Boost your income with these 10 simple tips!

Have you been thinking about boosting your income lately? Whether it’s because of an upcoming purchase, you want to start saving for retirement, or because you’re simply tired of living paycheck to paycheck, there are plenty of strategies out there that can make more money in your pocket so you can improve your life and be happier! Here are 10 simple ways to boost your income today.

1) Update your skills

To keep moving up and earning more, you need to be able to show that you’re a valuable asset. This means always thinking of ways to better yourself so that you’re always bringing something new and useful to a team.

Updating skills doesn’t have to be expensive; in fact, there are lots of places where you can find information for free on topics like social media marketing, time management, or even project management.

If it will help you boost your income then it’s worth investing some time into learning how to do it properly.

2) Negotiate a raise

Many employees fear negotiating a raise because they fear that their boss will be offended or that they’ll do something wrong. But asking for more money doesn’t have to be a scary process; it just takes a little preparation and research.

First, find out how much of an increase you’re actually eligible for by looking at your job description and performance reviews. Then, come up with some objective reasons why you deserve that raise. And lastly, practice pitching your case to someone (or even in front of a mirror) so that you feel confident when making your request in person.

3) Work harder and smarter

What I’m about to tell you is going to sound like common sense, but it bears repeating. Work harder and smarter than everyone else in your field. When someone’s working just as hard as you are, doubling down on effort isn’t enough to set yourself apart—you need to get more creative in how you approach projects.

But if you find that no matter how much work you put into a task, someone else is always ahead of you, it might be time for a different approach.

4) Sell unwanted items online

If you have an old CD or book that's just gathering dust, put it up for sale online. You can use sites like eBay and Amazon to find buyers for CDs and books.

Even if you have to pay a small listing fee, it may be worth getting rid of those extra items in your house that you would otherwise be tossed out with the trash. If you're looking for other places to sell items online, Craigslist is another popular option.

Once again, if you're going to list an item on Craigslist, be sure to take some clear pictures first. Offer services: Another popular way to make money online is by offering services such as web design or proofreading through Fiverr.

5) Take on some freelancing projects

If you already have a full-time job, freelance projects can provide a great way to earn extra money. You can work on as many or as few of them as you want at any given time, and they tend to pay better than most part-time jobs.

If you're just starting out, try finding shorter-term freelance gigs or Fiverr gigs—you can also find plenty of writing and editing gigs through Upwork, where you'll often be able to find higher-paying jobs. (See more in our post How to Make Money Freelancing Online.) Create an online course: Another way to make extra money is by offering an online course for your area of expertise.

6) Sell things you don’t need

When you’re trying to cut costs, selling things you don’t need is a great first step. It’s also important to think about what items in your home are expendable—if there’s anything that can go, sell it on eBay or Craigslist. Then use that money to buy new furniture or decor (or whatever else catches your eye).

7) Start an eCommerce store

We know, that starting an eCommerce store is hard. But it's actually easier than you might think and can be a very lucrative endeavor. You can buy stock from Alibaba for $1 and resell it at $1.50 on eBay or Amazon for a 30% return on investment (ROI).

This method works especially well if you have a large social media following. Simply have your existing followers spread their address to all of their friends who are interested in buying that item you're selling. Once you've listed 100 items at $10 each, that's $500—minus fees and shipping costs—in less than two hours.

8) Get into affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing involves creating and sharing links to products on another company’s website. When visitors click through and purchase, you get a commission for that sale.

This is one of many online income-generating opportunities (such as blogging), but it is perhaps one of the easiest. Because you can use services like ShareASale to find companies looking for affiliates, you don’t need to pay any upfront costs.

9) Make more from blogging/social media

Even if you're not a full-time blogger or social media manager, there are still ways to make some extra cash from blogging and social media. From promoting products to offering social media management services, here are some ideas that can help you earn more money on a part-time basis.

How? Get started by learning about each of them in more detail below! (You'll find additional resources—including ebooks, checklists, and spreadsheets—listed in each section.)

10) Join some affiliate programs

Affiliate programs are a great way to make some cash-off products that you already have. Sign up for a bunch of them and promote their products on your website or social media accounts.

If you make some good sales, you’ll start to see some extra money from a business venture that doesn’t require much work. Check out Problogger for more information on affiliate marketing and how it can work for you.

Conclusion

There are a lot of ways to boost your income, and most will allow you to make more money in less time. Of course, having a second job is one great way to do it—especially if you’re able to leverage your already-existing skillset.

Beyond that, thinking outside of our box can pay dividends in terms of boosting our take-home pay: Perhaps we can find an employer who’s willing to pay more for what we do, or perhaps we can work smarter so that we get more done in less time. The bottom line is there are plenty of things out there for anyone who wants a higher paycheck—we just have to know where to look!