Tips on how to make extra money to afford inflation
CHICAGO - With prices skyrocketing, who wouldn’t like a few extra bucks in their pocket right about now?
The real question is – how to get more money when there are only so many hours in a day.
While Rachel Lungren of La Grange Park says the pay is good at her full-time job, she says she could use a little extra cash.
"Totally, yes," said the single mom. "I mean, with gas, obviously one of the big things right now, you have to think about it."
We asked an expert for a few tips on how you can earn some extra money without running ragged.
"For a lot of people, they need to earn some extra income to afford these higher prices, but getting a raise might not be an option right now," said Andrea Woroch, a family budgeting professional. "Flexible side hustles are kind of the perfect solution."
She recommends pet sitting while working from home, a job that could earn up to $1,000 a month.
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Another option, is a virtual tutor on nights or weekends, or a live chat agent, right from your home computer.
Since about every marketing company wants to know what you think about certain products, Woroch said there are a number of ways you can get paid for sharing your opinion – signing up for a virtual focus group is one of them.
"Then you can get enrolled into a study that can pay you up to $500 just for sharing your opinion. [You] could be testing something like hair products [or] maybe reviewing marketing materials for a new travel experience," she said.
Another quick moneymaker is uploading your shopping receipts to sites like FetchRewards.com.
"All you do is take a picture of your receipts. It could be your grocery receipt. Your gas receipt. Maybe your clothing receipt. You’ll get points for every receipt you upload [and] you’ll get bonus points [if] you purchase certain brands," Woroch said.
Then, you can redeem those points for gift cards at Walmart, Amazon, Target, or a restaurant. Cashing in on clutter around your house is another alternative.
Woroch said there are sites to rent out everything from baby gear to your own swimming pool. Sites like Raise.com are a great way to get rid of unwanted gift cards for up to 92% of the card’s value.
Finally, make sure your credit card is working hard for you and that you are getting the maximum cash back for every purchase you make. Woroch says some debit cards now offer cash back in certain reward programs.