41 Easy Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month

Whether it’s to pay off debt, boost your savings or simply to have a bit of extra fun money, working out how to make an extra $500 a month can really help to stretch your budget further.

Fortunately, it’s not actually that hard to do, no matter which way you choose to do it. In fact, you can easily find what is, for you, the best way to make an extra $500 a month from home, online, on the side, as passive income or in dividends by investing in stocks.

To simplify it even further, it’s actually equivalent to earning less than $17 a day – which literally anyone can do. 

This is why this article will show you a bunch of easy ways to make an extra $500 in one hit, while others will show you different ways to make less than this, on the basis that they’ll easily add up to $500 a month – or more.

And whatever your strengths, you’ll definitely find some ways on this list that will work for you.

How to make an extra $500 a month online

There are plenty of ways for how to make an extra $500 a month online, all of which can even be done on the side of your “real” job or on a part time basis if you’re, say, looking after your kids.

The great thing about these is that you can work on them whenever you have free time, so you’re not limited to only working during business hours. This means they’re perfect for people who need flexibility.

1. Working as a virtual assistant

If you haven’t heard of a virtual assistant before, it’s someone who supports business owners with basically any task they may need relating to their business.

This could include more traditional administrative work, like managing emails and providing customer support. But it can also be so much more than that, including things like editing content before it’s posted, doing graphic design, managing social media pages and more!

In fact, this free list of 275+ services that virtual assistants can offer will give you a really good idea of what you could do in this role – including anything you think you’d be particularly good at.

And with good VAs being invaluable to business owners, you can actually earn up to $50 per hour doing this. This means that working only three hours per week could see you make an extra $500 a month!

Find out more about how to become a virtual assistant here.

2. Blogging

Many people may think of blogging as those people who treat their websites like a diary, posting about anything and everything they think of.

However, that time has long passed. Instead, blogging is basically the same idea as owning and managing a website – like this one – and it can make you serious money.

In fact, while you may be wondering how to make $500 a month blogging, that should actually only be your starting goal. After all, there are many bloggers easily making a six-figure income from their websites.

3. Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the most lucrative ways for you to earn money, whether it be on your own website or through a social media profile.

How it works is that you recommend a product from a particular company. If someone clicks your link and buys or signs up for the item, you’ll earn a commission.

This means that once you’ve set up the links and built up your traffic enough, it’s basically passive income. This is because people can continue to visit your site, click your links and earn you money even when you’re not working on it.

However, there is a bit of strategy to it – if you simply slap some links on to a page, no one will click. This is why it’s important to do affiliate marketing properly if you want to earn good money this way.

That’s why we’d recommend learning from someone who’s doing just that, earning far, far more than $500 a month from their affiliate marketing.

Specifically, sign up now for this free affiliate marketing workshop run by someone who makes six figures from their site – and can show you how to do the same.

4. Watching videos

If you spend any time randomly scrolling through your phone while procrastinating, whether it be on your commute, sitting on the couch watching TV or waiting for the kids to finish sports practice, you could be using this time to make money.

Swagbucks is perfect for this. It’s an app where you can make money from things such as watching videos, playing games or completing surveys. And given that it’s paid out over $300 million to its users, it’d definitely legit.

Based on our in-depth Swagbucks review, we definitely recommend it as a way to make some extra money – starting with a free $5 sign up bonus you’ll get, just for verifying your email address.

5. Take advantage of sign-up bonuses

There are plenty of apps out there that will pay you simply for signing up to them. And some of these sign-up bonuses are seriously generous.

Some of our favorites include:

• Swagbucks: $5 welcome bonus
• Ibotta: $20 welcome bonus 
• Rakuten: $10 welcome bonus

Rakuten and Ibotta are apps that will give you cash back on your shopping, which we’ll go into in more detail below. Safe to say though, they’re definitely worth downloading if you’re looking to make more money – especially when you can earn an easy $40, just from a few clicks.

Related: 42 Best Passive Income Apps to Make Money on Your Phone

6. Get referral bonuses

…and those apps also have some bonus ways to make money too.

That is, you can actually make even more money by having your friends sign up through your own personal referral link.

To get this link, simply sign up to each of them then click through to your account profile.

And in terms of how much you can earn:

• Swagbucks: $3 for each referral + 10% of whatever your friend earns forever
• Ibotta: $5 for each referral
• Rakuten: $25 for each referral

So having even two friends to sign up for each of these when combined with your welcome bonus will immediately earn you over $100.

(And that’s not even considering the 10% forever bonus offered by Ibotta!)

Which means that these apps can easily help you to make an extra $500 a month online.

7. Working as a virtual friend

It’s no surprise to hear that many people find themselves struggling these days to get the social interaction they crave.

And this need has allowed a new money making opportunity to arise through letting people get paid to work as a virtual friend. 

How it works is that people pay you by the hour simply to talk to them. It’s completely platonic and is a great way to help people while also earning some really good money from it.

Find out more about getting paid to be an online friend here.

8. Testing websites

Website owners want to make sure that their site works perfectly before launching it to a wider audience – and that’s where you come in.

That is, a lot of companies will hire “normal” people to test their sites, simply by using them as a “normal” user would. This even includes major brands like Apple, Twitter and Microsoft.

Many tests only take around 10 minutes, for which you’ll earn $10 for your time. As an hourly rate, this means you’ll be well on your way to making an extra $500 a month, just from a few tests.

Find out more about testing websites for money here.

9. Working as a social media manager

It’s no secret that having a strong social media profile is important for almost any business these days. However, a lot of them – especially smaller, local ones – may not have the capacity to build up these profiles as much as they may need.

Fortunately, this presents a perfect money making opportunity for you. By working as a social media manager for different companies, you can help them expand their online reach.

Whether it be creating ads on Facebook, preparing and scheduling posts on Instagram or responding to customer Tweets, businesses will pay good money for someone who can build their online presence.

In fact, you can earn anywhere between $20 per hour to more than $100 an hour if you’re able to really specialize your skills.

Related: 6 Proven Ways to Make Money on Snapchat

How to make an extra $500 a month from your finances

When looking into how to make an extra $500 a month, our first instinct is often to find ways to earn extra income.

However, most of us are actually sitting on a potential $500 (or more) already, with only a few tweaks needed to our money management in order to access this.

And to really make sure you’re managing your money like a pro going forward, our favorite app for this is Personal Capital. It has everything you need to take control of your finances – and it’s free!

10. Getting cash back on your shopping

One of the best ways to make money is from doing something you’re already doing.

Which is why earning cash back on your shopping is one of the simplest methods around for doing just that.

This is why we always recommend that people use Ibotta. 

How it works is that when you shop at any of its 500,000 partner retailers, you can earn a portion of what you spend back as cash.

This means that it’s basically an automatic discount on things you’d be buying anyway, like groceries, clothes, medicine, health and wellness items…even alcohol.

Not to mention that just for redeeming your first offer, you’ll get a free $20 welcome bonus.

Check out our Ibotta review to find out more.

11. Cutting your bills automatically

Trim is easily one of the best free money management tools out there.

How it works is that the app looks at your bills and suggests which ones you can cut to save money.

This includes that it can automatically renegotiate your bills on your behalf, helping you to cut your spending on your internet and cable bills, your car insurance premium and more – all without you lifting a finger.

And given that it has average savings of $276 per user, you’d be halfway to making an extra $500 a month with this.

Better yet, it’s totally free to try!

Sign-up here to see where Trim can find ways for you to save money.

12. Refinancing your debt

If you carry any debt, your repayments probably take up a big chunk of your budget each month.

This is why you should set a reminder to check for better deals on a regular basis. In particular, refinancing your debt so that you can take advantage of having a lower interest rate can easily save you an extra $500 a month, if not more.

The best site out there for doing this is Credible. In only a few minutes, it will show you information from all the top lenders suited to your own circumstances, letting you see just what is on offer for you based on your situation.

And they’re so confident that they have the best results that they’ll actually pay you if you find a better refinancing deal elsewhere. For example, if you have student loans, they’ll give you $200 if you find a better offer on another site.

Click here to find out how much you can save.

Related: Make $200 a Day Online: 17 Ways That Are Proven To Work

13. Maximizing your savings

Even if you’ve been making an extra effort lately to save more money, there are probably areas of your budget where you can do better. And Stash Invest is a great app for helping you to do this.

First of all, it’s a micro-investing app, meaning that it makes small transfers to a separate account over time based on your spending. Once that transferred money reaches $5, it’s sent to an investment account.

(Although if your focus is mainly to start micro-investing, we’d actually recommend Acorns more – keep reading for more information on that app below.)

However, where Stash really shines is in its “Smart Stash” tool. This looks at how much you’ve been spending and calculates how much it thinks you have left to save. It will then help you reach that savings goal for the month.

It costs $1 a month in fees, which may be a bit steep depending on how much you’re saving. On the other hand, it could be priceless if it gets you into a better savings habit. And the massive $20 welcome bonus helps too!

14. Monitoring discounts on recent purchases

Paribus offers a very unique service, in that it keeps an eye on the cost of your recent purchases. If the price goes down, it automatically works to get you a refund of the difference in price.

The app also monitors your purchases to see if you’re entitled to any other bonuses. So if, say, something you bought was delivered late, Paribus will send you a notification that you’re able to ask for some compensation, such as a free month of Amazon Prime if you purchased something on Amazon.

(By the way, here’s a free month of Amazon Prime if you want it – no late delivery required!)

15. Maximizing your credit card rewards

Credit cards can actually help a lot with your finances if you use them properly – which essentially comes down to making sure you pay them off in full every month before you’re charged interest or late fees.

So if you’re good at managing your credit cards, Birch Finance could give you an extra boost.

What it does is look at your spending and make recommendations on how you could better maximize your rewards. It will also suggest different credit cards that may be even better for you based on your spending habits.

This makes it a great app for saving you time in doing your own credit card research – plus those rewards could very well help you make that extra $500 a month.

Related: 22 Proven Ways to Get Cash Urgently If You Need Money Desperately

How to make $500 a month in dividends from stocks

We all know that we should be investing to get ready for retirement but for many of us, it can be hard to know where to start.

Fortunately, there are some great apps out there to make this much more straightforward than it would be otherwise.

And once you invest enough over time, you’ll see exactly how to make an extra $500 a month in dividends from stocks.

16. Micro-investing

Micro-investing won’t make you rich, but it is a great way to dip your toes into the investing pool so you can see just what it’s all about.

And the best in the business is Acorns. With over $1 billion in assets under management, it’s well known for the benefits its micro-saving and micro-investing features offer to its users.

How it works is that, for example, let’s say you buy a coffee for $3.28. The app then rounds this up to $4, with the extra $0.72 transferred into your Acorns account.

Once that account reaches $5, your money is then transferred into an investment account of your choosing.

This makes it particularly good for anyone who thinks they never have enough leftover each month to start investing – as it will show you exactly why that’s not true.

17. Buy stocks

Of course, you could always skip the micro-investing and dive right in to the deep end of the investing pool.

If you’re interested in buying shares, we always recommend using a commission-free broker, as there’s simply no reason anymore why you should pay fees to do this.

For this, our top pick is Webull. Not only is it completely fee-free, but if you make a deposit into your Webull account of $100 or more, you’ll receive a free stock valued between $30 to $1,400.

(And people on Reddit have reported getting Apple, Microsoft and Google as their free stock, so it’s definitely legit.)

Find out more about Webull here.

18. Earn stocks from shopping

Bumped is a way for you to invest without even realizing you’re investing.

How it works is that if you make purchases from any of its partner retailers, you’ll be given stock in that company. These stores currently include Target, Netflix, CVS, Walmart, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Starbucks, Uber and more.

You’ll earn between 1% and 5% of your purchase in stock, with rewards limited to $50 per purchase and $250 per partner per year.

There’s currently a waitlist, but it’s worth putting yourself on the list to check it out when it goes live.

How can I make an extra $500 a month from moving

Your wallet will certainly be happy once you figure out how to make an extra $500 a month – but why not make your body happy at the same time?

That is, there are actually a bunch of ways for you to earn money while also getting healthier.

Which, in turn, has the potential to save you even more money in the long run!

19. HealthyWage

HealthyWage aims to help you lose weight by motivating you with money.

What you do is that you first decide how much weight you want to lose and how long you think this will take.

You then work out how much money you want to bet each month and, based on this, the system will tell you how much you’ll win if you reach your weight loss goal in that time period.

Check out Healthywage’s calculator here to see how much you can win based on your weight loss goals.

As you can see below, people have won thousands and thousands of dollars through this app – so there’s no reason why you can’t do the same.

20. Getting paid to walk

A number of apps have been released in recent years that pay you to walk. They’re basically meant to motivate you to increase your step count by offering you a reward if you do.

What this means in practice is that as long as you keep your phone on you all day, you’ll be paid for all the moving around you’d be doing anyway. This works particularly well if you have a job where you’re on your feet a lot, as you’ll easily be able to earn money through these apps just from your usual work day.

Our recommendation for the one best one of these is Sweatcoin. 

There’s a reason that it’s the most popular out of the apps that pay you to walk. Its interface is very easy to use and, unlike some of the other apps in this genre, it tracks every step you take, not only the ones taken when you’re exercising.

Check out Sweatcoin here or read our Sweatcoin review to find out more.

21. Dog walking

If you’re an animal lover, getting paid to walk dogs is like a dream come true.

You could simply ask around your neighborhood if anyone is looking for a dog walker or do a letterbox drop with flyers.

Alternatively, you could turn to Rover, the biggest petcare site on the internet. They say that a booking for a dog walker is made every four seconds through their site, meaning there’s definitely demand for these services.

Securing a regular dog walking gig – say, every weeknight – is the best way to earn steady money from this. And if you manage to score a couple of these, you’ll be able to easily see just how to make an extra $500 a month from this.

Get started by creating your Rover profile here.

Related: 43 Amazing Under the Table Jobs that Pay Cash

22. Delivering things

Whether you’re on two wheels, four wheels or on foot, delivering things can be a great way to supplement your income with an extra $500 a month, if not more.

This doesn’t have to just be limited to delivering food, although companies like Postmates can certainly provide you with an opportunity there.

But you can also make money by delivering almost anything else, whether it be groceries, dry cleaning or documents that people need taken across town.

Sign up to deliver with Postmates here.

23. Working as a golf caddy

If you like being outside and have some interest in golf, check out any golf courses in your area for any jobs on offer.

In particular, they often hire golf caddies for even just a few hours a week. While the pay is ok, the tips while working as a caddy are often really good.

This means that even working a few rounds over a weekend can easily get you between $100 and $200 in tips, only for a couple of hours of work.

Related: How to Make $100 a Day: 41 Ways That Actually Work

How to make an extra $500 a month from home

There’s no reason for you to leave the house to earn more money. In fact, there are plenty of ways for how to make $500 a month working from home – if not more.

In most cases, all you’ll need is a computer and an internet connection. And given that you likely have these already, you’re good to go!

24. Giving opinions

Companies will often pay good money to receive opinions on their products and services from everyday people. This is why participating in focus groups can be a very easy way to earn some extra income.

And Respondent is one of the highest-paying companies for doing this. All they ask is for an hour or so of your time to give your opinion on basically anything. For this, you can get paid up to $250.

They accept participants from around the world, so this is a great way for anyone, no matter where you are, to see how to make $500 a day, let alone a month.

Related: 37 of the Highest Paying Online Jobs

25. Selling clothes

Selling your clothes no longer involves finding a local flea market and hoping you’ll be able to make a few bucks.

Now, with so many websites dedicated to people selling used items, selling your clothes can be really lucrative. This is especially the case if you have a few unwanted brand name pieces lurking at the back of your closet, for which people could pay good money.

Depending on the quality and brand of your clothes, you have a few choices where to sell them. To help you decide where you’ll make the most money, take a look at our article on Poshmark vs Mercari vs eBay to see which site is best for you.

26. Getting paid to chat

Getting paid to chat with people is something that people may not consider when looking to earn money online, but it offers some great opportunities to make some extra cash. 

It often involves working in a customer service or tech support role. And given that people often need their questions addressed at all hours of the day and night, it makes these roles particularly good for anyone who may not be able to work regular office hours.

There are all sorts of companies offering jobs in this area, so take a look at this article to find some that may suit you.

27. Teaching English

A real market has sprung up in recent years for people to teach English online. And while there are various sites that offer this, VIPKid is easily one of the best.

They offer a platform similar to Skype through which you can get paid to teach English to kids in China. VIPKid also prepares all the teaching material for you, meaning all you have to do is show up and teach.

On that point, there’s no limit to how many lessons you can do, so the amount you’ll earn is basically dependent on how often you’re free to earn this money. And given you can earn up to $25 per hour, this can be really lucrative.

There are some requirements, like having a Bachelor’s degree, so contact VIPKid to find out more.

28. Pet sitting

Plenty of people want to make sure that their furry loved ones are taken care of while they’re at work for the day or out of town for a short time. Which means that if you’ll be around during this period, pet sitting or setting up a dog daycare at home may be the perfect for you to make an extra $500 a month from home.

This is especially good if you have your own pets that are always keen for a playmate, as you’ll be able to keep them entertained while earning some cash.

Rover also lets you offer your pet sitting services in addition to your new dog walking side hustle. So check them out to see the opportunities for doing this in your area.

How to make $500 a month on the side

Even if you have a full time job, it’s still more than possible for you to make $500 a month on the side.

Of course, you’ll need something a bit more flexible that you’re able to do in your spare time, which is why these options could be just what you need.

They’re all ways to make money that don’t require a ton of time and essentially let you work as much or as little as you can.

Related: 31 Legit Ways to Make Extra Money in the Military

29. Flipping secondhand items

Flipping secondhand items is a great side hustle for anyone with an eye for a good deal or who simply likes to spend their free time wandering around markets or thrift stores.

That is, you can easily combine your usual Saturday morning market stroll with making some extra cash.

You may have to spend some extra time fixing up whatever you find. But from there, there are plenty of sites where you can find people willing to pay good money for what you’re flipping, such as Facebook Marketplace.

30. Driving for Uber

Driving for Uber or a similar company a couple of nights a week can easily make you $500 a month on the side.

It’s perfect for people looking to earn extra cash in addition to their main job, as nights and weekends are prime Uber times. This means that if you drive then during your non-working hours, this can be a great money making strategy.

It’s important to check that the added wear and tear to your car makes it worthwhile for you and you’ll also have to ensure that your insurance policy covers this. Click here to find out more.

31. Working as a bookkeeper

Bookkeeping involves keeping track of a business’ finances to ensure that there’s always an accurate snapshot for what’s coming in and going out of the company’s accounts.

The great part about this though is that you don’t even need a Finance degree to work as an at-home bookkeeper. What’s more important is that you have an eye for detail and some appreciation of numbers.

Online bookkeepers earn between $18 and $45 an hour doing this, showing that with only a few hours of work each week, this is a simple way for how to make an extra $500 a month.

How to make $500 a month passive income

For any of us looking to make more money, being able to do this without actively doing anything is the dream.

This is why working out how to make $500 a month in passive income is one of the best things you can do for your budget.

As with most passive income sources, it does take some work at the start to build your money maker up to a point where it can generate this much income on its own. But if you have the time and the patience to get to that point, your wallet will definitely thank you for it.

32. Royalties

You’ve probably heard stories of people who built some random item in their garage, presented the idea to a major company and now they’re a millionaire. The way they did this is basically by having an idea and then selling it to a company that’s able to distribute that idea on a large scale, allowing the inventor to earn royalties from their idea on an ongoing basis.

And there’s no reason why you can’t do the same too, even if you think you have a marketable idea but no money to sell it. The trick is to find a problem or something that you think could be done better and present a solution. 

Companies are always looking for ways to sell something that makes people’s lives easier, so check out this article on the best companies that pay for ideas if you think you can do just that.

33. Self-publishing an e-book

Writing a book can take some time, but the traditional way of approaching a publisher isn’t the only way to make money from this. An alternative is to self publish your e-book through the Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing platform.

You’re able to set the price yourself and, while Amazon will take a percentage of your sales, using this platform means you’ll also have access to Amazons millions of potential customers.

Click here to find out more.

Related: 25 Websites Where You Can Get Paid to Type Online

34. Advertising for companies

We mentioned above how starting a website can be a great way for you to earn money.

And one of the main ways to make money through your website is by advertising for companies. This can be done by putting ads on your site or through affiliate marketing, where you recommend products or services and make a commission when people purchase or sign up for what you’re recommending.

However there are other ways to make good money advertising for companies. One really passive way is offered by Wrapify. 

How it works is that you put a (removable!) sticker on your car advertising a particular company. Then all you do is simply drive around, with other people who see your car then perhaps being motivated to buy what your car is advertising.

This means that you’ll be getting paid to advertise this company while not really doing anything extra at all. Just by simply using your car as you would be anyway, you can easily earn a few hundred dollars per month.

To find out more, take a look at our article on getting paid to advertise for companies.

How to make $500 extra a month from your current job

Well it’s great to find the best way to make an extra $500 a month for you, it’s also a good idea to explore existing parts of your life where you could find this money.

And if you already have a current job, there could very well be ways to make this money from your current employer, with not much extra work.

35. Take advantage of employer matching

If your employer offers matching contributions into your 401(k) account and you’re not currently taking advantage of this, you’re basically throwing away free money.

This is one of the easiest ways to save for retirement, while also getting completely free extra money from your employer through their own contributions to your retirement account.

36. New staff referral bonus

It may sound obvious, but a lot of us don’t actually take advantage of all the bonuses that our employers offer. Whether that be because we think it’s too hard to qualify or we just can’t be bothered, this can add up to throwing away hundreds of dollars that we could have otherwise gotten.

One example is checking if your employer offers a staff referral bonus. If it’s not your very first job, you’ve probably worked with people before who you think would be a good fit at your company.

So if this is an option for you, why not recommend them for a job to work with you? They may appreciate the vote of confidence and the new professional opportunity, and you’ll certainly appreciate the financial boost.

And that’s not even mentioning that it could be a great chance to work with someone who you really liked working with before!

You may also be interested in: Working Part Time: 9 Reasons Why To Seriously Consider It

37. Apply for a more senior position (even if you’re not sure if you qualify)

We’ve all read job descriptions where we’re not sure if we meet all the requirements on paper, even though we’re pretty sure we could do the job based on our existing experience.

And it’s been shown this is something that particularly affects women. One study found that while men apply for a job when they meet only 60% of the qualifications, women apply only if they meet 100% of them.

This means if you see a job at a high-level that you think you could do but you’re not sure if you made all the requirements, why not try applying anyway?

Sure, don’t apply to be a doctor if you don’t have a medical degree, but if you’re in the same field as a vacant position and you think you could give it a shot, then what’s the harm?

The worst that could happen is that you don’t get the job. But you’ll never know if you don’t give it a go.

And with the potential income boost that comes with it, simply filling in that application could be a one-way ticket to making an extra $500 a month – if not more. 

How to make $500 a month as a kid

Making $500 a month as a kid involves a number of tried and true options – simply because they work.

While some may find $500 a month to be quite a lot of money for someone who is probably balancing this with their schoolwork and any other extracurricular activities, even earning some cash as a kid can be a great way for them to save up to buy something themselves. 

And, if you’re a parent or guardian, this can really help to instill a positive money mindset in your kid from an early age. Meaning it’s a win-win for everyone! 

38. Babysitting

Babysitting is one of those age old ways for teens to make money – but if it ain’t broke why fix it?

Parents everywhere are always on the lookout for someone responsible to look after their kids, whether it be for a couple of hours after school or on a Friday or Saturday night.

This means that babysitting jobs for 13 years old still offers a really good way for kids looking to make $500 a month, if not more. So setting up an arrangement where you babysit for a few hours a week could be a great way to make regular money if you’re old enough to watch other kids.

While there are websites where you can offer your babysitting services, the traditional letterbox drop of flyers or even posting on a local Facebook group can also be an easy way to get some clients.

39. Car washing

We all like having a nice shiny car, although most of us don’t have the time or the energy to keep our cars as clean as we probably should.

And this is where someone of any age can come in. If you’re a kid wanting to offer your car washing services in your local neighborhood, why not drop some flyers off in letterboxes in your area to let people know that you’re available for this?

You may actually be surprised at how much people are willing to pay for someone else to keep the car clean. And a good tip can be to offer to wash someone’s car every week or every two weeks for a steady fee.

That way, you’ll basically have a guaranteed source of income going forward, for only a few hours of work every week.

40. Yard work

Much like keeping your car clean, keeping your yard tidy is something that every homeowner wants to do but may not always have the chance to do themselves.

So if you’re a kid and know how to use a lawnmower or how to look after the plants, plus you live in an area where a lot of houses have gardens that probably could do it a little bit of work, why not offer your services in your local area?

Like car washing services, you can easily turn this into a regular gig meaning that, over time, this can be a steady, simple way to make an extra $500 a month.

41. Snow clearing

Kids and teenagers can make a killing over winter by offering to clear snow from in front of peoples houses for a really good fee.

It’s something that, depending on where you live, people really need done but simply may not be able to do themselves, whether it be due to health reasons or the fact that it’s really not a fun job.

And that’s where you come in. While this is obviously seasonal work, this could be a really good way for you to make several hundreds of dollars if you offer it to enough houses.

As a tip, either do a letterbox drop or post on local Facebook groups in the weeks leading up to your area’s first snowfall. You want to make people aware that you’re available for this with just enough time for the snow to start falling, so that they remember your name once they look out the window and realize they really, truly don’t want to shovel the sidewalk themselves.

Final thoughts on making an extra $500 a month

You might be looking for how to make an extra $500 a month as a one-off, so that you can afford something that you need to buy ASAP. 

Or maybe you want to add this amount to your budget on an ongoing basis to lighten the load, pay off debt, or to start contributing to other financial goals like your retirement account.

Whatever the reason, there are more than likely a ton of different, easy ways to make an extra $500 in your life. And as you’ve probably seen from this list, the trick is to harness your skills and use what you have, even if that’s simply the time to start a side hustle. 

By doing this, you’ll be well on your way to earning this extra money as a great income boost.