How to make extra money online with side hustles

While there are many ways to make extra money, some of the best side hustles don’t require you to quit your day job.

When it comes to making extra cash, one of my favorite methods is by utilizing the sharing economy, also known as “side hustling.” Rather than trading hours for dollars like at a full-time job, you’ve got more flexibility to choose what hustles make the most sense for you.

Side hustles can be a great way to bring in extra money, especially if you’re looking for ways to pay off debt or save up for a big purchase. They can also help build your resume and give you valuable experience that could lead to a full-time job.

If you’re thinking about trying side hustling, but don’t know where to start, here are six ways to earn money through relevant work experience.

1. Become an Uber driver or sign up for other on-demand services

There’s no shortage of apps that pay you for doing small tasks, like walking someone’s dog or delivering food.

While these gigs won’t make you rich, they can earn you some extra spending money for the weekend. The best part is that most of them only take a few minutes to do.

You can sign up to drive with Uber, Lyft or Sidecar in just a couple of minutes. If you’re looking for other options, there are apps like Field Agent or Gigwalk that pay you to do small tasks in your area.

Before you sign up, determine what your hourly rate would be if you worked at a traditional job. For instance, if all of these gigs paid $10 an hour and you worked 40 hours a week, your annual salary would be $20,800.

If you can’t live on that kind of money, then just do these gigs on the side until you find something better.

2. Start a blog or pick up freelance work

Everyone has an area of expertise that could benefit others. If it’s writing, graphic design, photography, web development or something else, there’s a good chance you can use your skills to make money.

For instance, if you have a passion for fitness and know how to write well, then you might want to start a blog that teaches others how to exercise or eat healthy on a budget. This type of site has become very popular over the last several years. While it may not make you rich, it can be a great way to generate some extra money on the side.

If writing isn’t your expertise, then pick up freelance work in your field of choice. Many people are working flexible jobs these days, so if you’re willing to work hard and produce good work, you can find clients who are willing to hire you for a few hours per week.

3. Rent out your house or car on Airbnb

One of the easiest ways to make money in your free time is by renting out unused space in your home or car when you’re not using it yourself. This method is especially popular in major cities where costs of living are high, but incomes aren’t.

For example, if you live in New York City and rent out your apartment during the summer when you’re traveling, then you could earn an extra $5,700 in just three months. That’s not bad for doing something you would’ve done anyway.

While Airbnb is perhaps the most popular option for short-term rentals these days, you can also list your room or car on other sites like HomeAway or FlipKey.

4. Start a side hustle to supplement your full-time job

You may not want to quit your day job in order to make extra money. Even so, you might be able to earn a few extra dollars by starting a side hustle at night or on the weekends.

For instance, if you have a full-time job in IT and have great computer skills, then you could probably get paid to do some freelance work for local companies over the weekend. Or, perhaps you could design and sell T-shirts for a side business you run out of your home.

The possibilities are endless, so come up with an idea that suits your skills and interests and see if there’s a demand for it in the marketplace. Not only will you add to your revenue stream, but you could gain valuable experience in an area you might want to pursue as a career.

5. Use an app to find money hidden in your daily life

If you enjoy searching for discounts and cash back opportunities, but don’t have the time to deal with clipping coupons or researching deals, then you should check out an app like Ibotta or Fetch Rewards. These programs work by giving you cash back for doing things that you’re already doing, like shopping at your favorite stores.

The only catch is that you need to make these purchases through the companies’ mobile apps or websites before you can start redeeming cash rewards. Otherwise, it’s completely free to join and use.

6. Make money with your car with Uber or Lyft

Perhaps you don’t own a car, but are still interested in making some extra money on the side. If so, then consider driving for Uber or Lyft.

Depending on where you live and work, both companies offer part-time and full-time opportunities to make money behind the wheel. The best part? You can simply log in and out whenever you want, so there’s no pressure to make a certain amount of money each week.

However, it should be noted that driving for these services is typically much more lucrative if you work during the high-demand hours of rush hour or weekends.

7. Get paid to explore your city with Scout Mob

If you like to explore your city, then check out an app like Scout Mob. Not only does this program pay you to take photos of your favorite local restaurants and stores, but it also provides discounts on the food and services that you love in addition to cash back when you use certain credit cards.

8. Sell your unwanted stuff on eBay

eBay is a great way to make money quickly and easily by selling your used items to other people. For instance, if you no longer want your old clothes or furniture, then you can sell them for cash on the site. However, be aware that you may need to adjust the price of your item depending on how much time is left before the auction ends.

For example, if you list an item right before an event where everyone is shopping for new clothes, then you probably won’t get the same amount of money for it as you would before a holiday or other time when people are looking to buy new items.

9. Make some extra cash on TaskRabbit

TaskRabbit is an online service that connects people who need help with local residents who can perform tasks like cleaning, delivery services, moving and more. If you’re already spending your free time running errands for yourself, then it might make sense to use this site to earn extra money.

A good way to make money on this platform is by offering TaskRabbit tasks to your friends and family. For instance, if you have a friend who needs help moving some boxes out of their home, then connect them with someone who can do the task for a fee.

A little bit goes a long way when you team up with people you know!

10. Get paid to do online surveys

If you’re a regular online shopper, then you may want to sign up for a paid survey site that offers cash back. For instance, Ipsos i-Say will pay you cash for taking surveys, plus it gives you opportunities to take part in focus groups and product testing as well.

Good research companies will provide rewards as soon as you reach a certain dollar amount in your account, so the cash back will add up quickly.

11. Sell unwanted gift cards for cold hard cash

Did you receive gift cards from stores that you don’t even like? It may be a good idea to sell them on a site like Raise or Cardpool, which pay cash for unwanted gift cards. You can also buy discounted gift cards from this site as well, so check out the selection before you do anything else.

12. Earn money for searching the Web with Swagbucks

The biggest perk of using a site like Swagbucks is that you earn points just by doing basic tasks online, such as searching the Web. However, you can also earn points by watching videos, answering polls and quizzes, or trying out new products as well.

As long as you’re actively engaged with the site, then you should have no problem reaching your first payout of $3 in just a few weeks’ time.

13. Make money online selling your own products

If selling stuff on eBay or another site doesn’t sound appealing, then you can establish your own e-commerce site to sell goods for cold hard cash. Plus, hosting and maintaining a blog like this one is super cheap (and even free in some cases), so it’s an excellent way to make money without any overhead costs.

14. Start a side hustle with Fiverr

If you have skills or talents that other people find valuable, then you should consider offering them for sale on the site Fiverr. For instance, if you’re good at writing, designing logos or creating online graphics, then you can make money doing those tasks for others on the site.

It’s a good idea to check out Fiverr if you have any useful skills that you can monetize quickly since there aren’t many costs involved in selling your services on the platform.

15. Sell your notes with Chegg Tutors

If you have excellent academic notes, then you may be able to sell them to students who are taking the same courses at other colleges and universities. For instance, if you took an organic chemistry course at your school, then you can set up an account on Chegg Tutors and earn some extra cash by selling your notes online.

16. Offer expertise as a virtual assistant

Virtual assistants do just about anything to help their clients succeed, from running errands to doing some data entry work. If you have some experience as a personal assistant or know your way around basic computer programs like Word and Excel, then you may want to look for paid virtual assistant jobs online.

You can find plenty of opportunities on Upwork and other freelance websites, so it’s a good idea to set up an account and start browsing through the available work immediately.

Conclusion:

One of the most popular ways to make money online is through blogging. However, it’s also quite difficult to build a blog that generates income on its own because there are so many other blogs out there competing for attention.

If you have some spare time and want to start generating revenue off your efforts, then you should consider becoming an affiliate marketer. Affiliate marketers promote products through their own unique links, so if a visitor from your site purchases a product or service, then you earn a commission on the sale.

This is one of the simplest ways to make money online, but it also requires some dedication when it comes to building an audience and writing high-quality content on a regular basis. It may take some time before you start to see serious revenue coming in, but it’s usually worth the effort if you can find an audience that trusts your judgement and relies on your recommendations.