The new year is here, and so are the post-holiday credit card bills. It’s pretty easy to rack up hundreds to thousands of dollars in debt over just a few festive weeks, leaving people wondering how to remedy their finances — and fast.
This is where some extra income could really make a difference. If you need quick cash this January, these three proven strategies are worth giving a try.
Sell Your Stuff
- Potential Earnings: $100 or more per item
It’s no secret that most people have items in their homes that have value but are no longer serving their purpose. You may have designer clothing or shoes you don’t wear anymore or a shed filled with unused power tools. Platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, eBay and Etsy are great low-overhead options to sell your vintage or like-new items for a pretty penny.
Read Next: 12 Totally Free Ways To Make Enough Passive Income To Quit Your Job
Check Out: 8 Unusual Ways To Make Extra Money That Actually Work
Provide Skills Assessments
- Potential Earnings: $50 or more per test
The corporate HR experience can be tricky to navigate. Between the overworked hiring managers and the inherent bias that comes with relying solely on one-dimensional resumes, there are many ways good workers can fall through the cracks.
That’s where skill assessments come in. They help cut through bias by providing tangible data on a candidate’s true qualifications and fit for the role. Creating these assessments for companies is a great way to make money alongside your regular 9-to-5. Keep in mind that the cost for a skills assessment varies wildly, from free (for unpaid employer tests) to upwards of $50, $100 or more a pop.
Pick Up a Side Hustle
- Potential Earnings: $40 to $10,000 or more per gig
Low-maintenance side gigs are worth looking into in your free time. Not only are they an excellent way to earn some extra income, but they also won’t eat too much into your work-life balance.
For example, if you don’t want to freelance write or start dog-walking, you can donate platelets or plasma. Many companies pay new donors as much as $100 an hour. Another fairly offbeat one for biological women is to be a surrogate or egg donor, where you can make $10,000 or upwards of more than $100,000.
However, if you are looking for less invasive options, consider any number of flexible, part-time side gigs like writing reviews or filling out surveys. A great place to start is a free site called Branded Surveys, as it will pay you up to $5 per survey for sharing your thoughts with their brand partners. By taking three quick surveys a day, you could earn up to $140 each month.
Crystal Mayer contributed to the reporting for this article.
More From GOBankingRates
- 10 Kirkland Products Costco Quietly Raised Prices on -- and Where To Buy Instead
- 5 Reliable Cars That Will Have Massive Price Drops in Winter 2025
- 9 Low-Effort Ways To Make Passive Income (You Can Start This Week)
- 6 Safe Accounts Proven to Grow Your Money Up to 13x Faster
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 3 Proven Ways To Make Quick Cash in January and Start the Year Strong
