Looking for a way to earn extra money in your free time? Consider joining the more than 5% of Americans who work more than one job by getting a weekend side hustle.
Whether you need to supplement the income from your full-time job, earn extra for savings or spending, or gain experience in a new field, here are some side hustle ideas for your weekend gig.
Check out the list of side hustles below.
Table of contents
Best weekend side hustles
Ready to break into the gig economy and make extra cash? Here are side hustle ideas to get you started:
Service-based side hustles
- Babysitting or nannying
- Bartending or serving
- Being a notary public
- Dog walking or pet sitting
- Delivering food
- Fitness training
- Gardening
- Giving tours
- House sitting
- Mystery shopping
- Home cleaning services
- Event planning
- Personal shopping or styling
Babysitting or nannying
If you enjoy being around kids, are a stay-at-home parent, or live in an area with many younger children, part-time nannying might be for you. Although formal credentials are rarely required, you should have CPR and first aid certifications and a track record of responsible behavior. Organizations like Sittercity and Care.com can help you find gigs.
Bartending or serving
Bars and restaurants can be great weekend side gigs because their peak hours fall outside the usual 9-to-5, Monday-to-Friday grind; they need staff specifically in the evenings and on weekends. If you mix a mean cocktail and thrive in a fast-paced environment, look for nearby restaurants that might be hiring.
Being a notary public
Notary signing agents are officials who witness and sign important documents such as real estate contracts, wills, and passport applications. Although you’ll have to pay upfront startup costs (including an exam and filing fees), becoming a notary public can be lucrative. According to the National Notary Association, 43% of part-time, self-employed notaries earn at least $500 a month, and almost 30% earn more than $1,000.
Dog walking or pet sitting
If you like animals or live in an area with many pets, you can make decent money (and be your own boss) as a dog walker or pet sitter. You can also try pet sitting as a full-time business. Visit clients’ homes to watch their pets or use your own as a doggie daycare.
Delivering food
Food and grocery delivery is a flexible side hustle that gets you out and about. It typically involves picking up food at a restaurant or shopping at a grocery store, then delivering the goods to the buyer’s home for a wage plus tips. All you need to get started is a valid driver’s license and a car (or, in some areas, a bicycle or moped).
Fitness training
If you enjoy working out or have expertise in yoga, spin cycling, or another activity, sign up to teach classes at a local gym or online. Teaching fitness is convenient because classes typically follow a set schedule, so you know when you’ll be working and for how long. Note that most gyms require a certificate from the American Council on Exercise or another accredited institution.
Gardening
Many homeowners don’t want to spend their weekends tending their lawns or gardens; advertise your services as a lawn maintenance worker and get paid to do it for them. Mowing and gardening services require upfront investments—for one, you need a lawn mower and a way to transport it. But once you’ve got your essential equipment, find clients who need ongoing yard work to generate regular income.
Giving tours
If you’re a good communicator living in a tourist area, consider sharing your local expertise as a tour guide. You can offer general interest tours of the must-see spots or develop a niche like coffee, history, or art tours.
House sitting
For a low-key side business with lots of leisure time, consider housesitting—staying in clients’ homes while they’re gone and attending to tasks as needed—watering plants, checking the mail, tending to their pets, etc. Word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family can get you started, or you can try websites like Trusted Housesitters and MindMyHouse.
Mystery shopping
If you love shopping, consider becoming a mystery shopper and earn while enjoying your favorite activity. As a mystery shopper, you visit businesses, shop as usual, and can get reimbursed for your purchases. You then provide feedback through a survey that helps companies improve their customer service. Organizations like Market Force, iSecretShop, and SecretShopper simplify the signup process and connect you with businesses eager for insights.
Home cleaning services
Cleaning homes can be a flexible way to earn on the side. You could form relationships with clients who need regular cleaning or work with short-term rental owners (like Airbnb hosts) to clean up after guests. Consider sharing home cleaning tips and videos on the #CleanTok hashtag on TikTok to grow your network.
Event planning
Since many events happen on weekends, event planning is a prime weekend side hustle idea. Meet with clients and vendors and build a portfolio of gatherings. Event planning is primarily a relationship-building side hustle, suitable if you’re an organized people-person.
Personal shopping or styling
If you’ve found your niche in fashion, consider personal shopping or styling for your weekend side hustle. You can do video styling sessions remotely from home and then send clothes to clients’ doors. Or, deliver a few standout pieces to them on the weekend. The fashion world is your oyster!
Creative side hustles
Graphic design
If you have graphic design skills with tools like Adobe Illustrator or Canva, look for freelance work. Potential clients will want to see what you can do, so put together a portfolio of previous projects or produce a few work samples designing anything from posters to logos to ads. Graphic design chops can help if you’re looking to craft unique pieces for a dropshipping business, too.
Photography
There are several ways to leverage photography skills into a successful side hustle. If you enjoy social activities, advertise your availability to event planners to shoot weddings, parties, sporting events, and fundraisers. If you prefer a hands-off approach, take photos and list them on stock photo sites like Shutterstock and Adobe Stock to earn royalties from downloads.
DJing
If you have DJ equipment and know how to use it, advertise your services to event planners or local clubs and work as a weekend DJ for parties, weddings, and more. Since you’ll need equipment—turntables or CDJs, a mixer, headphones, and a sound system—you may also need storage space. (It’s also wise to bone up on copyright rules.)
Home staging
Before selling a house, owners must make it as tidy and beautiful as possible to attract potential buyers. If you’re good at decluttering and interior design, advertise your services as a freelance home stager to local real estate agents who can connect you with sellers.
Crafting handmade goods
Selling handmade goods can be a fulfilling side hustle. Some crafting ideas include knitted or crocheted items, pet name tags, stickers, and candles.
Writing
Many businesses need capable writers to craft quality blog posts and articles for their websites or social media channels. Excellent communication skills are essential; SEO knowledge is a bonus.
Tailoring
If you can sew, use your skills by running a weekend tailoring service from home. Customers can drop off ill-fitting clothes, and you can charge per piece and alteration. Advertise at local dry cleaners or bridal shops to spread the word.
Online side hustles
- Answering surveys
- Bookkeeping
- Teaching English
- Reselling
- Rideshare driving
- Social media management
- Transcribing
- Tutoring
- Online course creation
- Virtual assisting
- Web developing
Answering surveys
If you’re looking for an easy, flexible side gig you can do at home, answering surveys is a great place to start. On websites like Survey Junkie and InboxDollars, brands post surveys seeking consumer feedback in exchange for a small payment. It’s a win-win: they get valuable insights, and you earn money from the comfort of your couch.
Bookkeeping
If you enjoy working with numbers, offer part-time bookkeeping services to small businesses that need help managing their books. This is especially feasible if you’re an experienced bookkeeper for your own business.
Teaching English
English teachers are in high demand, and with the rise of telecommuting, you can work as an English teacher from home. You can also offer niche services locally to newcomers in particular fields, for instance, teaching workplace-specific English to nurses or doctors. A number of English programs connect native English speakers with students, including VIPKid, Preply, and Cambly. Be aware that many programs require a TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language) or teaching certification.
Reselling
If you like deal-hunting, turn your hobby into a side hustle by reselling your finds for profit. Hunt for cheap items at thrift stores and garage and estate sales, or on Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist, then resell them locally or online. Reselling can be lucrative if you become an expert in a particular good—like wool sweaters or vintage lamps—or if you have the skills to refurbish or repair items before listing them.
Rideshare driving
Driving for apps like Uber and Lyft is the quintessential modern gig. To become a rideshare driver, you need a valid driver’s license, an eligible four-door vehicle, and, typically, proof of insurance. Then you can sign up through an app and start giving rides.
Social media management
Many businesses need help managing their social media profiles but can’t afford to hire full time. Contact local or online companies to offer your help as a freelance social media manager. Strengthen your résumé by showing examples of your social media management work or sample marketing strategies.
Transcribing
Many businesses need transcription services, which is turning video or audio recordings into clean, typed text. If you’re a fast typist with a good ear, transcription can earn you extra cash in your spare time. You can even leverage AI for this side hustle to boost your productivity.
Tutoring
Do you know how to code, speak another language, or play a musical instrument? Apply your skills to tutoring students. Tutoring or music lessons can be more consistent than other side hustles, since you often meet with students weekly or monthly. Start tutoring locally or sign up with an online service like WyzAnt or Superprof.
Online course creation
Are you skilled in a particular area or field? Creating an online course is a flexible way to earn passive income. Since you only have to develop instructional content once, online courses leverage your knowledge to maximize your earnings-to-time-spent ratio.
Virtual assisting
A virtual assistant provides remote administrative support. You might schedule meetings, enter data, or respond to emails, so this position requires strong communication, attention to detail, and organization. Apply to virtual assistant gigs through traditional job boards, or contact businesses you’re connected with to see if they need support.
Web development
If you’re good at building websites or writing back-end code, advertise your skills to new businesses or organizations due for a digital refresh. To strengthen your résumé, link to sites you’ve designed in the past or show off web development templates potential customers could use.
Weekend side hustles FAQ
How do I balance a side hustle with my regular job?
Before launching a weekend side hustle, assess the requirements against your available time and energy. For example, side hustles like answering surveys require less commitment than part-time jobs like teaching English.
There are also plenty of side hustles you can do with minimal effort or planning. Consider housesitting or digital transcription. Opt for flexible income streams to fit your work hours around your schedule.
How do I choose the right side hustle for me?
Choose a part-time job aligned with your interests, schedule, and desired effort level. For example, service-based jobs often require high effort, while online side hustles like reselling typically do not.
How can I make extra money on the weekends?
Some popular side hustles include part-time jobs like bartending, flexible gigs like mystery shopping, and earning passive income from renting out an extra room. Choose one that aligns with your interests, schedule, and desired effort level.
What are the easiest weekend side hustles?
Choosing a gig that lets you leverage your existing skills is one way to nab an easy weekend side hustle. Choosing a gig that requires only soft skills, like being able to talk to clients, is another way to keep things simple.
What should I keep in mind when starting a weekend side hustle?
Before launching a weekend side hustle, assess the specific requirements and your available time and energy. For instance, becoming a rideshare driver requires a four-door vehicle and can be done ad hoc, whereas teaching English online requires a working computer and a committed schedule.
