As a financial adviser, I go out of my way to caution my clients on the perils of debt and overspending. By keeping their spending in check and prioritizing their savings and investments, I tell them, my clients can harness the power of their paychecks to build real wealth over time.
On the flip side, however, is another approach to growing rich — boosting income. While keeping expenses low can help free up money to invest, earning more can truly catapult anyone’s efforts to the next level.
If you want to earn more money and can’t get extra hours or negotiate higher wages at your current job, you might have to take matters into your own hands. With summertime in full swing, the opportunities to earn extra cash with a side job are more plentiful than ever.
While the possibilities are endless, here are a nine ideas that may help you earn some extra cash to get ahead with your finances this season.
1. Pick Up Some Web-Based Work
If you’re web-savvy at all, you might be able to pick up some work with a website like Fiverr.com. While tasks can vary greatly, it’s fairly easy to pick up freelance writing or editing work, a contract to create a logo or mailer, or many other creative digital jobs.
Pay varies based on the project and the company. At the end of the day, it really depends on how developed and marketable your skills are, along with how much time you have to invest.
2. Watch Pets or Kids
Babysitting is one side job that is always in demand. Depending on where you live, you might earn up to $15 per hour or more to watch someone else’s children in their home or your own. If you’re curious how much you might earn, you can use a babysitting calculator, like the one from Care.com, to get an idea of what you might be able to charge based on where you live.
If you like the idea of watching pets better, set up a profile on a site like Rover.com. This can connect you with local pet owners who need help with their pets during the work day or while they travel. While earnings vary, many pet-sitters can charge $25 minimum for an overnight stay with a dog or cat.
3. Become a Virtual Assistant
The boom of web-based internet businesses has created a special niche of jobs for people who offer online assistance. Called virtual assistants, these workers perform various tasks for website owners and bloggers.
Common tasks depend on the job, but can include anything from answering emails to creating digital images, providing tech support, and creating documents. You can find virtual assistant jobs anywhere on the web, including websites like Upwork.
4. Pick Up Lawn Care Jobs
Lawn care and maintenance jobs are a dime dozen these days. With the summer heat in full swing, and people staying busy with kid’s activities and sporting events, it’s fairly easy to find neighbors who are willing to pay you to mow their lawn or do general clean-up.
Simply put your job posting on an online message board or your neighborhood Facebook page to see if you can get some traction there. If that doesn’t work, creating a basic paper flyer and taking it door to door might help you get your first mowing job. For most normal-sized lots, you’ll be able to charge $30 or more for just a basic cut and clean-up.
5. Start a Blog & Monetize It
It seems like everyone and every business has a blog these days, but it’s all for a good cause. Because it’s possible to earn money with nearly any kind of blog or website, many online entrepreneurs have jumped into the game to try their hand at affiliate marketing, online advertising and various other potential revenue streams.
The upside about starting a blog is the fact that start-up costs are minimal. On the downside, however, starting a website is an extremely time-consuming endeavor. If you stick with it, the potential profits are there. Like anything else though, earning money with a blog takes time.
6. Write & Sell E-Books
If you have expertise in a specific area, writing an e-book is a great way to share your experiences and knowledge with the masses. Better yet, e-books have become big business these days, making it easier for the average Joe to make money with a product they create.
Once you write your e-book and format it online, it’s fairly easy to move your e-book to the publishing phase. And because e-books don’t require printing or traditional publication, start-up costs are minimal.
7. Start an Errand Business
If you have connections and trust in your local community, starting an errand business can be both smart and lucrative. The clients are out there and the need is real; it’s up to you to find your way in.
8. Tutor High School or College Students
With school out for summer, many parents are looking for ways to keep their kid’s skills sharp and their knowledge fresh. If you earned a degree in a sought-after or difficult area of study, you might be able to make money by sharing your knowledge by tutoring kids in your area.
If you want to tutor online, it’s also possible to find work through websites like Tutor.com or Chegg.com. Depending on the type of job you find, you might be able to earn as much as $30 per hour.
9. Haul Junk
Summertime is a great time to pick up work hauling junk. Garage sales and estate sales are everywhere, and the warm weather means many people are busy cleaning out garages and attics.
Hand out flyers or hit up estate sales to see if someone will pay you to haul unwanted items away. You can also advertise your junk hauling businesses on online message boards and sites like craigslist.org to see if you can get some traction there. (Just be sure to vet any potential clients carefully.)
Starting Your Side Business
While some of the side jobs on this list are for warm weather only, others can be taken advantage of year-round. And in addition to this list, there are dozens of other side businesses nearly anyone could start from the comfort of their own home as well. Most of the time, you just need to take a look at your skill set and the needs of your local community to find something that will work.
The opportunities are out there; it’s up to you to discover them and use them to your advantage.
[Editor’s Note: You can track how your side job is helping you meet your financial goals, like building a good credit score, on Credit.com.]
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Image: MichaelSvoboda
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