5 Ways I’m Making Money This Year

Last week, I shared 5 Easy Ways I’m Saving Money This Year. It only seems natural to follow it up with my companion post of 5 Easy Ways I’m Making Money This Year. I am a firm believer that every little bit adds up. I’m tracking my extra sources of income and it will be interesting to see what my year end totals add up to be. Here’s what I am doing this year to earn a bit of extra money.

1. I’m searching on Bing and Swagbucks. Both of these are search engines that allow you to earn gift cards for searching online. With only a minute or two of my time every day, I easily earn at least one $5 gift card a month. I like Amazon gift cards because I can use them for anything. If you aren’t using either of those, I recommend Bing first, and Swagbucks second. I earn a Bing gift card every month, and a Swagbucks one every other month. Still, that averages to around $90 a year in free Amazon gift cards. So far, I’ve redeemed $20 in Amazon gift cards and I almost ready to cash out again.

2. I’m selling things on Craiglist. I’ve sold a bit on Craiglist in the past, but I decided to really pursue it this year. It’s simple to do. So far, I’ve sold 5 Colts sweatshirts, 2 lamps, a stack of adult fiction books, and 2 bar stools. For all of these things, I’ve made $135 for selling those things. I’ve cleared our house out of excess items and I’ve made money in the process. Go ahead and list your items. It’s amazing what sells! Now, I’m looking for more things to sell on Craiglist.

3. I’m selling books at Half Price books. I’m a huge reader. I love reading, especially when I can review great new books. After I share my new books with all those who want to read them, I keep my favorites and have tried selling some at Half Price Books. Now, I have learned a couple things in this process. First, I only take in 2 to 3 books at a time. Why? Half Price Books gives you one quote for all the books and you have to take it or leave it. Also, newer books will earn you more. Last time, I took in 2 of my newer books from previous reviews, and they offered me $8 – in cash. Since I didn’t pay for the books initially, that is complete profit. I have a couple more books to sell at Half Price Books next time I drive past. To see if there is a Half Price Books near you, visit the HFP website to search for the nearest store. It’s my favorite book store!

4. I’m answering online surveys. I’ve been answering surveys for years. I go through spurts where I won’t answer surveys for a couple of weeks, and then I answer a several in one day to get caught up. Pinecone is my favorite company because I qualify for all the surveys I receive. However, they only open up occasionally. The other survey company I use is Opinion Outpost. You can cash out at $5 for an Amazon card or $10 for Paypal cash. So far, I’ve cashed out $13 from surveys.

5. I’m participating in the Be Well, Serve Well challenge again. Unlike the above money-making ideas, this one applies only to LCMS church workers (and their spouses) who participate in the Concordia Health Plan. This is an opportunity for us to earn $300 for making health choices. So far, I have completed a round of exercise and a journalling bonus, so I have already earned $75. Now, I’m in the midst of another round of exercising as well as a fruits and vegetables challenge.

I’m going to share one more item because I recently received a check that made me realize I have another good way of earning money.

6. I shop online through Ebates. Ebates is an online program that gives you a specific percentage back for each purchase you make online. The only catch is that you have to start at the Ebates site because then it automatically tracks how much you spend and how much you earn. Ebates sends out checks four times a year. If your balance is above $10, you will then receive a check in the mail. What a concept – earning money for those good online deals. You have to check what stores there are available but, with the exception of Amazon, there are hundreds of stores that will reward you through Ebates! If you haven’t already, I highly recommend signing up with Ebates to make yourself a little bit of extra online money.

Those are some of the ways that I’m making a little bit of extra money because every little bit adds up. Are you doing anything to earn some extra money this year?