The different ways you can make more money

One can sell their clothes in a yard sale or second hand clothes market to earn side income. Photo by Rachel Mabala.

What you need to know:

  • Finances: Most people will tell you that the salaries they earn are usually not enough to tend to their daily needs. But here is the catch; you can supplement your income by employing other creative tactics to make more money. Esther Oluka explores the different ways you can do that.

Sell off the clutter at home
Are there particular items in your house that you do not use? These could range from clothes, shoes, utensils, furniture, books, among other things. You could make some money by selling them off. For instance, Doreen Mirembe, a housewife, sold off her old clothes after realising that she did not find any more use for them.
“I have a friend with a boutique who sells secondhand clothes. I shared the idea with her about buying the clothes at a cheaper price. She bought several items from me including dresses, skirts as well as blouses and paid me Shs200, 000,” Mirembe says.
So, rather than leave items you do not need lying around the house, why not sell them off to make some money.

Babysit for a fee
Not everyone is into formal employment. There are even those without jobs. So, here is an idea. If you are a housewife for instance, you can decide to babysit other children. Make some sort of planned arrangement with the parents.
They may drop off the child (ren) to your house every morning and pick them up in the evening, after work. I know of many parents who are desperately looking for babysitting services but do not know where to find them. Some have tried employing house helps in vain. So, if you love children, this is another lucrative venture you can tap into.

Put your talent into use
Another way of making more money is by putting your talent to use. If you have a great voice and can sing, you do not necessarily have to perform at sold out concerts. Your services could be welcome at even smaller events such as birthdays and wedding ceremonies.
You can even be a backup singer. The other talents include dancing, writing, and drawing. Charlotte Kyazze, an artist is one such person putting her talent to use. “I make my art paintings from home and sell them to different people,” she says.
Kyazze who does the painting as a side job, is a professional banker.

Be someone’s stylist
Are you a fashion lover who often follows trends? There are many busy people out there with money to spend but who hardly get the time to do things such as shopping clothes. Even when they do get the time, they do not know what outfits are suitable for their body types.
This is where the personal stylists come in. Sell the idea that you will do their shopping as well as advise them on what to wear from time to time. You might be surprised by how many people are in need of stylists.

Sharing or renting out rooms
Do you live in a house that has extra rooms that no one uses? Hire it out and make some money.
For instance, there are home owners in Namugongo, a suburb in the outskirts of Kampala who rent out their guestrooms to pilgrims every June 3. Ivana and Charles Kizito, a married couple living in Namugongo have been doing this for the past three years.
“We have two guest rooms outside the main house that are rarely used. So, every year during Martyrs Day, we hire them out to interested pilgrims.


We usually charge Shs10,000, a night and we have had pilgrims stay even for two weeks,” Ivana says. Besides renting, there is the option of having a roommate especially if you have a lot of space in your room. Do not just sit back, there are many options to make some side income.

Using your space
Do you have a big compound? One of the ways to make some extra money on the side is by renting out your space for events such as parties in your compound. If you have a place where people can park, the better.