5 Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month

What would you do with an extra $500 every month? I personally would save half of it ($250), go out to eat a few extra times each month ($100), and put the remaining amount ($150) towards debt.

Below are five ways you can make an extra $500 a month. Combine all of them for an extra $2,500!

5 Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month

1. Take Surveys Online

Taking surveys, combined with using money-saving tools (below), could bring in an extra $500 a month combined! Many companies pay you not only to take surveys, but also check emails, watch videos and more. I like to take them while I’m watching TV or instead of scrolling mindlessly through social media.

My favorite survey companies include:

- American Consumer Opinion
- Swagbucks
- Opinion Outpost
- Pinecone Research <- each $3/survey!

Earn points with all of these JUST for signing up! Super easy and very fun!!

I highly recommend you sign up for all of them to maximize your income each month!

Money-saving tools (plus make $20 right NOW!)

Two other great tools I use to make money are Ebates and Ibotta. With Ebates, you earn cash back for shopping online. If you shop online even once a month, Ebates is a MUST!!! The money adds up fast, and you’ll get a $10 gift card just for signing up!

Ibotta is an awesome app where you scan in your receipt after you shop and earn cash back! You can use it at Walmart, Target, any grocery store, and more. I typically get $3-$5 back per shopping trip. It takes just a minute to scan in your receipt and you can earn extra money every single time you shop! Sign up and earn $10 instantly!

2. Write 10 Freelance Articles at $50 Each

I used to freelance all the time and would make anywhere from $25/article to $600+/article. An average to low rate is $50/article, which is what beginners can aim to get paid.

If you write 10 per month (just 2-3 a week), you can make an extra $500. One $50 article can usually be written in about an hour, meaning you can work a few hours on a Saturday morning and knock them all out or break it up and work for one hour three nights a week. Easy peasy.

To get started freelancing, check out my best tips for beginning freelance writers.

Not interested in writing? What about being a virtual assistant? Virtual assistants do a variety of tasks for bloggers and business owners, including responding to emails, drafting blog posts, creating images, scheduling posts on social media, and more.

The average VA (virtual assistant) makes $35-$50/hour!

If you want to become a virtual assistant and actually make a career out of this side hustle, I highly recommend 30 Days of Less to Virtual Assistant Success. In the course, you will learn exactly what it takes to be a VA, how to find clients, how to invoice, how to grow your business, and more! The cost is going up next year so act now!

3. Start a Blog – Place Ads on Your Site and Do a Sponsored Post

Blogging is my favorite way to make money online! Last month I made over $2,000 and spent maybe 10 hours total on my blog. It needs time to build and grow, though, so don’t expect to make $500 your first month.

Here’s my FREE guide on how to start a blog in three easy steps! >>

You can definitely make $500 per month within a few months of blogging, though!

There are two easy ways to do that: Place ads on your site (Google Adsense is great for beginners!) and write a sponsored post. A sponsored post is where a company pays you to write a review of their product or mention their brand within your post.

I usually have companies emailing me about sponsored posts, but you can also email them! You can also sign up with companies that will connect you to sponsorship opportunities. Look into Massive Sway, Clever Girls and Linqia.

I highly recommend starting your blog through Bluehost. Through my link, you’ll get a huge discount at just $2.95/month. I’ll also send you a copy of my book – The Beginner’s Guide to Blogging – for free!

Here’s my tutorial to walk you through How to Start a Profitable Blog!

If you already have a blog, here’s how you can increase your income!

4. Become a Pinterest Virtual Assistant

A Pinterest virtual assistant is someone who helps bloggers and business owners manage their Pinterest accounts. You see, Pinterest is a search engine (like Google), not just a social media platform. Bloggers who use Pinterest correctly can get hundreds of thousands of pageviews each month.

But, many bloggers and business owners either do not understand Pinterest or have no desire/time to use the platform effectively.

That’s where you come in.

Master Pinterest, market your services, and create your very own at-home business that pays amazingly well (average $35-$50/hour).

If you’re not currently a Pinterest pro, you have two options:

1. Start your own blog and teach yourself how to use Pinterest. This is a great option as, most likely, your blog will end up making money, too! Two tools I recommend for learning Pinterest are Tailwind (a scheduling tool so you don’t have to manually pin for hours a day) and Pinterest Presence. Pinterest Presence is a course that will teach you literally everything you need to know about Pinterest. It is updated all the time, and once you purchase the course you receive updates for life for free!

2. Enroll in Become a Pinterest VA Today! If you don’t want to learn Pinterest by creating your own blog, you absolutely must enroll in Become a Pinterest VA Today! This course will teach you exactly how to start your very own Pinterest VA business – everything from learning the platform, getting clients, growing your business, how much to charge, and more. The course is only open a few times a year (April 2018 is the next enrollment!), so hop on the waitlist here so you don’t miss your chance!

5. Run Facebook Ads for Bloggers and Small Business Owners

Did you know you can make $1000-$2000 a month in just a few hours per week by running Facebook ads for bloggers and business owners?

This is a brand new, up-and-coming side hustle and NOW is the time to get in on it. If you don’t know how to effectively set up, run and manage Facebook ads, check out this Facebook Ads Course. The course is opening later this week, so now is your chance to hop on the waitlist.

The course is an investment, but you will absolutely make your money back and more. If you were to change careers right now, most likely you’d have to go back to school, or at the very least take a course and get certified. Running an online business is no different. You HAVE to be trained in order to be successful.

The Facebook Ads Course will teach you exactly how to set up ads for clients, run them and manage them. It will also teach you how to find clients and how much to charge. The course was opened a few months ago for the first time, and many students are making $3000-$4000 a month by running Facebook ads for businesses! Crazy, right?! This isn’t just a “side hustle,” but can actually replace your full-time income if you work hard and put in the time!

BONUS: Save $500 a Month

And finally, why not try saving $500 a month? The best way to save $500 is to reduce your monthly bills.

Do you have student loans or credit card debt? If so, you can refinance them through SoFi at a lower rate and with better terms. Depending on your loan amount and current interest rate, you could easily knock hundreds of dollars off of you existing payment.