With the global economy still reeling and millions of people either unemployed or under-employed, now is a good time to start considering a side gig to help supplement your income.  Each of the side gigs listed below have the potential to bring you at least a few hundred dollars a month that could be used to pay down your debt, shore up your emergency fund, or just cover your grocery bill.

Dog Walker.  In my neighborhood there’s an older man who is retired and one of the ways he supplements his income is by walking dogs.  I always see him strolling by with three or four dogs on his arm along with a bunch of plastic bags with a little shovel.   He makes a couple hundred dollars a month doing this, plus he gets plenty of exercise walking up and down the street.   There are plenty of people who want to enjoy the benefits of owning a dog without having to deal with all of the work involved.  Take a look around your neighborhood and see if there is any interest in such a service.

Tutor. There are plenty of parents out there who would be more than willing to spend money on a tutor to give their child a leg up on the competition.  If you have expertise in a particular subject or can speak a second language you should have no trouble finding someone who will give you a shot.

Yard work.  I grew up in an urban area where none of the houses had a lawn.  At most you’d have a tiny backyard just big enough for a small garden.  When my wife and I bought our first home I was excited because I was finally going to have a huge yard with grass and trees.  But it didn’t take me long to realize that yard work is hard work.  I don’t mind the exercise and I still do all the work myself, but I can see why many people just can’t be bothered.   There are plenty of homeowners who would be happy to pay you to rake leaves, trim small trees, lay down mulch, etc.

Painting Service.  Painting is one skill that is much harder than it looks.  There’s a lot more to it than just slapping a coat of paint on the wall.  If you have the skills and the patience to do the job right, why not make a few extra bucks by offering your services to friends and neighbors?  Professional painters charge an arm and a leg, so if you can offer a comparable service at a discounted price there will be plenty of demand.

Computer Repair.   If you’re good with computers you probably assume that everyone else is too.  But the truth is there’s a large segment of society that can barely figure out how to send an email or browse a web page.  They need someone to help install virus protection, update software, and repair hardware problems.  Simple tasks that you take for granted could be worth a lot of money to someone who doesn’t have the know-how.

Freelance Writing.  As a blogger I can tell you that there is a lot of demand for quality writers.  And you don’t have to be the next Hemmingway to find work.  You just need to be able to communicate an idea in plain English.  A quality writer can easily earn $20 for a 500 word article.  If you can manage to write just one article per day that’s $600 a month.  Not bad for a side gig.

Think about your skills and try to come up with a few more ideas for side gigs to supplement your income.  Even if money isn’t tight right now, it’s always good to build multiple streams of income to hedge against a potential layoff or other financial disaster.

Mike Collins

Mike Collins

Mike Collins is obsessed with building new streams of income and achieving financial freedom so he can live life to the fullest with his wife and 3 amazing children. Read more about his adventures at WealthyTurtle.com.