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Podcast Hard Money Lenders Books Washington
BlogArrowPersonal FinanceArrowHow to Make Extra Money in 2019 (22 Part-Time Gigs & Side Hustle Ideas)
Personal Finance

How to Make Extra Money in 2019 (22 Part-Time Gigs & Side Hustle Ideas)

Dan Sheeks
Expertise: Personal Finance
15 Articles Written
non-monetary-value

Would you like to make more money?  Silly question, I know.

Boosting your income is one of two main levers we can pull to fast forward our journey to financial independence. (The other lever is to decrease your expenses.)

For most, finding an alternative income stream is not too hard of an undertaking. But what if you’re young—say between 15 and 25 years old? Those on the lower end of that range are full-time students looking for part-time options to build their savings. Those on the higher end of that range may already have a full-time job and find themselves also looking for a part-time money-making gig.

As such, there are two main strategies young people can use to earn extra income: part-time jobs and side hustles. For the purpose of this article, we will classify a part-time job as a position where one works for someone else earning a paycheck or cash. We will define a side hustle as a money-making method in which one works for oneself.

Below I list several options for each strategy to help young people supercharge their income. Take a look, and see what stands out to you. In the end, you only need to choose the one option that sounds best to start growing your savings account balance to new heights.

Close up of unstable stack of coins on world map.

Strategy 1: The Part-Time Job

Not all part-time jobs are created equal. But any job that provides a paycheck will do the trick. The obvious choices are to work at your neighborhood restaurant or retail clothing store. These types of part-time gigs are OK, but here are some other ideas that just might be a little fun, too.

  1. Babysit
  2. Work for your parents in an office
  3. Work at a movie theater
  4. Work at a daycare
  5. Wash cars
  6. Officiate little league or soccer games

Strategy 2: The Side Hustle

First, keep in mind that most good side hustles take some time to get going or learn. That said, the income potential (or scalability) may not be fully realized right away.

Typically, the best side hustles require some form of time investment and patience in the beginning to see a return. One of the things you will surely need to do to make more money is manage your time better than the average person.

Your side hustle doesn’t have to be something brand new or completely innovative. It also doesn’t have to be void of competition in your area. Don’t reinvent the wheel. You can make good money doing something that other people are already doing.

Also, make sure your side hustle is something that you like doing—or even better, love doing. If you don’t, it probably won’t last. With no boss to answer to, you’ll soon find yourself spending time doing something else.

Related: 5 Simple Ways (Almost) Anyone Can Save $1,000 Per Month

Heed this warning from Atchut Neelam regarding using your time wisely:

“Time is your biggest asset. I reflected upon my habits and realized that I had wasted a lot of my own precious time. Hours were spent watching cricket or mind-numbing TV, gossiping with friends, scrolling through social media—and quite frankly, this realization made me feel quite ashamed. Had I spent just 10% of that time on my own development and learning new skills, my [side hustle]would have advanced sooner and my income would have been a lot more comfortable for me. Making the most of your time is one of the most important factors in success. I now devote at least one hour a day to work on my goals and progress with certain plans I have made. I believe that success is founded on discipline and focus.”

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— Atchut Neelam, from his BiggerPockets member blog post “9 Things I Wish I Had Known When I Was 20”

Driving a modern car on the road.

Here’s a list of more simple side hustle ideas. This list should, at the very least, get you thinking about some ways you can provide a service or value to someone else—and get paid to do so.

  1. Walk dogs or dog sit (consider using rover.com)
  2. Shovel sidewalks and driveways in the winter
  3. Mow lawns in the summer
  4. Tutor students
  5. Teach people how to use computers, the internet, or specific programs
  6. Do magic at kids’ birthday parties
  7. House sit (water plants, walk/feed pets, mow lawn, etc.)
  8. Sew (do alterations, make clothes, or create costumes)
  9. Make personalized t-shirts

Related: BiggerPockets Money Podcast 28: How Anyone Can Easily Make Extra Money Using Side Hustles with Nick Loper

And here is a list of a few higher-level side hustle ideas:

  1. Drive for Uber, Uber Eats, or Lyft
  2. If you have a skill like social media marketing or fixing computers, post your abilities to fiverr.com
  3. Buy a bouncy house and rent it out
  4. Become Google Ads certified (It’s free. You can then work on small campaigns for small businesses.)
  5. Build websites on WordPress (Train yourself using free videos on YouTube. You can then build websites for small businesses in your area. Sell door-to-door or find potential customers online. They can be anywhere in the U.S.! The more you do, the more you’ll be able to charge for your services.)
  6. Clean or pick up trash (One guy found that parking lots in his town were dirty and full of garbage. He approached the owners of the lots and said he would clean the lots once a week for a price. It worked. Plus, he can listen to podcasts and books on tape while working.)
  7. Start a YouTube channel (even if it’s just for personal accountability and creativity as opposed to being a moneymaker)

Which idea sounds most appealing to you?

Leave a comment below!

By Dan Sheeks
Dan is a high school Business/Marketing teacher, real estate investor, and personal finance advocate in Denver, Colorado. He and his wife have a variety of real estate investments including multifamily, single-family, Airbnb, and out-of-state BRRRRs. Working with teenagers, personal finance advocacy, real estate investing, and the FIRE movement are Dan's four passions. He volunteers in the MoneyWi$er initiative out of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office with a few other hand-picked experts from around the state. The program strives to advance Financial Literacy in Colorado secondary education. In his 16+ years of teaching high school, he has taught a variety of business subjects including financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and marketing. Embedded in his classes is the co-curricular DECA club in which students travel, compete, acquire leadership skills, do community service, and have fun! His students have competed at the national level with much success over the years. During this time, Dan has also taken his high school students into local middle and elementary schools where his students have taught the importance of personal finance to younger children. Dan aims to help teens use specific methods of saving, earning extra income, and frugality to set them on a track to purchase real estate investment properties in their early 20s and achieve financial independence at a young age. Follow him on Instagram at dsheeks or on LinkedIn at Dan Sheeks.
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26 Replies
    Margie Kohlhaas Rental Property Investor from Algona, IA
    Replied over 1 year ago
    Mowing lawns, flipping John Deere tractors, fixing & flipping bikes, etc are also some fun ways to earn money.
    Dan Sheeks Rental Property Investor from Denver, CO
    Replied over 1 year ago
    @Margie Kohlhass - Great ideas! Thanks for your comment.

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    Jeff White Realtor from Denver, CO
    Replied over 1 year ago
    Hi Dan, great article, very simple and to the point giving a few ideas to spark peoples interest in side hustles. I think side hustles are one of the best ways for most people to start really saving for future investment opportunities, paying down debt, and building long-term wealth. With technology today, you really can start earning money without much up front cost if you are motivated and have a mode of transportation. PS....That's so cool you teach DECA at my high school! I graduated back in 02, but I remember taking DECA, and it was a great introduction to business that led me to pursue a degree and career in Finance.
    Dan Sheeks Rental Property Investor from Denver, CO
    Replied over 1 year ago
    Hey Jeff! Thanks for the comments. Crazy that you are a Creek DECA grad! Small world. I started teaching there in the 2003-2004 school year. Maybe I just missed ya? Best of luck to you!

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    Nathan Richmond Rental Property Investor from Visalia, CA
    Replied over 1 year ago
    To anyone that knows me, I am that person. 1. Teacher (state prison) 2. Real estate investor (4 properties) 3. High School Baseball umpire (22 years) 4. Limo driver 5. Work on the parent's ranch
    Tyler Wayne
    Replied over 1 year ago
    Wow! I'm quite impressed with the 22 years as an umpire!

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    Tyler Wayne
    Replied over 1 year ago
    I'm considering selling easy to grow and care for houseplants, such as succulents. These are all the rage right now and can easily be sold on Craiglist or OfferUp. I'll grow the plants from cuttings I already have and sell for $5-$7 each.
    Virginia Limon from Houston, TX
    Replied over 1 year ago
    You can also sell them at local farmer’s markets and other little fairs/markets.

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    Alan DeRossett Investor from Thousand Oaks, CA
    Replied over 1 year ago
    Great idea, we've also grown the plants from cuttings and seed. from one Property to another. Always have enough to re-landscape at least one property from plants acquired in older properties.

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    Dan Sheeks Rental Property Investor from Denver, CO
    Replied over 1 year ago
    Hey Tyler. Great idea. Any idea that you enjoy AND that makes you some extra cash works well. Best of luck.

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    Michael Ricklick Rental Property Investor from Modesto, CA
    Replied over 1 year ago
    While in college I cleaned a day care center after business hours. As an educator that needed a bigger shovel, I was listening to my dentist complain about his cleaning service. I went home researched the square footage cost of commercial cleaning, put together an offer and have been a 1099 contracted employee ever since.
    Keith Johnson
    Replied over 1 year ago
    Awesome job! I am in the commercial cleaning business full-time. It is often overlooked and underestimated.

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    Dan Sheeks Rental Property Investor from Denver, CO
    Replied over 1 year ago
    Hey Michael. That's a great story. It pays to be industrious and motivated!

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    Jonathan Lee Real Estate Agent from Springfield MO
    Replied over 1 year ago
    I use Uber as my side hustle and love it. It's especially good for me as a new real estate agent: Learning the local neighborhoods, meeting new people, and being forced to keep my car spotless haha. Not to mention discounts on gas and repairs and you can build a little passive income for referrals. If it's not appropriate to post here this can be deleted but my referral code is : JONATHANL30098UE
    Dan Sheeks Rental Property Investor from Denver, CO
    Replied over 1 year ago
    Sounds like the Uber thing is working for you in more ways than one! Keep up the good work!

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    Wenda Kennedy JD from Nikiski, Alaska
    Replied over 1 year ago
    I still have side gigs. I've been doing something on the side since I was a little kid. Right now, a friend, with an auto repair shop, and I buy and sell used vehicles on the side. I have a Federal Contract where I do the drinking water samples for a whole bunch of National Campgrounds located a couple of hours from home (yes, I have a State well operator's license for my small community water system that lets me take those samples). I buy real estate trust deeds from people who carried the financing when they sold their properties. I have a couple of rooms in the back of my office that I rent out to airbnb guests. I have 2 vending machines at my self-service Laundromat. One is for candy and pastries. The other vends sodas. I think I get all the change around here coming to me through those machines. And I have a few full-hook-up RV spaces for our summer season located in my mobile home park. That also allows me to charge a fee for RV wastewater dumping and for potable water fill-ups. I call all of this my dribble money. I believe that the real trick is to find these side incomes to really max out your property's potential.
    Dan Sheeks Rental Property Investor from Denver, CO
    Replied over 1 year ago
    Wow, Wendy! Lots of great ideas! You are a side hustle champion! :-)

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    Stephen Predmore Rental Property Investor from Baltimore, MD
    Replied over 1 year ago
    I'm a big fan of my Taskrabbit side hustle I love the flexibility with my 9-5. I can work a couple of jobs on weeknights or entire days on weekends. I set my availability and it gets filled up quickly with people choosing me for their tasks. There's a wide range of tasks you can perform from assembling furniture, help moving, cleaning, painting, home repairs, and mounting TV's. There are other similar apps out there (Handy, Takl) but TR just works best. Plus I can set my own rates. $30 per hour for assembling IKEA furniture is easy money to me. As a side benefit, it has put me in touch with a lot of landlords and other REI professionals, plus I'm always checking out the different parts of the city and rental areas for future deals.
    Dan Sheeks Rental Property Investor from Denver, CO
    Replied over 1 year ago
    Thanks for the advice on Taskrabbit, Stephen. Great stuff!

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    Crystal Blanton from Chicago, Illinois
    Replied over 1 year ago
    These are some great ideas! I love the Google ads, youtube, and wordpress ideas, actually all of them. I do bookkeeping, taxes, and currently hoping to get some contracting teaching positions.

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    Crystal Blanton from Chicago, Illinois
    Replied over 1 year ago
    I have a 4 unit looking for other income producing. A couple listings on the South side and 3 buyers. Hope the sales happen soon.

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    Zarah McIntosh
    Replied over 1 year ago
    I'll do the YouTube channel. Social Media for exposure and reach, then monetize with digital tutorial courses and a membership site. This seems like a decent plan using mostly sweat equity with low start up cost.

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    Albert Calderon
    Replied over 1 year ago
    Basically this article can be shortened to say GET A JOB. Contact me bigger pockets if you want me to write you a better article.

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    Michelle St. Claire Rental Property Investor from Oakland, CA
    Replied over 1 year ago
    I look on Craigslist (under Gigs section) and participate in focus groups, usability studies, etc. I also do small gigs from there like ticket scanning at an event. All the little bits of cash (or amazon gift cards) can add up.

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    James Kelly
    Replied over 1 year ago
    Dan, what are your feelings on MLM side hustles? Personally, I've had a LegalShield business as a side hustle for years and it has been great. For a younger person, it is very small initial investment, no minimum sales quotas or inventory to carry, and company has a solid track record. I got both my son and daughter started on their own once they were of age and it has been a good side biz for them as well.
    Dan Sheeks Rental Property Investor from Denver, CO
    Replied over 1 year ago
    Hey James. Thanks for the comment. I don't have any experience in MLM businesses, except for what I hear from friends who do it. Therefore, I will pass on giving any advice on that topic. It does sound like what you are doing is working well though, so keep it up.

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