5 Best Side Hustles to Make Extra Money During COVID-19

From Everything Finance

5 Best Side Hustles to Make Extra Money During COVID-19 is a post originally published on: Everything Finance – Everything Finance – Its all about Money!

This year has certainly been one for the books! In fact, no matter how we look at it, 2020 has changed our entire world. Not just how we interact socially, but also how we make and spend money. And with the massive amount of job loss that has occurred this year, it’s important to learn how to diversify your income. I’ve found side hustles to be the best way to do that. So, without further ado, here are 5 of the best side hustles to make extra money during COVID-19.

Amazon Flex Delivery

Amazon has been taking over the world lately! And it was happening prior to COVID-19. But since the pandemic hit and retail stores were closed, Amazon became the king. And it doesn’t stop there because they have been hiring like crazy. So they are one of the big companies actually helping a lot of us out in this time of financial need.

While you could try to become an actual Amazon employee, it makes more sense for most of us to become a contractor instead. They have a great program called Amazon Flex for those of us looking for more flexible side hustles that also pay pretty well.

With Amazon Flex, you will choose the block of time that you are available to work and only work during those hours. You can choose your blocks days ahead of time or the day of once you know your availability.

Once you choose your blocks then you will be delivering Amazon packages using your own car during that period of time. The pay is anywhere from $18 – $25 per hour. Which is pretty awesome because that is more than a lot of full time jobs pay.

You should account for gas, mileage and wear and tear on your vehicle though. Which will reduce your real hourly rate. But, depending upon how you do your taxes, you can write off the mileage, which helps. So this could potentially be a pretty sweet side hustle!

Grocery Delivery

I wasn’t a huge fan of grocery shopping to begin with. But when COVID-19 hit, grocery shopping became an even bigger chore for me. Not only do I now have to make sure I have a mask with me but I also have to get even better with my timing to make sure I don’t have to stand in line outside the store forever. This is not my idea of a good time. Especially because we have to hit 3 different grocery stores whenever we go on the big shopping trips.

And for a lot of larger families like us, the explosion of grocery delivery has been an awesome thing. Which makes it a phenomenal side hustle for anyone who doesn’t mind the lines, the masks and the time it takes to get all of this done.

So if you are one of those people that is organized, fast and has patience at the grocery store, then this may be a great way to make extra money during COVID-19.

If you aren’t sure where to start, there are a few services that seem to be everywhere. Services offered by Postmates,  UberEats, Instacart and Shipt should be easy to find near you. But a lot of stores are offering other grocery delivery options also. So you may want to check out your local grocery store chains to see if they are offering something similar that you could get involved with. Either way, the average wages are anywhere from $5 – $10 per delivery, which depends on a lot of factors.

So, if you have the time and a vehicle that can fit a ton of groceries, this may be a great side hustle idea for you.

Food Delivery

Similarly to the explosion of grocery delivery is the food delivery genre. Most restaurants had to close for awhile and then some were only able to open for delivery or curbside pickup. And not everybody is great in the kitchen, or likes to cook. So, they want their regular fare, which comes from various restaurants. And this is where food delivery comes in.

If the grocery delivery option sounded viable to you, then delivering food from restaurants may just be up your alley also. Postmates and UberEats offer this service as well as the grocery delivery options. And this makes it easy to do both under the same platform. But, don’t discount GrubHub and DoorDash as food delivery services because you can make some decent money working for them also.

The average pay with GrubHub is $12 – $15 per hour. This will vary widely depending upon the mileage driven and the waiting time. With DoorDash the hourly rate is closer to $12 -$13 per hour. This is based on base pay, peak hours pay, time and distance. What makes the most sense is to work for both of these and have both apps running on your phone at the same time. That way you can pick and choose the highest potential paying gigs each time to maximize your side hustle earnings.

Pet Sitting

Pet sitting may not be the best side hustle for everyone. First of all, you have to like dogs and/or cats. If you don’t, I would suggest choosing something else. However, if you are a huge animal lover, then pet sitting is a great way to make extra money during COVID-19!

We have been pet sitting for a little over 2 years now and it has become another full-time job for us. Which is crazy since it was just supposed to be a side hustle to let the kids have dogs around. Funny how life works sometimes!

When you pet sit with Rover or Wag, you can pick and choose which options you offer. And the options you choose should be based on what works best for your lifestyle. The most common options are:

• Boarding – when you board an animal overnight at your own residence
• House Sitting – when you stay overnight with an animal in their own home
• Drop-In Visits – when you drop-in on an animal to let them do their business, clean litter boxes, feed and water them and sometimes take them on short walks
• Dog Walking – when you go to a dog’s house to take them out for a walk and to do their business
• Doggy Daycare – when animals get dropped off at your residence for daycare (you can choose the hours available)

Since we have a large house with a huge fenced in back yard, 5 kids and I work from home, we are an ideal location to board animals. We also offer doggy daycare, drop-in visits and dog walking. Since we offer all of the services except for house sitting, we maximize the amount we can earn during COVID-19 with pets. And we absolutely love being surrounded by so many furry friends!

Making Masks

Because COVID-19 has been such a contagious pandemic, masks have become a requirement for protection. And in doing so, most people want something a little fancier than the typical blue hospital masks. And I don’t blame them!

So, if you are handy with a needle and thread, then making masks may just be a good option for you. Depending on which fabrics you choose and the designs,  you can potentially ask a pretty penny for your mask skills. A lot of people have begun to open up shops on Etsy to sell their unique designs. And I know a lot of other people who have been selling their masks locally to friends and family for a decent profit.

These are some awesome tips to make extra money during COVID-19!
Click To Tweet

Ultimately, this year has been a complete toss-up when it comes to finances and income. But, if you are ready to think outside of the box to help make extra money during COVID-19, then side hustles may just be the key. Some of our favorite side hustle options are:

• Delivering with Amazon Flex
• Grocery delivery
• Restaurant food delivery
• Pet sitting
• Making masks

And if you really want to rack in the side hustle dough, diversifying your services is the way to go. This is one of the ways we have been not only staying afloat, but thriving during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our hope is that you can find the niches that work best for you and achieve the same end result.

What are some of the best ways you have found to make extra money during COVID-19?

5 Best Side Hustles to Make Extra Money During COVID-19 is a post originally published on: Everything Finance – Everything Finance – Its all about Money!

This post was published on Everything Finance