Wallet Wisely is an informational site providing advice, tips, and recommendations to help you make informed financial decisions. Some of the products and services we feature may compensate us however that does not influence our opinions and recommendations. We strive to provide the most accurate information and highest editorial integrity.
A gig economy is a free market system in which temporary positions are common and organizations hire independent workers for short-term commitments. The term “gig” is a slang word for a job that lasts a specified period of time. Traditionally, the term was used by musicians to define a performance engagement.
Examples of gig workers include freelancers, independent contractors, project-based workers and temporary or part-time hires. Gig apps and digital technology are often used to connect customers and gig workers.
1. Charging scooters
What is a scooter charger? A scooter charger goes searching for used electric scooters that require a charge. They ensure that the scooters are well-maintained and ensure that each scooter gets an adequate charge. Then they return the scooter to the streets so paying customers may use them once again. Scooter charges do this on their own time schedule which makes this one of the best side jobs.
Companies like Bird, Lime, and Spin have programs where they rely upon independent contractors to collect and charge its scooters each night. Other companies, like Uber-owned Jump, use full-time employees to manage the ground operations. Both Bird and Lime have similar models where they pay you a base pay of $3 to $5 for charging and releasing each scooter. This pay will vary based on how long it’s been since the scooter was charged and when the scooter became available. For Bird, the pay can vary between $3 to $20 per scooter.
Scooter charging can be lucrative work but the work doesn’t begin until late evening, typically around 9:00 PM. This can be a late nigh/early am gig job to make some extra money.
2. Rent out your car
Have a car that sits idle? Make some money renting it out through Apps such as Getaround and Turn. This is a great way to be your own rental car company!
Getaround is an online car sharing or peer-to-peer carsharing service that connects drivers who need to reserve cars with car owners who share their cars in exchange for payment. As of 2019, the company was reported to have five million users and approximately 20,000 connected cars worldwide. Getaround indicates you can make hundreds of dollars a month during peak demand hours,
Turo is an American peer-to-peer carsharing company based in San Francisco, United States. The company allows private car owners to rent out their vehicles via an online and mobile interface in over 56 countries. The amount you earn will depend on the car you list, how often it’s rented, and where you live. However, most hosts make an extra $500 to $1000 per month.
3. Help Licensed Retailers Deliver Cannabis
Eaze – Join the movement to make cannabis mainstream. While you’re at it, earn a guaranteed hourly rate, plus mileage reimbursement, delivering cannabis for a licensed retailer. Delivery specialists work directly for licensed retailers to provide convenient access to safe, legal, high-quality cannabis products. Licensed retailers pay their delivery specialists an hourly rate, plus mileage reimbursement.
Saucey – This booze and snack delivery service available in some cities. Who doesn’t like getting snacks and booze delivered? Requirements. You need to be at least 21 years old and available mornings, evenings, nights and weekends. You also need a fully functioning & reliable vehicle.
4. Dog Walker
Surprisingly, the dog walking market is estimated at a$1.1 billion a year with 54 million homes with dogs. This could be a relatively easy gig economy job if you already work at home or have pets of your own. You can also offer services that fit with your schedule and lifestyle. If you prefer to have pets come to you rather than visit them in their homes, then you can include that in your profile.
Rover – Rover isn’t just for dog walking, although that might be the most popular service they offer. It’s all for drop-ins, meaning you pop into someone’s house and visit with their pet. This usually includes taking them outside to go to the bathroom, feeding them, and playing with them a bit in their home. You can also opt to allow dogs over to your home for the day with “doggy daycare.” This is a popular service for people who work long hours and prefer their dogs to be around other people or other animals instead of alone at home all day.
You set your own rate and are in total control of which bookings you take. You basically get paid to play with dogs. How awesome is that. You’ll be paid via PayPal but there are other options as well. You don’t need to wait until the end of the month for your payment, just log into the app and request your payment whenever you want it.
Wag! – This is a dog walking service. Wag! has a trusted record of experience with over 12.1M pet care services across 5,300 cities and counting. More than 400,000 Pet Caregivers nationwide are dog people, and it shows. Wag! connects pet sitters with a nationwide community of pet parents who have overnight sitting & boarding. According to Wag!, as a dog sitter with them you can make up to $500 a month by sitting dogs just 3 times a week! And the sky’s the limit from there if you have more time to spare.
5. Housesitter
Housesitting is another lucrative gig economy job. This job is the perfect match for those who work remote. The best thing about remote work is that workers can do it almost anywhere. Most remote workers need nothing more than a laptop and an internet connection to earn their paycheck. So why not get additional pay to work remotely in someone else’s home? There are housesitting opportunities all over the global. You could literally be in Tuscany, Italy watching someone’s villa for a few months.
Trusted Housesitters – This company started with a focus on watching pets in addition to homes. The community of pet lovers help each other by offering unlimited pet and home care in exchange for a free place to stay. Pet parents can travel with confidence knowing they’ve secured the very best care for their best friend. While sitters get to stay in unique homes around the world and enjoy the company of pets. It’s a win-win for everyone… especially for the pets!
Nomador – They are a Paris, France based company and has the highest number of house-sits in Europe and is growing worldwide. Its unique “trust profiles” help lay a foundation of trust between homeowners and house-sitters. In addition, it has an exciting “Stopovers” feature, which is similar to Couchsurfing.
Mindmyhouse.com – Australian company which is particularly favored by English-speaking home owners in Europe. They have a community of more than 23,000 souls worldwide.
