Lifestyle

You Can Make Way More Money Than You'd Think In The New Year With These 6 Side Hustles

by Jordan Bissell

In a perfect world, I'd be able to afford to celebrate every single Taco Tuesday with my friends, travel to every city I've ever dreamed of visiting, and I wouldn't bat an eye at buying an enormous Anthropologie candle. Unfortunately, though, being an adult means there are always bills to be paid and necessities like toothpaste to be purchased, and sometimes the more extravagant buys have to be put on the back-burner for a while. The good news is, these side hustles to make extra cash just might make some of your dreams become realities in the new year.

Even if you already have a full-time job, I'm willing to bet you wouldn't mind having a few extra dollars in your bank account, and TBH, you could easily fit some of these gigs into your schedule. If your partner has to cancel plans on a weeknight? Just pick up a dog-walking job for the evening. Are you saving to buy your mom a necklace she's been eyeing forever? Sell a couple of drawings you've made on Etsy.

No matter what your skills and interests are, there's a hustle out there that's perfect for you. Since each of these opportunities allows you to be your own boss and pick up or turn down shifts as you please, you'll be able to totally take control of your finances in 2019.

Open up an Etsy shop

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Do you love to get crafty in your free time? Because whatever seems like a relaxing project to you might look like an exquisite piece of handcrafted art to someone else. Create your own Etsy shop and turn your artistic endeavors into some extra cash. It only costs 20 cents to list an item on the site, so you'll be able to make a nice profit on a handmade scarf or a calming painting.

Plus, there's no need to worry if you aren't sure how everything works. You can connect to Etsy support specialists any time you have a question, and refer to the site's seller handbook for tips and tricks to help your shop take off.

Teach English online

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If you have a Bachelor’s degree and can speak English fluently, then you're all set to get started teaching kids all over the world. Teaching with VIPKID allows you to connect one-on-one with children who are trying to learn English, and you'll earn anywhere between $14 and $22 per hour with the gig.

BTW, it's totally fine if you haven't had a ton of teaching experience; the whole curriculum is provided to you ahead of time, so all you have to do is review it, and maybe brush up on little language things that might have slipped your mind over the years, like the difference between their, there, and they're — couldn't hurt, right?

Sign up to walk some cute puppers

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If you love dogs so much it hurts, but you can't commit to having your own full-time, sign up for the dog care service Rover to get your puppy fix and make some extra cash. You can make the most money by hosting pups overnight, but if your lease doesn't allow dogs to visit, you can also sign up to walk nearby fur babies, or even housesit them in their own homes.

There's no cost to create an account, so shake a tail and get ready to meet tons of adorable pups.

Pick up freelance jobs

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No matter what your expertise is, freelance marketplace Fiverr probably has a gig you're qualified to pick up. Sign up for free and post a task you're willing to do for a certain price (tasks must cost at least $5). For example, if you're a whiz at writing resumes, you can offer to help workshop someone else's. If you'd really like to get into the voiceover scene, just record a clip of yourself speaking and wait for buyers to request to work with you.

One of the great things about Fiverr is that you stay in control of which gigs you choose to accept, so this can take up as much or as little of your time as you'd like.

Become an expert grocery shopper

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If the grocery store is pretty much your happy place, then becoming a shopper at Instacart might be the perfect way to fund your passion for discovering obscure ingredients. Don't worry if you live in a city and don't have your own car, because you can also become an in-store shopper who simply puts together different orders — no delivery required.

Choose whatever hours work for you each week, and pick a shift during peak times for extra earnings.

Deliver packages

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You can make $18 to $25 an hour by joining the ranks of Amazon Flex. In most areas, you'll need a reliable vehicle to pick up and deliver packages, but some locations allow bike deliveries, too.

Pick up shifts as you please by either marking yourself available on the app, or by actively searching out orders that need to be dropped off.