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How do you spell love? M-O-N-E-Y. Actually, The Fabulous Thunderbirds lied about that, but “M-O-N-E-Y” does spell financial security. With most people struggling to make their income outpace their expenditures, an extra $500 a month could go a long way.
The following avenues to extra income are hustles that virtually anyone can do, though some may be more immediately feasible than others. Warning: After reading this, there will be no excuse not to bring in more cheddar next month, so proceed at your own risk.
1. Write
In my estimation, people underestimate their ability to write interestingly about their passions and experiences. You have a story to tell and advice to give, so see if someone will pay you to tell it or give it.
Trust me, the idea of your collecting an extra $500 per month writing about personal finance, your pet chihuahua, or your last vacation is not as far-fetched as you might assume.
2. Become a Pet Sitter
If you aren’t aware, the Uber gig economy model has reached the animal kingdom. Where once you had to board your dog or cat at the kennel or with that one friend who could handle them, there are now websites and apps (like Rover) where petsitters sit on constant standby.
Whether you want to be a dog walker only or are willing to house- and pet-sit for someone as they backpack through Europe, extra cash awaits.
3. Watch the Elderly
Whether you have a family member who long ago swapped molars for dentures, or you want to make yourself available to the one in six Americans who are 65 or older, getting your caregiver certification could bring the financial relief you seek.
If you are willing to invest the time, effort, and funds upfront, becoming a certified caregiver in your state could make you a high-value asset who forms meaningful bonds while padding your bank account.
4. Deliver Food
You probably could’ve guessed DoorDash, Uber Eats, and other food delivery apps would be on this list. You might even go old school with it, seeking a part-time gig as a Domino’s driver.
The guaranteed base rate for a DoorDash order ranges between $2 and $10, and you have to account for gas and vehicle depreciation when you become a delivery driver. You’re not going to get rich, but there are worse ways to make a few hundred supplemental bucks.
5. Become a Personal Assistant
You might fear the prospect of becoming Ari Gold’s personal punching bag, Lloyd, in Entourage, but being a personal assistant can be a fruitful part-time gig for those with strong organizational skills and a desire to be someone’s go-to guy or gal.
There are many online certifications for those seeking to lend a helping hand for pay. A certification is likely the least you should do if you expect to compete for any desirable assistant-ship.
6. Teach English
Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) recommends you get your certification to “pick up a side hustle to earn some extra cash.” The influx of immigrants and students who don’t speak English fluently isn’t going to slow anytime soon, so you may as well take advantage.
You will likely need a certification, but you probably already have the educational prerequisites to become a part-time English instructor.
7. Open Your Personal Thrift Shop
Too many people think outside the box when looking for income streams when they should be looking inside the shoe box, closet, or junk drawer.
The internet has become our personal thrift shop, with sites like eBay, OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor, and Craigslist allowing you to list everything from lightly used Dolce & Gabbana to heavily used lawnmowers. Worst-case scenario, nobody bites.
8. Tutor
American students are still lagging behind prior generations’ learning benchmarks, thanks to detrimental policies that kept students out of the classroom in 2020 and beyond. Tutors may be the only hope to regain ground and ensure graduates don’t start their adult lives behind the eight ball.
Tutor demand has skyrocketed post-pandemic, and some federal funds have gone toward broadening access to individualized instruction. Consider getting certified in a field you’re passionate about (or at least knowledgeable of).
9. Detail Vehicles
Most of us feel shame whenever we open the driver-side door to an avalanche of paper cups, sneakers, and other unidentifiable debris. We want to take better care of the vehicles that get us where we need to go, but time constraints and other excuses make us perpetual victims of the jokesters who write “Wash Me” in the inch-thick layer of pollen that coats your Prius.
Take advantage of Americans’ shame by bringing a detailing service to the clientele’s front door.
10. Share Your Ride
To be transparent, Uber drivers have reported marked declines in the value of fares. Then there are fees, gas prices, and maintenance expenses, which one Uber driver says led him to take home only 16% of the $109,000 in gross earnings in 2023.
While ridesharing may not be the reliable source of additional income it once was, it remains an option for cash-needy drivers with a qualifying vehicle and a relatively clean record.
11. Get on TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit fills the sizable gap between jobs a contractor would do, and the one-off gigs you can’t (or don’t want to) do yourself. You wouldn’t call a handyman to assemble your IKEA desk or hold the other end of the measuring tape, and that’s where Taskers come in.
If you “have the skills and abilities” to complete TaskRabbit’s lengthy list of gigs, you might have found the source of supplementary cheddar you’ve been seeking.
12. Become a Part-Time Landscaper
Do some market research before you purchase thousands of dollars in lawn equipment. There are some underserved markets where investing in new equipment could be justified. This entry is aimed primarily at those who already have a mower, edger, and other equipment they use for their lawns.
Whether you go door-to-door at houses that need a cut, advertise your services online, or do both, it’s time to let your John Deere start paying for itself.
13. Take Online Surveys
The quality of pay typically mirrors the difficulty of the job. Don’t expect to get rich answering questions online.
That said, those seeking a modest, low-effort side hustle should watch review videos of paid online survey sites.Swagbucks and Survey Junkie are among the well-regarded survey sites.
14. Referee
The referee landscape in America is bleak in virtually every way. Being an umpire or enforcing the rules on the basketball court has never been such an abusive, high-risk gig, while the younger generation just doesn’t seem as interested in spending their free time middle-manning athletic events.
These challenges have sparked a nationwide ref shortage. The kids need refs to play the formative games that made our childhoods worth living, so step up to the plate and make some extra money while parents hurl verbal jabs your way. You’ll live.
15. Pick Up Extra Shifts
The oldest trick in the book for putting distance between yourself and your debt collectors is to leverage your existing revenue stream(s). Take the very same job you have been doing, and do more of it.
Too many people assume extra shifts are unavailable or that they can’t handle doing a single minute more of the job they hate. The shifts may be available, and you can handle them, particularly if your financial circ*mstances have led you to consider extra income sources.
16. Find Leaks in Your Budget
A dollar saved is more valuable than a dollar earned, as you have to pay taxes on the dollar earned. If you want to stretch your dollars earned, look for unjustifiable subscriptions, go rate-hunting with auto insurers, and identify other leaks in the budget.
If you find enough leaks, you might not even have to start driving Uber, take on more hours, or become a tutor. The savings from cold, hard budgetary analysis could provide the financial breathing room you seek.
17. Play the Referral Game
There are countless ways to reap referral bonuses, from credit cards to cellular services and software. You might be wary of asking friends or family to act on your referral, but you might consider splitting the referral bonus proceeds with them as an incentive.
Better yet, identify others in your life who are seeking extra income, form a roving referral gang, and start taking these bonus-issuing companies to the cleaners.
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