Earn/Save Money

Your Side Hustle: 9 Great Ideas to Make Money on the Side

So you have a job you like, but you need some extra cash. Maybe something broke down on your car, maybe you’re saving for a dream vacation, or maybe you’re just tired of never being able to do anything because you’re broke. That’s no fun. So how can you make some extra cash without having to sell bodily fluids or be a girl who just needs bands to make her dance? Here are 9 great ideas to make money on the side:

1. Tutor

Websites like Tutor.com provide online opportunities for those who possess strong content knowledge in subjects like english, math, science, or social studies at the level you wish to tutor. Most websites cover elementary grade through first year college, and for most subjects, an applicant must be a college sophomore or higher or have graduated from an accredited University. Bottom line, if you sucked in school you should probably stay away from this one – you won’t be doing any little kids any favors.

Pay: Their most active chemistry tutors earn anywhere from $800 to $1600 a month.

2. Pet sitting/dog walking

If you’re good with animals, you can make decent money taking care of peoples pets when they’re out of town or by dog walking if you have a flexible schedule.Use Craigslist to post your availability, put posters in local animal hospitals, or join a site like Sittercity.com.  Be prepared to deal with cats that might scratch you and dogs that take forever to pee.

Pay: In NYC, dog walkers generally charge about $20 per walk and $10-$15 per half hour for pet sitting. I feel like that’s more than people pay to watch their kids, and this is very likely much more enjoyable.

pet sitter jobs

3. Bartender/waitress

In NYC, this is pretty much the go-to job for every struggling model/actor who generally ends up making more money in this side job then they ever will in their glamorous day job (and I know this from personal experience). Especially if you live in a bigger city, working at a busy restaurant or bar can mean a very nice paycheck. Hours are generally flexible, so you can work nights and maybe even meet some interesting people along the way.

Pay: This really varies depending on where you work, but working in nightlife can have a huge payoff if you can handle the hours and annoying drunk people.

4. Catering

Ah another favorite among NYC youth. In big cities there are always so many different events going on that require people to hand out tiny little fancy caviar bites and champagne to people with too much money. There are also positions open to cook if you’re any good at that.

Pay: In most places, this pays $10-$15/hour, but in NYC you can get paid anywhere between $25-$40/hour for events.

5. Turn your car into an advertisement

make money on the side

Websites like freecarmedia.com can get you paid up to $400 a month depending on the advertiser you are matched up with. You simply register online, and if you match an advertiser’s criteria, your vehicle will be either fully wrapped in a vinyl decal or just the rear window will display an ad. The catch is that you’ll need to learn about the product so you can answer questions people may ask, and you’re required to drive a certain number of miles a month. You’ll have to live in an attractive demographic area and drive a decent car – and make sure you never take the offer if you have to put any money out – that’s a scam.

Pay: $300-$500 a month

6. Sell people’s stuff on eBay

I personally did this for a little while, and it was a great way to earn a little extra cash. If you have a knack for selling things on eBay (and if you don’t, you can just read my Tutorial), you can charge 10-15% fee for all the items you sell for people. You can generally just work through word-of-mouth with your friends getting rid of their old unworn designer shoes and bags. Everyone has something in their closet they no longer use that is worth some money, but don’t have the time or patience to list it themselves. Just be prepared to deal with answering potential buyers questions and ensuring whatever you sell is shipped and tracked properly.

Pay: For example, I sold a friends old Louis Vuitton Purse online for $900. I took $90. Not bad for 20 minutes of taking pictures/listing and then sending it to the buyer.

7. Work Freelance

If you have a marketable skill like graphic design, writing, PR or SEO – many companies would prefer to hire freelance workers than to have to pay people to work full time with benefits. There are multiple web sites where you can post your resume and search job listings, including elance.comratracerebellion.com and flexjobs.com. Some sites charge a commission or a flat fee to access the listings, but others are free.

Pay: Varies widely depending on the type of work you provide, but freelancers generally get paid more per project than salaried workers (on average $25-$75.hour).

8. Rent out your place

The popularity of sites like airbnb.com have made it easier to rent out your place to people you can trust when you go away. Especially if you live in an attractive city, you can make great money renting out your home while you’re not there. If you have a hard time picturing strangers in your bed, then this isn’t an option for you, but if you’re just fine burning your sheets when you get home then maybe this is worth a shot.

Pay: Varies depending on where you live and what your place is like.

9. Run someone else’s errands 

On TaskRabbit.com, you search listings of errands posted by people in your area that include everything from data entry to event planning to assembling or repairing furniture.

Pay: What you’ll make varies depending on the chore (grocery shopping is $35 on average, house cleaning is about $60)

 

It may not be very glamorous work, but a side job can really pay off and sometimes even be enjoyable. Do you have any other suggestions for great work you can do on the side?

17 Comments

  1. Pingback: Staying Cool with Van Repairs and Great Reads 5.19.13 — Faithful With A Few

  2. Pingback: 6 Signs You're Terrible With Money (And How to Change That) - The Frugal Model

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

*