Everyone in Their 20s Needs a Side Hustle
5 Side hustles that can help you cover a few or more of your expenses
Like I always say, we are not living in the same world our parents knew in the 60s, 70s, or 80s. In their time, one corporate or trade salary could afford you a car, a dog, piano lessons for your kids, and a house with a white picket fence.
Depending on where you live, the aforementioned items may cost you both kidneys and approximately half a lung (I didn’t calculate that or anything), as a down payment.
I could go on a very long rant about how much easier certain things were back then and how significantly purchasing power of the dollar has shrunk but that topic has been discussed and regurgitated millions of times already.
You can either make moves to improve your situation or complain about the current state of things. I’ve done the latter countless times and I can confidently confirm that it does absolutely nothing for you except keep you in the same place.
Below are five side hustles in my experience that can help you cover a significant portion of your living expenses or in some cases be converted into a full-time income.
1. Valeting
If you have a valid driver’s license, you should have no trouble finding work. Working as a valet, you can easily stack up some decent spare change as it is an hourly job and patrons of the venue are typically well-off and tip generously.
You get to drive high-end vehicles and, in many cases, envision yourself as one day being the owner of the vehicle. After a night of valeting, I typically earn an extra $130-$150 in tips on top of the hourly after splitting with my teammates.
It may not seem like a lot of money but depending on the frequency in which you valet, you could be looking at an extra $500-$1000 every month from giving up a just few nights every week.
In some cases, that side money could easily cover your rent and utilities leaving you enough money to save and grow your investment portfolio.
Prove to management that you’re a safe driver and you should be stacking some decent bread at the end of each week.
2. Writing/Content Marketing Online
You know those articles that are basically lists of product reviews? Usually titled something along the lines of “Best Brooms for Sweeping Ferret Fur” From experience, I can say that it is possible to make a decent living writing them.
During my summer internship in college, I had to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. I did my internship from 8AM to 4PM then I would sprint downtown to the previously mentioned valet and park cars from 4PM to 12AM.
Service jobs like the valet are time and location dependent. While it would be super cool to be able to control people’s vehicles with a PS4 controller in a work from home setup, it was not feasible.
I had to be on site running around and parking people’s cars. I needed location and time independent work, something I could do in my bedroom at any hour of the day.
I created an Upwork account and aggressively marketed my copywriting and content writing services. After being denied numerous times, there was finally one client that believed in me.
For a 1,000-word post, they would give me $20. While there were deadlines to meet, the blog posts were done on my own time, on my couch, in a pair of Adidas soccer shorts. That $20 rate eventually went up to $24.
Arguably, it was a lot of work coming up with fresh new ideas and content on a weekly basis for the money, but it helped me pay all of my bills on time without having be anywhere in-person.
It wasn’t the most glamorous work, but it was my first remote role earning money from virtually anywhere. It can turn into a full-time income if you really want it to be one. Furthermore, your knowledge on a variety of random topics increases due to all the industry research you have to do for the specific topic assigned to you.
Create an Upwork and LinkedIn account, market yourself, and someone will find you!
3. Sell Pokémon Cards
Yes, you read that correctly. Go to your basement or attic and dig up that old photo album. In the very back, you might find all of the Pikachus and Charzards you left lying around the house. Mom had to put them somewhere, right?
Perhaps your childhood was more exciting, and you don’t have Pokémon cards laying around, you can buy some off of sites like Craigslist and Facebook Market Place. There are plenty of empty nesters looking to clear out their storage and possess a gold mine of cards.
Some people do not realize the true value they hold in their Pokémon card collection so you can buy from them at a low price and flip them for profit. Not all cards are valuable so make sure that they are in a presentable condition and you do research on what people want in their possession.
If you come across any Charzards, Mewtwos, Rayquazas, or Mews, it would be in your best interest to buy and flip those as they fall under the vintage category of Pokémon cards. If they happen to be holographic, you might be able to double or even triple your profits.
Even if your desire for Pokémon doesn’t burn like Charzard’s tail, there’s still an opportunity here to pocket some big transactions.
4. Sign Up for a Delivery Service
Like I previously mentioned, a valid driver’s license can open many doors. A driver’s license coupled with a car opens up even more doors (literally) after you drop off the food.
Depending on your location, you might want to check the terrain on which you will be driving, the type of vehicle you have, the gas mileage, and the number of orders you could theoretically complete in a given week.
Door Dash, Uber Eats, and Insta-cart may be decent side hustles however, they may take a toll on your car in the long-run. An old Honda Civic might do the trick for this line of work but maybe not your new Kia Sportage. The money you make from doing these deliveries will not cover the cost of car repairs.
While delivery services may not earn you a full-time income, it is still possible to cover your phone and internet bill if you do this on weekend nights. Friday and Saturday night are the busiest times for food app orders.
Pro Tip: People with an altered mental status due to the consumption of alcohol are more likely to order $40 worth of Taco Bell on Friday and Saturday nights while unwittingly leaving philanthropic gratuity.
5. Restaurant Server
Dave Ramsey once said to a couple facing significant financial distress “the only time you should see the inside of a restaurant is when you’re working in it.”
It resonated with me, but I still occasionally break the rule when I enjoy the atmosphere of a fancy Japanese steakhouse. Dave Ramsey is right, when you’re trying to claw your way out of a murky financial situation, it’s best you stay away from eating out regularly.
It’s ok to treat yourself every once in a while, but as humans we easily fall into the convenience trap and make it a regular occurrence.
Maybe you’re a college student and need some extra money. You won’t cover all of your tuition but as a server, over time, you can save a decent amount for a rainy day.
Perhaps you’ve graduated and you are working your nine-to-five during the week. You’re young, if you’re not exhausted after work, pick up a few evening shifts. Four hours an evening, up to three nights a week at any sit-down restaurant can easily turn into an extra $1000 at the end of the month.
Final Thoughts
The idea is simple; however, it is not easy, and it takes some gumption and perseverance. There are certainly days where I don’t feel like working after work but that seems to be the only way forward.
You’re in the 20s, let’s be real. This is the time to drink and party, but it is also the time to establish yourself financially for the future. Everything in moderation, but make sure you can make and save as much dough as possible.
Your future you will either thank you or resent you for the decisions you make now. In my honest opinion, I think it is wise to replace some of your nights of partying with nights of valeting, honing your writing and marketing skills, selling Pokémon cards, delivering food, or serving tables.
We feel invincible in our 20s, but it is wise to have an emergency fund as life can be unpredictable.
Skip the party and go get the bag.
