Side hustle

C

Caballo21

Guest
Do you have a side/summer hustle? What do you do?

I'm currently grading online for a testing service and it is just about killing me, lol. I also just found out they pay teachers in another state $7 per hour more than me?! I've also tutored a bunch in the past, worked at major league baseball games, worked in a restaurant for years.
 
I work for a day or two, this year a week, teaching kids at an art museum. Easy money.
Last year classes were cancelled so I accepted a studio recording gig. I played guitar on an album for a friend. When I say album I mean album. In addition to making CD's he also made LP's for the retro lovers of music on vinyl.
It's artsy indie rock with some classical pieces: https://nraakors.bandcamp.com/album/hoppel-poppel
 
Caballo21 said:
Do you have a side/summer hustle? What do you do?

I'm currently grading online for a testing service and it is just about killing me, lol. I also just found out they pay teachers in another state $7 per hour more than me?! I've also tutored a bunch in the past, worked at major league baseball games, worked in a restaurant for years.
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Wow, you sound just like me! I, too, am scoring tests remotely, so I feel your pain there. I get paid pretty decently though, especially since I've been there off-and-on for six years. Call me a glutton for punishment.
I've done the tutoring thing and made good money from it.

My current side gig is working at a rec. center. The pay is barely over minimum, but the perks of being a city employee is that it counts towards state retirement just like teaching does. Also it's secretly satisfying to be able to kick out parents who yell at me or the refs. I know a lot of teachers who try to work the town's summer kid programs because it's a natural fit and the extra retirement boost is worth it.
 
I write and photograph for travel magazines. It comes with nice perks, free upgrades to first class flights, free lodging and restaurants, free gear (for example, if it's for a motorcycle magazine, we get free riding suits, helmets, etc.) and free car or motorcycle for the summer.

Of course last summer was a bust. When it works, I don't really make any money, but get to live and travel in Europe for 5 weeks for free.
 
MrTempest said:
I am a 3rd party reseller on Amazon and make more on it than I do teaching.
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So you buy items for a low price then sell them for high prices on Amazon? I have seen some items that I can get at Target sell for $50 higher on Amazon. I believe this is what they are doing.
 
I have just got the job as the building handyman for our apartment block doing all the little repairs that are needed. If I am honest I would have done the repairs as a neighbour anyway for free but now all my materials are being paid for and I earn a few £££ as well.
 
blazer said:
I have just got the job as the building handyman for our apartment block doing all the little repairs that are needed. If I am honest I would have done the repairs as a neighbour anyway for free but now all my materials are being paid for and I earn a few £££ as well.
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My husband made a business out of this kind of work. He always did minor things for neighbors but now he has an official business name so people have to pay :)
 
TeacherNY said:
So you buy items for a low price then sell them for high prices on Amazon? I have seen some items that I can get at Target sell for $50 higher on Amazon. I believe this is what they are doing.
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Pretty much. A lot of time I buy products that are bundled together and sell them individually for a profit.
 
MrTempest said:
Pretty much. A lot of time I buy products that are bundled together and sell them individually for a profit.
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That seems fair. As long as you're not overpricing things so much that it ends up just looking greedy. One time I looked on Amazon for a book that my friend wanted. It was originally something like $12.99 but someone was trying to sell it for $285 because it was hard to find. I ended up finding it on a used book site.
 
TeacherNY said:
That seems fair. As long as you're not overpricing things so much that it ends up just looking greedy. One time I looked on Amazon for a book that my friend wanted. It was originally something like $12.99 but someone was trying to sell it for $285 because it was hard to find. I ended up finding it on a used book site.
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Actually, over the past year or so, Amazon has been implementing fair pricing policies that have upset a lot of book resellers (I don't sell books). They are arguing that just because this rare book was had an MSRP in 1840 doesn't mean the value can't go up exponentially and they get a ding on their listing.

Pro Amazon tip if you are searching for books. Look up the book you want and check the prices of other versions. Typically used hardback books, though initially more expensive and nicer, are cheaper than paperbacks. This is because the various algorithms makes the paperback have a higher seller rating and thus make it more sought after and have a higher price.

Also with books, you can search for other listings that are less popular and therefore cheaper. Most of the time Amazon likes to have one listing for one specific item but with the various editions and publications of books over time they frequently have less popular listings that are cheaper.
 
MrTempest said:
Actually, over the past year or so, Amazon has been implementing fair pricing policies that have upset a lot of book resellers (I don't sell books). They are arguing that just because this rare book was had an MSRP in 1840 doesn't mean the value can't go up exponentially and they get a ding on their listing.

Pro Amazon tip if you are searching for books. Look up the book you want and check the prices of other versions. Typically used hardback books, though initially more expensive and nicer, are cheaper than paperbacks. This is because the various algorithms makes the paperback have a higher seller rating and thus make it more sought after and have a higher price.

Also with books, you can search for other listings that are less popular and therefore cheaper. Most of the time Amazon likes to have one listing for one specific item but with the various editions and publications of books over time they frequently have less popular listings that are cheaper.
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No, I don't doubt it CAN be done legally. It just makes you seem like a real jerk.
 
TeacherNY said:
My husband made a business out of this kind of work. He always did minor things for neighbors but now he has an official business name so people have to pay :)
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I don’t have any kind of serious side hustle, but I do small things like sewing projects or Cricut work sometimes. DH just retired, so he’s looking for ideas for a job. I’ve still got a few months left, then I’m going to look, too. I really don’t want to do anything school related, but we shall see.
 
My side job is costing me $$. :) I have been helping an animal rescue. I ended up bringing 2 pets home with me this year for keeps. I don't think I can do it much longer. I am afraid I'll become 1 of those crazy ladies you read about in the news. You know the 1 who hoards animals? :) There is nothing more fun than kittens and puppies! I should have done this a long time ago! Pets don't talk back ( too much) and follow basic directions a lot better than kids. :) Plus, there are no parents, admin, or rude people to deal with anymore. People who love pets tend to be really nice people to work with!
 
Tired Teacher said:
My side job is costing me $$. :) I have been helping an animal rescue. I ended up bringing 2 pets home with me this year for keeps. I don't think I can do it much longer. I am afraid I'll become 1 of those crazy ladies you read about in the news. You know the 1 who hoards animals? :) There is nothing more fun than kittens and puppies! I should have done this a long time ago! Pets don't talk back ( too much) and follow basic directions a lot better than kids. :) Plus, there are no parents, admin, or rude people to deal with anymore. People who love pets tend to be really nice people to work with!
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I LOVE this! I want a dog so badly, but it just isn't in my budget yet, and I'm not allowed where I rent. I check the shelters online frequently. Two animals doesn't too excessive...:)

I've decided for my first year in a new job that I'm not going to work side jobs, at least not until summer. This will be the first time in my teaching career that I can actually get by without them. I'm still looking for ideas though, for when that time comes.
 
Caballo21 said:
I LOVE this! I want a dog so badly, but it just isn't in my budget yet, and I'm not allowed where I rent. I check the shelters online frequently. Two animals doesn't too excessive..
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I think it is smart to get 1 when you are ready. It is awesome you don't need a side job too! :) Two is not excessive, for sure. I had only planned on 1. Then a few months later the second one was calling my name. I just have to be careful now b/c a few more months have passed and I can't keep adding 1 to my house 4x a year! :) That would be a crazy cat lady!
 
For a couple of years I tutored through a grant program my school has. It doesn't pay as much as private tutoring could, and it's a small group, not 1:1, but it's a heck of a lot more than I'd make in any non-teaching side gig. I also can't beat the convenience- it's just an hour after school so I don't have to commute anywhere else, worry about no-shows, worry about collecting money from parents, worry about finding my own clients, etc. I also used an intervention program we had that required maybe 5 minutes of prep to just gather materials daily.

I have a coworker/friend who works at Starbucks as a side job and she really enjoys having something totally not education related. I get that, but in 1 hour of tutoring I make what she makes in 3-4 hours at Starbucks. I just couldn't stomach spending my time for so little money.

Last year I just couldn't bring myself to do it with all of the covid nonsense. It was already exhausting doing masks and other precautions every day, plus the constant in and out of quarantines. I was thinking I'd go back to it this year, but as of right now I'm not convinced this year will be much different than last year. We'll see.
 
I occasionally make and sell resources on Teachers Pay Teachers. It's not much - just an extra coffee every few months right now. It'll never be a real "hustle" because I don't have the energy or personality for that, but every so often I add something new. I've been working on a phonics project all summer that I'm super excited to finish and get listed for sale - I'm so close to finishing it up, it's been a massive labor of love for the past 2 months.

I've also been tutoring a kid from church over the summer, which has been great since I've been unemployed and desperate to try out some of the teaching stuff I've learned over the past 6 months.
 
Tired Teacher said:
My side job is costing me $$. :) I have been helping an animal rescue. I ended up bringing 2 pets home with me this year for keeps. I don't think I can do it much longer. I am afraid I'll become 1 of those crazy ladies you read about in the news. You know the 1 who hoards animals? :) There is nothing more fun than kittens and puppies! I should have done this a long time ago! Pets don't talk back ( too much) and follow basic directions a lot better than kids. :) Plus, there are no parents, admin, or rude people to deal with anymore. People who love pets tend to be really nice people to work with!
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I know someone who does dog rescue and I'm not sure how much of her own money goes into it but they do a lot of fundraisers for their organization. I try to donate when I can.
 
The only side hussle I'd ever do would be something that was off the books for cash only. Too many of these small time jobs aren't worth it after taxes. One time I had a really nice paying side job but it ended up bumping me into the next tax bracket and I paid for it at tax time! Just not worth it sometimes depending on your situation.
 
TeacherNY said:
The only side hussle I'd ever do would be something that was off the books for cash only. Too many of these small time jobs aren't worth it after taxes. One time I had a really nice paying side job but it ended up bumping me into the next tax bracket and I paid for it at tax time! Just not worth it sometimes depending on your situation.
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That hit me hard a few years ago. I have since removed all deductions and have an additional $100 withheld from my paycheck to compensate.
 
TeacherNY said:
Too many of these small time jobs aren't worth it after taxes. One time I had a really nice paying side job but it ended up bumping me into the next tax bracket
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The same thing happened to me 1 year and I was so disappointed. I quit doing side jobs that paid well after that b/c it was not worth it.
 
TeacherNY said:
I know someone who does dog rescue and I'm not sure how much of her own money goes into it but they do a lot of fundraisers for their organization. I try to donate when I can.
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Yes, a lot of $ goes into fund raising and supplies. If you help with rescues out of your home, they'll give you supplies if you can't afford them, but you spend a lot more in gas b/c you drive the pets to meet potential owners. That is way cool you are helping out!
 
Caballo21 said:
Do you have a side/summer hustle? What do you do?

I'm currently grading online for a testing service and it is just about killing me, lol. I also just found out they pay teachers in another state $7 per hour more than me?! I've also tutored a bunch in the past, worked at major league baseball games, worked in a restaurant for years.
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What company do you do this for? I'd be interested in doing this an an extra gig. I already do some online teaching and grading for the digital academy my school district has.
 
Online scoring through ETS. Pretty flexible as far as shifts. I grade the ELPAC. $ is not so great, but overall it is good experience with grading esp since I teach ELLs. Different tests pop up at different times of the year, so you'll prob have to check it off & on.
 
I actually juggle basketballs and speak to youth at churches lol. It's a strange side hustle but I got into it while not getting much playing time when I was in college. I started trying tricks with multiple basketballs. I probably make 5-10 extra thousand a year from it - depending on the year.
 
These days we have several income streams. Between us my wife and I have 5 pensions paying into our bank account. I have my subbing job and also my janitor job contributing as well. Other income streams/economy measures include online consumer surveys. My other half does most of these but between us they bring in around £300 per month ($360). Also we has several shopping apps on our phones which give us lots of freebies and big reductions on groceries etc saving us around £100 per month ($120)
 
Actually, it was a hard year. I worked in school and had a side work through the whole year long. Taking into account that I worked with https://letsgradeit.com/review/24houranswers/ guys, plus full day at school, I almost had no free time. So this month, it's my well-deserved holiday.
 
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I started online tutoring on Wyzant. It's hard to get clients but it's an extra $100 a month for two hours. I only have one client with whom I meet once every 2 months.
 
blazer said:
These days we have several income streams. Between us my wife and I have 5 pensions paying into our bank account. I have my subbing job and also my janitor job contributing as well. Other income streams/economy measures include online consumer surveys. My other half does most of these but between us they bring in around £300 per month ($360). Also we has several shopping apps on our phones which give us lots of freebies and big reductions on groceries etc saving us around £100 per month ($120)
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Update. Since passing my 66th birthday I qualify for the government pension which is around $600 per month. In January my Wife also gets her Government pension and she will get more than me at around $700 per month. I have stopped subbing and fully retired. We still do all the surveys etc and we are both 'mystery shoppers' for the post office which brings in around $200 per year each. It all adds up.
 
I'm looking for a side hustle to earn extra money. Has anyone tried taking surveys? What was your experience? I recently signed up for Prime Opinion, and so far, it's been pretty decent. The surveys are easy to do, and they actually pay out. Not huge money, but every bit helps
 
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If you have wood working skills, you can reclaim wood from skids, and turn them into all sorts of projects, drink coasters, door stops, puzzles, coat hooks, garden stakes or anything else and sell them at street block parties, farmer's markets, online, or give them away as a gift.

If you have a green thumb, home grown tomato plants, can also be a bit of a profit, if you have compost, and the pots are reclaimed from end of the season waste.
 
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