“I heard there’s a recession coming. I decided not to participate. ~Walt Disney.
If you’re like most people, inflation has eaten away at your salary and income. Americans pay about $500 (or more) each month for the same goods they bought last year. If you’ve cut everywhere you can and tightened the financial belt; it may be time to take another step. You can call it part-time for a short time, but it can help take the stress out of tough times.
Your best commodity is time, and working an extra 5-10 hours a week to bring in additional income may be easier than you think. Here’s our list of extra work or side hustles to help you keep up during the unusual times. There should be one or two on this list that clicks with you, so take a few minutes to review.
Become a driver for Uber or Lyft.
Get paid to drive. Take a look at the Lyft or Uber websites. It could be a great option if you have a dependable car and like getting out and about.
Deliver food to people.
With the gas price and COVID concerns, many people don’t want to get out, so get paid to bring their food to them. The secret is out on DoorDash and GrubHub, but you can quickly compensate for the inflation crunch. Furthermore, tips can be a big part of your service.
Sell yourself.
That’s right; you’re worth something. If you have a skill that can help others, get out there. Websites like Upwork and Fiverr let you offer your skills and talents to others who may need your help. Think writing, teaching, IT, social media, and virtual assistants.
Old Standbys.
Look right under your nose. Yes, mowing yards, babysitting, cleaning houses and pools, and gardening are still a thing. Start in your neighborhood. Mention your availability on your Facebook page, and text or message your friends. In addition, you can do a simple flyer in Canva for free to get started promoting yourself.
Take surveys.
Companies care about what you think. Yes, you can get paid to take surveys. Check out Survey Junkie, Inbox Dollars and Branded Surveys.
Baby — er, dog sit.
Yes, people will pay you to dog sit or walk their dogs. If you love dogs and want to be around them more, you can sign up for Wag or Rover.
Become a Virtual Assistant.
Since many businesses went virtual during COVID, entrepreneurs need help — and you don’t have to leave your home. Becoming a virtual assistant may be the perfect solution if you are good with a computer or have a gift for social media, spreadsheets, managing calendars and other general office things. Check out The Mom Project and Upwork.
Hospitality.
Look, restaurants are starving for good employees. Check the local eatery, and you can probably get a few hours a week — either behind the scenes or right out front as a server or cashier. And, in most cases, you’ll probably get a free meal, so make sure you pick a restaurant where you enjoy the food. Hotels are also searching for good help. Ask about off-hour job opportunities.
Rent out your room or property.
If you have an apartment above your garage or an extra room upstairs, you can earn good money renting it out. With the price of homes and rent going up, it’s an excellent opportunity to recoup some of the money you’ve lost due to inflation. Check this out.
Start your blog.
If you have something to say, here’s an excellent opportunity to get your expertise and thoughts out there — and earn money. It’s easy — and cheap — to get started, and Wix and BlueHost are two popular sites. Once you have developed a following, you can make money through advertising, affiliate marketing, or selling e-books, online courses or other products.
Become a tutor.
If you have some knowledge or want to help kids or others, tutoring can be for you. Check out BookNook or Tutor. Or check here to find out how you can become a tutor.
Freelance.
Small companies especially are searching for people to help. If you have computer or graphic design skills and can write well or proofread, check out Freelancer or Upwork. Many jobs don’t require technical skills, so if you’ve left the job market or need to work from home, this may be a perfect solution.
Become a mystery shopper.
You can make solid money shopping. If you already like shopping, you can help companies improve their products and services. How’s that for an idea? Check it out here.
Sell stuff.
If you’re gifted with your hands or creative, you can sell the stuff you make on Etsy, eBay, and Shopify. People love to buy homemade.
Design an online course.
What do you know that others need to know? Whether it’s gardening, cooking, teaching or training, health/fitness, handyman skills or developing other skills, you can help others. Think of it this way: If you are one step ahead of someone else in an area, you can help them. There are great how-to’s out there, so check out Thinkific, Udemy and Kajabi.
Write a book.
It’s probably not as complicated as you think. Companies like Amazon are in the business of publishing your book. You can write it, and they will do everything, including designing the book cover, getting the ISBN and printing. Think it’s too much work? On the contrary, some books are only 50-75 pages, so you don’t need to have thousands of words.
Remember what Walt Disney says: You don’t have to participate in the craziness that’s happening all around you. Take charge. Control what you can control.
In the meantime, here are 5 things to avoid in high inflation.