What kind of job would you be willing to do even if you weren’t getting paid? Despite all the lists of potential side hustles floating around the internet, I’m convinced that the recipe for success is taking on a side hustle you would be happy to do for free. You get one life; you might as well choose a job that makes your heart sing — at least a little.
Although I suggest finding a side hustle you would do for free, I certainly don’t believe you should. The idea of a side hustle is to improve your savings account balance, among other perks. If you’re hoping to earn $100 per day, you might want to find a well-paying job that you would enjoy. Here are three ideas for inspiration.
1. Pet walking and pet sitting
If you’re wild about pets, why not earn money while spending time with them? There are two ways to accomplish this goal.
Dog walking
ZipRecruiter reports that the average hourly rate for dog walkers is $17, although it can be much higher in some areas. For example, our incredibly reliable dog walker in Illinois charges $20 per half-hour walk.
What’s more, our dog walker schedules back-to-back appointments, meaning she walks several dogs a day. Pet walking involves at least two special skills:
- Dependability: Dogs know when it’s time to be walked, which means showing up at the scheduled time.
- Fierceness: Dogs don’t typically care if it’s cold or rainy out. Within reason, a dog walker has to be willing to face less-than-perfect weather conditions.
Pet sitting
Another way our walker brings in money to meet her monthly budget is by pet sitting. Pet sitting involves staying at a pet’s home while their owners are away. The stay may only last a few hours or may require you to be there overnight.
Nationwide, the average pet sitter earns $16 per hour. If they stay overnight, their rate is typically per night. For example, we pay $60 per night for our pet sitter to stay with our two dogs while we’re away. Because she’s moving soon, we’ve been looking for a new sitter. So far, the best we’ve found charges $115 per night.
Advertise your availability on a site like Nextdoor.com or work through a pet-sitting service that takes a cut of each job you land.
2. Home and office organizer
Can you see through clutter, imagine ways to get rid of things that are no longer needed, and neatly organize the rest? Becoming a home and office organizer may be the perfect side hustle for you.
It’s clear that you have a ready-made customer base. A poll commissioned by mDesign found that 63% of people said they have so much junk in their homes, they have trouble figuring out where to store it.
Advertise your availability to organize both home and office spaces. Before you do, though, create a portfolio of your work. Reorganize a room or area of your home, and ask friends and family members to let you organize part of their homes or offices. Take before and after photos to show prospective clients what you can do.
Becoming an organizer requires more than the ability to create a usable space. You should also be able to:
- Be diplomatic: Some people are emotionally attached to old junk they no longer use. You’ll need to help them imagine what their space could be like and come up with ways to find a middle ground. For example, years ago I interviewed an organizer who talked a client into donating dozens of old concert T-shirts by taking a photo of each one (front and back) and creating a scrapbook for them.
- Communicate clearly: If you walk into the home or office of a person with a hoarding problem, you’ll need to ask them how far they’re willing to let you go. Are they going to fight you when you want to throw away their collection of bent paper clips? As long as you clearly communicate your organizational plan, you’ll be able to gauge how cooperative a client is likely to be. And if it doesn’t look like it’s going to work, you can walk away.
ZipRecruiter indicates that professional home organizers earn an average of $21 per hour, with some earning as much as $41.
3. Proofreader
If you’re wondering who would hire a proofreader, the answer is “just about anyone.” So, if your superpower is noticing typos and grammatical errors, proofreading could be the perfect side hustle for you. Potential clients include freelance writers, small business owners, college students, academics, and bloggers.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS, the mean hourly wage for proofreaders is nearly $25, making it a well-paying side hustle you can do from home.
Proofreading might not be for everyone, but if you enjoy the idea of helping others polish their writing, you may enjoy this gig. Here are two skill a great proofreader should possess:
- Eye for detail: The ability to find mistakes while helping a writer maintain the message they hope to convey is a gift.
- Natural curiosity: Proofreaders typically get to read all sorts of things, from scientific documents to blogs and advertisements. Possessing natural curiosity will make this job infinitely more interesting for you.
Whether you’re trying to pay down debt or saving for something special, taking on a side hustle won’t feel like a hassle as long as the job is one you enjoy.