Side Hustle
The first full week in March is designated as National Professional Pet Sitters Week. When I saw that on my calendar it made me think about my daughter. I don’t know if she is a ‘professional’ but she LOVES all animals and they ALL love her. I remember catching Ashlyn playing with fire ants when she was maybe 3 years old. I tried to tell her that they would sting her and it would hurt and she just assured me that ‘they were her family…her sisters and brothers and they would never hurt her’. Well, she was right. They didn’t sting her. She would walk around holding bees and never got stung by them. It is both amazing to watch (because I do not have that gift) and terrifying! As she has gotten older, she has had the opportunity to pet sit a few times and loves it every single time. Those animals became a part of her and her ‘family’. I think that is what makes her so good at it. Before she had a job and even now that she does, pet sitting has given her some more income and helped her along the way. Who doesn’t love some extra pocket money? Whether it’s from pet sitting or one of these other ideas for an easy side hustle! Maybe one or more of them is right for you.
1. Play with Dogs
When you offer your services as a dog-walker or pet-sitter, you can charge as much as $25 an hour, depending on the going rate in your area. Hang flyers to advertise your services or sign up with Rover, an Uber-like service that matches pet owners with sitters for a small fee.
2. Social Media Guru
Offer your services to local and remote businesses as their social media brander. Depending on your skill set, you can write the company blog posts, manage their Facebook page, post new pics on Instagram and send out their tweets.
3. Yard Work
Do you wield real power with a weed-whacker? Are you an expert lawn mower? Get paid for tending to people’s yards. You can charge by the hour or per job. Check out some other local yard workers to get an idea of fair asking prices.
4. Take Online Surveys for Pay
Make the time you spend online count by taking surveys on sites like Survey Junkie and Swagbucks. Most of these sites will pay you as soon as you complete a survey. It’s an easy way to pad your wallet with extra cash.
5. Turn Trashed Items Into Treasure
Take a spin around the neighborhood, scouring each block for curbside furniture in decent working condition. Haul your finds home and get to work, refinishing, painting, changing drawer pulls and more to give the tossed piece of furniture a second chance. Then, put it up for sale at a local flea market or market it online through eBay or Craigslist. You may be able to turn a trashed piece of furniture into several hundred dollars.
6. Work for Uber
The ride-sharing giant allows you to set your own schedule and decide how many hours you want to devote to driving passengers. If you don’t like the idea of strangers riding in your car, work for Uber Eats instead. With this side hustle, you get paid to pick up fast-food meals and deliver them to customers, with Uber’s same flexible terms.
7. Tutor
Are you a geometry whiz or a science buff? Offer your services as an individual tutor for school-aged children and you’ll have a meaningful way of earning some extra money.
Use this list to spark your creativity and find the side hustle that works for you.
