How to Generate Extra Income During COVID-19

I recently participated as an invited panelist on an Experian #credit chat (Twitter chat) titled How to Make Extra Money During COVID-19. Below are ten key take-aways:

¨      Make Yourself Visible- Pay attention to your social media accounts, especially LinkedIn. Post valuable content regularly to get noticed by others in your field of work. “Work Out Load” by discussing your skills and work projects online (in a non-bragging way) and post links to work samples or photos of your work.

 

¨      Seek Out Job Information-Regularly network with colleagues and review online job postings via professional associations or trade groups. Many people also use online job search sites including ZipRecruiter, fiverr, Monster, flexjobs, and LinkedIn.

 

¨      Consider Jobs in High Demand- Look for work where the jobs are. Examples include online course designers, warehouse workers, package delivery handlers, “pod” class teachers, nurses, software developers, contact tracers, election poll workers, truck drivers, health services managers, and construction workers.

 

¨      Beware of Job-Hunting Scams- Avoid anything that sounds too good to be true, especially work from home scams. Another red flag is any “job” that requires an upfront fee or bank or credit card information. For more details about job scams, review the Federal Trade Commission Job Scams website.

 

¨      Start a Socially Distant Side Hustle- Make a list of income-generating activities that utilize your skills and do not require face-to-face contact. This basically means any work you can do from home. Examples include: writing, editing, graphic design, building things, monetized blogging, designing websites, product testing, online research survey-taking, video tutoring, making/selling crafts, baking, woodworking, and mask-making.

 

¨      Sell Stuff Online- Sell unneeded possessions via eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, Nextdoor, and more. In addition, some communities have online portals to facilitate sales among their residents. For more online selling ideas, review this NerdWallet article.

 

¨      Rent Stuff Online- Make a list of possessions that you could rent out for extra cash. Examples include real estate, transportation, clothing, and more on specialized websites. This article includes 17 ways to make money by renting out property.

¨      Score Rewards Points- Use cash-back apps such as those on this list developed by NerdWallet. Names on the NerdWallet list include Ibotta, RetailMeNot, Coupons.com, Swagbucks, and Rakuten. Also, charge food, gas, and other necessities on a cash-back rewards credit card if you have the discipline to pay your bill in full.

 

¨      Get Help If Needed- Call 211 or visit https://www.211.org/ online for curated lists of local social services to find help from.  Comprehensive lists of COVID-19 resources are available from Rutgers Cooperative Extension and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center.

 

¨      Triangulate Income-Generation Strategies- Use multiple methods of raising cash with a combination of cash-raising strategies discussed above. In addition, build your “human capital” by gaining new knowledge or skills that could result in a side hustle or a future promotion.