Recent edit:11/21/2020 Changed blog title, and added a photograph of model Krystal's hairstyle with summary.
I'm a Hustler
Most of my adult life I have worked two jobs at a time. Currently I have one full-time government job, and I test the waters of pioneerism. Is there a need for a side hustle with a government job? Most definitely. Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic has caused State-wide furloughs and pay cuts. Considering this pandemic crisis there is no better time to side hustle than right now. If you want to supplement your income, or do not currently have an income, know that there is an abundance of side hustle opportunities out there. Keep your head up and continue reading to find out what I’m doing to improve my financial situation. Feel free to try any of my suggestions that might entice you.
Buying and Reselling
I recently started selling items on Facebook Marketplace, initially listing twenty items, and in less than an hour I received responses. During the first few days I haggled prices with potential buyers and scheduled multiple meet-up appointments which never came to fruition. It took several days to earn $100 through the sale of five products. My most profitable sale was a 15” Heritage Collection Pizza Stone that was in great condition. I bought the stone at the Salvation Army for ninety-nine cents and sold it to a buyer in New Mexico for $10. Shipping was paid by the buyer and Facebook provided the shipping label. I cut and refashioned a box that I already had on hand so there were zero shipping costs.
A little information about Facebook Marketplace
No sellers’ fees for listing items on sale in your local area
Free shipping to new Marketplace members
A 5% Fee, or a minimum of 40 cents, for all shipped items
Waived fees for new member on the first fifty shipped items
Locating resale items
Bubby and I love to travel and frequent antique stores, thrift stores and flea markets. We have collected a few great deals that I can now resell for a profit. I have also learned how to buy items in bulk. The Salvation Army auctions individual pallets on select days to the public and only charges a $5 entry/bid fee. Pallet bids start at $15 - $20. The best part is that you do not need a resale certificate to participate. An added bonus is that after an initial pallet purchase you can take what you want and leave the rest behind.
Goodwill also sells in bulk but requires a resale permit. The auction participation fee is higher, and you pay by the pound for what you keep. Goodwill has higher end items online at shopGoodwill.com. This platform is structured just like eBay. If you look for the “buy now” price you could find lots of great deals to flip.
Stocks, Cryptocurrency & Referrals
I have made a few stock purchases and trades on Robinhood which is a free broker trading app. There are zero fees to buy or sell stocks, ETF, and cryptocurrency. I’ve included my Robinhood link that will allow readers to get a free stock share without any obligation to buy additional shares. I also receive the equivalent stock for free. If you own a free share you can trade it after three days or cash it out in thirty days. Take advantage and be sure to share your own link for free shares. I’ve earned over $100 in free shares, and that includes these popular names: Sprint, Ford, GoPro, and Groupon. One of the highest free stock shares that I have received to date was $14 for one share of Energy Transfer (ET). Several of my stocks now pay regular dividends.
Now onto cryptocurrency or “crypto”. I once feared this virtual currency simply because I did not understand it but have now purchased crypto to hold for the long haul. I have also found ways to receive free cryptocurrency on my favorite platform, Coinbase. This site literally gives you free “crypto” just for watching short (2-3 minute) videos about various coins that you can earn by answering easy questions. Here are two of the links: Compound Coin (COMP), and Eosio EOS. There are also crypto mining faucets. The faucets drip slowly, but they drip free crypto that you can transfer to your Coinbase wallet. If you want to learn more about crypto or mining faucets be sure to visit my previous articles “Who Wants Free Crypto” and “Cryptocurrency”. You can always trade your free crypto for higher value coins like Bitcoin or try USD coin. This one pays interest, and you can transfer funds to your bank account.
Life Insurance
I receive annual residual income from life insurance policies which I wrote when I had my Life and Health licenses in Texas and California. Please Note, some insurance companies will discontinue your residual income payments after you leave the company. I allowed my licenses to expire, but now that COVID has created a panic, people are currently buying insurance policies more than ever. Sounds like it is worth carving out a few hours a week to study and reinstate my licenses. There is one other way that I benefit from life insurance without enduring a casualty. I overfund my Index Universal Life (IUL) insurance policies that I own for my loved ones. These policies have a “living benefit" which is a savings account. I overpay the premium and these accounts are structured to mirror the performance of a stock market index like the S&P 500. They offer tax free distributions, and the interest accrues and is capped at around 10%. Many
Affiliate Income
I’m actively blogging again. Having a website creates opportunities for affiliate marketing. I am an Amazon Associate Affiliate, and often place individual links to products in my articles that allow me to earn referral fees.
Future Income
Once my site achieves the high traffic and membership results that are being coaxed into existence, I will apply for Google Adsense which is when Google places relevant paid advertisements on websites and vlogs on a pay-per-click contract.
Also, our first real estate investment, “The Hive” is near completion and will be available for house sharing soon.
My Influencers
Daily, I invest time watching YouTube vloggers for inspiration and valuable lessons. The following influencers are a few of my favorite:
Dr. Lynn Richardson" One Income Stream Is Hazardous to Your Wealth"
You may or may not become filthy rich side hustling but there is money to be made. Just in case you are interested I've listed additional opportunities that I researched or considered to earn extra money:
2- AirBNB Online Experience Host: no spare room or house required
3- Become a Caregiver
4- VoiceOver- Voices.com
5- Drop shipping
6- Freelance
7- Amazon Mechanical Turk
8- Mobile laundry pick up & drop off service/ Notary/ Handyman
9- Mystery Shopper- Field Agent
11- Driving jobs: personal shopping, Rabbit, Uber, Lyft, Goshare-(pick-up truck deliveries)
12- Rent used baby gear- Babyquip.com
13- Sale crafts online:Amazon Handmade, Etsy , Shopify
14- Recycle pallets, cans, bottles
15- Clean up jobs: Maid service, pick up pet waste, trash, or clean garbage cans
16- Review Products on Youtube
17- Rent your garage, spare room or attic (Neighbor.com)
18- Tutor or teach
19- Vehicle advertisement: Wrap: Pay Me For Driving, Wrapify, or Digital: Firefly, Uber OHH
20- Virtual Assistant- Upwork
21- Braid or style hair
(Picture: I taught myself how to braid hair in my youth. The image is a recent crochet-latch hair style of mine. Modeled by my daughter Krystal. This style would normally earn between $100 - $200 ).
When I want to earn extra money, I first perform research. Next, I decide what I really want to do. Then I watch my YouTube influencers for tips and best practices. I set aside time on a regular basis to organize and write down my thoughts and income streams. If you decide to side hustle do what makes you happy and be sure to keep a positive attitude. Happy side hustling!
Disclaimer: I often share affiliate links with my awesome readers and these links allow me to receive referral bonuses. The following links are affiliate links: Coinbase, Robinhood, and Amazon Mechanical Turk. All other links are provided for information purposes and are not paid. Thank you!