Everyone seems to be all about side hustles these days—and for good reason. Who doesn’t think bringing in some extra money can be useful?
When you’re just starting to look for side hustles though, it can seem difficult to find them. Here are just a few places to look to get you started.
What’s Ahead:
Craigslist
Craigslist is great for one-off gigs. There are listings for just about everywhere in America.
As always, the biggest problem with Craigslist is figuring out the legitimate listings from the scams. Generally, a well written ad by a person you can email and chat with a bit before working with them is likely to be a legitimate job.
You do have to spend some time scrolling through a bunch of jobs that are probably not what you really want, but for every ten “modeling” jobs, there is usually a legitimate brand ambassador gig, market research gig, or elderly person who needs their yard weeded.
Please also be aware that if anything makes you feel unsafe about a Craigslist job—from the information they ask you for, to where you need to meet them and what they’re like when you do meet them—just walk away. No side hustle is worth getting hurt over.
Task Rabbit
Task Rabbit is also great for one-off side hustles. A lot of the tasks on here focus on putting furniture together or helping move heavy things, but there are plenty of other options too. Some folks need groceries picked up or errands run.
To apply to Task Rabbit, you have to submit to a background check. After you clear it, you can list your rates for skills you already have.
Geeks n Gigs
Along with the services you’re likely to find on Task Rabbit, Geeks n Gigs also offers higher skilled gigs. If you’ve got a professional degree in something like computer technology, law, or business, you may find higher paying side gigs you can do here.
Another similar site is Errand Tribe, which also includes skills like translation work and house sitting.
Dog walking/Dog sitting
Do you like dogs? Rover lets you turn dog walking and dog sitting into a side gig. You can sign up for shifts you want, list yourself as an available dog walker when you’re available and take in pets overnight or for a few days when their owners are out of town.
Mystery shopping
Sites like Sinclair Customer Metrics and Barfly let you make a little money mystery shopping.
Sinclair Customer Metrics requires you to take a quick test for each company you want to mystery shop for. Barfly has a more extensive interview and training process, but you get higher paying gigs and most of their gigs revolve around restaurants and bars.
Transcription work
If you have a good ear and some free time, you can pick up some transcription work on sites like Rev and TranscribeMe. These sites require you to take a quick basic grammar test and do a test transcription. If all goes well, you can start transcribing within a day or two.
Focus groups
If you find you occasionally have some free time and don’t mind sharing your opinions on things, you can sign up for focus groups. Sites like FindFocusGroups can connect you to groups in your area.
A very flexible side gig, if you’ve got a clean driving record and a car, is working for Uber or Lyft. These sites allow you to use your car as a taxi. You can work shifts whenever you like, for as long as you like. Find out how much you can make with Uber or Lyft.
If you’d rather not drive humans around and live near an Amazon warehouse, you can make some money working for Amazon Flex as one of their delivery drivers.
User testing
User Testing is an easy way to make a few dollars by critiquing websites. You can also download the app and pick up gigs while you’re on the move. Each website critique takes about 20-30 minutes and you get paid $10 per critique.
Pinata
This app connects you to companies looking for brand ambassadors. If you’re friendly and outgoing (or can fake it for a few hours a week), you can pick up some cash by doing products demos at local food stores and culinary events.
Microtask apps
There are several apps that pay small amounts for quick store checks. If you’re killing time in an area with stores nearby, you can pick up a few dollars by completing tasks using these apps: EasyShift, Rewardable, Field Agent, and Gigwalk.
Summary
The trick to a successful side hustle is to find something that works for you. Everyone’s schedule is a little different. We all also have different deal-breakers. Trying out a few different side hustles can help you find the perfect one that works with your lifestyle to help bring in a little extra each month.