Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. We may receive a commission when you click on them, but this is at no extra cost to you. Read our privacy policy for more information.
Living paycheck to paycheck isn’t ideal for anyone. Unfortunately, a whopping 78% of workers live this way.
I’ve been in this position before, and it’s very stressful. The good news is that there are simple, fast, and legit ways to make extra money.
In this post, I’ll cover eight easy ways to make $200 or more per month. A few hundred dollars can go a long way for many people. This list is pretty diverse so that it meets the needs of everyone.
From paid online surveys to driving your car, you’ll surely find something that’s right for you.
Table of Contents
1. Take Surveys On These Three Sites
How It Works
Paid surveys are one of the most common ways to make money online. I like taking surveys for money because it’s easy and fast.
You can take them whenever you want, and you can join all of the survey sites and apps that you like.
The best part is that there’s no commitment to make. You can take surveys anytime you want and as often as you want.
Real Earning Examples
I’m currently using Survey Junkie, Vindale Research and Swagbucks to provide three examples. That’s because our writers reviewed these sites to determine how much you can earn per hour.
- With Survey Junkie, you have the potential to earn anywhere from $5 – $18 per hour. Read our Survey Junkie review to learn how.
- With Vindale Research, you can earn $5 to $20 per hour. Read our Vindale Research Review to learn how.
- With Swagbucks, you can earn $5 to $10 per hour by just taking surveys. Read our Swagbucks review to learn how.
If you use all three survey sites, you can earn a minimum of $15 per hour. That means you’ll only need to commit 13 to 14 hours per month to surveys.
Tips and Tricks
Get started by reading our survey reviews that I linked above. Make note of the referral and signup bonuses they offer. These are effortless ways to boost your earnings.
I also recommend reading 10 Top Survey Sites That Will Make You $300/Month Or More to discover even more great survey sites.
2. Use These Three Cash Back Apps
How It Works
Spending money every month is inevitable. We all have to buy groceries, fuel, toiletries – the list goes on. But when you use cash back apps, you get paid to shop.
There are dozens of these apps and websites. Some can be used in stores, and others can be used online. My top three picks are Ibotta, TopCashback, and Fetch Rewards. Using all three apps at once can net you a few hundred dollars every month.
Real Earning Examples
How much you earn definitely depends on how much you shop. I’ve highlighted some details about these apps along with reported earnings from users.
- Ibotta
- Ibotta is a cash back app that’s partnered with over 80 retailers.
- You earn money every time you buy certain items and take a photo of your receipt.
- The cash back amount per item usually varies between $0.25 and $5.00.
- Get a $10 bonus when you redeem your first offer.
- Get a $5 bonus every time you refer a friend and they use the app.
- Earn cash back by scanning receipts, shopping online, and completing bonus opportunities.
- TopCashback
- TopCashback is a cashback website and app where you earn a percentage amount on purchases you make.
- You can currently earn up to 30% cash back by shopping at common retailers.
- TopCashback is partnered with over 3,500 retailers, so earning money is easy.
- Get a $10 bonus when you sign up and start using TopCashback.
- Get a $10 bonus every time you refer a friend and they start using the app or website.
- Fetch Rewards
- Fetch Rewards is similar to Ibotta, but you can buy the cash back items they list at any retailer.
- The offers for this app are usually grocery related.
- You’ll typically earn $0.25 to $2.00 cash back per item.
- Get a $1.50 bonus by using promo code HH3MN and scanning your first receipt.
- Get a $1.50 bonus every time you refer a friend, they use your promo code, and they scan their first receipt.
Use these apps and websites every single time you shop. It only takes a minute or two to scan a receipt. When you combine all three methods, making $200 per month is doable.
Tips and Tricks
Our Ibotta review and Fetch Rewards review are great places to start. The options I listed above are just a few of my favorites. To make even more money, read Top 10 Free Apps That Pay You Money For Scanning Grocery Receipts.
3. Get Rewards From Shopping With Shopkick
Shopkick is currently one of the best rewards apps out there. When you install Shopkick on your phone, you earn rewards for walking into stores, scanning barcodes, linking your credit card, shopping online and more.
You earn rewards in the form of points which can be exchanged for free gift cards or cool cash prizes. Shopkick is 100% free to join. Refer your friends to earn even more points.
4. Drive For Lyft (For Less Than 5 Hours Per Week)
How It Works
You’ve probably heard of Lyft before. You may have even used it to get a ride somewhere. This popular ridesharing service provides more than one million rides per day in 300 cities nationwide.
It’s surprisingly easy to make $200 as a Lyft driver. In many cities, you can earn this much driving less than five hours per week.
Real Earning Examples
Working for five hours or week per less might sound too good to be true. I’m all for research, so I used the Lyft Driver Pay Estimator to get some examples. These are a few that I found:
- Kansas City drivers can make up to $100 a week for five hours per week.
- Tulsa drivers can make up to $100 a week for five hours per week.
- New York City drivers can make up to $190 a week for five hours per week.
- Little Rock drivers can make up to $100 per week for five hours per week.
Try out the estimator tool by typing in your city name. You’ll instantly get results stating how much it’s possible to make driving for Lyft.
I also checked out Glassdoor.com, and the most common wage reported by Lyft drivers is $16.28 per hour. If you earned that much, you’d only need to drive about 13 hours per month!
Tips and Tricks
5.. Tutor Online A Few Hours Per Month
How It Works
Online tutoring is a flexible and engaging way to make money. Some tutoring websites and apps require tutors to have a degree and experience.
Others have pretty laid back requirements. Most of these platforms play an hourly rate.
Real Earning Examples
Several tutor online websites pay an hourly rate. Below you’ll find the hourly rates of a few popular and well-paying sites and apps. I’ve also included info about earning potential, bonuses, and more.
- Chegg Tutors pays tutors $20 per hour.
- Top earners at Chegg Tutors make $1,000 per month.
- VIPKID pays tutors a minimum of $14 per hour.
- It’s common for VIPKID tutors to make $18 to $22 per hour.
- NiceTalk pays tutors $10 per hour.
- Use code RU3N2Ra for a $10 signup bonus through NiceTalk.
- Get a $10 bonus every time you refer a friend to NiceTalk.
- PalFish pays tutors $13.80 to $45 per hour.
- Get a $3 bonus every time you refer a friend to PalFish.
Each tutoring website and app has different eligibility requirements. That’s why the hourly rate varies quite a bit. But even with the lowest paying option, you only need to tutor five hours per week.
Tips and Tricks
To learn more about the above options and additional ones, read These 6 ESL Apps/Websites Will Pay You To Teach English Online. You can also check out my VIPKID review and Chegg Tutors review for in-depth info about each site.
6. Write Content A Few Hours Per Week – No Experience Required
How It Works
When I first started freelancing, I relied on content mills to gain experience. Content mills are websites that hire people to write blog posts, articles, and more.
You don’t need a background in writing to do this. Most content mills just require writers to have proficient English grammar and spelling abilities. You can easily earn $200 per month by joining one or more of these websites.
Real Earning Examples
Content mills usually pay per word. The rate per word isn’t very high, but that’s because the work is so simple. Writing a few hundred words in 15 minutes or less isn’t difficult. It’s easy to earn a good hourly wage. Here are the rates and earning examples for a few popular content mills:
- HireWriters pays beginners $2.00 per 350 words. It only takes a few days to reach higher payment levels. You can earn $20 per article once you’re an established writer.
- iWriter pays new writers $1.62 to $4.05 per 300 to 700-word article. Elite Plus writers can earn $40 or more per 500-word article.
- BlogMutt pays new writers $10.50 per 300 to 400-word post. If you regularly write for BlogMutt, you can get exclusive access to higher paying work.
- TextBroker pays between 0.70 to 5.0 cents per word. Your initial pay per word is based on the writing sample you submit. You can also earn more per word depending on the type of work you complete.
These four options all pay weekly via PayPal if you’ve reached their payment minimum. The minimum usually ranges between $10 to $20. With the sites above, earning $50 per week is very realistic.
Tips and Tricks
To quickly earn $200 per month, I suggest joining two or more content writing sites. The amount of work available on each site fluctuates. If you have several options, you’ll never run out of work. For more opportunities to make money writing online, read 17 Freelance Writing Jobs For Beginners.
7. Do Odd Jobs With TaskRabbit
How It Works
Running errands and doing odd jobs are very common ways to make extra money. But now you don’t have to call friends and family, post Craigslist ads, or ask neighbors for work. The Internet has made it incredibly easy to find paid short-term gigs.
TaskRabbit is an online platform that connects you with clients in your city. To find odd jobs, you start by signing up as a Tasker.
You can choose from over 40 different types of tasks to do. Examples of easy tasks include yard work, pet sitting, doing home repairs, delivering items in your car, and dog walking.
Real Earning Examples
TaskRabbit lets Taskers set their own hourly rate for each task they do. That means you get to choose how much you’ll earn. The website automatically suggests common hourly pay for every type of work. I found a few statistics along with additional info that you should know.
- On Glassdoor.com, Taskers report earning between $8 to $37 per hour.
- You have 100% control over the days and hours that you choose to work.
- You get paid via direct deposit within a few days of completing each task.
- Jamie Viggiano, vice president of marketing at Taskrabbit, states that the top 10 to 15 percent of Taskers make $6,000 to $7,000 per month.
- This news article shows that Taskers who work 5-6 hours per day can earn $500 to $750 per week.
- Taskrabbit takes a 30% commission from your hourly rate. So if you charge $100 per hour, you’ll receive $70 per hour.
Tips and Tricks
When you start using Taskrabbit, set a competitive hourly rate. This will make you stand out and help you gain clients and good feedback. For example, offer to do yard work for $20 per hour. You’ll get paid $14 per hour after Taskrabbit takes their fee.
To earn $200 per month, you’ll need to work about 14 to 15 hours per month. Do this a few times to get experience and positive reviews. Then you can raise your hourly rate, so you’ll earn more while working less.
8. Get An Online Data Entry Job
How It Works
Data entry work from home is a lot like transcriptionist work. Some companies only hire workers who have professional data entry experience. Other ones hire workers with little or no experience and basic computer skills.
Some examples of the latter include QuickTate, AccuTran Global, and Axion Data. These companies allow you to set your own hours on a very flexible schedule.
Real Earning Examples
Data entry work usually pays per hour, per document, or per word. Here’s how much you can earn working for the three companies listed above:
- QuickTate pays about a ¼ cent per word. If you can type about 60 words per minute, you’ll earn around $9 per hour.
- Axion Data pays per document. A 2017 worker review reports that the company pays $5 to $9 per document and a document takes ½ to one hour to complete. Based on these numbers, you’ll earn about $10 to $18 per hour.
- AccuTran Global pays $0.004 per word to $0.0055 per word for beginners. If you can type about 60 words per minute, you’ll earn around $14.40 to $19.80 per hour.
Tips and Tricks
Data entry pay heavily depends on your typing speed. If you can start out typing 60 WPM, you’ll earn $200 per month working 5-6 hours per week. Practice typing quickly and accurately, and you’ll boost your hourly pay. For more opportunities, read 10 Best Data Entry Jobs From Home.
9. Transcribe Text/Audio For These Two Websites – No Experience Required
How It Works
An online transcription job is a quick and flexible way to make money. A transcriptionist transcribes handwritten papers, audio, and videos into high-quality text.
Some jobs in this field have strict hours and require experience. Fortunately, this isn’t always the case. Apply for Rev and TranscribeMe if you want flexible transcription work to do in your spare time.
Real Earning Examples
One reason I decided to list Rev and TranscribeMe because they’re 100% upfront about earnings. These are the figures listed on their websites:
- Rev transcriptionists earn an average of $245 per month.
- The top Rev workers earn $1,495 per month.
- TranscribeMe transcriptionists earn an average of $250 per month.
- The top TranscribeMe workers earn $2,200 per month.
- Both companies pay weekly via PayPal.
Rev and TranscribeMe are also completely flexible; you don’t ever have to work set hours. You can work for both companies at the same time, too. That makes it easy to earn about $500 extra per month.
Tips and Tricks
With these transcription gigs, your typing speed and accuracy have a lot to do with your earnings. Try out TypingTest to see how fast and accurate you type. Also, take time to read the FAQ sections for Rev and TranscribeMe. They provide lots of details about the gigs.
Final Thoughts
The eight options above are truly easy ways to get $200 or more per month. But you certainly don’t have to stop there. If you want to make more money, I suggest reading these Frugal For Less posts:
Now you have nearly 100 more methods to make money fast. Choose as many as you want, and you’ll easily rake in extra cash every month.
