Not only does summer mean warm weather for most of us and the opportunity to participate in more outdoor activities, summer can also mean more free time if you’re out of school or experiencing a slow period for work.
A great way to make use of any spare time you and to earn extra money is by starting a side hustle.
Here are 6 great ways to make an extra $500 a month.
1. Freelance writing
Do you have great grammatical and writing skills? Then put your skills to good use by being a freelance writer or ghostwriter. Everyone knows this is my favorite side hustle because I love to write as was able to quit my job last year to pursue freelancing and blogging full time.
You can find gigs to write articles for websites and other media as a freelance writer or work directly for an author as a ghostwriter.
Typically, writers will get paid per article, with set deadlines, which allows you to work on them when you have time. If you set your rate at $50 per article, you need to write 10 per month to earn $500 and if you set your rate at $100, you only need to write 5.
Related: How I Earned $6,000 in One Summer From Writing
4 Common Misconceptions About Freelance Writers
22 Websites That Pay Writers For Guest Posts
2. Walking Dogs/Pet Sitting
If you like dogs and animals and enjoy working with them, then you can start your own business by walking and sitting your neighbors’ pets and those of people who live in your area.
During the summer, people tend to go off on vacation and have to leave their pets behind. This could allow you to the opportunity to earn some extra cash. You can also self-start by posting ads on local city groups on Facebook and build your client base, or use sites like Rover or Care.com to create a profile and receive requests from pet owners for a percentage fee.
Try to offer a combination of pet sitting and dog walking services to maximize your earnings. If you charge $15 per walk and $30 per night for pet sitting, you can pet sit overnight for 7 nights per month and walk around 20 dogs in order to earn $500.
Keep in mind that you can double up and walk 2-3 dogs at once if you feel comfortable with it.
3. Drive for Uber/Lyft
If you are 21, and have a 2005 or newer four-door car, your own car insurance, and enjoy driving, sign up for Uber and Lyft.
Uber and Lyft provide competitive pay, but you will have to keep in mind of expenses, like gas and maintenance. All of which is tax deductible under the mileage driven so remember to track those miles, especially while you are not giving rides.
Most likely, you know someone who is an Uber or Lyft driver and they can give you an honest opinion of what the experience is like.
4. Babysitting/Nannying
Maybe you are best suited to work with children and with the school terms ending, parents will be looking to hire summer sitters and nannies.
You can be a self-starter and create your own client base within your neighborhood and local listings through Facebook, but many parents are moving to the internet to research potential candidates.
Sites like Care.com and SitterCity.com provide platforms for sitters, nannies, and parents. Sitters and nannies make an extensive profile, including references, for parents to search. Potential candidates can also search for job postings from parents.
Just like any job, you will then interview with the parents to find out if you’re the right fit. Be sure to get started quickly to enjoy most of the summer months. If you set your hourly rate at around $10/hr, you can babysit for an average of 12.5 hours per week and earn $500 or spend even less time babysitting if you charge more.
5. Tutoring
Put your academic skills to good use by tutoring students of all ages. Find local job listings on Craigslist, from parents and tutoring companies alike for job positions available. Care.com also lists postings from parents for in-person tutoring.
6. Brand Ambassador
For those who enjoy being social, have a great personality, and like to talk about products, you can become a brand ambassador and promote a brand and their products. Like the previous options, this is a time-flexible job where you can make serious extra income.
As an ambassador, you will interact with customers and typically give free samples of that particular brand. It is your job to portray the company in a fun, appealing way.
You can expect to earn anywhere from $10 – $50 per hour which is a wide range, but it really depends on the company and products you’re promoting. For example, when I performed alcohol demonstrations in stores for brands, I earned $20-$25 per hour. You can read more about my experience side hustling as a brand ambassador in the post below.
Related: How to Become a Product Demonstrator
Summer will be here before you know it and it will end just as quickly, so be sure to make the most of it by having fun and making extra income as well.
Want More Extra Income Ideas?
Check out one of my latest blog posts: 80+ Ways to Earn Extra Money (Fun and Legitimate Ideas That Don’t Suck)
Do you have any plans to earn extra money over the summer? If so, what type of side hustles will you be taking on?
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