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Weekend Side Hustles: Best Ways to Earn Extra Money

byPortrait photo of Nadia Shostak
10 min. read
Last updated
Man holding a wad of cash to the right, with a title card to the left with the text "Weekend side hustles: Bests ways to earn extra money" and a money bag, coins, cash cartoon graphic at the bottom. All against a bright orange background.

Looking to secure your finances? Weekend side jobs are a great way to boost your earnings, gain control of your money, and create new opportunities.

From working a weekend side job that eventually becomes a business, to simply unlocking quick cash from the easiest and best weekend side hustles, there’s something for everyone.

Who Are Weekend Side Hustles Best For?

Weekend cash jobs are ideal for anyone with time and a desire to earn, particularly:

People with full-time weekday jobs

You want to hustle and you’ve got the energy to do it! Max out your free time with weekend side jobs that boost your earnings, and potentially grow your own business and work for yourself in time.

Students with weekdays packed

Whether your student week is packed with study or solid partying, it makes sense to boost your cashflow Sat to Sun with weekend side jobs. Even better, they look great on your CV.

Stay-at-home parents needing extra income

Ever heard a stay-at-home parent say they didn’t need any extra cash? Me neither. Easy weekend jobs that are worked from the sofa are great for making use of baby nap time.

Anyone who wants to test new skills or passions before fully committing

Many Americans are taking the plunge and building their side gigs into full-time businesses. Weekend gigs allow you to develop new skills or pursue passions (that you monetize) with the security of your full-time job income.

In today’s uncertain economy, it makes sense to have multiple income streams. A cash-boosting passion project or weekend cash job has the potential to grow.

18 of The Best Weekend Side Hustle Ideas

There are so many ways to benefit from weekend side jobs! These are some ideas to get you started.

OpportunityEstimated EarningsFlexibility LevelSkill Requirements
Find jobs at weekend events$15–$30/hourHighGood communication, punctuality, reliability.
Become a fitness trainer$25–$100/hourMedium to HighCertification, fitness knowledge, people skills
Sell Goods At a Farmers' Market or Craft Fair$100–$1,000+/eventHigh (seasonal)Craft skills, sales skills
Sit pets or walk dogs$15–$40/hourHighLove for animals, reliability
Use easy cash apps like Scrambly$1–$20/day (varies widely)Very HighVery little!
Work as a tour guide$20–$50/hour + tipsMediumLocal knowledge, public speaking, reliability
Become a public notary$25–$100 per appointmentMediumCertification
Mystery Shop$10–$50/assignmentHighObservation, report writing
Sell or resell$100–$1,000+/monthHighResearch, marketing, sourcing products
Make use of driving skillsv$15–$35/hour (e.g., Uber, DoorDash)Very HighDriver’s license, clean record, reliable vehicle
Work as a DJ$200–$1,000+/eventMedium to LowEquipment and skills
Become a brand ambassador$15–$40/hourMediumOutgoing personality, brand knowledge
Serve or bartend$15–$40/hour (including tips)MediumCustomer service
House sit$25–$100/dayHighTrustworthiness, basic skills
Develop a YouTube channel$0–$1,000+/month (varies widely)Very HighVideo editing, creativity, consistency
Offer part-time nannying or babysitting$15–$30/hourHighChildcare experience, CPR (recommended)
Start a Business$0–$UnlimitedVariableEntrepreneurial mindset, industry-specific skills
Freelance$20–$150+/hour (depending on field)Very HighFunctional skills in delivery area

1. Find jobs at weekend events

Work at event-based gigs for $15–$30/hour, and grow your CV as you earn. Become a wedding photography assistant, join a catering firm, or join the casual staff at your local events venue.

Most of these businesses need flexible staff to cover weekends for the Monday-Friday crew, so you’ll need to be able to work set hours, with long shifts. Most train on the job.

2. Become a fitness trainer

Work as a fitness coach or personal trainer and earn $25–$100/hour. Love working out? Got expertise in Crossfit, spin, Yoga or Hyrox? Teach classes at your local gym, start a boot camp in the park or coach remotely online.

Weekend fitness or personal trainer jobs are fun and flexible, and they’re typically structured due to client schedules. You’ll need to be certified from an accredited organization like the American Council of Exercise.

American Council of Exercise homepage featuring smiling fit men and women working in fitness roles in the community. The main image shows a young woman wearing a red sports vest and headphones, looking intently forward against a blue sky.

3. Sell Goods At a Farmers' Market or Craft Fair

Sell handmade goods at a farmers’ market or craft fair and earn $100–$1,000+ per event.

The best weekend side hustles are also fun, and you’ll certainly benefit from social interaction and a festival vibe at these outdoor events.

Use your skills to make soaps, cakes, beauty products, cordials, gifts or candles. Expect to work to the market hours for set-up and packing-away.

4. Pet sit or dog walk

If you love animals, earn $15–$40/hour from dog walking or pet sitting. These weekend side jobs are highly in demand at the weekend. Create a profile on Rover, Wag!, or Fetch! Pet Care and carefully optimize it to show in local search results.

Wag signup page for walkers, featuring circular shapes with smiling men and women, against a blue green gradient background. White text and a signup box in pale gray with a QR code.

5. Use easy cash apps

Make money from the sofa with easy cash apps, earning $1–$20 a day. These weekend side jobs from home require no skills and little effort but earn you easy money simply by playing games, completing surveys and watching ads.

Try Scrambly, SwagBucks and Rakuten, or FreeCash. With Scrambly you cash out after $1! These easy cash apps are ideal for earning $$$ when you are waiting for appointments, standing in line, or generally killing time on something else.

Scrambly.io graphic showing animated cartoon fox in orange and white with black facial accents, dancing in a cloud of spinning golden coins, against a dark backdrop with hazy game icons.
Start earning with Scrambly today - for free!

6. Work as a tour guide

If you live near a city or a place of visitor interest, why not work as a weekend tour guide and earn $20–$50/hour + tips? This weekend earner is fun, sociable and interesting and it gets you outdoors.

You’ll need to be (or become) a subject matter expert in the tour and a confident speaker. Find jobs with local companies or venues.

7. Become a public notary

Earn $25–$100 per appointment as a public notary. Notary signing agents witness and sign important documents. You’ll need to train, take exams and pay fees. The National Notary Association is a good starting point for state requirements.

Around 30% of part-time self-employed notaries earn over $1,000 a month, making this one of the best weekend side hustles for earnings!

National Notary Association image via https://www.linkedin.com/company/nationalnotaryassociation/ an office table covered in colorful notary training books, and a young female hand holding a pen and writing on a pad.

8. Mystery Shop

Earn $10–$50 per assignment and socialise with mystery shop weekend side jobs. Apply at Market Force, BestMark, IntelliShop, and Confero.

The best mystery shoppers take detailed reports and quality photos. Great work wins you more jobs! No skills or experience are required.

Bestmark ‘become a shopper’ landing page featuring purple/blue gradient header with white text overlay and a background image of a woman shopping, plus main section image of smiling young woman in yellow jacket, completing a shopping transaction.

9. Sell or resell

Sell your own things or resell for others with dropshipping and earn flexible cash of $100–$1,000+ a month.

There are so many ways to sell as a weekend side hustle. Sell unwanted clothing at a closet sale, start an e-commerce business or work in Amazon dropshipping. Only entrepreneurial skills are needed in this area!

10. Make use of your driving skills

If you’re a good driver with your own transport, work your skills to earn $15–$35 an hour.

Good driving-based weekend side jobs include Uber or taxi driving, UberEats, or DoorDash for food deliveries, junk removal or courier driving for other businesses.

Doordash ‘dasher’ sign up landing page with pale yellow background, burgundy contrast, and an impact featuring a middle aged smiling man in a pale blue polo shirt and jeans carrying a red DoorDash bag.

11. Work as a DJ

If you love late nights, parties and socialising, the best weekend side hustles include DJing at $200–$1,000+ per event. You’ll need to have your own equipment and know how to use it.

You’ll need storage space too for your sound system, turntables and mixers. Check copyright rules and advertise your services locally for weddings, parties and events. Your local network is a great referral source.

12. Become a brand ambassador

Earn $15–$40 per hour and work as a brand ambassador for weekend side hustles from home! Remember those tupperware parties your mom used to go to? Network marketing is huge in the USA.

Find your chosen brand in a niche that you love, and host parties at your home, or at the homes of others’, working as a host. Spa products, fitness brands and beauty are all big niches.

Herbalife homepage for ambassadors, with white text on grey gradient backdrop and large hero image of a chocolate protein shake being poured into glasses from a large blender jug, on a wooden worktop.

13. Serve or bartend

Serve or bartend for $15–$40 an hour (including tips). Venues always need bartenders and food service staff at the weekend, so cash in and enjoy flexible hours with a social element.

Expect to work late, but look forward to those tips! Bar experience and customer service skills are valuable but you can learn on the job.

14. House sit

Housesit for $25–$100 a day (and potentially double up earnings with easy cash app income or freelancing from the sofa!)

Housesitting jobs are great weekend side gigs because demand peaks as people travel. Stay in client homes and take care of the pets, plants, mail and small jobs.

Register on websites such as MindMyHouse and Trusted Housesitters or get started through word of mouth recommendations from friends and family.

MindMyHouse homepage with orange header and orange CTA buttons, plus a cute illustration of a bird in an orange bird box, holding a key. Pale blue background with clouds.

15. Develop a YouTube channel

Consider weekend side jobs from home such as YouTube content creation and earn $0–$1,000 a month as you grow your channel. Simply make fun and creative videos for your target audience in your spare time.

Content creators earn through ad income, affiliate marketing deals, sponsorships and Patreon over time.

YouTube Creators homepage with busy grid layout of creators and colorful graphical design elements. White background, black YouTube branding and text. Large YouTube red logo.

16. Offer part-time nannying or babysitting

Earn $15–$30/hour as a part-time babysitter. People love going out at the weekend so babysitting weekend side jobs are in demand.

Have CPR and first aid and build your reputation for trusted, reliable work. Register at Care.com or Sittercity, or advertise your services locally on Facebook and on jobs boards.

SitterCity homepage with a young woman wearing an orange top, holding a baby in a cream blanket. Green background with a white graphic design element, and white / burgundy sign up boxes.

17. Start a Business

Some of the best weekend side hustles have potential to grow into businesses. Consider a franchise as a way to invest in a high-potential business with a proven model and system.

Look online for franchising opportunities and do your research carefully. There are many franchises that let you work part-time and with hours that suit you. Some have very low investment levels.

18. Freelance

Freelance at weekends to earn $20–$150+ per hour (depending on field) with your skills.

These include any chargeable service from graphic design to bookkeeping. Look at sites such as PeoplePerHour and Upwork. Just be mindful of any conflicts of interest with your primary job.

PeoplePerHour homepage with animated video background, paused on still of a young man looking at a screen and holding his earbuds. White text overlay and white CTA box with orange contrast branding.

How Much Can You Earn with Weekend Hustles?

The amount you earn with weekend side jobs depends on the type of earner you choose and the amount of time and effort you put into it.

For example, some jobs may be paid at the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, especially in part-time services or frontline customer service jobs.

Other weekend side hustles earn far more, especially if you have marketable skills that are in demand. For example, coders earn $40 an hour on platforms such as DataAnnotation.

Different factors affect how much you earn with weekend side hustles. These include location, effort, the time you put in and your skill level.

Skills develop over time with effort and strategic investment in training. With the right weekend side gigs your earnings and income potential will grow too.

Tips to Make the Most Money on Weekends

These tips will help you maximize your weekend side hustle earnings.

  • Combine multiple gigs for a higher income: for example, if you’re using quick cash apps or surveys for easy weekend jobs, download multiple apps and check them daily.
  • Schedule your time carefully to avoid burnout. It’s very tempting to work every hour available, but counterproductive if you end up exhausted!
  • Build repeat clients or referrals to make it easier to generate ongoing work.

3 Mistakes to Avoid with Weekend Side Hustles

To get the most from your weekend side jobs, avoid these mistakes.

1. Overcommitting and burning out

If you already work a main job in the week, don’t risk over-working and burning out for your ‘regular’ employed job. Seek balance and schedule rest and downtime.

2. Not tracking expenses and tax implications

Check your tax liabilities when you start your weekend side hustle.

3. Falling for “easy money” scams

The internet, especially, is full of “fast money” scams. Avoid them at all costs and follow good practices to safeguard yourself.

For example, check trustmarks, look for quality marques and reputable payment platforms, read reviews, and search gov databases for legitimacy etc.

Never hand over money to a platform, or pay for the “chance to upgrade your earnings”. Err on the side of caution at all times.

USA.gov/scams-and-fraud landing page featuring a background image of a woman wearing a red and brown striped top and holding her smartphone. Illustrative white graphics float above. Dark blue text box.
IRS landing page for side hustle workers with information about tax registration. Black text on white background with dual blue shades in the main header menu bar, and language translation links.

How to Get Started This Weekend: 10 Steps

Starting a weekend job is quick and easy with a plan. Try these steps:

Area of workDecide if you’re looking for easy cash jobs (such as fast cash apps), or more involved weekend side gigs that turn into business opportunities or sustainable earners.
InvestmentWork out what your investment level is, and if you’ll need to invest in kit, training or physical products.
TransportFactor in your transport availability and geographical area, or look online for remote work.
TimeKnow how much time you want to devote to your weekend side hustle plans.
BalanceConsider the balance of work against your family, social and leisure time, particularly if you already work in the week.
SafetyHave a safety protocol in place, especially for in-person jobs that involve night work.
FunConsider looking for weekend side jobs that add a social or fun element, so you get to combine different benefits alongside cash earnings.
ApproachStart small, test the waters and see what works for you. Refine your approach as you go!
TaxKeep a record of your cash earnings and remember to check your tax liabilities.
Pride!Be proud of your hard work and commitment to securing your finances!

Where to find weekend cash jobs quickly

Be creative to find weekend side hustles quickly and without spending money. For example, look at:

  • Side hustle gig apps
  • Local bulletin boards (digital and physical—look in grocery stores, community hubs etc.)
  • Local news (sign up to community newsletters and read local newspapers)
  • Facebook groups
  • Online jobs boards
  • Quick earning apps
  • Friends and family
  • Simply asking around your network
Indeed USA weekend jobs search, with blue and black text on white background, with grey search boxes. McDonald’s advert for weekend shirts with brand golden yellow and red/yellow McDonald’s ‘golden arches’ graphic.

How to prepare for weekend side-gigs

Maximize your available productive time for weekend side jobs by being prepared. This keeps you focused and ready to go. Prep in the week so you’re ready to hit the ground running come Friday night!

  1. Kit yourself with the necessary supplies
  2. Keep your online profiles up to date, complete them fully, and optimize with relevant keywords for search
  3. Set realistic goals for your earnings
  4. Regularly check and reply to queries, reviews and leads
  5. Monitor and track your earnings for tax purposes.
  6. Review your safety plan: is your smartphone charged, do you have emergency cash and supplies, are your vehicle wheels safe, does a trusted contact know your shift hours etc.
  7. Regularly check in with yourself, and ask “is this working for me?”
  8. Take care of your other needs, including adequate food, rest, social time, exercise and relaxation with loved ones.

Weekend Side Hustles: Conclusions on the Best Ways to Earn Extra Money

With so many ways to earn extra money with weekend side jobs and gigs, the world’s your oyster for boosting those finances!

Weekend side gigs offer many opportunities that go beyond basic earnings. You might even discover a new career or a side gig that evolves into a full-time business.

Use the ‘plan, do, review’ approach to experimenting with these earning opportunities and see which ones best fit your goals and lifestyle. Have fun!

Portrait photo of Nadia Shostak
Written by Nadia Shostak

Content Writer

Marketer with 10 years of experience, Nadia brings her expertise as a social media and community manager, as well as a seasoned content writer with a Master’s degree in Marketing. She joined Scrambly in 2023, combining her professional skills with a personal passion for side hustles, investments, and the world of earning money online. When she’s not exploring new ways to help others monetize their skills and time, Nadia dabbles in mobile gaming, keeping a finger on the pulse of the casual and competitive gaming space. On Scrambly’s blog, she shares actionable insights, tips, and strategies to help readers make the most out of their online earning opportunities.

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