In this current day and age, it can be difficult to make life work on only one income. Or perhaps you’re a student just trying to make some extra cash on your own schedule. Whatever your purpose may be, there are a number of high paying side gigs out there, some of which can be easily used to make $1,000 or more per month.
Flip Your Favorite Products
You may not realize it, but every time you go to the store you probably pass several products that could be sold for a higher price somewhere else. And buying products for a discount and selling them somewhere else for more is known as flipping products.
The best way to flip products is by acquiring items in the clearance section at stores, or by scoping your nearby secondhand store for items that are still in amazing condition. You never know what treasures you may find at a discount. Or if you see items by the side of the road for free, this could mean easy cash for you! Most of the time, it requires little to no work to turnaround and sell these items online, you just need to know which sites to use and how to write a good description.
For designer clothes, you can easily sell these on the online shops Poshmark and Mercari. For books, list them on Amazon. For furniture, cars, or things such as musical instruments, OfferUp tends to work best. But this isn’t the end of the list, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, threadUp, and Decluttr are all online marketplaces that can be used to flip a variety of items.
Now flipping items doesn’t come without any skill, as you will have to have a basic knowledge of prices and how to work the websites in question. And if you plan to flip items such as furniture or cars, which require restoration, this will take some additional time and expertise. But generally, flipping items is something that doesn’t take much knowledge, and you can easily learn tips from other people who have made thousands flipping items. There are even free guides online which can help you get started.
There will certainly be a bit of a learning curve as you learn which products are in demand and worth more than others. And you will probably need your own vehicle to make flipping items profitable. But with a little bit of practice and some time dedicated to product hunting, there’s no reason you can’t make over $1,000 a month flipping products as a great small business idea.
Freelance Writing
When you were in school was English your favorite class? Or do you just like to write? Well, there are ways to monetize your writing which can easily help you stack those dollar bills.
Numerous companies online hire writers to write content for their websites, whether this is biographies, blog posts, or even the text itself on the website (this is called website copy). If you specialize in a certain field such as technology or law, it is also feasible to get a freelance writing gig writing manuals or newsletters on these topics.
If you want to get started with freelance writing, the first step is to create a portfolio for yourself. Write a few trial pieces which display your range of writing, and edit them to ensure they are your best work. Then consider reaching out to successful blogs online and ask if you can create a guest blog for them. All of this will help to establish your writing credibility.
The next step is to make a profile on some websites that cater specifically to freelance writers. Contently, Fiverr, and Upwork are all sites that help connect writers with companies looking to hire freelancers. Whichever site you pick, make sure you present yourself with confidence, even if you are new to the space, as this can be the difference between a company hiring you or someone else.
Not all freelance jobs are high paying. And you’ll likely have to decide what your rates will be like. It’s good to have a variety of ways you can charge clients, as some like to pay by the article, others by the word, and some prefer to pay by the hour. If you are skilled in a high demand area of expertise, such as technology, you can probably charge higher rates for your time.
When you are first starting out, you may find that you don’t have enough experience to land the really high paying jobs, and that’s okay. Consider negotiating your rates with a smaller company to gain some experience while working your way up to the higher-paying jobs. Before you know it, you could be using your writing to make an extra $1,000 a month.
Pet Sitting
In the United States, 67% of all households own a pet, which means there are over 85 million families out there who may be looking for a pet sitter. This is also one of the easiest side hustles to get started, as it takes almost no work upfront.
Thanks to technology, if you are experienced with dogs, you can sign up to be a dog walker with apps like Wag and Rover. Wag is a bit like the Uber for dog walking, owners can post they are looking for a walk for their little pooch, and any walker in the area can pick up the walk. Rover is more for long term pet sitting, and these owners typically want to build a long-lasting relationship with their dog sitters. Wag displays the rate you will get per walk when you pick it up, on Rover you can set your own rates.
But this country isn’t just filled with dog owners, in fact, a number of households only own cats or other pets that need caring for such as guinea pigs or rabbits. And these people still need a pet sitter from time to time. Consider making a flyer advertising your services, with your contact info and references, and then leave them on every door in the neighborhood. This is especially useful around holidays when people travel to be with their families for longer periods of time.
You’ll likely have to develop different rates for different types of pets. With dogs, it’s typically easiest to charge by the visit, as they need a lot more attention and each visit is filled with activity. For cats and rodents which only need to be checked on once per day, it’s good to have a daily rate. If you have experience with nontraditional animals such as goats, cows, and horses, you can make extra money by advertising to farms in your area. Farmers are often unable to travel because they are unable to find someone to care for their animals properly, so they are willing to pay top dollar to the person with the right experience.
Whatever your favorite furry friend may be, pet sitting is an easy side gig to fit into any schedule, and it doesn’t require a car if you look for clients only within walking distance. Get started on a profile, or flyers, today and you’ll soon be making extra money every month thanks to your love for animals!
Become A Virtual Assistant
A number of business owners out there are simply too busy to get to everything they need to complete in the day. And therefore, several of them end up in the market for a virtual assistant.
A virtual assistant is usually one of two things, either someone who can complete a variety of tasks or someone who is highly specialized in what they do. It is much more difficult to become a specialized virtual assistant, but it is usually quite easy to have the bask skills to be a variety-of-tasks virtual assistant.
Depending on the company you get hired by, they may want you to work certain hours a week, or complete certain tasks, it just depends on who hires you. But as a virtual assistant, you could be tasked with answering emails, posting on websites, or scheduling appointments. Generally, it is very difficult to become a virtual assistant unless you have some experience in using a computer. Some companies only want to hire virtual assistants who have extensive experience in technology.
If this sounds like something you could do, start by posting an ad on craigslist offering your services or consider making a profile on one of the aforementioned websites such as Upwork or Fiverr. You can also reach out to friends who you know lead a busy life who have just started companies. Even getting a virtual assistant job for only a few hours a week can add up.
Becoming a virtual assistant as a long-term career is also an option, but this will likely take extensive training, as well as some networking to land the higher paying positions. Either way, starting out as a part-time virtual assistant is easy and can quickly help you make an extra $1,000 each month just by working in your free time.
Online Tutoring
If you are exceptionally skilled in a certain subject, it’s quite easy to make extra money by becoming an online tutor in your free time. And you don’t have to be a math or science genius, people hire online tutors for all kinds of subjects.
If English is your second language, there are many websites where you can list yourself to teach students looking to learn a second language. The most famous is italki, and it lets you set your rates to whatever you feel your time is worth. If you speak a language that is highly desired by tourists (for example, French) you could also offer an online crash course for those traveling to Paris via Airbnb Experiences.
Do you plan a musical instrument? People are even looking for online tutors for music these days. You can apply with a specific company such as RC Music, or you can create a profile on takelessons.com which is a freelance marketplace for online music teachers.
Even if you don’t think you have any skills which are worth tutoring, there are some companies in China that hire Americans just to talk to their kids in English for an hour each week. And although one hour isn’t much, if you end up working for a few of these families, the money will add up in no time.
This is another side hustle where you can employ craigslist to create an ad advertising your services. You can also head over to your local high school or college and ask if posting a flyer advertising your services would be allowed. If you are a college student yourself, ask your friends to spread the word that you are looking to tutor students.
Tutoring online can sometimes take some additional skill, especially if you apply to work for another company. But in general, it is an easy way to monetize the knowledge you already have and put you on the quick path to making an extra $1,000 each month.
Photography
This one can be difficult to monetize if you aren’t already interested in photography as it generally requires some expensive equipment and a bit of experience, but if you love photography, start monetizing your hobby into your next side gig.
If you don’t already, create a portfolio of your best work. This is best done using social media or another tool that you can easily link clients to. Then you need to decide what sort of rates you will charge and the clients you are looking to attract.
Generally, when you are just starting out, it is easiest to land wedding bookings as people are often willing to spend a little bit of money on a photographer for these occasions. So, start talking to your friends, let them know you do wedding photography, and you’ll likely land a wedding here and there.
Of course, you’re not going to make a decent amount of side money by just working weddings, so create a profile on a freelance website such as Upwork advertising your service for stock and profile photos. You can also offer your services to local bands who need someone to photograph their shows. If you live in a city that attracts a lot of singers, dancers, or actors, you can create package deals that are affordable but adhere to standards required by scouting agencies.
Another outlet available for photographers is to create a photo walk or offer personal photoshoots in a scenic place near your home. For example, if you live near the Grand Canyon, you can list yourself on Airbnb Experiences as someone’s private photographer for the day. With the advent of social media, there are usually people willing to pay for this type of experience no matter where you call home.
With photography, the sky is the limit. Therefore, if you already have the equipment and a bit of experience, turn your passion into your side hustle and start making that extra $1,000 doing something you love.
Design A Tour Or Bar Hop
The millennial generation is much more interested in collecting experiences rather than physical souvenirs. And if you live in a town which is often visited by tourists, you can easily make extra money each month simply by designing a tour of your favorite places.
People often underestimate how much tourists value going on a tour with locals. And if you live in a place with famous landmarks, spend some time learning about those landmarks (if you don’t already know about them) and designing a walking tour which tourists will enjoy. If you don’t live somewhere with landmarks, a local bar hopping or brewery tour is all the rage right now. Keep in mind though, if you decide to do a bar hopping or brewery tour, it may be worth talking to the venues beforehand. This way they not only know you will be coming with a group, but they may also offer your group a special discount.
Food tours are also on the rise. If your city is famous for a certain food, consider designing a tour where your customers can try that food at a few different locations. For example, if you live in Kansas City, a Bar-be-que tour could easily be in high demand.
Once you have designed and perfected your tour, decide how many people you can accommodate, and then start to advertise your services. The best website for this is Airbnb Experiences, but oftentimes cities will have specific websites that tour operators are allowed to list on. Find the website for your city and see what the process of listing there is like. You can also visit local hotels and ask if you can leave flyers for your tour, or if they will recommend you when people ask about local tours.
Becoming a local tour guide is one of the easiest side hustles on this list, after all, who knows your city better than you! And although you may not get many bookings right away, your business will likely grow over time as people recommend your tour. Before you know it, you’ll be making over $1,000 a month just by showing people around your favorite spots!
Run Errands For People
This is similar to becoming a virtual assistant, but much easier to start if you don’t have much technical experience. There are several people (maybe some in your circle of friends) who will pay people to run general errands for them. As long as you already have a car, getting started as an errand runner is generally quite easy.
You can advertise your services via word of mouth to your neighbors. Perhaps you have an elderly neighbor that you’ve noticed is become less mobile. They may be willing to hire you to go to the grocery store or post office for them. Even if you don’t know of someone in your immediate circle, you can create a profile on TaskRabbit, which is an errand-running site where you can set your own rates.
Users of TaskRabbit report they’ve been hired to help people move, fold laundry, and rearrange furniture—among several other tasks that don’t require any previous knowledge or skill. You can also advertise your skills on Fiverr. Fiverr is generally used for a variety of smaller tasks, but you can set your rates on there as well.
The process of becoming an errand runner in your free time is easy, as long as you have a vehicle. Other than that, it generally requires no special skills, so there’s no reason why you can’t be running errands for an extra $1,000 a month in your free time.
Freelance Web Design
Freelance web design is a very lucrative paying side hustle which unfortunately does require quite a bit of previous knowledge. But if you have a basic understanding of coding and an eye for designing websites, it can be easy to get started.
If you don’t have one already, create a portfolio. This could even just be your personal website which you designed yourself. Anyone looking to hire you will likely ask for a sample of your work, so it’s a good idea to offer to design a friend’s website for free so that you will have at least a of couple pieces of work to show your prospective employer.
After you have something to show for your work, start advertising your services. You can advertise on sites like Upwork, Craigslist, or TopTal. Besides craigslist, the other two websites do work off of reviews, so it may take a job or two to get your profile going. But once you get started, freelance webs designers make anywhere from $40-$65 per hour working on their schedule.
Although freelance web design does require experience and expertise, if this is something you excel at, it can be very easy to monetize your free time to make an extra $1,000 a month by simply advertising your skills as a freelance web designer.
Life is expensive. And if you said you didn’t want to find an easy way to earn an extra $1,000 a month, you’d probably be lying to yourself. Whatever your knowledge base or expertise, there is something on this list for everyone. The key is finding what you are good at (and have the supplies for) and using it to monetize your free time. No matter which of these high paying side gigs you choose, if you apply yourself, and stick with it, you’ll be earning an extra $1,000 a month in no time at all.
