17 Best Weekend Side Hustles (High-Paying Side Jobs!)
There's no denying that starting a new side hustle is one of the most effective ways to boost your monthly income.
However, finding the time for a side job is often easier said than done. After all, most people have a pretty hectic week between work, family, friends, and day-to-day life.
Thankfully, there are actually plenty of weekend side hustles you can start that are flexible, fun, and pay well. And many of these weekend side jobs can also scale into serious income sources with enough time!
17 Best Weekend Side Hustles
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1. Survey Taker
I've been using instant cash survey sites ever since college. And while they won't make you rich, these sites and money-earning apps are very easy ways to make some extra cash while watching TV or relaxing on the weekend.
Several survey sites I've cashed out with and suggest using include:
- Branded Surveys: An easy way to get free PayPal cash and gift cards.
- Freecash: Answer surveys, shop online, download apps and more to earn!
- InboxDollars: This survey site has a $5 bonus for new members and plenty of ways to earn.
- Swagbucks: Earn money by completing surveys, playing trivia for cash, shopping online, watching ads, and more.
- Kashkick: A fun way to answer surveys and earn PayPal money by gaming.
- Survey Junkie: Share your opinion for cash and redeem rewards at only $5.
Again, these sites aren't a full-time online job opportunity or anything like that. However, for a simple weekend side hustle to make $50 to $100 every now and again, these sites get the job done.
2. Blogging
Blogging is my all-time favorite weekend side hustle idea because it's incredibly flexible and has a very high income potential.
Blogging is also how I make most of my income now, so it's been my most successful digital side hustle. And for the last five years, I've spent at least an hour or two each weekend working on my blog.
These days, WebMonkey makes $50,000 a month through a combination of Mediavine ads, affiliate income, and brand sponsorships. And in 2022, WebMonkey earned $272,000!
Blogging is also an excellent side hustle for couples, so you and a partner can consider working on a blog together and writing on weekends together.
Start a blog with SiteGround today!
3. Get Paid To Play Video Games
Your weekend is the perfect time to sit back, relax, and enjoy your favorite video game. But, did you know you can also get paid to play games if you use the right apps and websites?
That's right: there are tons of cash game apps out there. So, you can use the following apps to turn your next gaming session into cash or gift cards:
- Mistplay (Android)
- Bingo Cash (iOS, Samsung)
- Cash Giraffe (Android)
- Solitaire Cash (iOS, Samsung)
- Buff (PC)
You can try out different apps depending on your device type and the kind of games you enjoy. But all of these apps basically let you earn passive income since you're getting paid while gaming!
4. Food Delivery Gigs
These gig job apps are an excellent way to make a bit of side cash in your spare time. And in my experience, weekends are the most lucrative days for food delivery gigs because this is when customers often order.
Some of my favorite food delivery gigs include:
- Uber Eats: A leading food delivery app that lets you deliver with your car, scooter, or bike.
- DoorDash: A similar gig like Uber Eats that lets you deliver on your own schedule.
- Instacart: This gig pays you to shop for people's groceries.
- Walmart Spark: A popular delivery gig where you deliver Walmart packages.
- Shipt: A high-paying app and gig like Instacart where you deliver groceries.
And again, in my experience, food delivery is a great weekend side job because all these apps are busiest. Plus, a few hours with gigs like Uber Eats or Instacart could be an easy $50 to $100 in your pocket.
Sign up for Uber Eats and DoorDash!
5. Online Freelancer
Becoming an online freelancer is another one of my favorite weekend side hustles. And selling skills online is also how I've made most of my income over the last few years.
For some context, I used to have an office job during school and when I graduated college. But after a few years of working at the same company, I decided to quit my job, move to Colombia, and become a freelance writer.
That was back in 2020. Since then, I've become a digital nomad, and I now make money with my laptop while traveling the world.
Freelancing is so flexible that you can often set the hours you want. Plus, freelance writing is only one example of how you can earn money online. Some other popular freelancing fields include:
- Bookkeeping
- Digital marketing
- Graphic design
- Programmer
- SEO expert
- Social media management
- Website designer
- Video editor
- Virtual assistant
I also suggest freelancing as a weekend side hustle because the hourly pay can often reach $50 to $100+ per hour depending on your field.
Pro Tip: Find high-paying, flexible weekend jobs with FlexJobs!
6. Dog Walker
Do you like spending time with dogs? If you do, another great side gig on weekends is to walk dogs and become a pet sitter.
Some of my friends make money on the side by taking care of dogs. And earning $50 to $150 or more from a weekend of pet sitting is pretty common.
Plus, with gig apps like Rover, you can easily find new clients in your area to get this side hustle up and running.
This free app connects pet owners with sitters and walkers. As a Rover gig worker, you set your own hours, the types of animals you work with, and your rates.
Pet sitting is also a great weekend side business since this is when families often need pet sitters if they're going away for the weekend. And again, a single weekend of work could be hundreds of dollars potentially.
7. Online Tutor
Parents and students pay for online or in-person tutors all the time. And I know plenty of people who became tutors as a college side hustle or even in high school.
And getting started is also incredibly simple. These days, there are plenty of online tutoring jobs for teens and college students alike that you can apply to. Some of the most popular platforms include:
- BookNook: Get paid to teach English and Math to elementary school students.
- QKids: A popular English tutoring job.
- Chegg: One of the largest online tutoring platforms in the world.
- PrepNow: Get paid to help students prepare for upcoming tests.
Having a degree can help you land this weekend side hustle. But you can also offer private tutoring on your own without applying to a tutoring platform.
8. Babysitter
Like pet sitting, babysitting is another effective weekend side job you can try if you like working with kids and want some easy money.
Weekends are when parents generally need to hire a babysitter. And it's not uncommon to earn $15 to $20 per hour that you're looking after someone's kids.
For high school and college kids, this is also an excellent weekend gig since you can probably spend some time doing homework when kids are asleep. Just note that having some first-aid training and babysitting certification is important.
9. Online Reselling
If you want to try flipping some money, then this is the idea for you.
Online reselling involves buying popular products and then flipping them online for a small profit. This is basic retail arbitrage, and it's a side hustle that's been growing in popularity over the last few years.
A few of my friends are into reselling. They stick with common goods like electronics, clothing, home goods, beauty products, and sneakers that they often purchase from places like Walmart or Macy's. From there, they flip products on apps like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and even by selling on Amazon.
10. Tour Guide
Do you live in a touristy city? If the answer is yes, one excellent weekend side hustle is to become a tour guide.
People do this all the time by working for local tour companies. And I've even met several people who offer independent tours through Airbnb experiences.
For example, the tour above costs $61 per person, and the tour host Scott has almost 300 reviews. So, he's basically getting paid to walk and explore his city while telling some cool stories to tourists.
You can offer bike tours as well or some other type of Airbnb experience, and large groups can mean a lot of cash for a few hours of work.
11. Etsy Seller
Selling stuff on Etsy is one side hustle I tried in college. My idea was to make money with memes by selling meme mugs and other merchandise with my Etsy print on demand business.
Personally, I used Printify to create and ship my print on demand products. And I like using the platform and print on demand since it keeps things simple and doesn't require any hands-on work.
I also like that this is a low startup cost side hustle since you don't have to pay upfront for inventory with the print on demand route.
However, Etsy is also great for selling handmade goods, artwork, stickers, and anything vintage. So, don't be afraid to get creative and make your own products to sell on a new Etsy store.
12. YouTube
I started my YouTube channel back in 2020. I didn't know anything about filming or editing, but even so, I started making money with YouTube after about 6 months.
Since then, the channel has passed 20,000 subscribers and makes $50 per day in advertisement revenue.
I like YouTube because it's fun to create content. And I actually grew my entire channel just by filming and editing on weekends for the first two years.
Again, this is without any prior filming or YouTube knowledge. So if I can accomplish this, you certainly can as well if you put in the work.
Companies like Uber and Lyft dominate this market. And if you have a vehicle that qualifies, you can make decent money by driving people around in your city. Both Uber and Lyft also let you cash out your earnings daily for a small fee, so you can get paid daily after a weekend of work if you're short on cash.
If you don't enjoy driving strangers around, you still have options!
For example, gigs like Amazon Flex pay up to $25 per hour for delivering packages. And you can also use driving apps that pay you like GoShare or Roadie as well to make money on the side.
14. Bartender
Bartending is another classic weekend job, and it's also how a lot of my friends have made money over the last few years.
Nightlift is always busy on Friday and Saturday nights. So, you can hold down a day job and make extra cash with weekend shifts at your local bar or club.
Bartenders earn $11.39 per hour according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, tips make a massive difference in pay, and many of my friends make $250 or even more in a night of bartending work.
15. Help Out With Events
Event staffing jobs are an excellent way to make money on weekends while attending some cool and fun events. And if you can get gigs for concerts or sports games, it's even better.
Local job sites are a good place to search for event gigs. Alternatively, you can use apps like Instawork and Wonolo to find local temp jobs in your area, which often include event staff positions.
16. Do Odd Jobs For Cash
If you're need quick money, then using odd job apps can be your best friend.
I've done this in the past by shoveling snow or doing landscaping work for people in my neighborhood. And my friend Grant made money by washing windows in college.
This is a great way to make fast cash on weekends. And you can find plenty of jobs by using odd job apps like Steady or TaskRabbit to find local money-making opportunities.
Steady is particularly useful since it matches you with side hustles based on your skills, goals, and interests. And, the app is completely free to sign up for. If these methods fail, searching for cash jobs on Craigslist is another great way to fill your weekend with cash side gigs.
17. Get A Part-Time Job
Getting a second job can make a massive difference for someone's finances. And if you talk to your boss during hiring, you might be able to find a position that only has you working on weekends or shifts that work around your schedule.
Examples of second jobs you can look into include:
- Entry level retail jobs
- Kitchen work
- Hotel front desk staff
- Fitness instructor (this is a great way to get paid for working out!)
- Call center jobs
- Sports coaching
- Waiter or waitress jobs
- Mystery shopping gigs with apps like Premise or Field Agent
- Brand ambassador at events
- Lifeguard
- Caretaker
- Bouncer
Tips For Getting Started
As someone who has been hustling on weekends for the last 5+ years, here are some of my tips to help you start a successful weekend side gig yourself:
- Set Specific Goals: How much income do you want to make with a weekend side hustle? Is it $20 per day, or $1,000 a day? Different hustles have different levels of potential, so think about what's realistic and what you want to accomplish.
- Play To Your Strengths: Personally, I've stuck with blogging, writing, and YouTube since these hustles leverage my existing skills. My suggestion is to pick a hustle or business model that lets you utilize your existing knowledge and passions.
- Don't Burn Out: I think making money is great, but also be cautious of burning out. Weekends are still an excellent time to rest, spend time with friends, and enjoy your hobbies.
Extra Reading – The Best Work From Home Jobs With No Phone Calls.
Final Thoughts
I hope this list of weekend side hustles helps you make a bit of extra cash on your days off.
As someone who has been trying out different money-making ideas for years, I've spent a lot of weekends working. Personally, I find that side hustles are fun, so I don't mind the work very much.
Just remember: sleep and rest are very important, so make sure you still take time off to enjoy your weekends.
You can also read my post on the best side hustles that pay weekly or check out our side hustle database for even more ideas.
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