Working 9-5pm Monday-Friday is great. A full time job will pay the bills. But what about the fun stuff? How can I afford that on top of my daily living expenses? And what about student loan debt? Is there a way to help pay that off too?
Well, you are in luck, because there is. You can work your 9-5pm job and have a little gig on the side, a side hustle if you will, to help pay for all your extra costs. We’ll go through some of the best side hustle ideas and ways to make some extra money below.
>>> Tip: Get your side hustle on with Swagbucks. This free rewards app has paid over $780 million to online hustlers for taking short surveys, trying new deals, searching the web, playing games, and more.
What Is A Side Hustle?
We’ve mentioned this term “side hustle” but we haven’t really defined it. A side hustle is an additional job a person takes on to supplement their income. The best part about a side hustle versus a full time job, is that a side hustle isn’t meant to take up all of your time. It is meant to be a side gig that brings in big bucks.
There are tons of different side hustles. You can get a part time job, earn money online, or even just do work for your neighbors. There isn’t really a right or wrong answer for what a side hustle is.
Top 5 Side Hustles of the Summer
With warmer weather and summer upon us, many people are wanting to get away to the beach or the lake. All of that costs money. So here are 5 of the best hustle ideas for you this summer.
1. Online Surveys
Spending just a few hours online taking surveys can be a very profitable side hustle. Websites like Swagbucks, InboxDollars, and MyPoints, pay their users for taking surveys online. In addition to getting paid for taking surveys, users can get paid for playing video games, watching videos, and online shopping.
You need just a laptop and steady internet connection for this side hustle idea. This side hustle is great for earning some extra spending money. On average you can expect to bring in around $100 a month with this side hustle, depending on how much time you dedicate towards it. If you spend more time you will earn more, and vice versa if you spend less.
2. Service Industries
If you are looking for a job where you can earn more money on top of your base salary, look no further. Jobs in the service industry earn a base salary on top of tips. If you are already working a full time job you’re not going to want to get another one just for tips, but what you can do is sign up to be a delivery driver.
You can sign up for apps like DoorDash, Lyft, and Uber. Food delivery apps and transportation apps. This is a great side hustle for those wanting to earn extra money, and have it be on their schedule. You can earn a few extra bucks whenever it suits you, and on top of that you earn a tip, that makes this one of the most lucrative side hustles we will discuss.
3. Freelance Writing
Yeah, you read that header right. You can get paid to write. Many companies are in need of people who can write for them. Whether it be short little blurbs about a product, or news articles, or blogs, or what have you. Freelance writing is a great way to earn some extra money, and a fantastic side hustle for those who enjoy writing or are good at it.
A simple google search will reveal tons of different opportunities for freelance writing. This one is our pick for the best site to choose.
4. Social Media
There are a few different ways you can earn an extra income with social media. If you enjoy creating content you can try to get paid from that. Check out each platform’s guidelines for getting paid and what minimum criteria you have to meet.
If being in the spotlight isn’t your thing and you would rather be on the sidelines (while still making money), consider becoming a social media manager. You would help creators manage their social media channels and help them set up appointments and such. Think of it as a cooler version of an administrative assistant job, that can be done on top of a regular job. If this is something that interests you, try reaching out to local or small creators to see if you can make this a reality for yourself.
5. Helping Neighbors
Last but not least, we have the good old tried and true, sitting for neighbors. This ranges from babysitting, to house sitting, to even plant sitting. Whatever kind of thing you’re watching, your neighbors might pay you for it!
You could also try mowing lawns or doing other yard work for people in your neighborhood too. Think of any general house maintenance or favor you could do and get paid for. This hustle idea won’t always work, but it can be very profitable when it does.
What Are Some Good Side Hustle Ideas?
There are a ton of different things that you could classify as a side hustle. How profitable those ideas are, well that varies. To be completely honest, some things are better side hustles than others, whether due to demand or just the promised income. Here are a few ways to earn extra cash that stick out the most.
The most lucrative side hustle of them all is participating in online surveys. You can earn tons of cash online taking surveys, playing games, or even watching videos. Most online survey sites offer cash back deals on groceries and you can earn points for shopping online too. You can even earn money for going out to eat. Some of the best online survey sites are Swagbucks, InboxDollars, and MyPoints.
Not all side hustles look alike, this one is very different from anything we have previously mentioned. Do you like reading? Are you quick to point out spelling or grammatical errors? If so, you should try proofreading! There are online sites that will pay you for proofreading.
For proofreading you would need to be confident in your spelling and grammar and have a high comprehension level. If that describes you, this might be the perfect side hustle idea. You can find proofreading jobs online, here are a few sites.
If you are looking to earn an extra income, these side hustles will definitely allow you to do that. I wouldn’t go quitting your day job right away, but these side hustles will certainly give you a cash boost.
Is There an Online Course About Side Hustles?
Before writing this I wasn’t very knowledgeable about side hustles, but I wish I would have been. If I had known about all of the different ways to earn extra cash it would have saved me a lot of financial stress. Are there online courses that teach about side hustles? Actually there are. A quick google search reveals a whole bunch of online articles about how to be your own boss and get rich quickly online. But to save you some time from sifting through all of those here are some of our favorite online course platforms about side hustles.
Skillshare has an entire website based on educating people about side hustles and creating a side income. GirlBoss offers 7 free online courses to help you in your side hustle journey.
If you are more familiar with what a side hustle is and are looking for more information about what kind of work is in high demand or what is most profitable, check out this Swagbucks guide, What is a Side Gig?, for 26 different hustle ideas to make money this summer.
How Can I Make More Money Online?
Working your 9-5 will pay the bills, but what about the fun stuff? How can I earn the extra money for that? Well, you can earn that money online in a few easy ways.
The first easy way to make money online is to sell things online, like clothes or other items. You can do this pretty easily on the Facebook marketplace. Or if you are really ambitious you can create your own online store. Selling items online is a great side hustle idea because it is all done on your own time.
If selling things online isn’t your thing, there are a few other things you can try. Walking dogs is one example. You might be thinking, I can’t walk dogs online… This makes no sense. And yes you are correct. What you can do is post an ad saying you will walk dogs.
Easily the best way to make more money online is by providing services to people, mainly through Uber or Doordash. With those services not only are you paid hourly but you also make tips. In addition to that you set your own hours and can work around a full-time job schedule.
If you are looking to make a few hundred dollars this can be achieved by doing a combination of different side hustles. Selling things, providing services like Uber or DoorDashing, and taking surveys online. I don’t want to guarantee that you can make an extra $1000 a month by doing all of these things because it really depends on what opportunities you stumble upon. Just know you are certain to walk away with a decent profit.
If you are a teen looking for a side hustle, I would suggest the online survey sites. Those are easy to navigate and a great way to hustle money today. All you need is a laptop, stable internet connection, and a way to receive payment (bank account, PayPal account, or choose gift cards).
Are Side Hustles Worth It?
So, the burning question… are side hustles worth it? Coming from a college student who works a full time job on top of some freelance writing , I would say 100% yes. If it weren’t for my side hustle I would have a larger financial burden and not be able to do all of the things that I love and enjoy.
Whether you choose to start selling, become a dog walker, or take advantage of online surveys, your side hustle idea will be worth it in the long run.
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