In the past few years, it seems like the phrase “side hustle” has gone from slang used by young entrepreneurs to a widely accepted concept. The definition is simple: your “side hustle” is whatever work you do in addition to your regular job to get ahead and pay off debt (holiday gift debt included).
While a side hustle can help you make money all year long, it can be especially useful during the holiday season. With expenses for travel, decorating, and gift-giving adding up, it can be comforting to know that you have some extra cash coming in.
For those interested in finding a side hustle to boost their income and take the edge off the holiday season, we rounded up six options that are both relatively lucrative and easy to do.
1. Complete micro jobs in your spare time
The Internet has made it incredibly easy to find work of all kinds, an especially useful feature when you are trying to avoid holiday gift debt. While you have probably browsed job boards such as Monster or Indeed to plan your next career move, you may not be aware of the various earning opportunities on the Internet past just finding your next 9-to-5, such as micro-jobs.
Micro jobs are exactly what they sound like: small, simple jobs that are easy to complete, generally from the comfort of your own living room. Usually, they are one-time arrangements that involve fulfilling a single task with a large amount of flexibility and no commitment to do any future work. You won’t make much from a single micro job, but over time, you can bank a little extra pocket change without leaving your home.
It is worth noting that you won’t get rich doing micro-jobs. While some micro job websites might list work that pays out $40 to $50 per task, most of your run-of-the-mill micro job providers pay less than $1 per task. Some may also only pay out in the form of gift cards or other virtual currency that has limited usefulness. The time you would have to invest to make any significant money from micro jobs is probably better spent elsewhere.
In other words, micro jobs are low impact, low reward. They work well if you don’t have a lot of energy to put toward your side hustle. Your best-case scenario with a micro job is popping open your laptop when you are watching TV and completing tasks while you are relaxing to earn a few extra bucks.
Examples of micro jobs
Your stereotypical micro job is a task that is relatively simple but requires a large amount of concentration to do it right.
- Consumer research surveys, for example, might be considered a micro job. Your standard survey might involve watching a few commercials and answering questions about them. It is not difficult, but it is almost impossible to automate, so companies pay people small amounts of money to get the job done. Swagbucks is a popular destination for these types of surveys.
- Audio transcription and data entry jobs are also relatively common. Besides knowing how to type quickly, these types of jobs don’t require specialized skills. Companies can hire them out to micro workers cost-effectively at a large scale. Rev offers these types of transcription jobs with no experience necessary, but you do need to pass a skills test.
- Website and usability testing jobs are on the rise as well. Digital marketers need real user data to make decisions. So, they will list jobs on sites such as StartUpLift asking workers to complete a series of tasks and offer feedback on websites and apps. These opportunities may be a little bit more time intensive than other micro jobs. But for $5 and $10 per assignment, it could be time well spent.
2. Find a freelance gig online
Unlike micro jobs, online freelance jobs are a bit more formal and in-depth. They are also more lucrative. That is because online freelance work is usually skilled labor. If you already have a skill, or you are willing to put in the work to develop one, you can probably find someone to hire you as a freelancer.
Payment for online freelance jobs varies wildly depending on the employer and the type of work involved. As you gain experience, however, you will be able to command higher rates and start to build a reputation as a reliable worker people want to hire.
Types of online freelance work
The Internet is a big place, and if you look hard enough, you can probably find someone hiring for just about any type of job. For the purposes of this article, we will focus on three types of work. This includes:
- Writing and editing
- Marketing
- Basic graphic design
Writing and editing jobs are plentiful as more brands embrace content-driven digital marketing. There has never been more demand for online content of all forms than right now. Entry-level gigs might include writing blog posts for company websites, editing copy for print materials, or helping people with resumes and cover letters. Once you gain some experience, you might find yourself writing longer, more in-depth pieces or even helping people write and edit books for publication.
Many other types of freelance jobs exist, which we can’t cover in full here. If you are curious, browse a few freelance listings sites such as Upwork or Fiverr, or check the hiring section of Craigslist to see just how much variety exists.
3. Start a blog and monetize it
You have probably heard stories of people who started personal blogs to share their passions and became millionaires in the process. To be honest, that likely won’t happen to you. If there was ever a gold rush for bloggers, it is over. The sheer number of websites that already exist combined with rapidly changing relationships between publishers, audiences, and distribution networks make it very unlikely that you will get rich blogging.
That doesn’t mean it is impossible to make money with a blog. Done correctly, starting a blog can help you create income each month in a creative and enjoyable way. A moderately successful blog can drive a few hundred to a few thousand dollars of income each month. That type of money won’t make you rich, but it could change your life and help you to avoid racking up holiday gift debt.
How to monetize a blog
We won’t go in-depth on how to start a blog here, as plenty of guides exist that cover the topic. The advice is this: choose a topic that is close to your heart, write about that topic in a way that adds value to your readers’ lives, and hustle to get that content in front of the right people.
Let’s briefly discuss ways that people monetize their blogs. You can then determine if blogging might be your thing.
Affiliate marketing
Many bloggers make money through affiliate marketing. With this process, you link out to a product from your website. When someone clicks your link and purchases that product, you get a portion of the sale. For example, let’s say you start a blog reviewing different wine-of-the-month clubs. If someone clicks the link in your review to a particular wine club and signs up, you will get a small percentage of the subscription fee.
While this kind of arrangement can potentially lend itself to deception, the best affiliate marketers are transparent about their relationships and consistently provide reliable content to their readers. A good example is The Wirecutter, which was recently acquired by the New York Times.
Paid advertising
Bloggers also make money simply by selling ad space on their sites. Ads come in many different shapes and sizes. While you might see traditional banner ads on some sites, other ads might take the form of paid reviews, sponsored posts, and other more innovative formats.
Upsells
The most lucrative way to monetize your blog is to use it to “upsell” readers on some other product or service.
Coaching is a popular example of an upsell. Say you are a mom, and you start a blog talking about how you raised three children on an all-vegan diet from birth through adolescence. A reader might find one of your posts when looking for advice on how to convince her teen son to try tofu and discover that your perspective really appeals to her. It might appeal to her so much that she is willing to pay you $200 for an hour-long Skype call where she picks your brain about how to transition her family to veganism. Suddenly, you have opened a brand-new revenue stream.
Upsells work best for well-established bloggers, so you probably won’t be able to make much off them to start. But everyone has to start somewhere. And it is important to know what kind of work you might be building toward with your blog.
Keep in mind that it can take a while for any significant amount of money to come in through your blog. If you are looking for a quick buck, blogging probably isn’t right for you. If you are looking for a creative outlet and potentially lucrative side hustle, however, you might be a blogger in the making.
4. Get a traditional second job
So far, we have covered ways to use the Internet to find your side hustle. Finding one in the real world works just as well, but it likely won’t be as flexible.
A good second job needs to work around your existing schedule. If you work during the day, you are limited to jobs with evening hours.
For this reason, bartending is often a popular side job, especially for the younger crowd. Bartenders tend to work at night and bartending itself sounds potentially glamorous (assuming you like to hang out in bars in the first place). However, it is not easy to bartend without experience. This guide breaks down the process into seven steps. Put in the time and you could be slinging cocktails and making tips sooner rather than later and avoiding holiday gift debt completely.
Seasonal retail work is less glamorous but easier to find. Assuming you are trying to pay down your holiday gift debt during the holiday season, there are probably plenty of seasonal retail jobs open at your local malls and department stores. These jobs are nice because they allow you to start with little to no experience and bank numerous hours without any expectation that you will stay once the holidays end. If you are looking for a limited engagement, seasonal retail work could fit the bill and will help you manage the holiday gift debt that rears its head towards the end of the year.
Delivery is also simple and flexible if retail work doesn’t move you. Whether you are delivering packages or pizzas, you will likely be working outside of the regular 9-to-5 workday and making a decent paycheck without throwing off your routine.
5. Drive for a ridesharing service
It is no coincidence that services like Uber and Lyft use the phrase “side hustle” in their advertising materials for potential drivers. For many people, driving for a ridesharing service is the ultimate side hustle: flexible hours, significant earnings potential, and a high likelihood that you will come out of the experience with a bunch of new stories to tell your friends.
The requirements to drive for a ridesharing service vary depending on the service, and where you are located, but the basics are similar across the board. You will need to be 21 or older with access to a relatively new 4-door car. You will need in-state insurance, an in-state driver’s license, and a few years of driving experience. That is the bare minimum, as even if you check off all those boxes, there is no guarantee that a ridesharing company will hire you.
As for how much you stand to make driving for a ridesharing service, it is hard to say. Some estimates put the number as low as $8 per hour while others put it as high as $25 per hour. Much of that depends on your vehicle’s passenger capacity, where you are located, and your driving hours. Giving rides during high-demand periods (when fares spike) in a big city will net you more per hour than if you cart people around during off-hours in a small town. If you want to dig into pay further, Uber does a nice job breaking down how it pays drivers.
Unlike some of the other side hustles we have discussed so far, driving for a ridesharing service is far from easy work. You are likely to work long hours dealing with many strange people without any guarantee as to how much you will be paid. However, it is worth a shot if you are looking for a side hustle that is interesting, flexible, and potentially lucrative enough to make holiday gift debt a thing of the past.
6. Work in your community
If you are looking for flexible work that is fulfilling and allows you to be your own boss, then you might not have to look any further than your own community. Providing a service to your neighbors is a great way to make money while being a positive influence on those around you.
For example, if you know how to play an instrument, offering lessons to kids in the neighborhood can be a great way to make a few extra bucks while meeting your neighbors. Even if you haven’t picked up your guitar in years, all it takes is a little extra practice to get your chops back and start teaching the basics to beginners.
In the same vein, tutoring can be an extremely rewarding way to earn extra money. While you might have forgotten the finer points of trigonometry, you are likely more than capable of learning to tutor a child or even a non-native English speaker in the basics of reading and writing. You don’t have to be a scholar to teach; you just have to be patient and take a genuine interest in your students.
Childcare and pet care are also great ways to help your neighbors and make a quick buck. While starting a proper daycare in your home requires extensive training and inspection, babysitting while your neighbors enjoy a much-needed date night is simple enough. Starting a dog walking service can also be fun and profitable.
Remember: a good side hustle should fit your existing routine, hold your interest, and be lucrative enough to make a difference. You might experiment with a few different things before you find what works for you. Once you get into the groove, however, you will be able to take the edge off your holiday gift debt in no time. Of course, once you have that side hustle going, make sure you know how to use it to build real wealth going into the new year.
