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8 Ways to Make an Extra $1000 a Month

Who wouldn’t want an extra $1000 per month? I know I do! Think of the things you could do with an extra $1000/month, or $12,000 a year?

Pay off school loans, pay off credit cards, put it away in savings, buy a new car, take a vacation, put it into an emergency fund, start a business.

saving money, money, debt — 8 Ways to Make an Extra $1000 a Month

The possibilities are endless. $12,000/year by any standards would be a great raise in most jobs. And chances are it could make a large change in your life. Go ahead and give it a try, what do you have to lose?

Start a blog– This should seem like an obvious choice since you’re reading a blog! I started this blog, for just this purpose. To learn, to educate, and hopefully to make some money at it. I love it, I love technology, and I love learning and teaching new things. It’s a great side job, lots of work, but well worth it. And to think, you can make a blog about ANYTHING! Just give it shot, you’d be surprised how fun it is!
Answer Survey– Survey answering is one of those things that I never really knew existed. But it’s out there and there’s plenty of money to be made. Try sites like Typeform, SurveyJunkie, and Swagbucks.
Drive Uber/Lyft- This is a great option if you’ve got a decent car, like to drive, and aren’t afraid to meet new people. The sign up is easy and painless, and you can start earning money quickly!
Sell Your Stuff– The first thing I like to do when looking for extra cash, is to start looking around the house! There’s always stuff laying around that can be sold for extra money. Whether it’s electronics, furniture, clothes, handbags, trading cards, or even antiques. Look around that house, there’s bound to be stuff you’re not using. For more ideas on selling your stuff, check out Top 20 Things to Sell to Make Extra Cash.
Babysit– So a time tested tradition holds up. Babysitting is a time tested classic that started when you were 14, and can still make you money way into your 20’s, 30’s, sky’s the limit. Good babysitting help can be hard to find, and if you’ve got the time and some friends, chances are they need a break and a babysitter!
Become a Bookkeeper– This might be a strange one for some, but chances are you have some bookkeeping skills. And why not put those to use?
Become a VA– This is a great job for almost anyone. Almost everyone is looking for some kind of help, mostly online. If you’ve got secretarial, sales, computer, or even writing skills, you can find work. Heck, many people are VA full time and making a great living. Look to sites like Upwork, TaskEveryDay, and even Fiverr as a great way to make some extra dough.
Freelance Work– Freelance work is great because you’re already doing it! I always preface this with, if you’re working in a field and are employed, you should make sure that you will not get into any problem, freelancing with other people or companies. But the truth is, if you’re skilled, you can usually find very good work doing side jobs and projects within your field.

The truth is, if you’re motivated enough, you can find ways to make extra cash. It might take sacrifice, but in the end, it’s all worth it. Think of all you can do with that extra cash each month? Get outta debt. Save for a rainy day. Take a vacation. Put into retirement savings. The possibilities are endless!!

7 Steps To Take If You Can’t Pay Your Taxes

So you’ve got a tax bill. Well never fear, cuz lots and lots of people have them too. Maybe you didn’t save enough, or you had an unexpected emergency and used the money for something else, maybe you got audited and you owe more? It’s ok, it happens. One of the 2 things we’re guaranteed in life, death, and taxes! I know all to well the stress that owing to the Federal Government can bring. I’ve been there, heck I’m still paying down my debt from my audit last year. Here are some simple tips to get you thru it.

7 Simple Steps to Take If You Can’t Pay Your Taxes

Don’t Ignore the Bill– First things first, don’t ignore the bill. While many people like to stick their heads in the sand. The IRS will eventually find you. And it won’t be pretty. They’ll access fines and interest to your bill, which will add up. Just contact them and let them know the circumstances, it will go far in their eyes if you’re serious about paying down the debt.
File On Time and Pay As Much As You Can- This sounds simple, but you’d be surprised how many times people see that they owe money, so they just don’t file at all. Don’t do that. Be on time with your taxes, and if you can’t afford to pay the whole bill, send as much as you can with a note. They will be in touch! Being proactive and timely goes a long way with creditors. Shows your intentions are good and you want to be honorable.
Get A Loan or Use Credit Cards– While I don’t advocate for this, it’s certainly an option, although not the best one. Some people are so terrified to deal with the IRS that they are more likely to take out more debt to pay this off when there are smarter choices. Use this as a last resort, if at all.
Ask Parent/Friends For Loans– Again, this wouldn’t be my first choice. I try to make a point to never borrow money from friends, and only reticently borrow from family. While most parents might loan you money without interest, (which is super nice!), often times people are slow and lazy to pay back the parental unit. Which can cause undue stress on all parties. I mean who wants to send their kids to collections??!?
Use IRS Online Payment Tool- This would be my first choice. The IRS understands that many people have tax debt that they can’t pay back at one time. That’s ok, they’ve already thought that way. They’ve got an installment plan program and even a program where you can settle the debt. The installment program is by far the easiest to get enrolled in and they’re very generous in dealing with what you can afford. The settlement program is very in depth and takes quite a bit of time and detail to figure out. Definitely worth it though, if you’ve got a large debt and have a chunk of money that you’d like to settle it with. Probably not worth the time for smaller debts that can be repaid simply.
Look for a Side Job– So whenever we’re strapped for cash, we’ve got options, and one of them is to get a second job, or side hustle. There’s plenty of jobs we can do part-time to make extra cash, including things like Uber, become a virtual assistant, or even babysitting or yard work. Put those extra skills and time to work and make some cash. For more ideas on Side Jobs, check out the TOP 50 Side Hustle Jobs
Sell Off Your Stuff– If you simply don’t have time work another side job, start looking around the house for those things that you no longer need. Electronics, collectibles, antiques, coin collections. There’s plenty of stuff sitting, sometimes in storage, that we simply don’t need or use. For the easiest ways to sell your stuff, check out the 10 Ways to Sell Your Stuff

Not being able to pay your taxes, can be scary and daunting. But never fear, you’re not alone. Plenty of Americans, myself included, have tax repayment plans in place. Being upfront, taking necessary steps, and staying diligent about paying down your debt will go far in the eyes of the IRS. I look at the mistakes I made on my taxes, and subsequent audit as a blessing in disguise. It made me much more knowledgable about my taxes, and I’ve become much better about keeping good records and up to date with my payments. Making mistakes is nothing to be ashamed of, it’s simply a learning curve and a chance to do better. Don’t be afraid to tackle these issues head on, you’ll be much farther ahead in the long run.