4 Ways To Make an Extra $200 a Month — And How Many Hours You’ll Have To Work
Written by
J. Arky
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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It’s likely that the majority of people you know could always use some extra money to have on hand to pay bills, make new purchases and help pay down debt. The biggest logistical math problem to solve is how can you maximize your earnings in the least amount of time?
If you already have a day job that isn’t making ends meet or you need to work a side gig to help supplement your income, there are several ways to do it in the limited hours you have in a day.
Here are four ways to make an extra $200 each month, as well as how many hours you’ll have to work to get it.
4. Pet Sitting
If you love animals, then pet sitting or dog walking is a fun, rewarding side hustle, according to Mark Slack, side hustle and finance expert at SideHustles.com.
“Apps like Rover or Wag! put you in touch with people needing help with their pets. You can pet sit for $20 to $40 a day and make $15 to $20 per dog walking gig,” Slack explained.
“Just do a couple of walks a week or take one pet-sitting gig, and you’re on your way to that $200 per month. It takes maybe five to eight hours a month, plus it’s great exercise and a way to be social with dogs.”
3. Freelancing
If you have a talent for writing, graphic design or video editing, you can easily earn an extra $200 a month by taking on two to three freelance projects, according to Holly Hanna, the publisher and founder at The Work at Home Woman.
“As a beginner, it’s necessary to be able to show a potential client what you’re capable of doing. If you don’t have a website or online portfolio, you can do this by adding some samples to your LinkedIn profile by adding a profile section,” shared Hanna.
“Once your samples are ready, you can start pitching clients or bidding on gigs on sites like Fiverr, Upwork or Freelancer,” she continued. “If you charge $100 per project (one article, a logo or a short video editing project), you can earn $200 monthly by working on two projects. As you gain more samples and experience, you can start charging more per project.”
2. Online Surveys And Microtasking
In Slack’s professional opinion, online surveys and microtasks would be a pretty good option for those who do not mind quick and low-effort activities.
“After signing up through Swagbucks, InboxDollars or Prolific, one may make a little money by taking surveys, watching videos or doing some other micro-activities,” Slack described, adding that “This will not be big money, but this really adds up over time.”
“Each month, it would take about 20 to 30 hours to make about $200,” Slack pointed out. “This is ideally done at times of the day when one watches TV, while waiting for appointments or other parts of the day that people fritter away so much time on.”
1. Tutoring
According to Hanna, another quick easy way to earn $200 a month working from home is by answering homework questions online.
“For this side gig, you’ll need to have proficiency in a subject matter like math, English, science, a foreign language, business, accounting, engineering… that you can prove with academic credentials,” Hanna explained.
To get started, Hanna recommended applying with platforms like Study.com.
“How much you can earn will depend on numerous factors, like the time of year (school year versus summer), the subject you’re tutoring and how much you charge per question,” Hanna described. “For instance, if you’re tutoring in algebra and charge $10 to answer a question, you’ll need to answer 20 questions for the month.”
Conclusion
To make the best use of your time, Slack suggested that someone interested in these gigs could do a couple of these smaller hustles together.
“For example, you can walk dogs on weekends, do surveys over lunch and sell stuff online one weekend a month,” Slack offered. “The key is to think about your skills, your interests and how much time you have when finding a side hustle that works for you.”
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