If you are deciding to move to LA for work or for the weather, then it’s good to have a steady job that pays decent. In fact, that is a must if you want to avoid being homeless. Sometimes, though, it may not be quite enough for LA. You may aspire to bring in a little bit of extra money, for any number of reasons; perhaps so that you can send your kids to a particular school, so that you can pay off debts, or so that you can save up to one day start a business of your own.
No matter your motives, there are plenty of options for generating supplemental income. Here are a few suggestions for augmenting your normal paycheck. The great thing about these supplemental income streams is that they are generally pretty easy to integrate with your normal schedule; you can pick up as many extra hours of work as you’d like, whenever it aligns with your regular job.
Rent Your Space
Maybe you can buy or rent a larger space and rent one or two of the extra bedrooms. Or better yet, a second home outside LA for a little retreat and AirBnB it when you are not occupying it. Services like that make it simple for you to become a landlord, and while the hospitality industry isn’t exactly passive, it is something you can do while working at another full-time job.
Drive for Uber or Lyft
You may not have any extra space, but perhaps you do have a vehicle. If so, you may be able to generate some additional money driving for a rideshare company. The advantages here are numerous: You can pick your hours, working as much as you want and whenever you want. And if you schedule your shifts to coincide with peak driving times, you may also be able to generate a decent chunk of change. The biggest downside is the potential for accident or injury, so make sure you’re careful and consult with a reputable Uber or Lyft attorney in Los Angeles.
Deliver Food
If you like the concept behind rideshare platforms but don’t necessarily fancy the idea of carrying passengers in your vehicle (maybe you’re just not a people person), you can consider this alternative: Become a food delivery driver for a service like Uber Eats or GrubHub, those services are super popular in LA. Your job will be to pick up orders from different restaurants, then carry them to the customers’ home. It’s pretty straightforward and comes with most of the same advantages of driving for Uber or Lyft. (Again, make sure you drive safely!)
Go Freelance
Are you gifted in writing or editing? Graphic design? How about computer programming, or just blogging? These are all highly marketable skills, and there’s no reason why you have to relegate them to your 9-5. It’s never been easier to launch your own online freelance business, perhaps using a network like Guru to locate potential customers and clients. This can be a great way to generate supplemental cash, or to take the first steps toward becoming a true solopreneur!
Start a Blog or a YouTube Channel
Do you have subject matter expertise? A particular point of view? A zeal for content creation? If you can answer yes to all of the above, then you may want to think about launching either a blog or a YouTube channel. (Or both!) It may take some time to build an audience, but eventually, you can monetize your content by selling ads. This can be a good way to generate some income fairly passively.
Join a Focus Group
Maybe you don’t have any of the collateral needed for the opportunities above; maybe you don’t have extra space, a particularly good car, or any interest in content creation. If nothing else, though, you’re sure to have some opinions! And if you have opinions, well, you might as well get paid to share them. Check into focus groups in your area, where you can earn a little extra scratch simply by being honest about how you view particular products or advertising messages.
There’s More Than One Way to Make a Buck
The bottom line: A lot of people want to find options to supplement their standard paychecks. That may seem daunting, especially if you’re already working a steady job. Thanks to the Internet and the gig economy, though, there are countless ways to bring in a little additional cash.
Consider some of the avenues listed here, but don’t feel bound by them! You can also generate money by putting your creativity to work, coming up with an exciting idea to turn your bright ideas into real money. The sky’s the limit!
