It’s September and the kids are back at school. After a busy, activity-filled summer, stay-at-home parents can finally take a few hours off each day until it’s time to pick up the kids. With a few hours of extra time on your hands, it might be a good idea to throw in some side hustles for parents. After all, summer vacation bills are probably coming due.
There are a number of side hustles that can not only pay well, but also provide the flexibility you need so you can still make time for your children. And if you work from home, consider tax deductions for home officesif you qualify.
Here is a list of jobs that offer both income and flexibility:
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Getting paid to do other people’s laundry
In 2017, Mort Fertel’s wife, Ari, was home with their five children and buried in the laundry. Frustrated, she told him, “This is crazy. I can use an app and go to the airport, FaceTime someone halfway around the world, but I still do laundry like my grandmother.
A light bulb went on. “She was right,” Poplin CEO Fertel said in an interview with Kiplinger. “Technology has transformed every aspect of our lives, making it quick and easy, except for that one chore that takes the most time and that we hate the most. It’s actually shocking if you think about it.
That’s when they created Poplin, a nationwide laundry service that uses gig workers — mostly stay-at-home moms — to do other people’s laundry and get paid for it. Called Laundry Pros, these on-demand workers pick up, wash and deliver laundry to people in their area. Pay is $1 per pound of laundry for next day service and $2 per pound for same day service. Poplin takes 25%.
Fertel claims to have more than 100,000 laundry professionals serving a million customers. Top workers earn more than $6,000 per month. The service is present in 48 states, more than 500 cities and serves 8,000 zip codes. The average cost per load is $42 and gig workers also accept tips.
Pet care at home
If you are an animal lover, pet sitting or walking your dog can be both enjoyable and profitable. Apps like Vagabond, Stir!, Care.com, Fetch And PetSitter.com make it easy to connect with pet owners in your area.
Be an expert on demand
If you have a specialty, such as veterinary medicine, you can register as an on-call expert with Just answer. The service said its experts can earn an average of $2,000 to $7,000 per month. You get paid for every question answered via live chat.
It accepts experts in 150 categories such as veterinary medicine and animal behavior, legal, medicine, wellness, cars, boats, tax and finance, appraisals, IT and technical support, consumer electronics and heavy equipment.
Rent your swimming pool or a room in your house
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Your garden is now unused with the children going back to school and you may be starting to I regret buying a house with a swimming pool. What if you made him make money? Swim lets you rent your pool by the hour, with several listings charging between $35 and $50 per hour. Swimply has also expanded into pickleball, tennis, and basketball courts and classes.
The company takes 15% of the reservation. Hosts may charge a cleaning fee, as well as additional fees for amenities such as a hot tub or grill.
In the meantime, Airbnb has become such a common option for travelers that you don’t even need to explain what it is to most people. However, it is also increasingly competitive to list your accommodation, as many people have realized. how much you can earn by renting out your house.
One strategy is to target niche travelers such as remote workers. Offer good Wi-Fi, a work table and chair, bright lighting, a printer, unlimited coffee, and office supplies.
Rent your car
Don’t have time to become an Uber driver? You can still make money on your idle car by renting it by the hour with a group like Turo. This peer-to-peer marketplace makes sense because there isn’t always a car rental agency nearby for consumers.
This is an advantage for car owners whose wheels are in a garage. Turo also offers insurance for your car. It charges a commission of 10% to 40%.
Teach Live Online Classes
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Teach young people aged 3 to 18 on any subject that excites you. Out of school does not require a teaching certificate, but you must be at least 18 years old.
You define the program and your schedule. Engagement is done through video chat, messaging, and group chats. A commission of 30% is required.
Remote customer service
Answer customer service calls from home. There are many remote call center jobs available with pay starting at $16 per hour and up. For example, Amazon pay $16 to $35 per hour for part-time customer service jobs. Reservation.com announcement $35 to $45 per hour part-time. CVS pay $35 to $60 per hour for part-time customer service.
One source for these jobs is Indeed.com. In the search bar, type “part-time virtual customer service” to get listings.