113 Best Side Hustle Ideas to Make Money

A big reason that I started blogging was to help people learn about different ways to make extra money. We talk a lot about all of the different ways to make extra money, from just simple gigs on the side to launching full-blown startups (and everything in between).

Obviously, earning extra money is something that can really change your life. Money can buy you freedom in more ways than one, despite what people may say.

Earning extra money on top of your day job can improve many areas of your life:

Less stress from living paycheck to paycheck
Reduce the burden of crippling debt
More opportunities to save for a dream vacation
It can be passed on to others for social good
You can retire earlier
It can be snowballed into even more wealth

The purpose of this post is to serve as a source of ideas for you to make extra money. Let this list be a source of inspiration to you!

Whether you’ve only got a few spare minutes to make a quick buck or if you are willing to burn the midnight oil in the hours after your full-time job and put in maximum effort, there are so many ways to make extra money.

There is a ton of information on this page, so I suggest bookmarking it and coming back periodically.

Alright, let’s get to it!

Table of Contents

Easiest Ways to Make Extra Money Fast

There’s something on this list for everyone, but I wanted to start things off with my personal favorites in terms of making extra money. If you’re looking for ways to make money without investing a lot of time or effort, these are for you.

1. Get Paid to Do Online Surveys

Companies are willing to pay money to get inside the heads of consumers. If you’re looking for how to make extra money fast, look no further. They’re free to join and free to use.

Pro Tip: Signing up for several survey sites will help you earn the most money. You’ll be eligible for more surveys, and it will allow you to pick the ones that pay the most money (helping you make the best use of your time).

Survey Junkie — Survey Junkie works much in the same way that Swagbucks does. All you have to do is sign up to be eligible for surveys. Once you complete a survey you earn a certain amount of points that you can exchange for cash paid directly to a PayPal account, or you can redeem your points for gift cards. Super simple.

Swagbucks — Perhaps the most well-known and trusted of all the survey sites, users earn “Swagbucks” (also known as SBs) for each survey they complete. Swagbucks even gives you a FREE $10 as an incentive just for signing up.

Vindale Research – Vindale Research asks for information about you in order to match you with fitting surveys. At up to $50 a pop for some surveys and a free $1 just for signing up, it pays to check in daily to see which ones are available to you. Cashouts are through PayPal.

Inbox Dollars – Cash and simplicity. Those are my two favorite parts about Inbox Dollars. After a few minutes of answering questions and watching a couple tutorial videos on how the site works, I had $5 added to my account. Good stuff.

OneOpinion— signing up is completely free, as it should be. This survey site, like many others, works on a points system: 1,000 points = $1. Once you reach 25,000 ($25), you can choose to cash out via PayPal or an Amazon gift card. OneOpinion also offers product testing, which means you have the opportunity to test new products at home before they hit the market.

Survey Club — Participate in the latest & highest paying research, product tests, focus groups, clinical trials, and survey opportunities. Get paid each time you take part in a paid research study (deposited directly to your PayPal account).

EarningStation — Earn points by taking surveys, shopping online, watching videos and signing up for great products. Redeem your points for gift cards to your favorite stores like Amazon and Walmart.

VIP Voice — You use the points you get from completing surveys to enter into sweepstakes and auctions for great rewards. Prizes include vacations, electronics, appliances, and much more.

MyPoints — rewards members when they shop online, take surveys, play games, watch videos and more. Similar to Swagbucks, plus they give you a $5 gift card for free after signing up.

LifePoints — They pay up to $5 per survey just for sharing your opinions. Joining is easy — just enter your email address, fill out some information about your household, and you’re in. LifePoints has paid out over $34 million to members worldwide since 2014, so needless to say they’re the real deal. When you sign up, you’ll immediately earn 10 LifePoints, just by joining.

Harris Poll Online— This isone of the oldest and most prestigious market research companies around. In addition to giving your own opinion, you can compare your answers to the answers of other people who’ve taken the same surveys.

As for rewards, for each survey you take, you’ll receive HIpoints. Redeem your points for gift cards to places like Starbucks, iTunes, and Amazon. For every survey you complete, you get an entry to the Harris Panel sweepstakes, or HIstakes, for a chance to win a much larger cashout.

2. Invest Your Spare Change with Acorns

Imagine every time you swipe your card, you could round up to the nearest dollar and invest that change towards your future. That’s exactly what Acorns does for you.

Those nickels and dimes add up, and they’re especially better than nothing if your current investment strategy is I’ll think about that later.

Aside from everyday round-ups, Acorns lets you set recurring and one-time investments, earn cash back on your everyday shopping, and rewards you for every friend or family member you refer. They’ll also give you $5 just for signing up.

3. Let Dosh Save You Money

Dosh gives members cash back on things they do every day. Whenever you shop at a Dosh partner location using a card connected to your account, you receive cash deposited straight to your Dosh Wallet.

There are no coupons, no promo codes, and no receipt scanning receipts. Just download the app and shop! You also get $8 for every friend you refer to the app.

Cashing out is easy, too. Transfer your earnings to a bank account, PayPal, or donate to your favorite charity from within the app.

4. Let Trim Negotiate Your Bills

Rather than combing through your bills for ways to save a couple dollars here and there, let Trim do it for you. Trim connects to your account using bank-level security, analyzes your spending and subscriptions, and finds ways you could be saving money.

Just ask Trim to cancel a subscription and it’s done. It can even negotiate your bills and find you a better rate on car insurance! And the best part — it’s completely free.

5. Earn More Interest on Your Savings

One easy way to make money is to move your savings over to a bank account that actually pays you a decent interest rate on your savings. Discover Bank’s online savings account usually has an APY at or around of 2.00% — 5x higher than the national average.

Take 10 minutes out of your day and do this — over time, it really does make a difference. It won’t make you rich, but extra money is extra money.

6. Automate Your Savings

The hardest part about saving money is actually transferring the funds out of your checking account and into a savings or emergency fund. No one wants to see their savings account drop without an immediate benefit! But with Rize, you can automate saving so you never have to think about it. Just set a savings goal and a date, and Rize will do the rest.

But don’t worry — if your checking account dips below a certain limit, Rize will notify you and put your savings on hold. That way you never have to worry about overdrafts. Sign up for Rize for free to automate your savings.

7. Make Sure Your Credit Isn’t Costing You

Bad credit could be costing you hundreds of dollars per year. Fortunately, you can make that money back by staying on top of your credit score.

Experian, one of the three major credit reporting agencies, offers a free CreditWorks™ Basic report updated every 30 days. Checking your report allows you to stay on top of your credit history and make sure nothing is awry.

For day-to-day credit monitoring, I like to use Credit Sesame. The Credit Sesame app provides a snapshot of your credit situation all in one place. It also gives you personalized savings advice in areas where you could be overpaying, such as car and student loans.

8. Apply for a Small Personal Loan

While this isn’t exactly a long-term solution for making money (since you have to pay it back), it is a reliable way to get some extra cash when you’re in a pinch. It’s also a great way to make money by saving money if you use a personal loan to pay off high-interest debt, such as credit cards. Since getting a loan is one of the easiest ways to make extra money, we felt we had to include it.

When it comes to applying for a loan, you’ll want to go with a reputable, trustworthy source. Stay away from payday loans at all costs. Instead, look for well-known companies that provide legitimate short-term loans at low interest rates, like the ones below:

SoFi — SoFi’s fixed-rate loans start at a low 6.57% APR. There are no origination fees, no penalties for paying off your loan early, and no hit to your credit for checking your loan rate.

Prosper — Prosper has loaned over $12 billion to 750,000 borrowers. They offer 3- or 5-year loans with fixed, low interest rates. You can pay your loan off any time with no penalty, and checking your rate does not impact your credit score.

PersonalLoans.com — Personal Loans offers loans up to $35,000 and connects you with lenders from around their network. The process is simple with just a few steps. Once you’re approved, you have anywhere from 90 days to 72 months to pay back your loan, depending on the terms you select.

9. Invest Online with a Robo Advisor

Robo advisors use technology to efficiently manage your portfolio. That means fewer fees and no hidden costs, so you get to keep more of what your investments earn. There’s no minimum deposit required to start investing with Betterment, a top-rated online investing platform.

Already have a portfolio? Use Personal Capital to see how well your investments are performing and where they could improve. Their free Investment Checkup tool compares your current portfolio allocation to the ideal allocation needed to fund your goals.

10. Buy Bitcoin and Refer Your Friends

Cryptocurrencies aren’t going away any time soon. You can now use bitcoin to buy pizza, pay for your travels, and shop online. Why not use take advantage of this new form of currency to make some extra cash yourself?

When you sign up for Coinbase and buy $100 worth of bitcoin, you get an extra $10 bonus. For every person you refer to bitcoin, you get another $10.

11. Drive People Around

This is a really good use of your time if you are open to trying creative ways to make money. I live in a college town and on game weekends, I can make upwards of $200 for just a few hours of driving with Uber. Check out this article to help you get started with Uber.

Lyft is another great way to make extra money by using your car. Right now, new drivers who sign up with Lyft earn a $300 bonus after their first 100 rides. If you have weekend and evening availability, you could easily reach that in a few short weeks. Sign up with Lyft to claim your $300 bonus.

driving with Uber is an easy way to make extra money

12. Rent Out Your Car

Think of this as Airbnb, but for your car. By listing your vehicle on Turo, you can make extra money by renting your car to people who need to borrow a ride. You get to choose your own rates, and you’re also covered with $1 million in liability insurance. Check out Turo’s earnings calculatorto see how much you could make per month.

13. Get Cash Back When You Shop

Technically you’re not getting money, but you’re getting money back on purchases you would have made anyways. The cool thing is, this is on top of any discounts/coupon codes you already have. The two best sites that offer cash back on your online purchases are Ebates ($10 free signup bonus) and Swagbucks ($10 free signup bonus).

Another option that isn’t quite cash back but is along the same lines of “make money by saving money” — the Honey Chrome extension. Whenever you head to your cart to check out, Honey searches for online coupon codes or better deals from different retailers. That means no more wasted time Googling “[insert store name] coupon code” just to come up empty-handed. Honey does all the legwork for you!

14. Sell Gift Cards You’ll Never Use

We all have them. That random store that you never go to, but your grandma thought you’d love. Raise is a marketplace for buying and selling gift cards online. It’s free to join, and consumers can either buy discounted gift cards or sell their gift cards in exchange for cash.

15. Switch to a Money Market Account

If you’re saving for a goal or a large purchase, and you need easy access to your money at any time, you could earn even more by keeping your funds in a money market account.

Discover Bank is currently offering an interest rate around 2.0% on money market accounts — more than 15x the national average. Just like with a checking or savings account, your money is FDIC secured, there are no monthly service fees, and you can access your funds any time.

*$2,500 minimum deposit.

16. Invest Your Savings

Depending on your age, you should be netting around 7% a year with a balanced investment portfolio. Have $50,000 in savings? That is $3,500 dollars per year that you are missing out on by not investing.

Getting started is easier than you think. Check out How to Make Money in the Stock Market, courtesy of Mr. Money Moustache. And FYI, Ally Invest has a promo going on right now where you can start investing in stocks for only $4.95 per trade (one of the cheapest around).

17. Peer to Peer Lending

Using the money you already have to make more money is usually a pretty smart move. A service like Lending Club is a great way to act as a lender and earn interest on your money. Essentially, you act as the bank, which is pretty neat. Lending Club is the world’s largest online credit marketplace connecting borrowers and investors. Definitely something worth looking into!

Use Your Phone to Make Extra Money

If you only have a few minutes here and there, you can still use that free time to make extra money right from your smartphone. Here are some free apps that pay you just for using them.

18. Install the ShopTracker App

ShopTracker was created by Harris Poll, one of the oldest and most well-respected market research companies in the game. As the name suggests, this app tracks your shopping habits (anonymously) for market research companies. What’s even better — you get a free $3 just for installing the app!

19. MobileXpression

Similar to ShopTracker, MobileXpression tracks app and Internet usage on your smartphone or tablet. Once you’ve been an active member for a week, you’ll be rewarded with your first gift card. Each week you keep the app on your phone, you’re eligible for additional credits you can exchange for more gift cards.

After 90 days, MobileXpression will donate a tree to Trees for the Future in recognition of your participation, and an additional tree for each month you remain an active member. So not only are you contributing to the future of the Internet, you’re also contributing to the future of the planet. How cool is that?!

20. Decluttr Your Stuff

Most of us are guilty of hanging onto things that we never use, myself included. Take a day and go through all your old stuff and get rid of some of it! One tool that is really helpful for this is Decluttr. You can enter your items barcodes into their valuation engine and they’ll give you an instant offer. Then you simply pack all your items into a box and ship them off for free.

21. Nielsen Digital Voice

Nielsen Digital Voice gauges how people spend their time using technology. When you install the Nielsen app, you earn points for every hour you spend on your smartphone! You’ll also get entries into their monthly $10,000 sweepstakes.

22. Cash Back with Ibotta

The Ibotta app gives you cash back on the groceries you already buy. Some deals are brand specific, while others give you cash just for purchasing a certain type of item, like a loaf of bread from any brand. Choose your deals before you check out, then submit a picture of your receipt and get paid via Venmo, PayPal, or gift cards. Sign up with Ibotta to claim your $10 welcome bonus.

23. Scan Items for Shopkick

With Shopkick (via iOS or Android), there’s no purchase necessary to earn cash back. In order to make money with Shopkick, all you have to do is download the app, enable your location services, and start earning kicks. You’ll earn points just by walking into a store, and even more points for scanning items or making a purchase. Payout comes in the form of gift cards to your favorite stores, including Walmart, Target, Sephora, and Starbucks to name a few.

Ways to Make Extra Money Online

All you need is a computer and an Internet connection for these money-making ideas.

24. Start a Blog

This can be just a simple side hustle, or it can turn into something really special; it’s up to you. I’m a huge fan of blogging because I love writing and connecting with people all over the world.

If you want to get started, read my post From 0-$100k: How Anyone Can Start Blogging. If you need some inspiration, check out how we made over $17,600 in one month from blogging. Seriously, don’t discount the incredible opportunities that blogging can provide!

HostGator has one of the best deals on the internet right now for getting a money-making blog up and running. They make it simple and easy to get started (and have everything you need all in one place), which is why I like recommending them to ambitious new bloggers. Zero tech knowledge needed!

Use coupon code “BTOP42” to get 42% off the price of your blog (this offer expires soon!)

Become a BTOP Insider

We grew our blog to over $1,000,000 per year with no marketing experience, no team, and no clue what we were doing.

Become a BTOP Insider for tips and strategies on what it really takes to make money blogging. You won’t find this stuff anywhere else.SIGN ME UP!We won’t send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

25. Use Swagbucks for Online Search

Swagbucks is a great way to passively earn cash and Amazon gift cards with very little work. They have a search tool, which is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded “SBs” for the things you do through their website. Redeem SBs for rewards. And by signing up through our link, they give you a free $10. Boom.

26. Become a Freelance Proofreader

In 2014, Caitlin Pyle made over $43,000 by working as a freelance proofreader…part time. When she wasn’t working, she even had time to go on several fun vacations. After she had a ton of success doing that, she decided she wanted to teach others how to do the same thing, so she started up Proofread Anywhere. Sign up for one of her free workshops to learn more about making money as a proofreader.

27. Become a Freelance Writer

Content is what drives web traffic. Websites are always pumping out fresh, new content for their readers, and they are always looking for writers! If you aren’t quite ready to launch your own blog yet, this might be a good option to see if writing is for you. Since competition is high, we don’t recommend starting from scratch as a freelance writer. Want to see success faster? Learn from a veteran, six-figure freelance writer.

28. Start a Facebook Ad Side Hustle

Facebook ads are invaluable to both online and brick and mortar business owners these days. You can easily bring in $1,000 or more per month with just a handful of Facebook ad clients.

How are we so sure?

Because we know someone who does. Bobby was a band director when he started his blog and digital marketing side hustle. Now he makes several times his previous salary running Facebook ads and providing other services for local businesses, along with running his own blog.

29. Become a Virtual Assistant

Online business owners are always looking for help with tasks (myself included). There is a wide range of services a VA can offer, from graphic design, blog editing, responding to emails, etc. Here’s a list of 150+ services you can offer as a virtual assistant.

30. Sell Custom Designed T-Shirts

I recently stumbled upon a really neat website, Teespring.com, where you can design t-shirts and sell them online. If you can come up with some cool designs and use Facebook ads to target exactly who would love your designs, you can definitely make extra money with this side hustle.

31. Manage Social Media for Businesses

This can include advertising, but many businesses also need help just filling up their social media profiles with relevant (and consistent) content. If you enjoy learning about social media and want to take things a step further and make extra money, social media management is a great option. If you’re good at it, it can also open up a lot of doors for you down the road. This is a great article from Small Biz Trends on How to Start Your Own Social Media Business.

32. Rent out your belongings

This is one of my new favorite ways to earn passive income. Think Airbnb except instead of listing your house for a few days, you list items like cameras, bikes, scooters, you name it.

Got a DSLR just sitting in your closet collecting dust? Rent it out for a few days.
Have a 500-watt sound system you think someone may need for a wedding party? You can rent those out, too.

It’s worry free (they have comprehensive insurance that covers your item) and it’s an amazing way to have someone else pay for your belongings. Take this Londoner for example — he made over $30,000 renting out his camera equipment and ended up buying his mom a house with it.

Better yet, they’ll pay you $25 just for signing up and they award you an additional $25 for each member you refer that successfully completes the rental process.

And now you see why this is one of my new favorite ways to make extra cash on the side.

33. Be a Search Engine Evaluator

Leapforce is always looking for people for this work at home role. Their Search Engine Evaluators “conduct research, evaluation, and feedback on search engine results by measuring the relevance and usefulness of web pages in correlation to predefined queries, by providing a comparative analysis of sets of search engine results and various other techniques.”

34. Consulting for Local Small Businesses

This side hustle can easily become a full-time job! If you’ve got expertise in an area and think you can help small businesses near you, give this a shot. For instance, Ben and I know a lot about running Facebook advertising campaigns, so we approached the owner of our gym if he would let us design a few campaigns for him. And of course, he was thrilled to get the help! Here’s a useful 18 Step Checklist for Becoming a Small Business Consultant.

35. Affiliate Marketing

That’s how this website is able to generate thousands in revenue each month without selling anything. It’s one of the easiest ways to make extra money online. Setting up an affiliate-focused website is fairly simple, but it will take quite a bit of time and effort to draw in enough traffic to make decent money.

Our article From 0-$100k: How Anyone Can Start Blogging is a great starting point!

36. Write an Ebook and Sell it On Amazon

It doesn’t have to be long! Many popular ebooks are less than 50 pages. The Penny Hoarder has a great article that outlines How to Publish Your Ebook and Earn Money. Beyond writing a book, there are dozens of other ways to start building a business off of Amazon.

37. Create an Online Course

If you’ve got expertise in a certain area, package up your knowledge into an online course and sell it. This has become a very popular business model for online entrepreneurs over the past several years. The two big websites that are used to sell online courses are Udemy and Teachable. Check out this awesome article by Regina on How to Create an Online Course that Sells.

38. Offer Resume Help

This can either be done locally or through an online service like Fiverr. Resumes are something that people can be very insecure and self-conscious about, which means there is always a demand for services that will help spruce them up. Holly Hanna from The Work at Home Woman wrote a really useful article on How to Make Money from Home with Resume Writing.

39. Copywriting

If you can persuade people to act on something via the written word, you can make really good money. Copywriting is a skill that takes time and effort to perfect, but once you get the hang of it, you become very valuable. Here are 10 Ways to Find Your First Copywriting Clients, courtesy of Make a Living Writing.

40. Offer Web Design Services

For non-tech people (myself included), web design can cause a lot of stress. And stress means opportunity. If you have a knack for web design or web development, you should definitely be capitalizing on it. And since it’s such a foreign concept for many, it can be a really lucrative side hustle. You can find all sorts of gigs on Upwork. Also, you need to read this article: How to Make $5,000+ a Month Building Websites Part-Time

41. Develop an App

Ok, obviously you need some pretty serious technical chops to pull this off, but it can be a very worthwhile endeavor. If you aren’t a coding ninja just yet, though, don’t despair. Here are 3 Options for Creating Mobile Apps Without Coding.

42. Buy and Sell Domain Names

Jeremy Green registered ClintonKaine [dot] com in 2011. When Hillary announced that Tim Kaine would be her running mate in 2016, all of a sudden that domain name became pretty valuable. If you’re interested in buying domains, check out HostGator.

43. Advertise on Social Media

Do you have a ton of followers on your personal Instagram, Twitter, or any other social media? “Influencer Marketing” is becoming really popular these days as brands are looking for more authentic ways to connect with their target audience. Check out this (free) Step-By-Step Guide To Becoming An Influencer In Your Industry.

44. Test Apps and Websites

Companies want to know how easy their websites are to use and the information you give them about the process is extremely valuable. If you’re looking for one of the easiest ways to make extra money online, this is it.

Whatusersdo – Pay is $8 (or more) per test. Tests take around 15-20 minutes (you need a Mac or PC + mic).
Enroll – Get paid to test websites before they are published. Earn cash rewards.
UserFeel – This company pays around $10 per test.
Analysia – Tests take around 15 minutes to complete. Pay is $10 per test.
TryMyUI – Tests takes around 15-20 minutes to complete. Pay is $10 per test.

45. Help Google Improve

Get Google’s Screenwise app here. If you don’t care about letting Google know what you do on a daily basis, you can get free money. They use the information they gather to help them market and increase the functionality of their advertising programs when targeting users that are similar to you.

46. Data Entry

It’s not fun work, but there is always some money to be made in data entry. Especially if you are fast and accurate. You can find a ton of data entry jobs on Upwork.

47. Get Paid to Watch Online Videos

Sites like Swagbucks ask you to watch certain videos and like them. You have to watch for a certain number of minutes which you’ll be told ahead of time. They even give you $10 just for signing up.

48. Enter Online Contests and Giveaways

Use a separate email address for when you register for all of these so you don’t drown in the notifications. Online-Sweepstakes.com has a list of a bunch of current sweepstakes. Have fun!

49. Crowdfund

If worse comes to worst, you can always just ask for money. Be creative, though! Like the kid who held up a sign during College GameDay asking his mom for beer money.

50. Become a Translator

Upwork always has gigs open for translators. If you are bilingual, put your skills to use and make some extra money!

51. Launch Your Own YouTube Channel

Your topic area can be literally anything. From pranksters filming their antics to chemistry professors sharing their how-to videos, anyone can make money from YouTube. Here’s a list of 10 Ways You Can Make Money from YouTube, courtesy of Compelling.tv.

52. Sell Crafts on Etsy

Have an arts and crafts hobby? Start earning money from it! Use Etsy to sell your own handmade stuff. It’s one of the most popular ways to make extra money online around.

53. Logo Design

Between Fiverr and Upwork, there is never a shortage of demand for logo design work. Start building your portfolio, charge competitive rates, and make extra money designing logos.

Become a BTOP Insider

We grew our blog to over $1,000,000 per year with no marketing experience, no team, and no clue what we were doing.

Make Extra Money Offline

So far we’ve covered ways to make extra money online, using your phone, and with little to no effort at all. But sometimes it’s nice to take a break from technology, especially if you’re on a computer all day for work. Here are some ways to make extra money that don’t involve staying glued to a screen.

54. List a Room in Your House

Have a spare room in your house that you’re not using? You could be missing out on extra money by listing it on Airbnb. On game weekends where I live, homeowners make an easy few thousand just by turning their house over to eager game-goers for a couple days.

I’ve known people to stay with friends for the weekend and split the rental profit. Check out Airbnb’s calculator to see how much you could make.

55. Bet on Your Own Weight Loss

fit woman in black pants and a pink top getting paid to lose weight

What better way to lose weight than to avoid losing a bet? HealthyWageallows you to place a wager and make extra money when you successfully lose weight.

56. Walk Dogs in Your Neighborhood

Pretty self-explanatory. You can start making money playing with dogs today using Rover. Rover lets you set your prices so you can charge fair rates for your services. In addition to walking, you can also offer doggy daycare, house sitting, and boarding through Rover. If you’d rather start your own thing, check out The Balance’s How to Start a Dog Walking Business.

57. Babysit

This one comes with a bit more responsibility than watching dogs. You’ll probably get paid better, though, since you’re caring for an actual human being. Hard to beat one of the most old-fashioned ways to make extra money around.

Care.com and Sittercity are the two leading online job sites for finding high-paying babysitting jobs. Set up a profile on each to access to the most families in your area.

58. Donate Plasma

Donating your body is a great way to help other people in need, and some donation centers even pay donors. I regularly donate platelets and plasma with the American Red Cross (who unfortunately do not compensate donors). It’s a great way to give back to the community.

To find a plasma donation center near you that compensates donors, visit donatingplasma.org.

59. Become a Bartender

If you live in a college town, this can be a really lucrative side hustle. Get a better idea of how much you can expect to earn as a bartender here.

60. Pet Sitting

Especially around the holidays, this service is in high demand. People want someone they can trust to look after their pets while they are out of town. The Simple Dollar has a pretty nifty guide on how you can make money pet sitting if this sounds like something you’re interested in.

61. Start Personal Training

If you have a passion for fitness and love helping others improve their health, you might consider becoming a personal trainer. With social media, there are now more ways than just 1-on-1 training to make extra money in the fitness industry. Smart Asset wrote a great piece on The Economics of Personal Training.

62. Become a Notary

It’s usually less than a hundred dollars to get registered in most states, but once you’re registered, you can charge whatever fees you want for your services.

63. Car Washing and Detailing

You can take this side hustle as far as you want. Car detailing has the benefit of recurring work, assuming you don’t get fired! Money Connexion has a great article on How to Start a Car Detailing Business if you’re interested.

64. Be a Coach/Trainer for a Specific Sport

During my high school days, I was a pretty decent golfer (about a 2-3 handicap, for you other golfers out there). I was asked by my local club professional if I would help him teach his junior golf clinics that summer. If you have specialized skill in any sport, there are definitely opportunities out there for teaching others the fundamentals (and getting paid).

65. Prepare Taxes

There are always lots of individuals and businesses willing to spend a few hundred dollars a year to have someone else prepare their taxes. That someone could be you. There are a lot of resources out there to learn tax preparation and all its complexities.

66. Become a Wedding Planner

wedding party throwing confetti over married couple

It just takes one wedding to get started. Have a friend getting married? Help them plan it, get pictures, create a sweet portfolio, and market yourself to other soon-to-be newlyweds! Check out How to Become a Wedding Planner here.

67. Become a Photographer

If you have a passion for capturing moments and relationships on camera, becoming a photographer can be a great way to make extra money. All you need is a decent camera and perhaps some photo editing software, which you can get for about $10/month. Then it’s up to you to drum up clients.

If client work isn’t your speed, you can sell your images online for passive income. Landscapes and beautiful scenery are always popular amongst stock photography websites.

68. Interior Design Consulting

Have a knack for making a room “pop?” You can start a local interior design side hustle, create an Instagram following, and grow your audience and clientele online. Learn more about becoming an interior designer here.

69. Edit College Admissions Essays

If you are smart about your marketing and focus on targeting parents, you can make a lot of money in this niche. Most parents are more than happy to pay for an extra set of eyes on their kids’ writing.

70. Sell Your Old Textbooks

Use eBay, Amazon, or your local college bookstore for this. If your books aren’t too old, your best bet is Amazon. In my experience, college bookstores don’t sell your books as quickly. They may also donate your items if they’re not sold within a certain period of time.

71. Sell Your Recycling

Used glass bottles go for a few cents each in many places. That can add up quickly, though, especially if you find a way to scale up your collection efforts. Here’s a List of Things You Can Sell at the Recycling Center.

72. Do Event Staffing

Want to attend fun sports events, concerts, etc. for free and get paid? Look into temporary event staffing gigs. SnagAJob is a good resource for finding these kinds of (very) part-time jobs.

73. Grocery Shop for People

Busy people who don’t have a lot of free time like to outsource tasks. Grocery shopping is one of them. Enroll with service like Instacart and make extra money by grocery shopping for people in your area.

74. Snow Removal

Self-explanatory. But instead of just knocking on doors once the snow falls, try to get a few “clients” to reserve your services before the snow hits. If there’s a nice little storm coming, make a Facebook status and tag everyone in your neighborhood.

75. Place Ads on Your Car

Believe it or not, there are companies out there that will pay to essentially use your car as a billboard. MoneyPantry has a good informational article on “car wrapping.”

76. Deliver Newspapers

It sounds old-fashioned, but delivering newspapers is a great way to get a little exercise in while earning some extra cash. Pick up the phone, call your local paper, and see where they need help.

77. Find Odd Jobs on Craigslist

If you can sift through the scams on Craigslist (you shouldn’t have to pay any money upfront for anything. And don’t fall for the nude modeling ads…it’s probably serial killers posting those), there are a lot of legitimate odd jobs that can help you make extra money.

78. Exploit Facebook “Yard Sale” Pages

Most towns have at least one Facebook group dedicated to buying and selling unwanted stuff (similar to Craigslist). Every now and then I like to go through those pages, and I can almost always find something that is way undervalued. Buy low, sell high!

79. Sell Your Hair

My hair is about a quarter inch long so I’m assuming this is a no-go for me. However, you might have better luck. Check out HairSellon’s Hair Price Calculator here.

80. Trade Baseball Cards

Or Pokemon, or whatever else you’re into. If you are knowledgeable about the value of certain items, you can flip a quick deal! Check out How to Make Money Selling Baseball Cards.

81. Do Chores for People

Sign up at TaskRabbit and get paid to help people with daily household chores. Popular services include interior painting, helping people move, mounting and installation, and general handyman repairs.

82. Become a Brand Ambassador

This is a really popular one for college-age students. Check out Budgets are Sexy’s Ultimate Guide to Making Money as a Brand Ambassador.

83. Join a Focus Group

Think of this as taking surveys, but on steroids. Companies are willing to pay consumers to provide feedback on products or share thoughts on a new idea. Often this is done through focus groups, which usually compensate members for their time. FindFocusGroupsand FocusGroup are two really good websites where you can find focus groups near you.

84. Flip Things on Craigslist

There are always mispriced things on Craigslist! This is just like garage sale-ing. Check out the 10 Best Things to Buy and Sell on Craigslist.

85. Maintain Yards in Your Neighborhood

Depending on where you live, there can be a pretty strong demand for this type of thing. If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, this is definitely something to consider! Read more about the Pros and Cons of Starting a Lawn Business.

86. Become a Tutor

Students will always be willing to pay for extra 1-on-1 help, which means there will always be opportunities for work as a tutor. Here are some tips on how to market yourself as a tutor and get clients. You can also sign up for an online tutoring platform like Chegg. Chegg reports that their tutors make $20+ an hour.

87. Start a Podcast

Maybe your writing isn’t all that great, but you are a great conversationalist. If you have a topic you’re passionate about, why not start a podcast? As your audience grows, you can land some pretty sweet sponsorship deals. Here’s the complete scoop on How to Start Your Own Podcast.

88. Refurbish Antiques and Resell Them

Moms and grandmas, this one is for you. If you love poking around in antique shops all day, why not try buying a few things, refurbish them, and sell them on eBay? That could be a fun gig if you’re into that sort of thing. Here’s How to Start an Antique Restoration Business.

89. Event DJing

There are many events that need DJs: weddings, corporate outings, college parties, etc. If you have a big selection of music and can mold it to your crowd, DJing might be a fun side business to get into. Here’s How to Start a Mobile DJ Business and Make Extra Cash.

90. Meal Prep Services

For health-conscious people who are also strapped for time, eating healthy during the week can be a tricky task. A startup near us in Roanoke, VA, Food Prep Service Roanoke has done a great job of capitalizing on this opportunity. They address 3 different pain points: they’re low cost, the meals are healthy, and they deliver.

91. Train Dogs

As I’m writing this article, I have two bad dogs sitting right next to me (Annie and Sydney, if you’re reading this, I really do love you). I would definitely pay someone who has the patience and the skill to train these two rascals. Read How to Start a Dog Training Business from Top Dog Tips.

92. Groom Dogs

Now that I think about it, these two also need a bath. And I don’t have time to do it today. There’s another business opportunity.

93. Rec Sports Referee

Local rec leagues, whether it’s softball, flag football, soccer, etc. need people to officiate games. Working a game or two each weekend is a great way to make some extra money.

94. In-Home Help for the Disabled

You need maximum levels of patience and compassion for this one, but the rewards go far beyond just the extra cash.

95. Participate in Clinical Trials

You can make some pretty decent cash from this. Check out ClinicalTrials.gov for more information.

96. Estate Sale Service

Skim the obituaries in the paper, track down next of kin using social media, then contact them and offer to help with sorting through/moving/selling possessions that have been left behind. Be tactful and respect that these families are going through a tough time.

97. Electronics Repair

People crack their screens and otherwise damage their phones/tablets/etc. all the time. With a little bit of training and the right equipment, you can easily start your own mobile electronics repair biz. Here’s a great article from JerryRigEverything on starting a cell phone repair business.

98. Window Cleaning Service

It’s not glamorous work, but pretty much all brick and mortar businesses need it. And you can provide that service.

99. Become a Coach or Mentor

If you have experience in a certain area, you might be able to provide your guidance and expertise to others. Areas of focus are virtually unlimited — nutrition, business, happiness, relationship, and everything in between! Read more about How to Become a Professional Mentor from The Guardian.

100. Direct Sales Consulting

This is stuff like MaryKay, Avon, Beachbody, Tupperware, etc. If you aren’t quite ready to start your own business but you want to get a taste of entrepreneurship, one of these options could be a reasonable choice. Here’s a helpful write-up from Single Moms Income on How to Earn Money as a Successful Direct Sales Consultant.

101. Substitute Teaching

I was surprised to find out how minimal the requirements are for many substitute teaching gigs. Even teaching just a few classes each month can really add to your income! Check out How to Make Money Substitute Teaching at Live Like You are Rich.

Become a BTOP Insider

We grew our blog to over $1,000,000 per year with no marketing experience, no team, and no clue what we were doing.

Creative Ways to Make Money

For the more unconventional, here are some uncommon and creative ways to make extra cash in your spare time.

102. Play Poker Online

If this is the first time you are hearing about this, though, then we actually do not recommend trying it. The average skill level of players on the Internet has improved so much over the past few years that it’s virtually guaranteed that a new player will lose money over the medium to long-term. But hey, Ben made upwards of 6 figures playing online in poker in college, so we had to list it.

103. Become a Mystery Shopper

The job description is pretty straightforward: visit a specific business or make a transaction with a certain company and share the results of that experience. For the right person, this can be a great way to make extra money. The Krazy Koupon Lady has an awesome article on How to Make Money as a Mystery Shopper.

104. Transcribe Audio into Writing

There are several websites that will pay you to listen to audio and write down what is being said. It’s not the most fun work in the world, but if you are looking to make extra money, this is a viable option.

105. Participate in Paid Research Studies

If you live near a university, there are likely all sorts of research studies looking for participants. While I was an undergrad at Virginia Tech, I got paid $500 to participate in a 6-week dietary study. The study provided all my meals and paid me, but I had to eat a 5,000 calorie diet of 50% fat for 6 weeks, plus I had multiple muscle biopsies, urine/blood testing, etc.

106. Sell Roses for Valentine’s Day

If you start growing them in mid to late December, they should be ready by February 14th. Set up shop outside of a Starbucks or a romantic restaurant the week of and make some quick cash.

107. Be an Online Juror

Sign up to become a mock juror through eJury and you can get paid to help attorneys practice their skills in a mock trial.

108. House Sit

This is pretty much the easiest money you’ll ever earn. Just don’t let the house burn down.

109. Real Estate Crowdfunding

You can buy individual shares of real estate property through a website like Fundrise. According to their site, investors can earn an average of 12 to 14 percent annually on their investment.

aerial view of real estate in new york city

110. Invest in Sectors You Like

If you are looking for a unique way to put your money to use, consider a service like Motif Investing. If there’s a particular sector you believe in, such as cancer research, Motif lets you invest in stocks related to that particular sector.

Ways to Make Extra Money at Your Current Job

What better place to look for extra money than the job that’s already paying you?

111. Get a Promotion

Easier said than done, I know. But if you’re willing to go above and beyond and prove yourself to management, you can move up the corporate ladder. Paul Sloane wrote a great article over on Lifehack about How to Get a Promotion.

112. Ask for a Raise

In my (unpopular) opinion, getting a raise is harder than getting a promotion. Think about it from your boss’s perspective, would you rather a) pay more money for the same service, or b) pay more money for additional responsibilities. Alas, if you feel you’re overdue a raise, check out Dr. Randall Hansen’s article on Getting the Raise You Deserve. There are some really useful strategies there.

113. Work Overtime

I’m not a huge fan of directly trading your time for money, but sometimes the offer of working overtime is too good to pass up. Ask your boss if you can pick up some extra hours each week.

My Advice for People Looking to Make Extra Money

Do something that actually matters.

Create something valuable.

Help someone else live better.

We only get one life, and it shouldn’t always be spent trying to make a quick buck. That’s why most of the ideas on this list are things that you can run really far with if you like the activity enough.

Even if it’s a mundane task like walking dogs, you could start the next (or only) full-service dog walking and grooming service in your town, where dog owners rave over your business and always refer you to others. You can hire other dog walkers as you grow, and turn your side hustle into a sustainable enterprise. You just have to do the work, and do it well.

Do the little stuff (surveys, apps that pay you, etc) to get a few extra bucks, but always be thinking about how to level up your life and create a ton of value for people (who will then pay you). We’re huge fans of entrepreneurship, as it truly is one of the best ways to escape the 9 to 5 that you hate.

Two Last Questions:

Which of these ideas on this list are you going to try out?

How are you going to leverage the money you earn into even more success?

The Pros and Cons of Online Grocery Shopping

With online grocery services cropping up all over the place, you can fill your shopping cart from the comfort of your couch! And depending on the service, you’ll either receive those kitchen staples at your house or in your car.

That’s a lot of time and energy saved for a whole lot of shoppers.

But does online grocery shopping save money too? First, let’s take a look at the facts. Then, we’ll share what budgeters have to say about getting their groceries online.

Why Grocery Shop Online?

Like taking photos with your phone or reading books on a tablet, buying food without actually touching it might seem like an unnecessary idea at first. After all, grabbing groceries for the week ahead is one of the most basic chores of adulting. We can at least do that, right?

If you’re still on the fence about online grocery shopping, consider the old adage: Time is money. When we choose to buy our food online, we aren’t forgoing an easy task—we’re making room for another, more important (or more fun!) task.

Of course, money is money too. And we all get a say in how we spend both our time and money. To help us prioritize appropriately, we’ll use the trusty pro-con list.

The Pros of Online Grocery Shopping

1. You can shop on your timetable. No need to check store hours! Place your order after the kids are in bed, on your lunch break at work, or while catching up on the latest Netflix original.

2. You can check (and double-check) your inventory. Forget about calling your spouse from the spice aisle. Purchase your food online, and you can avoid duplicates with ease and save money like a pro!

3. You can compare prices in a pressure-free environment. Ever find yourself sweating in the cereal aisle with a crying toddler in your cart and four other shoppers breathing down your neck? No more. Now you can make your decisions one product at a time, bringing your total costs and your anxiety way, way down.

4. You can stick to the list (and save even more money!). We don’t know about you guys, but a trip around the grocery store makes us feel like we’ve earned that half gallon of ice cream, extra bag of potato chips, and candy bar or three. With online grocery shopping, impulse buys are a thing of the past.

5. You can rest in the fact that convenience reigns supreme. Picture this: You’re at home, enjoying the afternoon when your doorbell rings. It’s your groceries! And you didn’t have to drive to the store or walk up and down a single aisle.

The Cons of Online Grocery Shopping

And now, here are a few reasons online grocery shopping might not work for you—and what you can do about it:

1. You have to think ahead. No more stops on the way home from work or last-minute dinner decisions. But that’s okay! Meal planning offers built-in budget savings and makes buying groceries online a breeze!

2. You don’t get to pick perfect produce. If you’d like to make guacamole in three days, you’ll want firm avocados, but how will your shopper know that? Shop around for services with shoppers you can trust, and if you’re still a bit anxious, look for options that offer interaction throughout the entire buying process.

3. You might not get everything on your list. Of course, this can happen when you shop for yourself, but it feels a bit more frustrating when you’re not doing the shopping. You can get ahead of the annoyance by planning quick, back-up grocery runs and allowing substitutions.

4. You might see fees cut into your monthly grocery budget. Even a few dollars here and there add up over time. You can forgo the fees by doing the work yourself or choosing a free service, which is possible when you pick your groceries up instead of having them delivered.

5. You won’t have the “joy of the hunt.” Laptops and phones aren’t the most tactile of objects—you can’t feel an apple through your screen. You also might miss out on deals and coupons only available in the store. If that’s a deal breaker for you, consider buying the basics online and visiting your local farmers market for fresh fruits and vegetables and your local grocery store for a good deal.

Here’s What Our Users Say About Buying Groceries Online

1. Everything in balance.

“I love online grocery shopping! My favorite thing is seeing my balance while I shop. I can delete things I don’t need at the end to stay within my budget.”

– Chelsea V.

2. Fear of missing out.

“I used to do online shopping and would pick up my order at the store. They would bring the groceries to my car. I found it very convenient, which justified the $5 fee. And it was easy to see my total before purchasing. However, over time I discovered that I was missing out on sales, markdowns that only happen in the store, and manager’s specials, which often are marked down by 50%. Overall, I’ve cut my grocery budget by half by shopping what’s on sale, making a meal plan for each week based on that, looking for extra deals, and being flexible in my plan.”

– Jennifer R.

3. Less distractions for you and your kids.

“I save because I don’t wander around the store picking up items I don’t need and my kids don’t ask for extra things. Also, even if I didn’t save money it would be worth the amount of time I save, which frees me up to work more! (I own my own business.)”

– Kristi P.

4. Simple price comparisons.

“It’s great. We use Shipt sometimes in Ft. Worth and have stayed within budget. My wife, Chelsea, is actually great at comparing and remembering deals, and sometimes she buys groceries at two or three places and saves big money.”

– Michael M.

5. The sky is the limit.

“I’ve started using Kroger’s ClickList. I include the $5 fee in my total so I stay within my weekly budget. It helps me stay on track because I only get what is on my listand can take my time comparing prices and products without feeling like I’m taking too long or in other people’s way. I can also limit substitution options so I get exactly what I ordered. This week I forgot to order our groceries so I stopped on the way home. I made way more impulse buys and went over budget because I was distracted and not limiting myself.”

– Emalee G.

6. No impulse buys.

“I definitely save by using a meal plan and Walmart’s pickup service. No impulse buys! I’m still working on making sure I have staples on the list, but it’s definitely saving us money.”

– Laura B.

7. Same digital coupons, more convenience.

“I just recently started using a service where I order my groceries online and have them delivered to my car. I love it! My store lets me use digital coupons like I would in the store, so I don’t lose out on those savings. I’m doing it as a sort of experiment right now, but I have a feeling it’s going to save me money since I’m not distracted by my children and buying things last minute that aren’t on my list. But even if it isn’t any cheaper, the convenience might still be worth it!”

– Kelly R.

8. More time and money.

“We use Walmart grocery and their Savings Catcher. (You scan your receipt via the app, wait a few days, and get a credit if any competitors in the area had a better deal on any item.) I love it! It cut our grocery bill by an average of over $10 a week. It completely removes impulse buying, and it’s a huge time-saver. We took the plunge and cut our grocery category formally via the budget and EveryDollar a few weeks after noticing the difference. It’s absolutely worth a try!”

– Edi P.

9. Meal planning made easy.

“I love grocery delivery! It does save me money because it keeps me from spontaneous shopping. And it requires me to plan our meals in advance. I love it!”

– Dawn P.

10. Quality time together.

“My husband and I haven’t used [online grocery shopping]. Our favorite thing to do is go shopping together on the weekends. He actually gets super bummed if our weekend is too packed and I have to go by myself on Monday.”

– Stephanie N.

The bottom line is: Do what works for your family and is best for your budget. If you enjoy grocery shopping and scouring the aisles for deals, go for it! Otherwise, see if a service is worth checking out—it may just save you time and money.

How to Buy a Used Car

When it comes down to it, cars just get us from one spot to another. Pretty simple, right?

Of course, simple doesn’t quite define the process of looking for, choosing, and then buying a car. This is where things get complicated. But don’t worry. We’re here to help!

What Should I Consider When Buying a Car?

Got the itch to buy a new-to-you car? Don’t scratch just yet. Let’s walk through some of the foundational decisions you should make before actually making a purchase.

The Benefits of Buying a Used Car

To buy new or not to buy new? That is the question. You may know where we’re going with this one. Take comfort in the knowledge that what we’re presenting isn’t just opinion—it’s fact.

A new car will be worth a full 10% less the second you drive it off the lot and decrease another 10% in value over the following year. And the hits keep coming. By the time a car turns five, it’ll be worth just 40% of the original selling price.¹

Used cars, especially ones that clock in at age two or more, hold their value much better than new cars. That means more money in your pocket in the long run. Used cars also:

Save you money on registration and insurance.
Offer dependable transportation at an affordable price.
Can still have all the bells and whistles of a new car.

What to Look for in a Used Car

Before you decide on a specific ride, take time to think through our suggestions below and add to the list as you see fit.

1. Lifestyle: Take your lifestyle into account. Make note of your daily commute, number of children, preference for compact car or SUV, and need for hauling large items. Be realistic when deciding the type of car that best suits you and look for ways to cut costs.

2. Reliability: Look for reliable transportation. Regardless of your budget, you’ll want to purchase a car you can count on. Do your homework to find a safe vehicle that requires minimal repair above the normal upkeep of a used car.

3. Resale: Find a car that holds value. While the value of most cars decreases by 60% in the first five years, some models may fall by as little as 35%. Give Edmunds Best Retained Value Awards a look for a better understanding of the best brands.²

4. Affordability: Keep an affordable price in mind. With lifestyle, reliability and resale in mind, the most important factor remains: buying what you can afford. But don’t worry. We’ll help you arrive at the right number. For now, commit to paying cash and look only at cars you can afford.

How to Hunt for a Used Car

Hard work and patience pay off. Once you’ve saved up to buy a new-to-you car, it’s time to go on the hunt.

Where Should I Look for a New-to-Me Car?

Start online. You can find extensive inventories backed by thorough research at sites like Carmax and Carvana. Or you can do a little extra leg work yourself (and pocket the savings!) by looking on craigslist, eBay and local buy-sell-trade Facebook groups.

Broaden your search area. If you’re willing to travel a few hours to look at a car, you might just open up your options and increase your bargaining power. Plus, broadening your search means you’ll have more cars to choose from.

Choose the right dealerships. Ask around for recommendations on the best used car dealerships that employ salespeople you can trust. And while you can find used cars on new car lots, you’ll probably pay a premium and you might be tempted to take a new car for a spin. So be careful.

The Importance of Vehicle Inspections

We all love to see the best in others, but this is an area where a bit of skepticism goes a long way. After all, the only one who really needs to earn your trust is the car. So put the car to the test.

1. Do your own inspection. Consumer Reports suggests you start with a walk-around.³Look for obvious issues with the car’s body, windows, tires, or suspension. Spend some time inside the car and under the hood. Make sure the lights, signals, ignition, and other controls work as they should. Check the condition of the seats, roof and trunk. Consult the owner’s manual for fluid-level guidelines. Be sure the engine looks clean with no unattached wires or corrosion.

2. Take the car for a spin. If you can, drive away without the salesperson and head for the nearest interstate. Notice how the car performs at higher speeds and look for opportunities to put each and every feature to the test.

3. Arrange for a third-party inspection. When you find a car that passes your own inspection and performs well on your test drive, it’s time to visit your local mechanic for a thorough inspection. A reasonable fee is well worth the price for any car you’re seriously considering.

How to Seal the Deal on Buying a Used Car

1. Commit to your budget (and pay with cash!).

Don’t be swayed by clean, shiny cars and a slick salesperson. Enter the buying process with a top number in mind (and cash in hand) and stick to it!

2. Say no to warranties.

Benefits offered through extended warranties usually match what your insurance plan already covers. Talk with one of our Endorsed Local Providers for details.

3. Watch out for surprise fees.

You and a salesperson agree on a price of $10,000, which is right at your max budget, but when the paperwork comes back, fees add on an additional $700. It happens. Ask up front which fees will be included and do some math before making an offer.

4. Negotiate like a professional.

Professionals are smart and kind. You can be both and still get a great deal on a used car. Try these tips:

Be confident in your conversation. You did your research ahead of time. You know what you’re looking for and how much you want to pay. A competent tone lets the salesperson know you can’t be played.

Try to hide your feelings. Go for the straight-face look. Keep excitement to yourself. Don’t fake frustration, but instead take a serious approach to the transaction. When you say a deal isn’t good enough, the salesperson will know you mean it.

Be okay with the possibility of walking away. Know ahead of time you might not find the right deal on the first car you look at. After all, you don’t just want any new-to-you ride, you want a car that you can afford and has everything you need. So don’t settle. In the end, walking away might result in the deal you’re looking for.

5. Value your trade-in.

When you can’t get the price you need on the car you want, consider this powerful backup plan: Ask for more on your trade-in. You can make a difference on your bottom line and get the seller on board with this easy trick.

How to Budget for a Used Car

If you plan to pay with cash (and you do, don’t you?) you’ll probably need to save up.

How Much Money Can I Spend?

Great question! While the number will vary from person to person, we can help you get there by walking you through a few important considerations.

1. Research car costs. Take some time to learn about the cars that interest you based on the factors of lifestyle, reliability, resale and affordability mentioned above. You might compare costs of different brands and well as newer models and older models. Decide based on what fits into your budget.

2. Determine your timeline. How quickly do you need to purchase a car? The more time you have, the more money you can save. If you’re in a bind and need to buy now, that’s okay. Otherwise, see if you can wait a while as you build up your savings.

3. Decide where the money will come from. Can you move some money around in your budget? Sell or trade in your current car? Part ways with a boat, guitar or other large item that holds some serious cash potential? Get creative if you need to!

4. Remember registration fees and changes in insurance costs. Beyond the amount you’ll pay at a dealership or an individual for the car itself, you’ll also need to cover the costs of registration fees and any increase in insurance (make sure to adjust your monthly budget for additional insurance costs).

You can save hundreds of dollars on your car insurance and get better coverage by using one of our Endorsed Local Providers.

Let’s imagine a fictional family called the Smiths working through each step above to determine their total savings goal. It might look something like this:

We’re interested in a car with a hatchback.
We’d like a vehicle around five years old.
Most cars that fit our needs cost about $15,000.
We plan to save for one year.
We can allocate $650 each month out of our budget.
The Kelley Blue Book value of our current car is around $6,000.
Registering a new vehicle in our state costs $120.

Now for a little math. In one year, the Smiths will come up with $7,800 ($650 x 12 months). Add in $6,000 from the sale of their current car, and that gives them $13,800 saved. Now, subtract $120 of that savings to cover registration fees. This leaves the Smiths with $13,680 to spend on a used car.

Since the car they want is $15,000, the Smiths will come up short after saving for a year. So what should they do? Well, they could save up for another couple of months, look for a cheaper car, or negotiate a better deal. All wins in our book as long as they stick to their budget!

Why Cash Really Is King When It Comes to Buying a Car

Maybe you’ve heard that most folks have a car loan. And you wouldn’t be too far off. Recent numbers show that as many as 107 million American adults carry auto loan debt.⁴

But you don’t have to be like most folks. Those same people pay anywhere from 3% to 25% in interest.⁵ And a whopping six million of them can’t quite swing the monthly cost.⁶

When you buy a car with cash, you pay and drive away. You own your car outright. So instead of sending money to your past purchases every month, you can put that same amount toward the future. You could even start saving for your next car!

How to Build Your Savings Plan Into the Monthly Budget

Determine how much money you’ll need to save each month to buy a new-to-you car. Then, create a fund to help you hit your goal!

It’s super easy. Open your budget to follow along:

Under the savings category, add a new budget item called “Used Car Fund.” Select your new budget item and look for a box to appear on the right. This box shows the details of your Used Car Fund. Select the drop-down arrow for “Make this a fund” to make it official.

Enter your total savings goal. If you’ve already started saving for a used car, make note of your starting balance. Now your new-to-you car fund is ready! All you have to do is start saving!

When you sit down to make your budget each month, include the amount you’ll put toward your Used Car Fund. Be sure to also move that money from your regular checking account to a savings or money market account.

How to Get Rid of Your Car Payment and Pay Cash for Your Next Car

Remember when your car was a symbol of your independence? Having your own set of wheels meant having the freedom to go wherever and do whatever you wanted.

As an adult, your car is essential to everyday life. It gets you to work, your kids to school and your errands accomplished—all day, every day. But you probably don’t see your car as an emblem of your freedom anymore. In fact, your car may sometimes feel like an anchor weighing down your budget and keeping you from reaching important money goals.

We often accept that life with a car payment is an unbreakable cycle: If you want to drive, you have to pay the price, right? But it’s a myth, and you don’t have to accept it!

With smart budgeting, it is possible to get rid of your car payment and save up to pay cash for your next car. How can you do it? Let’s start by taking a look at everything that goes into your transportation budget.

Transportation Budget Breakdown

Along with food, housing, utilities, and clothing, transportation is one of the first categories you should include in your budget each month. Line items in your transportation category include your car payment (if you have one), gas, oil changes, repairs and tires, auto insurance, license and taxes, and car replacement.

As you can see, your monthly transportation expense includes more than your car payment. And since the average car payment is at an all-time high of $502 per month, it all adds up.¹

Let’s play with some numbers to see what the total cost per year is for the average driver. We’re basing our rounded figures on AAA’s “Your Driving Costs” data for a medium-sized sedan driven 15,000 miles a year.² (You can get an even more accurate idea of your own expenses by tracking your spending in these categories for the next couple of months.)

Category	Per Month	Per Year
Car Payment	$502¹	$6,024
Gas	$113	$1,355
Repairs & tires (includes oil changes & routine maintenance)	$99	$1,191
Car insurance	$100	$1,202
License and taxes	$53	$639
Total	$867	$10,411

Stop Your Car Payment From Busting Your Budget

That’s a lot of money going to your transportation budget every month! By far, the largest chunk is the car payment—$502 a month. **Get rid of your car payment, and you’ll eliminate the most expensive line item in your transportation budget. **

Your first step is to put your car payment, no matter how much it is, into your debt snowball so you can pay it off as quickly as possible along with your other debts.

While you work your debt snowball, don’t worry about your car-replacement fund. Instead, focus all your energy and extra money on becoming debt-free!

Save Money on Insurance to Pay Your Car off Faster

Looking for an easy way to put extra money toward your car payment? You could save hundreds by reviewing your insurance policies and working with an independent insurance provider who can get the best deal for you. Connect with one of our Endorsed Local Providers, so they can shop and compare policies to find the right coverage at the best price.

Now Start Budgeting for Your Next Car—Without a Payment!

If you don’t have a car payment (or any other debt) you can begin working on your car-replacement fund. But remember: The main thing you are not going to do is go out and buy a new car with a new car loan. Why should you sign up for monthly payments plus thousands in interest when you don’t have to? Save up and pay cash and you’ll never have a car payment again!

Using our example above, once your car is paid for, your monthly budget for transportation is just $365. With no debt hanging over your head and a good handle on your money, you can choose to save a monthly amount that works for your budget. Doesn’t that sound great? You get to choose!

Let’s say you allocate $350 per month to your car-replacement fund. In just two years, you’ll have $8,400 plus your trade-in to buy a new-to-you car.

That may not sound like much, but you’re not done yet. Let’s say that new-to-you car is worth $10,000. Continue saving $350 a month in your car-replacement fund for an additional two years and you’ll have another $8,400 plus your trade-in to upgrade your car again. Since we’re dealing with such a short time frame, your car will have retained most of its value, so this time you aim for a $15,000 car.

See where this is going? By saving up cash, spotting great deals, and staying conservative in your purchases, you can upgrade your car every couple of years without ever taking out another car loan!

If you have a longer window of time to save before you’re ready to buy a new car, you can set a larger savings goal amount—let’s try $19,400 which is the average price for a used car.³ Now divide that by the number of months you can afford to save.

For example: $19,400/48 months = $404 per month

In four years, you’ll be ready to buy a really nice car with cash—no payments necessary!

Cable Alternatives That Can Save You $1,000

TV has never been better. Every season brings new shows that keep us on the edge of our seats, encourage a good supply of tissues, or make us nostalgic for the good old days.

It’s true that TV has never been better, but our viewing experience sure could be. If you’re still shelling out big bucks to your cable company, we’ve got a suggestion for you: it’s time to cut the cord.

How Much Money Could I Really Save By Getting Rid of Cable?

The average household spends $1,237.20 a year on cable TV.¹ Of course, $1,237.20 on cable is fine if you make room for it in your budget, and at the end of the year think to yourself, I’m glad that’s how we spent our money!

Maybe it’s worth it to you, but then again maybe with the surprise fees and increasing monthly cost of cable, you’re considering cutting the cord.² If you do, you’ll join the ranks of 22.2 million other Americans who will do the same this year.³

But don’t worry. Your favorite shows aren’t going anywhere. We’ll help you take advantage of the top cable alternatives. You’ll save money and take part in what has to be the best thing about TV these days—choice!

OK, I Cancelled My Cable. What Alternatives Are Available?

We’re glad you asked! The options are just about endless. We rounded up a bunch to get you started. And good news! Most of these providers offer free trials, so be sure to do a test run before you sign up.

Here are your options divided into three categories: streaming and on-demand services, live subscription services, and al a carte offerings.

Streaming and On-Demand Services

Streaming services have come a long way. You can watch what you want, when you want with plenty of shows and movies to choose from.

1. Netflix

Price: $7.99 per month for the basic package and $13.99 per month for the premium package.

Features: Full seasons of completed series from many networks, tons of films and documentaries, and award-winning original shows like Stranger Things, Master of None and The Crown.

Good to Know: Netflix allows you to download select shows and movies for offline viewing—a treat for long road trips or plane rides.

2. Hulu

Price: $5.99 limited-time offer for one year. Price increases to $7.99 after one year with the option to pay $4.00 extra each month for commercial-free viewing.

Features: Thousands of movies and shows—with some episodes posting the day after they air on cable TV—as well as original new shows like this year’s big hit, The Handmaid’s Tale.

Good to Know: Some shows on Hulu are offered on a rolling basis, meaning you can only watch the five most recent episodes.

3. Amazon Prime Video

Price: $33 for three months or $99 for one year.

Features: Thousands of movies and TV shows including the much-loved kid’s show, Daniel Tiger, and to the relief of Top Gear fans everywhere, The Grand Tour.

Good to Know: With Amazon Prime you’re also eligible for two-day shipping from Amazon.com, unlimited photo storage, access to millions of songs and curated kindle books—all for free!

Live Television Subscription Services

Want a cable alternative that looks pretty darn similar to . . . well . . . cable? Live subscription services offer you the experience of TV often at a fraction of the cost. You can find these in both multi-channel and single-channel options.

Multi-Channel

1. YouTube TV

Price: $35 per month.

Includes:

More than 40 networks to choose from like ABC, Disney, CBS, ESPN and NBC.
Unlimited storage space for saving recorded shows.
Up to six accounts per home, each with individual passcodes and personal DVR.
In addition to live TV, some channels offer movies and shows on demand.

2. Hulu Live TV

Price: $39.99 per month.

Includes:

Access to a regular Hulu on-demand account.
Live streaming of more than 50 popular channels covering sports, news, and local TV, as well as family favorites like the Food Network, HGTV and Disney Junior.

3. Sling TV

Price: $20 per month for Sling Orange, $25 per month for Sling Blue, or $40 per month for both.

Includes:

Unique channels come with Sling Orange and Sling Blue packages: Sling Orange offers ESPN, ESPN 2 and ESPN 3 while Sling Blue offers Fox Sports and the NFL Network.
Add-ons priced at $5 per category, like the Lifestyle Extra, Kids Extra or Sports Extra.

4. DirecTV Now

Price: $35 per month for 60 channels, $50 per month for 80 channels, $60 per month for 100 channels, and $70 per month for 120 channels.

Includes:

No contract.
No installation or dish required.
Option to add channels like HBO, Cinemax or Showtime for a fee.

5. Fubo TV

Price: $19.99 per month for two months, $39.99 per month after two months.

Includes:

More than 70 channels geared toward sports fans.
Live coverage of NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB and college games.
Thirty hours of storage space for recording games you’ll miss, and three days to look back on games you missed and forgot to record.

6. PlayStation Vue

Price: $39.99 per month for TV; $44.99 per month for sports and TV; $54.99 per month for movies, sport and TV; $74.99 per month for movies, sports and premiums.

Includes:

Lots of options for tailoring your TV-watching time.
Basic access includes channels like Disney and ESPN.
“Ultra” access includes channels like Showtime and HBO.

Single Channel Streaming Options

1. HBO Now

Price: $14.99 per month.

Includes: Unlimited access to every episode of every HBO show ever made. Get ready to binge on old favorites like Curb Your Enthusiasm or The Wire and stay caught up with current hits like Game of Thrones.

2. Showtime Streaming

Price: $10.99 per month or $109.90 per year.

Includes: Plenty of shows—from original shows (think Homeland or Dexter) to movies and even live boxing events.

3. Starz

Price: $8.99 per month.

Includes: Unlimited streaming and downloads of classic and Starz original shows and movies—all at an unbeatable price.

4. CBS All Access

Price: $5.99 per month for limited commercials or $9.99 per month for commercial free.

Includes: Live local TV, thousands of episodes on-demand, and access to live NFL games.

A La Carte Entertainment Offerings

If you really want to cut the fat from your TV and get down to only the stuff you actually care to watch, you can buy individual seasons or episodes of your favorite shows from Amazon or iTunes.

For example, you can snag an episode of Fargo Season 3 from Amazon for just $1.99 or buy the whole season for $16.99. The crowd pleaser (and tear inducer) This is Us is available on iTunes for $1.99 per episode or $29.99 for the entire second season.

Can I Watch Any Shows For Free (or Nearly Free) Without Cable?

You can get your TV fix on the cheap with a little savvy internet sleuthing which we already did for you. You’re welcome.

1. Buy an antenna. Kick it old school with bunny ears made for today’s digital world. Visit antennaweb.org to see which channels you can pick up in your hometown.

2. Download an app. Lots of channels like The CW, CBS and PBS Kids provide apps with recent episodes for free! Do a quick search for your favorite networks.

3. Visit your local library. Check out classic movies and even full seasons of popular shows with a scan of your (totally free) library card.

Now That I’m Living the No-Cable Life, What Devices Should I Consider?

Unless you have a smart TV or a gaming console with the internet built right in, you’ll need something to make the connection from your new service(s) to your TV. Here are a few you might want to learn more about:

1. Apple TV, $179 for 32 GB, $199 for 64 GB

2. Roku, $39.99 to $99.99

3. Chromecast, $35 to $69

4. Amazon Fire TV, $39.99 to $69.99

When shopping for a streaming device, keep yourself in mind. Yes, you! The best deal out there depends on the needs of your family. Do a little research to make your decision easier.

What Could I Do With All the Money I Saved by Cutting Cable?

Finding extra cash in your budget just got way easier. Make the most of this opportunity by putting that money to good use. Maybe you’ll use it to move a little faster through the Baby Steps—pay down debt, save for your emergency fund, pay off the house.

Or perhaps you’ll find a way to put that money to better use in the entertainment department. May we suggest planning a regular date with your spouse, taking your kids out for a mini adventure each month, or investing in a hobby.

If you save up all year you might even be able to get away from it all for a vacation. A true break from reality beats any TV show—even the never-been-better shows of our day.

3 Easy Ways to Pay Off Your Mortgage Early

If you’re like a lot of homeowners, your house payment takes up more real estate than any other item in your budget.

But have you ever stopped to imagine all the things your budget could do if you paid your mortgage off early?

Maybe you’re dreaming of a weeklong stay at the beach: wearing your favorite wide-brimmed hat, enjoying your favorite novel, and soaking up an amazing view of the ocean. Now shake the imaginary sand off your shoes, and let’s talk about how you can make it happen.

How to Pay Off Your Mortgage Early

One way to reach your money goals (and get to the beach faster!) is to pay off your mortgage early. We’ve come up with three tricks to help you reach that goal.

In each of these scenarios, we’re basing the math on a $150,000 home with a 30-year term and a 4% interest rate.

1. Use Simple Math.

One easy way to shave years off your mortgage is to pay a little extra each month. Adding just one extra payment each year knocks four years and nearly $17,000 off your mortgage!

Can’t do it in one big lump sum each year? No problem! Break it down into smaller chunks using one of these two options:

Divide your payment by 12 and add that amount to your monthly payment. In this case, we’d add an extra $60 to our regular $716 monthly payment, bringing the total up to $776.
Pay half of your payment every two weeks—also known as bi-weekly payments—instead of a single payment once a month. If you pay on a bi-weekly basis, you’ll end up paying one full payment extra each year (13 instead of 12). So for a $716 monthly payment, you’d just pay $358 every two weeks.

2. Get Andrew Jackson’s Help.
If $60 a month puts too much crunch in your budget, put Andrew Jackson to work for you by adding $20 to your mortgage payment each month.

Sounds easy, right? That’s because it is! Even better, you’ll pay your mortgage off a year and a half early, saving over $6,200 in the process. Think of all you could do with an extra $6,200 and no mortgage payment!

3. Pack Your Lunch.
Toting a brown bag to work every day doesn’t sound all that appealing. But what if we told you it could save you tens of thousands of dollars over many years?

If that doesn’t get you excited (but why wouldn’t it?) consider this: If you trade lunch out for eating in and apply that money to your house payment, you can be mortgage free 11 and a half years ahead of schedule. Sandwiches and leftovers for life!

A Word (or Three) of Caution

Before you build extra payments into your housing budget, there are some things you may want to consider:

Check with your mortgage company first. Some companies only accept extra payments at specific times or charge prepayment penalties. (Shame on them!)
Make sure additional payments are applied to the principal and not to the following month’s mortgage.
Don’t shell out your hard-earned cash for a fancy-schmancy mortgage accelerator program. You can accomplish the same goal all by yourself!

Buy Your Next Home with Mortgage Payoff in Mind

Want to know the quickest way to cut your housing budget down to zero? Pay cash for your next home! If that’s not an option, jump-start your progress by doing the following:

1. Determine what you can afford. We’re big believers in the three most important aspects of real estate: location, location, location! But look at your budget to see what you can afford first. Aim for no more than 25% of your monthly take-home pay. (If you’re not already on a budget consider this the best move you’ll make toward paying off your home.)

To know how much you can afford each month, make note of your monthly take-home pay and divide by four. Let’s say you bring home $4,000 each month. Your mortgage payment—including taxes, PMI and insurance—should equal $1,000 or less.

By keeping your home costs in check, you open yourself up to a world of other possibilities. You’ll have room in your budget to take that big trip, save for retirement, invest in your hobbies, and send your kids to college.

2. Save for a down payment. When something seems too good to be true, you can pretty much bet it is. We recommend avoiding a no-money-down mortgage. A down payment gives you instant equity, keeps your monthly costs low, and reduces total accrued interest over the life of the loan.

We suggest putting down at least 10% on your new home. If you can increase that amount to 20%, you’ll shave private mortgage insurance (PMI) off your monthly costs. Not to mention, with 20% down you’ll be that much closer to owning your home outright!

3. Select the right mortgage terms. Before you sign on the dotted line remember your goal: to pay off your home early so you can reach your money goals and go on that vacation!

If you’re smart about your mortgage terms, you can save tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest. We recommend sticking with a 15-year, fixed-rate conventional loan. Under these terms, you’re safe from rising interest rates and can plan your payoff accordingly. Your monthly payment will be higher than with a 30-year mortgage, but you’ll be rid of it in half the time!

So now it’s up to you—look for a home that keeps the above tips in mind. As you hunt for a home and try to find the right location and layout for your family, you may be tempted to sidestep the numbers and go all in on your purchase. But you’ve come this far. Don’t give up now!

Let’s take what we’ve discussed so far into consideration to find your ideal price tag on a home. With a monthly take-home pay of $4,000, you can afford a $1,000 payment including taxes and insurance. You’re also committed to a 15-year mortgage and saving up a 20% down payment.We used Dave Ramsey’s mortgage calculator to determine your ideal home cost of $140,000. Give your realtor a heads-up about this limit and refuse to see houses outside of it. Now when you move in, you can get to work and pay off your mortgage even sooner!

If you’re looking to buy a home that doesn’t wreck your budget, we can introduce you to the top real estate agents in your area. Our real estate Local Providers are pros who can help you get a great deal on the home that’s right for you. Find your real estate expert today!

Ways to Save on Home Expenses

Home: There’s no place like it. Dorothy told us so as she clicked her heels together to return to the place she thought she so desperately needed to escape. What a symbolic life lesson—brought to you by the technicolor dreams of a farm girl from Kansas and her tiny pup.

Your home is one of your biggest comforts—and expenses. So it makes sense that home a perfect place to save money in both big and small ways. In this third lesson of our superb saving series, we’ve got 17 ways to save on utilities, insurance, renovations and mortgage or rent.

Let’s get moving.

Ways to Save on Utilities

1. Cut the cable.

These days, cutting the cable doesn’t mean going without any form of home entertainment. With options like Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, YouTube TV, Netflix, Hulu, Sling TV and more, you can have your TV and watch it too. Cutting the cable and adding in a less expensive option can save you up to $1,000 a year!⁽¹⁾

2. Buy a programmable thermostat.

If you turn your thermostat back seven to 10 degrees while you’re at work, you can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling!⁽²⁾ If you have a manual thermostat, you can add this step to your morning routine—along with tooth brushing, bagel toasting, and coffee brewing. But do you know what you can’t do with a manual thermostat? Set the temp back to normal before you return home, so you aren’t welcomed to a sauna or a meat locker. But with a programmable thermostat, you can set it and forget it! Plus, over time, you can save cash and stay comfortable.

3. Use more efficient light bulbs.

About 5% of your energy budget goes to lighting.⁽³⁾ One of the quickest ways to trim down the costs here is to purchase more efficient light bulbs. Pick the five most used fixtures in your house and replace the bulbs with ones who’ve earned the ENERGY STAR, and you can save about $75 a year.⁽⁴⁾ Plus, these energy efficient bulbs are longer lasting as well, which means replacing them less often, so you save even more money.

4. Don’t leave the light on.

You aren’t Motel 6. Is that reference too dated? It was their tagline back in the 80s. While it’s a welcoming gesture to leave the light on for guests or family members, it’s a big waste as well. When you exit a room, switch off the light. Train everyone in the house to do the same.

5. Save on showering.

Heating water can take up to 18% of your home energy use, so shower time is the perfect time to save money.⁽⁵⁾ If you don’t want to make the switch to cleansing in cold water, spend less time in the shower or invest in a more energy efficient water heater. That last change will spill savings into all your hot water use: washing dishes, clothes, pets and hands. You can feel so fresh and so clean while also being a better manager of money and energy.

6. Check your insulation.

Want to save up to 15% of your annual utility bill? Make sure your home is air sealed and well insulated.⁽⁶⁾(Insulation is that pink stuff in your walls and attic that you thought was cotton candy as a child.) If your home is not well insulated, you could be shooting some of that heating and cooling straight into the streets. Okay, that’s not how it really works. But if you ignore this one, your units could be working overtime to keep your house the perfect temperature, which means more energy lost and more money spent.

7. Regularly keep up with HVAC maintenance.

This is a tip brought up by financial expert and best-selling author Rachel Cruze. You know how we’re conditioned to get the oil changed in our car on the reg? How many of us get our HVAC checked out by professional on the reg? Show of hands, please. Oh, we see you there in the back. Nice!

But for the rest of us who have never heard of or done this, establishing this yearly routine is an excellent way to save money. A tune-up costs around $100, but it can extend the life and increase the function of your unit.

Rachel also reminds us to change out our air filters! Those dusty chumps can mess up your air flow if you aren’t consistently swapping out old filters with new ones. Also, think about it. Yuck. Change your air filters.

Ways to Save on Homeowner’s or Renter’s Insurance

1. Switch insurance agents.

Most people set up their insurance and leave it until they move. If this is you—first, we say a big bravo for getting homeowner’s or renter’s insurance. Next, we want to encourage you to check in on it. Talk to an independent insurance agent. Their loyalty is to you, not to a specific company, so they’ll shop around until they find the best fit and rate for where you are in life. You can save hundreds a year with minimum effort.

2. Take out higher deductibles.

You know you’re an adult when people start throwing out terms like investment portfolio, itemized deductions and deductible at dinner parties. Even the words dinner party are so grown up, right? But at said dinner party, you might find yourself nodding your head without really understanding what on earth people are saying. Like—what is this deductible everyone’s talking about, and how does a higher onehelp you save money?

When you get homeowner’s or renter’s insurance–which you need—the deductible is the amount of money you would pay out of pocket before your insurance company pays their portion.

Insurance policies with higher deductibles have lower premiums—meaning they cost you less monthly! Of course, you’d have to pay more in an emergency, so wait to raise that deductible until you’ve got your fully funded emergency fund in place to cover anything that—God forbid—comes your home’s way.

Ways to Save on Home Renovations

1. Take on one manageable project at a time.

When you look around at the outdated countertops, stained carpets or mismatched fixtures in your home, it can feel like an overwhelming swirl of things to do. But instead of maxing out credit cards on a huge reno—and instead of sitting around feeling discontent—put a little in the budget each month and knock out projects one piece at a time.

Watch for sales along the way. You can have an impressive before-and-after photo to share on social media. It just might take you a little longer to get from start to finish. But when you’re done, you can have all the ta-da! without any of the debt.

2. Save up for bigger renovations.

If you’re dreaming of a huge remodel, you can cash flow it. Seriously. It takes budgeting, saving and waiting—but you can take responsible steps toward making your dream home remodel a reality. Start by pinpointing the project, researching the cost, and then setting up a sinking fund in your budget.

Be sure you’re making a proper investment by renovating things that will create a better living environment, while also increasing your home’s worth. In other words, put your money where the payoff happens both now and later.

3. DIY the home repair when you can.

It’s pretty fantastic what you can learn to do on YouTube these days. Contour your makeup until you look like a completely different person. Learn self-defense moves that rival Chuck Norris’. And watch step-by-step guides to basic home repair. That last one can come in quite handy when you’re needing to fix a simple leak in your toilet but don’t want to pay an hourly rate for what might be a five-minute job.

Please note: Certain jobs—such as electrical or structural repairs—should be left up to the professionals. Don’t risk your life or home to save money.

4. Barter for repairs.

For those assignments that need an expert, do you know someone who’d be interested in trading skills? You could offer to design their website, photograph their family, or help them file their taxes. Go old school and barter your expertise for theirs.

Ways to Save on Your Mortgage or Rent

1. Downsize your house or apartment.

There are plenty of financial reasons to downsize. Maybe your mortgage is eating up a huge chunk of your income, your kids recently moved out, or you just don’t need a place in the center of the action anymore. If any of these apply to you, it could be time to move on. Literally.

You may even net enough to pay cash for your next house and enjoy a downsized life without a mortgage! That could save you upwards of $12,000 a year to cash flow home renovations, add to your retirement, and start your folk-style, boy band tribute group without financial pressures or guilt. Smaller home, bigger dreams. It might be the trade of the century.

If you’re looking to downsize your home, connect with a trusted real estate agent.

2. Figure out if refinancing is right for you.

People refinance when they want to pay a lower monthly payment, drop their interest rate, or switch mortgage companies. Refinancing itself isn’t a magic trick that causes all these things to happen at once. And it doesn’t make sense for everyone, but you should look into refinancing if any of these apply to you:

You have an Adjustable Rate Mortgage (ARM).
You have an interest-only loan.
Your mortgage has more than a 15-year term (such as 30 or 40 years).
You have a high interest rate loan.

If you’re looking to buy or refinance your home, connect with a mortgage expert.

3. Save up a proper down payment.

Things you should never rush: deepening a relationship, baking macarons, and buying a house. We can’t help you with the first two, but we have plenty to say about the last one.

Don’t buy if you aren’t financially set up for success. What’s that mean? You want a proper down payment saved: 10–20%. If you have that 20% to put down, you’re going to miss out on private mortgage insurance (PMI), which next to the stomach flu going around at work, is one of the best things to miss out on.

Check out this handy graphic for all the other details on home-buying best practices.

Graphic explaining home buying guidelines

4. Buy or rent an affordable home.

Notice that “spend 25% or less of your monthly income on housing” bit above? This is one of the top ways to save on housing. Don’t get house poor. Have you heard that term? It’s when too much of your income is going into your mortgage or rent, leaving you feeling poor in all other areas.

Yes, you need shelter. Yes, you want a nice place to live. But you don’t want to spend so much on your house that you can’t afford to ever leave it. Even hermits like to go out for tacos once in a while. Don’t be house poor—be house wise by living that 25% life. It looks good on you.

Your home should be a blessing to your life, not a bully to your budget. These helpful tips can free up more money for what matters to you. And if you can do only one thing on this list, contact an independent insurance agent. It’s one of the easiest ways to save some serious money on your beautiful abode.

Downsize Your House; Further Your Budget

What would you do with an extra $100,000 sitting in your bank account? You read that right. That’s five zeros.

Take a quick look at your budget, and you’ll see plenty of places that extra money would do some powerful work. Maybe you could get rid of that Debt category for good and free up money for fun and the future. What a weight off that would be, right?

But how?

We have a radical solution—but we realize it’s a hard sell. Why? Because we’re suggesting downsizing.

Everyone knows the saying, “home is where the heart is.” But we also know a house is just a building. A home is about the people in it. And if the people in your house are ready to make the move (literally and figuratively) to financial peace, we’ve got the info you need.

Why would I downsize my house?

There are several reasons you might want or need to downsize. Let’s start by looking at the graphic below.

Budget Percentages for Your Home and Mortgage

When you set up your budget, you should see the above suggested budget categories; you can use the recommended budget percentages to get an idea of how much of your monthly budget these things should take up. Knowing this, let’s look at the first five things you might want to consider when it comes to downsizing.

1) You may want to downsize if your monthly mortgage pushes your housing category beyond 25–35%.

Get pencil to paper or fingers to calculator. When you plug in all your incomes and expenses, we create a color-coordinated circle chart to show you if those percentages are spot on or way off. If you see that housing category eating away most of your money, downsizing could be the best way to get your better-balanced budget.

2) If you don’t need that space anymore, it may be time to downsize your house.

Have those baby birds flown the nest? Are you tired of your weekend being lost to hours of landscaping? Or did you buy big only to realize you don’t like cleaning the two extra bedrooms, home theater, and all those toilets? Life or priority changes might mean it’s time to look for a smaller home, yard, or both.

3) You realize you can get a newer house if you go smaller.Have you ever added up what it would take to fully update your home? If you picked one project at a time and saved up the cash needed to renovate or redecorate, that could take a really long time. However, another option would be to sell your larger home and make the switch to a smaller, yet already updated, one.

This is how it’ll work: let’s say you sell your house (which increased in value as you lived there) and have that lovely $100,000 we mentioned earlier. That would make an incredible down payment on a new, less-expensive house!

We know this change could mean relocating to a different town. If the market is hot where you live but less hot one town over, a move might mean you can afford the dedicated laundry room, party-ready patio, granite countertops, and hardwood floors your homeowner dreams are made of.

4) You want to free up money to work the Baby Steps.

A lower monthly mortgage means more money in your budget each month. What would you do with it? Once you’re debt-free, you can launch into the next several Baby Steps. Save! Invest! Save! GIVE!

Listen—it’s always a good time to look ahead. Maybe you’ve been asked about your one-year or five-year plan, but we have to think beyond that. Get that fully-funded emergency fund in order, get 15% of your income going toward retirement, get those kids a college fund, and get that (downsized) house paid off. In the end, you’ll be living and giving like no one else because you decided that solid financial footing was more important than square footage.

5) You’re ready to kick debt to the curb, even if that means moving to a new house.

Now we’re getting serious. And some might even use the word “weird.” But we’re okay with that because we know what we’re working toward is worth being called weird. The goal is a debt-free life—owning instead of owing and living empowered instead of in panic.

How EveryDollar Budgeters Paid Down Debt by Downsizing

Remember that $100,000 in the bank we talked about before? It’s not just a random number. It’s the actual amount Stephanie and Taylor had after selling their home to pay down their debt. They were living under the weight of $137,000 in debt (student loans, medical bills, and living expenses) and staring at decades of payments.

But then they realized debt freedom was within their reach—even if it meant a radical change. For this couple, downsizing their home meant dropping the title of homeowner. But with the $100,000 they kept after closing, they made a giant (more like a colossal, gargantuan, mammoth) payment. Talk about some intense, debt snowball momentum!

EveryDollar Budgeters on Rachel Cruze Show

“We were looking at 20–30 years before being debt-free, and now we should be totally debt-free within a couple years,” Taylor said.

We aren’t saying this was easy. They sold the house they’d brought their babies home to! In their interview with financial expert and best-selling author Rachel Cruze, they talked about how that felt.

“I had an emotional moment after we accepted the offer,” Stephanie explained. “But it was only a moment because I knew just what the ending would look like.”

Since they knew it was a good decision for their future, they were able to see past those first feelings of sadness. And when Rachel asked if it was worth it, Stephanie and Taylor both said without hesitation, “Absolutely. 100%.”

Maybe your debt isn’t that large. Maybe renting isn’t something you want to work into your equation. But however daunting downsizing may look, it’s a serious and speedy way to defeat debt and claim control of your financial future.

How do I downsize my house?

Though the idea of downsizing is hardly conventional, Taylor and Stephanie are living with hope and excitement for a future that once seemed overwhelming. And you can too.

When and if you decide downsizing is what’s best for you, your family, and your finances, you might not immediately feel complete composure. You’ll probably have questions like, How do I know what my house is worth? What kind of equity do I have built up? What does that mean in terms of me making this downsizing decision truly worth it? Or maybe even, What is equity? There’s no shame here, people!

We get it. This is a big decision, and your questions and fears are valid! Moving isn’t exactly what most people would call fun—and selling and buying isn’t what most people would call easy. But do we have some great news for you! There are people who do love all this stuff. And they’re called real estate agents. A good one guides you from the “maybe I’m ready to sell?” considerations to the “I just sold my house!” celebrations. We’ll help you find one.

When you work with one of our recommended real estate Endorsed Local Providers (ELPs), these experts in your area help you save money as you buy, sell, and navigate the fears and freedoms that come with downsizing.

How Much That Coffee Habit Is Costing You

Let’s talk coffee. If you buy a simple cup of joe from Starbucks every day, here’s what a 300% markup looks like, according to USA Today’s coffee calculator:

You’ll spend $63 in a month.
You’ll spend $766.50 in a year.
You’ll spend $22,995 over the course of 30 years.

Your Coffee Habit is Costing You

And we aren’t even talking lattes or Frappuccinos here. We’re talking the cheapest caffeine on the menu in the drive-through! Think about what you could do with an extra $766.50 this year:

You could buy a round-trip plane ticket to almost anywhere in the U.S.
You could pay off your $10,000 student loan 52 months earlier.
You could invest it and earn $7,535 in interest after 25 years (with a 10% annual rate of return).

The point we’re making is this: be smart about where you’re spending your money. If you’re happy with your daily Starbucks, go for it! But if you’re trying to achieve other goals, turn on the coffeepot. This minor sacrifice can make a huge impact.

Budget-Friendly Fun (Yes, It’s a Real Thing)

Whether you’re working on a big savings goal or just trying to cut down on your expenses, you’ve probably felt that budgeting belt growing tight. We’re proud of you for getting serious about your finances—but you can stick to your budget and still have fun. After all, fun isn’t a four-letter word. Debt is.

As a starting point, we want to give you a big list of inexpensive adventures to enjoy alone, as a couple, with friends, or as a family. Get ready to stretch your entertainment budget line, because we’re about to have some seriously budget-friendly fun.

Budget-Friendly Fun in the Great Outdoors

State Parks. Camping is the quintessential outdoor bonding activity. What could be better than hiking, grilling, and sitting around a campfire with your favorite people?
Local Parks. If you’d rather stay close to home, just pack a picnic lunch and spend a day at your local park. Fill your SUV with bikes, trikes and kites. Grab your gloves and a ball or dust off that frisbee. It’s time to get some outdoor air and exercise!
Hiking Trails. Do a quick online search, and you’ll find tons of trails in your area. Various websites rank trails based on their difficulty, share photos and comments from others, and inform hikers of the trail lengths. This isn’t just a summer sport. In fact, many enjoy a fall or early winter hike all the more—no threat of sweat sounds good to us too.
Hometown Tour. It’s time to explore all the places you normally pass by. Simply drive to a walkable district in your town and hit the pavement. Budget for lunch at one of the new restaurants you’ll find.
Zoo Membership. This isn’t the best budget idea for everyone, so you’ll have to do some math to make sure it’s worth it. If your animal-loving crew would adore numerous trips to your local zoo through the year, a membership makes this an affordable outing. Divide all your projected visits by the total cost, and you’ll know if this one’s right for your fam.
Scavenger Hunt. Great for all ages, a scavenger hunt can cost you nothing, unless you want to buy a prize for the winning team. Pinterest is full of ideas for great hunts, or you can create your own list geared toward your town’s specific features. Nature, city, backyard, neighborhood, park—you pick the location, and the fun will follow.
Outdoor Concerts. EveryDollar’s hometown of Nashville is known as Music City for a reason. Every summer, Live on the Green is a free music festival that brings incredible talent to the masses over several nights of awesome entertainment. Check your location for similar options.
Movies in the Park. This is a warm-weather favorite hosted by many towns. See if yours has offerings worth watching. You’ll just need lawn chairs or a blanket. Bring your own snacks, and you’ve found a perfect pastime under the stars.
Sunrise or Sunset. Nature provides a free production every morning and evening. Most of us are just too sleepy or too busy to notice. Grab coffee or leave the dinner dishes for later, and watch the sun rise or set. You can catch this celestial show on your very own deck or take a drive to a location with a view.
Field Day. Remember the best (or worst, if you’re not into sports) day of school as a child? Field Day. Gather your family and/or friends, and recreate some of those obstacle courses, three-legged races and bean bag tosses. If you want to get really creative, search online for even more ideas!

Indoor Budget-Friendly Fun

Dinner and a Movie. But this time, stay home! Renting a movie has never been easier or cheaper. Redbox and Amazon and Netflix, oh my! Even your local library offers a multitude of movie options. Take home some takeout, grab a pizza, or cook your own supper. You can have a splendid night in without exhausting your entertainment budget or getting your shoes stuck to the who-knows-what covering that theater floor.
Game Night. With family or friends, game nights are always lively. Play old favorites like Candyland or Chutes and Ladders. Dust off your deck of cards. Invest in a new game you’ve been eyeing on Amazon. The fun is in the company—and the competition.
Coffee Shop. Coffee shops are a perfect setup for relaxing conversation. For the price of one cuppa, it’s like you’re renting the ambiance and space for a couple hours. Alone or with others, this is a wonderfully affordable outing. Some shops even have kid rooms—the littles can play with new best friends they’ll never see again, while you savor the caffeine you need to finish up the day.
Theater Deals. You probably know about the discounted rate of matinee times at the movie theater, but you need to look into what other offers they supply. Some show a kid movie for just a couple bucks throughout the summer. Others have a special deal one night of the week. Look at all the theaters around you and see what you can (more affordably) see!
Dance Party. All you need here are some good speakers and a perfect playlist. And probably water. You’ll want to keep hydrated, because this dance party is going to rock. Take the fun one step further—make it themed! All ‘80s? All right! ‘90s throwbacks? Yes, please. Dress up, and then get ready to get down.
Work Out. Free weekly yoga offerings are popping up all around our hometown. Does your city have something similar? You can also consider the local gym, rec center or YMCA. Do not buy a membership you won’t use. But if burning calories in public is your jam, search for deals or see if your employer offers any health incentives. And don’t forget the working out at home route. You don’t have to go out to work out: Purchase a video series, sign up for a streaming service, or make use of free videos online.
Art Night. Get your Bob Ross on. Seriously, turn on an episode. Armed with a canvas, paints, a brush and a small easel, you can have an art party at your place. If happy little trees aren’t your style, find a tutorial on YouTube. With others or on your own, you might even find a new talent—or a good reason not to quit your day job. Even if the main entertainment is how unskilled you are, give it a try! They say laughter is the best medicine, right?
New Recipe. Skip the restaurant—and start your own. Test out a new recipe! If you have kids, you can help them cook, design a menu, set the table, and serve their “customers.” If it’s just adults, go as fancy or comfort-food friendly as your taste buds desire.
Karaoke App. Going to karaoke can really add up, but doing it in the privacy of your own home alleviates your budget and your stage fright. Find the lyric videos on YouTube or download an app to make the experience feel more authentic. But remember the most important part—it’s isn’t really a karaoke night until someone belts out “Don’t Stop Believing.”
Read Together. There’s nothing like a night in front of the fireplace with hot tea and a good book. This quiet time alone or with those you love may not be glamorous, but plenty of us would call it an ideal evening. Don’t discount the easy options when you’re trying to find frugal fun.

Other Ways to Save on Fun

Deal Websites. Groupon and Living Social are excellent online resources for finding incredible deals on tours, spas, restaurants, vacations, races and all sorts of other experiences.
The More the Merrier. If the price goes down divided by more people, then invite more friends!
Share. Share the cost, share a meal, share appetizers, share a ride. When you share, you save.
Email Sign-Ups. We know you don’t want emails flooding your inbox, but it’s worth signing up for ones that’ll send you deals for your favorite restaurants and activities. This way you can be in the know about opportunities for economical amusements.
Off-Seasons or Nights. Learn the best promo nights for your favorite restaurants. Grab a cabin with family or friends in the off-season. Companies are offering you a deal to bring them business during slower times, so enjoy those savings.
Passes and Memberships. We mentioned zoo memberships, but what other places do you love to frequent? If a membership to the museum makes sense in the long run, then it’s worth considering that investment. As long as you don’t go crazy at the concession stand, it might be the perfect deal for you.