Most of us could use some extra cash. That’s especially true during the sociable summer season when long weekends and vacations wreak havoc on our budgets. If you’re in the market for a side gig, you’ll find plenty of opportunities both online and offline. Some of these ideas require background knowledge or specialized skills and expertise. However, most of them can be done by just about anyone. Here are 26 quick examples.
Become a Temp
Temp agencies provide staffing solutions to businesses who need short-term help. You don’t necessarily need relevant experience. Just be reliable, willing to try new things, and stay open to working evenings and weekends.
Start a Blog
Launching a blog lets you cash in on ad revenue once you build up a solid readership. That can take time, but you can accelerate your efforts by using online tutorials to build your search engine and marketing savvy.
Code
Programming, web development, and software development all offer potentially lucrative side gig opportunities to those with the necessary skills. You don’t need formal credentials to get started, as long as you have demonstrated knowledge of in-demand programming languages.
Do Errands For Others
A lot of people are too busy to run their own errands, which explains the popularity of platforms like Agent Anything, Door Dash, and Postmates. Sign up to become an errand runner and earn extra money whenever you have some extra time.
Become a Rideshare Driver
If you have your own vehicle and the proper insurance, you can start driving for a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft right away. Drivers can make up to $25 an hour or more, with the ability to scale up or scale down as desired.
Deliver Stuff
UberEATS has become wildly popular, but it’s far from the only place to find a casual part-time delivery job. Check with local courier services and big companies like UPS. They often hire people to help out as a side gig.
Wash Cars
This is an easy job you can do from home in your spare time. Just charge slightly less than the going rate for full service at a local car wash and you should have no problem finding business. You can also offer your services to local car dealers.
Monetize Your Vehicle
If you don’t always need your vehicle, you can monetize it on platforms like GetAround and Turo. Alternately, you could sign up with a company like Carvertise to earn up to $100 a month to place ads on your car.
Monetize Your Home
Airbnb and VRBO are the leaders in the peer-to-peer homestay business. If you’ve got a spare bedroom or own a rental property, list it to visitors and vacationers and earn easy extra money.
Tutor
Summer is a great for tutors, as it’s the ideal time for students to brush up on their academics without overloading their schedules. Advertise your tutoring services online and in local small businesses, or call local tutoring companies to see who’s hiring.
Referee Sports
If you’re a sports fan and a stickler for rules, you can earn a bit of extra money while providing a useful service to local youth and intramural sports leagues. Games are typically scheduled during the evening, making this a schedule-friendly side gig option.
Babysit
If you enjoy being around children, you can put the word out that you’re available for babysitting duty. Start with people who know and trust you, and build out from there by gathering referrals.
Pet-Sit
Sometimes, people can’t take their pets with them when they go on vacation. Animal lovers can earn some extra cash on the side by dog walking and pet sitting.
House-Sit
Even though home monitoring apps have become more popular, there’s still no substitute for having someone stay in your home to guard it while you’re away. As a casual part-time gig, you can also offer to check in on a vacant property a few times a day to make sure everything is okay.
Provide Customer Service
A lot of bigger companies, especially in the financial services, insurance, and telecommunications sectors, hire part-time customer service representatives. Some even offer workers the opportunity to work from home using their own phones and computers, and wages can go up to $20 an hour.
Micro-Task
Amazon’s Mechanical Turk is one of the top micro-tasking sites on the internet. Micro-tasking involves completing short, easy jobs like proofreading, filling out forms, and transcribing oral notes in exchange for flat-rate pay.
Become an Online Researcher
This freelance gig will pay you to research and write thoughtful, accurate answers to user questions. Most questions are of an academic nature, and platforms like Upwork, Freelancer.com, and Wonder all offer the opportunity to turn your subject expertise into a solid side gig.
Be a Tour Guide
If you have in-depth knowledge about the city where you live and love to show it off to visitors, you meet the basic requirements for becoming a tour guide. Create a website to launch your own business or seek opportunities with established companies that operate in your city.
Moderate
Head to ICUC or Modsquad to seek out part-time opportunities to work as a moderator on online forums, chat rooms, and social media sites. You don’t require any technical knowledge to get started.
Offer Home Staging Services
Got an eye for detail? Offer home staging services to local real estate professionals and get paid to prepare homes to showcase to prospective buyers.
Mystery Shop
Turn your love of shopping into a lucrative side gig by becoming a mystery shopper that rates customer service, store cleanliness, and other similar factors. Companies like IntelliShop, Perception Strategies, and BestMark have good reputations.
Proofread
If you have a good eye for grammar, you can score a freelance proofreading gig. Freelancing platforms like Elance and Upwork have plenty of opportunities, even for entry-level readers with no experience.
Join TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit provides a wealth of opportunity to people seeking side gigs. Partners are known as Taskers, and can sign up for jobs ranging from cleaning and errands to product assembly and DIY repairs. You can set your own rate, and some full-timers make thousands of dollars a month on the platform.
Lead a Fitness Class
If you’re in shape and love motivating others, you could make an extra $25 an hour or more leading fitness classes. Go solo or inquire with local gyms and fitness centers to find opportunities.
Get Paid to Lose Weight
Need a bit of extra motivation to get in shape? Check out sites like HealthyWage, who pay participants to join weight loss teams. The more weight you lose, the more you can earn!
Research Patents
Government agencies, intellectual property law firms, research companies, and corporations all hire part-time researchers to see if original ideas are actually original. You can earn anywhere from $100 to $1,000 per gig or more.
Need More Ideas?
These are just a few of the hundreds of ways you can turn your down time into extra money. The gig economy has made it easier than ever to find casual part-time work that lets you set your own schedule. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the leading jobs for self-employed individuals include web development, software development, copy writing, creative professions, bookkeeping and accounting, and IT tech. If you’ve got job-ready skills in any of these fields, you can put them to work on the side as nice income supplements.
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