The so-called ‘gig economy’ is thriving as more Americans make the transition from 9-to-5 employment to the freedom of freelancing. One of the primary attractions of choosing to work within the gig economy is the flexibility of work schedules.
According to a recent study, around 8% of Americans reported earning some income using the digital platform economy in the past 12 months.
The freedom to pick and choose your own working hours means it’s also the ideal vocation for earning money in your spare time, on weekends, or even around your travel plans.
What Is The Gig Economy?
The Pew Research Center refers to gig work as the ‘digital platform economy’. Various digital platforms have sprung up in recent years that match workers with people needing tasks completed.
Common types of online gigs available include data entry, transcribing, freelance writing, or answering online surveys. However, there are also lots of service-oriented gigs to choose from among some of the digital gig platforms, including Uber driving, delivery or shopping, cleaning, selling handcrafted items, dog walking, website development, or graphic design.
Finding Freelance Gigs
Whether your goal is to earn some extra money to pay down debts faster (click here to learn more about reducing debts quickly), or fund your lifestyle while you travel, the key is to choose the right gigs to suit your schedule and your needs.
If your goal is simply to earn a few extra dollars each week, choose simple tasks you can complete in your spare time. Sites such as Spare5 or Mechanical Turk pay a few cents per task, but it’s possible to earn $40 or $50 in extra cash by completing simple little tasks.
Survey sites like Swagbucks, MyPoints, InboxDollars or RewardsCentral also give you the opportunity to earn extra cash by completing surveys, offering your opinion, watching videos or finishing quick tasks each day. You won’t earn a huge income using these sites, but they’re ideal for earning some extra cash each month while you’re sitting on the sofa or riding the bus or subway anyway.
If your goal is to earn enough cash to pay your way while you travel, you’ll need to look for more substantial freelance gigs that offer you the freedom to fit work around your plans. Freelance writing sites such as Content Gather or Constant Content allow you to write articles or blog posts on almost any topic you want. Upload your completed piece to the marketplace, set your prices and wait for a buyer to purchase your work.
If you’re a keen photographer who takes stunning photos during your travels, you could earn extra money selling your pictures. Sites like Shutterstock or Alamy or iStockPhoto pay freelance photographers royalties on photos downloaded by customers.
There are plenty of freelancing gigs available that allow you to pick and choose how you want to earn money. The key is to choose the type of gigs that give you the freedom to work and earn money around your travel plans.
