The offers and details on this page may have updated or changed since the time of publication. See our article on Business Insider for current information.
Affiliate links for the products on this page are from partners that compensate us and terms apply to offers listed (see our advertiser disclosure with our list of partners for more details). However, our opinions are our own. See how we rate products and services to help you make smart decisions with your money.
Courtesy of Jen Glantz
A while back, I found myself spending a few weekends sitting at home doing nothing. I didn't have any plans, and I wondered to myself if I could turn those boring weekends into money-making opportunities that add a little room to my budget.
The answer was yes — it was just a matter of what side hustles I wanted to say yes to. I decided to hunt for a mix of potential gigs, and ultimately found four side hustles that I want to try out. I calculated that some of them could potentially net me an extra $1,000 during just one weekend.
After hearing about how people rent out their space and their stuff to make extra cash, I've been finding myself eyeing my apartment and seeing dollar signs.
While I live in a one-bedroom apartment, I can rent it out to people who are looking to stay for the weekend by listing it on AirBnB for $300 a night, which seems to be the going rate for an apartment my size and in my location. If someone rents it out for four nights, I'd earn over $1,000.
There are other options, too. I can rent out my space to be used for photoshoots or small events on Peerspace and charge $200 an hour with a five-hour minimum.
I can even put a chunk of my space on Neighbor, which lets you rent out your space for people to use as storage. Depending on how long people want to store their boxes or items, I think I can earn a couple of hundred dollars a month.
I recently needed to hire a pet sitter for my dog and found myself paying $100 for the day. That got me thinking that a good weekend side hustle could be pet sitting on the weekend.
If I watched a dog for three days, at the rate of $100 a day, I'd make $300. With the help of my partner, we could even watch three or four dogs a weekend to make $1,000 in extra cash for my savings account.
To get started, I plan to put up a profile on Rover, a dog walking and watching app, and Pet Sitter, a website to find someone to watch your pet.
Related: A comprehensive guide to earning passive income »
I have years of experience working weddings through my own company. I still do that, but there are some weekends when I'm not fully booked. I can put up a profile on The Knot or even Thumbtack offering my services as an event planner, event coordinator, or assistant to other vendors.
Based on what kind of help is needed, I could charge $500 an event for about four hours of help, and potentially make over $1,000 if I do two or three events per weekend.
If you want to get into the event world, think of a skill you have that could be helpful to a person planning an event, like being an assistant, photographer, or DJ, and create a profile on an event-based site like GigSalad.
On weekends when I don't have any plans and want to spend quality time on my couch, I plan to accept more freelance jobs.
I'm going to create a profile on Upwork, which is a spot where people or businesses can hire freelancers to complete projects for them. Tapping into my writing, digital marketing, and strategy skills, I could make more than $1,000 a weekend taking on projects for clients.
If you want to get into freelancing, first think of two or three skills that you are knowledgeable about — or an expert in. After that, you can create a profile on a freelancing website, set competitive rates, and sort through potential gigs from prospective clients.
This article was originally published in February 2022.
