The year 2020 has taught many of us that having just one job isn’t enough; if that job ends or is cut back, you can rapidly run out of ways to pay your bills. Having at least one side hustle is a good idea, especially if you can quickly scale it up.
1) Provide In-Home Services
Working in-home can be much more than money if you are good with kids or can help out an older person. Depending on the situation, you may actually find a nannying gig you can pair with some light housekeeping and be allowed to live in. Even if the pay isn’t great, getting your housing and utilities covered for a time can let you put away some cash in savings. If you can help seniors with simple housework like doing laundry, vacuuming, washing dishes, and preparing food. Many seniors just need some time with a companion or a ride to the doctor’s office.
2) Delivery Services
If your car is dependable and fuel-efficient, consider doing food or grocery delivery services for folks who either can’t or prefer not to get out in the world during the pandemic. Be aware that you will be working while other folks are relaxing; it may mean that you spend Friday night running from restaurants to houses instead of enjoying yourself. Take care to block out sometime later in the weekend for yourself and your loved ones. Having a job plus one side hustle shouldn’t mean having zero time for yourself.
3) Put your Technical Skills to Work
If you’re a fast typist, look for data entry gigs on Craigslist.com or consider signing up for one-time online gigs. Be aware that you’ll have to bid on many of these jobs; you set the price and figure out how long it will take you and what you expect to make. It will take time to set your rate of pay, but it’s important that you strive to honor your time. A 15-minute job that pays $7.00 means that you will make more than $25.00 an hour as long as the jobs come quick.
4) Creative Design Work
Got a great idea for collecting and sharing data? The developed world moves on smartphones, so why not build an app that allows people to find out what you’ve been searching for too? Using an app builder software will take some skill and planning, but the payout can be quite lucrative when you launch or sell the app. The more you learn, the more quickly you can sell your creations.
5) Selling Collectibles and Clothing
If you love to shop at second-hand stores, thrift shops, and other places loaded with terrific stuff, you can turn around and sell things on eBay, Poshmark, and other platforms. If you can turn second-hand things into something else, you can sell your items on Etsy. For example, if you find a garment in a thrift shop that still has the tags on it, list it on Poshmark. If you find a man’s shirt in good shape that you can turn into a stuffed toy, you can sell that on Etsy. If you’ve got the time and skills, reselling can be a lucrative and fun activity.
Also read: Tips to Reduce your Home Loan EMI
When working on your side hustle options, make sure that you put in time on it every day. Deciding you’re going to take on a side hustle is easy; putting in the time to make it profitable can be a challenge. You may need to get up earlier in the morning to plug away at it for an hour or two or stop at a different thrift store for half an hour every day on the way home from work. The payout can start slowly, so be patient and keep at it.