Dave Ramsey, well known radio personality and financial advisor, is a proponent of the “debt snowball,” where you pay off debts from smallest to largest. As you knock out smaller debts, you can add those payments to the larger debts. I love this idea of starting small, getting quick results, and then using that to fuel bigger things. I like to think about making money this way as well, like a money making snowball. Creative pursuits and businesses take money to get going—you’ve got to purchase supplies, perhaps some classes to increase knowledge, websites or hosting to sell your goods, and more. So if money is tight already, what can you do to be able to afford the basics to get your creative business going or just fund your hobbies in general? Here is a list I’ve compiled of quick, simple things you can do to earn some extra money, which you can then put towards other pursuits to earn more income.

These are my personal favorites that I use and recommend:

1) VoxPopMe

App | 1-2 minutes | $15-50 / month | $15 to cash out | PayPal

This is an app that you download on your phone. It gives you questions and you respond by video survey. Most questions pay around $0.50, but only take 1-2 minutes to complete. If you diligently answer the questions, you can become eligible for higher paying surveys. For example, I got a survey where I went into Target and made three 1 minute videos of me talking about the products I saw on a particular aisle. This survey paid $30. You can cash out at $15 and the app deposits directly into your bank account. It only takes about 1 business day or less for me to receive my funds after cashing out.

2) Usertesting

Website and app | 15-20 minutes | $20-100+ / month | 7 day payout | PayPal

Usertesting is a website that lets you test websites and give feedback. There is also an app to test websites on your phone as well. Tests take about 15 minutes to complete and pay $10 each. You must think aloud as you complete the tests and your voice and computer screen are recorded and submitted. Tests are first come, first serve, and sometimes have very specific criteria that you must meet in order to test. Payout is exactly 7 days after testing to your Paypal account. There are also often surveys that determine your eligibility for moderated studies, which are longer, but have a much bigger payout. I have yet to qualify for one of these. They pay $60-90 for 1 hour’s worth of time.

3) Swagbucks

Website and app | 1 hour + | $50-150 / month | $3 for gift cards, $25 for PayPal

Swagbucks has been around for a while, but I hadn’t really heard great things about it until recently. It’s not my favorite way to earn but some people love it. I was able to earn just over $160 in 1 month (but had to spend about $25). You can earn several different ways with Swagbucks. There are rebates where if you spend a certain amount on a website, you’ll get money back. There are also surveys that you can fill out. Most of these are terribly low paying (like $1.00 for a 20 minute survey), but if you fill out some surveys you’ll have opportunities to take higher paying surveys. After just a couple of weeks of trying Swagbucks, I got a survey where I had to watch the Grammys and note which advertisements stood out to me. I received $60 for this survey. Even so, I found that I was having to spend a lot of time hunting down deals and offers and then making sure my credits were awarded correctly. As I said before though, some people love the format and make $50-200 a month using Swagbucks.

4) Ibotta

App | 10 minutes | variable | $20 to cash out | PayPal, Venmo, Amazon

Ibotta is a little different from the other apps and websites mentioned here as it is only a cash back app. However, you can get cash back on things you normally buy, so it’s worth mentioning. You download the app, find rebates on groceries and other items, and upload your receipt to get credit for the rebates. It’s very easy and rewards can rack up quickly. There are also several cash out options once you reach $20.

5) VIPKID

Website | 30 minutes / class | $15-20/hour | Payout is 1 / month | Direct deposit

Right now, my highest paying side hustle is with VIPKID. I was hired in April 2017. When I started, I taught 25 (30 minute) classes a week and made around $1000 a month. Since I had my second child, I’ve just been doing about 16 classes a week (2 hours/4 days a week) and getting around $500 a month. I really love this company and it’s helped my family out a lot, so if you’re interested in it you can reach out to me via my contact form and I will give you more information and help you get hired. A bachelor’s degree is required (but it does not have to be a teaching degree—I do not have a teaching degree and have never taught in a brick and mortar school).

Now, for some opportunities recommended to me by friends:

1. Cambly – $10/hour, no degree or experience required. Take phone calls from people all over the world wanting to speak to a native English speaker!
2. MagicEars – $22/hour advertised, degree required, experience preferred. A competitor to VIPKID.
3. Leapforce – $13+/hour, no experience required. It seems that when you become an agent for Leapforce, you sign nondisclosure forms, so what you do and how much you can make is a little hazy. However, it has to do with search engine evaluation. Read more on their website.
4. Outschool – On Outschool, you create and list a class which you teach live to the children who sign up for your class. You receive 70% of the payment for the class, while Outschool takes 30% as your listing fee. No degree or experience is required and you get to choose your topic.
5. Etsy + Printful – If you create an Etsy shop account, you can link it to Printful, populate it with items that are sold and fulfilled by Printful (but designed by you), and pocket the profit with minimal interaction from you! See here for an example of a listing that I created with Printful. See here for an awesome Skillshare class that goes more in depth with this process.

Do you have a favorite fast cash app or website? Or is there one you’ve heard about that you’d like me to try out? Comment below! And don’t forget to sign up for my email list to receive the best tips and insight!

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