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When it comes to getting ahead with money, most of us have two options: make more money or spend less money. Both are great options, but if you have a little bit of time each week, picking up a few flexible side hustles to make more money can help you reach your goals much faster.
Once you find the right side hustles for you, it’s amazing how quickly you can get out of debt, build your savings, or even have the freedom to quit your job or start a new career.
Why You Need a Few Flexible Side Hustles (or Three!)
As a veteran finance blogger and side hustler, my experience has shown several benefits of having multiple flexible side hustles:
- You can still keep your full-time job and benefits.
- It’s easy to say “no” if an opportunity comes at a bad time.
- When one side hustle is slow, the other one can pick up the slack.
- Your earning potential can actually exceed your day job.
My life is a perfect example: though I have no plans to quit my day job, I’ve actually made more money with my blogging and real estate side hustles than I have with my full-time teaching job over the past six months!
Whether you’re looking for side hustles to earn a few hundred dollars per month or are hoping to quit your 9-5 in the future, here are 8 flexible side hustles you can adopt ASAP.
1. Start Your Own Blog (The Mother of All Side Hustles)
Two years ago, I thought blogging was just something people did for fun (which is totally OK – not everyone blogs as a business!).
Today, I’m one of those bloggers who has an enormous amount of fun writing in my spare time AND makes $2,000-3,000 per month doing it!
If you like writing, have solid ideas to help people solve their problems (like this article is designed to do!), and can devote a few hours per week to building up a blog, check out my complete guide to launching a blog. It covers all of the technical steps (you don’t have to know a thing about coding, I promise), gives you a behind-the-scenes look at getting traffic to your site, and much more.
I’m not going to sugar coat this — blogging is hard work, and it’s not a get-rich-quick side hustle. But if you are patient and willing to take the right steps to build a blogging business, it’s entirely possible to earn significant income. Some of it will even be passive blogging income.
Why this is the #1 ultimate flexible side hustle: you can work on a blog anywhere and anytime, and you can start a blog for the price of a cup of coffee.
2. Love Dogs? Start a Dog Sitting Side Hustle
If you love dogs, know how to care for them, and maybe even have one or two of your own, dog sitting is one of the easiest and most flexible side hustles you’ll ever find. Nowadays, many busy dog owners are taking to the web to find dog walkers and dog sitters – and that’s a golden opportunity for you!
If you’re comfortable
- Hosting dogs in your own home or staying overnight in the dog’s home
- Feeding dogs and giving them plenty of exercise, walks, and cuddles
- Administering meds from time to time
starting your own dog sitting side hustle is practically a no-brainer.
We recommendadvertising your new services online with Rover, one of the leading 5-star networks for dog sitters and walkers on the web. Sure, Rover will get a small cut of your revenue in exchange for helping you get the word about your business, but once you start building your income, we don’t think you’ll mind.
Curious how you can get started? Here are a few pro tips to get your Rover side hustle off the ground in a hurry:
- Make sure your profile is warm, friendly, and professional. Include as many pictures as possible!
- Emphasize how much you love dogs – it’s a side hustle to you, but to a dog parent, they’re looking for someone who will love their dog like their own
- Create a Facebook community for your business so owners can stay connected with you
- Set-up your rates to be competitive in your area
Click or tap to learn more and sign-up with Rover.
3. Take surveys while you watch Netflix
First, let’s address the elephant in the room: online surveys get a pretty bad reputation. We can’t deny that some online surveys provide ridiculously low payouts to survey takers, make it almost impossible to qualify, and generally waste your time. We’ve been victim to it ourselves, and it’s the worst.
If you’ve been burned in the past with online surveys or want to give them a shot for the first time, check out these options. We’ve verified each one, and they’re legit.
GrabPoints – GrabPoints has paid out over $5 million to users for doing simple things like answering surveys, watching videos, and a few other mindless tasks you can complete while binge-watching Netflix. My favorite part? They offer payouts by gift card or straight through PayPal (my preference). They offer a pretty cool $5 sign-up bonus, too.
Survey Rewardz – Survey Rewardz isn’t much different than many other survey offers out there. Their goal is to help their business partners conduct market research as effectively as possible. What makes them different is the quality and quantity of opportunities for survey takers.
We asked one of our good friends to test it out and provide unbiased feedback, and the results were impressive.
- He signed-up in less than two minutes – and didn’t even have to provide his name! (Note: some specific surveys may ask for your name and other info, but you can always decline.)
- He qualified for his first survey right away.
- Survey Rewardz sent out multiple survey offers per day — right away.
Learn more about Survey Rewardz here.
Cash Back Research – Like most survey opportunities, Cash Back Research won’t make you rich, and it’s not a full-time job. But it is a good opportunity to make extra money when you have spare time.
Here are a few of our favorite things about Cash Back Research:
- They offer an easy-to-use dashboard for all survey participants, where you can find surveys, access earnings data, and request payouts all in one place.
- They offer high payouts – up to $75 for select surveys.
- New offers are available every day, so you aren’t waiting days or weeks at a time for new opportunities.
Bonus points: Cash Back Research also offers a $5 sign-up bonus.
4. Teach English Online
How would you like to get paid $14-22/hour to teach English online to kids aged 4-12 in China? If you have a Bachelor’s degree, stable internet access, experience teaching, coaching, or mentoring, and know you’d enjoy teaching English, consider joining VIPKid.
Here’s a basic rundown of how the VIPKid program works:
-First, you’ll submit a basic resume and go through an interview process.
-If selected, you’ll complete basic documents and upload them.
-Once approved, you will implement the VIPKid curriculum in one-on-one online sessions with your student(s).
Learn more about opportunities with VIPKid here.
5. Become a Real Estate Agent
Yes, becoming a real estate agent is definitely a lot of work up front. And earning your license isn’t free. But if you have a large sphere of influence in your area, love watching House Hunters re-runs, and enjoy helping people, you’d likely make a great real estate agent!
Real estate is one of the most flexible side hustles around for people who already work full-time. And if you’re a teacher like me, you have a lot of skills that will translate to a fantastic real estate career. After all, not everyone has the patience and people skills to help someone make one of the the most important decisions of their life.
Here are three pieces of advice for launching a successful real estate side hustle:
- Don’t wait until you get licensed to tell friends and family about your new pursuit – plant seeds early! Otherwise, you’ll find out that someone just bought a house with another agent two days after you get your license. Trust me.
- Join a brokerage and team that provides a balance of training/support without taking away half of your commission on every sale.
- Find a mentor who is willing to show you the ropes in return all of the help you can possibly provide.
You never know – your real estate side hustle could one day become your full-time career.
6. Flip a Variety of Items for Profit
We’re not exaggerating when we say this: flipping for profit is one of the most profitable flexible side hustles available today. Virtually anyone can do it on a smaller level without any training or expertise, and it’s even possible to earn over $100,000 as a flipper (more on that below).
If you’ve never heard of it, flipping is pretty basic: buy an item and sell it for more than you bought it.On a deeper level, flipping for mega profits is practically an art-form.
For example, take my friends Robbie and Melissa. They’re ahusband and wife team who were able to earn $42,000 in 2015 and $133,000 in 2016 just by flipping flea market finds. Today, they teach others how to make money flipping for profit.
Would it change your life if you were even able to make a fraction of Robbie and Melissa’s earnings this year?
Yeah, me too.
Flea Market Flipper University is hands down the best best resource available for anyone who wants to make flipping a major side hustle or even full-time job.
Here is just a sampling of what you’ll gain from the course:
- Learn how to find the best items to flip and avoid items with poor resale value.
- Create appealing listings on Ebay, Facebook, Offer Up, and Craigslist and get items sold quickly.
- Learn how your smart phone can be your biggest weapon when flipping for profit.
- Ship items to maximize your profits every time.
- Make more money (potentially) than virtually any other side hustle around today.
High Value Alert: of all the flexible side hustles on this list, flipping items for profit offers the highest and quickest return on investment, especially if you learn from the pros first.
7. Rent Out a Spare Room (Or Your Entire House)
Just a few months ago, Minneapolis played host to the Super Bowl and an estimated 125,000+ football fans. And Airbnb hosts cashed in on a golden opportunity and brought in millions of dollars in revenue for Airbnb.
Airbnbmay or may not be quite as big in your area, but the potential to earn extra cash as an Airbnb host is hard to deny. Whether you live in a small, basic home or a sprawling suburban min-mansion, Airbnb makes it easy to rent out homes or your entire home to millions of potential guests. You call the shots 100% of the time, from setting availability, prices, house rules, and your preferences for interaction with your house guests.
Curious about how much your house could fetch? Check outthe Airbnb estimate tool to help you find out just how much you could earn.
Don’t like your estimate? You can always charge what you want and adjust rates at any time.
We know you may concerns about becoming an Airbnb host, and that’s normal. Here are just a few of the typical questions we hear:
Is it free to list my home on Airbnb?
Yes! Creating an Airbnb listing is free and easy. Simply upload photos, a description of the accomodations, how many guests you are able to host, and you’re all set. (Airbnb does collect a portion of the proceeds when you book –they have to make money somehow– but listing is free.)
Can I get to know my Airbnb guests before they come stay in my home?
Absolutely! If you choose, you can message your guests ahead of time to get to know them. In fact, if you plan on interacting with them, this is a great way to break the ice ahead of time.
Don’t want to interact with your guests at all? No problem – you can give instructions ahead of time to avoid any awkward moments. Just let them know where to pick up a key or provide them with a door code.
What do I need to provide for my Airbnb guests?
Typically, hosts provide clean sheets, towels, toilet paper — the basic essentials. If you wish to provide more amenities, your guests will surely appreciate you going the extra mile to make their stay comfortable!
How and when do I get paid?
Here’s our favorite part about Airbnb – no cash, and no awkward payments in person! Their secure payment system means you never have to deal with money or guests directly.
Guests are charged for their stay before they arrive, and you’ll receive payment right after they check in, minus a 3% service fee. You can opt to receive payments through PayPal, direct deposit, or money wire – it’s your choice.
Why you should consider becoming an Airbnb host: today’s travelers, especially young people, are looking for special hospitality and connections rather than boring stays in standard hotels. Cashing in on this trend is easy – and that makes Airbnb a choice side hustle!
Don’t forget to see how much your home could rent for on Airbnb!
8. Drive and Deliver with DoorDash
This isn’t your father’s pizza delivery side hustle (though that’s not a bad idea, either. . . ). DoorDash is changing the way people get food and other local items delivered.
At its core, DoorDash is a technology and logistics company. They identify the most popular restaurants that offer take out in a given area and connect their customers with Dashers who deliver food straight to their door. It’s basic supply-and-demand.
And it’s a win-win-win for everyone. Restaurants increase their reach and sales, customers get the food they crave, and Dashers get paid to provide a much needed service.
Here’s the scoop on what it takes to work for DoorDash:
- You must be 18 or older.
- No major moving violations (DUI, reckless driving, homicide or assault, driving on a suspended license, failure to stop for law enforcement) in the past 7 years and no more than 3 incidents (accident or moving violation other than a major violation).
- Pass a background check.
- Once you’re approved, download the app, turn on your availability, and start earning.
How much can I make with DoorDash?
Earnings vary by location, but you can expect to be paid for each delivery you complete – and you get to keep 100% of your tips! Payments are proceed weekly.
DoorDash will show you the guaranteed amount you’ll earn for completing a delivery before you choose to accept or reject that order. The guaranteed amount is based on the size of the order, whether you have to place the order in person, and the projected driving distance, traffic, parking, and wait time at the store.
Cool perks: For each delivery, you will always receive at least $1 from DoorDash plus 100% of the customer tip. If that sum is less than the guaranteed amount, DoorDash will provide a pay boost to make sure you receive the guaranteed amount. Where that sum is more than the guaranteed amount, you pocket the extra amount.
You can learn more about DoorDash and get started here.
Pro tip: if you really want to maximize your delivery and driving earning potential, consider signing-up to drive with Uberand Uber EATS.
Other Recommendations
CIT High Yield Savings: Looking for a great place to park your emergency fund and earn more than a paltry .05% interest return? CIT Bank offers 1.55% on their High Yield Savings Accounts and only requires a $100 minimum opening balance! This crushes most other savings accounts by 10-12x!
CIT High-Yield Money Market: If you’re looking for an even better place to sock away your emergency fund or sinking funds, check out CIT’s High-Yield Money Market Account. Their 1.75% rate will put your fund to work in a hurry, and with a $100 minimum account opening balance, anyone can get started!
Ibotta: Ibotta is my favorite app for saving money and earning cash back on my regular grocery purchases. They recently upgraded their interface, making it even easier to save money. You can sign-up, earn a $10 welcome bonus, and earn money for referring your friends, too!
Acorns: I have been using Acorns as an experiment in micro-investing for several months and watched my account balance steadily grow. If you feel like you don’t have enough money to invest, Acorns is for you!
You can start with very small deposits and work your way up over time, if you choose. And if you sign-up using my link, you'll start off with $5.00 in your account automatically!
Digit: Digit is a personal savings assistant designed to help make saving money easier and automatic. Their mobile app and simple platform helped me and my wife save over $1,500, and we used the money for a vacation.Check it out here.
