Got weekends free? Why not turn your downtime into a lucrative opportunity? These part-time side gigs for weekend warriors are perfect for those who can’t commit to a full-time gig, but want to make extra cash during their time off.
They’re easy to pick up and require little to no upfront investment.
Babysit
Anyone who has kids knows that going out on a weekend is a huge luxury. And it’s not just because of the expense of drinks and dinner, but also because of the cost of childcare. Babysitters typically command between $15 and $35 per hour, depending on the sitter’s age and credentials. And with the holidays coming up, babysitting services are in particularly high demand.
You can find babysitting gigs through Care, Urban Sitter, SitterCity and Bambino. And, all these sites let you set your own rates and availability.
Cook
Busy parents are also the top customers of a site called Shef, which allows home cooks to profit by selling their meals. Cooks create their own menus, set prices, and determine when they’re available to cook. The site manages marketing, delivery, and customer service in exchange for 15% of the chef’s revenue.
Meals are made ahead of time, chilled, then wrapped for delivery, so you can offer weekend meals for sale and also prepare meals to be delivered on Monday, when busy parents are often looking for a little extra help. And offering extras, like cakes, cookies, and artisan breads can add to your revenue.
Referee
For sports fans, being a weekend referee can be a lucrative and engaging side hustle. And the side benefit is this gig keeps you fit. It doesn’t matter what sport you’re into, weekend games and tournaments ensure a near-constant demand for officials. Referees are typically paid by the game, so tournament weekends, which often involve officiating 4 or 5 games a day, can help referees earn $300 to $500 in a single weekend.
Game officiants are usually hired by local sports associations, and often need to be regionally certified. Thus the best bet for finding these positions is to decide on the sport you’re interested in refereeing and then contact the appropriate state and local sport associations. Know that there’s little uniformity in how much you’re paid, so be sure to inquire in advance.
There’s only one constant: You’re paid dramatically more to officiate high school and college games than those played by younger kids. However, the physical demands — and sometimes the emotional toll of dealing with over-invested parents — rises too.
Character act
Can you play a role — say a Disney Princess, Buzz Lightyear, a Cowboy or a Clown? If so, you could make as much as $100 an hour. How? Play the kid’s birthday party circuit, which is largely a weekend-specific side gig.
Sites like BeeBizy and GigSalad help advertise your services for a portion of your revenue.
Dog sit
Pet-parents wanting to go away for the weekend often need help watching their animals. And pet-friendly freelancers can make a good living doing that either in their own homes, or in the homes of their clients.
A site called Rover allows freelance pet-sitters to set their own rates and terms — such as whether they watch all pets or just some pets; offer services at the sitter’s home or the client’s — and set their own availability.
Staff Events
Whether it’s comedy shows, concerts or weddings, weekends are the most popular times to host big events.
If you’re able to bartend, serve or just show concert-goers to their seats, you could potentially earn $20 or more per hour working from Friday to Sunday. A variety of sites can help you find these gigs. Some of the best: Qwick, Jitjatjo, Instawork and GigSmart.
