Want to know what increasing your savings rate can do for you? Check out our free resource, “How Much Should You Save?”

All ideas in this article are broadly applicable and don’t require you to have a certain level of expertise or knowledge to start making money. However, it is worth noting that the most lucrative ways to make extra money may be those more specialized side hustles. For example, if you are a web developer, using your web development skills to take on your own clients or teach classes has much greater earning potential than driving for DoorDash. If you don’t have in-demand skills you can easily monetize, here are some side jobs that most people can earn good money doing.

1. Pet-sitting

Many pet owners would rather leave their pets in their own home where they are most comfortable instead of boarding them at a facility with other pets. Our cat Cleo was miserable when we boarded her and she always smelled weird when we got back from vacation. We started using Rover, which was about the same price for us, and our cats are happier and we get updates and pictures of them while we are away. If you love animals, taking care of other people’s dogs, cats, and other pets could be a great way to earn extra money. We are truly appreciative of the great pet-sitters we’ve found and you have the chance to not only earn extra money, but make lives easier for both the pets and their owners.

2. Gardening

If being outdoors is something you enjoy and you are good with plants, gardening can actually be a unique way to earn extra money. Several of my neighbors grow native plants and fruit trees and have plant sales every few months and make great money doing something they love. Gardening has so many more benefits other than earning extra money, like making your yard or neighborhood more beautiful, being outside and getting exercise, and the fulfillment of taking care of something and watching it grow and thrive. In addition to gardening, more traditional side hustles like landscaping and mowing lawns can generate extra income if you like yard work and don’t mind being outdoors.

3. Delivering food or driving for a ridesharing service

This is a side job with a lower barrier to entry as you only really need a car and a decent driving record to deliver food or drive for a ridesharing service. It is often not worth it if you don’t properly account for the mileage and wear and tear on your vehicle. However, it can be worth driving at peak times when rates are higher and users are tipping more often. If you don’t mind sharing your car with others and being on the road a lot, delivering food (or people) can be a great way to earn extra money.

4. Sell stuff online

One of the easiest ways to make extra money quickly is by selling stuff online that you no longer use. Facebook Marketplace is very easy to use and you can turn things that are just taking up space in your home into cash. Selling stuff online also has a high earning potential if you find a niche you enjoy and start sourcing goods specifically to resell online. Try to find a category with not as much competition; this is easier said than done, but something like antique postcards will be much easier to make money in than used clothing or video games. The online reselling world is very saturated, but it is still possible to make great money selling stuff on the internet.

5. Freelancing

Freelancing does require you to have some skill, but chances are you have a skill you can monetize by freelancing. What exactly can you make money doing freelancing? Almost anything. If you are a teacher, you could tutor students; if you are a skilled writer, you could write articles or copy in your spare time; if you have experience growing a brand’s social media presence, there are no shortage of companies looking to grow their brand online. No matter what you are good at, chances are you can offer your services to others and make money in the process.

Increasing your income is possible for most people, but it usually isn’t easy. You may have to commit to working more hours and spend some of your free time doing side work. Only you can decide if the extra work is worth it. If you are using the extra income for very significant and important financial goals, it very well may be. It’s not uncommon for those in the FIRE movement to work extra hours or side jobs in order to have the ability to retire early. Know your “why” before you start working extra jobs; is the additional money you earn worth the time you are giving up? Money is a limited resource for all of us, but time is the only resource that we can never get back.

The average American will spend $708 on pre-holiday shopping this year, such as on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Holiday shopping can put serious stress on your wallet, but it’s hard to say that spending money on gifts for your family, friends, and children isn’t worth it. How do you balance not going overboard this holiday season and giving meaningful gifts to everyone on your list?

1. Gifts don’t need to be expensive.

It sounds cliché, but gifts don’t need to be expensive to make someone happy. My favorite gifts that I’ve given – and received – have not been the most expensive gifts. Personally, I don’t ever ask my loved ones what they want. If you know someone well enough, you can get them an amazing gift without ever asking what they want. And in my experience, it will be that much more special if you didn’t have to ask.

While that may work well for adults, with kids you probably do need to ask them exactly what they want or have them make a list. I’m still scarred from the Christmas I received four copies of the game “Connect 4” (Santa, my grandparents, and my aunt didn’t do a great job coordinating that year). Kids tend to care more about the actual gift rather than the thought behind it.

They may not be ready to completely grasp the concept, but this is great time to introduce the concept that being generous is rewarding. Over time they will come to learn that it is better to give than to receive. Jumping back into the reality versus the ideal of gift-giving for your kids, it is important to remember that you do not  need to break the bank. Set expectations with your kids so they know what is reasonable to ask for and what is not reasonable to ask for.

2. Black Friday may not be the best time of year to shop.

Shopping for Christmas gifts year-round can help you save money and make holiday shopping less stressful. Check out this month-by-month guide of what items are better to buy at certain times of the year. If you do the majority of your holiday shopping within the span of a month, or even a week, set aside a small amount of money every single month instead of trying to come up with the full amount all at once. A zero-based budgeting software such as YNAB can help you fund annual spending goals like holiday shopping.

3. Gifts come in many different shapes and sizes.

Holiday gifts don’t have to be physical objects wrapped in shiny paper. If you are a young couple, your gift to each other could be saving more money for a house, or traveling home to see each other’s families might be your gift to them. When you are younger and have less money to spend on others during the holidays, giving your time may be a better option. I can almost guarantee that your parents and grandparents would rather spend more time over the holidays with you than get a physical gift. Memories last much longer than any traditional gifts.

4. Don’t give what they don’t need.

If you have the means to do so, it can be tempting to buy loved ones really nice, expensive gifts. However, make sure it’s something they actually want before you spend all that money! My grandmother has no interest in the latest technological advancements, yet almost every year she receives a new gadget that will most likely never come out of the packaging and go straight to her “present closet.” She has a stack of about five different tablets that she will never use (and will probably receive another one this year).

Unfortunately, many Americans get stressed about money around the holidays. 35% end up taking on debt to pay for holiday gifts. By focusing on what really matters – spending time with your family and choosing meaningful gifts over more expensive alternatives – you can make this season a little less stressful and may even end the year with a little extra jingle in your pocket.

There are so many different things you should be saving for: your 401(k), Roth IRA, rainy day fund, a house, and more. How do you balance saving when you have limited resources and where should you save first?

Learn everything you need to know about investing, including how to start, what to invest in, and when to prioritize paying off debt, at our Money Guy investing guide.