Side gigs are the lifeblood of so many in today’s world, especially with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Americans who were traditional, full-time employees lost their jobs altogether. Many of them have since turned to flexible gig work jobs to make up for lost income. According to Fortunly, more than one-third or 36% of the U.S. workforce participates in the gig economy by working side jobs, either as their primary or secondary jobs.
In my personal opinion, the gig economy and the realities of gig work in 2022 are exponential. Taking part in a gig job is one of the smartest decisions anyone can make to earn extra money with flexible work arrangements, allowing for work on your own schedule. There’s never been a better time full of boundless opportunities to become an independent contractor!
Here are five different gig jobs and side hustles you can do to put more cash in your pocket this year:
1. Doordash
Originally established in 2013, Doordash is a rideshare platform designed to connect you to your favorite local restaurants. Easily discover local, on-demand delivery or pickup from restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, and more. Think of it as Uber but for food!
It’s pretty easy to become a Dasher and earn money delivering food on your schedule. You can become a Dasher in thousands of cities around the U.S. Better yet, you’ll make extra money for your personal financial goals, choose your own hours, and be in control of your work schedule. If you’re a foodie at heart and you’re hungry for opportunity, then this is the gig for you.
Just ask Spencer Yeomans, Founder & Developer of Untamed Space. He’s spent the last five months working part-time as a Dasher. He averages about eight hours per week at a rate of about $22 per hour. That’s about an extra $180 week!
“Having done this for several months now, it’s changed the way I work in a number of ways. I’ve learned how to be more efficient, not just with dashing, but with almost everything else I do as well.”
If you’re looking for an alternative ridesharing platform to earn extra money on your own time, consider signing up for Doordash today.
2. Rover
Rover is an online marketplace where pet owners can hire people to pet sit, board their pets overnight, or hire a dog walker. Established in 2011, Rover has quickly gained popularity and has become a source of income for dog and cat lovers alike! Some of the pet care services you can provide on Rover include:
- Dog walking
- Dog boarding
- House-sitting
- Pet-sitting (including but not limited to cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and other animals!)
- Drop-in visits
- Doggy day care
Whatever service you want to provide for pets, there’s a good chance you can make extra money with Rover. The idea is to connect pet parents with people who can provide their furry friends with love and affection when they can’t be there. One nice perk? You’ll get to “work from home” when you’re pet sitting (except for when you take the dogs out for a walk!).
You can even ask Jackie Beck of TheDebtMyth.com. She earned $399.52 in her first month and said that making money on Rover is super flexible!
So if you’re a pet owner yourself or just an animal lover who wants their own pet but doesn’t want the commitment, sign up for Rover and start earning cash doing something you’ll love!
3. Instacart
Instacart is the leading grocery delivery service in North America. Established in June 2012, the app-based online grocery platform has exploded in popularity, especially from the onset of the pandemic.
Consumers have turned to Instacart to get their groceries delivered to their doorstep, a safer alternative than venturing out to their favorite local stores. Many have permanently adopted the platform and continue to use the service on a regular basis, so this is undoubtedly a trend that’s here to stay.
Take it from me: Based on my previous personal experience as an Instacart Shopper, I was able to make between $27-31 per hour part-time, netting me $700-800 per week when I was a college student.
So if you want to get paid to shop and make some money on your own time, sign up to become an Instacart Shopper at the link here and then download the Shopper app to get started.
4. RVShare.com
This platform might be lesser known, but RVShare.com is certainly a great way to earn extra income, if you own an RV or camper that is!
The most interesting part about this platform? It all started with a honeymoon! In 2012, our co-founder Mark and his wife Rachel bought an RV to travel the country for their honeymoon. Not only did the RV allow them to see the country in a whole new way, it gave them the freedom to go at their own pace. And so RVShare.com was born!
Today, the platform is the world’s first and largest peer-to-peer RV rental marketplace, serving more than 60,000 RV owners across the US. In fact, the platform has a 4.4/5 star rating on Trustpilot based on 10.8K reviews. Customers are saying that “RVShare was a seamless and wonderful experience” and that “the platform is very easy to use”- you won’t have any shortage of clients looking to rent your RV.
According to the RVShare.com blog, RV owners can easily make an extra $10,000-40,000 per year renting out their RVs when they’re not in use, depending on the type of RV or camper you own. That’s a heck of a lot of extra cash!
Eduardo S. from California is a host on RVShare.com and has had a great experience so far. He says “I rent out my father’s RV on his behalf to help them earn a little extra income instead of the RV staying parked for long periods of time. The process has been easy and out of all the other RV rental sites researched, I liked RVShare the best.”
So if you’re an RV owner eager to make some great passive income, list your RV now!
5. Vrbo
This is a platform that you may not have heard but that’s growing in popularity: Vrbo.com is a vacation rental online marketplace for short term rentals. Originally established in 1995 before there was widespread internet access, Vacation Rentals by Owner, or Vrbo for short, originally advertised via classified ads before it became an online marketplace: talk about an evolution!
Whether you own a seaside villa, a cute cottage, a city apartment, or a cabin in the woods, Vrbo.com can connect you to millions of travelers worldwide and a 24/7 support team to make sure everything runs smoothly.
What makes this platform different from Airbnb you might ask? Well, the main difference is that Vrbo does not offer homestay or room share type rentals like Airbnb does. In other words, customers will have to rent an entire dwelling when booking a stay on Vrbo, not just a room in someone’s house.
You’ll definitely want to consider listing it on Vrbo.com if you’re looking to rent your whole property quickly and easily.
The Bottom Line
Gig work, side hustles, side jobs, side gigs- however you’d like to call it- are always a smart idea for those of you looking to earn some extra cash. Not only can you work on your own time, set your own hours and be your own boss, but you’ll also experience a new style of working that you might really enjoy.
Read More: Gig Work Referral Bonuses- Don’t Miss Out on Free Money
