The Most Fun Ways to Make Extra Money Quickly

Over the past month and a half, Andrew and I have spent a lot of money. As a result, I’ve been looking for ways to make extra money and pay for all those adulting things. Luckily I’ve found a few strategies that have helped me make a few extra hundred dollars here and there. None of these strategies will replace my day job. But they’ve been fun and productive ways to use my free time.

In this post I’ll go over the 7 most fun ways I’ve found to make extra money. Why am I focusing on the most fun ways to make extra money? When life is chaotic, sometimes it’s hard to think about asking for a raise, looking for a new job, starting your own business, or any of the other big ways to make a lot of extra money. Those are all great strategies! And I discuss them more in my guide to asking for a raise and the best side hustles.

However, sometimes you just want something small you can do to earn a little money for groceries, a date night, or to build your emergency fund back up. I’ve certainly felt that way lately. I’ve used all of the strategies below and found them easy and (relatively) enjoyable. I hope they are helpful for you too!

Why I’ve Been Trying to Make Extra Money

As I mentioned, earning a little extra money has become pretty important to me lately. First, we had our trip to Boston for the Boston Marathon. As you can probably imagine, hotel prices and flights are hundreds of dollars more the days around the Boston Marathon than they are even just a week before. Consequently, even for our tiny hotel room with a shared bathroom we paid a premium.

Then we bought a house! In Seattle!  And furniture! Suddenly all the money I’d saved for 10 years to achieve that dream was gone. Don’t get me wrong, I’d saved that money specifically to buy a house! However, it’s pretty anxiety-provoking seeing your once healthy-looking bank account completely drained.

Did I mention we also booked our wedding caterer and wedding venue? And got a rescue puppy who is, to put it lightly, an expensive handful?

While I wonder whether we’ve gone completely bonkers sometimes, I don’t think this experience is totally unique. Many people experience a flurry of changes all at once, whether by choice or not. Indeed, many millennials, including myself, put off big adulting events until we were more financially (and emotionally) secure, which means those events sometimes happen all at once.

Whether you’re paying for big life events right now or just trying to make extra money to get by (or for fun!), the options below can help you get there.

Play Games to Make Extra Money

There are a number of sites you can sign up for that allow you to earn money for playing cellphone games. Personally I’ve been using Swagbucks. With Swagbucks, you can earn money by taking surveys, playing games, or purchasing products you already needed and earning cash back on those purchases.

I haven’t found their surveys or cash back features particularly useful or profitable. However, the games feature has been a fun way to earn money. Over the past month, I’ve earned $150 from playing games on their platform. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve spent hours on these games so I’m earning very little for my time. However, the games are a generally mindless and enjoyable way to unwind at the end of the day.

I’ve played Monopoly Go, an Alice in Wonderland merge game, Garden Merge Land, Candy Crush, and Animal Coins. I earned the most with the first 3 (and enjoyed them the most).

You earn money by reaching particular levels and sometimes by making in-app purchases. The money you earn is in “Swagbucks,” which you can redeem for gift cards at a wide variety of places including Amazon, Home Depot, Target, and more.

A few warnings, however. First, don’t make in-app purchases unless you earn more from making those purchases than you would spend. Second, these games are addicting. Monitor your time and delete the games if you find yourself becoming too obsessed as I sometimes did. Third, playing these games is not worthwhile if you aren’t going to use the gift cards. Make sure you can get a gift card at a place where you would actually make purchases.

Participate in Surveys and Focus Groups

I’ve made hundreds of dollars by participating in surveys and focus groups. In the past month, for example, I participated in a focus group where I earned $150 for a 90-minute session with a few other participants.

You can find surveys and focus groups to participate in on sites like Respondent, Sago, mTurk, and more.

Generally, focus groups will pay considerably more than surveys. For example, mTurk only pays a couple of dollors (or less) for each survey you complete. However, focus groups are often harder to qualify for and involve more in-depth participation.

Personally, I prefer to regularly complete focus group screeners with high payouts ($50 or more for remote focus groups/interviews and $150 or more for in-person focus groups/interviews). This ensures that I’m using my time effectively and not getting bogged down in boring surveys. Plus, focus groups are generally more fun.

Try Out New Products

Similar to the strategy above, you can sign up for opportunities to try new products and complete surveys on them for cash. For example, you might try a haircare product, lotion, pet toy, etc. for a few weeks and then, after those few weeks, complete a survey on your experience. You won’t know the brand of the product when you try it.

I recently earned over $50 from trying a product for a few weeks. Due to my non-disclosure agreement, I can’t be very specific. I actually ended up being sad that I didn’t know the brand because I loved the product so much. I’ve signed up for these trials through Sago, though you can find a variety of sites and businesses that offer opportunities.

Sell Your Stuff to Make Extra Money

Who doesn’t love a good declutter? When Andrew and I had our offer accepted on the house we bought, one of the first things we did was look around our apartment wondering what we could sell. For one thing, it meant fewer things to move. For another, we suddenly felt like we really needed more money.

I sold some of my clothes on ThredUp. If you don’t want to make a trip to your local consignment store, ThredUp is a handy option. They send you a pre-labeled bag that you fill with women’s and/or kids’ shoes and clothes. You send it back and they sort and list the items, recycling any items that are not fit to sell. However, you pay for that ease with ridiculously small payouts if your items sell. I sold a couple of nice dresses, shorts, and jeans and earned $10 in total. Going to your local consignment store is likely to be more profitable though slightly more work.

In contrast, I earned about $200 from selling my outdoor gear at a local consignment store. If you have clothes, furniture, workout or outdoor gear, toys, etc. that you no longer use, consider selling it via online retailers, local consignment stores, or Facebook marketplace.

Pet Sit or Dog Walk

If you’re an animal lover, this is a great option. Andrew and I regularly pet sit for our friends with dogs. If you’re wondering what to charge, the average cost for an in-house dog sitter is $45-$75 per night (closer to the high end in most cities like Seattle). For a 30-minute visit or walk, the average charge is $10-$30.

You might let your friends know that you’re saving for a particular goal and if they ever need a pet sitter, to hit you up. Alternatively, you could create flyers, post on your neighborhood Facebook group, or let your neighbors know you’re interested in pet sitting or dog walking to help get the word out. You can then casually mention to your friends that you’re starting a pet sitting business. Hopefully they’ll think to ask you next time they need a pet sitter.

Teach, Tutor, Consult, or Coach in an Area You’re Skilled In

This is getting into the bigger time commitment category. However, it can translate into a huge payoff depending on the industry you’re in and your willingness to put a little time in. Tutors make an average of $15-$75 per hour depending on location and experience. If you’re just out of high school, you can expect to make the lower end. If you’re in a high-cost area and have certifications or degrees, you’ll likely make more.

You might just think about tutoring in the context of math, science, and writing. However, you can also tutor or coach in SAT skills, resume writing, data analysis, social media marketing, and so much more. If there’s a skill you feel confident in, there’s probably someone looking to learn that skill.

As a former professor, I luckily had a pretty easy “teaching in.” I was able to take on a second job for a quarter as a Visiting Professor in Sociology teaching a course that I had taught many times and love teaching. While that situation is pretty unique, it is certainly not unique to make extra money teaching in a wide variety of areas, so do a little brainstorming and research, it might pay dividends!

Sell Your Artwork on Etsy

This option has been the least profitable for me, but also a lot of fun. You might be more successful than I’ve been if you find a good niche.

I’ve created a variety of printables related to planning and budgeting using Canva, which is an incredibly useful and versatile graphic design software. You can use a free account or, for $12 a month, get the much more versatile Pro account. For those with more design know-how, Adobe has an incredible suite of tools for artists and designers.

A few of the printables I made have sold multiple copies. You can check out my Etsy store if you’re so inclined! However, I’ve actually lost money on this endeavor given that I pay monthly for my Canva account. Nevertheless, some people have made hundreds and even (many) thousands of dollars selling printables and artwork on Etsy.

The key is to find a niche where relatively few people are selling but where there is still demand. For example, one woman made a killing by creating printable games for watchers of The Bachelor. If you’re creative, you might enjoy this option even if you don’t make much money from it. And if you do make money, all the better!

Rent Your Extra Space

Full disclosure, I haven’t actually tried renting out our space. However, I looked into it and would have tried it if we hadn’t gotten a dog. If you have a garage, attic, shed, or backyard, you can rent that space for other people to store their items or park their cars. You can even rent your backyard to local dog owners who don’t have a green space to take their own dogs to play.

Depending on the size, quality, and accessibility of your storage space, you might make over $100 a month renting out your space. Pet owners generally pay about $10-$15/hour to let their pets play in your yard. If you’re renting out space, you’ll want to create a lease agreement and consider any privacy concerns about giving strangers access to your space. You can rent out your space on websites like Neighbor and Sniffspot.

Final Thoughts on the Most Fun Ways to Make Extra Money

Adulting is expensive. Whether it’s a sudden emergency, a big life event, a flurry of life events, or even just the rising expenses of groceries, it’s common to feel financially strained now and again. Luckily there are fun ways to make extra money when you need it. Don’t get me wrong, they generally involve time and effort. They’re not going to replace your day job. However, they can help ease the burden of some of life’s costs.

I hope you found this post on how to make extra money useful. If you try any of these strategies, let me know how they go! Have other fun ways of making extra money? Let me know in the comments!

And if you’re interested in related content, check out my posts on the no spend challenge, the best strategies for saving money, and more in our personal finance section.