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Can you believe May has already arrived? For many people, this signals the arrival of a slower season. We’re talking about summer breaks, vacations, and relaxing in the sun. Many others, however, are still looking to earn some extra cash. If you are reading this post, hopefully, that’s you!
Today, we are going to be talking about some great work-from-home summer jobs. Some of these will be temporary positions you can take advantage of for the next few months. Others will simply be really flexible opportunities that you can employ year-round or at the drop of a hat. Our favorite work-at-home jobs are those in which we control the schedule, after all!
1. Flipping
Honing your reselling skills can keep you in cash should an emergency ever arise. The key is knowing how to spot a great deal so you can buy low and sell high.
This obviously takes some practice to learn how to spot trends and know what sells. But, we have no lack of opportunities to learn these days. Sites like eBay, Amazon FBA, and Etsy all provide an easy, affordable outlet for selling online. We have a lot of great teachers like The Selling Family and Flipper University who share their stories and secrets to success.
Getting started is often the hardest part. Start with what you have around the house that you no longer want. Use those profits to reinvest in wares you find this summer at garage sales and flea markets.
2. Teaching English as a Second Language
The teaching English online industry has been BOOMING for the past few years. Many sites in the ESL industry do not require a teaching degree or certificate either. You simply need to have a bachelor’s degree or be enrolled in college in some cases.
Because you will be working with students in countries like Japan, China, or South Korea, the most in-demand hours are very early mornings here in the U.S. We’re usually talking from 4 am to 10 am Eastern time. This can be a great option for those of you with kids home during the summer months. You can get up early. Make some cash. Get on with your day.
Most of these sites offer remote work as a flexible schedule in which you get to choose your shifts. Do read through individual job descriptions for any minimum weekly commitments.
Have questions about teaching English online? My assistant was kind enough to share her experience as a 2-year online tutor here.
3. Taking Reservations
We see a lot of summertime seasonal shifts in the work-at-home world. Many online retailers hire in sprees in preparation for the holiday shopping season. Right now, we are seeing a lot of travel-related companies with openings as we approach the vacationing months.
Most of these will be phone jobs, but many are temporary. If you can swing it for a few months, why not take advantage of the steady paycheck and easy money? Bonus – it may provide you with an opportunity for bigger and better online jobs as you will have some online experience to put on your resume if you are still looking for your first at-home job.
Take a look at this list of work-from-home reservations jobs.
4. Freelancing
The freelancing industry includes so many services and flexible jobs. There is truly something for everyone whether you want to get into freelance writing, virtual assisting, graphic design, social media management, Pinterest management…
The great thing about freelancing is that it oftentimes isn’t so important what time you do your job or where you do your job, as long as you do your job! This can make it a great option for stay-at-home moms with small children at home this summer who need to work early morning, late at night, during storytime at the library, or even by the pool.
In many cases, you can get started with what you have and with the skills you have. Or, you can pick up a few new skills online. You can write for a blog or a newsletter, or make lesson plans with Teachers Pay Teachers.
If you don’t want to pick up your own clients, there are a number of sites that hire for these positions as well:
5. Driver
Many women have shied away from opportunities like Uber because they are apprehensive about being alone with strangers in their vehicles. Totally understandable! We have seen a few new opportunities pop up that you may be more open to, however.
Apps like Postmates and Amazon Flex will have you making deliveries as opposed to being a personal driver. These gigs don’t pay too bad and some like Uber even allow you to cash out your earnings on the same day. That makes it a great one to put into place now so you can call upon it should you find yourself in a money pinch down the road.
A few more to check out:
6. Micro Tasks
Maybe you are looking for an easy opportunity to make extra money this summer vacation. We have those too! They don’t always pay the best, but they are flexible and can allow you to earn some pocket change.
- Rev.com is a transcription company open to beginners. Make money typing audio files into text.
- Fancy Hands is more on the virtual assistant side of things. Pick up a few bucks in your spare time completing short tasks like making appointments or doing online research.
- mTurk is a popular short task site that offers tons of different types of “HITS” you can complete in the carpool lane, during commercial breaks, and so on.
7. Search Engine Evaluator
There are a few main companies in this industry that offer several different types of “rater” jobs. In these positions, you may be rating ad results, search engine results, or social media results. Some companies also hire transcribers and data collectors.
Members of my community love these positions because most are really flexible and perfect for temporary summer work. You may need to work one hour per day up to 20 hours per week depending on the project. But, you can usually put in those hours anytime, anywhere.
The needs and openings change all the time. If you don’t see what you are looking for, check back frequently.
8. Surveys
Maybe you aren’t looking for a job-job. You just want a little folding cash. Survey sites can be a great way to make that happen with total flexibility.
A few legitimate sites to check out:
Making It Happen
Now, if you are wondering how to get work done this summer with kids at home, I have two tips.
Establish a Schedule. Work during those little blocks of time you find yourself with each day. That may be early morning or late at night while the kids are sleeping. It could be during afternoon naps. Get your kids on their own schedule that includes daily learning time. That may be a summer homeschooling lesson or simply an hour per day reading. This is the quiet time during which you can work.
Secure Childcare. That doesn’t always mean hiring a babysitter. Take advantage of activities happening in your community. Perhaps that is a summer camp. Maybe it is Vacation Bible School at your church. Maybe it is weekly storytime at the library where your kids can listen to a story while you do some work on your laptop. Get creative.
