Money Making

How to Hustle on the Side: 10 Lucrative Side Gigs for Summer 2020

Elizabeth
July 27, 2021

According to a study published by Acorns, as many as 45% of working Americans have a side hustle outside of their primary jobs. And, they’re all pretty lucrative, with people earning thousands of dollars extra per month from a side gig.

If you’re feeling the effects of our slide down into a recession then it might be time to prepare for the economic downturn that’s upon us. And, what’s great is that lucrative side hustle ideas often allow you to control your own schedule, meaning that you can still work or at least control how much time you spend hustling on the side.

Not sure what to do this summer to earn extra money? Here are 10 lucrative side hustle ideas that can earn you hundreds of dollars a week.

Lucrative Side Hustle Ideas for Summer 2020

1. Blogger/Writer

If you can string words together in a way that helps sell items, you’ll definitely want to look into a career as a copywriter. According to ZipRecruiter, the average monthly salary for a remote copywriter is $3,750, if you’re looking to do it full-time. However, as a side hustle, you can simply write blogs for companies, draft up ad campaign copy, or write social media text. If you’d rather work for yourself, start a successful niche blog and set up affiliate marketing to earn money through the links that visitors click on when they read your posts.

2. English Teacher

Any native English speaker can teach English online. And, you can earn about $15 an hour doing so. Platforms like 51 Talk and VIP Kid provide teacher training as well, so you don’t even need to have any experience. And, not only is it one of the most lucrative side hustle ideas, but it’s also one of the easiest. The companies will give you material to teach from if it’s a class-like setting. But, most of the time you’ll simply just have to have a conversation with the student on the other side of the screen.

3. Translator

If you speak more than one language fluently, translating documents is an incredibly lucrative side hustle. Indeed shows that the average freelance translator in New York earns over $20 an hour. Bunny Studio and Rev are great places to start browsing translating jobs. Or, if you’re really looking to make good money from it, you can get your ATA certification and apply to be an official translator through an embassy. Certified ATA translators make, on average, $54,000 a year when working full-time, which is $9,000 more than those who aren’t certified.

4. Delivery Driver

Recent lockdowns have forced everybody inside, which means that food delivery apps are booming. If you have spare time, you can sign up to become a delivery driver for a delivery app such as GrubHub, Uber Eats, Postmates, or DoorDash. Due to the recent demand, most are looking for new drivers. And, because it’s become such a popular essential service, drivers seem to be making more in tips than before.

5. Dog Walker

If you’ve been in lockdown long enough and are aching to stretch your legs, why not think about becoming a dog walker? Spending all morning or afternoon playing with a few cute dogs...um, yes, please! ZipRecruiter reports that you can make over $500 a week as a dog walker. And, HomeGuide reports that most dog walkers charge about $30 to $60 per hour-long walk, making it by far one of the most lucrative side hustle ideas in terms of the hourly rate.

6. Mystery Shopper

Again, if you’re aching to get back out and into society (safely), think about becoming a mystery shopper. It’s a great side hustle for extroverts who love interacting with others. Essentially, you’ll get paid about $20 an hour to visit certain stores and pretend to be a real shopper. You’ll be checking for things like customer service, cleanliness, and other factors. If you’re considering this, definitely make sure the company is part of the Mystery Shopping Professionals Association.

7. Virtual Assistant

Love staying at home and working from home? Become a virtual assistant. It’s perfect if you have great organizational skills, are good at scheduling, and have a working knowledge of office software. You’ll help schedule meetings, answer phone calls, and respond to messages from clients and providers. While you can do it as a side hustle, it’s also great as a remote career, with ZipRecruiter noting that the average full-time salary for a virtual assistant is over $5,000 per month.

8. Dropshipper

If you know a bit about online marketing and have a great idea for a niche online store, think about dropshipping. It’s one of the best side hustle ideas for those who truly want to develop a passive income. Why? Aside from setting up your store and managing online ads to market it, there’s not a lot involved in the process of dropshipping. Customers order a product, it goes through the dropshipping platform, and then it gets sent straight to them.

9. Social Media Manager

If you’re adept at gaining followers, interacting with them online, and cultivating a strong brand presence then you’d be great as a social media manager. You can reach out to brands and give examples of past work you’ve done or show then how you’ve managed to grow your own social media following through certain tactics. With an average monthly salary of $3,500, it’s great as a summer job for college students. However, you can also work as a freelancer on social media projects if you’re not interested in committing full-time.

10. Skill Sharer

What’s a skill sharer? It’s someone who, well, shares their skills with the world. Platforms like Fiverr have made it easier than ever to turn a passion into a side hustle. If you know how to play guitar, dance salsa, write calligraphy notes, or even make cool things in graphic design, you can sell your skills online. Sign up for Fiverr or another similar platform and set the price of your services.

Earn Money Without Hustling

A lucrative side hustle is a great way to not only earn extra money but also to develop skills outside of your usual work setting. However, there are other ways that you can earn money without hustling. 

Sign up for the 100% free Cheese Debit Card and funnel all this extra side hustle money into your account. Then, when you go to spend your cash, you’ll be earning cashback on each purchase. With chances to enjoy more savings opportunities, it simply makes sense for a savvy hustler like you.

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