How to Make Extra Money: 23 Legit Ways for Extra Pocket Change (2023)

We’ve rounded up a whole plethora of legit jobs and side hustles with our list of ways to make extra money.

Looking to make a little extra money on the side?!

For as little as 5 hours a week or less, we’re sharing 23 tips for how to make extra money so you can pad your savings (or extra spending) accounts with ease! From testing plates of French fries for $60 to getting paid to shop, there’s something to suit everyone’s schedule and skill level.

1. Do some dog walking & sitting.

Give us all the fur babies! With apps like Wag, you can easily become a dog walker in no time and make a little side cash while spending some quality time with cute pups! Win, win…or should I say, Woof! Woof! 😉

Here’s what one Hip2Save reader had to say:

“I started dog walking recently and have 4 regular clients. I started by posting in our neighborhood Facebook group asking if anyone needed a dog walker or sitter and I got responses right away. I’m making $450 a month and working just 3 hours and 20 minutes a week! It’s easy money, I get exercise and plenty of dog love! The flexible schedule is great for me and I’m loving the extra money!” – Sarah

2. Get crafty and sell your handmade goods.

There’s a huge buyer’s market for handmade goods these days. Discover something you love to make and start selling it on Etsy. Some seasoned pros even shared how they got started and became successful.

As another idea, check to see when your next local craft show is and make a bunch of goods to set up and sell! You could do anything from festive candles to crochet baby hats. If you need more ideas, we have a whole page full of DIY ideas that you can check out. If anything, they could inspire you to get started on some gorgeous money-making projects.

Here’s what some Hip2Save readers shared:

3. Become a fitness instructor.

While you may have to work your way up to become an instructor, Emily from our team has proven that it’s possible and not very difficult to do at all! If you haven’t got your feet wet with fitness yet and are looking to get involved, try any of these free workout apps to start your fitness journey without spending a dime.

Here’s what Emily on our team had to say about her fitness instructor journey:

“I was going to a barre class for several months and was so in love with it, I asked the owner if she was hiring new instructors. After about a year, she asked me to join their team of instructors! Even though I had no formal fitness training prior, I completed an online course & video submission to become barre certified (an expense the owner paid for). I make anywhere from $300-$400 per month and I get to take other classes at the studio outside of my own for free, so I’m saving a ton on my fitness expenses and making a good chunk of change in the process!”

Hip Tip:Speaking of working out, did you know that there are tons of different ways that you can work out for free and even phone apps that will even pay you to work out?!

4. Tutor some students.

Got some extra brains to share? Then being a private tutor might just be the perfect solution to sharing some of that knowledge. From math sessions to piano lessons, there’s a demand for all types of after-school helpers. Either call your local schools or post on Facebook to get started!

Here’s what some Hip2Save readers shared:

5. Teach English for VIP Kid.

If you have a bachelor’s degree, in any field, and one or more years working with children as a babysitter, tutor, camp counselor, church youth group, etc. you can work for VIP Kid! This totally legit, work-from-home job, allows you to stay home while teaching kids in China how to speak English!

Here’s what some Hip2Save readers shared about their experiences:

6. Start driving for Uber.

Drive your car and be your own boss! If you enjoy driving around or maybe you need to get to know your new city, then Uber could be a great part-time (or even full-time) gig for you! However, there are a few conditions to consider, such as owning a car that’s 10 years or newer, it must pass an Uber inspection, and among a few other things, you have to have a driver’s license in good standing.

Here’s what Anglea on our team had to say about her driving gig:

“I like that I can do some driving and get paid when I have extra time on the weekends. It’s not huge money but the flexibility is great and gives me some extra cash to pay for the extras my teenagers always seem to want or need. I do Uber and Lyft and flip back and forth depending on who has passengers available first. Plus, it’s always interesting, last week a man got in my car with fishing poles as long as my car and a bucket of live fish. LOL!”

7. Sell some yummy baked goods.

One thing many people love more than a yummy baked good is not having to make it in the first place! If you’re handy in the kitchen and love crafting up confections, try your hand at making baked goods for others for profit.

Here’s what some Hip2Save readers have to say about their experience:

Hip Tip:Make sure to check out all of our hip-tested desserts to get started on baking up some money-making treats!

8. Take photos for people.

With social media at its peak and families wanting photos or even bloggers needing some assistance, the options are endless – and people are paying! If you’re intrigued, but don’t know where to get started, invest in a new camera and ask some local photographers to let you shadow them or do a one-on-one session to learn your way around your new camera. You can also sell some stock images on Shutterstock for extra cash, too!

Here’s what I once did when I was a stay-at-home mom:

When I first had kids, I became really passionate about photography. I wanted great photos of my kids as they grew, so I purchased a starter camera and talked to a local photographer that I became friends with. She shared her expertise with me and I practiced a ton with my own family! From posting my pictures on my own social media, people started asking me to take photos for them. I have photographed everything from a floral workshop to family sessions and before I knew it, I was making about $400 per session! It was great extra cash with the flexibility to work when I could and I was still able to still stay at home with my kids.

9. Cook or meal prep for people.

People are busy and sometimes the last thing they want to do is think about what food to make for dinner. Whether they’re on their own or have a whole family to feed, they may pay for their meals to be ready to make!

Here’s how one Hip2Save reader does it:

10. Use apps to your advantage.

With apps like OnMyWay, you can get paid to simply drive safely! For every mile you drive and don’t text or use your phone, you’ll get paid. It’s really that simple. And as a bonus, you’ll get $10 just for signing up! It took me just a few minutes to enter my information and scan my driver’s license so I could start earning.

Here’s what one Hip2Save reader had to say about her experience:

“I just started to use the OnMyWay app that pays you to drive without texting and I’ve earned over $20 from using it less than a week!” – Julie

11. Donate your plasma.

There’s a high demand for donating blood, and if you’re a good candidate then you can earn cash to donate as much as they will allow. On average, the typical donor gets paid between $20-$50 all while helping save lives!

Here’s what one Hip2Save reader had to say:

“I donate plasma twice a week. Each time takes just about an hour and I take home between $70-$90 a week.”– Ashley

12. Assist with some open houses.

Local realtors may need your help and an extra smiling face to nail down a sale at their next open house. You could consider reaching out to some nearby companies or small home builders to see if they need an extra person to be at an open house and greet guests as they come in. If you get really good and know your way around a house, chances are they may use you for future home sales!

Here’s what one Hip2Save reader had to say:

“I work open houses on Saturdays and Sundays for a local home builder. It’s only 3 hours per day but it’s super easy and fun!”– Shanna

13. Get a babysitting gig.

Twenty years ago, I thought I was making bank – coming home on a Saturday night with $20 in my pocket from babysitting. Now, with apps like Care.com, babysitting is totally booming and, according to a national study, they’re making an average of over $16 an hour for one child! While you could do it for just a few hours a week, that’s a price that some could quit their day job for.

Here’s what one Hip2Save reader shared:

“I babysit and sell crocheted items. People pay way more for babysitting than the hours I spend making something, so I love the time with kids and the extra spending money.” – Shawna

14. Shop for Shipt.

If you meet all the requirements to become a paid grocery shopper, you can score a job paying you between $15-$25 per hour with Shipt or Instacart! You can work part-time or full-time or any time you want since you get to set your own hours. Plus, you’ll get paid every week in addition to earning customer tips!

Here’s what one Hip2Save reader had to say:

“I shopped and delivered groceries for Shipt while I was waiting for my teaching license to transfer states. Great job and you really learn your way around a new town!” – Keisha

15. Participate in a research study.

If you have a local teaching hospital or university, check and see if they offer the ability to participate in a paid research study. While some may take more time than 5 hours, the payoff can definitely be worth the time invested! As a tip, you could also sign up for ResearchMatch.org to see what’s available to you as a volunteer.

Here’s what two Hip2Save readers had to say:

16. Taste test some food.

Yes, you can even get paid by the hour to eat some food. Another blogger shared how she once got paid $60 to try a few plates of fries for an hour’s work, $75 for tasting iced coffee (yes, please!), and her daughter made $25 for trying some yogurt! To find out where you can taste test food, Google “food tasting in my area”or check out these 15 places Dad Sense recommended.

Here’s what one Hip2Save reader shared:

17. Sign your name as a witness.

Know any local lawyers or law firms? You can consider giving them a call and offering your presence whenever they need a witness for some documents. While not all firms are likely to just use anyone, it certainly doesn’t hurt to ask!

Here’s what one Hip2Save reader shared:

“I work with a local lawyer who does estate planning. I go in for 30 minutes and sign my name a bunch of times as a witness and get 25 bucks. I do this about once a week, sometimes twice!” – Ashley

18. Do some house cleaning.

People are busy and many are looking for help cleaning their homes. Whether they’re elderly, have busy schedules with kids, or work all the time, ask some friends and family if you can clean their home for them. After a couple of visits, chances are they’ll be telling their friends about your services!

Here’s what one Hip2Save reader shared:

“I like to clean houses for people I know. I usually just do one house per week for some extra cash and it’s good, easy money!” – Bridget

Hip Tip:Need the ultimate jumpstart? You need our FREE 4-week declutter challenge in your life!

19. Score some freelancing gigs.

Have some experience in marketing? You can consider freelancing. This is a contract-based service you can offer to others by utilizing your talents like design, copywriting, project managing etc., and find it’s pretty simple to find clients through Facebook groups and other online services like Fiverr.

Not into marketing? No worries, there are even remote, freelance options for personal assistants, scheduling, and more! While this does take some gumption and creative selling of your services, once you get started it’s easy to get referrals and meet other clients through current ones!

Here’s what one Hip2Save reader shared:

“One easy way that I’ve made extra money on the side is freelancing. I wanted a way to make extra money with low start-up cost and this only required that I purchased an email address and created an easy website. I have even had the opportunity to help ghost write books! The internet offers so many options, so get creative and really tap into what you’re good at! On average I was bringing in an extra $500-$1500 a month while staying home with my kids!” – Tiffany

20. Clean out your closet and sell your clothes.

It’s better to just let go of the clothes you no longer wear in your closet. Therefore, it’s time to go into that closet and clean out everything you don’t want! There are countless apps you can sell your items on, and we have an entire post explaining how to sell your clothes online. Some notable ones include Depop, OfferUp, and even eBay.

21. Rent your car out.

Just like you can rent your home out on Airbnb, you can actually rent out your car on sites like Turo or Getaround. This could come in handy especially if you live in an area where you can rely on public transit or don’t drive that often. CNBC reports one worker rented out his car out to two-three times a week and generated around $3,500 a month!

22. Fill out some surveys.

Some websites will either give you gift cards or money in your PayPal account to take surveys! Survey Monkey rewards you points per survey, and these points can be rewarded through gift cards or PayPal transactions.

Here’s what one Hip2Save reader shared:

23. Take pictures of your receipts.

Apps like Fetch and Ibotta With allow you to upload receipts from ANY store or restaurant (or enter your eReceipts using the handy receipt scanner), earn points, and then redeem them for gift cards to your favorite stores!

Here’s what our Hip sidekick Chelsey shared:

Never miss a dollar with our top tips for making money.