7 Best Side Jobs for Extra Cash in Your Spare Time

Are you looking for ways to make extra money in addition to your normal job? Here are the best side jobs for extra cash if you have the spare time for it.

Is there truly anyone who couldn’t stand to make more money?

Okay, probably. But for the vast majority of us, having a little extra capital can go a long way. So if you have the luxury of some spare time, you could be working side jobs for extra cash.

So how do you get in on the side hustle? We’ll take a look at seven options.

Best Side Jobs For Extra Cash

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1. Online Writer

There are so many options on the internet for writers.

Whether you freelance for a magazine, manage a blog, proofread or edit content, or write fiction, there’s an online marketplace looking for wordsmiths.

2. Ride Share Driver

Do you have a reliable vehicle as well as amazing people skills? There is a wealth of cities where ride-sharing has quickly become a way of life. You’ll meet a lot of interesting people while getting them safely from point A to point B. Plus, you can pick the hours you work.

If you’d rather deliver packages than people, that’s an option as well. Various companies allow you to work flexible delivery hours. You can apply quickly and easily online. 

3. Pet Care

If you prefer the company of animals to people, you’ll find many offerings for pet care. You can sign up for apps and websites that will connect you with pet parents looking for care. You might walk a dog several times per week. Or perhaps pet sitting a couple of cats over the weekend is more your pace.

You can even apply to pick up some hours at a doggy daycare or boarding facility if the self-employed route is not your thing.

4. Yoga Instructor

If you’re looking for a side job that is also rewarding, teaching yoga would be just the sort of empowering gig we would recommend.

It’s a great way to transform your passion for yoga into a way to help others while making a little extra cash each week.

5. Tasker 

If you’re a jack or jill of all trades, you can bet someone needs your help.

Your skill set might include fixing appliances, helping people move, hanging pictures, or really any other number of activities that others would happily pay you to do. 

6. Professional Organizer

Are you a self-proclaimed neat freak? There are actual psychological benefits to cleanliness. But you can also capitalize on your tendency to straighten and make things “just so.”

You could get a side gig as a professional organizer arranging, cleaning, and tidying up both work and home spaces. You may even find some reward in implementing efficient and user-friendly organization systems for businesses. 

7. Childcare

Childcare is more than babysitting. That’s why more and more parents seeking care for their little ones are opting for adults rather than teenagers. And it’s an enjoyable way to make extra money for those who love kids. 

Why You Need a Side Hustle

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Though they are not new, side jobs are more common than ever in the current unstable economic climate. Particularly now that there are so many chances to make money online, more and more people are deciding to launch a side business.

These are some of the most typical justifications for a side hustle, while everyone has their own reasons for doing what they do. Starting with putting up a financial backup while keeping in mind the recent wave of layoffs.

1. Increase your financial security

By raising your income, even by just $100 a month, a side job can improve your financial stability. Additionally, you could be able to earn a lot more money each month, which would make it easier to pay off debts, save money, and just generally breathe a little better once your budget is in place.

You can also earn money on the side through side jobs that are unconnected to your main career. Your income will not be entirely lost if you experience problems at work. A major concern is having enough money. By decreasing your reliance on each individual income stream, you have some safety if anything happens to either of your sources of income.

2. Get more flexibility

Working for oneself in a side hustle can be a liberating break from a 9 to 5 office job or any other job with a rigid structure. One of the best aspects of a side business is that you have complete control over it.

You can decide to work fewer hours on your side hustle when you have had a challenging work week. Having the ability to set your work schedule means you get to maintain the position in your off-hours, whenever that may be.

Some side jobs allow for greater flexibility than others. For instance, rideshare driving offers more flexibility than freelance employment with clients and deadlines. Choose a side business that you can fit into your busy schedule.

You can increase your income by working harder on your side business if you have a lot of free time. If you do not have as much time, work on your side business less. Appreciate the flexibility you cannot have in your conventional career.

3. Work on your passion

A passion endeavor may not always generate a lot of money, at least not right away.

 Hobby projects make excellent small business concepts. Without having to worry about losing your main source of money, you may do something you love and enjoy. The extra money from a passion project side hustle is like a bonus!

Not every side business has to be a passion endeavor. But why not try it if it is something you are passionate about?

For example, you could play music gigs on the weekends, start a small YouTube channel, or sell original artwork on Etsy. Any of those scenarios could result in a full-time employment if you can amass a sizable following. Even so, doing something you already enjoy can still help you supplement your income.

4. Build your portfolio

Having a side business can be quite beneficial if you are new to your sector and need more experience to develop. It also holds true if you are seeking to break into a certain industry but do not yet have a strong enough portfolio to demonstrate your qualifications.

You will be a far more desirable prospect for employment if you have a solid portfolio. You cannot go wrong with a good portfolio, whether it is for potential clients in your side business or hiring managers for your next career chance.

Your portfolio should ideally contain your work, including your area of expertise, your career highlights, or achievements (if any), your abilities, education, and certifications that are pertinent, examples of your best work, and references or endorsements.

Your portfolio should include all the details potential employers need to make a well-informed recruiting choice. Hence, the portfolio should be sufficient for initial evaluation, though they might want to interview to gain a little more precise information.

5. Make a career change

Financial security is uncertain. You might not be able to give up your day job and devote all of your time to your new professional path when you are wanting to change careers.

If you do not yet have a lot of work experience or possibilities in your new profession, this is particularly true. By starting your chosen new field as a side hustle before leaving your current job, you can build experience in it. In this manner, while you advance, you will not be without a reliable source of money.

6. Use your free time to better yourself

How do you now spend your free time? Rest is crucial. Without sleep, you will not wake up refreshed and ready to tackle the day.

If you spend your leisure time on your phone, computer, or watching TV, there may be a better use for it. Why not devote a few hours of your leisure time each week to work on a side hustle? Use part of your downtime to better your life rather than replace it completely with additional work. Boost your self-esteem, learn new skills, and make some extra money to become the best version of yourself.

After all, using your free time to focus on what you want to do is the whole idea. On the other hand, having a side business could provide you with complete control over your life.

7. Explore your creativity

Everybody is creative. A side hustle might be a great method to express your creativity while working productively if you have been aching to do something creative but lack the means to do so in your regular life.

Taking on regular work or odd tasks during your free time can occasionally give you the challenge you need to stimulate your creative side. Without such challenge, you could lack the motivation to develop original concepts or approaches to problems.

It is simple to feel trapped. Do something new as that is the best method to get out of a rut. Create a side project that is entirely unrelated to your regular work. Choose a challenge that offers you some sort of reward once you succeed in overcoming it. Use a side project as a means to keep your mind engaged and stay on top of your game when your daily life prevents you from using your creativity.

8. Grow your confidence

There is proof that transitioning to self-employment from a typical job can enhance your mental health. Long-term mental health may be improved by making decisions that you have a lot of control over and by having a career that is in high demand.

Your self-confidence is closely related to each of these factors. Your confidence will increase as you work for yourself more and watch how your choices and actions advance your career.

Even if growth is gradual, making even a small amount of progress in the direction of what you are actively working toward can give you more self-assurance in all facets of your life.

Several advantages for your life have been linked to increased confidence, including:

  • Tenacity in the face of failure
  • A readiness to voice your opinions and speak up
  • Less chance of freezing up with decisiveness
  • Greater chance of happiness despite pressure and challenges
  • Openness to trying new ideas, even if they potentially lead to failure
  • Taking the lead more frequently

You are less likely to become stuck in whatever you are doing when your confidence grows. More self-confidence can enable you to pursue your goals even in challenging circumstances, whether they relate to your career, personal, or romantic connections. Even if you currently lack confidence in your capacity to succeed, beginning a side business may be the first step toward gaining confidence in all facets of your life.

9. Learn New Skills

Running your own side business will need you to pick up a few new skills, even if you stick to a field, you already know well. You might also use it as a chance to start a job in a different sector of the economy to further diversify your skill set. The best part about a side business is that you can do whatever you want.

Expand your skill set by beginning a new endeavor outside of your comfort zone. Look at neighboring skills first, and then you can focus on whole new skills when you have built up your confidence more.

Working for yourself teaches you how to identify clients, bargain work contracts, manage your time, and produce the best outcomes if nothing else. All of these are useful abilities that you can use in other areas of your life.

10. Meet more people

A side job that allows you to engage with others could help you feel less lonely if you are feeling lonely. Many people might not be motivated by this. Yet, it can be an excellent cause to attempt if you stay at home the majority of the time and do not have anything that motivates you to go out and chat with others.

Numerous side jobs can allow you to interact with others more than you would otherwise. For more social connections, you can start with modest side hustles like ridesharing, odd jobs, dog walking, and others.

11. Provide benefits to others

A side hustle is an excellent method to perform humanitarian tasks that you care about. No matter how vital or beneficial the task is, it is not always possible to work for free or for little remuneration. However, these professions do not often cover the costs of living.

The Benefits of Having More Than One Job

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  • Firstly, and most obviously, you have the opportunity to improve your revenue.
  • Your financial security may be greater if you hold two independent jobs (such as consulting or several part-time jobs). You will continue to make money from other jobs even if one company goes out of business, for instance.
  • It might be rejuvenating to manage two roles or work two jobs. You get to interact with fresh people and manage diverse duties. This implies that you will be less likely to become bored or easily irritated by the minor inconveniences that come with doing business as usual in any office.
  • You might get to learn a completely new set of abilities, and you might increase your professional network – both of which could advance your career at some point.
  • It is a fantastic approach to launch your own company. Even as you start your firm and make money, you can continue to do so.
  • You can find that having multiple responsibilities makes your organization happy. And they might be delighted to provide you with a flexible schedule to assist you to achieve your objectives. This is something that many businesses do, such as Olympians and Paralympians.

Coping with Challenges of Multiple Jobs

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  • Try to select a second career that really interests you. Your schedule will be easier if you are more enthusiastic about what you are doing.
  • If you are balancing various roles, it could be good to arrange your day in pieces. This enables you to give each role your full focus for a set period of time. Also, planning your time in this way can increase your productivity.
  • It can be challenging to transition from one career or role to another, particularly if the activities and mental processes are significantly dissimilar. For instance, you might spend the morning in an engineering support function and in the afternoon meeting with possible sales clients who require dressing up. If you take a break in between in a “neutral” area, like a coffee shop, for 30 minutes, these transitions may be simpler.
  • You have less time to dedicate to each role than your peers if you work two jobs. As a result, maintaining competition can be extremely difficult. Examine each hour of your day to determine when you have spare time to stay current on trends.

Could Side Jobs for Extra Cash Help You?

If you have the extra time and energy, you could work on the above sides jobs for extra cash to boost your finances.

And in the meantime, keep checking back with our finance blog for more great ideas!