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37 Creative Ways to Supplement Your Income

Supplement your income to achieve your financial goals and give you greater peace of mind.
Creative Ways to Supplement Your Income

Disclosure: The article may contain affiliate links from partners who may compensate us. However, the words, opinions, and reviews are our own. Learn how we make money to support our mission.

Are you looking for ideas to supplement your income?

You’ve come to the right place. Supplementing income is about building additional income streams for greater financial security.

This guide highlights 37 of the best supplemental income ideas, offering practical options and creative side hustles.

What Does Supplemental Income Mean?

Supplemental income refers to any additional money earned besides your primary wages, such as commissions, tips, and bonuses.

On the other hand, “supplementing income” relates to money earned from side hustles and freelance work.

In Depth Summaries: Best Ways to Supplementing Income

1. Blog your ideas and share your skills

You can supplement your income by blogging and making money through ads, affiliates, and sponsors, as well as by selling your own products. Blogging is something you can do at home, and with consistency, you can generate passive income for years.

To get started, you’ll need a URL, a hosting plan, and a blog platform. We use Siteground for domain and hosting because it’s simple and affordable for new bloggers. I recommend reading the short guide to starting a WordPress blog.

2. Complete online surveys

There are legitimate online surveys available that pay money. However, the reality is that you won’t make a lot. It’s still one way to bring in a little bit extra. Get paid for your feedback and answers.

Check out InboxDollars, Branded Surveys, and Freecash (test games and apps). You can sign up for all four to maximize your earnings.

Read our list of the best paid online surveys.

3. Complete errands and tasks

Use your skills to help others complete tasks such as assembling Ikea furniture (yes, that’s a thing), putting up picture frames, moving furniture, and working from home opportunities like data entry and research.

Do as many errands and tasks as you can fit in a day for more cash. The best app to use is TaskRabbit.

4. Drive other people

Drive people to the places they need to go to supplement income. Uber and Lyft are the two companies with millions of users. This is good for people who love driving and being around people. 

5. Get cashback from gas purchases

You can also get money back from your gasoline purchase or restaurant visit. Upside helps you find the cheapest gas and save food in your area. It’s simple to use and helps you save every time you fill up the tank.

6. Deliver packages and groceries

Delivering packages and groceries is better if you don’t want strangers in your car. Amazon Flex is a popular option. You can deliver packages and groceries to Amazon customers within your local community.

7. Rent your car to others

Did you know a car sits idle 75% of the time? Why not make money renting your cars to others? You don’t need a luxury vehicle to do this.

With Turo or Getaround, you can easily list your car and make it available based on your schedule.

8. Place ads on your car

Supplement your income by placing advertisements on your car. Companies like Carvertise and Wrapify will wrap your car with ads. 

9. Dog walk or pet sit

Many pet parents need help with their pet babies. You can walk, board, and play with pets. It’s possible to earn $30 for a 20-minute dog walk.

Rover is a leader in the industry and can connect you to owners looking for someone to take care of their furry family members. 

10. Design logos and short videos

If you’re artistic or technically savvy, help entrepreneurs and influencers by offering creative skills on sites like Fiverr or Upwork.

With Fiverr, you can create offers for customers to buy. In contrast, Upwork gives you the ability to browse job listings.

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11. Create an experience for travelers

Another supplementing income idea is hosting hosting experiences. A buddy of mine offers coffee experiences around his town and gets paid. 

Viator allows you to create experiences for travelers visiting your city. Think about your favorite sites, restaurants, or spots only locals know. Is there an awesome viewpoint for sunsets? Create an experience.

12. Do store audits

Yes, you can make money doing store audits. These gigs require you to go to a retail store, walk around, snap photos, and complete a questionnaire. And if you have to talk to an employee during the audits, you’ll often get paid more. Our go-to is FieldAgent, which has many opportunities and is a very easy app. 

We suggest reading our best secret shopper apps for more suggestions.

13. Be a mystery shopper

Mystery shopping is another way to supplement income, but it involves more than simple audits. Some secret shopper gigs include purchases to evaluate customer service or eating at restaurants to assess food quality. 

Find more secret shopping apps.

14. Rent your space

Don’t let the space in your home go unused. Rent it out instead. You can offer short-term rentals of an unused bedroom, attic basement, or garage.

With Airbnb, you can earn income by renting a spare bedroom or Neighor to rent space for people to store items. Nextdoor is also another option to find people in your neighborhood who need additional space for their stuff.

15. Crunch some data

Do you love analyzing information or inputting data into spreadsheets? Find supplement income jobs at FlexJobs and Freelancer.

16. Fix things for people

Can you repair a leaking faucet, unclog a drain, or install a Ring doorbell? Join TaskRabbit and Handy. Both apps help you find local gigs.

17. Clean other people’s homes

Here’s a novel supplement income job: Help clean someone’s home. Many people need help with everyday chores like doing laundry and cleaning.

Apps like TaskRabbit or Care.com help you find these gigs to supplement your income.

18. Babysit children

Love caring for kids and helping parents out? Find gigs on Care.com, Nannylane or Bambino. These services connect parents to verified and background-checked sitters.

19. Help seniors

If babysitting kids isn’t something you enjoy but still love the idea of helping others. Consider helping seniors around their house or running errands for them.

Care.com is the site to get you started as an on-demand and paid caregiver. You can start your search for caregiving gigs here. 

20. Sell designs on t-shirts, hats, and mugs

Do you have a mantra or a design that would look great on a shirt? Many print-on-demand services can help you monetize your designs without carrying inventory, fulfillment, or replying to customer inquiries.

You can offer products to customers with your designs printed on many things, from mugs to t-shirts to pillows to tote bags.

Find all the print-on-demand options here.

21. Sell your handmade craft or unique artwork

Do you know calligraphy? Can you scorch wooden planks for that weathered look? Can you crochet or knit? There’s a customer waiting for your handicraft. 

For those who have a talent, Etsy and Amazon Handmade can be the place to supplement your income.

22. Design printables

Printables are documents that people can download and print for themselves. Think PDFs. You can create printables like budgeting sheets, journals, and coloring books. Pretty much anything.

Learn how to start your printables side hustle.

Note: Many use Canva to design their printables. It’s become a standard and they offer a free tier to test your ideas.

23. Write and self-publish an ebook

Self-publish your novel and sell it directly to people. I self-published a crowdfunding book a few years ago. It still passively makes a few dollars per month. After writing and editing your short story, you can upload your ebook on Amazon KDP. 

You don’t have to write a novel. You can write short stories. And you also don’t need to limit yourself to one book. Think of a book series.

Learn the steps to self-publish your first book using Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.

24. Sell your smartphone photos

Another creative supplement income idea is selling your photos.

Do you love taking photos with your smartphone?

Many companies are looking for organic and candid shots for their marketing campaigns. This means you can turn smartphone photos into side income using Foap.

25. License your professional photos

Are you a photography pro or a hobbyist?

Take your professional photos and license your work for use by others. Supplement income through Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, and Pond5.

26. Participate in a clinical trial

Join a study and make money from pharmaceutical companies conducting human drug trials. To learn about opportunities, visit www.ClinicalTrials.gov.

27. Donate your plasma

Make money by donating your plasma for medical use. How much you make depends on various factors, but it’s reported that one donation can fetch a hundred dollars.

And there’s a bigger benefit: your plasma donation is used to help others. For more information, the place to learn more is www.DonatingPlasma.org.

28. Rent your recreational vehicle and boat

Recreational vehicles are expensive assets. Supplement your income by renting your RV or boat when not in use. It’s easier with platforms like Boatsetter (for boats) and Outdoorsy for RVs.

29. Deliver food to hungry people

Delivering food using apps like DoorDash, Postmates, and Instacart means you get to decide when and how much you want to work.

You earn money through a mix of a base delivery fee and tips. It’s possible to maximize your earning potential by using multiple delivery apps.

View the different types of meal delivery apps.

30. Rent your driveway or parking spot

You can make money renting your parking space or driveway. This is best for people who live in downtown areas or prime locations near stadiums and event venues.

SpotHero lets you list your space, and they’ll manage it all for you.

31. Fund the loans of others

You can supplement income by being a lender. Through platforms like Prosper, you can invest in loans. You don’t fund the entire loan amount. Instead, you’ll be part of a group of investors.

It’s a way to diversify your investments, but it comes with risks, such as the borrower not repaying the loan. 

32. Start an activity group

Do you have a fondness for SciFi movies or outdoor hikes? Start a group on Meetup and create paid activities.

The following are ways to sell the stuff to supplement your income.

33. Sell your used clothes and items

Turn unused clothes into cash. There are many places to sell your clothes, from Facebook Marketplace to OfferUp and eBay to Craigslist.

However, Poshmark is the best place to sell if you have brand-name clothing and accessories. Other places to sell your designer items include TheRealReal and Mercari.

34. Sell old books and DVDs

Don’t let your stuff sit there collecting dust. Sell them directly to buyers or companies. You can list your books, DVDs, and tech gear on Facebook Marketplace or eBay.

Find more marketplaces to sell your stuff here.

35. Sell your smartphone and old tech

I’ve had success selling on Facebook Marketplace and usually get top dollar for doing so. But, if you don’t want to deal with buyers, you can sell your tech gear directly to companies like or Gazelle. 

Find more ways to sell your stuff.

The following are ways to spend less and keep more of your supplemental income.

36. Use cashback shopping portals

Don’t pay more than you have to with online purchases. Use online shopping portals like Rakuten and CapitalOne Shopping.

These websites work with the brands to offer you cashback on purchases. You can use a cash-back shopping website and a rewards credit card to stack the savings. Read the best cashback shopping apps.

37. Scan your grocery receipts

Get money back from your grocery shopping. These apps often require you to scan receipts to get the cashback offers. Bonus: If you refer family and friends, you’ll earn money too. 

Ibotta (get $5 for signing up) and Fetch Rewards (get bonus points) are the two must-use cashback apps.

That completes my life of the best creative ways to supplement your income.

Test out these ideas and figure out which one works for you.

Let me know if there are other ways you have been supplementing income.

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Author Bio

Picture of Jason Vitug

Jason Vitug

Jason Vitug is the founder and CEO of phroogal. His writings explore the intersection of money, wellness, and life. Jason is a New York Times reviewed author, speaker, and world traveler, and Plutus-award winning creator. He holds an MBA from Norwich University and a BS in Finance from Rutgers University. View my favorite things→
Picture of Jason Vitug

Jason Vitug

Jason Vitug is the founder and CEO of phroogal. His writings explore the intersection of money, wellness, and life. Jason is a New York Times reviewed author, speaker, and world traveler, and Plutus-award winning creator. He holds an MBA from Norwich University and a BS in Finance from Rutgers University. View my favorite things→

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14 comments

  • Kristin @ Brokepedia

    I used to make decent extra cash with PineCone. I’d just fill out the surveys when I had some down time at work. Great list!

    Reply

    • The Phroogal Jason

      Thanks. PineCone was my first too. I remember testing out the stuff they’ve sent. Always wondered if they ever went to market.

      Reply

  • Practical Cents

    Some people make pretty good money on youtube. I found some new sources on this list. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

    • The Phroogal Jason

      I make a few dollars from my videos in Youtube I posted on my travels.

      Reply

  • Charl

    Some affordable ideas to generate extra income, some more practical than others. What I find interesting is that some of my entrepreneurial friends started out with looking to supplement their income through some sort of activity. In the end, their supplemental income became their main income and grew into a small business.

    Reply

    • The Phroogal Jason

      There are definitely some that are much more easier to do than others.

      Reply

  • sanket

    very good list found some very easy and interesting ways that i will try to boost my income

    Reply

  • Vitaliy Kolos

    It’s really interesting that the idea of sharing items (cars, books, boats, etc) is really taking off in our day and age. Though the idea itself is as old as the world, it’s really getting a second life. Want to rent a room or a house? No problem. AirBNB is the way to go. Want to rent a boat. Same thing. Just check out https://www.boatsetter.com/ and you can use any kind of boat before you know it.

    Reply

    • The Phroogal Jason

      Thanks for point us out to Boatsetter. We’ve been familiar with Boatbound and will check that out too.

      Reply

  • Catherine

    I can vouch that AirBNB has SUBSTANTIALLY supplemented my income. It’s doubled my annual take home salary. Also, even though it’s not an income supplement, I think it’s worth noting that whenever you choose to shop online, you can get money back with ebates! I love getting those checks in the mail.

    Reply

    • The Phroogal Jason

      That’s true. Any which way to earn cash back from purchases that are loves and needs.

      Reply

  • Oyster Financials

    A well documented article on to supplement the income. I hope for more in the future. thankyou

    Reply

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