’re told. If you have some other skills to offer, you could earn hundreds of dollars a month. Many business owners worldwide are looking for assistants that can help manage their emails, marketing, financials, and other aspects of their lives.
You can become a virtual assistant for any type of business, as your obligations will be almost the same, no matter where you work. If you show the right people that you have the skills needed to help them increase their company’s success, many business owners will be more than happy to hire you. Here are some of the activities you will be doing as a virtual assistant:
- Managing emails
- Entering critical data
- Managing social media
- Customer service
- Creating graphs
- Proofreading
- Online marketing
The truth is that you have endless possibilities, but your final job depends on the people who hire you. Working as a virtual assistant comes with many benefits. For example, you get to work whenever you want. Second, you can take your work with you, which means that you can focus more on traveling and meeting new people and cultures. It’s a fantastic way of earning some extra money fast, but if you’re skilled enough, you can make more money than you would when working for other people.
6. Use Credit Card Rewards
Since everyone uses a credit card to pay for products and services these days, you should think about applying for one that offers valuable cashback rewards and other benefits. You won’t lose anything, and if you have excellent credit scores, using these cards could help you save a lot of money every month. Before we get to more details, we’re going to say that you should skip this option entirely if you’re not the type of person that pays your card balance on time.
However, if you do have an excellent score and take your credit cards seriously, you should try to qualify for some of the best credit cards on the market. We won’t name any of them right now, but let’s just say that many of these cards offer bonuses up to $500, and you can also get multiple benefits like discounts on traveling cashback rewards, and even free trips.
RELATED: How to Choose the Right Credit Card
7. Earn Extra Income As An Online Proofreader
If you’re the type of person that can’t stand grammatical errors and typos when reading online material, working as a proofreader might be the perfect job for you. Proofreading is one of the newer online professions that can earn you up to $4.000 per month if you’re good at finding mistakes. You can do this as a second job, but if you’ve got the nerve and the required skills, you can make a healthy career out of it.
Making $500 a month by working as a proofreader is more than possible, but only when you prove to do your job well. With a little bit of elbow grease, you can switch to tutoring other people to make money working as proofreaders after some time. This profession is ideal for people looking for some extra income and more freedom.
8. Become a Driver
How many people you know earn some extra cash by working as a driver for Lyft and Uber? We sure know quite a few, and we know for a fact that driving is one of the best and easiest ways to earn an extra 500 bucks every month. All you need is a car in good condition and a valid driver’s license. You can apply for the job directly through one of these apps, and if you’re accepted, you can start driving people around in your free time to earn some extra cash. The entire platform is super-flexible, so you can pick the time and date when you want to work.
There are all kinds of bonuses you can compete for, and if you take things seriously, you can turn this part-time job into your primary source of income. Not to mention that you’ll get to meet all kinds of people. Who knows, maybe someone offers you a job or at least gives you some advice on how to earn even more money every month.
9. Make Money On Photography
Did you know that you can make money by selling your photos? There’s this app called Foap, and it allows you to post any photo you’ve taken with your phone. If you manage to make some nice photos, the app will pay you for each one you upload. When someone buys the license for your photos, you will get 5 dollars.
While that doesn’t seem like a lot of money, if you’re the type of person that likes to take photos all the time, you might be able to make a hefty sum in 30 days. This option is not for everyone, but if you like photography and invest energy into it as a hobby, there’s no reason why you couldn’t monetize your work. Try it, and you might be surprised when you see how many people think your photography is worth paying for.
Try shutterstock.com
10. Work Out And Get Paid
Now, this one could sound like a fairytale, but it’s 100% true. HealthyWage is a platform that’s willing to pay you up to $10.000 if you reach your fitness goals. It’s not a scam; it’s the real deal. Here’s how it works: first, you have to apply to participate in the weight loss program challenge. You will have to use the on-site calculator to set specific goals for yourself. Then, you start working on those goals alone or in a team. If you manage to meet the deadline and shed enough weight in the process, the platform will pay you the agreed sum displayed after you finish your calculations. It’s like you’re betting that you can lose enough weight, and the app will pay you if you do. So, you won’t be just earning money; you will become healthier in the process as well. If that’s not good enough of a motivation, we don’t know what is.
11. Check Special Offers to Earn More
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many different ways that can help you earn well over $500 a month if you’re willing to put some effort into one of them. If you have the time, you can combine a few methods we’ve listed, and you can get a lot of money quickly. For example, you can apply for a credit card that offers great rewards, combine that with a few hours of proofreading a day, and use cashback apps to generate even more money at the same time. Doing something like that will help you feel safer, and you’ll always have some extra money on the side if you run into unexpected bills and spending. We hope that we gave you a few good ideas on how to earn extra cash and build yourself a more stable future.
Also, read – How to Waste Less Money, for more ideas.