Not everyone wants to work from home full-time or replace their day job. Sometimes, it’s a matter of paying down debt, saving for a house, or taking that dream vacation that motivates people to search for ways to make extra money.
While earning an extra $2,000 a month, or $24,000 a year, might seem impossible, there are many legit side gigs you can do to meet your financial goals.
Whatever your ultimate goal, there are several ways you can efficiently work from home to make an extra $2,000 or more each month.
Here are some of the best side hustle ideas for earning an extra $2,000 a month from home!
1. Be a Bookkeeper
Another straightforward way to make a couple of thousand a month is by becoming a virtual bookkeeper. Business owners, big and small, need qualified bookkeepers to manage their income and expenditures. If you don’t have prior experience, you can take an online course that will teach you everything you need to know. The one I recommend is from the Bookkeepers, which has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
According to this interview with Ben Robinson of The Bookkeepers, full-time bookkeepers can earn $47,440 a year working as an employee. However, if you choose to start a business, he estimates you can make at least $60 per hour, which, if you worked 10 hours per week, would be $2,400 a month!
Check out Robert Half, Kelly Services, Accounting Principals, BELAY, and Supporting Strategies for remote bookkeeping gigs.
2. Begin a Blog
Writing blog posts is an excellent way to make money from home while writing about a topic that you’re passionate about! And with startup costs being minimal, blogging is a great way to make an extra $2,000 a month!
To start a blog, you’ll need to purchase a domain name and hosting, which are relatively inexpensive. Holly has step-by-step instructions here if you need assistance.
One of the great things about blogging is that you can monetize your blog in numerous ways, like affiliate marketing (passive income), advertising, sponsorships, selling products, courses, ebooks, services, printables, and more!
While you’re not going to make money overnight, depending on your drive and mindset, many bloggers can earn $2,000 a month in six months to a year. If you’re interested in going this route, check out this post with more info on monetization methods and income reports from other bloggers.
3. Become an Amazon Entrepreneur
You probably know that Amazon has many full-time work from home jobs, but did you know that there are many ways to make money as an Amazon entrepreneur?
You can sell handmade items, write and sell ebooks, do audiobook voice-overs, join their affiliate marketing program, and much more!
I haven’t read this ebook, but the author, Patricia Esposia, earns $2,000 a month from Amazon’s FBA program while working part-time!
If you’re unfamiliar with this program, FBA stands for fulfillment by Amazon. With FBA, you find products, usually on sale, and then ship them to Amazon’s warehouse for fulfillment. You basically buy low and sell high, thus making a profit.
To find out how you can make money as an Amazon entrepreneur, head over to this post.
4. Become a Virtual Assistant (VA)
Technology makes it easier than ever to stay connected with others, regardless of location. This means you can work for someone else, even if they’re a thousand miles (or more) away.
Being a VA allows you to do just that without leaving your home office. As a VA, you can help busy professionals tackle their to-do lists or assist small businesses with their administrative tasks.
Also, considering that VAs can earn up to $100 per hour (according to CNBC) for specialized skills, it’s a realistic way to earn $2,000 a month while working part-time hours. For VA jobs, check out BELAY, Boldly, Byron, and VaVa Virtual Assistants.
5. Content Creator
With online consumption being at an all-time high, the need for high-quality content (written, images, videos, gaming, and audio) is massive. This is why many platforms will pay you to put out content on their platforms. The great thing about content creation is that you can create content that is focused on your passions. With creator funds, advertising revenue, affiliate marketing, and brand deals, there is no shortage of ways to make an extra $2,000 a month as a content creator! According to HubSpot, in 2022, the average earnings for a content creator were $44,192 annually or $3,680 per month.
If you’re interested in content creation, here are some platforms and programs to explore:
6. Design and Sell Digital Printables
If you enjoy creating calendars, coloring sheets, or templates, making and selling printables is a great side hustle you can do on your own schedule. If you don’t know how to use a design program like Photoshop, you can always use the free design platform Canva, which is excellent for beginners. Make sure you read through Canva’s content licenses for commercial use before you start designing. Once your printables are created, you can upload them to a marketplace like Etsy for just $0.20 a listing. Or if you have a blog, you can sell them directly on your website.
Holly, the owner of this site, started selling printables (planners and templates) a few years back, and she earns an extra $1,000-$2,000 a month from this revenue stream. If designing and selling printables sounds like a fun online business to start, check out Julie and Cody’s free workshop, which will give you ideas for creating printables, how to get started on Etsy, and how to 10X your sales!
7. Freelance Writing
Whether you work for a content mill, start freelancing, or try your hand at blogging, writing is a popular way to earn money from home each month. According to ZipRecruiter, you can make as much as $33 per hour as a freelance writer, so it’s pretty easy to reach $2,000 a month just by putting your words to work.
Remember, while you don’t need any professional writing experience to get started, it’s often helpful to learn the tools of the trade as a newbie.
To find freelance writing jobs, check out Freelancer, Upwork, and ProBlogger, or email your dream clients, pitch your services, and even set your own rates.
8. Get Creative
Are you an artist, designer, crafter, or DIY maker?
Put your right-brain ways to work each month by channeling your creative energy into a money-making website like Etsy, Spring, or Spreadshirt.
Some Etsy sellers earn six figures a year! Designers on Zazzle have entered the six-figure range, too.
The best part? When you make designs for sale on sites like Gelato, Printify, or Redbubble, you get to earn your extra $2,000 a month from home passively. That is, you create one design and sell it repeatedly.
The more you make, create, and design, the more you earn.
9. Get a Gig Economy Job
If you spend your days at home with no other obligations, consider using a smartphone app to earn money. For example, offer to babysit young children, get groceries for someone, or drive people to their destination.
On-demand apps and platforms like Instacart, Care.com, Uber Eats, HopSkipDrive, Bambino, and DoorDash make it super simple to set up a profile in minutes. Once your application is approved, you can apply for work, message potential clients, and start accepting side gigs that let you earn extra cash each month from your phone!
According to Tallo, the average babysitter earns between $15 and $25 an hour, making gig economy jobs an easy way to reach your monthly income goals.
10. Give Direct Sales a Go
Direct sales isn’t for everyone. But it can be an easy way to start earning money from home each month if you enjoy selling and are great at marketing.
The key to direct sales success is finding a company with products you know, love, and stand behind. For example, if you love rings, bracelets, necklaces, and other accessories, consider becoming a stylist at one of the many direct sales companies that sell jewelry.
When you’re genuinely enthusiastic about a company and its products, it never really feels like you’re selling, which actually makes it easier to make sales!
It’s not unreasonable for a new direct sales rep to earn $2,000 each month as they work to build their network and increase their reach.
11. Start a Freelance Side Hustle
Chances are, you already have an existing skill that you can turn into a profitable freelance offering.
It’s true! From working on SEO to graphic design and even data entry and digital marketing, there are many ways to earn money as a freelancer.
Check out some of the most popular freelance categories on big sites like Upwork or Fiverr for a bit of inspiration.
While it might take some time to get your freelance offerings off the ground, it can pay off in the long run. On average, freelancers earn more than salaried workers. According to ZipRecruiter, the average hourly wage for freelancers is $47.71. That means you can easily make an extra $2,000 a month from home while working about 10 hours a week.
To start, create a profile on Upwork or consider a marketplace site like Legiit. You’re just one skill away from making extra money from home!
12. Manage Social Media Accounts
Do you have extensive knowledge of online platforms like Facebook, Threads, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok? Then, you can make good money as a social media marketer. Social media is an ever-growing field, from setting up accounts and creating content to running Facebook ads and moderating!
Kristin Larsen launched a successful Pinterest management company and, within her first six months, was averaging $3,600 a month, working part-time! Today, Kristen teaches others how to launch their own Pinterest management companies in her course, Pinterest VA.
If you’d like to make a couple thousand a month working on social media, check out $99 Social, ModSquad, BELAY, and SocialBee.
13. Narrate an Audiobook
Are you an extrovert with an expressive voice? Narrating audiobooks can be a fun way to make an extra $2,000 a month from home! According to Backstage, it takes a voice actor approximately 20 hours to record a 10-hour audiobook, which they recommend breaking into 5-6 days. Voice actors can expect to earn $2,000-$5,000 for narrating an audiobook, making this an excellent gig for meeting your financial goals!
Of course, you’ll have to invest in some voice-acting equipment, and you’ll need to learn the ropes of the industry. Julie Eickhoff earns a full-time income from voice acting, and she helps others who want to break into the industry. If narrating audiobooks appeals to you, check out Julie’s free mini-course to help you determine if this is the right path for you.
14. Proofread Documents
If you’re great at catching typos, spelling, and grammatical errors, becoming a freelance proofreader is an excellent way to make $2,000 a month! One of the nice things about proofreading is that it’s completely flexible. You can work late at night or early in the morning as long as you meet your deadlines.
If you don’t have an English or journalism degree, you can get your grammar skills up to speed by taking a proofreading course like Proofread Anywhere. According to this article, proofreaders earn between $11 and $35 per hour, making this a viable way to earn $2,000 a month!
If you’d like to proofread documents from home, check out Upwork, Scribendi, Elevate K-12, and Language Bear for remote gigs.
15. Rent Your Stuff for Cash
You probably have items you don’t use regularly; why not rent them to make money? With peer-to-peer rental sites, it’s never been easier to rent out stuff to make cash quickly.
Here are a few things you can rent, along with your estimated monthly profits.
- Airbnb – $3,137 a month, renting your house
- Airbnb – $1,715 a month renting a spare room in your home
- Swimply – $5,000 a month to rent your pool
These are just a few of the items you can rent for cash! Rent out multiple items every month, and you can easily make an extra $2,000 per month! See this list for unique things you can rent for cash!
16. Resell Stuff
If you enjoy going to flea markets, thrift stores, and garage sales and finding hidden treasures, this next side hustle is for you! When people declutter their homes, they often just donate or toss away items that can be sold for cash!
Rob and Melissa Stephenson have turned this hobby into a six-figure reselling business!
They scour flea markets and second-hand sites for cheap finds to resell on eBay for a profit. Because they’ve been so successful with this side hustle, they started teaching others how to do the same in their course at Flipper University. While Rob and Melissa are full-time sellers, you can easily make an extra $2,000 a month reselling items on eBay in your spare time.
Of course, eBay isn’t the only platform for reselling; you can test the waters with Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, Mercari, and more!
17. Sell Stock Photos
If you’re an amateur photographer, you can make good money taking high-quality photos and selling them on stock photo websites. Bloggers, business owners, and various media publications use stock photos to enhance their articles, stories, websites, and marketing assets. Popular stock photo categories include lifestyle, pets and animals, nature, travel, food, business, career, and seasonal shots.
Each stock photography company has its own set of terms for submitting work and its own payment structure, so you’ll need to explore all the details before jumping in. However, once you’ve picked a few companies to work with, you can upload your photos once and make passive money each time a photo sells. The more pictures you upload, the greater your chance of reaching your goal of $2,000 a month!
Check out this article for a list of 33 stock photo websites where you can sell your photos for cash.
18. Start a Podcast
Another way to generate extra income is to start a podcast. With podcasting, you’ll need to learn the basics of recording, editing, and publishing your podcast, but there are plenty of online courses that can get you up to speed. Once you understand the basics, you’ll create an episode schedule, invite guests, and prepare your scripts. Then comes the fun part: start podcasting. Once you have your polished podcast, you’ll upload it to the various platforms and promote it online.
With podcasting, you can earn money through advertising, brand sponsorships, affiliate marketing, merch sales, digital products like courses, and more! According to Riverside, the average podcaster with 10,000 downloads earns anywhere between $300 and $5,000 per episode, which you should be able to make your goal of an extra $2,000 a month with a bit of time and effort.
With the podcasting business model, you can do it as a side hustle or turn it into a full-time gig like Alex Cooper of Call Her Daddy, who earns millions from her podcast.
19. Start a YouTube Channel
Maybe you’re great at doing makeup, or perhaps you have a talent for singing; whatever your expertise, you can monetize it by creating YouTube videos. The great thing about this side job is that all you need is an internet connection, a laptop, a smartphone with a camera, and some editing software.
Once you have your account set up, you can start creating videos. But before you can make money with YouTube’s Partner Program, you’ll need at least:
While it may take some time to reach these milestones, you can monetize your account in other ways, such as affiliate marketing, selling your own products or services, and sponsorships!
One gal interviewed here on The Work at Home Woman earns over a million dollars a year making YouTube videos! While these results aren’t typical, you should be able to make an extra $2,000 a month once your channel has a decent-sized viewership.
20. Transcribe Audio Files
Another easy and flexible way to make an extra $2,000 is to do online transcription work. Transcription is the process of listening to audio clips and typing them into written documents. With transcription, you can choose a specialized niche, such as legal transcription (which requires additional training), or work as a generalist.
Many companies like Rev, CrowdSurf, and TranscribeMe hire beginners, but to make $2,000 a month with transcription, you will need to hone your skills. Janet Shaughnessy, an experienced transcriber, earned six figures last year from her business, Zoom Transcription Services. Be sure to check out her interview for tips on being successful as a transcriber.
21. Tutor Students Online
If you have subject matter expertise in a particular subject, like math, reading, science, business, accounting, or a foreign language, you can easily earn $2,000 a month helping students online. Platforms like Studypool connect students who need tutoring with qualified tutors. In these freelance roles, you can work anytime and from anywhere, and top tutors can earn up to $7,500 a month!
Check out this article for a massive list of online tutoring platforms.
22. Walk Dogs
Do you prefer not to be stuck behind a computer all day? Then earn additional income by offering services such as dog walking, pet sitting, and boarding. With apps like Rover, Wag, and Care.com, you can connect with pet owners who need trustworthy pet sitters to care for their fuzzy friends. Depending on the types of pets you care for, the services you offer, your location, and how many clients you take on, pet sitting and walking can be a profitable venture!
According to Pet Sitters International (PSI), the average annual income for PSI members in the US was $100,537. This number reflects business owners who go out on their own, rather than using a third-party app like those mentioned above. Either route you take, you should be able to hit that $2,000-a-month goal. For more information on pet sitting, check out this informative interview with Patti Moran of Pet Sitters International.
23. Work on Short Tasks
Short tasks, sometimes called microtasks, are jobs that you can do in a short period of time—tasks like taking surveys, translating, answering questions online, tutoring, training AI tools, and transcription. The great thing about short tasks is that you can log in anytime to make a little extra money.
Here are some of my favorite short tasks and estimates of what you can make:
- DataAnnotation Tech (train AI tools) – starts at $20 per hour
- Respondent (focus groups, surveys, and website testing) – average of $75 per survey
- User Interviews (focus groups, surveys, and website testing) – average of $50 per survey
There are also lower-paying short task sites like Swagbucks, InboxDollars, MyPoints, Qmee, KashKick, and Survey Junkie, which are good fillers when you have downtime.
I suggest signing up with multiple platforms so that you also have a pipeline of work and can meet your goal of $2,000 a month.
Make an Extra $2,000 a Month From Home
Whether you’re a Type A doer or a right-brain creator, there are many opportunities to make extra money from home.
The key to generating added revenue from home is to find something you genuinely love and enjoy.
When you put your skills and interests to work, it’s easier to earn and keep on earning month after month. Before you know it, you’ll be on your way to making $2,000 a month (or more!) without having to leave home.
Check out this post for more creative ways to earn money from home!
