There are many different ways to make money outside of work, but many of them will prevent you from making money very quickly. For example, you can create a blog, podcast, or YouTube channel, but it all takes a lot of work from you before you start making money.
If you find yourself in a situation where you need quickly start making money and you have no way to wait for payment, you need to choose the other side. Fortunately, there are some very good options to get you started making real money quickly.
1. Reversing elements
If you need to make money fast, the first thing you should think about is sell some things that you no longer use or need… You’ve probably accumulated a lot of things that could easily be sold for extra money. Craigslist and the Facebook Marketplace make it easy to sell all sorts of things to other people in your area.
Take some time to look around your home, garage, or barn and find things to sell. If you have enough items to sell, you can arrange a sale and get rid of many in just a weekend.
While this is a great option for making quick money, you end up running out of things to sell. If you want to turn this into a constant side hustle and bustle, you can buy things at yard sales, flea markets, auctions, or thrift stores to resell for a profit. Many people get a steady income this way by flipping through eBay.
This can be a surprisingly lucrative side activity, as you can get great discounts on items that are of much greater value if sold in other ways. To maximize your profits, you can use platforms like eBay, Poshmark, and Mercari, which allow you to sell products to people anywhere in the country (or the world), rather than being limited to just your region.
Each platform has its pros and cons and is perfect for different situations, but you can read more about the specifics in this Poshmark vs eBay vs Mercari comparison.
2. Walking the dogs.
You may be surprised at the amount of money you can make walking your dogs (some people even earn full-time jobs). There are many pet owners who either do not have time to walk their dog or they are physically unable to walk and are willing to hire others to do it for them.
One of the benefits of this side hustle and bustle is the ability ongoing work with regular customers. A one-time talk can turn into a daily or weekly job. Another benefit is the exercises that you will do while you work.
Of course, if you wish, you can find clients on your own. But apps like Rover and Wag make it easy to create a profile so pet owners in your area can find and hire you. Rover claims to review applications within 5 business days, so you can start making money pretty quickly. Wag says it takes between 1 day and 3 weeks to process applications.
3. Shared driving
Riding Uber or Lyft can be a great option for you if you have the right vehicle. You can apply as a driver today and the application process usually takes 3-7 days, including time for background checks. Once you get approved, you can immediately start driving and making money.
One of the nice things about this side hustle and bustle is that you don’t have to look for things to sell, and you don’t have to attract customers to start making money. When you’re ready to drive, just open the app and find people in your area looking for a ride.
The biggest downside to this side fuss has to do with the mileage you spend on your car. You will need to factor in costs such as gasoline as well as maintenance and wear and tear to determine how much money you are actually making.
4. Delivery driving
If you like the idea of making money driving but don’t want strangers in your car, another option is to work as a courier driver. Apps like Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats make things easier by delivering orders from restaurants. And Instacart is a great way to make money delivering groceries.
Generally vehicle requirements below for driving delivery compared to driving, so if your car doesn’t qualify for Uber or Lyft driving, you can work as a courier driver instead.
Amazon Flex is another option for working as a delivery driver. In this case, you will be making delivery for Amazon instead of delivery to the restaurant.
This side hustle also includes about 3-7 days of waiting for your application to be approved and background checks, after which you can start working and making money right away.
Working as a delivery driver is the same situation as co-driving, so you will need to calculate your mileage and maintenance costs to know how much you actually earn.
5. Freelance
There are countless different services that you could offer as a freelancer and you can start earning as soon as you find your first client… You may be able to find clients by talking to friends, family, and neighbors. And of course, you can also reach out to people from your professional network. Placing your services on Craigslist can also be an easy way to start looking for clients.
While the possible services you could offer are endless, if you want to start making money quickly, you should focus on skills you already haverather than trying to learn new skills. Think about what you do in your job, the skills you acquired in a previous job, or a hobby that could be turned into a service, and you might find something to offer as a freelancer.
Depending on the specific services you offer, there may be some niche job boards it can also be very helpful in finding a job. For example, the ProBlogger message board is a great resource for finding freelance writers. Other sites like Remote and FlexJobs are great for all types of freelance and remote work.
Another advantage of freelancing that can make it a very attractive activity is potential for permanent income… Many of the services you could offer would allow you to earn a great hourly rate, and you can scale up to add more clients and replace your regular job if that’s what you’re interested in.
Freelancing is one of the best ways to make money online without paying anything. This is a legitimate business that can be started with no investment.
6. Accounting
If you have accounting experience or work with Quickbooks in your full-time job, then getting started in accounting can be a great option. Like other service side business, you can start making money as soon as you get your first customer.
There are several factors that make accounting even more challenging, including:
- Most of your clients will be regulars, so you don’t have to constantly look for work.
- You can earn a very good hourly rate.
- Minimum experience required.
- Ideal for part-time or full-time jobs.
One of the common misconceptions about working as an accountant has to do with job requirements. Many people assume they need accounting experience or significant booking experience, but this is actually not the case. In fact, you can start without experience (read this article to learn more about how to become an accountant).
7. Handyman
If you know how to fix things or work with your hands, side work as a handyman may be suitable for you. Handymen do a variety of odd jobs like simple homeowner renovations, light plumbing, light electrical work, painting, and maybe some outdoor projects.
There is always a need for handymen and you can probably find your first clients just by talking to family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. You can also post your services on Craigslist so people can find you easily. It is possible that you can start earning within a week or two.
According to PayScale, the average handyman makes over $ 22 an hour, but some charge $ 40 or more an hour.
8. Lawn mowing and landscaping.
Do you like working outdoors? In such a case, mowing lawns or doing landscaping such as pruning plants and sprinkling mulch may be ideal side effects. Many homeowners and business owners need to hire someone to look after their yard.
Again, you can probably find your first client just by talking to people you already know, and you can also post your services on Craigslist or local message boards in your area.
While it does involve some seasonal work, you can also suggest leaf cleaning and snow removal at other times of the year.
9. Charging scooters.
If you live in an urban area, one way to quickly start making extra money is to work as a scooter charger at companies like Lime or Bird. These companies rent out electric scooters and need people willing to take the scooters home and charge them.
Charging scooters can be a great way to make extra money because you don’t need any special skills and this is what you can do according to your existing schedule… You sign up to become a charger and then use the app to find scooters to charge. Pick them up on your way home from work or at any other time when it is convenient for you and you can easily earn extra money.
Some of the other side jobs that have been mentioned in this article (such as freelancing and the many side jobs related to maintenance) could be turned into a full-fledged business. This one doesn’t give you the same high earning potential, but it might be ideal for people who need a little extra money but don’t want to disrupt their lives too much.
To find out how to get started, read this article on making money from scooter charging.
10. Online polls
One of the most common side-hustle recommendations is to participate in online surveys for cash or other rewards. This can be a good option because anyone can do it (no skills or experience required) and is extremely flexible.
The flip side of online surveys is the fact that the amount of money you make per hour is likely to be lower than any of the other side fuss outlined in this article. it very flexible and comfortablebut not very profitable. You will need to decide if flexibility and convenience are the most important factors for you.
Another good thing is that you can get started right away. Create a free Survey Junkie or Swagbucks account and you can start taking surveys today.
Final thoughts
While many side activities will take some time and effort on your part before you start making money, there are also some good options if you need to start making money right now.
Many of the side steps in this article are service-related and you can start making money as soon as you have your first customer, which is usually not that hard. Now that you’ve reviewed each option in detail, decide which one is best for your situation and get started.