Life can be expensive no matter what time of year it is, but the costs really tend to add up in the summer. Why is that? There are a couple of reasons.
First, if you have children, they are out of school and have more time to engage in various activities ? which usually cost money. Also, many families try to take at least one vacation during the summer season, which obviously costs money as well.
Second, there are lots of outdoor projects that often require attention if you are a homeowner. Things like lawn care and landscaping can be DIY projects, which cuts down on some costs but they still aren’t free.
When you add it up, those extra expenses could have your bank account?looking a little sparse during the warm summer months. To pad your budget and give yourself a little extra money to spend, it is a great idea to look for additional sources of income beyond your regular job. Thankfully, in today’s technology era, you shouldn?t have to look far.
Consider one or more of the following five ideas for making some extra money this summer.
Selling Items Online
This approach is great because it takes care of two problems at once. It can put some extra money in your pocket as well as clearing up some of the clutter around your house. If you took a quick look around your home right now, you could very likely find at least a few items that you don?t want or need.
Those items could potentially be sold online to return you a nice little sum of cash. Once sold, you will have the money in your hands and also will have made space in your house. A win-win! If you don’t want to sell items online, you can still make money this summer through taking surveys or cash back on your normal shopping. I do this by using Swagbucks. You won’t get rich by using Swagbucks, but it’s a nice little way to earn a little extra cash or Amazon gift cards. You can sign up for Swagbucks here and earn an extra $5 sign-up bonus?as a new member.
Do Yard Work on the Side
Instead of paying someone to do your yard work, you could be making money by doing yard work for others. Mowing lawns isn?t just a way for teenagers to make extra money ? people of all ages can offer yard work services to others in their neighborhood.
You don?t even need to go around knocking on doors uninvited, as you probably already know a few people in your life that could use help with the yard work. This is especially true of senior citizens. If you do good work and charge a fair rate and your help will be greatly appreciated and word will spread fast.
Pick Up an Evening Job
The longer hours of daylight during the summer mean that many businesses stay open later than they do during the rest of the year. This can be an opportunity for you to pick up a second job working a few hours in the evening a couple nights a week or on the weekends.
Consider Seasonal Employment
In addition to more work being available during the summer evenings, there are also many seasonal jobs that tend to pop up during the summer. Often, these are associated with tourist areas that are only busy during vacation season. If you would like to pick up a little extra work, look to the areas near your home that attract summer visitors.
Find Freelance Work Online
If you have a specific skill that you can offer online, seek out clients and work part time as a freelancer. There is very little cost or time required to get started, and you can fit your work in around the rest of your schedule quite easily.
Have you tried any of these suggestions to make extra money? What are some other ways you can think of to make extra money this summer?
Photo courtesy of: Martin Cathrae