How to Make $100 a Week

Earning an additional $100 per week is an achievable goal for many, regardless of current employment or skill set. This supplemental income can provide a financial cushion, help cover unexpected expenses, or contribute to savings goals. Various accessible and flexible methods exist to boost weekly earnings.

Online Micro-Tasks and Surveys

Online micro-tasks and surveys offer a low-barrier entry point for supplemental income, often allowing for flexible work in short bursts. Online survey platforms compensate users for sharing their opinions on various topics, ranging from consumer products to social issues. Compensation per survey typically ranges from a few cents to a few dollars, depending on the survey’s length and complexity.

Reputable platforms such as Swagbucks or Survey Junkie aggregate survey opportunities. While individual surveys may not pay much, consistently completing several surveys daily can contribute meaningfully to the weekly earnings target. Many surveys can be finished in 5 to 20 minutes, suitable for filling small pockets of free time.

Micro-task platforms provide small, simple digital tasks that often require human intelligence to complete, such as data entry, image tagging, transcription snippets, or content moderation. Platforms like Amazon Mechanical Turk and Clickworker offer these tasks, paying a small amount per completed item. For instance, a task might pay $0.10 for categorizing an image, or a few dollars for transcribing a short audio clip.

While pay per task is modest, accumulating many completed tasks can add up.

Local Service Gigs

Local service gigs offer a direct way to earn supplemental income by providing hands-on services within one’s community, often requiring a physical presence. Common opportunities include pet sitting, dog walking, babysitting, house cleaning, or yard work such as mowing lawns and gardening. Running errands for neighbors, like grocery shopping or prescription pickups, also falls into this category.

Finding clients often begins through word-of-mouth referrals from friends, family, and existing contacts. Local social media groups, community bulletin boards, and neighborhood-focused apps like Nextdoor are effective for advertising services and connecting with potential clients.

Setting reasonable rates is important to achieve the $100 per week goal. For general labor like yard work or house cleaning, hourly rates might range from $15 to $30, depending on the task and local demand. Pet sitting or dog walking services often command $10 to $25 per visit or walk, while babysitting rates typically range from $15 to $25 per hour. Securing four to seven hours of work per week at these rates can readily meet the $100 target.

Selling Unused Items and Reselling

Generating supplemental income by selling physical goods, especially unused items already around the house, offers an immediate cash potential and the added benefit of decluttering. Identifying items for sale can include old electronics, clothing, books, furniture, or collectibles that are no longer needed or used.

Popular platforms facilitate sales, connecting sellers with a broad audience. eBay is a well-known online marketplace, while Facebook Marketplace is useful for local sales, often avoiding shipping costs. For clothing and accessories, platforms like Poshmark and Mercari specialize in fashion items. Taking clear photographs and writing detailed, honest descriptions are important steps to attract buyers and ensure smooth transactions.

When selling personal items, such as old clothing or electronics, for less than their original purchase price, the income generated is generally not considered taxable by the Internal Revenue Service. This is because the sale is typically viewed as reducing a personal loss rather than generating a profit. However, if a personal item is sold for more than its original purchase price, any gain realized would be subject to capital gains tax.

The concept of reselling, or flipping, involves purchasing items at a low price and then selling them for a profit. This can involve finding deals at thrift stores, garage sales, estate sales, or clearance sections of retail stores. Common items for flipping include vintage clothing, antique furniture, rare books, or limited-edition collectibles.

When reselling with intent to profit, the activity is considered a business, and all net earnings are subject to both income tax and self-employment taxes. Tracking the cost basis of items purchased for resale, along with all associated expenses like platform fees, is important for accurately calculating taxable profit. Online marketplaces typically charge fees, such as final value fees or commissions.

Leveraging Skills for Freelance Work

Leveraging existing skills or developing new ones for freelance work can provide a more sustainable side income stream with higher earning potential per hour compared to micro-tasks. Individuals can assess their unique abilities, which might include writing, graphic design, web development, social media management, tutoring, translation, or administrative support.

Online freelance platforms serve as marketplaces connecting skilled individuals with clients seeking specific services. Upwork and Fiverr are prominent examples, offering diverse categories for various professional services. For academic assistance, platforms like Chegg Tutors connect tutors with students. Beyond these platforms, networking within one’s professional community and direct outreach to potential clients can also lead to freelance opportunities.

Setting competitive yet profitable rates for freelance services is important for achieving the $100 per week goal. Hourly rates for freelance work vary widely based on the skill, experience level, and industry demand, often ranging from $20 to $75 or more. For instance, a skilled writer might charge $0.10 to $0.50 per word or $40 to $70 per hour for content creation. A graphic designer might charge $50 to $150 for a logo design or $30 to $75 per hour for general design work.

Freelance platforms typically charge a commission or fee for connecting clients and freelancers.

General Tax Considerations

Income earned from self-employment activities, such as micro-tasks, local gigs, or freelance work, is generally subject to self-employment taxes, which cover Social Security and Medicare contributions, and income tax. If a single payer compensates you $600 or more within a calendar year, they may issue a Form 1099-NEC, Nonemployee Compensation. Regardless of whether a 1099-NEC is received, all self-employment income must be reported. It is important to keep accurate records of all income and deductible business expenses to accurately calculate net earnings for tax purposes. If anticipated annual earnings from self-employment exceed a certain threshold, generally around $1,000, estimated tax payments may be required throughout the year to avoid penalties.