6 Summer Side Hustles That Can Help You Earn $1,000+

Food delivery has gone beyond just pizza these days. Companies like DoorDash hire drivers to deliver orders from partner restaurants. 

It’s one of the best summer side gigs you can try, says Deacon Hayes, financial expert and founder of Well Kept Wallet. 

“It’s a great way to earn $1,000 or more during the summer. You can roll down the windows and listen to music while you drive and the work is easy,” says Hayes.

DoorDash offers drivers a guaranteed minimum rate of $10 per hour but that could easily grow if you factor in tips. If you were to earn $15 an hour, working 20 hours a week you’d make $300 before taxes. After just a month of that, you’d hit the $1,000 earnings mark. 

Hayes says the best way to boost tips is by building a rapport with regular customers. 

“This makes it more likely they’ll choose you, if given an option, and tip well in the process.”

Clearing out your garage, attic or basement probably isn’t on your summer bucket list. But maybe it should be if you want to make some extra cash. 

“Have a huge clear out – wardrobes, garage, bookshelves, video games, etc. and concentrate on off-loading everything,” says Ben Taylor, founder of HomeWorkingClub.com. 

“It’s a simple hustle and anyone can do it, and you get to declutter and simplify your life at the same time.”

If you’re looking for places to sell your items, here’s a short list:

• eBay 
• Amazon
• Chegg and BookScouter (for books)
• GameStop (for video games and gaming equipment)
• DeCluttr
• Craigslist
• LetGo
• Facebook marketplace groups

Look offline for places to sell as well. Thrift stores, consignment shops, antique shops, flea markets, used bookstores – all of these could be a gold mine for selling unwanted items that are still in good condition. Better yet, you can score an easy $1,000. 

Teaching yoga to kids over the summer is a good way to find your zen – and extra dollars. 

Getting certified to teach yoga may be easier than you think. Take it from Robyn Parents, the founder of Pretzel Kids. This growing kids yoga company offers a self-paced, fast-track online yoga instructor certification for moms, fitness fanatics and others interested in teaching yoga to kids. 

“In the summertime, our teachers work at summer camps, as well as teach classes in parks and recreational programs,” Parents says. 

“They also lead birthday parties, perhaps the most lucrative opportunity as they can typically charge $300 or more per party.” 

Getting certified in just 10 hours and booking one party per week over the summer could easily earn you $1,000 or more. And if it turns out yoga is your true love, it’s a summer side hustle that can carry over to fall. Just think: You could grow your kids yoga business substantially by teaching after-school classes, preschool classes or getting teaching gigs at your local recreation center or gym. Of course, you can also continue running Pretzel Kids birthday parties around your schedule. 

While dog moms and dads go on vacation, they may not always take their four-legged friends along. Boarding dogs is one option but hiring a dog walker or pet sitter can be less stressful for pets and their owners. This is a prime opportunity to make some money over the summer.

You can offer your services as a dog walker or pet sitter directly to people you know or advertise locally. Setting up a profile through a site like Rover is another option.

Rover connects dog owners with people in their local area who can care for them. According to the company’s website, you can earn up to $1,000 month, just for keeping someone else’s pets company. You’ll need to apply and pass a background check to get approved as a Rover sitter but once you’ve done that, you can start booking doggie playdates. 

If you have a good grasp of English, you could spend hot summer days sharing that knowledge with kids online. Companies like VIPKID connect English tutors with children in other countries who want to learn the language. 

“This is an amazing side hustle because you get to set your own hours, you can work as little or as much as you want,” says Amanda Kolbye, a digital nomad who helps other people work online and build businesses.  

According to the VIPKID website, the minimum pay per 30-minute tutoring session starts at seven dollars, but you can also earn incentives to boost your earnings. If you qualify to be a VIPKID teacher, it’s possible to make anywhere from $14 to $22 an hour tutoring through the site. 

So, cutting grass in the heat may not be ideal but you can bet homeowners aren’t eager to tackle it either. You can save them the trouble by offering to cut grass or do light landscaping work as a summer side hustle. 

Similar to offering dog walking or petsitting services, you can reach out to people directly. Or, you could market your services through an online company like GreenPal. This company connects people who need their yard tended with vendors in their local area who provide lawn care services.

“Many of our lawn care vendors are part-timers,” says Zach Hendrix, GreenPal co-founder. 

“Some are firemen, some are teachers that use our app in the summer to make extra money, others are college students that work afternoons and weekends, and it’s the perfect way for them to make extra money.” 

According to Hendrix, the average vendor makes around $55 per hour mowing lawns on the side. You could earn more or less, depending on how much you bid for jobs and whether the bids are accepted. 

These are just a few ways you can make an extra $1,000 or more over the summer. And as you’re making money to supplement your paychecks, think about what you plan to do with it. 

“To use your side hustle money to the best advantage, I would first eliminate debt. If you don’t have debt, start an emergency fund and invest for your future,” says Hayes at Well Kept Wallet.

So tell us, are you planning to start a side hustle for summer? And if so, how will you maximize your new-found cash?

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