As prices continue to increase and wages stay the same, some of you, like me, need to find a few ways to make a little extra money.

I’m not talking hundreds of dollars a week, I’d like to make an extra $20-$30 a week without having to DoorDash, drive for a ride share, or be an Instacart shopper. Any of those would take me away from my kids and cause me to spend money on childcare. I’ll be doing some side hustles from the comfort of my couch (or desk in my bedroom).

My plan for 2026 consists of using the following methods. I’ve posted links for as many sources as I have. Some of these links may be affiliate/referral links that may give me additional points or a few dollars as a reward. These points/rewards help me pay for my website hosting fees and occasionally a cup of coffee.

Surveys: If you’ve read my blog for any amount of time, you know I love me a good survey.

MyPoints: Do 4-5 short surveys per day. I’ve been doing it since Thanksgiving break, and I’m able to earn the equivalent of a $5 gift card in about 40 minutes. Sometimes I earn more points, but 4-5 surveys in one sitting while I watch an episode of something on TV is pretty decent.

Paid View Point: They email me a few times a day to remind me I have new surveys to complete. My plan for 2026 is to do the surveys as I am notified via email. The cash-out threshold is $10, and that’s pretty easy to get to.

Pinecone Research: I’ve been using them for as long as I can remember, probably close to 10 years. I receive notifications via email every couple of days, take a few surveys, earn some points, and cash out about $10 every month or so. It’s quick, and it’s pretty easy. You can save up your points to purchase stuff from their digital catalog, or you can have them send you funds viaPayPal or Venmo.

PRC, Advanced Opinions, Focus Group Connection, and Ascendency Research are all companies that run market research, research studies, and group bulletin boards for brands and companies. I apply for as many as I can that I think I would be a good fit for and that fit in my schedule. And I try to post many of these opportunities on my blog when I feel they would be of interest to my readers. My goal for 2026 is to do at least one of these per month, as long as it pays over $150.

Verasight: Verasight is a company that works with all sorts of people and companies. A lot of the time, it’s people who are doing surveys as part of their PhD or master’s research. The surveys are quick, often less than 10 minutes, and they pay about a dollar each. Cash out is $10, and I am able to cash out about once a month. For 2026, I am going to continue to do surveys with them, and my goal is to make a payout every two weeks.

Beyond surveys, another way that I make money passively is through the Small Business Knowledge Center. I have been a part of them for I think about 10 years at this point, and I send them my junk mail and my junk email, and occasionally do missions for them. It’s a pretty easy way to get rid of your junk mail and earn a $20 gift card about every two or three months. When we refinanced last, it led to a large increase in junk mail, and I was able to do a couple of special projects for SBKC, and I was able to earn an extra $40.

This is one of the most passive ways I make extra money. In 2025, I made $120 from SBKC, which is the most I have ever made. We just got tons of junk mail, and my inbox was slammed with spam.

Another way that I will be earning a little bit extra in 2026 is by taking advantage of companies that are looking for micro influencers. These don’t tend to pay cash, but they offer free products in exchange for social media posts or reviews on social media. I can get free products that I might otherwise not be able to afford, but need or want. A couple that I use is Stack Influence, Ripple Street, Influenster, Tryazon, Home Tester Club, and Smiley360.

Getting free products saves me money, and posting a review or something on social media will take me less than an hour. I tend not to review products that are below $30 unless it’s something I really want or need, because my time is valuable. I don’t want to spend half an hour to 45 minutes making social media posts for a three-dollar bottle of juice.

And for 2026, I will be bringing back my monthly posts where I disclose how much I made each month. My reason for this is two-fold: Transparency for my readers, and to prove to myself that I can do it! I’ll be keeping a Google Sheet to track my earnings.

 

This post contains affiliate links. For more information about the use of affiliate links and partnerships, visit my disclosure page.