10 Ways to Make Extra Money During a Pandemic Summer

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2020 has been a hard year – especially on our wallets. USA Today reports, “About 1.5 million workers filed applications for unemployment insurance for the first time last week, the Labor Department said Thursday. That pushes the running tally of those who have made initial claims over the past 13 weeks to a mind-boggling 45.7 million.” Even if your family has not suffered from the coronavirus directly, you are likely feeling its effects financially. Whether you have lost a job or experienced a pay cut, there are some ways you can make extra money during a pandemic summer.

1. Find It in Your Budget

Now is the time to trim your budget. Take time to go through your budget and see what you can live without. For example, all the subscriptions and memberships you pay for monthly can add up quickly. Do you need to pay for four different streaming services? Also, remember to check for free services you signed up for at the start of the pandemic because many of these COVID freebies, such as Peleton, are about to start charging a monthly fee.

2. Hop on the Delivery Train

The pandemic has led to a huge increase in home delivery services. If you feel comfortable, sign up for one of the delivery services in your area, such as Doordash, GrubHub, or Instacart.

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3. Resale Your Goods

If you are still spending more time at home than usual, use your extra time to clear out your closets. And then resale your goods! You may find some success with an old-fashioned yard sale, but given the current conditions, it may be a safer bet to resale your goods online at sites, such as Poshmark, eBay, or ThredUp. On that note, consider shopping sites like these rather than traditional retail sites to save money until your budget returns to normal.

4. Complete Surveys

Yes, you can make money doing online surveys. However, you shouldn’t expect to make a lot of money doing surveys. This is just a simple way to make a little extra cash. Check out NerdWallet’s Surveys for Money: Here’s What We Earned for a full lowdown on what to expect.

5. Rent a Space

People are still hesitant to stay in hotels. In contrast, many families are more open to staying in vacation rentals this summer. This means that if you have an extra property or even an RV, you can make some extra money by renting it for summer vacationers.

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6. Manage Social Media

Are you a pro at gaining followers and getting likes on social media? If so, then you can use this in-demand skillset to make some extra money. Consider freelancing as a social media manager through a freelancing site like Fiverr or Upwork.

7. Get Crafty

Have you started embracing your artistic side during the pandemic? Then, sell your homemade crafts and goods on sites like Etsy. For example, statistics show that 65% “of Etsy sellers that use their shop as a way to supplement income.”

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8. Offer Childcare

COVID has created a childcare nightmare for many parents, so if you are able and feel comfortable, offer childcare to make some extra money. I don’t mean a full childcare service, but occasionally keeping a neighbor’s kids can help you get through this sticky time.

9. Walk a Dog

If you are a dog lover, then provide dog walking services to essential workers who may not be able to take care of their four-legged family members during the day.

10. Sell Your Photos

Do you have tons of great shots just stored in the cloud? You can sell your photos to be used as stock photos on sites like Shutterstock.