by - Jen Glantz is an entrepreneur who has tried various side hustles during the winter months to pass the time.
- She’s made $500 this season by selling her stuff on platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Poshmark.
- Glantz suggests using skills you already have to organize someone’s home or teach local students.
When the weather gets cold, I leave the house less and more tempted to sit on the couch and be lazy. But as a full-time entrepreneur whose income fluctuates wildly from month to month, I feel guilty if I don’t make money in my free time.
Jens Glantz.
Courtesy of Daphne Youree
Over the past few years, I’ve tried a handful of different winter side hustles that not only generate extra money, but also require that I don’t spend any time outdoors. Also, many of these extra gigs can happen on the weekends so they don’t disrupt my work flow.
If you’re looking to make some extra cash during the winter months, here are five side hustles I’ve tried over the years that don’t require a lot of experience to get started.
1. Sell my stuff
Every November I sort through all the items in my apartment, from furniture to kitchen appliances, clothing and electronics, and make an inventory of what I want to sell. I then take multiple photos of each item to capture every angle, write a description of the item with all relevant details, and set a listing price based on its condition.
After that, I use resale platforms like Poshmark, which is great for clothing, or Facebook Marketplace, which is better for furniture and other items, to list the items. I often post the same items on both platforms to double visibility and increase the potential of a sale.
While this side hustle can start for free, it takes a lot of time. On weekends, I spend at least an hour taking photos of items, writing descriptions, answering inquiries, and shipping products that are sold.
In the last three months I’ve made over $500 selling my unused stuff. I made most of my money from furniture, like a desk and two chairs. Depending on the platform you use, you may have to pay a fee per sale. Poshmark charges a flat commission of $3 for sales under $15 and a 20% commission for sales over $15. Facebook Marketplace doesn’t charge anything when you make a sale.
2. Be a personal organizer
A few years ago, a woman in my neighborhood said on a community message board that she needed help organizing items in her apartment. I reached out and offered to help her store her Christmas decorations, clean out her closet, and clear out the clutter in her house. She paid me $175 for four hours of work. I didn’t have a professional background in organizing but it’s something I enjoy doing and figured if I could help her there must be other people out there who would pay me to do it.
I’ve put up flyers at local restaurants and coffee shops and told neighbors I offer this service. I set an hourly rate between $75 and $100 depending on the size of the room. I was able to book four clients during one winter season and make about $500 in total. I did this in 2019 but decided to quit in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Most people hired me because they needed an extra pair of hands and someone to do their dirty work for them, like taking garment bags to donation bins, wrapping decorations, or sorting through stacks of unopened mail.
The only investment I made in this side job was printing flyers, but if I wanted to take it to the next level I would have to build a website using a simple platform like Squarespace or Wix and host ads on social media. platforms or in local newspapers and even offered a referral fee to previous clients or neighbors who brought me business.
3. Tutoring for local students
When I moved to New York City from Florida 10 years ago, I was so shocked by the cold weather that I hardly went outside. I wanted to use my time wisely, so I started tutoring local students. Since I didn’t have a teaching degree and had never tutored before, I offered to tutor students and help them write their college essays since I had a creative writing degree and worked as a full-time copywriter.
I started by asking parents of high school students in my home if their teens needed help with this. I charged $100 for two hour-long sessions to help them write or revise their essays. I have not done any further marketing for this side business as after booking my first client this year I have only been able to book five more people through referrals. I stopped doing it because I wasn’t enjoying it that much.
If I wanted to make more money with this part-time job, I could have created a profile on tutoring sites like Tutor.com and Wyzant to list my services and prices, and had previous clients leave testimonials.
The more experience you have with a skill, such as For example, a degree in the subject, a teaching background, or a job where you apply this skill, the more tutoring jobs you can take on. In my case, it struck me that if I could make a client happy, the referrals could have been endless, which is a free way to market this side business.
4. Pet Care
Before I got my own dog, I wanted to find a way to spend time with pets and make money at the same time. I started taking care of pets on the weekends during the winter months for people going on vacation. I didn’t need any qualifications for this part-time job, and a lot of people hired me after chatting with me and learning that I’ve been around pets my entire life. I charged $50 per day and would often take care of the pet for two to three days at a time, usually keeping the pet in my apartment.
While this job required going outside when babysitting a dog, it was worth it as otherwise it was easy.
I was able to find clients by posting my services on social media, telling neighbors I was offering this, and getting friends to spread the word. I stopped doing that when I met my partner and we started traveling together more during the winter season. If I wanted to make more money with this part-time job – even all year round – I would create a profile on platforms like Wag or Rover.
5. Testing of products or websites
On the weekends when I’m on the couch and watching TV shows, I make extra money by testing products or websites, giving feedback, and taking surveys. I find these jobs through platforms like Survey Junkie, Testerup, and BetaTesting. Based on your background, you may be chosen to provide user feedback to brands or companies based on their products, apps, or websites.
While the pay for these jobs can be pretty low, ranging from free delivery of a product to $10 or more, I find it worthwhile, especially on cold winter weekends when there’s nothing else to do.
