Brittany Parrett was over the moon when her fiancé proposed. She and her husband-to-be quickly established a wedding budget and were able to stick to it with very little pinching of their finances. But a honeymoon was another story—they had no extra cash for the all-inclusive Jamaican resort Brittany coveted. But with some smart moves, they managed to save $5,800 for their all-inclusive Jamaican honeymoon in just 10 months.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to how the Parretts earned and saved thousands of dollars in less than a year. Follow their guide and you can do it, too (although you don’t have to use the money for a honeymoon, obviously).
1. Rent Out A Spare Room: $1,600
This sort of fell into the Parretts’ laps: They had a friend who needed short-term housing for a few months. They agreed to rent her their spare room for $400 a month, utilities included.
If you have an extra spare room (and no renter’s agreement or lease stipulation that prohibits room rental), consider posting on AirBnB or Craigslist. This is an especially good solution if you live in a touristy location or a major city where many people need a short-term sublet during the summer. You might not make $400 a month like Brittany and her husband did, but it can still be a good option if you’re comfortable having other people in your home.
2. Use Fulfillment By Amazon: $800
If you’ve never heard of this, you have to check it out. Fulfillment is a resale arm of Amazon where all you have to do is find the products you’d like to sell and let Amazon handle the rest, including storage, sales, shipping and customer service. Sounds pretty good, right?
It can be a little tricky if you’ve never done it before, and you can’t expect to sell a set of chipped plates for $50. But if you’re a thrifter or a bargain hunter, it can be incredibly lucrative.
Brittany made about $800 in just six months selling stuff on Fulfillment. Some of her biggest sales were a Donald Trump book she bought for $5 at an antique store and resold for $160, an arcade game from the ’80s she bought antiquing and sold for $130 and several old-school board games she bought for $1 or less at garage sales and sold as “collectibles” for $30 and $40 a pop.
3. Get A Babysitting Job: $2,400
Babysitting isn’t just for teens anymore. If you’re an adult who loves being around kids and has extra time (and needs the money, obviously), then babysitting could be a great source of income for you.
Brittany created a profile on Care.com and quickly found several families who needed help. One was just down the road from her day job, and they needed a babysitter a few nights a week. Charging $40 a night, Brittany made an extra $160 to $200 each month.
Then through a friend, she found another family who needed a summertime babysitter while their kids were out of school. As a teacher, Brittany had the same time off, and was able to make $1,400 that summer, charging $10 an hour.
Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it—childcare can be incredibly lucrative, especially in big cities where people are willing to pay a premium. Plus, snacks.
4. Have A Garage Sale: $1,000
Having a successful garage sale can be difficult (check out our list of tips and tricks to have your own moneymaking sale!), but if done well you can make a lot of money clear out items you no longer need.
Brittany and her husband realized they had a lot of things to sell after some spring cleaning. Because they live off a main road, the location was perfect for a garage sale and they were able to attract a number of customers.
Additionally, they asked their friends and family to donate unwanted items to the garage sale. Brittany and her husband offered to come to their homes to collect their donations, saving their friends a trip to the thrift store. People were happy to let the Parretts haul away their away, and all the extra merchandise helped them double their profits at the garage sale.
All told, Brittany and her husband saved $5,800 in just 10 months. It was more than enough to cover the Jamaican getaway and start rebuilding their savings after the wedding. Congratulations to this enterprising couple!
Would you use any of these tactics to make some money on the side?
An aspiring food and health writer, native Chicagoan, and nut butter enthusiast. Jessica is also the creator of BiteMeBlog, but don't call her a foodie More.
