6 Best Side Gigs for Work-Life Balance: Make $1,000 or More per Month Without Sacrificing Your Happiness

Krakozawr / iStock.com
Krakozawr / iStock.com

With the cost of living increasing, many of us are looking for new ways to bring in some extra money. Then, when you look up side gigs, it can be overwhelming to decide which opportunity to go with. Many gigs will require a substantial amount of time and effort, so you would be cutting out your limited free time to make a few bucks.

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This is why we searched for side hustle gigs that won’t sacrifice your happiness and could be done with a full-time job. We know that you have enough going on and just want to bring in some more money.

What are the best side gigs that can be done to bring in some extra money?

Rover

Are you a dog person? Do you enjoy going for walks? With Rover, you can get paid to walk dogs or house-sit pets. If you enjoy a walk, you can have a furry friend join you. If you don’t mind changing your scenery, you can get paid to stay at someone’s house with their pet when they travel.

You get to choose your rate and your hours with Rover. The amount that you earn will depend on the services that you offer and the area that you live in.

Here are some examples of the earnings potential:

  • You can set your dog walking rate to $35/hour walk and try to do three walks per week.

  • You can offer house-sitting services and earn up to $100/night to stay at someone’s place.

  • You can offer dog boarding services and earn up to $100/night to have a furry friend stay with you.

If you’re a dog person who enjoys staying active, this is a fairly easy side hustle. Some young professionals make almost $4,000/month from Rover and treat it like a second salary.

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Airbnb

Airbnb allows you to host travelers in your space so that you don’t let that spare room go to waste. There are many ways that you can make money on the Airbnb platform, from renting out your basement to setting up an RV in your backyard.

If you’re unsure if this side hustle is worth it, the platform has an earnings calculator to help you figure out how much you can earn. The amount you can earn depends on the size and location of your unit based on the time of the year.

Here are some examples:

  • You can rent a two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn for $375 per night.

  • You can make about $67 per night for a private room in Pittsburgh.

The goal is to play around with the earnings calculator to see what you can make from your space or a space you could offer. You could easily turn your spare room into a $1,000-per-month income source.

TaskRabbit

Are you handy? Do you enjoy completing tasks around the house? With about 200 different tasks to choose from, there’s likely something on the platform that you could do. Here are some of the categories of tasks on the TaskRabbit platform:

  • Furniture assembly

  • Heavy lifting

  • Gardening and yard work

  • Home cleaning

  • Electrical

Every type of task pays a different fee on the TaskRabbit platform. If you want an estimate of how much you can make, you can search your geographic location to see what the average pay for tasks is.

Freelance Work

The beauty of freelance work is that you can take an existing skill and turn it into an income stream. There’s something you already do that could make you some money, from organizing spaces to writing articles.

What kind of freelance work can you do?

  • Writing

  • Graphic design

  • Podcasting editing

  • Video editing

  • Drawing

  • Event planning.

How can you find freelance jobs?

The best way to get started is to check out a freelance job board like Upwork to see what kind of work is in demand right now. From there, you can decide what you’re going to offer.

The main benefit of freelancing as a side hustle is that you can pick up work doing something you enjoy at your own pace. You can set your schedule and make some extra cash when you’re free. The pay will depend on the type of work that you offer, but luckily most job boards list the pay.

Selling Crafts on Etsy

You can open up an Etsy shop and sell everything from your bracelets that you’ve been designing in your spare time to that eBook that you’ve been thinking about getting out there.

What else can you sell on Etsy?

  • Arts

  • Digital products

  • Digital printables for specific parties

  • Handmade jewelry

  • Stickers for various events

How can you get started on Etsy?

The goal is to explore the marketplace to see what kind of product you can offer on this platform. Many creatives use Canva to create digital printables. If you’re artsy, you can sell your crafts. The beauty of this side hustle is that you can tap into your creative side.

The earnings will depend on what kind of products you make and how well they do. There are examples of people who were able to replace their full-time income with Etsy, and there are others who bring in $1,000 monthly from selling digital printables. One person got their Etsy shop to about $9,500 in sales with printable planners and seasonal templates.

We published a complete guide to making money on Etsy if you’re looking to get started.

Social Media Management

Let’s face it, many of us spend more than we want to admit on social media. You can monetize your social media passion by getting into social media management. This is a side hustle that allows you to get paid to be on Instagram.

What kind of tasks does social media management involve?

  • Content creation

  • Photography

  • Data analytics

  • Copywriting

  • Sales and marketing

According to ZipRecruiter, the average pay for freelance social media marketing is about $31/hour, and you can make up to $64,375 per year, depending on your time commitment.

Closing Thoughts

There’s a side hustle for everyone, even if you already have a busy schedule. The trick is to find the side hustle that matches your skillset so that you can get started immediately. The amount that you earn will depend on how much time you’re able to commit.

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Best Side Gigs for Work-Life Balance: Make $1,000 or More per Month Without Sacrificing Your Happiness

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