Side Gigs to Occupy Spare Time

[tlombard]

Anybody have much experience with side jobs to make a little extra money in your spare time? Ideas? Tips?

For the past month or so I have been delivering with Postmates and Door Dash from time to time. It started as a way to just waste time when I didn't have anything else to do instead of spending money at a bar but recently it's actually become more of a habit and kind of entertaining. In the beginning I treated it like a game. Where are the hot spots, how many deliveries can I handle at once, how fast can I do them, etc. It still feels like a game but I've really stepped things up by having a driver! The girl I've been seeing for a bit volunteered her car and services as a driver. Since we teamed up last weekend, we've made over $300 in about 16 hours while using less than $15 in gas thanks to her little Chevy Spark getting such good gas mileage. With the help we can double and triple up on deliveries plus it opens up hot spots like the Loop and Clayton so much more with not having to worry about parking.

The best part about it all is that not only has it been really fun but we've gotten to know so much more about each other because of it. Somehow these deliveries just keep taking us past places that are important to us from our past. We even delivered to the apartment building directly across the street from the house she grew up in once. And we've made a few bucks on top of it all! We even delivered Chipotle to Oskar Sundqvist (Blues player and one of my favorites) on Sunday. Single bowl. No tip from him yet. I guess I have to go to a game here in the next few days with a sign to shame him into tipping on that order.

Anyway, I'm looking for more stuff like this for us to use to kill time and not even really concerned about how much money can be made (although more would be nice!). Also, I'd really be interested in any ideas as far as places you can volunteer rather easily without a lot of time commitment at least to start.

[CardsofSTL]

I signed up for Rover just because I love dogs...ended up having one regular dog that I walk every week. Its fun for both of us. And I get paid for it I think.

[wart57]

What is this "spare time" thing you speak of?

[CardsofSTL]

What is this "spare time" thing you speak of?

[wart57]

What is this "spare time" thing you speak of?

[GeddyWrox]

I have long thought about starting a gigolo service.

[CardsofSTL]

I have long thought about starting a gigolo service.

[Michael]

Given you want a fun side hustle, poker might worthwhile for you. I became a semi-pro poker player years ago, but I don't play as much as I used to. Poker is a lot of work and can be emotionally draining at times, but poker has also provided me with some of the most exciting and fun moments of my life. It can also be a fun way to meet people. Poker tables are a true melting pot.

The money is decent, depending on the stakes I average between 16-25 dollars an hour in cash. However, it's not really that good from a $$$ perspective because you have to spend time off the tables studying. Just be careful. Poker can get really expensive if you don't know what you're doing. You see a lot of the Dunning–Kruger effect. In the beginning you should spend about 10 hours studying GOOD material for every hour on the tables. Also, ideally you can "gift" yourself around a 4k bankroll to handle poker's nasty swings. Even if you're playing great sometimes you just have bad runs and you have to prepare for that. For example, In Dec I lost a 4k pot (higher stakes then you'd play at first) when I was roughly an 80% favorite. You need a bankroll to withstand heartbreakers like that.

[stlouie_lipp]

Oskar Sundqvist is European. I wouldn't be holding my breath for that tip.

[wart57]

I have long thought about starting a gigolo service.