More and more, workers are turning to the gig economy to supplement their incomes during partial or full unemployment. Though a “gig” might not sound like the best career move, temporary work can help keep you afloat with quick cash while you search for something more ideal.

1. Rideshare Services

Ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft have revolutionized the way that we get around, but they’ve also shaken up the traditional 9-to-5 mindset. After a quick application process, vehicle inspection and background check, you can start earning money from the seat of your own car. The best part about ridesharing is that there’s no commitment—you can drive whenever you need to.

2. Delivery Services

If you like the idea of driving to earn extra money but aren’t too sure about having strangers in your car, try a food delivery service. Gone are the days of the pizza delivery guy being your only option. All kinds of restaurants, from fast-casual to fine dining, are using delivery services such as GrubHub, Postmates or Uber Eats to bring their food to hungry customers nearby. Grocery stores are getting in on the action as well: becoming a shopper for Instacart will have you shopping for people’s groceries in addition to delivering them.

3. Dog Walking

Enjoy getting some fresh air and exercise while you work? There are a handful of apps out there that will connect you with dog owners who need their dogs walked while they’re away from home or at work. If you consider yourself a dog person, being a dog walker is certainly one of the more fun ways to bring in some income. 

4. Rental Services

Making money doing nothing sounds like a fantasy, but if you got some unused space you could boost your cashflow with minimal effort. For example, if you have an extra parking space that’s going unused, you can rent it out with an app like SpotHero, which connects you with drivers and commuters looking for parking. There’s also potential for renting out your extra storage space if you’ve got room to spare, or even ways to rent out your car while you’re not using it.

5. Sell Your Hobbies

When you’re in between jobs, you might find yourself with plenty of time for hobbies or activities that you wouldn’t normally have when you’re employed. If your hobby produces a tangible product, such as knitting or pottery, you could sell what you make for a decent price. If you know a teachable skill, such as playing an instrument or cooking, consider teaching lessons or tutoring to share your knowledge. Basically, if you have something to offer, you might be surprised at how much money it can bring you. 

6. Freelance Work

There’s more opportunities than ever for freelance or short-term contract work in today’s economy. Opportunities for this kind of work vary, but there are many options, from data entry to blog writing to graphic design. This is a particularly great option if you’re wanting to work within your field and gain some extra experience or make connections, as freelance workers often get hired on by the companies they work for. 

7. Sell Clothes and Other Items Online

Got a closet full of lightly-used clothes you hardly or never wear? Have a room or storage locker full of good condition items you never use? With a little effort you can easily convert all your second hand gear into cash online. Simply snap a high-quality photo of each item, write accurate descriptions, and price everything competitively. When ready, post your wares online, sit back, and wait for the buyers to arrive.

Online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, and others have thousands of buyers in search of deals and collectibles. It’s really easy to sign up, list your items, and watch the sales happen – all from the comfort of your home.

8. Use Cashback Apps to Get Money for Buying Everyday Items

Have you ever been paid to shop? Cashback apps like Honey and sites like Rakuten make it easy to earn as you spend. All you need to do is create an account and follow the on-platform instructions to get started. Then, before you know it, you will get paid to shop at all your favorite stores.

It works because the stores pay the cashback apps commission for sending you their way. That commission then gets shared with you as cash back. To make sure all eligible transactions are considered for earning rewards, most providers require linking your payment methods to your account`. But, it really is a great way to earn extra cash as you spend!

Keep An Open Mind

There are more ways than ever to earn extra money while you’re looking for your next job. Sometimes, all it takes to stay afloat is the right perspective. 

If you’re looking for even more strategies to help you through a period of unemployment, we’ve got you covered.

The post 8 Ways to Make Money While Unemployed appeared first on The Avant Blog.

This is all appealing; but as you embark on this new phase in your life, you might quickly discover that working for yourself is much easier to say than do. For that matter, it’s important that you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into.

Here are five things you need to know if you want to work for yourself.

Isolation can be powerful

If you’re not a people person and you don’t mind solitude, working for yourself might be a dream situation. But if you find pleasure in the camaraderie of a team and you look forward to occasional water cooler talk, working for yourself can present challenges that you never considered.

Unless you have employees or a business partner, you’ll most likely spend the majority of your days alone in your home office. Even if you have phone conversations with clients, this interaction might not be enough to combat loneliness.

Seriously consider whether you’re able to perform at your best under these conditions. If not, you might be better off working in an office around others.

You’ll need extra savings

Even if you have an excellent idea for a venture and expertise in this area, it takes time to build a business and clientele. Therefore, you need to plan accordingly to ensure that you have plenty of money to weather financial ups and downs.

There is no set rule regarding how much you need to save. But if you can manage to save at least six months of income, you’re off to a good start. Also, it helps to maintain a sizable savings even after your business gets off the ground.

Anyone who works for themselves understands the meaning of ‘feast or famine.’ Your income can be fantastic one month and pitiful the next month. A cash reserve can help you get through rocky patches.

This isn’t a pass to sleep in

You might revel in the freedom of staying up late and sleeping in. But if you want to get your business off the ground and take your income to another level, you need to stick with a daily schedule. This involves waking up at the same time each morning and having a daily plan.

It’s okay to be flexible. There is nothing wrong with running the occasional errand during the workday or taking a quick power nap to recharge. But if you fly by the seat of your pants every day and always procrastinate, you might not complete your work, which can affect your bottom line.

This can be tough, especially if all you want to do is climb into bed. However, drowning in your sorrows can have a tremendous impact on productivity, which ultimately impacts your income.

You may breathe and live work

Your life will be a constant hustle in the beginning. Work can take over and it might be difficult to find a comfortable work-life balance.

This is normal when working for yourself, and until you’re able to find your rhythm and work out all the kinks, expect to work longer and harder. There will be a lot on your plate since you’re responsible for each aspect of the business — research, financials, marketing, customer service, etc.

Being in constant work mode can become discouraging, and you might feel like throwing in the towel. But don’t make a hasty decision. Think of this situation as a temporary sacrifice — a stepping stone to get where you want to be.

A part-time job could help

Even if you leave your full-time job to work for yourself, consider looking for part-time employment. This approach has its benefits. Not only does a part-time job free up half your day to focus on your business, you’re guaranteed a certain amount of money each week, which can reduce any financial worries in the early stages of growing your business. It’s a win-win.

The post Do You Have What it Takes to Be Your Own Boss? appeared first on The Avant Blog.

First of all, when you make an extra $5,000 in salary, you’re actually only taking home part of that due to taxes. Suppose you pay around 20% in taxes each year. That means that a $5,000 raise will be about $4,000 extra in your paycheck this year. If you break that down on a monthly basis, you’ll see that that’s about $335 extra in your pocket each month. What that also means is that if you identify $335 in monthly savings, you can actually mimic a $5,000 raise! So how might you go about finding that savings?

Just Say No

Sometimes you can get yourself locked into a commitment to spend money without really thinking about it. Immediately saying yes to meeting someone for dinner or attending a wedding or birthday party may put you on the hook for money that you don’t really need or want to spend. Instead, give some thought to exactly how much something is going to cost you before committing one way or another. You’ll be surprised how much money you can cut from your budget with just a little bit of thinking ahead.

Stop Buying Name Brands

Whether you’re shopping for groceries or kids’ clothing, it’s easy to start thinking that the only products worth buying are the ones that you’ve seen advertisements for. That’s definitely not the case. Start looking for cheaper substitutes for things and over time you’ll find that you can save quite a bit. And if there are some brands that you do prefer to buy, there is always a way to spend less on them, either through sales or discount stores that carry brand names at low prices.

Drive Less

If you own a car, chances are you are burning through gas more quickly than you’d like to be, given how expensive filling up your tank is. Save money by doing what you can to cut back on your driving because even one less fill-up per month could save you $40-$60! Try carpooling to work once or twice a week if possible, avoid always being the driver for friends and coordinate your errands in such a way that you’re not racking up unnecessary miles.

Buy Used

Another great way to save money on the things you buy is to look for gently used items. Sometimes thrift shops or discount stores are a good option for clothes shopping while sites like eBay and Craigslist often have sellers looking to get rid of furniture or electronics they no longer need. That means you can scoop up things you need at a fraction of the price.

If you’re struggling to pay off debt, check out these tactical strategies that will help you pay it off even faster.

The post Give Yourself a $5,000 Raise This Year appeared first on The Avant Blog.

It’s not uncommon for people to take second jobs or side gigs during the busy holiday season. Between buying gifts for all your friends, family members, and even co-workers, every dollar will count. The same report from National Retail Federation shows that retailers fill between 700,000-750,000 new season positions every year, and the hiring usually starts in September. Here are five ways you can make extra cash before the holidays.

Rent Out an Extra Bedroom

If you have a spare bedroom that’s not being used, consider renting it out to travelers. AirBnb has been a popular way for people to make extra cash. You have the option to rent out your entire place, a private room, or a shared room. Setting up an account is pretty straight forward. Snap a couple pictures of your place, write a catchy description, and list your price. The best part about this is you can dictate exactly when and how much you want to charge. However, AirBnb will recommend price tips to help you get more bookings.

Sell Your Skillset

Companies like TaskRabbit or Upwork allow almost anyone with a specialized skillset to list their services online. TaskRabbit is great for handyman type of tasks, while Upwork is a great resource for freelancers to either take on design or writing work. As a freelance writer, the opportunities are endless. You can proofread papers or ghost write for other companies. If you’re more booksmart than hands on, you can check out a company called Wyzant and apply to be an online tutor.

Apply for a Seasonal Job at a Retail Store

As mentioned above, retailers are always looking for extra help. If you’re planning to go this route, start now! According to Monster.com, the best opportunities will be at large discount stores such as Target & Wal-Mart, but even stores that focus on transportation will need extra workers in their shipping facilities (FedEx/UPS). On top of making extra cash, you also might be able to score some employee discounts to help you save even more money!

Sell Unwanted Gift Cards

According to CNBC, American households have an average of $300 in unused gift cards. If you haven’t used it yet, chances are you probably won’t use it in the future or in the worst case scenario, lose it. Selling your gift cards is a breeze. One of my favorite places to sell a gift card is on Craigslist or Raise.com. You might actually have gift cards lying around that you forgot you even had, so it’s probably best to empty out your wallet and check your drawers (don’t forget electronic gift cards too).

Consider Uber or Lyft on the Side

Lastly but not least, there’s always the option to drive for Uber & Lyft on the side. You can set your own hours anytime of the week. Consider doing this right after work or during the morning rush hour to make more money during peak hours. The best part about this is that there’s zero upfront investment needed to get started.

If none of these are viable options for you, you can also check out this huge list of ways to make extra money on the side as well.

The post 5 Places to Look for Extra Side Cash Before the Holidays appeared first on The Avant Blog.