How to Earn Extra Cash

How to Earn Extra Cash

Truth be told, working for someone else is not the most powerful way to generate wealth, but it is the most accessible, immediate, and least risky. The objective for now is to wring out the most amount of money from your job as you can to minimize the financial burden of enrolling in my program, while continuing to pursue opportunities to increase your income as time goes on, which I'll also help you with. The unwelcome reality is that most high yielding money making endeavors (like climbing the career ladder, or starting a business) require years of consistent effort to gain traction, so before going down that path, we'll start by getting the most bang for your buck in your current situation as rapidly as possible. Here's how.

Learn in-demand skills

The more skilled you are, the more valuable you are, and the more you are worth paying. But not all skills are equal. When investing time to learn skills, focus on skills that are related to your career, that are increasingly sought after, and are predicted to be needed in the future. I've provided a list of such skills according to the primary industries below...

  1. Digital Marketing
    SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
    Content Marketing (Blogging, Video, Podcasts)
    Social Media Marketing (Paid ads, strategy)
    Email Marketing & Automation
    Data Analytics (Google Analytics)
  2. Tech & Programming
    Coding (Python, JavaScript, HTML/CSS)
    Web Development (Front-End, Back-End, Full-Stack)
    App Development (iOS/Android)
    Cloud Computing (AWS, Azure)
    Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
    Cybersecurity
  3. Business & Finance
    Financial Analysis (Excel, Power BI, SQL)
    Project Management (Agile, Scrum, PMP certification)
    Product Management
    Data Science & Analytics (SQL, Tableau)
    Business Strategy & Consulting
  4. Creative & Design
    Graphic Design (Adobe Suite, Figma)
    UI/UX Design (Wireframing, Prototyping)
    Video Editing (Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro)
    Animation & Motion Graphics
  5. Sales & Communication
    Sales Skills (Salesforce, CRM proficiency)
    Copywriting (Conversion, persuasive writing)
    Public Speaking & Presentation (Effective communication, storytelling)
    Negotiation & Persuasion
  6. Health & Wellness
    Nutrition Coaching (Certifications)
    Fitness Training (Personal Trainer, Yoga certifications)
    Mental Health Coaching (Mindfulness, Counseling)
  7. Soft Skills
    Emotional Intelligence
    Leadership & Management
    Time Management
    Adaptability & Problem-Solving

Optimize Your Current Job

While working toward learning in-demand skills, make the most of your current job by getting everything you can from the company you work for.

Maximize your benefits

Only 34% of Americans take full advantage of all the benefits offered by their employers. If you aren't, doing so can easily bump up your total compensation by 20%.

To start, make sure you're enrolled in all of your company's insurance programs (health, dental, life, etc), so in the event that you need insurance for something, you're covered, and won't have to pay out of pocket. This can save you thousands upon thousands of dollars in an emergency.

Oftentimes, the materials provided by companies detailing your benefits are lengthy and riddled with technical terminology. This is done intentionally, because the more confusing it is to enroll in benefits, the less employees will go through the effort of doing so, and the more money the company will save by not having to provide them.

If you're confused about the terms and conditions of your benefits package, talk to your company's Human Resources representative. It is their job to help you understand and make the most of your benefits.

If your HR representative is unhelpful, or you don't have one, you can copy and paste your benefits description into Chatgpt, and ask it to describe your benefits in simple terms. This is useful for deciphering anything in fine print, from lease agreements to insurance coverage.

You should also make an effort to negotiate additional benefits:

  • Remote work -> Saves you time on your commute, which you can use to make money on side hustles.
  • Transportation reimbursement -> Getting paid for your commute time, or for the costs of taking public transportation.
  • Support for other work related expenses -> For instance, you may be able to convince your employer to cover your internet & cell coverage if you can make the case that you use them for work. Get creative.

Negotiate a Raise or Promotion

If your work performance has been anything below exceptional, it is in your best interest to dominate your work, going above and beyond the responsibilities outlined in your job description for a few weeks before negotiating benefits, raises, and promotions. Keep a record of specific, measurable outcomes that have helped the company move forward as a direct result of your efforts. Keep this record on hand when you go to ask for a raise. The better your performance, the more valuable you are to your company. The more valuable you are, the more negotiating power you have.

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Before asking for a raise, you should know how much to ask for, and collect data that supports that figure. There are four primary steps when it comes to determining how much to ask for, and backing that number with evidence.

Determine your market value

Your market value is essentially the average of what other companies would be willing to pay someone in your role. When researching your market value, create a portfolio of evidence that you will present to your employer when requesting a raise. Here's how you estimate your market value...

a) Use resources and salary checkers like, Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Chatgpt to search for what others with your job title or equivalent roles are earning in your district. Another approach is to search by skills as opposed to titles. Print or save the information from these pages and include them in your portfolio.

b) Search for recruiting firms for the industry you work in. Get in contact with several recruiters from different firms who work in your industry, and ask them what the salary range for your the skills you have in your role. Recruiters get paid by their firm, and their goal is to get you employed, so you won't have to pay them. Some firms publish salary guides on their websites as well. Print or save replies from recruiters and/or the data from the salary guides published by their company for inclusion in your portfolio.

c) Get in touch with hiring managers from your company's competitors and see if they'd be willing to pay you more. If they are, print out/save their offers and include them in your portfolio. Just be aware that this is more risky because you're threatening loyalty to your company.

d) Most people worry that their employer/company will resent them for negotiating benefits, raises, and promotions, so they never ask for a raise. As long as you are prepared and reasonable, the worst you'll get is a no. In fact, I would argue that your employer will respect you more for advocating for yourself, and they'll know that you are to be taken seriously. Never let fear of confrontation stop you from getting what you deserve in life. Be courageous.

When you go to ask for a raise, use common sense and ask when your boss isn't busy and is in a good mood. Come prepared with your record of measurable achievements, new skills learned, market research metrics, and a specific, percentage (the human mind perceives percents as less than raw dollar amounts) that you would like your raise to be. A fundamental law of human nature is that people are more likely to comply when they benefit, so make sure you focus on articulating how keeping you around benefits the company. Good luck!

Find a Higher Paying Job

If you have been at your current job for awhile, and have accumulated skills and a network over time, it's possible that you have the credentials for a higher paying position and don't even know it. If so, see about requesting a promotion at your current job. Another option is to look for higher paying openings at other companies through hiring platforms like indeed, or through recruiters. If you do plan to switch companies, make sure that you are accepted for new role before pulling the trigger. Also, be sure to give a minimum two weeks notice and tie up any loose ends at your current company to preserve your reputation and remain in good standing. Just beware that higher paying jobs often come with more responsibilities that require more time, which detracts from side hustles. If you have a profitable side hustle, you may net more profit by investing as much as possible into said side hustle as opposed to making a more per hour at a higher paying job. On the subject of side hustles, here is a repository of in-demand side hustles that you could leverage to make extra cash.

Take up a Side Hustle

  1. Freelance Writing/Editing
    • Write or edit content for blogs, businesses, and websites.
    • Platforms: Upwork, Fiverr, or direct outreach.
  2. Social Media Management
    • Manage social media accounts for small businesses or personal brands.
    • Requires knowledge of platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
  3. Online Tutoring
    • Teach subjects like math, science, or languages online.
    • Platforms: VIPKid, Chegg Tutors, or Wyzant.
  4. Virtual Assistant
    • Help business owners with tasks like scheduling, emails, or customer service.
    • Platforms: Upwork or direct outreach.
  5. Content Creation
    • Start a YouTube channel, blog, or podcast on a topic you're passionate about.
    • Monetization through ads, sponsorships, and affiliate marketing.
  6. Affiliate Marketing
    • Promote products online and earn a commission for sales made through your links.
    • Platforms: Amazon Associates, ShareASale, or CJ Affiliate.
  7. Online Coaching/Consulting
    • Offer life, business, or wellness coaching based on your expertise.
    • Build an audience through social media and referrals.
  8. E-commerce (Dropshipping)
    • Sell products online without holding inventory through dropshipping.
    • Platforms: Shopify, eBay, Amazon.
  9. Graphic Design
    • Create logos, banners, and marketing materials for businesses.
    • Platforms: 99designs, Fiverr, or Upwork.
  10. Photography/Videography
  • Offer services for events or sell stock photos/videos online.
  • Platforms: Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, or direct client work.
  1. Online Surveys/Market Research
  • Earn extra income by participating in paid surveys or market research panels.
  • Platforms: Swagbucks, Survey Junkie, or UserTesting.
  1. Real Estate (Rental Property Management)
  • Rent out a property or room (e.g., Airbnb), or manage properties for landlords.
  1. Pet Sitting/Dog Walking
  • Offer services to pet owners in your area.
  • Platforms: Rover or Wag.
  1. Delivery Services
  • Deliver food, groceries, or packages through services like DoorDash, UberEats, or Instacart.
  1. Flipping Items
  • Buy and resell products on platforms like eBay, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace.
  1. Landscaping
  • Mow lawns, do leaf clean-ups, split wood, shovel snow. Doubles as a workout and landscaping businesses can scale easily.

These are just a few of a nearly infinite number of side hustles that you could take up. And if you're interested in taking one up, but don't know how, there are just as many low cost online courses and free videos that can teach how to do nearly anything.

Bear in mind that the purpose of this deliverable is to help you maximize your income now, but over the long run it's wise to have a direction in mind, because the only way to succeed at anything is to get really good at it by doing it for a long time. But we'll get to mapping out you career/business path later in the program...

References & Resources

Listed below are the resources that I learned from to provide you the information above, as well as references to other sources of financial education. I highly recommend checking them out to deepen your understanding of the topics at hand.

  1. "Moneyguy" podcast (Spotify)
  2. Alex Hormozi podcast (Spotify)