Want to make a fresh financial start in 2024? One of the best ways to turn your finances around is to start making more money. 

Easy, right?

We understand that it’s not exactly easy (or wise) to snap your fingers at your boss and say, “Hey, pay me more,” so we’ve compiled a few tips to help you earn more money, monetize your time and skills, and ultimately, double down on your own value.

Four ways to make more money

There are plenty of ways to make more money — some involve your current career, others involve a little creativity. Let’s check it out:

1. Start a side hustle

The gig economy is still thriving, and the easiest way to make extra cash is to pick up a side hustle. While you can still find part-time work in the service industry, there are many opportunities to find a side gig and work on your own terms when you feel like it — you don’t need two full-time jobs!

If you’ve got a car and some spare time, consider ridesharing through Uber or Lyft. You can also deliver food via DoorDash or Uber Eats, or head to the grocery store and pick up someone’s groceries through Instacart. 

If you’re handy and have some tools, consider offering your services for minor home repairs and renovations. Sell your old clothes to consignment stores like Depop or Grailed, or post them on Mercari or eBay. The sky’s the limit — think about what you have to offer and how you can make money in your spare time. Who knows, you might even end up with a business of your own!

2. Ask for a raise

Having a conversation with your supervisor at work is a great way to start making more money, but getting the ball rolling isn’t always the easiest thing. If you’re ready to start earning more and you’ve got the track record to prove it, consider having a one-on-one with your manager and bringing up the topic. Here a few things that can help:

  • Your track record — what contributions have you made to the team?
  • Your trajectory — what plans or ideas do you have for your future performance? 
  • Your length of service — is this your first raise in two years? Your time at the company will help dictate what you should be earning. 

As always, approach the dialogue calmly and respectfully, with a clear head. There’s no guarantee that you’ll get the raise you’re looking for, but by remaining professional and factual, you’re likely to earn significant respect. Always come to the table with a percentage in mind when asking for a raise, and bear in mind that your company’s overall performance will affect what type of compensation you’ll receive. 

3. Earn a promotion

Let’s clarify — a promotion is an increased salary with new responsibilities, whereas a raise is just making more money and doing the same thing. So if you’re ready for some new tasks along with some extra earnings, consider talking to your boss about a promotion. 

You can approach your dialogue with your supervisor the same way you would for a raise — make sure to enter the conversation with your own, personal value propositions ready to be discussed. Your supervisor may very well be aware of your value, but it’s important to sell yourself and demonstrate why you’re the right person for the job. Be sure to underscore how your current role has given you the experience needed for the new role as well. 

As far as compensation goes, do your best to research similar roles through sites like Glassdoor and find a reasonable salary to ask for. Believe in yourself and do your homework!

4. Look at a career change

Life doesn’t exactly come with a set of instructions — sometimes we find ourselves in a daily grind, only to wake up one day and ask, “How on earth did I get here?” If you’re dragging your feet every morning to a job that doesn’t feel authentic to you (and struggling to pay the bills), it’s time to consider a career change. 

Start by identifying what’s not working — what factors about your current gig aren’t doing it for you? By knowing what you refuse to settle for, you can start the job hunt and weed out potential bad fits. Next, you’ll want to assess your strengths and weaknesses and be realistic about where you see yourself. If you’re currently working the sauté station at Peter Luger Steak House, it’s unrealistic to see yourself as a VP at Goldman Sachs in six months. 

Take a look at the job market in your locale (or even online — remote work is plentiful right now), and see what jobs are in demand. Apply for jobs that seem like a good fit, and then develop and execute a plan for interviewing and final steps. Believe in yourself — you can do it. 

Tips to give you an advantage

Next, let’s take a look at a few practices that can help you put your best foot forward. Use these tips to kick things into a higher gear — to earn even more as you invest in your own growth and personal development. 

1. Monetize what you’re already doing

Think about your habits, hobbies, and possessions, and see if you have any skills or assets that you aren’t taking full advantage of. For example, if you enjoy doing things that other people generally don’t (think painting, working on cars, landscaping …), you can probably find a way to charge for your services.

You have tons of value to offer — think about how you can leverage that value. Renting out any spare properties that you have is a great way to earn passive income; consider listing them as short-term rentals on apps like AirBnb or Vrbo. If you’re an artist or a writer, try taking commissions or doing freelance writing. If you’re physically active and hit the gym regularly, consider grabbing a few shifts with a local moving company and get paid to exercise. 

People will pay for what they need, especially if it’s specialized work or a task they really don’t like doing. Take advantage of this and find a way to monetize your skillset — it’s a great way to make more money while doing something you already enjoy. 

2. Learn new skills

Learning new skills can pay off in the long run. By adding to your skill set, you can challenge yourself, increase your own personal abilities, and get paid for it! Whether you’re learning how to mix and master music for clients, how to write code, or how to operate a front-end loader, you’re adding an invaluable new tool to your arsenal.

Think about what you enjoy doing and what types of skills you could learn to become more profitable. Are you into photography? Learn the ins and outs of Photoshop and foray into graphic design. Do you like working out at the gym? Brush up on your physiology and exercise science through a personal training certification. Have you been doing your friends’ hair on the side for years? Consider going to a color theory or braiding class.

Adding new skills to your proficiencies makes you more marketable almost immediately, and the more skills you have, the more avenues you have to earn more money. 

3. Go back to school

Going back to continue your education is an extremely effective way to invest in yourself. If you’re at a crossroads where you’re feeling like a career change is necessary but you don’t have the right background, going to school can definitely help bridge that gap.

Start by deciding what you want to do. Are you thinking about leaving the service industry to study business at a four-year university? Do you want to break into your city’s burgeoning tech industry and get a certification from a 12-week coding boot camp? Have you always wanted to get back to earn your graduate degree? There’s no right or wrong answer — it’s entirely up to you and what you want to do with your life.

Horace Mann, a 19th-century American educator, famously called education “the great equalizer.” Going back to school and earning a degree or certification can put you on equal footing with many job candidates, and even put you ahead of others. If you’re ready to start making more money, getting an education can be a long-term solution. 

4. Leverage LinkedIn 

LinkedIn, for the uninitiated, is the largest professional networking site in the world. You can connect with recruiters and professionals across the globe, find jobs, and create your own profile complete with your resume. A great way to get yourself out there is by creating a profile and checking out the job listings.

If you’re new to the platform, you’ll have to create an account and start to build your profile. Choose a good photo of yourself — you’ll want to keep things professional so skip the photos from the beach or Halloween. Next, add your objective and some traits of your personality and work ethic — this is where recruiters will get an idea of who you are. You’ll also need to add your work experience; you can think of it as a virtual resume.

If you’ve been on LinkedIn for a while and are just getting back into the job search, you’ll definitely want to spruce up your profile and resume. Make sure all your dates are accurate and lined up on your actual resume as well as your LinkedIn page. Update your photo to a current picture of yourself — and show those pearly whites! 

Another tip if you’re applying for jobs via LinkedIn — be sure to follow up each application with an introductory message to the hiring manager, thank them for their time, and let them know you’re available for a chat. This little trick will show you’re serious about the job and will make you stand out from the crowd.

5. Keep a great attitude and stay optimistic 

We get it — being stuck in a gig that you hate while you’re struggling to make ends meet is a total drag. But there’s one thing you can control, and that’s your attitude. Did you know that simply expressing gratitude for things in your life can make you happier? It’s no secret that people want to surround themselves with people who are optimistic and positive — the attitude can be contagious. 

If you’re feeling burned out, worn down, angry at your situation, or any other amalgamation of negative emotions, sit down and write it out. Write why you feel the way you do — try to get to the root of the issue. You’re allowed to feel what you feel, but dwelling on what you don’t like about your current situation won’t put you ahead in the long run. 

Instead, when you slip into those feelings of stress, anxiety, and anger, take five deep breaths and remember that your thoughts aren’t facts — think about five things you’re grateful for and let the feelings go. It may feel silly at first, but this type of cognitive training can start to retrain your brain to feel optimistic. 

When you’re seeing the glass half full, you’ll have a more pleasant disposition, find the bright side, and be very easy to work with — a trait that hiring managers definitely look for. 

6. Focus on communication

Interpersonal skills are paramount in the workplace, and one of the most important aspects is communication. It’s how we form our working relationships with our colleagues, how we relate to one another, how we share ideas, and at the end of the day, what makes us human. If you want to make yourself more valuable and earn more, you’ll want to hone your communication skills. 

While communication might at first seem as simple as talking, the biggest skills you can improve as an effective communicator are your listening skills. Being able to truly listen to your colleagues instead of just waiting for your turn to talk will ensure your coworkers will feel heard, and no information will slip through the cracks. 

Consider the tone in which you speak — is it authoritative? Is it condescending? Is it compassionate and calm? Tone is hugely important. Also, be sure to talk with people and not at them. Upper management always values calm assertiveness and self-confidence, but there’s a fine line between those traits and being bossy or arrogant. 

By mastering your communication skills, you can ensure that you won’t be misunderstood, that you’ll minimize misunderstanding others, and that you’ll be fully present during your interviews — and, eventually, while helping your team reach their goals. 

7. Stretch your money further

If you need to make your money last as you get your upcoming career change or new business venture underway, make sure you’re sticking to a budget. By creating a monthly spending plan, you can monitor how your money is coming and going, make sure you’re meeting all your financial obligations, and begin to save wherever you can.

Consider your lifestyle and your monthly expenses — where can you cut back on things you won’t really miss? Take a close look at your discretionary spending — are you spending a lot at bars or restaurants? On five different streaming services? Or maybe on a venti Starbucks Caramel Macchiato every morning? We all have ways we can start to save immediately. 

Finally, think about paying your way out of debt, especially if you’re falling victim to high interest rates on revolving balances like credit cards. There are plenty of ways to save money out there — the trick is to find the ones that work for you.