Friday, October 13, 2017
11 Money-Making Opportunities You Should Not Waste
I have always been a fan of the side hustle. At one time in my life, I had 3 side hustles to go along with my main money-making venture. I like the side hustle for many reasons. For one, I love money so any extra money is fine by me. Secondly, I have always believed that the more you work, the less money you spend. Being at work means you aren’t out partying with friends or shopping because you are lonely. Another great reason is having a diversified income makes you less vulnerable to the loss of any one job, even your main hustle. There have been times that having the side hustle saved my butt as my main gig closed down. Both times one of the side hustles took over as my main hustle and ended up making more money, go figure. In this post, I will mention 11 side hustles that you can pick up to make some extra money. For those trying to save money or pay off debt, it might be necessary to rock the part-time work game to get you where you want to be, so listen up.
1) Babysit
I can categorize this one as: watch over people. Now I could never be a babysitter, some kids wouldn’t make it through the night. What I could do is be a companion to the elderly or even help out in youth programs for some extra cash. You will learn a lot and make well-needed funds. If you don’t have a disdain for children like I do, look to babysitting. If you are in school you can do homework the whole time. You essentially get paid to eat and watch movies, why not I say.
2) Landscape/Snow Removal
Being in Canada, landscaping is a huge business. During the winter we get dumped on with snow. During the warmer months, there is a barrage of grounds maintenance that needs to be done to recover from the winter months. If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty and a little hard work, put yourself out there as landscaper, gardener or snow remover. There are plenty of neighborhoods where people are too busy or too old to do this sort of work.
3) Professional Services
If your main gig is handling services for people such as tax preparation, accounting, teaching or web design, why wouldn’t you do a little on the side? I even know some people that the side work they do in these fields brings them more money than their main job. Reason being is because they can charge what they want and work when they want. They keep the main gig for the steady paycheck but are always looking for more freelance work.
Tutors and Accountants make Great Side Money
4) House Sit
Depending on your neighborhood there is a demand for people to look after a house while the owners are on vacation. Watering plants, collecting mail, feeding pets and mowing the lawn all need to be done. If you were keen enough you could land 10 of these gigs at once and all it would require from you is popping in once a day to make sure everything was alright. If you only have one, it is something you can do while doing your homework as well.
5) Cleaning
Now I like to keep a clean home, but I really don’t like cleaning. If you don’t mind it, there is some money to be made for your services. You could spend your Saturdays cleaning homes an hour at a time and rake in some serious coin. Having a reputation for good service at a good price might even land you a solid full-time gig at this lucrative venture.
6) Rent part of your Home
If you own a home you could rent out part of it on a short or long-term basis. The rise of Airbnb has carved the way for many people sharing their home with strangers. It is an excellent way to bring in anywhere from 100-800 dollars a month. I even know some people that pay their mortgage with the travelers who stay at their place every weekend. I wouldn’t want strangers in my house, but if you don’t mind it’ll really pay off.
Bartending is a Classic Side Hustle
7) Wait Tables or Bartend
This has been the side hustle staple since side hustles were a thing at all. Having been in this industry for over 13 years I know how lucrative it can be. Waiters and Bartenders can make anywhere from 50-500 dollars a night depending on the establishment and the location. Did I forget to mention that this money is cash as well? I know people who wear suits during the day and trade them for jeans at night only to make more money than their 9-5 gig. 2-3 serving shifts a week could bring in an extra $2500 a month.
8) Sell Your Stuff
Have a closet full of clothes? I heard somewhere that if you haven’t worn it in a year, you should get rid of it. Striving to be a minimalist is a great way to save money, and getting rid of the clutter in your closet or your home, in general, is a great way to make extra money. Hey, it might even help you pay down the debt you created trying to get all that crap to begin with!
9) Be a Secret Shopper
I was unaware this job even existed until a few years ago but people actually get paid to go shopping. Corporations hire people to see how their staff are performing and chains hire them to make sure their franchises are up to par. You can even get paid to eat at restaurants including a free meal. Do this 7 nights a week and you always have dinner and a little extra cash too!
10) Create Content
Not everyone has the time and skill to create content for their business. If you are handy with a camera, a good writer, or a social media whiz, you can make some extra money on the side. With Facebook, Instagram, and personal websites, fresh content is needed on the daily. That requires a time commitment that many business owners just don’t have. Instead on playing on your phone for no reason, why not help a business keep their look fresh. If you are a great writer, making blog posts is always helpful for a business. Content creators can even make this a full-time gig if they are good enough.
Ride Sharing
11) Ride Sharing
I have spoken about how expensive owning a car can be. Turning your car into a profit making machine is never a bad idea. If you get off work and just sit around, why not drive around for a few hours and bring in some extra dough. Services like Uber and Lyft are hugely popular. I personally would avoid the late night after bar crowds, but otherwise, it isn’t that bad a side hustle. Bringing in a few hundred extra dollars per month can justify spending all that money on your car in the first place.
With the rise in the sharing economy and the decline in the traditional nine to five job, side hustles have become more and more common. Having a side hustle allows you to pay down debt quicker, save up money quicker, and strengthen your employment stability. I like side hustles because I can dedicate side money to different causes, all contributing to my main goals. I would ideally like money coming in from 5 different sources but that will take some time. The point is, you should be working as much as possible when you are able to because there will be a time when you are unable and unwilling to do so. It may be necessary to achieve what you want in life and is an opportunity you should not waste.
Thanks for tuning for Waste Week here at Budget Boss. Don’t forget to tune in this afternoon for our recap of the week coming live from Innovation Works, Downtown London with Six Five Interactive. If you want to start a savings program with all that side hustle money shoot me a message at joe@budgetboss.ca. Have a great weekend friends!
“And where I excel is ridiculous, sickening, work ethic. You know, while the other guy’s sleeping? I’m working.” – Will Smith
Email – joe@budgetboss.ca
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