Many people are looking for ways to make money on the weekend. You may be looking for something you can take full-time at some point in the future, or maybe you just want to earn a little extra cash for a vacation or down payment. Regardless of your motivations, I have some great side hustle ideas to share today.
Become an Uber Driver
The Rideshare Guyshared with us that Uber drivers can make a great side income shuttling people around. That’s not too shabby for a gig you can work on your own terms. He also let us know that weekends are the best time of the week to pick up work. Friday and Saturday nights are especially busy as party-goers are looking for a designated driver. Click here to start your application. (Lyft is also a great rideshare opportunity to consider. My husband went through the application process with ease.)
Sell Stuff
Becoming a reseller is another opportunity with the utmost in flexibility. Cynthia Stine created a full-time income working herAmazon FBA businessjust 10 hours per week. And the weekends are a great time topick up stuff to resellas that is when many flea markets and garage sales are going on.
Do your shopping. Get your items listed. Drop everything off to be shipped to Amazon on your way to work Monday morning. Your little side business can run itself while you are at your 9-to-5. You can’t ask for a better business than that.
Tutor
Tutoring is something that is done outside of normal school hours making it a perfect fit for those looking for weekend side gigs. Many tutors working locally can charge around $20 per hour for the basics like English and math while specialty subjects can warrant up to $50 per hour. If you decide togo with an online opportunity, that rate can quickly go down to $8 to $15 per hour.
Become a Photographer
There was a time that only professional photographers were able to make a good living capturing the snapshots of life. That’s no longer the case. If you have access to great equipment and canlearn basic photography skills, you can make someawesome cash taking photosof everything from birthday parties to senior pictures.
And don’t overlook the passive income possibilities of selling photos online. Focus on your specialty whether that is flat lays or nature photography. List those images for sale online. They can sell over and over again and you only put in the work once.
Offer Freelance Services
While some freelance service providers are restricted to working specific hours or a certain schedule, there are many opportunities within the industry that can be done anytime and anyplace.Freelance writing, for one, is a side business idea perfect for those working a traditional 9-to-5.
To an extent,social media managementandvirtual assistingmay be as well though you may need to check-in or communicate with your clients at some point Monday through Friday as well.
Become Event Staff
If you look on Craigslist under the Event Gigs section or download the Shiftgig app, you are likely to find a little jackpot of weekend and evening one-off opportunities. These gigs may be titled Event Staff or Brand Ambassadors. The companies may be looking for someone to hand out samples or help people find their seats at a concert. These are not just a great way to make some great extra money on the side, but you may be able to catch a sporting event or concert for free.
Become a Bookkeeper
You don’t need an accounting degree to perform some basicbookkeeping duties. Many businesses are not yet operating entirely online or paper-free like many of us. That means receipts and invoices still need to be entered into software like QuickBooks. I frequently see job listings for remote bookkeepers onFlexJobswhich only lists researched telecommute positions.
Start a Blog
Blogging can take quite some time to turn a profit, but it does offer a lot of flexibility. Posts and social media updates can be scheduled in advance allowing you to write on the weekends and focus on your day job during the week. Emails and comments can be answered in bulk once per day. This isn’t a great option if you are looking forfast cash, but it is something you should consider working into your long-term passive income plan.
I highly recommendFrameworkfor new bloggers looking to get their blog set up and creating content andElite Blog Academyfor those with established blogs. EBA helped me create a healthy full-time income from my site.
Direct Sales
Becoming a direct sales consultant can be a great way to make money on the weekends. You can host in-home parties and trunk shows on not only Saturdays and Sundays but also weeknights if you choose.
Most companies pay their consultants around 25% commission on personal sales. The product lines available are endless. Whether you love luxury bath products or food containers, there is bound to be a product out there you are passionate about.
And, more good news, the startup costs are minimal. You don’t have to carry inventory in most cases, so you just need to buy your starter kit which typically includes product samples, catalogs and order forms to get you started. And training! One of the great benefits of joining a replicated business model is they provide you with a mentor and marketing training. You can hop right over that learning curve that comes with starting your own boutique. Most companies today also offer consultant website so you can easily sell your wares online as well.
Sell Handmade Items
Handmade doesn’t just mean mittens and gloves. If you take a gander on Etsy today you will find everything from handcrafted wreaths to hand-painted wall hangings to Christmas ornaments and beyond. If you have a hobby already, think about how you can turn it into a business.
Start a YouTube Channel
Do you enjoy being creative, and sharing with others? Consider starting a YouTube channel! Video is all the rage these days, with more than a third of the Internet-using public using YouTube. You can make videos on virtually any topic, from reviews of subscription boxes to a how-to on make-up application to sharing your thoughts on the book you just finished reading. And besides having the satisfaction of making something and sharing it with the world, you have the opportunity to monetize your videos.
This is one of those slow-burn avenues of income: you produce the content, build a viewership, and then draw earnings from ads after you hit 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of watch time. That took me about four months ofserious promotion. In the meantime, you can earn from referral links and direct sponsorships, however. Especially if you have a related blog. If you’re serious about using YouTube to deliver a form of income, check out “9 Things I Have Learned As A YouTube Beginner.”
Microtask the Day Away
Maybe you don’t want to work TOO hard on your weekends, but still want to generate a little cash. Consider microtasking! All the small tasks that turn up on microtasking sites require human attention, but they don’t necessarily require your undivided attention or a huge time investment. You can easily do data entry or identify items in a photo or transcribe image text while listening to an audiobook or catching up on your latest shows.
The biggest site for microtasks currently is mTurk (or Amazon Mechanical Turk) and it’s easy to get started on. You can even convert your earnings straight to Amazon gift cards. If you’d like to learn more about mTurk, see “9 Ways to Increase Your mTurk Earnings.” Or if you’d like to explore other microtask sites, I’ve got a post for that, too.
Make a Fur Friend
Any day you meet a friendly new dog is a great day – so why not make it a point on the weekends? Let your friends and neighbors know that you’re up for pet-sitting on any given weekend, and that you’re even willing to do afternoon (or any time) walkies. You can also sign up to work with Rover – they provide pet services such as dog boarding, drop-in visits, doggy day care, and dog walking. As a freelancer with Rover, you get to set your own availability and prices, choose which services you offer, and even set size and other preferences for your clients’ dogs. Rover will protect your services and provide vet assistance if necessary. And your earnings are available for withdrawal in your account after two days!
Run Errands
While running your own errands or buzzing about town on the weekend, why not help someone else with their little errands, too? There are folks out there who just need someone local to grab some milk from the grocery store or a handyman to finish a light fixture for them. You can easily help with any of these tasks (that you’re qualified to undertake) by using an app such as TaskRabbit or Gigwalker. Both of these platforms show you nearby gigs, let you pick the ones you’re interested in, and pay via Paypal. Multitask when you’re going out anyway and make your errands work for you!
Bake for Fun or Profit
Do you love baking? If so, that’s one hobby you can indulge and make some money along the way! Fresh baked goods are addictively popular, even more so if they come delivered direct to your door. Let your friends and family – even your neighbors! – know you bake and take orders, then spend your weekend making cookies and cakes and pies for profit. Just make sure you do it safely and properly – follow all food safety guidelines (and get a health department permit, if necessary) and find out whether you need a permit for this home-based business. You can take orders only on referral or have a website set up showing off your wares and taking orders online. Either way, it’s a pretty sweet deal!
