If you’re anything like me, you may be thinking about new ways you can make more money. Personally, I’ve been working on Bailey’s and my new house this summer and the expenses just keep adding up. Our salaries certainly pay us enough to live (and then some) but we have some serious goals for this house in terms of fixing it up and paying it off.
“What are some ways we can make some money on the side?” I thought.
Turns out, this is an excellent topic right now. For one, I’ve been thinking about my own side hustle options quite a bit. Another reason is because a lot of people are out of a job. Everyone and their brother is looking for new ways to make some extra cash.
That answer is side hustles. Chris Guillebeau, the host of the Side Hustle School Podcast and author of several books on the topic, has said many times something I think is particularly relevant right now. “Everyone should have a side hustle. Then, if they ever lose their job, they’ll have something to fall back on for some extra income.” Boy, have people ever lost their jobs. So let’s look at some options we have for side hustles.
The other day, I ran across this article titled “32 Ways to Make Extra Money.” It covers anything from products to services with varying amounts of flexibility. First, I’ll go over my favorites listed, then I’ll tell you about directions I’m heading with my own side hustles.
Caleb’s Top Five
- Tutor: The first on the list is tutoring and it lists out several online options where you can sign up your services. You may not have been top of your class and because of this, you’ve never considered tutoring. I never did until someone called me asking if I was interested in tutoring their son in college trigonometry. This wasn’t my strongest discipline of math but I was fine at it so I decided to give it a try. I ended up meeting with him for about two weeks as he crammed for finals he didn’t think he’d pass. He did pass, and I came away from it with a nice wad of cash and the belief that I could actually tutor if I wanted to. What can you tutor? It doesn’t have to be something in college either. It can be a subject for elementary school students!
- Drive for Uber or Lyft: This is a side hustle that you can start today. Or maybe tomorrow depending on how long it takes to get approved by a company. If you have a car in reasonable condition, you can drive people home from bars and events. And you’ll get some great stories while you’re at it.
- Deliver groceries: Again, this is a side hustle you can get up and going in no time. Especially now with a pandemic, people want their groceries delivered to them so they don’t have to visit the store themselves. Bailey worked with a company named Shipt for a few months and really enjoyed it. Right now, I can count at least five people at our church that work for Shipt on the side. Another similar company is Instacart.
- Start an online business: This was one I have been working on recently. I got a Cricut which I use to cut vinyl stickers and sell them online. I literally just started it but I have sold two stickers thus far. And it’s a fun, creative outlet for me to make something that others love. Here’s a couple stickers I’ve made:
- Get paid for your creative skills: This has been the biggest side hustle for me over the years. I’ve been paid for filmmaking side gigs since 2013 now. My sister, Atalie, is a photographer so I’ve been able to film a lot of weddings as a result.
- (BONUS FAVORITE) Start a blog: Ha! Obviously, I like this option but it is a hard one. You certainly don’t get any money at the start. I’m still trying to make money with it. But, based on your readership, you can make a lot of revenue off advertisements and affiliate links. I’ll have to get back to you on how this one. 🙂
Just Start
It’s really really easy to get paralyzed from the fear of starting something new. Especially if it involves starting a business where people can reject your product or service.
Trust me, I know.
The point is to get started. You don’t have to have an official business started. You don’t have to have a website or business cards. You can start by just posting what you do on social media or signing up with a company like Shipt or Uber.
When your budget needs a little extra breathing space, side hustles can really help. And if you want some help making that budget work for you, I’m happy to talk!
I’m a Ramsey trained financial coach and I love talking money and providing hope. Just set up a 30 minute call with me and I’ll listen to your situation and help you determine what needs to happen. As always, you make progress or your money back.
Bale Financial Coaching 