10 Ways to Make Money During the Pandemic The economy has struggled to rebound from such a difficult year. Here's how you can make some extra cash to help you get through 2020.

Let's not sugarcoat this: the past few months have been devastating. Even if you haven't personally experienced a tragic loss of a loved one or your businesses, the economy right now has still probably impacted your finances.

As a consequence, you may be scrambling to find new sources of income. If you are looking for sources of income to hold you over until things pick up, you're in luck. There are plenty of ways to make money during this current pandemic.

If you're one of the lucky ones who came out of this unscathed, you could use the extra money to pay down your debt or place a little into an emergency savings account.

1. Capitalize on businesses boosted by the current climate.

During the early days of the pandemic, savvy business owners adapted and pivoted to meet new customer demands. Examples would be breweries and distilleries selling hand sanitizer or clothing manufacturers producing masks.

Unfortunately, the ship might have sailed on some of these new business ventures. Case in point: There are many distilleries now stuck with an inventory of unsold sanitizer. And, the mask market has become fiercely competitive.

However, there are still in-demand businesses that you could launch. These include:

• Cleaning services. During the lockdown, this might not have been a viable option. However, as more places are reopening, janitorial service are highly in demand.
• E-learning. Traditional educational institutions have gone viral. In fact, even if it doesn't stick, it's anticipated that in India alone there will be 10 million additional enrollment by 2021. Additionally, the pandemic has also reignited interest in massive open online courses (MOOCs) and webinars.
• Entertainment. Even prior to the pandemic, immersive games, VR and dating apps were trending upward. So, if you have an entertaining app idea, there's still room for you to enter into this market.
• Pharmaceutical and medical devices. The coronavirus definitely put a spotlight on this industry. But, because of an aging opportunity, there are still opportunities for you to start a medical supply or care business.
• Virtual healthcare. Speaking of health, 2020 has put virtual healthcare front and center. In fact, it's expected to reach $3.44 billion by 2027.
• Logistics. The outbreak has without question disrupted the supply chain. As such, there might be an opportunity for you to help solve this problem.
• Contactless technology. Innovations like automatic sanitizers to voice-activated have technologies have become increasingly popular in order to prevent the spread of germs.
• Electronic transfers. For years, I've been championing contactless payments like digital wallets. Besides the flexibility and convenience, they don't contain germs like notes and coins.

Related: 4 Tips for Discovering a Great Business Idea During the Pandemic

2. Sell your stuff.

Even before the outbreak, I was on a decluttering kick. Why? Well, I was fed-up looking for misplaced items. Additionally, the stuff on my desk was distracting. And, it's improved my decision-making — fewer clothes in my closet means fewer choices on what I should wear.

Another perk? It's put some extra cash into my hands.

For sentence, I've been able to sell old smartphones and tablets on sites like Gazelle and uSell. Even if your electronics are damaged you can still sell them. And, you'll get paid via check, PayPal, or Amazon gift card.

If you have slightly worn clothing, list your items on Poshmark or thredUP.com. Excess furniture? Head over to Chairish. Do you have books or collectibles collecting dust? Sell them on BookScouter.com or good, old eBay.

3. Find a part-time gig.

Is this the most glamorous way to make money? Not exactly. However, if you need to make some extra money it's definitely worth considering.

Whether it's with a local grocery store or a national chain, these stores still need people to restock the shelves. You may even run a register or deliver items to customers. Regardless of what your exact responsibilities will be, part-time jobs are flexible and a guaranteed way to make money within the next couple of weeks.

4. Offer childcare services.

Parents are in a quagmire right now. They have to go to work, but their children may still be home. That's where you can come in and save the day by providing childcare services. Best of all? You have a couple of different options to go about this.

Your first would be converting your home into a daycare. If you decide to do this, make sure that you first obtain the proper insurance and licensing requirements. But, if you're only watching a couple of kids, you may be able to bypass this.

Your second option would be to go to someone else's home. For example, you could watch and tutor children while their parents are working at the other end of the house. The main advantage of this is that you don't have to be concerned with any red tape. And this is much easier to maintain your social bubble.

5. Share your skills and expertise.

Are you an in-demand expert? I'm talking about accountants, lawyers, mechanics or even antique appraisers. If so, you can potentially earn up to $60,000 over at JustAnswer.

But, don't fret if you don't fall into that category. There is still a wide range of remote freelance gigs available through FlexJobs, Indeed or PeoplePerHour. Examples include customer service agents, virtual assistants, bookkeepers, graphic designers or IT support. In most cases, you can make between $12 to $20 per hour.

Related: 18 Freelance Sites to Find Your Next Gig

6. Run errands for others.

If you're like me, you probably dread venturing out of your home these days. You know. Better safe than sorry.

But, you still need essential items like food. That's when clever individuals can rake in the dough. And in my opinion, it's a great idea if your side hustle as a Lyft or Uber driver has plummeted.

You could deliver pizza or join a service like DoorDash or InstaCart. You could even offer services like picking-up and dropping off dry cleaning or becoming someone's personal shopper. If done right, you can easily make a couple of grand each month.

7. Get paid for your opinions.

Sites like Survey Junkie, Swagbucks or Vindale Research pay you to take surveys online. They usually only take a couple of minutes to complete, and they are incredibly easy to boot.

The downside? The pay isn't all that, usually between $3 to $35 per survey. But, right now, any extra income should be embraced.

8. Redeem rewards points.

I'm going to be frank here: If you aren't cashing in on your credit card rewards, then you're throwing money away. But, how can you redeem these rewards amidst a global pandemic?

As you probably know, many rewards are travel-related. It could be miles or discounts on hotels and car rental. Since you're not traveling as much, you probably aren't redeeming these rewards. Thankfully, you do have alternatives like newspaper subscriptions or identity protection.

I get it. Those aren't as exciting as your travels. But, it's better than letting them go to waste.

9. Optimize your recurring expenses.

You probably have some extra time on your hands these days. Instead of twiddling your thumbs or binge-watching a TV series, use this to your advantage.

In this case, I'm referring to getting your budget back in order. While it's not exactly a way to make money, it is a passive income. After all, you can see where you wasting your hard-earned money. When you do, you can then cancel any subscriptions or memberships that are not currently necessary.

Related: The Pandemic May Change the Way Financial Advisors Operate Forever

10. Invest wisely.

You may be hesitant to even consider this. I mean the stock market has been volatile. But, you can still safely invest: Bonds, as an example, provide you with a cushion against stocks. They can also deliver an additional income stream. The same is true with CDs and mutual funds. Currently, it's advised that you avoid long-term bonds to reduce the risk of losing money due to inflation.

You can also still invest in stocks as well. In particular, conservative stocks that pay reliable dividends.