If you’re strapped for cash, you don’t necessarily have to take on a second job. The great thing about the internet is that it has brought on the advent of the side hustle.
Whether you’re saving up for concert tickets or just trying to make a quick buck while you’re between jobs, there are tons of quick and convenient ways to earn extra income temporarily.
Below are 10 of the best options for quick cash that don’t require a long-term commitment.
Sell Your Stuff
Most of us have extra stuff that we don’t use anymore, whether it be clothes, accessories, collectibles, etc. Rather than just tossing this stuff out or giving it away, sell it.
You can set your clothes up for sale on Poshmark, or list more unique items on OfferUp or Ebay. It’s the modern-day version of the garage sale.
Participate in Market Research
Companies are willing to pay for your opinion on their products. This can come in the form of taking online surveys (of which there are many) or participating in an in-person study.
In-person studies are more lucrative, but do take up more of your time. You can use websites like Find Focus Groups to locate some paid studies in your area.
Do Tasks With TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit is a service-based app that allows users to sign up and post simple jobs, ranging from daycare to house-cleaning to grocery pickup. Many of the jobs posted are easy and don’t require a particular set of skills.
The best part is that, unlike Uber, Lyft, Wag, or similar apps, you’re not limited to a specific kind of task and can vary it up by day.
Walk Dogs
You can either post up a flyer in your local cafe or you can sign up for Wag. Wag is akin to Uber, but for dog-walking. It allows people in your area to seek out local dog-walkers (you) and briefly enlist your services.
Dog walking is lucrative, and if you live in an urban area, this can be a decent opportunity for repeat jobs.
Babysitting
You could offer babysitting services to people that you know (which is normally the quickest option), but you could also advertise services on a website like Care.com.
Websites like these and others allow you to advertise babysitting or nannying services in your area. They do require background checks.
Flip Items From Thrift Shops
There are plenty of valuable items for great prices at places like Goodwill. You can pick a niche (such as clothing, vintage items, electronics, or movies) and re-sell them for a profit on eBay or another online marketplace.
If you’re crafty, you can enhance the pieces in some way to make their value even higher. This can mean adding some new buttons, sewing up holes, adding embroidery, etc.
Food Delivery
Postmates, Grubhub, Eat24, Uber Eats — you have your pick of countless food delivery services that will be happy to employ you. You’re almost guaranteed to make some tips, and it’s extremely flexible.
If Uber or Lyft aren’t your thing but you still like the concept, this is the next best thing.
Sell Your Skills
Sign up for websites like Fiverr to explore some freelance gigs that might be right up your alley. That might mean graphic design, writing, translation, social media posting, and more.
It’s a huge database with plenty of opportunities, and you can pick up gigs as they come. The “gigs” section on Craigslist is another way to come across more local opportunities like these.
Appeal to Students
If you’re a current or former college student, then you’re definitely a candidate for quick cash. There are two ways you can do this. The first is to sell your old textbooks and coursebooks through Chegg or the Amazon Marketplace.
The second is to sell your actual notes. Fellow college students will pay good money for insightful, concise, legible notes on a subject matter. Upload them to sites like Nexus Notes for some money.
Sell Your Photos
Do you have a good camera and some decent photo-editing software? You may just finally be able to turn your photography hobby into a money-maker. Stock photo websites, like Adobe Stock or Getty Images, will happily pay you for good-quality photos that get plenty of downloads.
No matter which quick money route you take, remember that it’s easiest to make money when it’s something you enjoy doing. Who knows, you may monetize your hobby now for a quick $50, only to turn it into a full-blown gig later on.