Make Money This Year With These Simple Steps

Make Money by Using Your Skills 

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 Everyone has at least one skill that they could earn money with. What is yours? Well, to help you figure out what skill you take to the bank, here are a variety for you to pick from. 

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 1. Freelance writing If you like to write and would like to make money in your pajamas, then freelance writing could be a good fit. This is where you will get paid to write an article for a business or a publication. I have personally written for Investopedia, Clark Howard, US News and World Report and more. Pay can vary, but I have made anywhere between $35 to $500 for a piece of content depending on your experience and the length of the article.

 2. Take online surveys Taking surveys in your spare time can be a great way to earn some extra dough. While are tons of online survey opportunities, one of the most reputable companies is Survey Junkie . With surveys, you can start making money as soon as today. The cool thing about Survey Junkie is that you can sign up for more than just one company, this way you can have a constant flow of opportunities to fill out surveys in your down time. 

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 3. Peer to Peer Lending 

Nowadays it is easy to help out others who need money and get a return on the money at the same time. Lending Club is a platform where 99.9% of investors have seen positive returns and may be a good place to start. 

 4. Get cash back on items you buy every day Did you know that you can get cash back for items that you already intend on buying? Ebates will pay you cash when you do your shopping through their sites. The trick is, only buy products you’d normally buy anyway and not just buy things cause they’re on sale. Otherwise, you spend money on things that you don’t necessarily need and the goal with signing up with them is to make more money, not spend more. 

 5. Drive others around Companies such as Uber will pay you to drive others around in your spare time. Rates of pay depend on how many miles traveled, the type of vehicle you drive and so forth. This is a great option if you need a side gig that has flexible hours as you could easily do this on the nights and weekends along with a full-time job. 

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 6. Affiliate marketing

 Affiliate marketing is where you get paid for referring others to products or services. Companies such as Amazon pay decent money when visitors to your website click on your links and when they purchase products, you get paid. If you want to increase your affiliate income, my friend Michelle earns over $100,000/month and she created a course called Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing that you may want to check out. 

 7. Mend/press clothing 

If you have the ability to mend, alter or press clothing, consider offering your skills as a tailor. Tailor work and small-scale pressing (ironing) can easily be done out of your home and is a much-needed service for busy people. In today’s world, skills such as mending and alterations simply aren’t taught. This means that if you have a knack for sewing, you also have a valuable, money-making skill on your hands. If you have no skills in this area, but you’re interested, check out The Sewing Bible for Clothes Alterations: A Step-by-step practical guide on how to alter clothes . 

8. Design your own t-shirts

 If you are creative and like to design things, then this may be a great fit for you. Check out a site called CafePress which will publish t-shirt designs that you create, and then give you a percentage of the profits when your design is purchased by a customer. 

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 9. Write, publish and sell an e-book Looking for a good way to earn some passive income? 

Write and publish an e-book on Amazon or even self-publish on your own by creating a downloadable PDF. Start by choosing a topic you’re familiar with. This can be an educational resource, a how-to guide, and/or writing fictional stories. The Internet is full of articles on how to write and publish an e-book for a very little up-front cost. Make sure to educate yourself on the ins and outs of this lucrative industry.

 10. Create an online course

 Do you have knowledge in a specific area that you could charge others to learn about? For instance, I have a friend who likes to build tables and he makes six figures teaching others how to build tables through videos online. 

 11. Flip merchandise 

Are you skilled at recognizing a good deal when you see one? Then consider buying merchandise to resell on eBay or other sites like Amazon. Garage sales and thrift stores are full of obscure items that people don’t know are valuable and are selling for much less than what they’re worth. Take advantage of these amazing deals and use them to earn some money by reselling the items online.

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 12. Start a handyman business

 If you’re do-it-yourself-er, consider using your skills to help others that need handyman work done. Many people gladly pay good money for someone to take care of their smaller home repairs and maintenance tasks. You can even create a profile on Amazon Services to help you get customers in your area. 

 13. Teach exercise classes

 Are you interested in getting paid to stay in shape? If you are interested in classes like yoga, Zumba, Crossfit, Kettlebell or any other type of exercise, consider offering your services at the local gym or through a community education class. It doesn’t take long to get certified to teach in these areas. 

 14. Become a photographer

 If you own a decent camera and like photography, consider offering your photography skills for weddings, families, high school graduations and proms. A good picture is worth a thousand words, and worth a lot of money as well. A growing photography niche is pet portraits, so if you like photography and animals, know that pet owners are paying a premium for you to take a picture of Fido. Related Podcast.

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  15. Babysit or Be a Nanny Do you like being around kids? 

Consider offering babysitting/nanny services. Many families are offering good pay for quality care for their children. This can be a perfect way to earn money for college students too as families seek nannies to watch their children during summer break from school and nights during the week. 

 16. Become a caricature artist or face painting artist Corporate and sporting events often seek the services of a good caricature or face painting artist. If you have skills in either of these areas, seek out jobs at corporate events or contact your local sports stadium to inquire about job needs in this area. Also check out places like farmers markets, fairs, and other local events. 

 17. Sing at weddings or other events Weddings, parades, political and cultural events often seek out local singing talent to entertain guests at their events. If you can sing, seek out these events and spread the word about your talents as you form a lucrative money-making business with your singing talents.

 18. Offer your car maintenance or mechanic services 

Mechanicservices can be unbearably expensive. If you have a gift for car maintenance or repair, consider starting a car maintenance repair business that goes to the customer’s home garage. Without the overhead of having your own car repair garage, it is likely that your profit will be higher and the customer will appreciate the personalized service. 

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 19. Perform as a musician There are many opportunities to get paid as a musician. Weddings, summer festivals, and other events will pay for good money for musical skills. Street musicians – where allowed – can also earn some decent cash if they provide entertaining tunes for passers-by. While not everyone will make millions as a musician, it can be a decent way to make money on the side.

 20. Capture video for special events Birthday parties, anniversary parties, and wedding receptions are all great venues for you to show off your video producing/editing skills. If you have a decent video camera or a knack for putting pictures together into videos, advertise your services to party planners and families everywhere. A well-produced video can make the difference between a good party and a great party. 

It can also be a great way to capture people memories so they can revisit them at a future date. There are even some free video editing software’s out there, so if you already have a good camera, start up cost can be low. 21. Teach Music lessons Do you play a musical instrument? 

Teach your skill to others wanting to learn how to play the instrument you specialize in. You can market your services by putting up a flyer at a community college or even a nearby coffee shop. Typically you can charge around $25 per 30 minute session, but this can depend on the area you live in.

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 22. Sell Crafts If you like to make things with your hands, then this might be up your alley. There is a website called Etsy that is a good place to sell those handmade crafts you’re so good at making. My wife likes to buy all sorts of things on Etsy, from customized stickers, shirts, etc. This really is a great way to make physical products that are unique and get them in front of an audience that is looking for these types of products. 

 23. Teach nutrition classes If you’re educated in eating well, consider teaching nutrition classes, either at your local community education center or at a retirement home or school.

 24. Fix computers and/or repair electronics Are you gifted in the area of tech repair? Offer your services to friends, family and community members, helping them get their computers or electronic devices repaired. 25. Offer graphic design services Those skilled in graphic design should consider offering their services to local small businesses. Smaller businesses often can’t afford to pay a big graphic design company to create attractive ads or websites and are happy to use a smaller, local designer who can do the job well.