5 ways to get that coin!

Here is some of my side hustle and tricks to make some extra coin. You wanna go on an extra special Vaca? Do it! Want those new shoes? Wrap it up!!  Or do you just want to save more? Who doesn't want to make some extra cash money!

1. Sell your lightly used clothing and items online

I love to use sites like Thredup, Poshmark, and Mecari to sell lightly used items I'm currently not using. Warning: once you start doing this you will start to see dollar signs associated with all of your stuff. I'm always working on simplifying my house with less clutter. Whenever I bring a new item in, I have to send another item out.  If it's in really good condition, why not get some cash for it? Easiest way to sell larger items is to post on your facebook to your local friends and family. Next easiest is for selling clothing to thredup.  They give you a collection bag, a payout price for your items and they even recycle the items they can't accept. The most bang you get for your buck is selling on Poshmark and Mecari but there is a good amount work involved. You have to place a listing, share it and package up your item. I prefer using Poshmark and Mecari, and every month and I make on average a $100. I also buy items on sale and then resell them for a profit.

2. Give your friends referral codes for products and services you enjoy

This is something that is easy to do because we love sharing the things we enjoy with the people we love. Most services like Hello Fresh, subscription boxes, and online services offer these incentives. These places usually give you a credit on your purchase, which will save you money, and your friends also get the savings with a percent off offer. Win Win.

3. Make your money work for you

Instead of hiding your money in books and mattresses, you can put your hard earned coin to work for you in the stock market. With the help of smart phones apps this has never been easier. I use two apps for this purpose, Acorns and Robinhood. These user friendly apps turn my extra fun money into mo fun money with no problems! I know that this can seem scary because the market goes up and down. However, this is not gambling, because even if it goes up or down you will still make more money in long term investing, than you will letting it sit in the bank. Do some research, pick companies you believe in, and companies that have been around for decades.  Plus, if you're a nerd like me, you'll have so much fun watching your investments flourish.

4. Ebates

Perfect for us online shoppers! It's so easy! Don't worry it is not a scam! Retailers pay them when someone uses their link and that is the money they share with you.  You just sign up and download the tool for your server. Then just go to your normal sites and shop. They even load all the coupon codes available on the site! So no more googling promo codes! Then they send you a check for $20 here or  $5 there. It adds up and I usually buy something fun with it. They also let you know if the item you are thinking about purchasing is cheaper on a site that you can earn rewards with. It's like having a personal shopper whose job is to save you money.

5. Credit Card Points

I now run most of my bills like cable and cell phone through my credit cards. All my expenses like gas and groceries are also through my credit card. Most months I earn 1.5% on all of my purchases, but some months you earn extra in a particular category, like grocery, restaurants and travel. You can see when these categories are available by looking up your rewards. They add up and I earn about $600 to $700 a year extra.  Just a reminder, it's important that you pay off your balance each month.  Interest rate is pretty high on credit cards, and that much pretty much cancels out the extra savings.  Most cards let you redeem for cash,  gift cards or a credit on your card. (I usually do a credit on my card or a gift card) This is just free money that these companies give back to you because they make money when you use their card due to processing fees that businesses have to pay.

There are so many ways to make extra spending money. Some ways are totally simple, others require a little more hustle and work. The important thing to always remember is that you can reach your financial goals and purchase items or go on vacations. You just gotta do the math and it all adds up. When I did the math I make about $2500 to$3000 extra a year by using these methods. What would you do with that money?