9 Side Hustles that Can Help You Make a Little Extra Money from Home This Year

Written by

De Elizabeth
De Elizabeth
De is a writer/editor specializing in mental health, motherhood, lifestyle, and pop culture. She's obsessed with all things '90s and '00s nostalgia (and even has a newsletter named after the best sound on AIM).
published Jan 20, 2021
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Side hustles have always been a popular way of supplementing income from a full- or part-time job, and they’re only getting more common, especially amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Many people are facing concerns about job security or experiencing job loss, and some are turning to side gigs in order to make extra cash and strengthen their savings, no matter their current employment status. In fact, Forbes reports that an additional two million Americans began freelancing in the past year, on top of the 57 million who freelanced the year before.

But side hustles might look a little different right now than they have in the past. Certain things, like cleaning houses or renting out your apartment for travelers, might not be as ideal as they once were. That said, there’s still plenty of ways to harness your skills and talents — and make money while doing it. Ahead, check out some ideas for side gigs in 2021, from virtual tutoring to helping your neighbors with their computer woes, and everything in between.

Credit: Samara Vise

If you aced your AP classes… try online tutoring.

Tutoring will always be in demand. Now that many schools have gone partially or fully virtual during the pandemic, it’s easier than ever to set up online meetings with students. There’s plenty of sites out there where you can learn more about becoming a virtual tutor, like TutorMe or Tutor.com, and they’ll help match you with students in need of assistance. 

Credit: Joe Lingeman/Apartment Therapy

If you’re obsessed with the Instagram algorithm… manage social media for small businesses.

Not everyone understands social media, and not everyone wants to! But in today’s world, an online presence is essential for most (if not all) businesses, and running several social media accounts at once can take a lot of time. A small business owner who is less IG-savvy might find all of that pretty overwhelming. This is where a social media manager can be extremely useful to help with consistent posting, user engagement, and keep the business active online. Browsing job boards is a good place to start, but you could also try reaching out to small businesses you love and see if they’re in the need of extra social media assistance.  

If you like being around kids… create a quarantine-bubble babysitting service.

A lot of parents are working from home and taking care of their children simultaneously — no matter how much joy your kids bring you, that can certainly be draining, and childcare services are definitely in need. In order to keep yourself safe, it might be a good idea to cater your babysitting services to a select pod of parents whom you know and trust, and make sure you’re all on the same page regarding mask-wearing, social distancing, and other guidelines to keep everyone healthy. You know Kristy Thomas of “The Baby-Sitters Club” would approve.

If you’re an expert in your field… offer consulting. 

Getting a lot of “Can I pick your brain?” emails these days? Your time is valuable, so it might be worthwhile to turn those advice sessions into consulting. Decide on an hourly rate, if you’re more comfortable with Zoom or a phone call, and what specific services you’ll offer, and then share your new business plan with the world — especially those people in your DMs looking for tips.

If crafting is your self-care… consider selling your art.

Maybe you started making jewelry to wait out stay-at-home orders, or perhaps you began painting again after a few years away from a canvas. But if you’re getting a ton of compliments on your art from friends and followers, it’s definitely possible that others might be interested too — and willing to pay for it on Etsy.

Credit: Justine Darragh

If you’re fluent in another language… teach it to others!

Learning a second (or third) language is a bucket-list item for a lot of people, and there are a lot of virtual ways to make that happen. If you have formal teaching experience, consider applying to a site like Verbling, which offers private lessons in 69 languages. You can also go rogue and create your own services — just be sure to do your own research and provide your new students with resources and worksheets they can refer back to. 

Credit: I Spy DIY

If you have a special talent… turn it into a crash course.

Are people always asking you for a special recipe or wondering how you created those perfect rosettes on top of the cupcakes you Instagrammed? Or are your friends always begging you for help with their winged eyeliner? Whatever the skill, if you find yourself often being asked “OK, how did you do that?” you should definitely consider sharing your talent with others. Use a platform like Teachable or Skillshare to create and design your online course.

If you can type really quickly and just love a good comma splice… become a transcriptionist. 

Transcription services are needed by tons of people, from journalists looking to transcribe interviews to students seeking a transcription of a lecture they missed. The process can take a while when attempting to go the DIY route, which is why a lot of people outsource it. That’s where you come in! You can apply to become a transcriptionist on sites like Rev or GoTranscript, or go solo as a freelancer with your own rates.

Credit: Lula Poggi

If you’re the one every relative turns to for tech help… consider becoming a computer coach.

Yes, you can actually get paid to help someone fix “the spinning rainbow wheel of doom.” Computer skills don’t come easily to everyone, and what might seem intuitive to you could be really challenging for someone else — but there’s always room to learn, especially when tech skills are becoming more and more essential for a lot of jobs. Put feelers out in your neighborhood or apartment building and see if anyone is on the hunt for a computer coach to help them navigate their way around anything from Google Docs to Excel.