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It’s no secret that life can be expensive, not to mention that it likes to throw those lovely curve balls our way every once in a while. Parking ticket, flat tire, holiday spending, etc. can have us all scraping our home to find every penny to make it through to the next paycheck. Instead of scrambling, think offensive when it comes to bringing home the bacon. We all have jobs, but with a little time management and planning, we can make additional money on the side. While there are a lot (seriously a ton) of options to choose from, I included only the top five that I think would be the easiest and have the highest reward.
Finding a platform to share your content is so easy now. Websites are just about as easy to design and function as a Facebook profile. Most people own or have access to a smart phone where they can record video and tutorials to upload 24/7. With all these tools at our fingertips, why don’t we make money off of it? Once you get your videos or blogs going, there are multiple ways to make money from there, we could go on and on, but I’m just going to focus on the easiest. Affiliate marketing. Not familiar with affiliate marketing? Here is a quick example. Shelly is so great with at home craft projects, so much so that she started a blog with weekly videos showing how to create a at home craft on a budget. At the end of each video she posts links to the tools that she used for the episode as well as any supplies that she used so her viewers can have the tools to make it themselves. All of the links go back to Amazon products. Her audience watches the videos, decides to do the project and happily clicks the links provided to purchase the supplies that they need. So where is Shelly making money?
Shelly was smart and signed up for a free Amazon Affiliate account, so every time one of her viewers clicks her link to buy the products that she sponsors and uses, she gets 10% commission for it! Not only has that, having links to Amazon in her posts increased her chances of those posts being seen in searches. Just think, one post a week, 50 people watch the video, 35 decide to do the project, and 20 click through eventually buying at least ONE of the items. Money in Shelly’s bank. Just for being smart. Think this is for you? Find out more here.
I think we’re all pretty familiar with the car service, Uber, at this point. (If you’re not, it’s a transportation service where people use their own cars and all transactions are done via the Uber app.) Not only is Uber an easy and fast way to make cash on your time but the company has designed it to be a side hustle gig for their drivers. What does this mean for you? This job is perfect for the person with free weekends or might want to commit to a few evenings a week. No one is holding you accountable to show up, you set your own hours, it’s your vehicle, and you can sign off anytime. Uber gives you all the tools that you need to be successful. Plus, all rides have a base fare and increase with time and distance, fares also increase if demand is higher than normal. Not great with directions? No problem. The Uber app for drivers has built in navigation to direct you every step of the way.
How do you get started? Download the Uber app or head to uber.com/drive to start the process. Minimum requirements are; 21 years old, one year of driving history (3 years if under 23 years old), have a valid U.S. driver’s license, and an eligible 4 door vehicle (eligibility is based on local regulations). You are also required to show proof of insurance and vehicle registration. Then Uber screens you for criminal history and your driving history.
For those who don’t know, Airbnb is an alternative to the typical hotel or motel. Here people are renting out their homes or just rooms in their homes to guests for a rate. Airbnb refers to these people as hosts. Now, I know this one can be a tough pill to swallow for some people that are more private than others, but if you have a guest room that never gets used it’s a great way to make extra cash. Also, this is very flexible as you can set your rate and how often you would want to host.
If you aren’t comfortable with hosting in your home, there are other options for you. You could become a co-host, here you assist the host by reviewing guests, overseeing cleaning, and handling check in and check out, or simply show the guest around the community for a percentage of the host’s profits. Not for you? Host an experience. You know your area more than anyone. If you have expertise or a passion that you can share with travelers, advertise on Airbnb. Again you pick how long and the price. With all of these options, Airbnb takes additional time to make sure that your property is protected against anything that could happen. All hosts are eligible for coverage for no cost. Think that becoming a host is for you? Find out more here.
Now this one was new for me, but I just downloaded the app and it’s pretty freaking awesome. Basically what this does, is that Gigwalk “customers” (aka businesses or companies) post gigs in your area that you can apply for. Now these aren’t your typical 9-5 jobs, this is purely side hustle. It could be as simple as, going to a store and taking a picture of a display for $5 or taking a picture of a store’s outside sign. You send the images to the company with any other corresponding information and then you get paid.
Seems too easy, right? Well it’s not and even the app is free. Throughout my research it was noted several times that great gigs aren’t available until you establish some credibility so if you don’t find anything exciting at first, complete a few gigs first before giving up. For more information you can visit their site here, gigwalk.com, or download their free app and start working gigs yourself!
Task Rabbit operates under very similar principles as Gigwalk with a few differences. Task Rabbit is specifically designed for consumer to consumer use. People can post tasks such as handyman projects, movers, cleaning, delivery, shopping, etc. The ads are posted on Task Rabbit with either an hourly or daily rate and you can accept those tasks in the specified time that the client has designated. What’s great about this is that you’re paid the same day. You are also given all information up front so there is no confusion, you can speak directly with the client in a chat session through the app as well so you don’t have to release any personal information such as your phone number or email.
Since Task Rabbit does operate that those who are accepting tasks are knowledgeable in those areas (aka handymen need to know how to use tools) the screening process is a little more in depth. They also do an onboarding that is in your area to make sure that you have all the information that you need. Think Task Rabbit is for you? Check out their site and get started this week at taskrabbit.com/become-a-tasker.
As I mentioned before, there are so many ways to make money on the side that don’t have to impede on your life. These are just a few, I would encourage you to check out some for yourself and find the best option for you. All of the listed options have one thing in common; you control when you’re working and how much you’re making as a gig worker. Obviously the more you do a side hustle, the more that you make, but don’t turn this into another 40 hour job for you. Making $25 extra a week is $100 extra a month and $1200 extra a year! While it may not seem like a ton at first, you will be thankful that you started this down the line. Now, get hustling!