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Seeing a fresh paycheck get swallowed up by rent and bills can feel dejecting. When the essentials consume all or most of your earnings, the goal shifts from planning for the future to surviving the present.

In today’s economy, turning a precarious budget into a comfortable one can often require more than a single source of income. According to a survey by the resume site MyPerfectResume, 72% of U.S. workers rely on at least one type of secondary income — either to make ends meet or to give themselves some breathing room to save money, pay down debt, or afford something fun.

The good news is boosting your income doesn’t need to involve a second full-time job. Here are five practical strategies for making extra money — and the circumstances each may be best suited for.

1. Leverage your skills. If you can write, design, code, or tutor, freelancing could be one of the fastest paths to extra income. The average freelancer in the U.S. earns $47.71 per hour, according to ZipRecruiter.

Good for: People who have valuable skills and can carve out an extra hour or two in their day. It can take some time to build a client base, but platforms like Upwork and Fiverr can make it easier to get started. (Just know they take a cut.)

2. Take on a side hustle. Whether it’s delivering food, driving for a rideshare company, or walking dogs, an entry-level service job can be a low-barrier way to supplement your income. You won’t get rich on these side gigs, but they’re usually in demand and don’t require set hours. And, for the next few years, up to $25,000 in qualifying tips are tax-deductible.

Good for: People who have irregular routines and don’t mind physical work. Some side hustles may require you to have a car or pay for gas, though, so you’ll want to be sure the math makes sense for you.

3. Monetize a hobby. If you spend your weekends drooling over crafts, why not try selling your work? Online marketplaces like Etsy or Facebook Marketplace can help turn your hobbies into income. While there’s no guarantee you’ll make money from it (meaning actually turn a profit after factoring in your expenses), there are tons of opportunities out there. Maybe you like restoring and flipping furniture or want to sell your digital products on Canva.

Good for: People with time and in many cases, space and the cash needed to cover upfront costs. For example, design templates for wedding menus and invitations may not require much of an investment, but homemade candles or soaps would involve buying materials and having a place to make them. Start small and scale as you learn what sells.

4. Get passive aggressive with your savings. Maybe you can’t work any harder after your busy day job. But you can still make your money work harder. A high-yield savings account is the simplest form of passive income, but you can also put money into CDs, money markets, or — if you’re willing to take on some risk — invest in bonds or dividend-paying stocks. (Any investment means you could lose money.)

Even if the extra money isn’t life-changing, you can’t get much lower effort than a high-yield savings account. Plus, there’s bigger earning potential when interest rates are relatively high, as they are right now. For instance, a 4% APY on a $10,000 balance gets you an extra $400 per year. (Here are SoFi’s high-yield savings rates.)

Good for: Anyone with savings.

5. Rent out your stuff. If you own something you’re not using — maybe it’s a spare room, an unused car, or a vacant parking spot — renting it out can be lucrative. But you’ll want to be practical about the work and sacrifices required: While using a platform like Airbnb (homes) or Turo (cars) make it a lot easier, having someone stay in your home is a bigger deal than letting someone use your parking spot. If you rent a room for short-term stays, for instance, managing the schedule and cleaning between tenants is an investment of time and energy.

Good for: People who have something they’re not using, time to manage the renting process, and depending on what you’re renting, a willingness to give up privacy. Renting out a garage or shed for storage is a lower lift, though you’ll want to make sure to have the right legal documents and insurance.

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