Share this
How many times have you gotten a call from your mom, sister or best friend asking you to stop by the store to pick up something on your way over. Or maybe they needed a ride home after dropping off their car at the shop. My guess is it has happened more than once.
With on-demand work, you can now make a few bucks picking up a dozen eggs from the grocery store or driving someone’s kid home from soccer.
Top 5 Ways to Make Extra Money in the On-Demand Economy
Kiddie Carpool
What parent hasn’t struggled to find someone to pick up the kids from soccer at least once? Unlike Uber or Lyft, HopSkipDrive caters to kids. As you can imagine, this one comes with an extensive application process. Drivers need to go through training, pass a background check, participate in ride-alongs and pass a 19-point car inspection. Drivers set their own schedules and are paid once per week by direct deposit.
Drive-by Drop-offs
If there is one on-demand category quickly on the rise it is food delivery. Sites like GrubHub and Postmates are quickly launching across the nation and contracting drivers as they go. Many sites allow contractors to make deliveries by car or bicycle, as long as they can safely carry that Starbucks or sushi of course. Unlike many other on-demand contractor positions, many of these offer an hourly minimum wage to drivers.
Whether your skill is math, bass guitar or fitness instruction, there is likely someone in your area looking for a mentor or coach. TakeLessons.com can help you keep your side hustle schedule full. You also have the option to give online lessons. In addition to being able to create a free teacher profile, the site also has a job board where students can list their instructor needs.
Get the Groceries
Instacart shoppers earn up to $25 grocery shopping for customers. The site touts that it only hires the best of the best when it comes to shoppers. You need to know your produce, brands and how to spot a great piece of meat. Recently, Instacart has started wooing those already contracting with sites like Postmates and Uber making us think we will start seeing more hybrid on-demand sites in the near future.
All-Around Tasker
Maybe in addition to flexibility, you also crave variety in your work. Sites like TaskRabbit list gigs for everything from housecleaning to handyman services to running errands and beyond. You set your own rates and availability on TaskRabbit. The top 10% to 15% of Taskers working the site full-time report earnings of $6,000 to $7,000 per month.
A to Z List of On-Demand Economy Websites
Care.com – caregiving, babysitting, tutoring, errand service
Craigslist – local tasks, look under gigs
Done.com – local tasks, use code THEWAHWIFE to save 10% when booking services for yourself
EasyShift – mystery shopping
GigWalk – mystery shopping
GrubHub – food delivery
FancyHands – virtual assistant tasks
FieldAgent – local tasks
Handy – housecleaning and handy(wo)man services (Want to try it first? Home cleaning: First 2 hours for $35. Use Code: FIRST35. Handyman Service: 25% OFF – First 2 Hours Promo Code: HANDYMAN25)
Healthtap – medical advice
HopSkipDrive – kid chauffeur
Instacart – grocery shopping
Lyft – rideshare
Munchery – food delivery
NearJobs – odd jobs
Postmates – deliveries
Rover – dog walking
Seamless – food delivery
Shyp – consumer shipping
Sidecar – rideshare
Sittercity – child care
Soothe – masseuse
Swifto – dog walkers
TakeLessons – tutoring, music lessons
TaskEasy – local tasks
TaskRabbit – local tasks
Uber – rideshare
Upcounsel – legal advice
WunWun – deliveries
While these sites can offer the flexibility and freedom all work-at-homers seek, always keep an eye on your bottom line. The reason independent contractors demand a higher rate than employees is because you are responsible for not only your taxes but also expenses – gas, wear and tear, maintenance, etc. Adopt a good bookkeeping system from the get-go.
What other on-demand work sites do we need to add to the list?
Thank you for sharing this! It will come in handy for many people to find their right placement and fit. I’m pinning this to my pinterest board for later!
Thanks, Suzanne.