A conventional way to earn a supplemental income while you’re employed full-time is to get a part-time job with set weekend or evening hours. That allows you to make a steady amount of money on top of your regular paycheck; the downside is that it gives you a full schedule without much control over how you spend your time. But it is possible to earn a supplemental income without clocking in at a second workplace. Here are some ways to earn money on the side that are more flexible.

Sell Products

You can get some extra income by selling things you own, things you buy, or things you make yourself. The amount you’ll earn from selling things you already own is limited unless you have a large stock of valuables you’re willing to part with. There’s the potential to earn more from buying products at thrift stores, outlets, or garage sales and then selling them through marketplaces like eBay. To do this, you need to have a good idea of which items will sell for a profit, and you need to be willing to risk the money you pay to purchase them.

You can also sell products that you make. Sites like Etsy serve as platforms for selling homemade soap, candles, jewelry, greeting cards, and many other products. You may also be able to sell products at artisan fairs or outdoor markets. Business Insider reports that some people earn money by baking desserts for restaurants; if you plan on doing this, first check your local regulations to make sure selling home-baked goods is legal in your area.

Offer a Service

Another way to earn a supplemental income is to provide a service. Some services, like pet sitting, are performed in person; others such as tutoring can be performed over the Internet. A few of the many other services people offer are gardening, computer programming, and transcribing audio recordings.

Join the Sharing Economy

You can make money just by sharing resources you already have. For example, you can rent a spare room out to travelers through Airbnb or list your car for rent on RelayRides. This option isn’t for everyone, as you have to be comfortable with letting strangers into your home or allowing them to use your possessions. But if you’re okay with that, you can make money without spending much effort or putting in long hours.

As you start doing extra work on the side, your full-time job should still be your top priority because most of your income comes from that job. Don’t allow your supplemental work to distract you from your responsibilities, and don’t jeopardize your job by doing any supplemental work while you’re on the clock for your employer. Of course, if your side business is very successful, it could grow to the point where it brings in as much money as your main job. Should that happen, you might choose to quit your job and pursue full-time self-employment.

If you need help managing your different sources of income reach out to the financial counselors at CESI Solutions – they can help you figure out how to get out of debt and stay out of debt.

Also, share with the other readers below in the comments your ideas for other methods of supplemental income.

Image source: Flickr

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