How to Make Extra Cash with a Side Hustle

If you think you might have enough time in your schedule to pick up an extra job, but a part-time job sounds too demanding, consider a side hustle!

A side hustle is a job that you take on outside of your usual work. Typically, the term “side hustle’’ refers to owning a business, freelancing, or task work. With a side hustle, you’re on YOUR schedule. You set your hours and (in many cases) your rates! It’s all about finding your niche or area of expertise and then boom: you start earning extra money.

Unlike a part-time job, there may be less commitment required to a side hustle. You can pick it up for just a few hours per week whenever you have extra time.

Gig Work

Gig work has become increasingly popular as a side hustle option over the last decade or so, and here are some of the best options:

Ridesharing/Food Delivery

Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, GrubHub, the list goes on and on. These are some of the most popular ways to make extra cash, and most likely the ones you’ve heard of the most over the past few years. Maybe you want to deliver food directly to customers or maybe you like the idea of being a modern-day chauffeur – the great news is that most of these companies require no certifications other than the drive to earn extra money and a reliable vehicle!

Tasking

Are you handy or strong? Do you have a special skill for home maintenance such as painting or power washing? Would you like to earn extra money by helping people move? You can use apps like Taskrabbit and Thumbtack to advertise your skills. Anyone can create an account and hire you for one-off or ongoing tasks.

Babysitting, Pet Care, and Housekeeping

Signing up to be a babysitter (Care.com, UrbanSitter, etc.) or a pet sitter (Rover, etc.) is another way to make extra money while working on a schedule that YOU create, only working when you want to! You’ll have to fill out your profile and list out your experience – the better you fill out your profile, the better your chances are of getting clients. You can also try asking around your neighborhood or asking friends and family if they need help with their kids or pets. The same goes for housekeeping.

Specialty Side Hustles

It’s not all about the big, well-known side hustles. Maybe you have skills that fall outside of the major gig work. Maybe you’re a little more creative. If you have a special talent, the following side hustles might be best for you.

Fitness and Wellness Coaching

If you have a passion for personal health and wellness, you can inspire and motivate others and earn extra money while doing it. That’s what the world of fitness and wellness coaching is all about. You can offer consultations at an hourly rate, or even create a website and blog with online courses.

Etsy Shops

If you’re especially creative or just have a knack for creating by hand, then Etsy is a great way to earn extra money! It’s the place where people sell everything from handmade pieces of art to jewelry. If you’re a photoshop wizard, you can even create digital products such as social media templates and print-outs.

Tutoring

Even if you don’t have full-time teaching experience, you can use your expertise to help local students (or virtual students). You can find opportunities using a vendor like tutor.com or you can post a listing in your local community.

Social Media Consulting

Social media is only becoming more important, not less, for businesses. However, it’s a niche skill. Some people who are running businesses don’t even have their own social profiles, let alone business profiles. If you have a large social media following and feel that you are good at creating social content, try reaching out to local businesses (or use a freelance site like Upwork to find clients) and ask if they need help marketing their products or services on social media. You can charge an hourly or a per-post rate, and if you’re good at it, it can turn into a big side hustle.

Blogging

There are a few ways you can make money from blogging – and if you find a topic that you are passionate about, it can be easy and fun! You can use a platform like Medium, where you can earn money based on how many views your posts get, or you can start your own website and make money from affiliate marketing (sponsored posts). You could even sell products from your blog’s website.

Freelancing

You can take just about any skill you have and turn it into a freelancing career. Some of the most common freelance side hustles are graphic design, copywriting, voiceover work, video editing, social media marketing, and website development. Freelancing is the ultimate creative side hustle in 2021. Websites such as Upwork are great tools in connecting freelancers to companies who are looking for talented people to help them produce content.

Other Ways to Make Quick Cash

If freelancing and side gigs are not really your speed, you can still make some quick cash in a few other ways.

Sell Your Stuff

Take a look around your home and find things that you no longer need. A good rule of thumb is to look for things that you forgot you had or that you haven’t touched in at least a year. You can sell your clothes on the popular app Poshmark, and Facebook Marketplace is a great, safe way to sell furniture and home goods.

Participate in Research Studies

Not many people are aware of the fact that yes, you can get paid for being a participant in research studies! Throw “research studies near me” into your next Google search and be prepared to be bombarded with many more ways to earn extra money. This doesn’t have to mean risking your health for a medical study – it can be as simple as trying a new skincare product or taste-testing snacks. You can also use sites like Respondent or focusgroup.com to find studies that you qualify for.

Online Surveys

While you most likely won’t make thousands from online surveys, you can certainly make some extra change. It’s also a very passive way of making extra money, in that you can answer surveys while you’re listening to music or watching a movie, all from the comfort of your couch. With InboxDollars, you can make money from watching videos, and Swagbucks gives you $10 just for joining.

No matter how you choose to rock your side hustle, the team at Rain is rooting for you! If you have a Rain account, check in with our financial coaches (free) via the live chat tool to ask your questions about side hustles and financial wellness.