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Due to Covid and the quarantine, we are spending more time at home whether because of a job loss or for safety.
While staying at home might get boring or even stressful, we can try to take advantage of this time to increase our income and invest in ourselves so that we can come out ahead when this pandemic is over.
While entertainment like watching Netflix, surfing Facebook, or going through Twitter is fun, we should also think about how much money we could be making and investing with the free time that we have.
In this post, I will document 10 side hustles you can start today to make thousands of dollars during the quarantine. Remember, boredom doesn’t need to equate stagnation. We can turn it into opportunity and cash to improve our life quality.
1. Look for ways to get more out of your 9-5
I know this is not a side hustle per se since it’s your main source of income. However, in your time outside of work, you can learn new skills to get promoted at your current company.
Just think about everyone working at your job right now and who you want to be in 1-2 years. If you have someone in mind, learn the skills that that person has or that the position requires. Work on it in your own time since it will pay off in the end.
2. Learn high-demand skills
If you can’t think of anyone you want to become at your current company, it’s a sign that you should look for a new job.
I know finding employment is hard during this time. And I’m not suggesting you quit your job today for something better.
But think about all the professions or skills that are in high demand and don’t require a degree such as coding, web development, and WordPress development management.
I am the living proof that you can double your income if you change into a high-paying career like software engineering without a Computer Science degree.
My salary went up to over six-figures after I invested less than 1.5 years into coding and then switched careers into tech. There are multiple platforms that provide high quality courses such as Codecademy, SkillShare and Udemy that can teach you the skills you need to succeed.
If there’s a profession that requires an advanced degree such as being an attorney, now it’s a good time to study for the required standardized exams, get your finances in order, and prepare for the application process.
3. Start a blog
When I first told Mr. FAF that I could make money blogging, he thought I was nuts. I knew other bloggers made thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars from blogging. Some sold their sites for millions.
I myself have made a four-figure amount from my blog after monetizing it for almost a year!
Blogging is perfect for the quarantine since we can enjoy the comfort of our home while building our blog.
I started my site on Bluehost for just $3.95/mo and later on migrated my site to SiteGround. These are great platform that offer hosting services at an affordable price.
I chose Ezoic as my go-to ad platform to help me optimize ads and maximize my ad revenue. Ezoic is an authorized Google Ad Exchange partner and uses artificial intelligence to streamline ads management.
You need at least 10,000 visitors/mo to qualify for their program. But if you can make a great case to your rep as to why you should get approved despite not having 10,000 visitors/mo, you may still qualify for Ezoic. Join Ezoic and start generating revenue from your blog today!
Other ad networks include Media.net & Google Adsense (no page view requirement), Mediavine (at least 25,000 sessions/mo), and AdThrive (at least 100,000 page views/mo).
4. Create a YouTube channel
I have been listening to a lot of YouTube videos about entrepreneurship laterly while feeding my daughter or doing housework. It does take time to build up a YouTube channel, but you can reach a wide audience on this platform and have fun at the same time.
Bored and not feeling like talking to anyone in particular? You can start talking to the camera about any topics you are interested in like cooking or real estate.
I myself started a YouTube channel a couple of years ago. While I haven’t made videos in a while, my videos have managed to make some money on YouTube. I do plan to resume making videos in the near future to talk about personal finance and coding.
5. Deliver food
This side hustle might be a little risky since you will be out and about a lot delivering food. But if you are strapped for cash and can avoid exposure and contact with others, this can be a great source of instant cash.
Kevin at Financial Panther made $2,494.09 from Postmates/DoorDash/Uber Eats/Grubhub in September this year. That’s enough money to cover the mortgage and groceries in some areas of the US.
6. Write articles for Medium
Do you have some interesting ideas in mind but don’t feel like starting your own blog? You can write for Medium, a platform that covers a wide variety of topics.
People have made thousands of dollars per month writing for Medium as you can see in this article. It can range anywhere from $1 to $8,000/month.
7. Sell digital products on Etsy
I’ve been brainstorming products to sell en Etsy for years. I really love the idea of hand-made products and promoting individuals’ creativity on this platform.
Ultimately, I decided that selling digital products is the best way to generate passive income on Etsy. You can create templates and have them downloaded hundreds if not thousands of times.
I’ve created a couple of products and set up a store on Etsy but haven’t launched it yet. From 2021 onwards, I would like to invest more time on this side project to see where it can lead me.
8. Create courses on Udemy
Udemy is becoming an increasingly popular platforms where creators post quality courses at as low as $11 when they go on sale.
You two can create online courses on Udemy that showcase your skills and knowledge in any area of your interest. You just create a course once and have thousands of students enroll no matter whether you are sunbathing at the beach or hiking on a mountain somewhere in the world.
9. Become a virtual assistant
10. Become an online tutor/coach
If you have good skills in some areas and enjoy interacting with others, being an online tutor on platforms such as TutorMe, VIPKID, and TutorMatch might be a great option. It can pay anywhere from $16-$25/hour.
Better yet, if you have high-demand skills such as personal finance, cooking, and fitness, you can also offer group coaching sessions online. You can advertise your skills on your blog or even on your social media and see where it takes you.
Conclusion
I know quaratine is tough not just on our mental health but also our finances.
We don’t know how long the pandemic is going to last until. But we can try to take advantage of this time to create new opportunities and new streams of income for ourselves and our family.
If you haven’t already, I hope you will be able to pick and select a side hustle that can spark joy and help you with your expenses during this tough time.
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Great ideas! Covid has provided a great opportunity to make changes – like quitting a dead-end job or learning a new skill.