Confession: I don’t have a side hustle (this site doesn’t count…yet). I’ve chosen to focus on my main career for now, but that’s not to say I don’t have extra sources of income. Sure, the few dollars here and there I make are nothing like the passive income streams of others, but I think they’re a fun starting point. Let’s go!
Gambling: $700
Ha, I bet you didn’t see that one coming! One day I was chatting to a colleague at work, and she brought up a Super Bowl pool she was running. I honestly still don’t understand how it worked, but for $25 I could pick a number on a big board and if the Super Bowl points matched up I would win. Now, this obviously isn’t a financial strategy and I generally hate gambling, but guess what? Despite only watching the tail end of the game and knowing very little about football, I won $700! The lesson here is you should give yourself some room in your budget for silly fun things. They can pay!
Poshmark: $76
This was from a single sale of Common Projects sneakers. Score! I’m a big fan of Poshmark for both buying and selling.
Ebates: $20.10
Easiest $20 I’ve ever earned! I have a horrible memory, but every time I shop for something on my computer (ie. a new shower curtain, shower gel, replacement makeup), a handy little Ebates reminder pops up saying how much cash back I can get. I click that pop-up, it reconnects me to the site I was on, and I’m on my merry way to making extra money!
Ally interest income: $18.67
I have my emergency fund in an Ally online savings account, and I’m so happy about it. Last year, that money was sitting in my bank savings account making less than a dollar a month. Ally for the win!
Acorns dividends: $0.67
It ain’t much, but it’s something. All dividends are reinvested into my Acorns account.
Credit card cash back: $3.94
This was lower than my cash back from credit cards usually is, and that’s because I just got the Chase Sapphire Reserve card. That card has a 50,000 point bonus if you spend $4000 in three months and while that would normally be hard for me to do on a credit card, it helps that I’m getting married in June! The purchases of my guest book, card box, dress and centerpieces will help me reach that bonus goal- a bittersweet score (#weddingsareexpensive).
IRS refund: $20
I signed up for direct deposit of my tax refund for the first time, and for some reason this $20 showed up in my account from the IRS…even though my refund is supposed to be higher. I’m waiting it out for now, but I’ll take any IRS contributions over IRS debts!
That’s my February! Not bad for not having a side hustle, though obviously the Super Bowl winnings are unsustainable (sigh). How do you make extra money beyond your job?