5 Ways to Make Extra Money and Afford Your Own Place

So, you want to move out of your parent’s basement? Easy – just grab your cash, find an apartment and sign the lease, right?

But there’s one problem, employment. You need a job to make money, and you need that money to pay for your security deposit and first and potentially last month’s rent.

Whether you’re looking to afford a Milwaukee apartment or a luxury building in Manhattan, you still need the funds to acquire your new place. But don’t jump into a new job you hate. Take some time and think about the other ways you might be able to make some money.

Here are five ways to make some extra money, so you can afford your new place.

Sell Some Stuff

You might think that selling old things on sites like Poshmark is a weird concept. It can be if you view it that way. But in reality, this is a great side hustle business opportunity. Books from college, clothes you never wear, DVD collections — all of these are valuable items to someone else. So, don’t let them go to waste. And sometimes it’s super easy. If you have textbooks from school, you can always check out a site like BookScouter and earn some money there.

Plus, when it comes time to move, you have already unloaded tons of stuff you don’t need and you’ll save some cash on the number of boxes you’ll need when it’s time to start packing.

The Popular Side Hustle

The gig economy is hot right now, and we’ll get to that later, but what about your special set of skills? Maybe you love calligraphy and can make a few bucks creating wedding invitations for your friends. Or maybe you’re an ex-accountant and can handle the Turbo Tax updates for your neighbors. We all have skills that other people might pay us for. It just takes a bit of time to think about the things people pay for and how others might spend their money on a service we provide.

Once you figure out what skills you have that people would pay for, it’s a matter of using your connections and taking advantage of the opportunities that are right in front of you. A couple of side jobs can go a long way toward paying that first month of rent at your new Chicago apartment.

Money On The Go 

We live in a world that affords us many opportunities because of technology. So, shouldn’t you be taking advantage of that? There are a ton of ways to make money while you shop. Getting paid to shop? That sounds awesome, right?

Apps like CheckPoints, EasyShift and Field Agent give you the opportunity to earn points for scanning barcodes, become on-demand secret shoppers and complete local jobs for quick cash. Download these apps and start earning right away. The cash you earn while running day-to-day errands can help pay for the movers you’ll need as you exit your parent’s basement for that new downtown apartment.

The Gig Economy 

Driving, warehouse operations, general labor, admin tasks, event staff and merchandising. All of these industries have created amazing opportunities for short-term or freelance work. The labor market today is flooded with opportunity for those in need of temporary work and short-term money making options.

Some studies have shown that almost 40 percent of American workers will be independent contractors by the year 2020. And there is no better time to make money on your own. You’ll need new furniture at your place, to go along with all of the payments you make when signing your lease. So, why not let the gig economy work for you?

The gig economy is part of a cultural shift toward entrepreneurship and some of the most amazing opportunities will come from taking a night off of your Netflix binge to drive a few people around. You never know how much money you’ll make or who you might meet. Take a shot with the gig economy and start earning right away.

Make Technology Work For You

Thanks to the internet, there are millions of ways to make extra money and a lot of these even afford you the opportunity to work at home or from anywhere you want – gigs like virtual assistant, online tutoring, selling services in digital marketing or design, and social media management are just a few opportunities that fall into this category.

Today, technology is the bridge that closes the gap for all types of freelance and on-demand work. If you’re worried about generating business, there are dozens of gig economy apps that connect companies with workers and freelancers qualified to provide the skills and services clients need.

Leading apps like Wonolo, for instance, connect companies with qualified, pre-screened workers on-demand for many of the aforementioned gigs – warehouse and general labor gigs, driving gigs, merchandising, event staffing, and even administrative gigs. For companies, having access to a qualified, on-demand workforce is a powerful tool for staying ahead in the competitive landscape. For the workforce, the ability to connect with potential clients and pick up on-demand, temporary shifts in practically any industry makes earning extra cash easier than ever before. And for some workers, that extra cash means finally moving out of mom and dad’s basement with a place they can call their own.

This is a guest post from our friends at ADOBO