Are you looking to increase your income? Need ideas for more income?
Table of Content
It is January.
For many of us that means kicking off the year getting control of our finances. You’re on a mission to pay off your debt in 2023 and that begins with putting together a little emergency fund to ward off any challenges or emergencies that come your way.
Paying off debt is like ripping off a band aid. It’s best done quickly. And like ripping off that band aid and getting debt out of your life so you can live a life of financial freedom, so too it is best to get together an emergency fund, quickly!
This is NOT something that should take you a year. If you put together the right plan, there is no reason in the net 30 days you can’t put together a little starter emergency fund of $1000-$1500 so you can have a little foundation and security in your plan.
What is an Emergency Fund
Simply put, an emergency fund is a fund, or amount of money set aside to be prepared for…emergencies. It is an amount of money that you determine as best for you and your household to ensure that you are prepared for the unexpected.
You are on a mission to pay off debt and emergencies that cost $500, $800, $1,000 that take away from your regular income, which is being utilized to pay off debt, will only slow your progress down or add to your mountain of debt.
Guidelines for the List
There are numerous guidelines and principles used to make the list. The goal for most everything on the list was an attempt to present jobs that bring in as much extra money as possible. Most things on the list can easily bring you $15-$25 an hour, or more. Some could even bring that much in, in a half hour.
The top priority I would suggest would be, first, to adjust your taxes so that you are bringing the most home each month. Having a $4,000 tax return in March is not ideal. That is WAY too much money going to the government that you could have utilized throughout the year.
Secondly, budget, budget, budget! Organize the budget. Make as many cuts as you can before you go adding in a second job to your already busy life.
Don’t spend money to make money. I HATE that slogan! You are looking for an income that is produced from effort and service rather than buying stuff to sell. There are some exceptions to this rule as you will see in the list but, reduce your risk in the next 30 days.
Selling things around the house is one of the first and best approaches, in my opinion. The reason you’re in such debt? You bought too much! So, sell it! I know, you’re taking a $300 loss on that $5,000 couch you just bought. You’re losing $5,000 on the car that is worth $20,000 and you only get $15,000 out of it.
It was stupid to buy in the first. Get over it. It’s time to clean up the mess.
Lastly, some things may overlap on the list. That’s okay! And, I hope I wasn’t repetitive. I scoured the internet, Facebook groups and more to bring you 80 ideas for generating more income so you can quickly get together this $1,000 emergency fund in the next 30 days.
So, if you’re ready, here
80 Ideas for Generating Income
- Pick up old furniture around neighborhoods and resell. This could be furniture on the side of the road or even turn to Facebook and offer to pick up old furniture people are getting rid of but don’t have the means of taking anywhere
- Advertise that you will clean people’s trash cans
- Give Plasma
- Garage sales – offer to sell other peoples’ things at the yard sale for a little profit
- Deliver pizza
- Sell some furniture – old couch, table, etc.
- Pet sitting
- Work overtime
- $1,000 is $250/week or $33.34/day – if you have it, save it!
- No take out or fast food, cut Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Sirium XM, Amazon Prime
- Snow season – shovel
- Mow yards
- Cook at home over going out-to-eat
- Use real versus fake – plates, napkins, cups, etc.
- Cuts – cable, streaming, the gym, other memberships and subscriptions
- Sell something big in your garage – ie. a bike
- 30 day challenge, no spending money (beyond necessities)
- Sell jewelry at a pawn shop
- Sell stuff on Facebook Marketplace
- Use only one car for a month
- Wash your own car
- Cut your own hair
- Door dash or Uber eats
- No buying people gifts – send a card or make them something
- Price shop – don’t buy the first thing you see
- Check for lower prices – cell phone, internet, etc.
- Check the change drawers and piggy banks throughout the house
- Dumpster dive and sell on Facebook Marketplace
- Tax refund
- Get movies from the library
- Pick up a side hustle or extra job
- Substitute teach (exception to the rule – this isn’t quite $15/hour in most places, but LOT’S of work!)
- Bartend
- Carpool with a friend or co-worker
- Only drink water
- Sell things on Ebay
- Handyman or woman? Offer to pick up stuff from people that you can fix up and resell (lawn mowers, blowers, etc.)
- Pantry challenge – eat the food you already have first
- Use the Envelope System – any extra money goes toward emergency fund
- Sell anything in your house you haven’t used in last 30 days
- House sit
- Help take down Christmas decorations after the holidays
- Help hang Christmas lights
- Dog walking
- Pick up dog poop
- Clean gutters
- Clean houses
- Personal shopper
- Switch from coffee pods to reusable Keruig pods
- Bulk on most common items (make sure a good deal and that you’ll use it)
- Work a night job
- Work weekends at a restaurant
- Handyman or woman – paint
- Handyman or woman – offer to do jobs in your local neighborhoods (build fence, fix things in the house, etc.)
- Handyman or woman – create things (tables, chairs, etc.) – create and sell!
- Tree haul away
- Offer to cut up a tree that has fallen in the yard (ask if you can sell the wood for firewood)
- Post on local Facebook groups that you’re available for odd jobs
- Offer to take things to the local dump for people
- Offer to take things to local Goodwill for people who are unable
- Organizer? Offer to organize for someone – a garage, a room in a house
- Artist? Paint/customize shoes
- Artist? Sell your work online
- One on one lessons with an instrument you are an expert at – piano, etc.
- Expert at a sport – offer one on one coaching sessions
- Artist – teach a small group class in your area (especially for children)
- Closet cleanout challenge – sell what you aren’t wearing
- Photography – weddings, parties, other special occasions (graduations, family reunions)
- Photography editing
- Virtual assistant – manage social media, social media content, scheduler, manage emails
- Garage sale
- Powerwash
- Side hustle – what are you skilled at or what hobby can you make money with?
- Cook for an elderly person
- Babysitting
- Elderly sitting
- Stand in line for someone (concert tickets, a sports event, etc.)
- Rake or blow leaves
- Mulch yards
- Taxes – adjust your taxes to bring home more
- Help others move
For more ideas be sure to check out Success by 1,000 Wins Podcast Episode 7 Part 1 and Part 2, $1,000 Emergency Fund in 30 Days (30 Ideas for Creating an Income) or you can watch the episode on Youtube.
Also be sure to check out Episode 6 – How to Create a Budget to get ideas for maximizing the income you already have.
About the Author
Michael Kopans is here to share ideas for helping 1 million people reach a million dollar net worth by using money principles he’s learned over the years. Let’s talk money, budgets, becoming debt free, financial wisdom, financial principles that work.
Featured Image: Photo by Markos Mant on Unsplash
Success by 1,000 Wins 
Leave a comment