7 Ways to Make Extra Cash From Home this Winter

It’s no secret that your wallet can take a hit during the winter. There’s the increased utility bills that come from keeping your home warm and well lit when it’s cold and dark outside, not to mention the holiday gifts and other social events that tend to pile up in the colder months of the year. Not everyone can work a second job to help with these added expenses, but there are plenty of home-based earning opportunities anyone can take advantage of. With winter just around the corner, here are a few great ways to make extra cash from home this year.

• Learn How to Make Soap
• Freelance
• Shovel the Driveway
• Affiliate Marketing
• Become an Expert at JustAnswers
• Learn How to Make Candles
• Cook or Bake
• Conclusion

Clean Up for Extra Cash: Learn How to Make Soap

With the help of online tutorials, you can easily learn how to make soap, which you can then sell in the market of your choice. Small soap businesses usually succeed through skilled marketing, so make sure you learn those skills before starting your business. There are so many helpful resources available online, you should be able to make a confident start within a matter of days.

Through the internet, you can also learn how to save money and get your soap business thriving through whatever marketing approaches work best for you. Some people host soap parties to promote their products, while others focus on social media. Do what suits you best. As long as you ensure that your product is of high quality, there will be people who will want it.

Once you’re confident in your skills, you can market your expertise to others by developing a small how-to course,teaching it, and helping others set up their own soap-making business. The most important thing you need to do is make sure you have a good marketing strategy. Once you get the hang of it, not only can you make a lot of money yourself, but you can also enable others to make money.

Get a Side Hustle: Freelance

Turn your hobby into a profession by freelancing relevant skills. Whether it’s editing videos, programming, or writing, you can earn cash by doing what you love. All you need is a stable internet connection and a laptop and/or phone to begin exploring your opportunities.

Freelancing allows you to set your own rates and take up projects at your own pace. You can work as much or as little as you want. You’d be surprised at how much money some people make by offering even basic skills, like data entry.

However, be cautious in the freelancing marketplace, because there’s the potential to run into scammers. For example, there are some “clients” that may refuse to pay for the work you’ve done. To avoid such a scenario, always check a potential client’s history to verify that it’s a legitimate work opportunity. 

Extra Cash for Odd Jobs: Shovel the Driveway

Considering the generous amount of snow that can fall during the colder months of the year, there’s always someone looking for help removing it. If you live in one of these high-snowfall areas, you can provide this help in the form of shoveling driveways and walkways.

A great place to start is in your own neighborhood. Without having to go too far, you can make extra money and also build community connections that may prove beneficial in the future.

However, this job means you’ll have to get out of the house on chilly days and work hard to clean a lot of snow, which will understandably require a lot of physical effort. So, depending on your preferences, this might not be the best option for you. 

Sell, Sell, Sell! Affiliate Marketing

Among the most popular forms of earning extra cash online is affiliate marketing. If you dislike getting out of the house on a frosty day, and shoveling a driveway seems like too much effort, then affiliate marketing might be a good choice for you.

As an affiliate marketer, all you have to do is promote a product; you’ll get a percentage of each consequent sale as a commission. The products can be e-books, online courses, or more tangible items, so you can choose the product category you prefer. However, make sure to research what you’re trying to sell, as you should only try selling legal and beneficial products.

However, earning through affiliate marketing is not always as easy as it sounds. You’ll need to put considerable effort and time into establishing a good reputation among your readers and generating enough affiliate sales to make a profit.

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, this 13-minute Youtube video gives a great explanation of the steps beginners can take to start affiliate marketing.

Share What You Know: Become an Expert at JustAnswers

If you’re a scholar or a certified professional in a particular field, you can share your experiences, tips, and advice with people who need them. JustAnswer is a website that will pay you for answering queries and questions related to multiple topics.

The verification process takes two to three weeks, then you can start working. The payout usually depends on how many answers you give, and you have the freedom to pick which questions you answer.

With JustAnswers, you can lighten the burden of those who are frustrated or confused, all while snuggled beneath a cozy blanket with a cup of coffee.

Get Crafty: Learn How to Make Candles for Extra Cash

Another way to make extra cash is by selling scented candles. Similar to making soap, you can learn how to make candles online and sell them as you please. So many people view candles as an important part of every room, especially during the winter when it can be gloomy and cold for days on end. Burning scented candles can help people create a relaxing atmosphere in any room and allow them to decompress after a long and tiring day. Hence, scented candles are always in high demand and offer a good way to make extra money.

Fire Up the Oven: Cook or Bake

If you’re a fan of baking or cooking, then sharing your delicious creations with the world can be a great way to make extra money. If you have a unique taste or style, people will start craving your dishes and keep coming back for more. By selling your cooking or baking, you get to do what you love while earning some extra money on the side. You can start small, offering just one or two things that you know you can do well and quickly, and build your business from there. You could even throw in a delivery option, if that’s something you’d be interested in. Just make sure to get all of the required approvals from regulatory authorities before you start selling your creations.

Conclusion

The bottom line is, there are plenty of ways to make money from home in winter. The right mix of creativity and perseverance can make almost anything into a side business. You can use our suggestions as a starting point, or come up with your own ideas and see how you can turn them into money. However, make sure to check your state laws before selling anything, especially food.

And one more thing to keep in mind—just because you can make some extra cash from home does not mean you should spend excessively and consume it all. Take the time to learn some money management skills, and use money-saving apps to keep track of your spending. That way, you’ll develop habits that will ensure you will always have something saved for emergencies.