Make an Extra $500 a Month: 6 Side Gigs That Require Less Than 2 Hours a Day

Group4 Studio / Getty Images
Group4 Studio / Getty Images

While many of us would like to increase our income, the reality is that there are only so many hours in a day that can be spent working.

I’m a Financial Advisor: 10 Most Awesome Things You Can Do for Your Finances in 2024
Grant Cardone: What To Do If You Don’t Have Money

You likely already have a full-time job that keeps you busy and other commitments that take up most of your free time. This is why it’s critical that you look out for side gigs that don’t require a hefty time commitment.

How can you earn $500 monthly with two hours of work per day or less? Here are a few side gigs worth looking into.

Walk Dogs on Rover

You can sign up for an app like Rover, which pays you to take dogs on walks. This is a side gig that pays you to stay active. Once you set up your portfolio and build a base of clients, you can easily bring in $100 weekly from going on a few walks.

What’s the Time Required?

You can make up to $35 for an hour-long walk. If you get four per week, that would lead to $140 in extra cash weekly. That’s around $560 per month, and you don’t have to devote more than an hour at a time.

Learn: How To Make Several Hundred Dollars a Month Selling Digital Downloads

Perform Odd Jobs on TaskRabbit

You can perform odd jobs on a platform like TaskRabbit if you want extra work. This platform is designed for performing random tasks for payment.

What are examples of gigs that you can find on the app that won’t require a hefty time commitment?

  • Mount TVs for people in downtown condos.

  • Set up Christmas decorations.

  • Wait in line for someone.

  • Help with moving.

  • Perform yard work.

  • Help assemble furniture.

What’s the Time Required?

You can get paid about $50 per hour to help with moving or $60 per hour to help assemble furniture. If you assemble furniture for two hours twice a week, you could bring in an extra $960 monthly.

The best part is that you can pick and choose jobs based on your schedule and willingness. You can increase your income by $500 per month by taking a few weekend side gigs on the platform.

Host an Airbnb Unit

If you have any extra space in your home or the capital to invest in a rental property, you can create a side gig by hosting on Airbnb. Depending on where you live and what kind of space you’re listing, you could bring in at least $100 per night.

What’s the Time Required?

The most time will be spent up front on getting your space ready, working on your description and getting approved on the platform. Once you’re set up on the app, you can significantly scale down your time spent on hosting. If you outsource the cleaning, the only significant time you would have to spend on the platform would be screening guests and responding to questions.

Freelance Writing

If you enjoy writing, you can pick up jobs in this field as a side gig. There are many opportunities to earn some extra money as a freelance writer.

What Are the Different Types of Writing Side Gigs That You Can Find?

  • Copywriting.

  • Writing scripts for videos.

  • SEO-optimized blog articles.

  • Social media posts.

Where Can You Find Freelance Writing Work?

  • Create a portfolio.

  • Bid on jobs on a platform like Upwork.

  • Offer your services.

  • Look out for postings on LinkedIn.

What’s the Time Required?

According to the job board Upwork, freelance writers can make anywhere from $15 to $40 per hour. So, let’s say you can make $30 per hour for the sake of this example. If you put in a two-hour writing session three times weekly, you could earn an extra $720 monthly.

Graphic Design

Do you have any graphic skills? Do you have an artistic side? If so, you could find a side gig in graphic design.

Here are some examples:

  • Create YouTube covers on Fiverr.

  • Sell Canva templates.

  • Make blog logos.

  • Create event posters.

What’s the Time Required?

Once you establish yourself and master your craft, you can make up to $40 per logo on a platform like Fiverr. If you can create two logos in two hours twice per week, that would lead to an extra $640 every month.

Selling Digital Printables on Etsy

“Once you figure out the SEO behind publishing your products and build up decent graphic design Canva skills, you can start listing digital printables that sell well on Etsy,” said Cody Berman, who teaches people how to make money on Etsy. “You may have to test out many designs before you find one that hits; but, once you find that one, you can collect passive income without much additional effort.”

Once you open your Etsy shop and get a few products up, it becomes easier to launch new products. The goal is to find a product that becomes a top seller so you have passive income coming in.

How can you make money on Etsy? It will depend on how well your items sell. When we looked at the Taylor Swift friendship bracelets, we found shop owners who had made $16,000 off one item.

What’s the Time Required?

The initial time you spend up front will involve researching popular products, learning about SEO/marketing, and creating your digital printables.

Closing Thoughts

If you’re looking to bring in some additional funds, you have many side gigs to choose from. The best part is that many of these side gigs can be done within a few hours so you don’t have to devote a significant amount of time to bringing in an extra $500 per month.

You can increase your earnings based on how much time you’re willing to put in and how much better you become at your craft.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Make an Extra $500 a Month: 6 Side Gigs That Require Less Than 2 Hours a Day

Advertisement