How to Make an Extra $2,000 a Month: 7 Ideas You Can Start Today

Living expenses keep going up, and your paycheck is staying pretty much the same. You aren’t the only one that feels this way — 53% of employees polled by the American Staffing Association and Harris Poll felt that their paychecks weren’t keeping up with inflation.

While we can’t convince your boss to give you extra money, we can help you get creative and earn $2,000 extra each month with these side hustle ideas.

There are several side business options you can choose from. The key to success is choosing a side hustle that matches your schedule, interests, and skills. Here are some of our favorite ways to stack additional cash each month.

Popular side hustle to consider

Key takeaways

• There are several ways to earn an extra two thousand per month, such as renting out storage space in your home, working as an online tutor, delivering food or groceries, and building a profitable blog or YouTube channel.
• You can also tap into your creative talents, such as graphic design, programming, or selling handmade items on platforms like Etsy, Amazon, and eBay.
• The key to success in a side hustle is choosing one that aligns with your unique schedule, interests, and skills.
• Some side hustles offer a potential for passive income. For instance, renting out your unused space or car can generate a steady stream of cash with minimal active involvement.

7 methods to make an extra $2k per month

Various side hustles can provide you with extra cash on top of your full-time income, which means that you have several opportunities to choose from. Let’s explore seven methods you can utilize to earn extra cash each month.

1. Deliver food or groceries

One popular method to figure out how to make money is providing food or grocery delivery services within your local area, provided you possess a car, motorbike, or bicycle.

This side hustle is easy to fit in after a full-time job since you typically get to create a schedule that suits your availability and work whenever it's convenient for you. You typically need to sign up and clear a screening process, then you should be able to begin accepting delivery requests.

My husband works a full-time management job in a busy city and enjoys doing a delivery or two after work. The pay isn’t much — maybe an extra $50 per night, but since he drives a Prius, the cost of driving is minimal.

Two food delivery platforms you can sign up for are Uber Eats and DoorDash. These platforms help you earn money on your deliveries and keep the tips you get from customers. The exact amount of money you make with Uber Eats or DoorDash usually depends on various factors, including the number of orders you fulfill, the distance you cover while driving, and other relevant variables.

Visit Uber Eats or learn more in our Uber Eats review.

2. Rent out extra space in your home

You can transform unused space in your home into a source of passive income. Platforms like Neighbor enable you to lease out spare storage areas in your property, such as rooms or garages. As a host, you can accommodate someone’s belongings, from boxes to vehicles, and charge a monthly fee. Neighbor handles rent collection and monthly deposits into your bank account for a nominal fee.

Additionally, you can monetize your driveway by renting it out as a parking space. You can also offer other spaces in your property to store RVs, boats, and more. My friend made this arrangement with her parents to store their RV on her land for $50 per month. It was a win-win because her parents saved money by using their daughter’s land versus the other pricey local storage options.

Learn more in our Neighbor review.

Another option is to list spare rooms on Airbnb. This could prove particularly profitable if your home is located in a high-demand area frequented by tourists. You even have the option to rent out your entire home if you have a vacation coming up or plan to visit friends or family. While earnings depend on your home and its location, Airbnb offers tools to help you determine the rate you could ask for.

3. Become an online tutor

If you enjoy teaching, working as an online tutor could be a great side hustle to make money online. There are various online tutoring platforms that connect tutors with students, such as Chegg, TutorMe, and Care.com.

You could teach various subjects, from math to grammar to computer science, and create your own online courses. Rates typically vary depending on your subject and level. According to employment platform Zippia, online math tutors make an average of $16 to $17 per hour.

If you can teach about a specialized exam, such as the SAT, ACT, GRE, or LSAT, you could charge an even higher rate.

Another option is to tutor international students in English as a second language. For example, VIPKid pays between $14 and $22 per hour to teach English online on your own schedule, according to its website. You often don’t have to create your own lesson plans, making this a fairly easy side hustle for anyone who enjoys teaching and helping others.

Don’t forget to offer your services in person too, which can fetch you higher pay. You can meet at local libraries or school centers. Even homeschool parents are looking for additional help in some subjects, so don’t advertise just to schools.

Learn more in our VIPKid review.

Create your Care.com profile to search for online tutoring jobs

4. Set up a profitable blog or YouTube channel

I love the idea of setting up a blog or YouTube channel because it allows you to be the boss of your content. As someone who has had blogs that earned $1,000 to $2,000 per month (and even sold a blog later on), I know there is a lot of work involved in building up your content and name.

You’d need to create high-quality, enticing content that draws readers or subscribers. This might require you to learn search engine optimization (SEO) and familiarize yourself with influencer marketing techniques to effectively reach and engage your target audience.

The fastest way to turn a profit on your blog or YouTube channel is to choose a niche that you are passionate about and that can earn money but is not necessarily overdone by all the other big names out there. Sarra Cannon from Heart Breathings has over 70,000 followers watching her planner sessions and novel writing tips, Dawn Madsen grew The Minimal Mom channel to over 700,000 subscribers by showing decluttering advice, and Chris Magello from ChrisFix has over 10 million followers, but his most popular videos are on cleaning out an engine and headlight restoration.

Similarly, with my blog, I wrote primarily on freelance writing advice. I had a steady stream of visitors, but I didn’t see real money come in until I reviewed a popular productivity course from another blogger. I became an affiliate for that course and earned $500 to $1,000 per month on affiliate income until I sold my blog seven months later.

Once you’ve built up your audience, you can monetize your blog or channel with affiliate marketing or ads. Affiliate marketing involves recommending products or services and making a commission when someone makes a purchase. Ad revenue can also help you turn a profit, especially once you’ve got lots of people visiting your website or channel.

Learn how to start a successful blog and how much YouTubers make.

5. Rent out your car

If you don’t need your car every day or you own an extra vehicle, you could rent it out for some bonus income. Platforms like Turo, Getaround, and HyreCar make it easy to rent out your vehicle to people in need of transportation.

Once you’ve listed your car, customers can reserve it for a certain period of time. You don’t necessarily have to meet in person, but rather can provide pickup and dropoff instructions for the driver.

Some of these platforms provide insurance while your car is being rented, so you should be protected in the case of an accident or damage to your car. You can also set any restrictions on how a driver can use your vehicle or how many miles they can drive each day.

The amount you make renting out your car will vary depending on the type of car and location, but HyreCar states that hosts can earn over $9,000 per year.

Learn more in our reviews of Turo, Getaround, and HyreCar.

6. Sell handmade items

If you’re a whiz at arts, crafts, or design, consider setting up your own store online or on a platform like Etsy to earn extra money every month. Whether you’re selling handmade jewelry, wedding stationery, clothing, printables, website themes, or something else, Etsy can connect you with millions of buyers looking for unique, homemade items.

You generally don’t need a license to sell on Etsy, though business laws can vary by state. To make your store a success, make sure to take high-quality photos of your goods and pair them with detailed, keyword-rich descriptions. Providing good customer service can also help turn buyers into repeat customers.

You’ll also need to think about how to spread the word about your store, whether through sharing it with your friends and family or promoting it on social media.

I was able to tap into passive income on Etsy for a time with birthday party graphics. It all started with wanting to create a TY Beanie Boo adopt-a-pet party for my own daughter. I created what I wanted — both an invitation and printable signs and activities to go with the party. I listed them on Etsy and made over $1,000 within a year with no extra effort on my part. Once you prove a money-making idea, you can work on scaling it up to increase your revenue.

Learn how to start an Etsy shop.

7. Become a virtual assistant

If you have strong organizational skills, you could also earn extra monthly income by working as a virtual assistant. Virtual assistants help with various administrative tasks, including scheduling appointments, responding to customers, creating and sending invoices, and managing email and social media accounts.

You might find work for an individual business owner or a larger company on traditional job boards or ones that are specific to virtual assistance roles, such as Fancy Hands, VA Networking, Zirtual, and Belay. You might also find opportunities on a freelance marketplace, such as Upwork.

According to Zippia, the average virtual assistant salary is about $19 per hour, though your earnings could vary based on your location, responsibilities, and years of experience.

Learn how to become a virtual assistant.

Choosing a side hustle that generates $2,000 or more

While there are various options, not all of them will be the right fit for you. The best side hustle is one that works for your schedule and matches up with your interests and skills. As you consider which side hustle to choose, asking yourself these questions can help:

• How much room do you have in your schedule? Some of these side hustles require more of a time commitment than others, so consider how much time you can commit to your side hustle. If you need flexible hours, working as a delivery person or online tutor might be preferable to working as a virtual assistant, which could have stricter schedule requirements.
• Do you have the right tools for the job? Some of these side hustles require you to have certain assets, such as storage space in your home or a car. If you don’t own property or a vehicle, you might be better off looking for an online gig, such as tutoring or selling items on Etsy.
• Which side hustle aligns with your skills? Consider your skills and interests so you can choose a side gig that you’ll enjoy — or at least the one with the path of least resistance. To work as a virtual assistant, for instance, you’ll need to be detail oriented, organized, and comfortable working on the computer. To be an online tutor, you’ll need to be good at explaining concepts clearly and working one-on-one with students.
• Are you looking for a short-term or long-term gig? Finally, consider whether your priority is to make money immediately or build your income over time. Creating a profitable blog or YouTube channel, for instance, could make you money, but you might have to put in several months of effort without any payoff first. Consider your financial needs to see if you have time to grow your online business or need a side gig that offers a more immediate income.

How to make $2,000 a month

1. Rent out space in your home with Neighbor.com
2. Earn money as an online tutor with Care.com
3. Monetize a blog or YouTube channel
4. Rent out your car on Turo
5. Sell handmade items on Etsy
6. Charge hourly as a virtual assistant

FAQ

Bottom line

While making an extra $2,000 per month may not be the easiest endeavor, there are lots of options for hitting your goal. Online marketplaces and apps help connect you with paying customers, whether you want to rent out space in your home or driveway, deliver food and groceries, or sell your services or homemade goods.

While the ideas on this list represent some of the most lucrative side hustles, they’re not your only options for boosting your income. For more ideas and inspiration, explore our list of the best side hustles.