11 Best Ways to Make Extra Money on the Weekends
Ideally, your weekends should be for rest and fun, especially if you have a regular job that takes up most of your time during the week. But if your salary from your Monday-to-Friday employment is not enough to help you meet your needs and reach your financial goals, then try earning extra cash on the weekends.
You can work as a freelancer or take up a part-time job on Saturdays and Sundays. Don’t bother searching for ways to make additional money on the weekends; this article is the ultimate guide you need to get started. So, keep reading!
How to Make Money on the Weekends
Friday is generally a day for finishing off the week's goals and getting ready to unwind over the weekend. That’s why many people say, "It’s Friday!" with so much happiness. But what is the use of spending your weekends partying or engaging in purely fun activities when you have outstanding bills, credit card debts to pay off, and other financial responsibilities to take care of? Instead, you should be making extra money on the weekends.
Here are our practical ideas on how you can earn additional income on weekends through freelance and part-time job opportunities.
1. Become a freelancer
Our first and foremost suggestion is to convert a hobby into a means of extra income. If you enjoy graphic design, copywriting, proofreading, video animation, programming, or any other digital leisure time activity, you can do it in exchange for money on weekends.
To make finding clients easy, you should create your personal or business accounts on freelance websites such as Fiverr and Upwork. They can help you connect with potential customers so that you may get some nice deals every weekend.
2. Participate in online surveys
Businesses conduct surveys to get market insights to improve their products and services and boost sales and revenues. So, instead of letting your weekends pass without earning extra income to meet your needs, you can use your smartphone or personal computer with internet access to participate in paid online surveys. Sign up for free on websites such as iPoll and Swagbucks for a suitable platform where you can earn from €1 to at least €10 (or the US$ equivalent) for completing a survey.
3. Start a blog or YouTube channel
If you have informative and interesting content to share with the online community, you can create and monetise your own blog or YouTube channel. From trending news to beauty tips and travel advice, there is no limit to the topics you could use to attract followers or subscribers. You would make money from sponsorships and ad revenues provided that you always have high-quality content to share every weekend.
4. Become an online tutor
If you work part-time during the week and study in the evenings, you can earn extra income from teaching other students online on the weekends. Just find simple and interesting ways to help your clients understand topics they find challenging, and you will earn extra income in return.
Choose your subject of proficiency, which could be English, mathematics, or economics, and spend an hour or two online on the weekends sharing your knowledge with kids and students who need academic help. You could join sites such as TutorMe, VIPKID, Vasity Tutors, Skooli, and Tutor to connect with your target audience.
5. Test out and review products
Reviewers make money by writing their evaluations of a variety of things, which include books, fintech products, and mobile apps. You can become a product reviewer if you can find companies or producers who want to pay consumers for testing their products and reviewing them. Such reviews help them to improve their offerings, which is why they are willing to pay for your opinion.
You can do this job online, take surveys from home, and earn up to 100 EUR or USD. To get started, register an account on platforms such as Focus Group, Ipsos iSay, User Testing, Branded Surveys, Opinion Outpost, and Product Report Card.
6. Take voice-over jobs
If you have a beautiful voice with a good accent, you can use it to make money on weekends. We are not talking about singing for people to pay you, but about doing voiceovers. You can produce narrations for broadcasts, video games, films, mobile apps, audiobooks, and commercials in exchange for money. Websites like Voices and Such a Voice are excellent platforms for getting started with this side hustle.
7. Transcribe audio
Many freelancers are making money from transcribing audio; you too can use it as a means of earning extra income at weekends. What does it mean to transcribe audio? It refers to converting speech in an audio or video recording into written text.
Typically, the price of a professional transcription is $1.5 to $3 per audio minute or $90 to $100 for an audio hour. As a freelance audio transcriber, you can charge more money for more than two speakers. So, depending on your expertise, you can earn a lot of money from transcribing one hour of audio, as many freelancers do on platforms like Kwork, Fiverr, and Upwork.
8. Do some chores
If you love doing chores, this can be your way to earn extra income. You can offer to do routine tasks like mowing lawns or cleaning rooms in exchange for reasonable pay. If you have some free time at weekends, consider distributing flyers to your neighbours or knocking on doors to see if anyone needs help. Local advertisements can be made on websites like Hire a Helper and Craigslist.
9. Take photographs
Do you have a camera for photography? Are you skilled at taking beautiful shots? If yes, you can use this resource to make money on the weekends. Depending on the quality of your work, you can charge your friends, neighbours, colleagues, and other potential clients between US$50 and US$300 for an hour or two of shooting. Also, you can advertise your photography business on online local platforms and popular social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
10. Make decorative objects
There is a significant possibility that you will discover individuals who desire what you can create if you are skilled with your hands. You can leverage your hobby as an easy source of income on the weekends. Depending on what you are producing, it can take a significant amount of time to finish one. Nevertheless, it will be worthwhile if it is something you like doing.
11. Babysit, house-sit, or pet-sit
For individuals with prior expertise in childcare, babysitting is the ideal choice. You may earn money quickly simply by babysitting for a few hours. If you lack expertise with kids, you could try to make money by watching over residences or pets (dog walking and cat boarding) while the owners are away. Start by discussing this with your neighbours or by posting an online resume of your abilities. Check out websites such as Care, Trusted Housesitters, MindMyHouse, and Nomador to get started.
Top 10 Payment Cards for Freelancers
Gig workers and freelancers can use a variety of prepaid, debit, and credit cards to manage payments related to their side hustles. However, the most profitable way to get the best cards is to look for banks, neobanks, fintech companies, and credit unions that charge little or no fees in your country, then open an account with any of them. It is also good to look for cards that come with rewards. To make your search easier, here are our top picks of the best cards for you to manage your payments as a freelancer or gig worker.
Monzo (best for free physical and virtual cards)
Monzo is a mobile bank that provides accounts for individuals and businesses to manage their money in a safe and sustainable way, as well as funds for investment. It also has quality products for easy and secure payments online and in-store, with no added fees.
Freelancers, digital nomads, and gig workers can obtain Mastercard debit cards for fast day-to-day spending and cash withdrawals. You can get up to two free physical cards and create up to 5 virtual cards for safe online payments when you open an account with Monzo.
Revolut (best for international card payments)
International online freelancers who want to receive payments from clients in different countries and currencies can get the account and cards they need from Revolut. This neobank and financial super app allows its business account holders to use their Visa and Mastercard cards to spend in more than 150 different currencies. Also, you can get up to 200 virtual cards and more than three physical cards for your business.
ADVcash (best for custom fiat and crypto payment flows)
ADVcash offers several innovative solutions to meet the needs of freelancers and gig workers and is one of the best online payment processing services on the market. You can use it to send payouts, receive payments, and control your funds without paying a setup fee.
You will also be able to use the plastic and virtual cards issued by ADVcash to make payments in EUR and USD anywhere in the world without having to pay any monthly maintenance fees. The cards come with robust, multi-tiered security features.
Keep in mind that ADVcash is excellent for small and large businesses interested in accepting only fiat money or both traditional currencies and cryptocurrencies. This digital service is ideal for those who want to manage custom payment flows, such as a mix of bank transfers and multi-currency card transactions. Go to ADVcash if your freelance business fits into this category.
bunq (best for multiple virtual cards and budgeting control)
Are you a freelance side hustler having a challenge keeping your expenses within budget? Then use the Easy Budgeting offering of bunq to get the help you need. This service offers 25 sub-accounts with automatic budget control features. A bunq account also gives you two free physical Mastercard cards and up to 25 virtual Mastercard cards for easy payments whenever and wherever.
Binance (best for crypto card payments with cashback)
Binance is a popular name in the global cryptocurrency market. In addition to being one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges, Binance issues a Visa debit card, which you can use for your weekend freelance business expenses. More than 60 million online and physical stores accept this card.
The Binance card offers up to 8% cashback in BNB for every eligible purchase made with it. Your card level will determine the percentage of cashback you will earn daily. You can also make fee-free ATM withdrawals with the Binance Visa debit card. Getting all these benefits begins with opening a Binance account.
Bankera (best for online advertising payment cards)
Does your freelance side hustle require online marketing? If yes, then you will need a suitable card for your payments on advertising platforms such as Facebook and Google. For this, we recommend that you visit Bankera to open an account and enjoy instantly-issued virtual cards with high limits. The cards are also crypto-friendly, and great for SEPA and SWIFT payments.
Wirex (best for fee-free ATM withdrawals globally)
Digital nomads travel frequently, and they often have to manage multicurrency payments. If your weekend job makes you travel from one country to another, you can open an account with Wirex to get the ultimate solution you need to stay in control of your income and expenses. We are talking specifically about getting the Wirex card, which supports payments in fiat money and cryptocurrencies. Also, it gives up to 8% cryptoback on all purchases and does not attract ATM or foreign exchange fees.
TTM Bank (best for a prepaid crypto card with a welcome bonus)
Are you looking for where to get a welcome bonus for opening a crypto card? Go to TTM Bank to open an account, order a physical and virtual prepaid card, and your account will be credited with €25 and €10, respectively. You can also use this card for payments and ATM withdrawals wherever Visa is supported. However, keep in mind that there is a €2 monthly maintenance fee on this card.
Monese (best travel money card and PayPal linking)
Do you have a PayPal account that you would like to link to a prepaid debit card for international travel expenses? If yes, then go to Monese. This UK-based neobank offers a multi-currency travel money card account, which you can open for free. With it, you can withdraw money at the real exchange rate from ATMs that support Mastercard cards worldwide. This card also works with mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, so you can make contactless payments with your phone.
VIALET
VIALET is a reputable electronic money institution based in Lithuania. But it has a Mastercard card for residents of Spain, Latvia, and Poland to easily manage their daily spending and online transactions. If you live in these countries, you can use this payment card for your weekend side hustle expenses. The account for this card is free to open, and there is no monthly fee.
FAQ
Weekend jobs do not usually pay more than weekday alternatives. Nevertheless, the highest-paying jobs you can do at weekends include photography, rideshare driving, babysitting or nannying, graphic design, pet sitting, and freelance writing. Depending on your location and skillset, you can earn at least US$14 per hour by taking up such weekend jobs.
Accepting weekend jobs can be a good or bad idea, depending on your circumstances. If you have a regular job that is stressful but well-paid, you probably should spend your weekends resting rather than side-hustling. But if you need more money and your regular job isn’t giving you enough, or you do something else like study during the week, then a weekend job is worth getting to make extra money or passive income.
Yes, it is OK to use your weekends for other activities rather than working. You could spend the time hanging out with friends and family, seeing movies, going to amusement parks, or participating in any other activity that helps you unwind. However, if you are not making enough money from your job, then you should consider working on weekends to earn extra bucks.
Worktime regulations vary in different countries. So, the number of days you can work in a row depends on the regulations in your country of residence or region of employment. For example, in the European Union and the United Kingdom, the law prohibits working more than an average of 48 hours a week if you are over 18 years old, while those below this age are limited to 40 hours. However, there is a voluntary opt-out for those who need it.
It is healthy to take the weekend off. When you use your Saturdays and/or Sundays to de-stress, you are likely to experience increased productivity and job satisfaction at work. Besides, it helps you keep a healthy work-life balance.
The right way to accept extra earnings is to ensure that you are doing it legally. In other words, you need to find out what the law of your country says about working on the weekends and making extra income outside your regular job. For example, will you have to pay taxes on additional income? Also, does the regulation require you to register your freelance business? If you get the correct answers to these questions, you will be able to make a wise decision concerning your side hustle.
Make Your Weekends Count!
Consider taking a weekend job if you need a supplementary source of income to be able to meet your living expenses. Making extra income is possible if you can identify the skills or hobbies that you can exchange for money. Thankfully, we have shown you more than 10 ways to make money on the weekends, as well as the best cards to use for managing your payments easily. Give them a try and see how your financial situation improves.
