How to prepare for a recession
Recessions are out of our immediate control but luckily, Cleo's got some top tips💡
IN THIS ARTICLE:
Side hustles are becoming more popular than ever. Approximately 45% of working Americans report having a side hustle, which equates to roughly 70 million people.
This comes as no surprise – given how tough it is out there right now, we know people are looking for other ways to make some extra dollars.
Being a single parent, while super rewarding, can also be pretty tough – especially when it comes to your finances.
So, you’re probably wondering if there’s a way you can bring in some extra cash to help pay the bills, while also being able to keep some free chill time for yourself…
That’s where this blog post could help inspire you💡
#1 MAKE CASH AND DECLUTTER
Out with the old, and in with the cash 🚀
Selling stuff you no longer use can be a great way to declutter and get paid for it – a ✨ match made in heaven ✨
As a parent, you’ve probably got tons of stuff laying around that you’ve been wanting to clear out since forever, like all those annoying little pieces of lego scattered around your living room waiting patiently for you to stand on them 🙃
At the beginning, selling your stuff may take a little longer than usual as you’ll need to figure out how to take the best photos and which keywords to use in your listings, but once you’ve done it a few times, it should be pretty straight forward and less time consuming.
And if you keep scrolling, you’ll find we have blog posts to help you out with that kind of stuff 💙
Top tip: before listing your items, compare the platforms listed below to see where you’re more likely to make the most money. You can do this by running a search for the specific item you’re selling.
ONLINE SELLING:
🛍️ Depop – Depop is like an eBay for clothes, and with an interface like Instagram, it’s more of a modern marketplace app which could be a good shout if you’ve got any clothes yourself or your kids no longer wear.
Our blog on how to make money on Depop might be useful if you’re new to the Depop game ✨
🛍️ eBay – there are approximately 187 million eBay users worldwide, making the platform super popular and one you should probably try out, as there’s a high likelihood someone will be searching for what you’re selling.
For tips on how to list your items, see top 10 selling tips for eBay beginners.
🛍️ Poshmark – a platform where you can sell clothes, shoes, accessories, and household goods. The app is pretty similar to Depop so if you’ve used one, chances are you’ll know how to use the other.
And if you need help with prepping your clothes for selling, and how best to list your items, check our blog on how to make money on Poshmark (yep, we pretty much have a blog for everything these days).
LOCAL IN-PERSON SELLING:
🛍 Facebook Marketplace – if you have a Facebook account, you’ll just need to select the ‘Marketplace’ button, and it’ll take you to a magical place where you can list your unwanted items 🪄
Marketplace now lets you ship the items people buy, which means you have a higher chance of your items selling.
🛍️ Craigslist – like myself, Craigslist was born in 1995 (I feel old). It’s a popular platform for viewing and listing local advertisements including jobs, apartments, and… stuff you no longer want.
And stats show it receives 250.6 million visits every month so it could be a decent place for you to list.
✋ P.S. we’re sure you already know this, but if you’re meeting up with a buyer in person, always meet in a public location with lots of people around, it’s much safer than having them come to your home.
#2 DOG WALKING AND PET SITTING
A side hustle where you can make some extra cash just by getting of your house and exercising with the company of some cute (and sometimes extremely energetic) pups.
Or, if you’d rather chill and cuddle up with your furry friends, pet sitting might be for you 🐈
Not only can it work as a side hustle, it’s also a great idea for those of you who’re thinking of getting a dog, but unsure of whether you’d be able to look after one 🐕
SO, HOW MUCH ARE WE TALKING?
HomeGuide reports dog walkers can expect to get paid an average of $20 per 30-minute walk with prices ranging between $10 and $35.
So, for example *gets calculator out*, if you’re were to do five 30-minute walks per week, you could potentially make up to $175.
PLATFORMS YOU COULD USE:
🐶 Wag! – the sign-up process takes approximately 14 days as you’ll need to undergo a background check in order to be accepted as a ‘Pet Caregiver.’
Background checks will include employment, education, criminal record, credit history, motor vehicle, and license record checks.
You’ll just need to make sure you’ve got a valid Driver’s License, State Issued ID, US Passport, or Permanent Resident Card.
You can set your own rates and Wag! receives a percentage of the total price a ‘Pet Parent’ pays for each service. However, Pet Caregivers (you) receive 100% of the rate they set and 100% of their tips.
You’ll be able to view the total cost of the service before finalizing your booking. And you should receive your pay on Fridays for all the services completed the week before.
Wag! has a ‘great’ rating with 3.9 stars out of 5 on Trustpilot.
🐶 Rover – Rover has a mixture of services including dog walking (easy to fit around your schedule), doggy day care (ideal for those work-from-home pooch lovers), house sitting, and drop-in visits (stay with or check up on pets in their own homes).
With Rover, you can:
- Set your own schedule and you decide how much to charge
- Offer any combination of pet services
- Set preferences that work for you
Rover has an ‘excellent’ rating with 4.6 stars out of 5 on Trustpilot.
🐶 DogVacay – it’s rated the nation’s largest network of 5-star pet sitters and dog walkers (now in partnership with Rover).
Signing up is pretty straight forward. Create your profile, and then tell DogVacay the types of pets you’d like to care for and the dates that suit you.
✅ Every service you offer is backed by the Rover Guarantee
✅ Safe and secure online payments (which are ready for withdrawal two days after you’ve completed a service)
✅ Support team available 24/7
✅ Pet care education available for sitters
And finally, DogVacay also has an ‘excellent’ rating with 4.8 stars out of 5 on Trustpilot.
#3 RENT YOUR DRIVEWAY
If you’ve got a spare parking space, you could be missing out on an easy side hustle opportunity.
With apps like Neighbor, you can make between $50–$150 per month (depending on the location). Now all you need to do is keep next doors cat off your driveway so you’ve got room for the car 🐈
Neighbor is easy to use and takes roughly 5 minutes to sign up… and it’s free. They’ll only charge renters a small service fee – visit the website to find out more about how hosting works.
Need inspiration? Some people report making up to $10,000 per year 👀 (be right back, just off to park my car at my moms so I can rent my driveway out 💡)
#4 TAKE PART IN FOCUS GROUPS
If you’ve read our other blog on side hustles, you may have spotted we listed survey sites including Swagbucks and Branded Surveys which pay you for your feedback on products, websites, and apps. If you didn’t read it, give it a quick scan 🔍
However, there’s another way you can make money just by voicing your opinions, and that is… FocusGroups.org (one of many reasons why you should keep reading our blog posts).
FocusGroups.org is an online service which gives people the opportunity to participate in focus groups and market research studies and has been around since September 2016, and has 350,000 users to date.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
- It’s free to register and only takes around 2 minutes to complete
- After you’ve signed up, you can browse more than 150 listings at any time
- Once you’ve found a study you’d like to take part in, take the initial assessment survey
- Someone will review your application and if you qualify, you’ll be invited to the next stage
- After completing the focus group, you’ll be paid by VISA or check 🤑
MORE INFO PLEASE
- You can earn $50-$200 for each study you participate in (sometimes up to $1,200)
- There’s no need to venture out as you can participate from home
- Your feedback will help shape products
- There are hundreds of new studies added to the site each month
#5 DELIVER GROCERIES
Grocery shopping and delivery services have been increasing in popularity over the past few years (especially due to the pandemic).
And with more people now wanting to stay home, these services have seen a substantial boost in demand, which means more and more delivery jobs are becoming available.
You don’t need any specific skills to work for a delivery service – all you need is a vehicle (car, scooter, bicycle) to get you from A to B. It’s also pretty flexible as you can set your own hours to work around your schedule… so it can be quite convenient.
HOW MUCH CAN YOU MAKE?
According to job board Glassdoor, based on 231 Instacart Personal Shopper salary reports, you can make an average of $15 per hour, and a little extra with tips 💅
POPULAR DELIVERY SERVICES
It’s probably a good idea to check out these companies first (and staff reviews on Glassdoor and Indeed) to see which one you think would suit you better.
A round-up of some of the most popular delivery services:
🛒 DoorDash – DoorDash says you’ll always earn base pay for any delivery. It’s calculated based on the estimated time, distance, and desirability of the order and you’ll always receive 100% of the tips your customers leave you.
You can also take part in challenges like ‘plus promotions’ where you can earn some extra money for completing a certain amount of deliveries in a set amount of time.
If you’re interested to find out how it works in more detail, you might find some of the DoorDasher (staff) stories helpful.
🛒 Instacart – a shopping app which lets customers shop from home, through the app with you as their personal shopper ✨
The company specializes in partnering with some of America’s top retailers including Target, Costco, and Sam’s Club and it operates in all 50 states.
🛒 Postmates – Postmates launched in 2011 and then bought by Uber back in 2020, so now Postmates orders are processed by Uber Eats drivers. You can make between $10-$17 per hour, and you can start and end your workday whenever you want.
Plus, 100% of your tips goes right to your bank account 💃
Hopefully you’ve now got a few ways of making some extra money on the side, which you’re able to fit around your busy schedule. You’ve got this 💙
Enjoy this post? Give it a share or send it along to a friend. You never know, it could make a big difference.
Big love. Cleo 💙
FAQs
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