The expansion in remote and online working opportunities has made it easier than ever to generate extra income. Imagine what you would do with a few more hundreds or thousands of dollars every month!
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a side hustle that helps you pay your bills, boost your savings, and cover unexpected expenses?
Keep reading to learn about the top 15 ways to earn extra cash in your spare time without risking your full-time job.
1. Become an online blogger
Do you enjoy writing? Do you have a firm grasp of the English language? If so, you should consider trying your hand at being a blogger — a skill that is in high demand today.
While you can always opt to launch your own blog, you may find it easier to make money writing part-time for other companies. For example, you can go to sites like Fiverr, Upwork, and Craigslist to find opportunities. Do a good job, and you can turn your side hustle into a small business with word-of-mouth referrals.
Word to the wise: Writing for the web is different than writing a college essay. If you need some help, consider taking an online course to learn the ins and outs of blogging.
2. Earn money through online surveys
Your opinion is valuable!
Numerous companies are willing to pay a significant amount of money to learn more about their target audience’s preferences and motivations. If you’re the type of person who loves sharing their opinion, this is one of the best part-time jobs there is.
Individual surveys may take between 10 to 30 minutes, and you can do as many as you wish in one sitting. If you sign up with different companies and complete your allotted tasks diligently, you can earn up to $10 per hour working on your own schedule.
Some of the legitimate survey sites include Branded Surveys, Survey Junkie, Swagbucks, and Opinion Outpost. What’s interesting about this line of work is that you can fill out surveys when you have downtime at other jobs — whether you’re babysitting, petsitting, teaching English, searching for your next gig on Taskrabbit, or waiting to pick someone up for Lyft.
3. Get paid to watch viral videos
Watching viral videos is a great way to make extra money while getting worthwhile entertainment. It might not get you rich but this is among the lowest-effort side gigs you can try. Based on your commitment, the estimated monthly income is $225. But you might be able to earn even more.
If this sounds like a scam, it isn’t. If you’re interested in giving it a try, Inbox Dollars is one of the best companies to work with. It only takes a few minutes to create an account and start earning.
4. Earn through shopping and making deliveries
Did you know you can make money online by shopping for products and delivering them to their respective clients?
If you love shopping and helping others, Instacart might be an excellent place to start. This is a site where you shop for groceries in-person and deliver them.
The best part is that you can work for Instacart in your free time. Instacart pays you within one hour of delivery with an instant cash-out option. Not bad!
5. Get paid to deliver with Uber Eats
If you have a bike, car, or scooter, you can use it to make money right now!
Uber Eats gives you a chance to deliver food to different clients and get paid. All you need is to download their app and upload your documents.
Once approved, you will receive a notification that allows you to start working. When you drive for Uber, there isn’t any supervision, which means you’ll be your boss and you’ll get to keep all your tips.
6. Virtual tutoring
If you have subject matter expertise, you can make a side hassle. Virtual tutoring involves a one-on-one online interaction, and you can have as many students as your schedule allows.
The best places to find online tutoring jobs include VIPKid, Education First, and Chegg. Payments can be hourly or per session. Believe it or not, it’s possible to earn up to $1,000 per month with some commitment.
Not interested in working with kids? You might find success as a virtual assistant, essentially helping executives manage their days.
7. Storage space leasing
Do you have an attic, basement, shed, or underutilized garage? If you’re looking to monetize it, Neighbor.com should be your next destination.
This peer-to-peer (P2P) platform connects people in need of extra space with those that have it. Neighbor.com charges 50% of the total rate per storage unit, which is kind of pricey. Although you will earn less, it’s a great way to generate passive income by doing little or nothing at all.
8. Freelance writing
Multiple high school and college students, employees, and retirees earn extra money through freelance writing.
If you’re interested in being a freelance writer, you might want to check out sites like Textbroker, Upwork, and Steady Content. If your sights are set higher, you may want to check out sites like LinkedIn and look for work there, too.
Not the best writer in the world but still looking for a flexible work-at-home job? If you have the skills, search for graphic design freelance work instead.
9. Freelance editing and proofreading
Freelance editing and proofreading involve selling your grammatical skills. In this role, you only need to go through some written copy and ensure it’s polished before submitting them for publishing.
While you’re at it, you may want to try your hand at transcription. Truth be told, you can make good money being a freelance transcriptionist if you can transcribe things like doctor notes and meeting notes.
10. Shop online and get free gift cards
Recent studies show that around 92% of shoppers buy things from online stores.
However, not many people know that they can earn cash back rewards simply by shopping. For example, Mypoints allow you to earn points for every dollar spent online. You can redeem them for gift cards from more than 75 retailers, including Walmart, Amazon, Etsy, and eBay.
11. Sell your unused diabetic strips
There are millions of Americans with diabetes today. Cash For Diabetics is a newly launched company willing to pay up to $30 for unused diabetic strips.
If you or someone you know is suffering from the disease, you can stop throwing out unused kits and resell them instead. It’s an easy way to make a couple of bucks while preventing waste.
12. Borrow up to $50,000 and invest in your goals
Taking personal loans could help you fund some important projects in your life upfront — like ditching your boring data entry job and starting your dream dog walking business instead, one that rivals Rover.
If you’re looking for a loan, visit AmOne, which is a legit marketplace for finding loan providers. The operator only requires you to provide a few details of the loans you need, and it intelligently connects you with the perfect lenders.
13. Earn $10 for investing in companies like Amazon, Tesla, and Apple
Regardless of what you might think, you don’t need a lot of money to start investing in companies like Apple, Tesla, Google, and Amazon thanks to Stash, which helps you buy fractional shares for as low as $5.
What’s more, Stash gives you $10 to invest when you make your first deposit of $5 into your portfolio. Head over to the company’s website to get started.
14. Become a user experience tester
All online companies need their websites and applications to run seamlessly. When something is wrong, they call user experience (UX) testers to get their feedback.
If you are web savvy and can easily identify dark patterns and areas where the user journey breaks, you can make money testing software. Reputable companies like TryMyUI and UserTesting will pay you via services like PayPal just for giving feedback.
15. Become an influencer
If you have a large social media following on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, you might consider becoming an influencer. Just reach out to your favorite brands and let them know that you wish to work for them. For sponsored content or affiliate marketing, you can check out Amazon Associates and ShareASale.
Don’t have that many followers? Don’t worry. You can always try your hand at being a social media manager in your spare time.
Which side hustle will you choose?
Since you’ve made it this far, you know how you can utilize your free time to earn extra cash. But keep in mind that the above list is by no means comprehensive. From dropshipping, starting a podcast, or being a bookkeeper to designing T-shirts, selling things on sites like Poshmark and Facebook Marketplace, or even renting space out on Airbnb, there’s no shortage of ways to make money.
Ultimately, there isn’t a template you can follow to achieve financial freedom. Everyone is different, and everyone has different skills and interests.
Start thinking outside the box and figure out ways to earn more money on the side. Take our word for it: You’ll be happy you did.