20 Low-Investment Ways to Make $500

We've all heard the saying, "Money doesn't grow on trees." But for some, it does. It's also found in dog parks, text books, and even wrapping paper.

In this article I'm going to give you 20 places where you can look for an extra $500.

Help your neighbors

1. Pet Sitting, Dog Walking, Dog Park Chaperone

   • Startup cost: $0-$20 (basic supplies)

   • Potential earnings: $25-$50 per day per pet

   • Strategy: Start with friends and family, post flyers, create app profiles

   • Time to $500: 2-3 weeks of regular clients

   • Resources to get started:

     • Check out Care.com, Wag!, Rover, and Sittercity for opportunities. Dog walkers make an average of $20 to $40 per hour, according to Thumbtack.

     • Want to take it up a notch? Get additional pet care training and offer extra services.

2. House Cleaning

   • Startup cost: $30-40 (basic cleaning supplies)

   • Potential earnings: $25-35 per hour

   • Strategy: Begin with residential homes, build referrals

   • Time to $500: 3-4 cleaning jobs

   • Resources to get started:

     • Check out this guide from Jobber. It walks you from the side-hustle through building a full-blown house cleaning business.

     • Search YouTube for "professional cleaning techniques" and "professional deep cleaning techniques" tutorials by professional cleaners

3. Car Detailing

   • Startup cost: $40-50 (cleaning supplies and tools)

   • Potential earnings: $50-100 per car

   • Strategy: Mobile service, go to customers

   • Time to $500: 5-10 cars

   • Resources to get started:

     • Take a look at this guide from Side Hustle Nation to learn how to get your first clients and scale.

     • Search YouTube for "how to detail a car interior." Look for guides from professional detailers.

4. Lawn Care

   •  Startup cost: $0-30 (if using client's equipment)

   • Potential earnings: $25-50 per lawn

   • Strategy: Focus on small-medium yards initially

   • Time to $500: 10-20 lawns

   • Resource to get started:

     • Read this article from sidehustles.com about "How to Start a Lawn Care Side Hustle"

     • Add value to your offering by learning more about maintaining and improving lawns - seasonal grasses, fertilizers and how to apply them, common lawn problems, etc.

Online Opportunities

1. Freelance Writing

   • Startup cost: $0

   • Potential earnings: $0.05-0.20 per word

   • Strategy: Start on platforms like Medium or Fiverr

   • Time to $500: 2-4 weeks of consistent writing

   • Resources to get started:

     • Check out sites like writers.work, Make A Living Writing, and The Freelance Writer's Guide to learn how to create opportunities and get started

     • Get a little head start by investing in a low-cost course on Udemy

2. Virtual Assistant

   • Startup cost: $0

   • Potential earnings: $15-25 per hour

   • Strategy: Use platforms like Upwork or direct outreach

   • Time to $500: 20-35 hours of work

   • Resources to get started:

     • Brainchild 360's "How to Become a Virtual Assistant: A Beginner's Guide" provides simple steps an 14 different websites you can use to search for opportunities

3. Social Medial Management

   • Startup cost: $0

   • Potential earnings: $200-500 per client monthly

   • Strategy: Start with small local businesses

   • Time to $500: 1-2 clients

   • Resources to get started:

     • Flick - A Social Media Marketing Platform offers a great YouTube Beginner's Guide for How to Become a Social Media Manager

     • Build skills through offerings on platforms such as Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning. Add AI tools to your repertoire to get things done faster.

Selling and Reselling

1. Digital Product Creation

   • Startup cost: $0

   • Potential earnings: $5-50 per product

   • Strategy: Create pintables, templates, or guides

   • Time to $500: 1-2 months

   • Resources to get started:

     • Review Teachable's "Digital Product Creation Tools and Resources Guide."

     • Brainstorm ideas based on what you are good at or knowledgeable about.

2. Retail Arbitrage

   • Startup cost: $40-50

   • Potential earnings: 50-200% profit per item

   • Strategy: Buy clearance items and resell online

   • Time to $500: 2-4 weeks of active selling

   • Resources to get started:

     • Search "retail arbitrage for beginners" on YouTube

     • Linnworks offers an article that provides details about good products and sources, along with tips for beginners.

3. Flipping Free Items

   •  Startup cost: $0-20 (gas money)

   • Potential earnings: Varies by item

   • Strategy: Find free items and resell them

   • Time to $500: 2-4 weeks

   • Resource to get started:

     • Check out Gary Vaynerchuk's article on "How to Find Free Stuff to Sell Online"

     • Watch YouTube videos on how to upcycle, restore, and identify good, used products

4. Decluttering Service

   • Startup cost: $0

   • Potential earnings: Split profits or hourly rate ($20-30)

   • Strategy: Help others sell unwanted items. Start with friends and family.

   • Time to $500: 2-3 weeks

   • Resources to get started:

     • Speed up the process by using AI tools to create compelling posts. Claude.ai offers a free version that can create posts for you and help to research pricing. Be sure to include quality photos!

       
       

Use Your Skills

1. Basic Phone and Computer Repair

   • Startup cost: $30-50 (basic tools)

   • Potential earnings: $30-100 per repair

   • Strategy: Start with simple screen repairs

   • Time to $500: 5-15 repairs

   • Resource to get started:

     • Check out iFixit for tutorials and supplies.

     • Watch "common phone repairs guide" from repair technicians.

     • Practice before you work on client repairs

2. Photography

   • Startup cost: $0 (using smartphone)

   • Potential earnings: $50-200 per session

   • Strategy: Begin with events. Think outside of the box - birthday parties, reunions, small businesses, or rental units.

   • Time to $500: 3-10 sessions

   • Resource to get started:

     • Review tips for how to take great photos with your phone. The School of Photography has a good article.

     • Research how to optimize for the type of photos you are taking.

3. Resume Writing

   • Startup cost: $0

   • Potential earnings: $30-100 per resume

   • Strategy: Target recent graduates or job seekers

   • Time to $500: 5-15 resumes

   • Resources to get started:

     • Reach out to people with the "Open to Work" banner on LinkedIn

     • Watch "resume writing best practices" videos on YouTube from certified writers

     • Get familiar with AI tools for resume creation

4. Event Assistant

   • Startup cost: $0

   • Potential earnings: $15-25 per hour

   • Strategy: Help with weddings, parties, corporate events

   • Time to $500: 20-35 hours

   • Resources to get started:

     • Review common tasks associated with events. Cvent offers a good article.

     • Reach out to event planners and event locations in your area.

Seasonal Opportunities

1. Holiday Gift Wrapping

   • Startup cost: $30-40 (supplies)

   • Potential earnings: $3-5 per gift

   • Strategy: Set up at local markets or home service

   • Time to $500: 100-170 gifts

     • Resources to get started:

       • Use sites like Task Rabbit to offer your services and find customers.

       • Watch "professional gift wrapping techniques" videos on YouTube

2. Leaf Removal

   • Startup cost: $20-30 (rake and bags)

   • Potential earnings: $25-50 per yard

   • Strategy: Target neighborhoods with mature trees

   • Time to $500: 10-20 yards

   • Resources to get started:

     • Search "leaf removal business tips" on landscaping forums like The Lawn Forum.

     • Find "efficient leaf cleanup methods" from lawn care professionals through YouTube.

3. Garden Maintenance

   • Startup cost: $20-40 (basic tools)

   • Potential earnings: $25-40 per hour

   • Strategy: Focus on weeding and maintenance

   • Time to $500: 12-20 hours

   • Resources to get started:

     • Search "garden maintenance basics" on gardening websites. The Platt Hill Nursery offers a good guide to get started.

     • Find "garden care techniques" from professional gardeners

4. Snow Removal

   • Startup cost: $20-30 (shovel)

   • Potential earnings: $25-50 per house

   • Strategy: Begin with residential homes, Get referrals.

   • Time to $500: 10-20 yards

   • Resources to get started:

     • Search "efficient snow removal techniques" on YouTube

     • Expand your offerings and increase your pay by upgrading your equipment and offering services to business in your area.

Tips for Success:

• If you want to continue to generate income through your efforts, reinvest initial earnings into upgrading equipment and/or purchasing additional supplies.

• Optimize for word-of-mouth and referrals through building a strong reputation for high-quality work and top-notch customer service.

• Use social media to engage your network and let them know what you are up to.

• If you want to go faster, offer multiple services and tap into your specialized skills.

• Keep your money straight - track your income and expenses for tax purposes.

• Set realistic timeframes and pricing.

• Be the best you can be by seeking ways to improve your skills and work more efficiently.

  • Look for industry-specific forums for community advice

  • If you are doing specialized work, follow successful practitioners on LinkedIn

  • Subscribe to relevant YouTube channels

  • Read reviews and experiences on forums, and see how you can add value by addressing pain points.

  • Take free online courses on platforms like Coursera or edX to expand or improve your offerings.