BOSTON — Many of us are taking on a second job to help make ends meet. According to Bankrate.com, the number of people working two jobs has doubled since the consumer financial service company started keeping score in 2017.
“I do think a lot of people have that kind of feeling that one job is not enough anymore,” said Ted Rossman, Senior Industry Analyst at Bankrate.com.
Rossman says most people surveyed have two jobs out of necessity and that inflation is driving it.
“It just seemed like the far and away #1 answer was ‘I just need this money to get by,’” said Rossman, “and to come up with extra money for day-to-day expenses.”
Amy Manofsky, says her second job gives her the freedom to save and pay off student loans. You’ll find Amy working as a waitress a few times a month. Her 40-hour-a-week, primary job is working remotely, building online corporate training.
“When you’re trying to make sure that you pay all of your bills on time, save money, and just have a little bit of fun on the side too, sometimes your one salary doesn’t always cut it,” said Manofsky. Amy is part of 39% of Americans whom Bankrate.com says have a secondary income source.
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows 8.7 million people had multiple jobs in December 2023. Bankrate.com says the most common side hustles for men are landscaping and home repair. For women, it’s childcare and crafts. Ride shares, food delivery, and pet sitting also made the list for both.
But side hustles don’t have to take a ton of time, or special skills to impact your budget.
According to ThePennyHoarder.com, there are some lesser-known side hustles out there.
They say you can earn up to $1,000 a month completing online data tasks for market researchers through the company Freecash.
The website KashKick says you can earn up to $500 a month, downloading and trying out different apps and games.
InboxDollars says you could make over $200/month watching movie premieres.
Or you could make more than $100 just by sharing your opinion on sites like Branded Surveys, Survey Junkie, or Swagbucks.
The technology-based gig jobs have made making extra money and getting extra hours, easier, said Rossman.
But Rossman says to avoid burnout, it’s important to know when to pull back.
“A key component for me is time management,” said Manofsky. “I create a daily to-do list and I block off chunks of time in my calendar just to make sure that I plan a bedtime every day.” Second jobs bring in an average of $800 a month, according to Bankrate.com.
Amy makes a bit less than that between waitressing, guitar lessons, and grading cyber school assignments. So, is it worth it to her?
“I would say if they were jobs that I didn’t enjoy, it wouldn’t be worth it. But since I enjoy all of them, and they’re associated with a lot of my hobbies, then it’s worth it for me,” said Manofsky.
If you’ve been thinking about getting a second job, Rossman suggests following your passion, like Manofsky, even if it doesn’t pay all the bills now, it could turn into something. He says you could also repurpose your existing skills in a new job.
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