Do you need extra cash to buy a new dress for a special occasion? Or, are you planning on taking a vacation? How about having money to feed your family?
Whatever your reason is, the bottom line is, you need money. We all need money. It is for us to survive our day to day living. If you have no money, you are at the mercy of everyone who has. You will find yourself feeling helpless, nowhere to go, nothing to eat, and no clothes to wear. The streets will be your home.
Ok, that’s a bit extreme. But, it is true! And, we don’t want to be in that situation especially, if we have a family to take care of.
Whether you need a ton of money or just a little to get by, you will need some ideas to make money or save what little you have.
I have been in that situation, too, when I needed a little money to pay a bill or a credit card. Or, when a special occasion is coming up, and you want to buy that cute dress for yourself or a family member. Or, or, when you want to go back to your home town to visit family. These are the times when you want to have some extra cash.
There are a lot of money-making schemes that you can find online. But, a lot of them are just too good to be true, or it is just too difficult to do. Some of them are outright scams, and others are just promising in the beginning, only to find out later on that they only used you to make money themselves.
Now, here are my ten money-making and saving ideas that are the REAL DEAL! I tried 6 of them, and it did give me some cash when I needed it.
SELL ON POSHMARK
Poshmark is a digital marketplace where you can sell your used (and/or, new and unused) clothes, shoes, and accessories. I sell my used stuff here, and I make a few bucks to a few hundred dollars. Of course, it depends on the used things you sell. The ones I have sold so far are designer clothes, shoes, and bags. You are not, however, limited to selling named brands.
With the money I make here, I can add to my grocery budget and some bill payments. Sweet!
There are other digital marketplaces where you can sell more stuff and not just clothes, shoes, and accessories. You can also sell through Let Go, Offer Up, Facebook Marketplace, Rebag, and Tradesy. And, of course, let us not forget that you can also sell some through Amazon, and eBay.
Invest on STASH Invest
STASH Invest is a micro-savings service geared toward beginning investors. For a minimum of $5 investment every month, you will build your money over time. I am sure there are pros and cons in investing such a little amount of money, but that is a different discussion at a different time. For now, I include this on the list because I invest my money on STASH. I invest $25 a month and so far, I have made a little bit of return. Not much to make me a millionaire, but at least I know it’s capable of making my $25 grow, even for a tad bit.
Join a company with Multi-Level Marketing as a strategy.
According to Investopedia, “Multi-level marketing (MLM) is a strategy that some direct sales companies use. They encourage their existing distributors to recruit new distributors by paying the existing distributors a percentage of their recruits’ sales.”
Multi-level marketing (MLM) is also called, network marketing, referral marketing, or pyramid marketing/schemes. The name “pyramid marketing scheme,” however, was somewhat stigmatized due to a history of scams or illegal activities of some direct marketing companies in the past.
Multi-level marketing is a legitimate business (not all are, but most are legal). It is a lucrative way of making money. But, it takes a lot of work, time, and patience.
Once you join an MLM, you will need to invest some money. It is a business, after all, and just like any business, you need to put out some money to get it rolling. You get the product to sell, you market it, and at the same time recruit people to do business with you as a team. As a team, you help each other to make money.
Not all MLMs are equal. Some products are hard to sell and some a bit easier. Before you join an MLM, though, you will need to do some research about the company, the founders, the products, and the compensation plan.
I am currently with an MLM company. I have not made money just yet because I am new at it (UPDATE: Yes, I have started making money. Not much but definitely helping me with some of my expenses). But, I am seeing people making money, lots of money. So, I am optimistic that I, too, will make some (or more), and have that financial freedom they are talking about.
Create a Blog
I have a blog, https://myshadesofemerald.com. It’s only been a few months since I started blogging and I have a long way to go. Truth be told, I have not made money just yet. (Update: No luck yet. Still working at it!)
Save your spare change.
Yes, save your spare change. Collect those change in a piggy bank or a jar. Those can quickly
add up from a few bucks to a few hundred dollars. I have a 5-gallon water bottle in my room with all my spare change that I collected over the years. It is almost full. One time, I needed extra money for something (I don’t remember now what I needed it for) and I took out half of those change and went to those coin changer in CVS or Walmart. Guess how much I got? $300 bucks. I am not kidding! So, my 5-gallon water bottle is now my “GO TO” whenever I need some help to get by. So, don’t leave your change lying around. Put them in a jar!
Photo by Michael Longmire on Unsplash
Do a Yard or Garage Sale.
Not too appealing? Too much hard work? Well, you have to do what you have to do, right? First things first. Go to your garage or wherever you keep the extra stuff that you no longer use. Go around the house. Check your closet, your children’s room, the kitchen. I am sure you will find something that you no longer need or use but maybe can still be useful to others. You will help yourself and others by selling them. This will help you de-clutter (and make some money) while you help others afford to buy things that they otherwise could not. This will probably not yield a lot, but hey, better something than nothing!
Drive with Uber or Lyft.
This one is a straightforward way of making money. Drive for others and get paid. You earn money on your own terms at your own convenient time. No boss. You are your boss. Nice!
Food Delivery by Postmates, or GrubHub, or DoorDash.
Earn money by picking up and delivering food to customers. Just like driving for Uber and Lyft, its straightforward, on your terms, and no boss to answer to. Except of course making sure you deliver the food fresh and on time.
Get Cash Back from Ebates or Rakuten
Ebates is now Rakuten. Rakuten is a cash back and rewards company. You make money by purchasing from their member stores, and you get money back. You can earn some cash back from as low as 1% to as much as 24%.
Sell on Etsy.
Sell your unique products on Etsy. If you are into arts and crafts and those Do-It-Yourself (DIY) products, you can sell them on Etsy. You do your pricing as you see fit and you make money! Simple!
So, there! These are my top 10 money-making and saving ideas. These are legit ways. Six of them are tried and tested—by me! They are by no means a “get-rich-quick” schemes. None of these are going to make you rich, in fact, but will give you some breathing room, so to speak, if you need a little extra moolah.
Remember these TWO things:
Making money IS hard, and there are no quick ways to do it. If someone tells you that it is easy and fast, THEY ARE LYING!
Money begets money. Sometimes, you have to invest some money to make money, especially if you are going into a business.
Your Future is in Your Hands!
It is all up to you now! This information is no good if you do not act on it. Go now and start making or saving money. Your future is in your own hands!
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