People Are Sharing Their Summer Side Hustles, And Honestly, Some Of These Gigs Are So Incredibly Easy
If you haven't gotten on the side hustle game, you miiiight be missing out. These secondary jobs that make us a bit of extra cash aren't always fancy, but they can be game-changers for the budget. A survey conducted by LendingTree® at the end of 2022 found that approximately 44% of Americans have a side hustle to earn supplemental income. The research also showed this number rose 13% from 2020, and 71% of side hustlers weren't certain they'd be able to pay primary expenses without the extra cash.
Disney / Via tenor.com
In a perfect world, side hustles wouldn't be a thing — unless it was purely a passion project. It can be tiring to take on additional work to pay the bills, so if you are venturing into the world of supplemental income, make sure you're properly caring for yourself to avoid stress and burnout.
Summer is the perfect season for gearing up your side gig, with seasonal opportunities and, for some, more time to spare. I sifted through Reddit to see which summertime jobs work best for those in the community. Teachers, students, and those working 9-5 all year round weighed in! Here's what they had to say:
ABC / Via giphy.com
1."Summer school at $60 an hour for 24 hours a week. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. When I’m not there, I’m cutting grass at the country club, and getting free golf on Sundays and Mondays."
ABC / Via giphy.com
—u/nosfatatu
2."I grow pineberries which are like weird strawberries, but they're quite rare, and they produce runners like strawberries do. I sell them on eBay for £4 ($4.99 USD) a runner, and people usually buy three or four at a time. I only do it in the summer but can make about £100 per month ($124 USD). It's easy as I live right near a post box and just buy a big sheet of stamps and some envelopes. I wrap the root in wet tissue and put it in a sandwich bag to post."
—u/billysmallz
3."I work at a golf course two days a week in the clubhouse. Mostly for free green fees and half off in the pro shop."
4."I teach in a maximum security prison two nights a week during the regular year and 12-hour shifts two days in a row in the summer. I am five years away from retirement, and I need my Final Average Salary up as high as it can go. There is a small retirement contribution from my prison job that I can combine with my teaching pension. I have taught every summer since 1999."
5."I work for Meowtel. I just cat sit in my area and make about $100 per [job]. If there's high demand in the area, then it's a good deal. Easiest money I've ever made."
Disney / Via giphy.com
—u/detailslast
6."[In the summer], I’m a barista at Starbucks! I’ve been one going on 10 years, and I like it more than teaching. If I got paid more, I’d quit and just do that."
7."My husband and I just got hired at our local water park. We both communicated that we are only available for one shift per week, and they agreed. We will be working around our full-time jobs but are excited to do so to earn some extra cash and receive free park admission for us and our son! We are gonna roll with this as it goes, and if this does get overwhelming for us, no biggie — we can stop. For now, we are looking forward to this summer and hopeful to save some money!"
—u/22lovebug22
8."I did Uber Eats last summer. You can choose the jobs you take and see the payout beforehand. I only did things worth my time. I was in Ohio visiting family for a few weeks last summer, and it was usually worth my while, but it depends on where you are located for sure. I would try to earn $100 a day-ish, but it really depended on my mood and drive to work that day."
FOX / Via giphy.com
9."I donate plasma for $110 or so a week. Not too shabby for about two total hours of just sitting there (if you’re ok with needles)."
—u/scrooksy
10."Around here, umping little league games can make you $65 to $95 per game, which is typically two hours. Little leagues pay this, which is more than a high school district pays. There are umpire associations that will train you in the spring, [and] you can start as a base ump, not behind the plate, which isn't as intimidating. Highly recommend it, as it's good money and flexible!"
20th Century Fox / Via tenor.com
11."I set my own schedule and tutor kids at the library. I tutor math and had so many requests that my high school daughter has started taking some of the jobs since she is a very strong math student. She helps with pre-algebra through trig, and I tutor up through pre-calc. She picks up chemistry sometimes, too, since it has been too many years since I looked at that course. Both of us are tutoring, and we are still turning people away. [Last summer was] one of our busiest summers yet."
12."I make $30 to $50 per hour doing DoorDash, but I only deliver during dinner rushes on certain days of the week, and I stick to an area I know very well."
—u/[deleted]
13."[In the summer, I work as a] server or busboy. I make $30 to $40 in tips an hour but depends on the quality of the restaurant and location."
—u/No_Buy2972
14."I worked as a lifeguard at the YMCA for the free membership and extra cash. In our small state, membership was good at any Y statewide."
Netflix / Via giphy.com
15."I mow lawns which can be done during the school year and the summer. I mow [around] seven a week and do random landscape jobs in the summer. Great money to be made. Nobody cuts their own grass anymore."
—u/Giess4951
16."I get $100 per week donating blood plasma. About three hours of time total listening to music and browsing Reddit."
17."I teach summer school because it’s $55 an hour and a $1k bonus, for four hours per day and only four weeks."
—u/Roroem8484
18."I just got a job this summer with a private driving school. I now teach one student at a time, and it is so nice. Pay is excellent. I work three days a week, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and make an extra $1,500 a month."
ABC / Via giphy.com
—u/cmehigh
19."I work for a virtual law firm, so I can take my laptop and work anywhere. I recently started on Rover, and am working at other people’s houses while watching their pets and house! It’s a win-win in my book!"
20."I teach spin at my gym twice a week. We get discounts on my kids' activities and gym membership in addition to a little pay. It definitely helps a lot!"
—u/tortsy
21."I tutor homeschoolers and teach at an academic summer camp."
22."My side gig entails going to yard sales, buying old junk people no longer want, and selling it on eBay. It’s fun and doesn’t require a lot of upfront cost. [Just] a few dollars to buy some cheap yard sale stuff. There’s a learning curve, and it’s good to start with stuff you already know about. The major downside to doing this is it does require storing the stuff at your home. I’m very lucky to have a basement I can use to store inventory, so it doesn’t leak into the rest of the house. I know not everyone has the luxury of extra room for storage."
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
—u/jeogist
Do you have a side hustle you're taking into the summer season? Share your story in the comments below.
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
