I recently received an email from a distraught reader looking for ways to earn extra Money. The reader lamented: “I am not sure if this whole being an adult thing is working out for me.”
Between paying bills, taxes, student loans, medical expenses, and life in general, making ends meet was more difficult than she had anticipated.
I know she’s not alone in this. Sometimes, you might feel like you’re spinning your wheels trying to juggle responsibilities that never seem to end.
Your first instinct to release your frustrations may be to take a vacation, but your bank account is like Nah, with what money? Trimming your budget will help, but you need a long-term solution. A little extra money can go a long way in securing your financial future.
11 Ways To Earn Extra Money
The right side job can open doors to unlimited earning potential. Currently, over 45 million Americans pursue a side job.
Several articles on the internet give ideas on how to make money on the side. Unfortunately, most of the passive income ideas given are either vague, outdated, or both.
I decided to curate a list of 12 proven, updated side job ideas to help kick-start your 2019.
1. Relode – Become a Virtual Healthcare Recruiter
If you are goal-driven and enjoy building relationships and making connections, a job as a virtual recruiter on Relode may be an easy way to make extra money.
Signing up to Relode, a fast-growing healthcare staffing agency committed to bridging the gap between job hunters in the healthcare field and medical institutions, is pretty easy, secure, and, more importantly, free.
All you need to become an agent is an email address; you’re ready! You can scrutinize the positions and refer your friends and colleagues to exciting jobs.
A good thing about Relode is that you don’t need to be a healthcare worker with extensive recruiting experience to use the site. So long as you can find great candidates for different positions, you can earn extra money from home.
Relode allows you to choose when to work and how much work you want. Payment is via commission, with the average referral amount being $3,500.
2. Pleio – Assist People With Taking Medication on Time
One of the surest ways you can earn extra money is by assisting other people with taking their medication as prescribed. According to Pleio’s website, over 50 percent of Americans fail to take their medication as directed.
Medication non-adherence accounts for over 100,000 deaths every year. Senior citizens are most affected as sometimes they can’t correctly read or understand the information on the labels.
That’s a worrying statistic, but luckily you have the opportunity to make it better and earn some extra money at the same time.
All you need to start providing services to patients and earning with Pleio is to be a US Citizen aged 18 years or older, have a dedicated phone line, a small office, and the desire to help.
3. Shipt – Deliver Things From Various Stores
Another option to earn extra money is to make same-day deliveries with Shipt.
You can deliver groceries to customers in your town from their favorite stores and earn an average of 15-25 dollars an hour. Paychecks are distributed weekly.
Here’s how Shipt works for buyers: they can use Shipt’s website or an app to order goods or household essentials from a local store, connect with shoppers in their area through text and schedule a delivery.
Like working for Lyft and Uber, Shipt allows you to work at an appropriate time. While the pay may not be substantial, you may earn extra money through tips.
The requirements are simple: be at least 18 years old with a valid driver’s license, have a little knowledge of product selection, have a reliable car with auto insurance, can lift 40 pounds, and own a smartphone. Under 18 years old? No problem; here's a list of places that hire at 15.
4. Roadie – Deliver Things Across Town or The Country
With Roadie, you can deliver ‘just about anything’ in your area and earn extra money on your schedule. Youu won’t have to worry about going to unknown destinations or keeping your ride clean for nosy passengers.
How much money can I make on Roadie? Well, that depends on how much time and effort you want to put in. You can make up to $60 on local gigs and up to $650 on long-distance gigs!
Customers are given a shipping calculator to estimate the cost. Roadie uses a collaborative model to enable low-cost, fast, and flexible delivery for senders and pays drivers for their service.
Since it was established three years ago, the company boasts a growing clientele of big airline, retail, and grocery brands. Notable mentions include Delta, Kroger, and Macy’s.
Their website shows Roadie has delivered to over 11,000 towns and cities across America. Turn your road trips into a side job to make money.
5. Amazon Flex Delivery Service – Deliver Packages for Amazon
This service allows you to deliver packages and be paid 18-25 dollars per hour. Once you become a delivery partner, you can track your earnings easily with the Amazon Flex app.
With Amazon Flex, you have the freedom to set your schedule. Amazon Flex is available in 50 cities across the United States, and more cities will be added soon.
The only requirement is having your car and a smartphone. A background check is required before you are cleared.
6. Amazon Home Services – Sell Your Professional Services
This service by Amazon connects you to customers interested in assistance in your area. The retail giant allows top electricians, plumbers, house cleaners, assemblers, and more to advertise their professional services directly to people in their area.
With the Amazon app, you can browse new jobs and pick the jobs that fit your schedule; pretty simple, huh? It doesn’t stop there; you are not required to pay monthly subscriptions or advertisement fees.
The only thing you pay is a revenue share for a job completed. To get paid, show up, do the job, and that’s it!
You only need two requirements: General Liability Insurance and Licensing for Trade Professionals if you are a General Contractor, Plumber, Electrician, or HVAC Technician.
7. Showaround – Give Tours of Your Local Area
Showaround was created to change the concept of traveling by making visitors’ experiences more local and authentic. According to Showaround’s website, knowledgeable locals are better at showing you more accurate versions of their cities.
By tailoring your activities, you will have more fun on your trip. Available in over 200 countries and 10,000 cities worldwide, Showaround boasts over 100,000 locals.
You can be one too! No need to be an expert to sign up on this site; you must understand your city and have excellent communication skills. To use I,t choose your hourly rate, pick your offer, show it around, and cash out to your bank account.
8. Gigwalk – Complete Gigs in Your Area
Gigwalk was created eight years ago to help companies to identify and fix execution challenges. To start using Gigwalk, download the Gigwalk app, and register your account.
You must provide your email address and answer a few basic questions. You must link your account with PayPal and apply for gigs through Gig List or the map.
By creating projects, you can push them out to over a million Gigwalkers. You can match people to work and effectively execute the work based on GPS location.
Gigwalk allows you to have a flexible working schedule by working when you want and only picking Gigs that interest you. How much you earn depends on the Gigs you choose, but you can make anywhere from 3-100 dollars or more.
9. Takelessons – Be Your Boss, Set Your Prices, and Teach What You Know
If you are a teacher or lecturer, you will love TakeLessons. This website allows you to virtually or locally teach what you know and set your rate, availability, and subjects.
Subjects range from Language to Piano Lessons to Drawing. To use TakeLessons and earn extra money, you must create a professional profile with your skills and experience.
The site will handle booking and payments so that you concentrate on what you do best- help your students gain knowledge and learn new skills.
The company takes the responsibility of directly delivering fully paid students to you. Join other tutors across the world by signing up today. With over 2.5 million lessons taught, there is no reason why you can’t give TakeLessons a try.
10. Estate Sale Service – Host Estate Sales for Commission
If you want a low-competition niche, try starting your estate sale service. Often,s people will hire an auctioneer to host a sale where a house's belongings are sold.
But if you don’t want to become an auctioneer, there is another way. I have a friend, Marcy, who does something similar; she has a garage sale at the client’s house and keeps a portion of the sales.
Once everything is sold, Marcy cleans up the property and disposes of anything left over. Word of mouth gets Marcy most of her business, but you could also set up a website or use Facebook.
The primary business model of an estate sale service is getting a commission based on your sales.
11. Home Inspection Service – Become a Nationally Recognized Home Inspection Professional
Most states require you to obtain certification to inspect homes. Real Estate is a budding industry, and in 2018 home inspection is a $2 billion a year business and growing.
Schedule inspections at your convenience and enjoy the flexibility of this side job. A few hours on a job site and preparing your report is all it takes to earn extra money.
You must sit for a National Home Inspector Exam to demonstrate your abilities before you are recruited.
The exams entail Business Operations (12 percent), Analysis and Reporting (24 percent), and Building Science (64 percent). A test will cost you approximately $225. There are over 200 proctored test centers spread across America.
PRO TIP: When learning to make money on the side, consider earning potential, scalability, and scheduling before settling on an idea. Avoid picking too many ideas at once.
The Best Way To Earn Extra Money
Believe it or not, several of the world’s most successful companies began humbly as a side job. And the people who started them are just like you; they had drive and passion for success.
Best examples include Andrew Mason, founder of Groupon, and Rob Kalin, founder and former CEO of Etsy. The beauty of our list is that none of the ideas require a specialized skill set or substantial initial investment.
Earn extra money and achieve more freedom while building your portfolio and developing new skills.
Maybe you will turn the side job into a full-time income one day. Don't wait; pick a plan, and start living life on your terms today!
Meet you on the other side of success and financial freedom.
