I have been blessed to be able to be a stay-at-home mom since 2009. I wouldn’t trade it for the world but budgets were tight in the beginning. That forced me to put creativity into overdrive to give us the quality of life that we are blessed to have. There are crazy ways to save/make money out there and I’m sharing 5 with you today. These ideas will not make you rich or substitute an income, but they might let you get that $6 Starbucks Caramel Macchiato every now and then without feeling guilty. These 5 ways to earn extra income can also help out around birthdays and holidays especially if you build them up year-round.

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

MPoints (mPLUS Rewards)

This one is actually one of my favorites because I earn points for things that I do on my phone already. For instance, I check my weather app every day and that earns me 10-15 points just for doing so. Basically, you sign in on any eligible apps you are already using (or you can download new ones that earn points) and you earn points for checking the app, playing games, etcetera depending on the app. When you collect those points, you can cash them in for gift cards and items. You can also donate your points to charitable causes and enter sweepstakes, but I tend to stick with the gift cards.

EBates

I love this because I earn money on purchases that I am going to make already. The best way to make sure that you are always getting your earnings is to make sure that you install the button on your browser. It will alert you when you go to a site that offers cashback. Once you check out, you will earn a percentage of what you spend back. Then every 3 months or so, they will mail you a check for the amount you have earned. This is a super easy way to earn a little extra cash.

[bctt tweet=”5 ways to earn extra money for coffee and boot splurges (or ease the holiday financial stress).” username=”diyadulation”]

Swagbucks

This one is similar to MPoints in that you earn “Swagbucks” for doing things that are redeemable for gift cards. The pros of this one are that you need fewer points to earn gift cards and you can get free points by following them on social media and answering their daily poll. The cons are that a lot of the points are earned through surveys which can take up a substantial amount of time. However, you can also earn points on purchases (although not as often as EBates), so again I recommend adding the button to your browser and it will automatically detect when this is an option.

Online Surveys

This one can make you some larger payouts; however it is also a lot more time-consuming. Surveys can last anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour or more, and the compensation varies depending on the company. I have done this with a few different sites but just do not have the time available to make it worth my while. I will say that Pinecone Research was one of the best ones I worked with but they also are not always taking on new applicants. Also, for some of them you will have to have certain programs (such as Java) on your computer if you do not already.

Yearly Yard Sale

This idea is actually three-fold: You make some extra cash on items you no longer use or want. You also help keep your house clean of clutter. Lastly, I always recommend donating what you don’t sell to a local church or charity organization. You help those in need and get rid of that clutter. If you’re worried that you don’t have enough stuff to sell, ask friends and family to contribute. Chances are they have stuff that they will happily give you if you cart it off for them. If they want to be in on the earnings, ask them to help you work the yard sale. Extra hands for you and they earn a little cash as well.

I cannot stress enough how much I love and recommend Ebates and Mpoints. It kind of blows my mind that there are still people not utilizing it. It’s free money, guys! According to Mintel’s online report in 2015 “over two-thirds (69 percent) of US online adults shop online at least monthly…” which means every month they could be earning money. Want to know a little secret? I’ve earned money on free items with Ebates! I love taking advantage of free prints and photo gifts from places like Walgreens and Shutterfly. I have actually earned money back on those purchases that didn’t cost me a dime. If that doesn’t convince you how awesome this is nothing will. Don’t forget to organize your finances before you start earning your extra money. Double-check that your Caramel Macchiato truly is guilt-free.

See where I’m linking up!