The Best Weekend Side Jobs For Extra Income
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According to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the consumer price index has gone up over 3.2% as of November 2023, dropping from its Covid-era high of 91.%.
In plain terms, prices of basic living are starting to decline, and the spending power of your money is going back up. But that's not to say you're not still feeling the pinch when paying for gasoline, housing, and food after a couple of years of struggle..
Even if you've got a full-time day job, no one will say no to some extra money in this current economy. I certainly wouldn't.
The good news is that there are many ways to make money in your free time — from part-time jobs and side hustles to full-on small businesses that you can run from your laptop or smartphone. This post reviews some of the best weekend jobs and side hustle ideas to bring in much-needed extra income.
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Before we get to the list
Having a side hustle or two means boosting your earning potential, which can be a game-changer in your personal finance journey. However, it's important to understand that there's no easy way to make money. Some methods are more straightforward than others, but none is easy. As such, you must be willing and able to put in the necessary time and effort into making your side hustle work. There's a reason it's called side "hustle," after all.
Another thing to keep in mind is that with weekend work, it's likely that you'll be working as your boss, meaning you're responsible for finding and talking to clients/customers, marketing your gig, and, most importantly, delivering on your agreement.
The point is that you must have the right mindset when looking to take on any weekend job. The opportunities are there, but so is the competition. Everyone has the same idea of making some extra cash in their free time to supplement their income, so you must be prepared to do what is necessary to stand out for all the right reasons.
Sounds like a hassle?
Maybe, but it wouldn't be a hassle anymore once those extra dollars start hitting your account, and you can cover your financial obligations more comfortably. So if you're asking if it's worth taking on a side gig? Absolutely!
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What makes for a good part-time weekend gig?
The best weekend jobs are the ones that fit your lifestyle and interests. Some of the qualities of a good weekend gig include:
- High earning potential — The amount you can earn from your side hustle should be worth the effort and time you put in.
- Flexible schedule — Your full-time job already takes up much of your weekdays, so if you have to work on weekends, too, it should at least be something you can do in your schedule.
- Convenient location — Often, something is done at or as close to your home as possible. The last thing you want is a part-time job with another round of commuting during weekends.
- Requires few or no credentials or costs to start — Generally, a good weekend job should be simple to start. That being said, side hustles that require a bit of specialization tend to pay more. For example, a freelance writer typically earns more than a dog walker.
With all this important stuff out, let's look at how to make money this weekend and get one step closer to your financial goals.
10 weekend side jobs to make extra money
Freelancing
This tops the list because it is one of the surest ways to make money online. As long as you've got the right skills, there's no reason why you can't monetize them. There are many freelancer platforms, including Fiverr, Upwork, and Craigslist, where you can easily find part-time gigs suited to your skill set.
To succeed as a freelancer, focus on building trust with your clients first. When you consistently deliver excellent output, the money will eventually take care of itself. Some of the biggest opportunities in freelancing include:
Freelance writing
Being a freelance writer can be a rewarding side job, especially since it is such a broad role. You can write about anything, whether it's a fun blog or a technical article for a small business. You don't have to be an expert content writer or blogger to get started.
To increase your earning potential, you can anticipate other needs your clients may have, such as proofreading, audio transcription, email marketing, social media content creation, etc. These are all related to freelance writing, so it's not like there's a huge learning gap.
Freelance graphic design
If you've got an eye for stunning design and know your way around a good graphic design program, being a freelance graphic designer can be a great way to make some extra money. The best part is you can work on almost anything — social media posts, infographics, web page design, eBook covers… the list could go on.
Freelance web development
Almost every business needs a website, so why not use your web development skills to unlock a new income source by meeting this need? Because it is a specialized role, you can usually charge higher amounts for your web development services. You can also offer add-on services, such as website maintenance, domain name registrations, troubleshooting, and more, to help you bring in even more cash.
Freelance tutoring
Since the COVID pandemic hit, the demand for online tutoring services has skyrocketed. Moreover, you don't need much to start since you mostly need a good computer with a strong internet connection. Some of the highest-paid freelance tutors specialize in language tutoring, so if you're fluent in languages besides English, you can use your multilingual skills to make good connections with people worldwide.
There are various platforms available to sign up as a professional tutor. The most popular include VIPKid, Club Z Tutoring, and Chegg. Some platforms pay an hourly rate of up to $20 or even more. This can quickly add to your extra income just after a few weekends.
Survey taking
This is one of the oldest ways to make money online. Sadly, several survey sites have become an outright waste of time with low, unimpressive rewards.
But a couple of legit online survey platforms still offer decent money for a few minutes of your time. These include:
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- Sign up for FREE & complete your profile
- Earn points for taking surveys
- Redeem your points for cash or gift cards
- $55k+ Paid to Survey Junkie members daily
- Complete 3+ surveys a day, earn up to $100/mo.
Survey Junkie
One of the standout features of Survey Junkie is that it is available as a mobile app. Its user interface is super smooth and intuitive, so you can easily find what you need. The platform also has a 4.3/5 rating on Trustpilot, one of the highest ratings for online survey companies.
On Survey Junkie, users earn digital points for every survey that they complete. They can then redeem these points for cash or gift cards. It's free to sign up, and you can make anywhere from $0.50 to $3 per survey, which is not bad at all, considering there's no special skill involved, and you get to do it from the comfort of your own home.
Click here to get started with Survey Junkie.
Swagbucks
Swagbucks is a great way to make extra cash by answering fun, entertaining surveys, shopping online, and discovering deals. The company also has a 4.3/5 TrustPilot rating and has paid over $755 million to its members.
Upon signing up, you get a $10 bonus plus access to 7,000 gift cards distributed by Swagbucks daily.
MyPoints
MyPoints is similar to Swagbucks, which is unsurprising since they belong to the same parent company. One of the most impressive things about MyPoints is that it has existed since 1996, making it one of the oldest and most reputable paid survey sites available today. For each survey, you earn points, which can be exchanged for PayPal cash, gift cards, travel miles, and more.
Signing up on MyPoints is free, though the program is only open to U.S. and Canadian residents. New users enjoy a $10 welcome bonus as an Amazon Gift Card or Visa Gift Card. Your earned points can rack up quickly, especially since MyPoints offers several other paid activities, including watching videos, playing games, shopping in partner stores, etc.
Related: Best Survey Apps to Make Money
Real Money Gaming
For most of us, playing mobile games is a way to de-stress and have fun, which explains why over 3 billion people worldwide have at least one mobile game on their phones. So when the opportunity to make extra cash by gaming on your phone comes around, you don't want to turn it down.
Several gaming apps offer real cash rewards, so you should be able to find more than a few to your liking. Some of the more popular options include:
Bingo Cash
This fun game of chance allows players to earn upwards of $70 per win. It's a simple online game that involves classic Bingo rules but is powered by Skillz, a well-known eSports platform that hosts cash tournaments worldwide.
If you're unfamiliar with the game, don't worry, as you will only be matched against players with similar skill levels. You win the game and the cash prize by having more points than your opponent(s). Cashouts for real money bingo can be straight to your PayPal Apple Pay account.
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Solitaire
Before, Solitaire was a simple classic card game playable only on your computer, but now it is a suite of fun, mind-engaging card games you can play on your mobile devices. There are dozens of Solitaire apps that you can download and play for real money.
Regardless of the variety, the gameplay is simple and easy to understand. Usually, you just need to stack or eliminate cards from the board in a specific order.
Rewarded Play
Rewarded Play is a platform that offers one of the best ways to earn gift cards from your phone by playing sponsored games. You'll earn points for downloading games, playing them, and reaching certain milestones. Don't worry; these aren't boring games — categories include adventure, casino, dice, card, and board games.
When you've accumulated enough points, you can exchange them for redeemable gift cards at different stores, including Amazon, eBay, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart. If you're a frequent shopper, these gift cards can go a long way in reducing your online spending, thereby saving you more money.
Related: 22 Best Games That Pay Real Money
Earn Real Money Fast by Filling Out Surveys!
- Sign up for FREE & complete your profile
- Earn points for taking surveys
- Redeem your points for cash or gift cards
- $55k+ Paid to Survey Junkie members daily
- Complete 3+ surveys a day, earn up to $100/mo.
Work-from-home jobs
We can't compile a list of best weekend jobs without discussing standard work-from-home jobs. These include:
- Virtual Assistant — In truth, being a virtual assistant has more of a part-time job vibe than a weekend gig. Still, the job pays relatively well, especially since the tasks involved are straightforward — sort emails, create reminders, create and store online documents, etc.
- Data Entry — Another relatively simple task that doesn't require specialization, spend a few minutes daily transferring data from source to destination in a defined manner and get paid.
- Customer service representative — May e-commerce businesses require the assistance of a customer care professional but can't afford a full-time hire. You could take advantage of this need and make extra money if you have the right people skills.
Delivery service
Nowadays, you can sit at home and have food or other items delivered to your doorstep within minutes. Recently, food delivery services like DoorDash and Uber Eats have seen an increase in demand thanks to the huge convenience they provide users.
Being a delivery driver can be a great side hustle, especially since weekends are usually the busiest. If you don't want to deliver food, you can sign up for other deliveries, such as groceries and related items. A good example is Instacart, an online platform where users can shop from different grocery stores and have their orders delivered on the same day.
Caregiving/house sitting
If you've ample free time on weekends, you can make extra money by providing caregiving services. This care can come in different forms — babysitting, elderly care, pet sitting, and more.
You can sign up on sites like Care.com to find different kinds of caregiving jobs. Of course, you'll need to have the right skill set. For instance, as a babysitter, you must be able to provide proper care for infants and ideally have references to back up your services.
If you'd rather work as a pet sitter (generally less demanding compared to elderly care and babysitting), there are designated platforms where you can sign up and start making money. For example, Rover is a site where you can earn money as a dog walker, trainer, or sitter.
Check out our Best House Sitting Jobs – Make Money While Seeing the World guide to learn more.
Rideshare services
Unless you've lived under a rock for the past decade, you probably already know about ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft. If you've good driving skills and a more-than-decent car, you can sign up for these services and make some good money.
Airbnb rental service
This is a part-time gig, but being an Airbnb host can be stressful during weekends. The job itself doesn't require much. Usually, you just need basic courtesy and a solid grasp of the details of the property being rented out.
To elevate the guest experience and earn more, you can offer tour guide services for out-of-towners renting your Airbnb property.
Thrift store
Running a thrift store can often be a rewarding experience. For one, you get a glimpse of what being a small business owner means. You can start small with simple garage sales and then build from there.
If you'd rather run it as an online business, there are many sites, including Etsy and Swap.com, where you can open an account and start reselling stuff for a decent profit.
Handyman services
Are you good at doing home repairs and improvements? You might be able to monetize this skill for some cool cash. Many people would rather hire someone to fix or upgrade stuff in their homes than get their hands dirty. Sometimes, they simply do not have the time or right skills to do the job.
In any case, offering your handyman services can earn extra cash if you can do lighting installations, minor carpentry, interior painting, or light plumbing. Depending on the nature of the job, you may be able to charge an hourly rate of $20 to $50 — not bad for a few hours of work on the weekend.
Earn Real Money Fast by Filling Out Surveys!
- Sign up for FREE & complete your profile
- Earn points for taking surveys
- Redeem your points for cash or gift cards
- $55k+ Paid to Survey Junkie members daily
- Complete 3+ surveys a day, earn up to $100/mo.
The bottom line
Things are getting more expensive, and the purchasing power of our money is dropping. We all could use some extra income in our lives. The above side hustle ideas are a great way to achieve that. Which one will you be starting this weekend?
Of course, weekend jobs aren't for everyone, and there are potential downsides to working on side hustles. Still, if these types of opportunities work for you, they may just offer a viable way to achieve your financial goals.
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Writer
Ezekiel Arifalo is a freelance journalist who specializes in personal finance writing and editing. His work has appeared on sites including Nova Credit and Medium.
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