Do It, Do It

So this is Part 2 of the Side Hustle round up. For this part, the focus will be on hybrid jobs- those that you can get online but that require real world effort. This will include jobs allocated by apps- such as Lyft- and more artistic venues- like Etsy.

App jobs are the big boom here lately. The first major two being Uber and Lyft which allow you to whistle up a random stranger and get in their car.

YOU could be that stranger! From my understanding, Lyft seems to be the preferred company to work for as far as worker satisfaction goes. Due to number of users however, Uber drivers tend to make more money. The popular way to use these apps is to drive for both services so that you are able to pick the better paying trip nearest you. Forbes has a pretty good article discussing the pros and cons of both companies.
For these jobs you will need:

A) a car (duh) that is clean and has enough space for passengers- the type of fares you get will be determined by the car you have
B) a driver's licence
C) car insurance
D) to pass a background check
E) Android or IOS phone
F) 21-23 year of age (depending on state)

A somewhat newer app job on the scene is Shipt, which is a way for customers to order groceries and have them delivered to their home in no less than an hour. As a shopper, you will go to the customer's store of choice and grab all their goodies, making substitutions for items not in stock, and texting them questions as needed. You are paid per trip as well as tips for a job well done. I myself am in the process of getting hired and have completed the online interview. So far the company seems friendly and fun to work for. There is an emphasis on delivery with a smile and excelling in customer service along with critical thinking when it comes to making decisions on the groceries. (such as "The customer has requested 1 pound of brand X free-range ground turkey meat, there are two packages of brand X remaining, one for 0.92 pounds or another for 1.03 pounds- which do you buy?"). I will post more about working for the company if I am hired.

This job is appealing if you want the flexibility of an app job but not the hassle of transporting several people (likely drunk) all over town. And as an extra bonus, all Shipt workers get a free membership to get their own groceries delivered. They do require proof of insurance and a virtual job interview, if you pass the initial qualifications- they will email you requesting additional information for the background check. If you live in the Mobile, AL area, they are currently taking applications for when they go live in the there.
Shipt requires:

A) a car 15 years old or newer
B) a driver's licence
C) car insurance
D) to pass a background check
E) insulated grocery bag or cooler
F) that you wear a Shipt t-shirt while working (will be provided when hired)
G) that you are able to lift 25 pounds
F) IOS 8 or Android 4.4.2 minimum phone
G) 18 years of age

Another type of hybrid job is order based. Websites like Esty allow you to post your crafts and sell them all over the world! Most post a hodge-podge of things they've bought and things they create but if you are crafty, you can make moolah. I can't really post any stats on this as prices for items are self-determined but I will say to post a few things to sniff out demand as you could have a hot-seller or a dud.
Etsy requires:

A) stuff to sell
B) internet access
C) ability to mail said stuff intact

Lastly, if you are so lucky as to have access to a 3D printer, you can post your machine on 3D Hubs and those who have items to print can pay you to print and ship them. Again, stats are difficult to give as price can vary person to person and by distance and material but most orders range in the 2-3 digits.
3D Hub Requires:

A) 3D printer of a reasonable quality (If you built it yourself, you must provide a micron quality)
B) a computer
C) 3D modeling software
D) 3D slicing software
E) ability to mail printed objects intact


Questions? Comments? Anything I missed? Say so below!

Do The Hustle

I've spoken before on the ability to make a bit of spare change in your spare time by doing little jobs here and there online. Since then, a new term and quite a few more opportunities have sprung up to make a some cash (legally). That term is now- the "Side Hustle".

This post is going to focus on digital-only jobs, for jobs that force you out of your comfy computer cave- see my upcoming post "Do It! Do It!"(Yes that title is dumb, yes that is the only other lyric in that song, and yes, I obsess about sticking with a theme)

Now the jobs I spoke of before were of the chump change variety. ChaCha paid ~$0.02/question depending on your role. Notice my use of the past tense there. The CEO has rather recently run off to Hawaii leaving the few remaining Expediters high and dry (and the last of their earnings unpaid). I myself was lucky enough to have given up on working with them before the end. While I made a decent amount of money at first, the number of questions coming in gradually started to taper off. Only to be expected with the rise of the smartphone.

Amazon Mechanical Turk is still going strong. Recently, many of the jobs are coming from rewards apps farming out the many many photos of receipts submitted to prove that an incentive item was purchased. Those jobs have been paying from $0.05- $0.15 per hit with bonuses for extra long receipts. Pinterest has been using AMT as well, listing jobs that are about checking that groups of pins are related, or for what category a pin falls under. Those are paying about $0.20-$0.40 per hit. The highest paying per hit (that are legit) tend to be the psychology surveys by various universities. They can pay $1-$2 per hit! But the better your qualifications, the better jobs there are available to you. So if you get better qualifications than myself, your experience could be different. While I doubt anyone could make a living off Turking, I still think it's a handy way to make a little cash in your spare time, between classes, in waiting rooms, or while vegging on your computer.

Audio transcribing is also a good way to make a buck. If your skills include listening and typing- give it a go! You need to have a good grasp of the language in which you are transcribing- able to read and write on at least a high school level. The more extensive your vocabulary the better. Most websites will require you to take a basic grammar test before letting to take a crack at the audio. I also recommend having a reasonable quality headset for listening. Built in computer speakers really are not adequate in my experience. Sound-isolating headphones are best. Obviously don't run out and drop a $100 bill on a pair of headphones if you don't already have a pair but if you can snag a a pair for about $20 and are going to transcribe a couple times a week, they would make for a good investment.

Wanna transcribe? Try it HERE

On the prospect of writing, there's innumerable opportunities to write online. You could do like me and write a blog. (I returned from my long hiatus to find that I had accumulated almost $30 in ad revenue, not bad considering my low traffic). Blogger has been an excellent platform to work with but there's plenty of other sites to use. You can also freelance articles for established websites like Cracked which is always looking for new funny people to generate laughter and likes for them.

If you have a good grasp of the rules of language but aren't really the creative type, perhaps proofreading is for you. If you're a student, you understand how valuable a second set of eyes can be. (And if you read the comments section of any website, you know that proof reading is sorely needed!) A website that comes highly recommended (though I've not used it myself) is Fiverr.

And if you are the creative type and you aren't shy with a camera, YouTube might be for you. Like Blogger, you can monetize your videos with ads. So long as your video gets plenty of views- you can get paid. Now, bear in mind that it takes a LOT of views to make a decent chunk of change. Pro Tubers invest a lot of time, energy, and capital into their videos. The polished look of the videos uploaded by the likes of Hillywood, Cute Polish, and CinemaSins does not happen in one take or without skill. That isn't to say your videography on stinky cheeses cultured from human bacteria won't get watched, just that you shouldn't expect to become a millionaire from something that looks like found footage. Except for ya know when that happens with horror movies.

Welp, this post grows long and my eyelids grow weary (please forgive any late night typos!). Part 2 should be ready for public consumption later this week. Farewell, my savvy savers!

So, It's Been Awhile...

Wow, to be honest I somewhat forgot about this blog. I had been planning to revamp it a while back ("Guess Who's Back" post) and then life happened- as it does.

Quite a lot has occurred in my life in the interim. I'm not currently enrolled, although I have yet to graduate. Heath and financial issues are mostly to blame- along with a bad case of inertia on my part. I had a hard time justifying tuition when I still am not certain what I want to pursue as a career.

I am hoping to return to school soon, (partially why I remembered "hey, don't I have a blog?") though I haven't decided if I will continue my former major or not. But I have become employed at a software company full time (as opposed to my retail job of the past 6 years) that offers tuition reimbursement offering me a compelling reason to return. There's still the issue of fitting my classes around work, but at least there's set hours that I will be working as opposed to working any time of day for any number of hours, potentially at the drop of a hat. Plus I have Paid Time Off now! Still wrapping my head around the concept of not going to work and still getting paid.

I am also in the process of buying a house. OMG it is stressful and annoying! It would probably be a lot easier if I wasn't buying it by myself. The financial world is hella against the single ladies. Last couple of years I have been living with my sister and her bf and paying him rent money, so I haven't had to deal with bills in a while. That combo'd with my recent uptick in income meant that I haven't been couponing as hard as I used to.

The Stingy Student is going to reassert herself quite soon. In a way, she has already, I'm saving up for my down payment right now and every time I think of spending a dime she smacks my hand. Helpful, but a smidge annoying.

So, if I have any readers left at this point, hey- it's nice to see ya. I'm going to be posting new and awesome ways to handle your fledgling finances. Very likely, a bunch of stuff about my house buying experience as well. So TTFN, see ya again soon.