Making It In The Gig Economy Great Side Hustles

Renting out your house is only one way to make money. This expert recommends some of the top gigs.

- Kathy Kristof

Can you make a decent living in the gig economy? Years of research tells me that the answer is yes. But the odds are against you if you rely on the best-known job platforms, such as Uber and DoorDash.

Three years ago, I started researching the burgeoning freelance economy. It was a pet project. I had been getting a steady stream of press releases about new online platforms that supported everything from freelance writing to renting out your house and car. I wanted to organize this emerging market in my mind—and notes—for future reference.

My questions were: What can you do? How much can you earn? What are the risks and rewards? Two years later, this pet project became my job and passion. The electronic system I used to organize my notes became SideHusl.com.

Back to the best-known platforms: Both Uber and DoorDash are poorly rated because they offer miserable net pay and change terms to the disadvantage of drivers. A dozen other well-known sites—including HomeAdvisor, Mechanical Turk and TaskRabbit— treat workers equally poorly. Their specific sins vary from site to site, ranging from charging workers for worthless “leads,” paying pennies per hour and penalizing workers for turning down bad jobs.

But dozens of sites you may have never heard of offer great moneymaking opportunities. Some promise fun experiences, too. SideHusl.com has more information on each one, including the expected pay, Husl$core (best is $$$$$), requirements to sign up and a detailed review.

Rent your house. Consider Giggster, a site that allows you to rent your house by the hour for movie and photography shoots. I personally tested the platform to see if it worked as well as it appeared. Result: My house earned $1,455 in one day.