5 Ways You Can Make More Money Now

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash A few quick tips to start 2021 with more $$$

Before I started publishing articles online, I surveyed people to figure out what they wanted to know about their money. Based on the research, one of the biggest challenges people faced with money is figuring out how to make extra money. 48% of my respondents wanted to know the secret to making more money. The truth is there is no secret; however, in the internet age of today, there are more ways than one to make extra money. A lot more than we were exposed to before. Yes, some involve more work than others, and some pay more than others. However, if you're looking to make more money and need a little boost to your finances and are willing to put in a little more work, you can do it. It has never been easier to make more money, especially compared to 20-30 years ago. If you want to make some extra money, here are five ways you can do just that starting as soon as your next paycheck or bank deposit.

1. 1. Ask for a raise. According to an article in U.S. News & World Report, “How to Ask for a Raise- and Actually Get it,” nearly 60% of workers don't ask for a raise. As the saying goes, “Ask, and you shall receive” and “closed mouths don't get fed.” I'll keep reiterating this throughout my posts: execution is a considerable part of the success of anything. Many people fall short in executing, and not asking for a raise when you feel like you deserve one is a case of not executing. As most considerate people would do, before you ask for a raise, have a plan. You'll increase your chances of making your case to your boss and getting that well-deserved raise. According to a PayScale survey, 70% of people who ask for raises get them, so your chances are looking good.

1. 2. Get a new job. If your pay raise negotiations fail, this may be a good time to look for another job opportunity. Even in the time of Covid-19, there are still opportunities out there in certain industries. Currently, the U.S.'s unemployment rate is about 6.7 percent. There are many well-paying jobs out there, so don't be discouraged. If getting a new job is part of your plans, then here are a few things that will help you land one sooner rather than later:

• - Upload your resume and cover letter to job boards like Indeed and Glassdoor;
• - Use your LinkedIn account to search for a new job– a lot of companies are posting here as well;
• - Sign up with a local recruiting firm; they are like having more than one person helping you actively look for a job; and
• - Network, Network, Network, as they say, “your network is your net worth”.

I emphasize the last one because every job I ever had was through my network of friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances. Like I said previously, LinkedIn is an excellent resource. Be sure to update your profile and connect with people in your industry or people you feel might help your cause. Make sure you have something to offer in the relationship, make your intentions known, and go hard. Be willing to engage and collaborate with your connections and contacts.

1. 3. Get a side hustle. If you already have a primary income source or multiple sources of income and still want to make more? Start a side hustle. When I say a “side hustle”, I mean a micro-business that you can start immediately with little overhead, using the tools and skills that you have available RIGHT NOW. As I mentioned earlier, it is more convenient today than at any other time in our history to make some extra money due to the resources and tools the internet has to offer. Here are a few examples:

• With a phone and a decent car, you could sign up as a driver with Uber or Lyft in your local city. You can also explore delivery services such as Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, and Amazon Flex. It's instant cash, and if you're a people person, it's exciting.
• You can do freelance work using online resources like Upwork or Fiverr. Demand is high, and you can use the skills you already have. For Instance, if you love writing, designing, or building things, there is someone out there looking for you right now.
• Good at math, algebra, or statistics? You could be tutoring. Years ago, a friend of mine who was good with math, started tutoring and offering his services on craigslist while we worked as recruiters. Over the Christmas holiday, he made an extra $3,000 tutoring. Imagine what that could do for you right now? There is also a website called VIPKID, which is an online platform for teaching kids English.

1. 4. Learn a new skill set. To continue the idea of side hustling, you can take it a step further and invest in yourself. Listen: investing in yourself is always a good idea. This process may take some time, but it is well worth it. Depending on how much time (and money) you are willing to invest, you can learn a new skill and invest in your future earning potential. Online courses dominate the internet. These days, you can take a course in just about anything from just about anyone. With that being said, make sure to qualify these teachers and thought leaders before you sign up for a course! Check out Danielle Leslie’s Course From Scratch. You can check out Laptop Empires Facebook Hustle course and learn how to run Facebook ads for local businesses. Or you can check out websites like Udemy and Coursera and take online classes ranging from marketing to computer coding to genomic data science. The world wide web is your oyster; explore and see what sticks. If you're not one for using computers, you can also go to trade schools or community college, sign up, and acquire new skills to get yourself a new skill, career or side hustle.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

1. 5. Sell your lightly used clothing, or household goods online. Does this sound familiar: your spare room is full of slightly used to new clothing you can barely get through; your garage is filled with “junk” someone else could use; your kitchen has a barely used Keurig. Remember, one man's trash is another man's treasure; you could let go of all these things and turn them into cold hard cash while decluttering your home. Here are some of the more popular site and apps you could explore:

• - Poshmark
• - eBay
• - Your Instagram account
• - Craigslist
• - OfferUp

BONUS TIP: Learn how to trade stocks. This process is a bit more complicated for the average person. However, there are a few ways to get around it and make money now. I'll delve into this a bit more with articles on their own for those interested. For now, here are two quick options to get you started and making more money.

• Trade stocks and options: Open a brokerage account with Robinhood or eTrade and buy and trade Bluechip stocks and options. You can figure this out by yourself or utilize paid systems such as The Wealthy Investor or Empify that provide resources for you to learn in a community and minimize your mistakes.
• You can buy dividend-paying stocks: That will typically pay you quarterly for investing in their company/stocks. For example, most of us shop from Target, and this company is said to have one of the best dividend-paying stocks of 2021, according to U.S. News & World Report. Read more about this before you jump in.

Just be careful, focus, and like any other skill you gain, keep fine-tuning it until you get better.

With all these resources now at your fingertips, you are more than equipped to do something about changing your financial situation. It doesn't matter how little it is or if you start small: all extra money is more than what you had to begin with. Keep in mind that you are trading your time for money; be wise about what makes the most sense for the amount of time spent. Most importantly, go out there and execute a plan. Do something and watch your life change. As you get comfortable and consistent with your new hustle, so will your bank account in terms of growth. Soon, you will have more money to save and invest or get out of debt. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to shoot me a line. I'll be sure to do my best to get back to you. Good luck!