3 Innovative Ways to Increase Your Income

International Financial Independence Awareness Day is on April 25. While you might not be able to become completely financially independent in the next three weeks, you CAN start thinking about the fastest way to get there. A huge part of that equation? Bringing in more income.

Now, you might be thinking, “How could I do that? I can’t work a second job right now…” Fear not! There may be additional ways of generating income that don’t involve working two full-time jobs at the same time (which, let’s face it, would be a lot). Here are three ideas to help you bring in the dough:

1. Are you Insta-famous?

Turn it into Insta-income! If you’ve got a lot of followers, why not turn yourself into a digital billboard? Advertisers often reach out to influential and popular social media users to promote their products. Instagram, for example, has an entire program that you can use to get yourself set up as an influencer on their platform. Check out your favorite app’s affiliate policy and learn how to get started.

2. Treasure’s All Around You…

That lamp in the living room you almost never turn on? That pair of shoes that have been sitting in your closet for two years? That stuffed moose head that your eccentric great uncle left you? They might just be cluttering up your home, but someone else is out there looking for what you might be ready to throw on the dump. Check out sites like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Poshmark, or Decluttr to see who might be willing to pay cold hard cash for your would-be trash.

3. Teach a man to fish…or to crochet…or to play poker…

Chances are, as a reader of this article, you’re an incredibly talented genius with a lot of great skills (we can just tell). Maybe this is a great opportunity to share what you know with someone willing to learn. Check out your local adult learning annex and see if you can offer your expertise as a teacher, or visit Udemy, a website where folks can pay a small fee to learn a new skill from someone…maybe even you?

If by now you still haven’t latched onto an idea for a new “side-hustle,” maybe your “main-hustle” is worth another look. Talk to your manager about the possibilities for a raise or a promotion. If you don’t think you can make what you need in your current job, this might be the right time to brush up that resume and pound the pavement to look for a new job…or an entirely new career.

No matter how you earn it, extra income is always nice to have. Once you have it coming in, remember to commit that income to your current budgeting and savings plan and, more importantly, remember that you may be taxed on that income later. But hey…at least you got that old moosehead out of your house! Sorry, Great-Uncle Melvin.