8 Ways Pastors Can Make Extra Money Fast

Do you know what you'd do if you needed to make extra money quickly? To pay for something unexpected like major car repair, a substantial medical or dental bill, or to fill an ongoing budget gap?

Or what if your church had to cut back all of a sudden, and you were forced to look for outside income? What could you do to bring in extra cash immediately?

In this episode of the More Than a Pastor Show, I share 8 great ways for pastors to make extra money fast. 

Before we dive in...If you're looking to launch a business or side hustle, be sure to download my FREE guide: "4 Keys to Success in Starting Your Business or Side Hustle."

Q&A with Rich Avery

In today's Q&A segment I explain my love for watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, hosted by Guy Fieri, and why, when I travel, I like to eat at the local Mom & Pop restaurants featured on the show.

And I share how "Triple D" (that's what true fans call the show) led to a deeper connection with another friend who is also a big fan of the show. That connection reminds me of the power of finding "our people." The people who get us. Understand who we are and what makes us tick. And who call out the best in us.

That's why I started this podcast. I know what it's like to feel stuck, broke or unfulfilled at times in my life and work. And I've made it my mission to help other pastors like you to clarify the dreams, passions, and values that are most important to you, and help you transform them into your greatest calling.

Ready to get started? Send me an email at [email protected].

As promised on the show, here are a few pics from some of the Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives restaurants I've eaten at...

The Skirted Heifer - Colorado Springs, CO 

Big & Littles - Chicago, IL

Nolen's BBQ - Nashville, TN

If you've got a question for Rich, or a topic you'd like to see covered on the show, send your request to [email protected].

8 Ways Pastors Can Generate Extra Cash Quickly

 There comes a time in everyone's life when we need to find ways to generate cash quickly. Maybe it's to pay for something unexpected like a car repair, a medical or dental bill like braces for your child, or because you want to do something new like start a business (and sometimes that requires start-up cash)..

And of course, due to the current COVID-19 crisis, many pastors are faced with the prospect of reduced income because their churches are struggling due to declining income. Some churches may take months or years to recover. And we know that some will never recover.

Question: If you had an immediate need to generate extra income...do you know what you could do to make extra money?

There are hundreds of ways for pastors to earn extra money. I've put together a list of 8 great ways to generate cash quickly.

These aren’t all for everybody. You might see one and say, “There’s no way I’m doing that.” That's OK! My goal is to help broaden your horizons and hopefully open you up to opportunities and possibilities you may not have thought of before...ways that you could do something if you had to, and to even help you see the opportunities you do have that are right in front of you.

1. Negotiate Your Bills

Did you know you're a few phone calls away from putting an extra $500-$1,000 in your pocket? All it takes is a couple of minutes and a little courage to call and negotiate or shop your credit card, TV, phone, and insurance rates. 

And this can go one of two ways:

1. You save money when your current provider works with you to give you a better rate.
2. You save money when you switch to a new provider who offers you a better rate.

You'd think that companies would offer their best rates to loyal customers, but for many, they do more to get a new customer than keep an existing one. So if you don't mind switching every year or two to a new provider, you can save a lot of money.

Last year I saved $960 by switching my tv/internet provider. That was a significant bonus for our budget!

2. Sell Your Stuff

When times are tough, sell your stuff!  An average American household could probably make a quick $500 by selling stuff you no longer need or could make do without. And Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Ebay make it easy to convert our unused and unwanted stuff into cash. 

Also, if you're the kind of person who knows a good value when you see it, you could buy undervalued items at garage sales and then sell them at a higher price online. Or even sell items you found for free on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.

3. Donate Plasma

Did you know you could make $400 or more a month donating plasma? And if you and your spouse both do it....well, you can do the math on that!

Now, you have to qualify and meet the physical requirements, but once you’re approved, donating plasma is a fairly painless easy way to make extra money.

My wife and I both have donated plasma in the past. We found it was fairly relaxing to lay there and donate while reading, listening to podcasts, watching shows, or praying. It’s not for everyone, but if you can do it, it’s a great way to get paid to help save lives!

4. Rent Out a Room 

This definitely isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve got an extra room in your home, you can convert it to significant cash by renting it out to a boarder. Not sure where to find the right tenant? Start by checking with friends and neighbors, and asking around at church for someone looking to rent.

As a rental property owner for many years, I recommend you connect first with your local rental owners association or an attorney for info on the landlord/tenant laws in your city and state before renting a room.

If you’re not looking to gain a long-term housemate, consider listing your room on AirBnB for the occasional house guest. Or rent out your entire house whenever there’s a big festival or event in your city. 

5. Drive & Deliver

If you enjoy driving, why not put your car to work for you? You could drive passengers for Uber and Lyft, or deliver packages or food for Amazon, DoorDash, Grubhub, or other similar services. 

I’ve driven for Uber, and personally, I think every pastor should do it. Not just for the cash, but for the opportunity to connect with people in your community who would never step foot in your church. It’s a great way to meet a need, shine a light, and make a few extra bucks.

6. Shop Til You Drop

If you love to shop, why not get paid for it? Shopping services like Shipt and Instacart are absolutely exploding right now, and they are desperate for more shoppers and drivers. 

Shipt shoppers earn an average of $22.00 an hour right now - not bad for a part-time job! And the best thing is that you can work as much or as little as you want, on the days and times that are best for you.

7. Gig Yourself

Nearly everyone has skills and know-how that we could gig ourselves out for, to generate extra income. If you’re not sure what you could do for money, ask yourself:

1. What do I enjoy? 
2. What do I do in my spare time? 
3. What do people ask me to do because I’m good at it? 

There are lots of ways to make money through gardening, handyman work, baking, canning, cooking, sewing, music, writing, editing, reading, speaking, photography, graphic design, bee keeping, fitness, etc. 

In fact, if you can name it you can probably find several ways to make money from it, with a little time and effort.

Here’s an idea I want to try sometime...If you’re in love with your city, become a tour guide, create your own walking or driving tours, and promote them on TripAdvisor.

And don’t forget that you can make extra money using your pastoral skills too. I’m covering those ideas in the next episode, so be sure to come back.

8. Teach What You Know

At the same time, you probably have skills or know-how that others would be willing to pay to learn. In five minutes you could probably make a list of 10 things you could teach to others!

In fact, here’s a quick list of 10 things I have some experience in that I could teach…

1. How to start a podcast
2. How to start a blog and online business
3. How to write marketing copy that sells
4. Fundraising
5. International travel tips
6. How to invest in real estate
7. How to train for and run a marathon
8. How to create clarity around your goals, dreams, and passions
9. How to read the Bible and get more out of it
10. How to tell others about Jesus
    

And you may think, well I can’t think of 10 things I’m an expert at...and that’s the beauty of it...you don’t need to be an expert. You just need to be a little bit farther ahead in order to show someone else how to get started and get to where you are!

So how do you make money from what you know?

You could create your own how-to videos or courses to sell on Udemy or your own website. Or advertise on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and community bulletin boards. Many people are making great extra money or even full-time income through courses and products they created to sell online. I'll be sharing more of these ideas in future blog posts and podcast episodes.

So there you have it... 8 ways you can generate quick cash through your own business or side hustle...

But like I said, there are so many ways to generate extra income. I hope you found this list to be a helpful starting point! 

So, are you ready to take the next step in starting your own business or side hustle?

If so, I’ve got a free resource for you today, it’s called the “Four keys to success in starting your business or side hustle.”  Inside you’ll find great tips...and an important warning... that will really help improve your chances of success…but not just in your new business, but even in your current ministry role. You can download that for FREE at morethanapastor.com/keys.

Quotation for the Day: Thomas Alva Edison

Our quotation for the day comes from inventor and industrialist Thomas Alva Edison. Creator of the electric lightbulb, the motion picture camera, the phonograph, and a few other things…

 “Opportunity,” he said, “is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

 Wow, isn’t that true.

 It’s been said that everyone probably has a million dollar idea inside of them. But how many actually take action on their idea? Very few.

Now sometimes it’s an idea that we have but we feel that we’re not expressly called to do it. That’s cool. Or maybe we feel the timing isn’t right yet. Or we’re just too afraid - that we’ll fail. Or of what others may think. 

But sometimes, the idea sounds really great, and we want to do it, but we’re just not willing to do the work and pay the price in order to reap the reward.

If you’ve got an idea or dream burning inside of you, how would you like to find a safe space where you can share your idea and explore what it might look like to make it a reality? 

More Than a Pastor Private Online Community

I'm creating a private Facebook group called the More Than a Pastor Private Online Community. I'd love for you to click the link to join and be one of the 1,000 pastors we're helping over the next five years to supplement or self-fund your income! 

Coming Up on The Next Show

What are some of the best ways pastors can earn extra money right now using the skills you've already developed in ministry? We’ll dive into this next time. You won’t want to miss it.