This post details 35 practical ways to make and save money as a teacher! These money-saving tips for teachers can be used for all teachers. You can also use these ideas in and outside the classroom.
Links to helpful resources are included for your convenience. This post also contains some affiliate links that pay a small commission to the site owner. Please see the full disclosure here.
What Can Teachers Do to Make More Money?
It may seem ironic to ask “how can a teacher earn money?” since being a teacher is work that you get paid for! There are dozens of reasons that a teacher may want or need to bring in additional income on top of their teacher salary.
This list provides ideas on ways teachers can make extra money at home or outside of the home.
Some of these ideas are related to teaching and some of them are totally different. The beauty of it is that you can choose what works best for your needs.
So check out this list on what teachers can do to make more money:
1- Teach or Tutor Online
I’ve been teaching and tutoring online since 2018, and I absolutely LOVE it! It is my favorite way to make extra money from home as a teacher.
It all started for me during the holiday season in 2017.
I started working only a handful of extra hours a week teaching online. Then I increased to more hours during the summer.
My online students are amazing!
You have several options such as platforms like Outschool, or you can teach independently. Going the independent route will require that you advertise in your community; maybe put up flyers in your neighborhood’s public library.
Then set up sessions, based on your own prices, using Zoom or Google Meet. This gives you the flexibility you may be craving in your work life balance because you decide when you are able to teach.
2- Tutor students face to face in your community for a fee. Maybe teaching online isn’t your cup of tea! No problem, I have also met with students at my public library to tutor them in person.
3- Sell your gently used books online through Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist.
In the past, I used Sell Your Books Back. Especially when I am reorganizing my classroom library. As I find more ways to stock my library for cheap, I also realize that certain books are never read by my students. So I make extra money by selling these books online.
4- Nanny and Babysit Part-Time
5- Sell your lesson plans and other created resources on Teachers Pay Teachers.
6- Create digital resources like resume and cover letter templates for sale on Etsy
7- Sell your crafts, sewing creations, or special projects on Etsy
8- Grade student writing or standardized tests online for companies like Pearson. Find out more about them from this post here.
9- Start a blog
I am still a newbie with blogging, but so far I am having a blast! Professional bloggers work very hard, but the payoff is definitely worth it. If you are interested in being a teacher blogger but are having doubts, this post will help!
10- Become an Affiliate with Share-A-Sale and advertise through your social media pages to earn extra money as a teacher
Making Money From Home as a Teacher
Since so many suggestions on this list feature making money from home, I want to offer a few disclaimers about this before I continue. First of all, please be sure to double and triple check your sources before jumping into anything.
If you are being asked to pay any fees to get started, be wary!
Also, check with your tax advisor to make sure everything stays on track with making extra money from home and paying taxes.
11- Work as a Virtual Assistant
Teachers have so many transferable skills that are in high demand in the online world. As a VA, you can work from home, set your own prices, and choose work that fits your personality /lifestyle. It is also a great way to make extra money as a teacher during the school year or summer.
12- Be a house sitter for a military or traveling family
13- Become an Affiliate with Target or Wal-Mart and make money advertising their products or services on your social media channels.
14- Work as a Freelance Editor or Proofreader.
You can use Craiglist, Fiverr, and Upwork to get started with freelancing. Feel free to also ask around your public library, local church, or ask friends and family.
15- Be a pet-sitter
16- Rent your home out through Airbnb to bring in extra cash
17- Drive Part-Time with Uber
18- Use Swagbucks to earn points that can be redeemed for gift cards
I have not made a lot of money with Swagbucks, but I have earned several gift cards in small amounts. I have it on my browser and as I research or do everything things online, I accumulate points.
Then I redeem the points for gift cards. These gift cards make great birthday gifts or other teacher treats, which is why I recommend Swagbucks.
19- Tutor online through Wyzant
Money-Saving Tips for Teachers
Before I dig into ways to save money for teachers, let me pause and tell you a little about my teaching/life journey. If you’ve spent a little time on this blog, you know from my bio that I am a single parent.
My husband died four months before I started as a first-year teacher. Our newborn son was only 5-months old at the time.
I share my personal story because for me, saving money on a teacher’s salary wasn’t a choice! That may very well be the case for you too! Whether you are married or not, have kids or not, or just want to save money for a short-term financial goal–these money-saving tips work!
Trust me, it is possible to budget and save wisely without having to give up all of the things you enjoy…hello my sweet coffee!!
Without further ado-here are some practical ways you can save more money on a teacher’s salary.
20- Clip Digital Coupons with the FREE Ibotta App
I truly am an Ibotta App fanatic! Clipping paper coupons take so much time. I love how easily I can go shopping, check the Ibotta app for deals, then scan my receipt once I get home.
When I get $20 earned back on my account, Ibotta sends me the money through PayPal or allows me to choose a gift card.
Boom, Bada, Bing! Done.
Plus, if you sign up with a team, you get bonuses when your team meets certain thresholds. So it’s super quick to build up to $20 multiple times in a month. You can even use it with online shopping.
To get a jumpstart on joining a team, feel free to join my team and save money with us. You actually save and earn even more money when you are on a team. Click here to get started!
21- Use Fetch Rewards
In the same way that Ibotta is free and allows you to earn points to redeem for savings, Fetch Rewards is similar. Every time I shop–whether in store or online–I scan my receipt in the Fetch App and get points. Then I trade those points in for gift cards or cash back.
That’s it! It seems too simple to be legit, but I have never had ANY problems with Fetch! I let my points stack up over time so that I can get one big payout to use for holiday gifts at the end of the year.
You can get started saving money with Fetch with my referral code: 5375M, which will give you 2,000 points automatically.
22- Claim your Educator Tax Deductions when you file your taxes
23- Install Wiki Buy to your computer for online sales and codes
If you are a huge Amazon shopper like I am, Wiki will become your best friend! As you shop, it scans similar sites for the same item and gives you a pop-up box alert when it has found a cheaper price.
24- Save Money (and TIME) with the Wal-Mart Grocery Shopping App
This one is a major game-changer for me! Since I am often busy, allowing someone to grocery shop for me has been a life-saver. The Wal-mart Grocery Shopping App is FREE. You add things to your online cart and a Wal-Mart associate will shop for you.
Schedule a time to pick up your groceries and they will bring them out to your car. There is no extra charge as long as your total is $25 or more.
The way it helps teachers save money is with their price comparison features and price-per-ounce additions on the app. You can always see the best deal with each thing you want to buy.
They also have the Wal-Mart Savings Catcher built into the app. So when you buy an item, if another store has it for a lower price, Wal-Mart will refund you the difference in price as an e-gift card.
If you want to check it out, you can use my code HERE to get $10 OFF your first order.
25- Use the Checkout 51 App for more digital grocery coupons
Related Posts: Apps That Help Me Teach More Efficiently
Teacher Discounts at Stores and Restaurants
Please don’t feel ashamed to take advantage of all the teacher discounts available at different stores and restaurants. In fact, make it a habit to ask at each store whether they offer a discount to teachers. You will be surprised how many places will give 10% or more of your total for being a teacher.
Many of these places will ask to see a teacher’s photo ID or a signed letter from your principal. But I have never had to hassle to get a teacher discount set up at any of these places. You can even apply online for many of them.
These savings are wonderful ways to save money as a teacher.
26- Barnes & Nobles Teacher Discount Program
27- Amazon Kindle Unlimited Reading
I cannot stop talking about how much I love the Kindle Unlimited Reading Program. I use it in my classroom and at home. You pay a very low flat rate for access to unlimited books and magazine online. It’s not the same as having that sweet-fresh-new-book smell in your hands, but it does save you a ton of money!
29- Party City
30- Michael’s Teacher’s Discount Program
32- Staples
Every summer, Staples has a Teacher Appreciation Day where they give free classroom and office supplies to qualifying teachers. Bookmark this page here to find out when your local Staples will hold this event and how you can qualify.
33- The Container Store Teacher Program
If you are a fourth- grade teacher, you can get FREE passes to national parks for yourself and your students through this site.
This option may work best if you purchase classroom supplies in bulk. If you are a librarian, school secretary or administrator, you will love the Amazon Business Program. Check it out HERE.
I hope at least one of these money making and money saving ideas helps you on your life journey as a teacher.
If you’ve already used one of the ideas from this list, let me know your thoughts on it in the comments below.
And please share this out to help more teachers make and save money!
