St. Louis is well known as one of the most affordable cities to live in the U.S. As a St. Louis resident, whether you’re living pay check to pay check or not, there’s something to be said for knowing how to manage your money. Skip Craigslist searches and discover the legitimate ways to actually save and prosper while you live in St. Louis. So in the event that you move to another city down the road, you know you used the most affordable city to your advantage to savor experiences and save up for the future!
Make Money
A great way to make extra money in St. Louis is to start your own side business or take on a ‘side hustle.’ You should start by doing a little mental inventory of your personality and skills. Do you have a special talent or passion that you could use to start your own business? Do you have experience from your former or current job that you can use to your advantage to help you become an entrepreneur? You can also explore different ways to make money off of a loved hobby that you have been practicing forever. The possibilities are endless, but here are some St. Louis specific opportunities that are worth your while to make your wallet smile. After all St. Louis is a growing entrepreneurial boomtown so you are in the right place.
Entrepreneurship Ideas and Opportunities
Do you like to teach? Are you good with kids? You could become a tutor for families with children in nearby neighborhoods. Teach private lessons in any genre you have skills in; music lessons, sports coach, etc. Or start your own daycare or babysitting business!
Are you an artist at heart? Start freelancing with your artwork! Painting, writing, photography, interior design, jewelry making, pottery and other crafting can all be turned into freelance jobs you can undertake on the side. Handmade items are simple and fun to sell and ship from your home by creating an Etsy shop!
If you are gifted in the field of beauty and cosmetics consider turning part of your home into a salon and spa! An in-home hair stylist or makeup artist would be a fun side business to undertake.
Do you love to cook? Maybe you are a food enthusiast at heart. You could bake or cook food and goodies to sell to local parties, weddings or restaurants. You could even become a caterer and travel to different events and parties around town with your homemade dishes.
There are many businesses that you can start on your own; home or office cleaning, tech maintenance, traveling lawn mower, handyman services, social media manager, blogger, brand influencer, coffee or grocery delivery. You can start any business if you put your mind to it, and if you do, consider joining a business networking group or attending networking events in St. Louis to get the word out!
50 Tips for Starting Your Own Company | Entrepreneur
Starting a Business | The Balance
Wanna Start a Business? St. Louis is One of the Best Places to Do It | River Front Times
Guide to Small Business Networking Groups in St. Louis | Weebly
Companies Operating in St. Louis that Make for a Great Side Job
If you are not yet ready to start your own business or may be thinking that entrepreneurship is not the path for you, there are plenty of wonderful companies to work for in St. Louis that would make a good side job.
Postmates is a logistics company headquartered in San Francisco that operates a network of couriers who deliver goods locally and on demand in cities across the U.S. You are in luck because St. Louis is one of their participating cities and becoming a Postmate courier is so easy! The sign up process is quick and simple, you have the potential to earn up to $25 per hour plus tips, you can work whenever you want and you can deliver by foot, car scooter or bike. Becoming a Postmate courier is a great way to become familiar with the amazing neighborhoods of St. Louis, find out all that the city has to offer and meet some of the city’s amazing residents!
Wag is another great company to work for on the side, especially if you are a dog lover! Wag is a highly recommended dog walking and dog sitting service for busy dog owners. Wag connects dog owners with dog lovers in their local communities that they can hire for on-demand walking, sitting or boarding services seven days a week. Wag operates in St. Louis and becoming a walker is simple and FUN! If you like being greeted with excitement every day and are committed to providing quality care to animals this is the job for you!
Another great way to make money on the side in St. Louis is by becoming an Uber driver or driving with Lyft. As an Uber driver you will be able to set your own schedule, drive and earn as much as you want without limits and meet great people and loyal Uber riders wherever the St. Louis highways take you. With Uber you will also get rewards like discounts on fuel, vehicle maintenance, cell phone bills and more. Driving with Lyft is another option in St. Louis City. With Lyft you are able to keep all of your tips, make more money with increased Prime Time Pricing and enjoy Lyft’s partnership communities.
If you are a home or apartment owner in St. Louis with an extra spacious property or square footage, consider putting up any unused space for rent on Airbnb! Do you have an extra room in your house or apartment or even a rather spacious backyard that you could transform into a beautiful garden retreat? If you love hospitality and meeting people from all over the world you could potentially earn a lot of money as an Airbnb host. If you do decide to rent your space make sure to look into all the laws, terms and guidelines, and post your space for rent on multiple sites, including HomeAway, FlipKey and VRBO. Renting space in your home is not quite as simple as joining Postmates or Wag, but the monetary rewards are well worth your while if you make the time to prepare. You could potentially earn up to $703 a week hosting in St. Louis! Why not turn your extra space into extra income?
What to Know Before Putting Your Place on Airbnb | POPSUGAR
How to Turn Your Spare Room into a Rental | My Domaine
The extra money doesn’t stop here. There are plenty of reputable companies and organizations in St. Louis that will help you make a little extra cash. The Greater St. Louis area is full of amazing restaurants, bars and breweries if you are looking for a part time evening or night time job. You could be a receptionist at a local business or join a cleaning, lawn care or landscaping service. The money-making possibilities are endless.
Save Money
With the holidays coming up and a new year there’s no better time to start saving money. The best way to begin is to open a savings account with your Christmas money this year. If you already have a savings account, deposit that cash from your relatives in there instead of blowing it all off on a night out. You’re future selves, both near and far, will thank you. Plus if you haven’t started saving yet now is the perfect opportunity to start. It may take a little research to find a savings account that’s right for you but if you use it right it will be well worth it in the future for big purchases or if you ever need an emergency fund.
Another way to save big is to get a credit card if you have not done so already. To find a great checking account you should research different company’s fees and rewards details. Look for no fees, good rewards, something that’s easy to set up, accessible and mobile. Once you find an account that’s right for you make sure you use your credit card to your advantage not to your disadvantage. This includes paying off your credit card bills on time so you can raise your credit score and save big money on large purchases. CreditCard.com’s guide to The Best Cash Back Credit Cards of 2018 is a great resource to help you pick the best card for you.
Opening a savings account and getting a credit card are two huge ways that you can save a lot of money in the long run. But there are many more small things you can do that will make more of a difference on your life now. Start by minimizing your monthly bills. This might include canceling any unused subscriptions, refinancing your loans or lowering your energy usage in your house or apartment. Saving is not a difficult task as long as you put your mind to it and know how to strategize.
100 Great Ways to Save Money | The Simple Dollar
19 Easy Ways to Save Money in Your 20s | Forbes
87 Super Easy Ways to Save Money | Good Financial Cents
How to Save Money: Daily, Monthly and Long Term | Nerd Wallet
The Best Cash Back Credit Cards of 2018 | CreditCards.com
Money Saving Apps to Download
Ibotta is a fun rebate app that gives you cash back on everyday purchases including grocery, pharmacy, clothing, beer, wine & spirits and more. That’s right; Ibotta will send you money for the booze you buy at stores and restaurants. Going out no longer has to be such a killer on your wallet. The app is always updating with new deals so check the app before you go out. It will help make your purchase decisions easier, that’s for sure! Dosh is another rebate app similar to Ibotta. This cash back app searches all available coupons, promo codes and rebates and gives you cash back from thousands of restaurants, retail stores and more. Dosh provides promising cash to consumers. Simply link your credit and/or debit accounts with the Dosh app and start collecting cash where offers are available. With Dosh you can also book hotels and travel! Since these two apps don’t offer the same deals, it is smart and advantageous to use both Ibotta and Dosh together to get the greatest amount of cash back on your purchases.
Hopper is an award-winning mobile app that allows you to book flights from the app and tells you the best time to purchase flights based on your trip specifications and the lowest airfare prices. If you are a frequent traveler or wishing you could afford to travel more, Hopper is a must.
Interested in selling your used items to make extra cash? Letgo is a person-to-person mobile and desktop app that allows users to buy from, sell to and chat with others locally. Decluttr is another useful mobile app for selling used items. While Letgo is a platform for selling various household items, Decluttr is specialized for tech items. The app allows you to scan your items, giving you a quick value. With Decluttr you can buy or sell anything from unwanted CDs, DVDs and games to used cell phones and more.
Making and saving money can be a struggle, especially when you’re trying to make a living for yourself in your own place. You are in luck though, because St. Louis is one of the most affordable cities to live in which makes it a great place to focus on making a living and saving money. You can find more apps with great reviews online that will help you make money and save.
20 Apps That Make You Money | Huffington Post
12 Best Money Making Apps for Earning Passive Income | The Penny Hoarder
Here Are 15 Powerful Money Apps to Help You Save and Eliminate Debt | Forbes
25 Apps That Will Save You Lots of Money | Lifehack
If you want to sign up for a side hustle or side job like Postmates or Wag do your research! Only sign up with reputable firms. Some work from home jobs are hidden scams so be careful! Same goes with money making apps. Make sure you look into all terms and conditions before signing up for accounts on these platforms. Making sure the apps you are using and businesses you are working for have a good reputation is important. So do your research! And most of all find a side job that you truly enjoy. Living in St. Louis is full of excitement learning and experiences, so take advantage of everything the city of St. Louis has to offer.