Otterwize

What You Otter Know About Personal Finance

Side Hustles

A side hustle is a way to earn extra money on the side, either in addition to your regular job or, for some people, in place of it.

A side hustle can be a long-term commitment or a short-term task. Regardless, bringing in some extra cash never hurts your bottom line. Here are a few ways to make your accounts greener.

General Gig Economy Sites and Freelance Platforms

Working on your own time, on your own terms? Picking up a few side jobs here and there can pay some extra bills (or finance a bit more weekend fun).

Sell Your Junk

There are some tried and true ways to do this (like eBay and Craigslist), but a lot of newcomers are trying to help you part with your garbage (and sometimes even save the planet by properly disposing of e-waste).

Teaching

There are a lot of ways to earn money by teaching or tutoring others. You can go the traditional route and be an adjunct professor or join the new (digital) economy and see what knowledge and experience you can share.

All these sites offer ways to lead classes (often online). You can also check out resources like your local community college or library to research other teaching opportunities.

Hosting Others in Your Home

You may get a scary cohabitant, but some platforms such as Airbnb provide insurance. And if you’re in a stage of your life where you’re not hanging Monet’s, you may have few valuables to worry about anyway. Plus, users get rated, so you can see how well they’ve behaved in the past.

Dog Walking / Pet Sitting

Heard of Wag? Yes, you can walk and take care of furry friends and get paid. Need a break from studying, the job hunt, or just have extra time? Someone will literally pay you to love on an animal.

Selling Photos

Do you like to take pictures? Wish you could turn your passion into cash? Here are some sites to help. Or set up your own site to sell directly (see our blogging section below).

Driving

You know the Uber spiel . . . it’s on every billboard across the East Coast. Well, they aren’t the only game in town. Managing your own schedule? Using an asset that’s just idling away? Sounds pretty good. (But do the math before you begin, and don’t forget to account for gas, insurance, additional maintenance/miles, and wear-and-tear on your car.)

Get Creative!

Do you have an artsy streak? There are many online marketplaces where you can sell your handmade items. Post your prototype or original creation and see if it sells to the market. Like they say with the lotto, you can’t win if you don’t play.

If you are super entrepreneurial, there are plenty of sites to solicit funds for your newest creation. There are some “rewards-based” crowdfunding sites that stand out.

Take Some Surveys

We all get them. Why not get some cash for them? It’s not a windfall but hey, you were already filling them out for free.

Play Some Games

You can earn cash by playing games? Umm . . . someone figured this out.

Some Other Random Ways to Earn Money

  • Affiliate Marketing. Online affiliate revenue, where companies pay a fee if you direct a customer or client their way who goes on to buy a product or service. Can add to your revenue stream. Will it make you rich? Probably not, but it doesn’t hurt to try.
  • Bartending/Waitstaff. Again, on your own terms, whenever you want. After carrying a tray or opening up too many bottles of wine to count, there’s often a nice tip at the end.
  • Blogging. Don’t beat us on our own turf. But keep in mind that blogging success doesn’t happen overnight. Be prepared to work at it.
  • Brand Ambassador. People love cheap arms and legs. Get hired to represent an organization or a company, helping to promote their brand. This can be live or through social media.
  • Fitness Training. If you have a certificate, most gyms will allow you to conduct personal training sessions. It’s a nice paycheck, and you can usually work on your own hours.
  • Freelance Writing / Editing / Copyediting / Proofreading / Transcriptionist. There is a ton of written content produced every day, creating many opportunities for editors, proofreaders, etc.
  • Mystery Shopper. Many corporate headquarters want to ensure their stores or franchises maintain the look and feel (as well as employee behavior) that is on brand. A simple search will tell you which corporations are looking for this (or 3rd party services to hook you up). Did we mention that you usually get free food or merch? (That can even mean free beer (Secret Hopper) or getting paid just for showing up (Shopkick).) Also, another known company is Jobs2Shop.
  • Rent Your Stuff. Everything from tools (Peerrenters, Toolsity) to cars (Getaround) and RVs (Outdoorsy) can be shared in this economy.
  • Share Your Data. Whether it’s just the sites you click on, what you purchase, or even letting a bot mine your data, there is money to be had from your data. (And let’s face it, other companies will be making money from that, so why shouldn’t you?) Sites like Ibotta will pay you to overshare (this one for just taking pics of your receipts that include preselected offers). You can get paid by MobileXpression for downloading apps (for their market research purposes). Data is everywhere, and it wants to be free. Don’t let it.
  • Seasonal / Gift Wrapping. Yes, your fingers may be numb at the end of the day, but this type of work involves literally one month of making boxes look nice.
  • Sperm Donor? This is probably the easiest. Did I say off hand? No comment.
  • Virtual Assistant. From the comfort of your pajamas, you can assist people across the globe. Sometimes this involves a specialized skill like bookkeeping or in-depth analysis, and sometimes the person seeking help just wants someone else to find the cheapest flight. A cursory Google search will find ones that suit your skill set.