19 Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month

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Are you trying to find a way to make an extra $500 a month?  Maybe you want to pay off debt, boost your retirement contribution, or just be able to put more money into your savings accounts every month.

Whatever your reason for wanting to make some extra money, there are lots of different ways to do it.

Today I want to give you some ideas for how to make extra money without the need for any extra training or special skills to get started.  My goal is to keep this list realistic and doable by anyone.  

Some people say you can become a virtual assistant, a virtual bookkeeper, or create an online course to make an extra $500 a month.  But who really knows how to get started quickly with those things?

I am going to keep it simple with this list.  I want to give you ideas that anyone could do because you probably wanted to make that extra money for the month like yesterday! 

However, because you don’t need lots of extra training for these things, most of them will not make you rich.  

All of the things on this list are not right for everyone.  The best way to use this list is to pick a few things that you think would work for you.  

Then put together a plan to work them into your monthly schedule so you can make an extra $500 a month.  

It will take a little creativity, thought, and time to make a money-making plan of action.  Then it takes some hard work and dedication to commit to carrying out your plan.  

Really, following through with your plan is the hardest part.  But you can do it!  

The key to making extra money every month, no matter how much you want or need to make, is taking action.  

If you are interested in how to develop a money-making plan of action, keep reading to the end of the post, I am going to help you with that too. 

If you want to learn more ways to make extra money besides the ones that don’t require lots of extra training or skills, check out my post, 50+ Ways to Make Extra Money

19 Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month

#1 Sell Your Stuff

You probably have things lying around your home that you don’t use or need anymore, right?  Why not try to sell those things?  

You could have a yard sale, sell it on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, or sell your stuff through an app like eBay.  

Other apps you can use to sell your stuff are:

  • OfferUp
  • Poshmark
  • ThredUP
  • Decluttr
  • VarageSale
  • Mercari
  • Nextdoor
  • Letgo

And there are others too!

Selling through an app online definitely is not difficult to do.  The hardest part is learning how to ship your sold goods to the buyer.  

We usually sell our large unwanted things that would be too hard to ship on Craigslist.  Things we sold in the past are kitchen chairs, baby and toddler toys, play centers, strollers, a sofa, and a split box spring (I know, so random).  

Things we have sold on eBay include smaller things that are easier to ship.  Things we have sold on eBay before are:

  • Baby clothes in lots (meaning a bunch of pieces together)
  • Maternity clothes
  • Coffee mugs
  • Plates
  • Jeans
  • Jackets and coat
  • Books
  • Sweaters
  • Shoes

You can really sell just about anything you have, as long as it’s in decent condition.  

#2 Start a Blog

You can definitely make an extra $500 a month with a blog. However, making money from a blog is not something that happens overnight.  If you give it time and put in the effort, you could make more than $500 a month!

So hypothetically, you could start a blog now while you are making extra money from other side hustles.  Then, later on, as you start to make money from your blog, you could ditch the other side hustles and just focus on your blog.  

Also, so that you know, blogging does require a small investment to start.  I’m talking small, as in, hosting for your blog is literally a couple of bucks a month. 

I started this blog with Bluehost.  I have been happy with them so far.  Through them, you can start a blog for as little as $2.95 a month. If you would like to check out Bluehost’s pricing, you can do so here.  

Now, you may think, “But, I don’t know the first thing about blogging!”  

I definitely hear you loud and clear.  I want to tell you I also had no clue how to start a blog or grow a blog.  

So hear me out on this…if you are serious about committing to starting a blog but you don’t have a clue how to do it, you should really check out Suzi Whitford’s course called Blog by Number.  

Make an extra 500 a month by starting a blog

It is reasonably priced, and she does a FANTASTIC job of showing you step-by-step how to start a blog.  It’s almost like she is holding your hand and walking you through it…that’s how good her course is.  

She also over-delivers value because she includes so much more in her course than just setting up your blog.  

I highly recommend it. If you are unsure if you want to spend the money, check out the free course she offers, The Blog Plan.  

make an extra 500 a month by starting a blog

Side Tip: If you are serious about starting a blog and want a support system to help you succeed, you will want to become a member of this blogging group. They have a special trial period that costs only $1 a month, so you can see firsthand how the group will help you.

#3 Take Online Surveys

As I said, most of the things I list here are not going to make you a ton of money, and you will need to pick out a few for your money-making action plan to get to your goal of making an extra $500 a month.  

Participating in online surveys is one that won’t make you a ton of money. However, you can make a few extra bucks here and there from the comfort of your couch.  

How can you go wrong with that?  

You could make enough money to fill up your gas tank, pay for a small gift for a family member, or you could put it toward your debt or deposit it in your emergency fund (every little bit helps).  

Survey Junkie is an online market research community.  When you participate in Survey Junkie, you get to share your opinion to help brands improve their products.  

After completing surveys, you will earn virtual points to trade in for Paypal cash or e-Giftcards for places like Amazon or Target.   

Check out Survey Junkie here to learn more, or sign up!

With Swagbucks, you earn points that you can trade in for PayPal Cash or gift cards just by taking surveys, shopping online, watching videos, and playing games. 

You can earn gift cards for your favorite brands like Amazon, Walmart, Visa, Target, and more!

Many Swagbucks members earn between $25 to $100 per month, which they can use to save for a vacation, use for fun money, or cover expenses.  

If you would like to check out or sign up for Swagbucks, you can do so here. 

#4 Drive for Uber or Lyft

Becoming a driver for Uber or Lyft can help you make an extra $500 a month.  So if you have a good driving record, a license, and a car, this could be a money-making option.

However, the amount you can make is dependent on the area you live in.  Drivers who live in or near a city or large town are more likely to make more money than someone who lives in a small town or rural area.  

There are also other things to contemplate when considering driving for Uber or Lyft.  Check out this article by Forbes that goes into more detail.

#5 Ask for a Raise

If you know you are a valuable employee and have consistently performed well at work, why not ask for a raise?  Getting a raise at work can help you reach your extra $500 a month goal.

Do some research to determine the market rate for someone doing the same job as you with similar experience.  This will help you be more prepared and give you some confidence when you ask for your raise.

#6 Volunteer for Overtime

I know this isn’t a “side hustle,” but it can definitely help you make an extra $500 a month.  So if you can get overtime pay at work, you could potentially make out better per hour than looking for part-time work elsewhere.  

You know the old saying, “work smarter, not harder”?  

Your time may be better spent at your day job making an overtime rate (time and a half or double time depending on your employer) than spending your time on a side hustle if you would be making less money per hour.  

Definitely, something to think about, right?

Make an Extra 500 a Month by getting a part time job

#7 Find Part-Time Work

If your employer doesn’t offer overtime and you don’t have the desire to start a side hustle, maybe going out and finding a part-time job is the way to go in order to make some extra money.  

But think about the pros and cons of working a second job before jumping into it.   

True story…when I got my first job out of college, and I realized my student loans were going into the repayment phase, I found a part-time job at a shoe store.

Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with working in a shoe store, and I worked in two other shoe stores when I was younger (one in high school and one during holiday breaks when I was in college).  

I actually really enjoyed working in those shoe stores.  

But here’s the thing.  I quickly learned that it was not worth it to go from my full-time job to a second job where I was making minimum wage.  

At that time minimum wage was only $5.15 per hour.  

I was supposed to be making a commission on top of the minimum wage, but it was right after Christmas, and no one was out buying shoes.

So putting in an extra 4 hours of work on top of my 8-hour shift at my day job was not worth making an extra $20 (actually less after taxes, plus subtracting gas costs).  

The moral of the story is to make sure you are using your time wisely.  Remember, work smarter, not harder!

#8 Babysit

You could make extra money babysitting if you have friends or family with young children.  An awesome idea would be to offer before and/or after-school babysitting to parents who work if your work schedule would allow you to.  

Many parents who have to be at work early can’t be home to put their kids on the school bus or drive their kids to school in the morning.  And many parents work late and can’t be at home to get their kids off the bus in the afternoon.   

Before and after school care at daycare centers is so expensive, so you could make extra money while saving the parents some money too!

Plus, it would be consistent extra money, five days a week.

Make an extra 500 a month by elder-sitting

#9 Elder-Sit 

As everyone is well aware, our population is aging.  By the year 2030, all Baby Boomers will be 65 years old or older.  One out of every five American citizens will be of retirement age [source].

But you don’t have to wait until 2030 to make extra money by sitting with an elderly person while their primary caregiver goes to the grocery store, runs errands, or gets out of the house for a much-needed break.  

Maybe you know someone that is a caregiver for a loved one that can’t be left alone at home?  These caregivers can get majorly burned out. 

I have seen it all too much in the field I work in.  And private duty caregivers are very expensive, especially when paid for through an agency.  

So if you know someone who has to be with their loved one for 24 hours a day, your help could be welcomed and appreciated! Definitely a win-win for both parties.  

#10 Cook or Cater

If you love cooking for others, you could start a little side hustle catering or making meals for people.  People are always looking for catering services for birthday parties, anniversary parties, family reunions, and graduation parties.  

You could get started by getting the word out to your friends, family, and acquaintances through social media or word of mouth.  

Also, many elderly people are no longer able to cook for themselves.  That part of the population is another potential opportunity if you are looking to start a small side hustle using your cooking skills.

#11 Making Baked Goods

If you enjoy baking, you could make extra money selling your goods.  You could sell homemade bread, cakes, cupcakes, and pies.  

And don’t forget about baking pet-friendly treats for our furry friends!  People love buying special treats for their pets too!

#12 Rent Out a Room

Do you have an extra bedroom in your home that isn’t used?  Consider finding a roommate to make an extra $500 a month.  

Of course, you have to be selective about who you invite to move in with you.  But if you find the right person, that could be a great source of income for you.  

#13 Clean Houses

Houses always need to be cleaned over and over again.  How about finding a few families that need help keeping their homes clean? If you can find a few people to clean for, you could get a steady extra income every month.  

Also, many elderly people need help with their cleaning and laundry.  Do you have any elderly neighbors that could use help?  This could be a great opportunity to make extra money right near you.

make an extra 500 a month by pet sitting

#14 Walk Dogs or Pet Sit

If you love dogs, you could make extra money while getting your exercise with some furry friends.  

Or some people will pay a dog sitter to go to their homes during the day to take their dogs outside when they are working long days.   

#15 Deliver Food

You could make an extra $500 a month delivering food.  DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats are all food delivery services you could check out.  

#16 Be a Gofer for the Elderly 

As I said, the population is aging, and as time goes on, more and more people will need help to stay in their homes.  If you enjoy helping people, being a gofer could help you make an extra $500 a month.  

Many elderly people need help with obtaining groceries, transport to appointments, and picking up their medications.  

#17 Sell Handmade Items

Are you crafty?  People love buying handmade items.  Etsy is a great place to sell handmade items.  Are you trying to figure out what you could make and sell?  Check out this article for help!

#18 Reselling

If you love going to thrift stores and sifting through second-hand items, you could make an extra $500 a month to resell things online.  As I told you earlier, we used to sell our own stuff on eBay.  We also used to buy secondhand items and resell them on eBay for a profit.

That is how we offset the cost of having two kids in daycare at the same time.  If you have kids in daycare, you know how expensive it is.  When you have two (or more) in daycare at the same time, it is like having a second mortgage payment.  

We used to source items at garage sales and thrift stores on the weekends and list the items during the week after our kids went to bed.  It gave us some peace of mind knowing that we had that extra money coming in.  

If you are wondering what to sell on eBay, here is an awesome list to check out.

#19 Give Private Lessons

If you have special skills, how about teaching those skills to others to make extra money? Think about what you love doing and what others tell you that you are good at. Here are some ideas to get you thinking about your talents:

  • Sports lessons
  • Swimming lessons
  • Painting lessons
  • Singing lessons
  • Musical instrument lessons
  • Drawing lessons
  • Dance lessons
  • Cooking lessons

There you have it, 19 ways to make an extra $500 a month!  I also promised to help you with a money-making action plan.  So read on to learn how.

what to do to make an extra 500 a month

How to Decide What to do to make an extra $500 a Month 

Break Down Your Goal by the Week

If your goal is to make $500 a month, then I think you will find it easier to break that goal down into a weekly goal.  So if you want to make $500 extra per month, your weekly goal, divided by 4 weeks, is $125.  

That sounds easier, right?  

If you decide you want to make an extra $600 a month, you will need to make $150 extra a week.

Want to make an extra $750 a month?  That is $187.50 per week.  

My point is that breaking it down into a weekly goal seems much more achievable and less overwhelming.  Once you figure out your monthly and weekly goals, you can start to brainstorm how you will get to that number.

Brainstorm Ways to Make Extra Money

Use my list (and any other lists you can find) online to give you lots of ideas for how you could make more money fast.  

I only wanted to include things on this list that you could get started on right away that do not require much extra training.  Really the only one on this list that you may need some help doing is starting a blog.

And as I said, blogging isn’t difficult!  It is totally doable and something you could work on in your spare time while doing some of the other things on this list to make money.

Then when you start monetizing your blog and making money from it, you could quit doing the other things (if you want to) and still make the extra money from your blog.

Check out Suzi Whitford’s free course here if you want to learn more!

I have a larger list of ways to make extra money you can check out here.

Anyway, write down some ideas on how to bring in that extra $500 a month.  Focus on the ideas that really interest you.  For instance, if you dislike animals, walking dogs shouldn’t be on your list.

Then next to each idea, write down the amount of money you think you could make every week if you would do them.  Try to be realistic here and not overestimate.

Choose Your Money-Making Side Hustles

Now that you have a list of possibilities, plus the potential money you could make from each one, it’s time to choose which ones will work best for you.  

It’s important to consider your current work schedule, your kids’ schedules, and any other obligations before making your decision. 

You want to make sure your side hustles will not interfere with your prior obligations.  

That’s the reason growing this blog is something I can handle right now.  I can work on it right after I pick the kids up from school while they are doing their homework and then again after they go to bed.  

And as I said before, you might have to stack a couple of these side hustles to make the extra money you want to make.  

start hustling to make an extra 500 a month

Create Your Schedule and Start Hustling

Once you have decided which money-making ideas you want to pursue, come up with a realistic schedule to make your side income.  

So, for example, if you are planning to resell things on eBay, you will need to decide when you are going to source the items and when you will list them for sale on eBay.  

The hardest part about side hustles, I think, is following through and committing to them.  Because, let’s face it, life gets in the way sometimes.  

Recently, I had planned to spend a big chunk of my night writing a new blog post…but my son got hurt at camp and needed his face stitched up.  So we spent most of the night sitting in the ER.  

Life…it happens!

Final Thoughts

It is totally doable if you want (or need) to make an extra $500 a month!  You will need to brainstorm ideas and come up with a plan to fit your money-making side hustle into your schedule.  

If you can commit to spending some of your extra time on a side hustle, you can definitely make extra money.  Use that extra money for paying down debt, boosting your emergency fund, saving for a large purchase, or reaching financial freedom.

As you may know, I love writing about frugal living…and here’s the thing…if you can combine living a more frugal lifestyle and making extra money, you could be well on your way to living the life you dream of.

Are there other ways you make an extra $500 a month? What are your favorite side hustles?  Let me know in the comments.

19 Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month
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