Raising children can be costly. Clothing, food, school, medicine, and more. They are essentially just like us adults, except they can’t necessarily provide for themselves quite yet. This can put a lot of pressure on parents, especially when the bills start piling up. It’s hard to take on two jobs without worrying about how much time you’ll have left to actually spend time with your children or even get a breather. In this case, it could be a good option to take on some side gigs that aren’t quite as demanding as another full-time job but still provide some added income.
There are a lot out there to choose from, depending on your skillset, but here are some of the most viable options to consider.
Simple Construction
If you’re handy with this kind of stuff, you can offer simple repairs and jobs around the neighbourhood. Of course, this would only be viable if you have the tools, know-how, and construction safety materials required to do a job properly. It’s also important to note that this would only apply to simple tasks, as anything too grand would require permits, licenses, coding, and all of that stress that you may not even be up for. Otherwise, if you’re good with some power tools, why not fix that table for the lady down the block or help the guy next door build a sturdy shed? With some effort, you’ve got yourself some extra dough.
Online freelancing
This is a good option if you’ve got a baby that you really need to keep an eye on and can’t necessarily leave alone (especially if you can’t afford to have a babysitter at the moment). There are different jobs available to try online, from proofreading, editing, content writing, digital art, and more. This really depends on what skills you’re confident in or what avenue you’re willing to learn in. You can stay at home and still get some income-generating stuff done without sacrificing your requirement to be present with the kids. You can even check out other options like Task Rabbit, though that usually requires you to go out of the home once you’ve booked a gig.
Tutoring or coaching
If there’s a certain topic you feel well-versed in, this is a viable option for you. Be it subjects in schools like math or PSLE English or a sport like basketball or football; there are always kids out there who need a little more guidance to hone their craft (or learn better). Statistics show that over half of households are willing to pay for tutoring sessions if it comes up with visible results. Most parents end up getting satisfied, even with a slight increase in grades or improved activity. It also helps the child develop more motivation and discipline.
The good thing about this is, as long as you can pass some assessments online to show that you are good at the field you’re planning to tutor on, you don’t necessarily need to have an education degree. As long as you finished high school and you’re good at helping others learn, this is a good path to try.
Buy and sell
This is one thing that can really boom if you do it strategically and with some patience. Of course, you would have to start small. Still, if you’re able to establish credibility with customers and get items that are actually in demand, it can be a nice supplementary income on the side. For this, you have to scour around for products that are valuable but still in good condition (even if you may have to spruce it up a bit), check if they are being sold for lower than they could be sold, then snatch it up.
The thing here is that it’s only valuable if you are actually able to sell off those items with some added profit; otherwise, it could be a financial bleeder.
Ridesharing or delivery
These days, online food delivery has increased a lot, and with the pandemic of 2020, these numbers have become even more staggeringly high. Thus, there has also been a demand for drivers who provide either ridesharing or delivery services. Though the ridesharing part may carry more of a risk, delivery services are a good and very viable option to consider if you’ve got some time on your hands and a vehicle of your own.
You can even stick to routes that aren’t too far out of your own home’s vicinity, and you get some additional income on the side to cover food and stuff.
These are just some options for parents to look into, though, of course, it still depends on your own preferences and your situation with your kids.
