A side job can help you earn a little cash, add to your savings, or allow you to splurge.
Nearly four in 10 Americans work a side job, allowing them to earn more than $8,200 a year from their extra gig.
A side job can help you earn a little cash, add to your savings, or give you the freedom to splurge once in a while. Finding the right side gig can help you save up and discover new opportunities.
These 11 side jobs can help you make that extra cash to start building your emergency fund, paying down your debts, or saving for retirement.
1. Write a Blog
If you don't have a lot of time during the day, you might want to consider starting a blog. As side hustles go, writing is a very approachable way to make money because you can write whenever your schedule permits.
First, determine your niche. What can you write about, on a regular basis, that people will want to read? It's important that you write about something you enjoy. Once you've decided on a topic, create a blog using WordPress, Medium, or another web service.
The key to creating a blog that will make money is traffic and readership, which means it's critical to write often. Try to set a schedule for yourself to write, at least once a week, at a minimum. Once you have a decent amount of content published, consider signing up for Google Adsense, Taboola or Outbrain, which will automatically place advertisements on your blog.
As your readership and traffic build, you'll start making money. Make sure to advertise your posts on social media to attract more readers to your blog.
If you're not interested in maintaining a blog but love to write, your talents as a freelance writer can earn you money on Fiverr or Upwork. You can write reports, white papers, websites, and more – and set your own price.
Numerous consulting companies, law firms, and other businesses need to produce a steady stream of content for their blogs, and many rely on freelance writers. As a freelance writer, you can research topics and write articles on their behalf.
If you enjoyed writing papers in college, a writing-focused side gig could be excellent for you!
2. Give Help With Proofreading
If you're not interested in writing, what about reading? There are plenty of great side jobs that involve proofreading, especially if you're a detail-oriented person.
Bloggers, websites, and businesses all need proofreaders and will pay well for the service. You can proofread from a laptop anywhere, as long as you have Internet access.
Gig sites like Fiverr or Upwork will facilitate selling your services to end-clients. Once you have the experience, you can start setting your own rates and bill by the hour.
3. Deliver Groceries
Grocery stores are trying to make our lives easier by offering to deliver our groceries. If you don't want to get stuck behind a desk for your side gig, consider delivering food and groceries.
Instacart is a leader in the space, but this trend is growing across the country. In addition to PostMates and DoorDash, you can also sign up to deliver for UberEats and GrubHub. As more food delivery companies pop up, you can find new opportunities.
Naturally, the hours you can work will be limited to the business hours of groceries and restaurants, so if you're looking for something that will let you work during the wee hours, this may not be the solution.
4. Drive for a Ridesharing Company
Unlike delivering groceries, demand for taxis exists at all hours. If you enjoy spending time behind the wheel, working for a ride-sharing company might be a good fit.
Lyft now offers services in over 350 US cities, along with Toronto and Ottawa in Canada. You might also want to look into Uber, the first and largest ride-sharing platform.
With ride-sharing as your side job, you can earn money when you want without having a set schedule.
5. Sell Photos
Do you have a camera and basic Photoshop skills? If so, consider putting those skills to work! Make photography your side hustle and start selling your photos online. Numerous online stock photo services can make this possible.
You can use sites like Shutterstock, iStock or Dreamstime to sell your photos online. It's a good idea to read about how to become a contributor and how to prepare your first photo submissions before setting out to take photos for this purpose.
6. Walk a Dog
Animal lovers can turn their passion into a side hustle by becoming a dog walker.
You can build up your client list the old-fashioned way – ask friends or neighbors who have dogs if they need a dog walker during the day – or sign up for a service like Roverr that can connect you with clients.
7. Sell on Amazon
If you have a lot of old books, movies, or CDs, consider selling them on Amazon or eBay to make a little extra money. In addition to making quick cash, you can also clear out the clutter in your home.
8. Produce Projects
If you're creative, head to Fiverr; a micro-selling site where you can sell creative services online. For example, you can write short articles, design logos, or record yourself on video for a company's brand. Browse their site to learn more about the types of gigs you can sell.
9. Get Crafty
Let your creativity shine and use Etsy to sell your crafts. You can create cards and invitations, jewelry, clothes, and more. In addition to offering great side jobs, Etsy also gives you the chance to build your own business.
10. Coach Online
Do you have experience and knowledge you're ready to share with the world? You might want to become a coach or consultant for others. Sell what you know by offering your online business skills to help someone else. You can sell your time by hosting Skype calls to offer your expertise.
11. Start Assisting
There are also plenty of virtual assistant jobs online. You can help people run their websites, social media accounts, or schedule. As a virtual assistant, you can improve your own skill set while helping someone else for pay.
