Five ways to earn an extra $200 a month without changing jobs

A lot of financial stress comes from a feeling of helplessness. The average Aussie can't do much about the cost of lettuce or petrol, nor do we decide if and when interest rates will increase.

But we can eat less lettuce, drive less to save on petrol and chat to our mortgage providers to ensure we are able to keep up with interest rate increase.

We can only control what we can control, and that is also the case when it comes to our incomes.

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It's an empowering thought, and easier than it first seems.

Most of us have a main job, whether it be full-time or part-time, and we've been told time and time again that wages are stagnant.

Still, there are so many ways to increase your income without changing jobs – as much as $200 a month, which amounts to a $2,400 annual increase.

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Here are five ways to achieve this result so you have more money to cover the ever-increasing costs of living:

1. Ask to be paid for overtime and ask for extra hours

This can be a tricky one, but for the most part our workplaces are not charities, so you should never be working for free – and that's exactly what you are doing when you put in overtime and don't get paid for it.

There is a little wiggle room with this. Normally if you work up to an extra 15 minutes, you should be paid for that hour.

It's worth a non-confrontational chat with your boss. Just ask, "Hey, should I be getting paid for overtime?" If they say "yes" or "maybe", ask what the parameters are.

Worst case, they will say, "No, so don't work overtime" and you get to go home on time and put that extra time to good use.

It's also worth asking for extra hours. Come pay day, it all adds up.

2. Monetise your side hustle

Side hustles can be hobbies you usually do for fun, but could easily charge money for.

It can be the difference between volunteering at a cat rescue centre or working for the likes of Mad Paws and earning money to visit cats while their owners are away.

Perhaps you are a gifted painter or knitter; you can sell arts, craft and other such items on websites like Etsy or Facebook Marketplace.

3. Utilise existing skills

If it's a special skill you have, such as an aptitude for high school maths or an ability to put together the most complicated flat-packed furniture, head to tutoring websites or Airtasker.

We're all handy at something, even organising wardrobes or cleaning... there's always someone who will value your skills and will be happy to pay for them.

4. Passive investing

Investing sounds complicated, because it usually is a bit, but there are a number of apps that will help you not only micro-invest, but save cash.

One is Raiz, which simply monitors your spending and rounds up each purchase, transferring into an account you can access on the app for the purposes of investing.

Then there are services like Acorn, which will micro-invest and you can contribute extra funds to.

You don't have to save thousands or even hundreds to get started, and you certainly don't have to learn how to invest and you'll often end up with an extra $200 a month minimum once you are set up.

5. Rent out unused items, spaces

This is definitely the easiest of the options.

If you have any unused furniture, appliances, vehicles, trailers, you can rent them out and make hundreds a month. You can also rent out unused spaces such as storage areas, rooms and garages.

Websites like Rent My Car and FedeRent will help get you started on this simple path.