Summer is upon us, and with all the adventures we want to go on, it’s easy to wish we had a little more cash. I mean, life is expensive — the weather’s great, so you don’t want to be stuck inside; everyone’s filling up their weekends with plans; and kids are out of school, which means more childcare for parents. Luckily, there are about a million ways to make some extra money. Today’s side hustles can be simple or sophisticated, and often you can make as much as your time and interest allow.
Of course, if you have a particular skill set — like accounting or writing or a medical degree — you might be able to find even better-paying opportunities within your field on the side. But for those with more generalist skills, these are some of the best side-hustle opportunities available.
1. Drive for Uber or Lyft
If you’ve got a car and like driving, you can make extra money in your free time by ferrying folks around your city with Uber or Lyft. How much you make will depend on how often you drive, your tips and the time of day you’re most active.
2. Deliver food for Postmates or Uber Eats
Have a car but don’t exactly want to be a chauffeur? Deliver food for Postmates or Uber Eats to earn a little extra cash on your own terms. You’ll earn about $5 a delivery, and if you hustle can earn up to $25 an hour.
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3. Rent a room on Airbnb
If you have a spare room or even a couch, consider a house-sharing service like Airbnb to rent space to a traveler. How much you earn will depend on your space, how close you are to popular activities and your hosting skills.
4. Dog walking or dog sitting
Love pups? You can sign up to take dogs on walks while their owners are busy or even have dogs over to your house (or go to the owner’s house and watch their pups while they’re out of town.) Put up signs around the neighborhood or use an app like Rover. You can set your own rates so it’s always worth your time.
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5. Be an online tutor
Great at teaching? Tutors for websites can earn a decent amount for lessons with students. Chegg tutors, for example, earn $20 an hour.
6. Babysit or nanny
If you love kids and have some time on your hands, Sittercity.com and UrbanSitter allow you to set your own rates, schedule your availability and are free to join.
7. Be a house sitter
If you’re looking for an excuse to travel and make a little cash this summer or don’t mind doing local check-ins at your neighbor’s house, consider being a house sitter. Most sitters make between $25 and $45 an hour and tasks include everything from gardening and feeding animals to collecting mail and winter driveway maintenance. HouseSitter.com and Care.com are good resources to get started.
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8. Rent your car
If you don’t want to drive people around but still want to use your car as an income resource, consider renting it out via car-sharing services like Turo, which often cover extra insurance for the car so you don’t have to worry if it comes back in less than pristine condition.
9. Rent your parking space
If you live in a busy city where parking is a nightmare and don’t have a car, you could rent out your apartment’s parking space or garage and make a few hundred dollars a month. But no need to wave a sign around on a busy weekend — JustPark and AirGarage are apps that can help you sell your spot without having to lift a finger.
10. Take online surveys
Surveys can be a good way to make extra money if you know where to look. Mindswarms pays $50 for every survey you complete and will send notifications for surveys you’re qualified for right to your profile.
11. Rent out your RV
For RV owners who don’t spend every spare moment in theirs, make some money off your traveling home by renting it out to other families. RVshare says RV owners make between $120 and $365 a day.
12. Rent your outdoor gear
Bicycle, surfing, stand-up paddleboarding, ski or snowboard gear owners can rent their stuff out when they’re not using it. Spinlister says you can make up to $500 a month renting out your bike.
13. Sell your extra stuff
Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp and Craigslist are popular places to list the items in your house that, as Marie Kondo might say, aren’t bringing you joy anymore. Get rid of them and earn a little extra money while you’re at it. If you’re selling electronics and don’t want to deal with the hassle of listing your items, you can sell old phones through places like Gazelle and sell old cameras through websites like BuyBackWorld.
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