The Many Ways You Can Make an Extra Income

by Debra Karplus

How much would you like to add to your monthly income? If you have the time and the inclination, there are paid opportunities all around you. Start with one of these.

The word “moonlighting” is defined as “having a second job in addition to regular employment.” Nowadays, moonlighting is better known as having a side gig or side hustle.

According to the job site Zippia.com.com, “45% of Americans have a side hustle in 2023.” The average side hustler spends an average of 13 hours per week on their side gig, making an average of $483 a month in extra income.

Is there anyone who couldn’t benefit from a little extra spending money in their pocket? If you have the time and the inclination, there are paid opportunities all around you. You just need to look around at the endless possibilities and assert yourself.

Turn Your Interest Into Income

If you enjoy kids or pets, it may be easy to get started doing some child care, pet sitting, or dog walking. Maybe you want to be a house sitter, checking someone’s home while they are away and making sure that doors are locked, plants are watered, and mail and newspapers are taken in.

Maybe you love math or some other subject and want to make yourself available to tutor a student. If you do a good job with someone you know, word will get around fast and more business will come your way. You could tutor kids one-on-one, in small groups, or even via Zoom-type online meetings.

If you savor working outdoors, possibly you can hire yourself out to do lawn mowing, landscaping, or gardening for others. Another option is to sell vegetables from your garden if you are a successful vegetable gardener, and your area is zoned for you to have a little food stand in front of your house.

If you have a hobby in which you create something, such as quilts, jewelry, crocheted baby blankets, or little hats, you may be able to sell your masterpieces online, at the farmer’s market, or a local shop.

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Get Hired Part-Time Doing Something You Enjoy

If you enjoy working with children and being active and participating in specific sports, you might love being a coach.

Local park districts, sports leagues, and even your school district may want to hire you seasonally to coach if you are proficient in the rules and protocol of baseball, football, basketball, or even some more specialized sport like archery. If you have time during weekends, after school, or during summer break, you can contact them to see how to get started. Many schools/leagues are reopening as the pandemic passes.

Your park district might have other paid seasonal work available at the swimming pool or assisting with landscaping in the parks. And if your regular job gives you summers off, you might want to work at a summer camp.

For people employed by a school district, there are other avenues for making a difference in a child’s life while earning extra money.

Schools, especially high schools, often need people to sponsor clubs like the student council or the disability awareness club. They also need people to chaperone school events. And if you are not afraid to be in the passenger seat with an inexperienced not-yet-licensed teen driver, teaching driver’s education could add money to your pocket.

If you are skilled and credentialed in a specific field, your nearby community college may want to hire you as adjunct faculty. This puts you on a list of people to be called, sometimes last minute, to teach a class for a semester. Find out what level of education is required if you want to teach at a community college.

If you are super ambitious, great in sales and marketing, manage time well, and seek the bigger bucks, going through the training and expense of being a real estate broker. Expect to spend many hours and a few thousand dollars to get trained and credentialed. Once you are eligible, you can earn as much as about 6% for every property that you sell. That’s $12,000 for that $200,000 house that you might sell.

Be creative when thinking of the many ways you can use your time to make extra money. Get off the sofa. Turn off the TV. Get off the internet. Be proactive and get out of the house to hustle jobs.

About the Author

Debra is an occupational therapist, accountant, teacher and freelance writer. Learn more about her at DebraKarplus.blogspot.com.