My resolution this year is to get as debt free as possible. With student loans lurking over my head, I have to be resourceful and think of different ways to be productive and to earn more money. Five strategies have worked well so far to improve my income in the past five years. I shared five tips, while I’m hoping to hear back from my readers about tips that have worked for them too.
5 Tips to Make More Money
1.) Pursue education.
Go to school to learn about something you enjoy, and get a degree that can lead to a career. According to a 2013 article by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more education correlates with an increase in median weekly earnings as well as a decrease in unemployment. Minimize your cost to attend school. The less you have to spend on student loans after graduation, the more you will be able to use your income more freely.
Choose degree programs that offer financial aid or lower tuition rates. Also, budget wisely while in school. Rent an affordable place. Put extra money towards loans instead of towards vacations.
As you attend school, work. I freelanced as a writer in undergrad. Writing paid my bills since I was living cheaply. The more I wrote during the summer when I had free time, the more savings I had when I headed into a busy semester full of studying. Facing a tough economy upon graduation made me more focused on earning more money. Writing from home gave me the flexibility I needed, so I could still stay focused on getting a good GPA.
2.) Sell things you don’t need.
I’ve had the most success selling used books, CDs, DVDs and Blu rays. Other items that have sold well on eBay include software and guitars. Kids’ consignment shops can be a great place to take items that your kids don’t want anymore. At least once a year I scour our house for unnecessary items. Instead of throwing things away, I try my best to sell them. What I can’t sell, I donate.
3.) Win giveaways.
Some of the top referrers I have to my giveaways include Online Sweepstakes, SweepsAdvantage, Giveaway Promote, and Contest Girl. Visit giveaway forums and enter to win top prizes. I’ve won several prizes in giveaways, including a food processor, a baby food maker and bottle warmer and an Our Generation doll with three outfits and a home. The most useful prize I received was a Visa gift card from a local radio station. I won the gift card because I explained that my tip for making good barbecue was to put Rosemary on the coals when grilling. The drawing was completely random with no voting, so it didn’t require a lot of my time to enter and win.
When you enter a giveaway, follow a few tips to maximize your odds of winning. Use an email address that you check regularly. If the sponsor uses a contest winner’s page to announce the win, go back to check if you won after the giveaway. Enter using real social media accounts. Fake social media accounts can disqualify your win in some giveaways. Also, stay a fan of the social media accounts that you followed to enter the competition. Some giveaways will disqualify you if you stop following the sponsor’s page.
Looking for great giveaways? Visit my giveaways page, and always keep an eye on the contest winner’s page to see if you won.
4.) Sell intellectual property online.
Sell your writing. Even though the online content market is constantly changing with Google algorithm updates, writing online has the potential to earn money. Stay up to date with the latest trends in the field, as you would with any field. Write about trending stories and evergreen ideas to maximize views on your articles. Instead of churning out lots of articles, focus on quality writing. Better writing can lead to better writing opportunities with freelance clients.
Create videos that you monetize via Youtube or a distributor. Whether you are telling a story with a movie or narrating your life with a video blog, gaining an audience can bring in money. Network with influential bloggers to build hype around your videos.
Are you more of an entrepreneur than an artist? Begin an online business. Sell online classes or create a new product or a line of clothing to sell. Manage publicity for your business to build a positive reputation. Working on building positive blogger relations, and make connections with magazine editors.
5.) Chip in as a whole family.
Building a higher income does not just fall on one member of the household. Even if your household has a stay at home parent, or other circumstances that can temporarily lower a family’s income, there are plenty of ways that the whole family can contribute to help make more money.
For me, my blog helps replace some of my family’s need for a bigger income. Reviewing products, such as boots, coats, coffee makers, mops and vacuums increases my family’s income in a way. Blogging pays in goods, instead of in cash, for me. To make my blog work, I use help from my family. My husband, who takes many of the photos and videos for my blog, also helps with website advice. My children pose for the pictures. Having a side job as a blogger requires that my family works too, which I recognize and appreciate every day.
These five tips have worked best in my life to help me earn more money. What tips do you have? What simple tips have I overlooked that can help my family too? Share in the comments below. For more tips, follow Theresa’s Reviews on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Flipboard and Youtube.
It is always good to think about saving money at the beginning of a new year especially. Thanks for sharing these tips.
Great list of ideas. I never really thought of winning giveaways as a way to increase income..but it really could be! The items you win could be used as gifts, etc.! Thanks for the tips!
Thanks for the great tips! I actually love entering giveaways! Nothing more exciting than finding out I won! I actually won a $250 Macy’s GC for christmas and it was a BLESSING #upallnightblogging
Thanks for sharing these tips. It does take a whole family to pitch in. And I’m going to give the giveaway thing a try. I enter but not actively. We got to play to win right?
Great tips! Thanks for sharing. :).
Great tips to share! Love the giveaway one! Stopping by from the
Blogger Project 52!
Cathy
I think I may do a little of all of these!
I’d love to get my family more involved in helping me run my blog but it’s just not their cup of tea. *Sigh* Oh well, they sure do like it when I win the giveaways though;) Stopping by from Blogger52 Project!
Great ideas! 🙂 Thanks for the suggestions. I just started listing things on eBay recently and am really enjoying making a bit of money – while clearing out my stuff!!
Blogging has definitely given me new opportunities to do this. Although not $$ in hand necessarily. I’ve gotten lots of products to review, events to attend and I love entering all the giveaways. A thoughtful post. Thanks!
I love all of your tips, especially getting everyone involved. Kids need to know it’s ok to save and sell what you don’t need. Stopping by from the Blogger 52 project. Stumbling and pinning this!
Great tips! I should really get on selling things I don’t need. I’m working on organizing and that will certainly help. Stopping by from Blogger 52 project!
I definitely agree with #5. I am still new to the blogging thing, but it has helped provide goods in exchange for blog posts. I am so appreciative of my husband for his help in it!
When I was regularly entering giveaways I would when something every few weeks or months. I should get back to that!
Thanks for these tips! I feel like I’m doing some of them, but I could certainly incorporate more!
Great post and great tips! #blogger52project
I’m currently selling things I don’t need. For money and more importantly SPACE! 🙂
These are great tips on how to make money, thank you!
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Great list! We are getting things together for a garage sale soon to help pay off some credit card debt… its crazy how fast a dollar here and there can add up! 🙂
All good ideas that most people can put into play to one extent or another!