30 Legitimate Ways to Make Some Quick Cash This Year

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If you think you’re the only one hurting for money, think again: Making more money is one of the most top personal goals for people this year.

Whether you need to reel in your spending or you just want to get ahead with your finances, consider picking up a side gig for extra cash flow. Become an Uber driver, work as a human billboard or put your unique skills to work to earn more. Here are 30 ways to make some quick cash.

1. Errand Runner

Sign up for TaskRabbit, and you can make extra money on the side doing other people’s chores and odd jobs like, mowing lawns and building IKEA furniture. You get to choose the jobs you take.

TaskRabbit does charge a 15 percent service fee for your first task with a specific client. If you possess a high-end skill, like carpentry or construction, you could charge as much as $150 an hour for your work. Some Taskers charge $25 to $35 an hour for more general jobs, like event support or furniture assembly.

2. User Tester

If you have 20 minutes to spare, you can make a quick $10 on UserTesting. The company pays people to visit websites and apps, complete sets of tasks and give opinions on the experience. You’re essentially being paid to provide feedback and record audio of your reaction to an ad, product or website.

To start, you’ll only need a computer, internet connection and microphone. Not bad for a sweet online side hustle.

3. Ride-Share Driver

Driving for Uber or Lyft is one of the hottest side hustles out there right now. You can pick your own schedule, earn as much as you need and even rent or lease a car through the rideshare company. You can also use your car to work as a part-time delivery driver for Amazon Flex.

The average Uber driver makes $364 a month, with the company taking 20 percent to 30 percent of gross earnings, Time Magazine reported in 2017.

4. Dog Walker

If you’re thinking about how to make money fast, walking dogs is a great way to earn some extra cash. PayScale reports that dog walkers make about $13.27 per hour but can earn as much as $22.

Sites like Rover, DogWalker.com and Wag! help connect walkers with dog owners, but you can also place ads on Craigslist or distribute flyers to find your own clients and avoid paying a finder’s fee.

5. Pet Sitter

Love animals? Sign up to watch pets while their owners are out of town.

Pet sitting sites such as Rover.com and DogVacay connect pet owners with sitters for a cut — 15 to 20 percent — of the sitter’s earnings paid by client users, according to Los Angeles Business Journal. At Rover, part-time pet sitters make about $900 a month, and sitters who work just a few times a month can make about $250, according to the New York Post.

6. Freelancer

Fiverr is a great place for first-time freelancers looking to build experience and their portfolios. From logo design and animation to editing and voiceover work, you can find tasks suited to your skills.

Prices start at just $5 per project. Once you accumulate feedback, referrals and experience, you can start charging much more, however. Some people have taken their Fiverr gigs full-time and make as much as $900 per project.

7. Caterer

If you enjoy the bustle of serving food, catering is a flexible and good-paying job. Most of the assignments take place in the evenings and on weekends, so you can keep your day job.

You can find catering side gigs on Craigslist and Indeed or try calling local catering companies. Workers in the catering business make about $14 an hour depending on position and location, according to data from PayScale.

8. Amazon FBA

Fulfillment by Amazon, also called FBA, allows ordinary people to make money selling products on Amazon. Sellers simply brand and list items on Amazon, and the company takes care of the fulfillment and shipping. As a bonus, Amazon houses the products for you, so you don’t need to store any inventory.

During the holidays, FBA sellers can find new and used popular holiday items at a discount and sell them on Amazon for a profit. AOL reported that one FBA seller made $10,000 in just two months reselling holiday toys.

9. Virtual Assistant

Rather than hire full-time employees, many companies and small business owners employ virtual assistants to help out with day-to-day tasks.

You need to be flexible and prepared to take on tasks like scheduling, accounting, data entry, project organization and even social media management depending on company needs. Virtual assistants can work part time and make anywhere from $10 to $30 per hour, according to PayScale.

10. Remote English Tutor

You can teach English online from the comfort of your home and on a part-time basis, provided you have excellent grammar, a clear voice, a strong internet connection and lots of patience.

Online English classes are in high demand, and there are several sites dedicated to connecting students and teachers, including Berlitz, Open English and Verbalplanet. The hours are flexible, but you should be mindful of the time difference to make sure this side gig fits your schedule.

11. Writer

If you have a way with words, you could make money writing on the side. Freelance writers can find side jobs copywriting, editing content for websites and college admissions essays, writing greeting cards or even creating online dating profiles.

Scripted, FlexJobs, Upwork and Contentmart all help freelance writers find side work, which can pay a median salary of about $24 per hour according to PayScale. Experience has a huge impact on how much you can earn, so as you take on more side work, you can charge higher prices.

12. Car Renter

Make cash on the side renting out your car on Turo. And if you’re worried about lending out your ride, you can relax knowing the company provides a $1 million insurance policy on all vehicles. Moreover, all drivers are prescreened.

Turo has a handy calculator to help you figure out how much you can earn renting out your car when you’re not using it. For example, if your car is worth $24,000 and you rent it out 15 days per month, you can make more than $7,000 a year.

13. Online Survey Taker

It’s not the most exciting side hustle, but there is money to be made filling out online surveys. Many sites like InboxDollars and Swagbucks allow users to earn cash and gift cards. You can also contact the Columbia University Center for Decision Sciences to sign up for online research studies that pay $16 an hour.

14. Airbnb Host

You probably know that you can rent out a room — or your entire home — on Airbnb to earn some extra cash. You might not realize how much you can make, however.

The most lucrative cities for hosts include Miami, San Diego, Chicago and Philadelphia, where hosts can make about 80 percent of their monthly rent or mortgage bills, according to SmartAsset. But if you don’t live in a big city, there is still big money to be had — on average, the expected annual profit for a two-bedroom listing is $20,619. That’s a pretty sweet salary for a side gig.

15. Translator

If you are fluent in another language, translating is a side job that pays well and offers great flexibility. These jobs are usually performed on a freelance basis and can be done remotely, which means you can work from anywhere and on your own schedule.

PayScale reports that translators earn a median salary of nearly $20 per hour, but location and experience can impact your rate. In some cases, an associate degree or bachelor’s degree might be required, but it’s not always necessary. If this sounds like a great side job for you, check out Upwork, Gengo or Lingosaur to find your first client.

16. Music Instructor

If you play a musical instrument well enough to teach it, you could make a median salary of about $50 per an hour as a private music instructor according to PayScale. Thanks to technology, this side job can even be done online using Skype and a high-speed internet connection.

Many online music teachers set their own hours and prices, and sites like Lessonface help connect quality teachers with students for a fee.

17. Human Billboard

You can start your own human billboard side business for $20 an hour, according to The Penny Hoarder. Human billboards are people who hold signs that promote everything from new home developments to tax prep services.

18. Babysitter

Parents are always on the lookout for reliable, trustworthy caregivers to watch their little ones. In 2016, babysitting the average rate as a baby sitter was about $14, according to Care.com, one of the leading sites for connecting parents and sitters.

19. Vehicle Wrap Advertiser

Turn your car into a moving billboard, and make extra money while you drive. In fact, companies will pay drivers hundreds of dollars a month to plaster their cars with advertisements.

For instance, Carvertise pays about $100 a month, as long as you drive as much as you normally would. Wrapify pay fluctuates depending on how often you drive and how much of your car is covered in ads — if you drive during rush hour, you’ll make more than if you drive in the middle of the night.

20. Professional Gift Wrapper

Gift wrapping is a festive way to make money on the side. If you’ve got an eye for detail and a dash of Martha Stewart, you could make $8 to $10 an hour wrapping other people’s gifts. Check sites like Snagajob, Indeed and Monster for openings in your area.

21. Snow or Ice Remover

Expect more snow and ice throughout the winter. These hazards have to be removed from the road, and plenty of people are willing to pay for someone else to handle the problem.

You can remove ice from your neighbors’ front steps, driveways, roofs and sidewalks to ensure cars are ready to drive each morning. You’ll most likely need your own equipment, which can cost anywhere from around $15 for a snow shovel to about $200 or more for a gas-powered snow blower. Considering you can charge your own prices, however, you can quickly recoup any startup costs.

22. Bicycle Delivery Person

The bike messenger business is a healthy way to earn money on the side. Caviar provides food delivery from local restaurants to homes and offices, and Amazon even hired bike messengers to help with same-day deliveries at one point.

Caviar and Amazon both pay up to $25 an hour, but you’ll need your own bike to sign up. Still, you can earn a significant sum working a few hours a day — and stay in great shape.

23. IKEA Furniture Assembler

Assembling IKEA furniture is a skill many frustrated customers are willing to pay for. Now that IKEA has teamed up with TaskRabbit, you can make money for your ability as a handyman.

If you aren’t sure what to charge, note that IKEA charges a $36 rate for furniture assembly, and depending on the value of the item, the price could be higher. So, make sure you beat the retailer’s prices to attract customers.

24. Bookkeeper

Many small business owners need help keeping their finances in order. The median hourly wage for a bookkeeper is $20, according to Salary.com.

You can try cold-calling businesses and getting referrals from CPAs, but sites like FlexJobs and Indeed post part-time and remote bookkeeping jobs regularly.

25. Cleaner

It might not be the most glamorous role, but you can make good money cleaning homes on the side. Research shows that the average hourly rate for cleaning services in the U.S is between $50 and $90 per hour.

You can make even more by adding on specialized services, like cleaning window treatments, walls, ceilings, furniture and upholstery. Consider offering holiday package deals to increase your business during high-demand seasons.

26. Private Tutor

If you did well in school, know how to ace standardized tests or have experience in a tough subject, you could earn big bucks tutoring kids. According to Care.com, private high school tutors charge up to $85 an hour, depending on experience.

You can find your own clients or sign up with a tutoring agency, center or online academy to get business. Word of mouth is critical for this side gig, so the more you work, the more business you’re likely to get.

27. Cover Letter and Resume Writer

In a competitive job market, people are willing to pay to make their resumes stand out from the crowd. Professionally written resumes cost about $80 to $349. And once you get experience, high-end “executive” resume services, which include interview and salary-negotiation coaching, can cost more than $1,100.

WriteZillas helps writers find people who need help sprucing up their resumes.

28. Customer Service Representative

Customer service is always in demand, especially when the holidays roll around. You can find customer service job listings on Indeed and Glassdoor.

Many of these jobs are part-time and temporary, which is great if you’re looking for a short-term side gig. Customer service representatives make a median salary of about $13.49 regardless of how much experience they have, according to PayScale.

29. Mystery Shopper

Many stores pay individuals to pose as customers and provide feedback on aspects like cleanliness and customer service. These “mystery shoppers” are paid a fee and reimbursed for any purchases made. A typical salary ranges from $8 to $25 per shopping trip, according to The Penny Hoarder.

Mystery shopping is a popular way to make money on the side, but there are scammers out there who take advantage of the system. Never pay to join a mystery shopping company — it’s supposed to pay you.

30. Etsy Seller

If you have a knack for crafting, make Etsy your first stop. You can sell handmade crafts and vintage items in the marketplace. Create desk accessories, print shirts or make jewelry to bring in extra cash this year. Find your niche and post your creations online for free publicity. Keep in mind that it costs 20 cents to post a listing on Etsy, and each transaction is charged 3.5 percent of the sale price.

More on Ways to Make Money:

Taylor Bell contributed to the reporting for this article.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 30 Legitimate Ways to Make Some Quick Cash This Year

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