Ways Americans are raising extra cash during the coronavirus pandemic
Daniel Coughlin
09 November 2020
What people are doing to stay afloat through COVID-19
A staggering 70% of Americans have been struggling to make ends meet this year and with half of the 22 million who lost their jobs during the pandemic still out of work, many are turning to alternative sources of income to scrape by. Click or scroll through some of the things people are doing to keep their heads above water.
Delivering online purchases
With online shopping booming during the pandemic, many Americans have entered the so-called 'gig economy', having signed up to deliver groceries to bolster their flagging incomes. Instacart has hired 550,000 full-service shoppers to keep abreast of the skyrocketing demand, while competitors including Amazon and Shipt have added hundreds of thousands of new independent contractor roles.
Delivering takeout food
Likewise, third-party food delivery services such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, Postmates, Grubhub, and the more upscale Caviar have enjoyed explosive growth during the pandemic, providing a lifeline for many cash-poor, time-rich Americans, but as is the case with other gig economy jobs, pay is frequently low, benefits are minimal, and employee protections tend to be scant.
Providing remote freelance services
Whether they're adept at graphic design, copywriting, digital marketing, computer programming, or any other marketable skill, people have been putting their talents to good use by freelancing. In fact, two million Americans have started freelancing in the past 12 months with many advertising their services on platforms like Fiverr and Upwork.
Working odd jobs
Out of work Americans with handyperson skills are increasingly turning to on-demand odd job platforms to generate much-needed cash. Major player TaskRabbit, which is owned by IKEA, hooks up 'Taskers' with users, who need help with furniture assembly, home repairs, running errands, and more. Its major competitors include Nextdoor, Handy, and Thumbtack.
Taking on cleaning gigs
Cleaning and janitorial services are in high demand as businesses and other organizations including hospitals and schools ramp up hygiene to adhere to CDC standards. As well as going down the traditional routes, Americans are finding cleaning work via platforms such as Housekeeper.com, ChoreRelief, and MaidsApp.
Tutoring online
E-learning has taken off big-time during the pandemic, increasing demand for online tutors. While many roles require teaching qualifications and a background in education, there are plenty of opportunities out there for those without a relevant degree or experience – language-training platforms such as Cambly and SkimaTalk for instance only require tutors to be native English speakers.
Coaching gamers online
Gaming, both on and offline, has surged this year, as has the video game coaching market with training platforms like GamerCoach, GamingCoach.GG, and Gamer Sensei enjoying unprecedented demand. Americans with the required skills have been earning good money offering classes to both novice and experienced gamers, making for a very lucrative side hustle indeed.
Renting out their driveway, garage, or parking space
Big bucks can be made renting out a driveway, garage, or parking space as many Americans are discovering during the pandemic. Location is, of course, all. The most sought-after spaces are in New York City, where driveway owners can make up to $400 a month via parking space platform SpotHero. Other leading platforms include JustPark.
Hiring out their vehicle
Instead of letting their car or truck gather dust in the garage, jobless Americans are hiring out their vehicles. The world's number one car sharing marketplace, Turo enables vehicle owners to lease their wheels, as does HyreCar, which rents them out to Uber drivers. HyreCar claims vehicle owners can make as much as $12,000 a year.
Offering online fitness classes
Though the vast majority of gyms across the country have reopened, many Americans are reluctant to renew their memberships due to health concerns. As a result, the market for online fitness classes is thriving, and those with the relevant qualifications have been supplementing their income by offering remote workout sessions through Zoom and similar apps.
Transcribing audio files
Audio transcription is a side hustle many Americans are engaging in as it calls for minimal qualifications, experience, and equipment. Potential transcribers simply need good typing skills, a computer and headphones, and a fast internet connection. The leading platforms for this sort of work include Rev, Daily Transcription, and TranscribeMe!, which pays up to $22 per audio hour.
Participating in mock trials
Mock juries are used by lawyers to give them an idea as to how real-life juries would vote on a particular case. The work can be done from home and requires zero qualifications. Mock jurors simply have to be US citizens over the age of 18. They can earn up to $60 per hour via platforms such as Virtual Jury, eJury, Resolution Research, and Online Verdict.
Completing online surveys
Another potentially lucrative side gig, filling out online surveys can provide an income of up to $1,000 per year. Needless to say, the community of internet survey takers has grown significantly during the pandemic with many cash-strapped American signing up to sites including Swagbucks, Toluna, and Branded Surveys to supplement their income.
Testing websites, apps, and products
Website, app, and product testing has developed into an entire industry. Companies and other organizations require testers to check whether their sites, apps, and products are user-friendly and many Americans are rising to the challenge, signing up to platforms such as Respondent and UserTesting, where they can earn up to $120 for a live conversation test.
Writing paid reviews
In a similar vein, many companies are more than willing to pay people hard cash to review their products and services via sites such as Review Stream, while a slew of platforms that compensate users who complete surveys also offer financial rewards for reviews. They include the aforementioned Swagbucks and Vindale Research, which pays up to $75 per write-up.
Taking part in online focus groups
Staying with market research side gigs, several companies in the field organize online focus group sessions, which actually tend to pay a lot more than online surveys and reviews. User Interviews for example offers up to $200 per session, as does FocusGroup.com, while Probe Market Research pays up to $400.
Answering questions online
Americans with expertise in anything from computing and tax to law and antiques are joining sites such as JustAnswer to make extra cash during the pandemic, answering queries from users and providing them with insider knowledge. Once vetted and verified, experts make up to $50 per answer provided.
Selling recipes online
Foodies are propping up their personal finances by selling original recipes, and with cooking from scratch super-popular due to the pandemic, demand is buoyant. Chefs have been selling recipes and/or their recipe writing skills on Etsy, as well as freelance job boards such as Fiverr and Upwork, where they can charge upwards of $200 per hour.
Offering online cookery classes
Foodies who are hungry for cash are also offering pre-recorded and on-demand cookery classes through freelance platforms such as Fiverr, putting together step-by-step videos and selling them to novice cooks for as much as $100 a pop. These remote tutorials can range from anything from how to make the most authentic Mexican recipes to the yummiest vegan desserts.
Becoming a virtual assistant
Virtual assistants are all the rage right now. Working from home, these multitasking remote workers undertake admin tasks for companies small and large, and have really come into their own during the pandemic. The average hourly rate of pay is $15.82 but can be as high as $27 according to PayScale.
Searching for unclaimed money
A whopping $42 billion lies unclaimed in the US and with so many Americans desperate for cash, many are searching for money that might be owed to them by trawling through official databases, which include their state's unclaimed property office records, multi-state databases, Department of Labor databases for unclaimed wages, and more.
Peddling their gold jewelry
The price of gold has hit record highs this year as investors flock to safe haven assets. This has prompted Americans to raid their jewelry boxes looking for unwanted gold rings, chains, pendants, and so on that they can sell to local jewelry stores, gold exchanges, and pawnbrokers, or online dealers such as Cash for Gold USA.
Selling second hand clothes
As well as peddling gold jewelry, Americans have been clearing out their closets and selling their unwanted clothing. In addition to posting their threads on general resale sites such as eBay, folks are advertising their wares on niche platforms like Tradesy and Poshmark, which specialize in designer clothing, menswear-focussed site Grailed, and Stillwhite, a marketplace for used yet pristine wedding dresses.
Offloading unwanted furniture
The furniture resale market has been flourishing during the pandemic. Platforms including Facebook Marketplace and AptDeco have seen a surge in the number of used furniture listings as Americans seek to make money offloading their unwanted sofas, chairs, tables, and so on, with mid-century modern pieces the most desirable and quick to sell.
Parting with used electronics
On top of selling off unwanted clothing and furniture, Americans have been cashing in electronics they no longer use: think spent cellphones, laptops, tablets, and game consoles. Even broken gadgets are worth something. Sites that pay top dollar for used gizmos include BuyBackWorld and ItsWorthMore.
Renting out a tent in their backyard
Yet another stark indication of just how desperate people have become to raise cash in order to make ends meet, some Americans are renting out tents in their backyards through sites like Airbnb, making as little as $20 per night.
Selling their blood
Some of the poorest and most desperate Americans have even resorted to selling their blood to get by. Donors earn between $30 and $50 a time, but up to $200 if they've previously contracted COVID-19, which has led to a worrying phenomenon whereby people have purposely exposed themselves to the virus to make extra money.
Setting up a fundraiser
When all else fails, the most destitute Americans have taken to setting up fundraisers on GoFundMe and similar platforms in a bid to survive financially. GoFundMe has even gone as far as to create a new rent, food, and monthly bills category to address the crisis and help people struggling with their basic expenses.
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