Side Hustles To Make Money While You’re Stuck At Home
While many Americans have been told to stay home with guaranteed income for the next few weeks, many of us are totally out of work, unsure of where the next paycheck will come from.
It’s easy to stress out right now - the coronavirus situation seems to have hourly updates for American citizens at this point. We’re being encouraged to stay in, refrain from unnecessary outings, and practice social distancing. This means a good portion of us are also staying home from work - but if you’re wondering where this month’s rent will come from, wonder no more. Working from home has become easier than ever.
Here are a few ways you can start making money without even leaving your couch:
1. Teach English online.
If you’re reading this, then you know how to speak English - which makes you a perfect candidate to give English lessons to those all around the world seeking to become fluent. Generally speaking, most companies allow their workers to set their own hours, making it simple to maintain balance in your life and avoid overworking. And the pay is totally worth it - you can make anywhere from $14 - $25/hour. Try checking out Teach Away, VIPKid, or GoGoKid if this sounds like a good match for you.
If you’re reading this, then you know how to speak English - which makes you a perfect candidate to give English lessons.
2. Become a virtual assistant.
These days, you can become someone’s personal assistant without even leaving the house - that is, if you’re super organized, have a wide-open schedule, and know how to take initiative. Virtual assistants are responsible for booking travel plans, paying bills, checking emails, and scheduling, among other things. Also, the pay is so competitive that you could eventually make it your main gig - the lowest pay starts at $20k a year, but this virtual assistant figured out how to bump her income up to $10k/month. Check out BELAY or ZipRecruiter now to find the perfect job for you.
3. Try your hand at freelance writing.
Perhaps I’m biased, but if you like writing at all, freelance writing is the easiest way to create some income while doing something you actually enjoy. Granted, finding success with freelance writing does take a little effort. For one thing, it takes practice to become a good writer. It also takes some networking, a good amount of self-motivation, and possibly agreeing to work for low rates while you build up a portfolio. But in the end, it can be highly rewarding work if you find joy in writing. Though pay rates vary quite a bit, you can make around $50/hour on average. Take a look at FreelanceWriting or FlexJobs to find gigs.
Freelance writing is the easiest way to create some income while doing something you actually enjoy.
4. Get into transcribing.
Transcribing is pretty straightforward: you listen to some audio and type out what you hear. Of course, depending on the quality of the audio, it can get difficult to clearly communicate what you hear - so having really good hearing, plus spelling and grammar skills, is key. As far as pay goes, transcriptionists generally earn anywhere from $15 - $50 per hour of audio, depending on their experience in the field. But if you have a laptop and some earphones, it’s worth trying it out. Check out QuickTate, Rev, or TranscribeMe and start making some extra cash today!
5. Become an audiobook reader.
What if I told you there was a way to make money while you read a book? Sounds like a total dream to me! Audiobook reading is one of the best (and coolest) ways to create income while still loving your job. And if you have some acting talent and a place to set up a “recording studio,” it’s easy enough to create a quick voiceover reel - all you really need is a BlueMic or something similar to get started. Once you have a reel to send to the jobs you’re interested in, sign up for ACX or Voices to start submitting yourself for jobs to earn anywhere from $100 - $500 (depending on experience) for every hour of audio you record.
6. Use your video editing skills.
As someone who has tried her hand at it, film editing can be really fun (though still hard work nonetheless). Indie filmmakers are constantly looking for colorists, sound mixers, and people with general film editing skills. If you enjoy seeing a project come together and have an artistic eye, this could be something worth looking into - especially because the pay is pretty good, and it only goes up as you gain experience. Try signing up for Fiverr, one of the best places for freelancers to find work, to offer your services.
Try signing up for Fiverr, one of the best places for freelancers to find work.
7. Take up copyediting.
A copyeditor is one of the most important parts of any publication - not only are they working with writers to help them write successful pieces, but they’re also editing them, deciding what should be published at all, and creating a cohesive message for a publication. Being a successful copyeditor takes vision, creativity, and organization - not to mention, killer spelling, grammar, and punctuation skills. Pay rates vary from $16 - $100/hour depending on what you’re working on. But if you have the necessary skills, why not give it a try? Check out ZipRecruiter or Indeed if this sounds like a good fit for you.
Closing Thoughts
Right now, working from home is pretty much necessary for anyone who wasn’t guaranteed income for the next few weeks. And that’s a scary place to be - but not all hope is lost. Making money online is very much a reality today, and has the benefit of being able to set your own hours. So why not make lemonade and try out a new line of work?