Having a side hustle can be very empowering at a time in the world where the economy seems to be taking hit after hit from this pandemic. The world is returning to normal, but it is doing so very slowly, and expenses will keep going up. Your regular job should supply you with the capital you need for your regular payments. A side hustle is what you need to give you a bit more wiggle room when planning your finances.
A side hustle can be anything that makes you money. Doing something you enjoy or that has value will make it easier for you to stay consistent with your side income work. It can be something simple like joining a rideshare platform so you can work on your own time and not have to think too hard. Some people choose a side hustle like getting their beauty school certificate or accomplishing a micropigmentation training program, so they can do a job they enjoy while practicing valuable skills.
Often, your motivation for starting the side hustle is what will keep you going on the days when it gets tricky. Many people work a job on the side to pay off their student debt while saving money towards a new car or a down payment for a house. Others earn the extra cash, so they can use it to boost the family emergency savings to start college funds for their kids. A few people use the money they earn on the side to speculate and learn about investing in stocks and bonds.
It’s a good idea to sit down and plan out what you want the extra money for and how much you need to earn to meet your goal. This will help you know how much of a time commitment you’re willing to make and thus make it easier for you to choose the right side hustle.
Rideshare
There are many rideshare apps you can join and begin using your vehicle as your workspace. These apps allow you the flexibility to work when you have the time. You can make a lot of money at night and on weekends, usually when you would be free as well. Some services like Lyft offer bonuses and incentives to keep their drivers motivated. This is an excellent way to make a few hundred dollars every week.
Delivery Services
Services like DoorDash and Instacard Shopper allow you to make a few hundred dollars a week as well. As DoorDash relies on the amount of takeout you make, you may want to determine if your city or area uses the service a lot before signing up. Otherwise, you may find that you expend a lot of effort for not enough money.
Instacart Shopper is suitable for people who enjoy shopping as you will have to follow someone’s grocery list and then deliver the items to them. This can be quite weary on your car, and you can find yourself driving across the city several times a day. But on a good run, you can make a few hundred dollars in a day, so some people find it worth the trouble.
Online Surveys
This is a good option for people who want a little extra pocket money for luxuries as it does not pay a great deal. Services like Survey Junkie will pay you to take online surveys about famous brands and pay up to $20 per survey. Many people also find it quite dull to do surveys for extended periods.
Offer a Room on Airbnb
This is an excellent way to earn money with minimal effort on your part. You can rent out an extra room in your home on Airbnb and earn enough to pay your rent so you can save money. Airbnb allows you to decide the days that your home is available, and you can charge guests a cleaning fee, so you do not lose money by having to clear up after them. If you get recognized as a good host, you will start receiving more bookings and increase your earnings.
Proofread Content
Many writers need help with proofreading their work. This is a perfect side hustle for men who are good at spotting grammatical errors and enjoy polishing written content. It’s also easy to work at it around your current schedule, and you can take as many or as few jobs a week as you want.
Pinterest Virtual Assistant
This is a great job for organized people who enjoy visual content. Online business owners and bloggers who sell merchandise will pay Pinterest virtual assistants to help create pins, optimize web images and correct them for size, dimensions, and resolution. You can expand your services by offering to develop a schedule for making regular pins and offering various effecting keywords to use with each shared image.
Freelance Bookkeeping
This is an excellent job for accountants and clerks who enjoy their work and add to their resumes while making extra cash. Freelance bookkeepers can offer their services to small businesses and online sellers who need help collecting payments, keeping up-to-date financial records, filing taxes, and managing payroll.
You can get paid quite well for these activities, and it would allow you to choose the number of hours or days per week that you are willing to work. Some people enjoy the variety and continue to earn money by working for a variety of clients. Some people who want a bit more stability can arrange for part-time contract positions with long-time clients and maintain their flexibility while earning a steady paycheck.
Sell on Etsy
This is for amateur artists and hobbyists who make or paint items that have commercial value. Many people nowadays reject the easily mass-produced items available in most shops and looking for things and gifts that reflect originality and creativity.
You can make a reasonable sum from selling your artwork and give yourself more incentive to keep practicing your craft. Custom jewelry, artistic license plates, home decor items, cool belts, and wooden birdhouses are all items that are popular on Etsy.
If you have a regular job, you are already trained in a field that makes money. If you enjoy your field, you can consider offering your skills on the side and other businesses. Sound designers, graphic designers, and web developers can easily find work and charge competitive prices based on the level of expertise and experience they bring.
Most of these freelance jobs can be done within your schedule and give you the flexibility to ensure that you do not get swamped and can maintain your momentum and productivity in both careers. Once you have done enough work to build a portfolio, building a website where you can display your work and start taking bookings might be a good idea. This will allow you to reduce the amount of time you spend searching for work as clients can now find you.
