You can get more money by claiming funds you’re already owed, earning more from your current job, adding a side income stream, or putting your savings somewhere they actually grow. Most people have at least one or two of these levers available right now, and some take less than an hour to pull. Here’s how to work through each option.
Find Money You’re Already Owed
Billions of dollars in unclaimed property sit in government databases waiting for the right person to search. These are forgotten bank accounts, old paychecks, insurance refunds, and matured savings bonds that have stopped earning interest. Starting here costs you nothing and can put real money in your pocket fast.
Your first stop is your state’s unclaimed property office. Every state maintains a searchable database of abandoned funds, and if you’ve lived in multiple states, check each one. Beyond that, the federal government runs several specialized tools worth a few minutes of your time:
- Tax refunds: The IRS “Where’s My Refund?” tool shows whether a refund is stuck in processing. In December 2024, the IRS also sent payments to people who never claimed the Recovery Rebate credit.
- Unpaid wages: The Department of Labor maintains a database of back pay that employers owe workers but never delivered.
- Pensions: The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation has a search tool for unclaimed pension benefits from former employers.
- Failed banks or credit unions: The FDIC database lists unclaimed funds from closed financial institutions, and a separate tool covers failed credit unions.
- Savings bonds: TreasuryHunt.gov lets you search for matured savings bonds you may have forgotten about.
- FHA mortgage insurance: If you ever had an FHA-insured mortgage, HUD’s database shows whether you’re owed an insurance refund.
- Bankruptcy cases: The U.S. Courts Unclaimed Funds Locator searches for money owed to you after a person or business declared bankruptcy.
Run your name through all of these. The whole process takes about 20 minutes and occasionally turns up hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Negotiate a Raise or Promotion
The single biggest income lever most people have is the job they already hold. A raise of even a few percentage points compounds over every future paycheck, bonus, and retirement contribution. If you haven’t asked for one in the past year, you’re likely leaving money on the table.
Before the conversation, research what your role pays in your market. Free salary data is available on sites like the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Glassdoor, and Payscale. Write down specific results you’ve delivered: revenue generated, problems solved, processes improved, or responsibilities you’ve taken on beyond your original job description. Timing matters too. The best window is right after a successful project, during a performance review cycle, or when you know your department is hiring (which signals budget availability).
If a raise isn’t on the table, negotiate adjacent benefits that have real dollar value: a one-time bonus, extra paid time off, a remote work arrangement that cuts commuting costs, or employer-funded training that leads to higher pay down the road.
Add a Side Income Stream
A side hustle doesn’t have to mean driving for a rideshare app. The highest-paying options in 2026 lean on skills you can develop quickly and deliver digitally.
AI-enhanced freelancing is one of the fastest-growing categories. Freelancers who can use AI tools to speed up writing, design, data analysis, or coding, then layer on human judgment and polish, command premium rates because they deliver quality work faster. The competitive edge isn’t knowing how to use one tool; it’s building repeatable workflows that let you take on more clients without working more hours.
Online tutoring has also shifted from casual hourly lessons into a serious income source. Successful tutors build structured learning programs and sell them through marketplaces like Wyzant, Preply, and Superprof, or host their own courses on platforms like Teachable and Kajabi. If you have expertise in test prep, a foreign language, math, or a professional skill, packaging that knowledge into a course lets you earn from it repeatedly instead of trading time for money one session at a time.
Selling digital products follows the same logic. Templates, spreadsheets, design kits, prompt libraries, and short courses sold through platforms like Gumroad or Shopify can generate income long after you create them. Many solo creators now out-earn traditional freelancers this way because each product sells to an unlimited number of buyers.
Content creation on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram is another path, though it typically takes months of consistent publishing before ad revenue and sponsorships become meaningful. The creators earning real money in 2026 treat it like a business from day one, with clear revenue goals and a publishing schedule, not a casual hobby.
Earn a Credential That Pays More
If your current career has a low ceiling, a short-term credential can open a higher-paying path without requiring a multi-year degree. Six-month programs are increasingly popular because they fit around a full-time job and lead directly to employable skills.
On the technical side, learning Excel at an advanced level, picking up AI prompt engineering, or earning a certification in a trade like HVAC repair can meaningfully change your earning potential. HVAC technicians, for example, earn an average of about $47,000 a year, and some training programs take as little as six months. Real estate licensing is another option that can be completed in four to six months.
For white-collar workers, certifications in project management (PMP), cloud computing (AWS or Azure), data analytics (Google Data Analytics Certificate), or cybersecurity can lead to salary bumps of 10% to 20% or more, depending on your field. The key is choosing a credential your industry actually values. Before enrolling, search job postings for your target role and see which certifications show up most often in the requirements or preferred qualifications.
Make Your Existing Money Work Harder
If you have cash sitting in a traditional savings account earning close to nothing, moving it to a high-yield savings account is one of the easiest wins available. As of early 2026, the top rates reach 5.00% APY, though those headline rates often apply only to balances up to $5,000. Beyond that threshold, rates drop sharply. For example, one bank offering 5.00% on the first $5,000 pays just 0.35% on anything above $10,000.
For most people, a practical strategy is to keep your emergency fund in a high-yield account that pays a competitive rate across a larger balance. CIT Bank’s Platinum Savings, for instance, pays 3.75% APY on balances of $5,000 or more. That’s far less than the 5.00% headline grabbers, but it applies to a much larger pool of money. On a $20,000 emergency fund, 3.75% earns you $750 a year compared to roughly $10 in a traditional bank account paying 0.05%.
Beyond savings accounts, consider whether you’re leaving free money on the table through your employer’s retirement plan. If your company offers a 401(k) match and you’re not contributing enough to get the full match, that’s an immediate return on your money that no other investment can replicate.
Cut Spending You Don’t Notice
Getting more money isn’t always about earning more. Reducing recurring expenses you’ve stopped thinking about has the same effect on your bank balance. Pull up your credit card and bank statements from the last three months and look for subscriptions, memberships, and services you forgot you were paying for. Streaming services, cloud storage upgrades, unused gym memberships, and old software trials add up quickly.
Call your insurance providers (auto, renters, homeowners) and ask for a rate review or shop competing quotes. The same policy can vary by hundreds of dollars a year between carriers, and most people haven’t compared prices since they first signed up. Do the same with your phone plan and internet service. Carriers regularly introduce cheaper plans but don’t move existing customers onto them automatically.
If you carry a credit card balance, look into a balance transfer card with a 0% introductory APR period. Paying no interest for 12 to 21 months lets every payment go directly toward reducing what you owe, which frees up money faster than almost any side hustle.