ride sharing

4 Ways to Make Money From St. Patrick's Day

Aja McClanahan — Mon, 05 Mar 2018 10:00:06 +0000

With St. Patrick's Day around the corner, you're probably anticipating things like parades, pub crawls, and all the green-themed festivities to come. You might even be looking forward to some of your favorite foods that show up around this time of year: McDonald's famous Shamrock Shake, Irish soda bread, and, of course, corned beef and cabbage.

According to the National Retail Federation, Americans planned to spend a whopping $5.3 billion for St. Patrick's Day 2017. Presumably, that number could rise for 2018 if past spending trends continue. Either way, St. Patrick's Day means big businesses for cities, venues and, if you play your cards right, people like you.

If you want to capitalize on all the ways people will be spending money for St. Patrick's Day, here are some ideas to get you started.

Create and sell St. Patrick's Day crafts

You can search for popular St. Patty's Day crafts that people are looking to buy on sites like Pinterest or Etsy. You'll find tons of ideas that will inspire you to get creative. People are often looking to buy party favors, home decor, clothing, knickknacks, and other accessories to make their favorite Irish holiday complete. If you can make some of these yourself, you could see the profits roll in.

If you're more of a designer than a crafter, you can start a tee shirt campaign with no money at all. Places like Bonfire, TeeSpring, and SunFrog let you design a custom shirt and presell it so the printing is fully funded. Once your shirt ships to your customers, the production platform takes a cut and sends the leftover profits to you.

Advertise your creations on social media or on marketplaces like Etsy, eBay, Mercari, or Offer Up. It's best to get started early so you have enough time to research your idea, create it, advertise, and make sales. (See also: The 5 Best Sites to Sell Your Arts and Crafts)

Ride sharing

With all the parties, parades, pub crawls, and related celebrations that usually take place around St. Patricks Day, there will be a lot of drinking. People who spend the day (and night) drinking will need safe, responsible ways to get to and from various locations. Plus, those who need to get around the crowds in major cities will need help with the hassles of parking or transporting small kids in the massive crowds. That's where ride sharing comes in.

As a driver for Uber or Lyft, you stand to make a decent profit in such a peak time. If you time your availability right, you could find yourself pretty busy on the weekend and weekdays leading up to St. Patrick's Day, when many celebrations take place. Make sure you are close to the action and get approved as a driver beforehand to make the most of this opportunity. (See also: How to Earn Extra Money Driving for Uber or Lyft)

Baby-sit

Again, from the party perspective, this gig could be the "gold at the end of the rainbow." Think about it. There's bound to be parents who'll use this opportunity to party hard without the kiddies in tow. Baby sitters can be pretty hard to come by in some places, so it's likely there will be a premium for baby-sitting around "hot" times like St. Patrick's Day.

Use online sitter marketplaces like Chime, Sittercity, or Care.com. It doesn't hurt to check pet care apps like Rover or Wag, either — pet parents will need care for their fur babies, too.

Start building your profile as early as you can. Go through the proper vetting and maybe even get a few jobs under your belt for reviews. This way, you will be a desirable candidate when parents (or pet parents) start their search for a sitter for St. Patrick's Day.

Be a hired hand

Many government and private citizens host St. Patrick's Day celebrations, which means there will be lots of extra work to go around. You can call down to your local city or village hall to find out what additional services might be needed during city-sponsored celebrations.

You can also put a listing in the "gigs" section of Craigslist or your local Facebook marketplace advertising any services you can offer. There are even Facebook groups where people sell recipes and crafts for holidays like St. Patrick's Day.

Whatever you're offering, there's bound to be plenty to do as many gear up to make the most of the fun times to be had on St. Patrick's Day.

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This article is from Aja McClanahan of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

15 Lucrative Side Hustles for City Dwellers

Andrea Cannon — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 08:30:11 +0000

One of the benefits of city living is having easy access to a wide range of income opportunities. If you need to make some extra cash, these lucrative side hustles are the perfect way to take advantage of your city-dweller lifestyle. (See also: 14 Best Side Jobs for Fast Cash)

Use your car

In large cities, most people are stuck taking public transportation. If you're lucky enough to have a car, that set of wheels can be in high demand. There are several ways you can use your ride to bring in extra dollars. (See also: 7 Ways to Earn Extra Money With Your Car)

1. Drive people around

Driving for Uber, Lyft, or other ride-share companies can be a lucrative side gig, especially if you live in a large city. In fact, some drivers in big cities like New York report earning as much as $90,000 a year. If you don't feel like signing up for something so official, consider charging for transportation or carpool services in your neighborhood. (See also: How to Get a High Rating and Make More Money as an Uber Driver)

2. Deliver items

Whether it's delivering takeout or groceries, you can find food delivery gigs through sites like TaskRabbit, Instacart, Postmates, GrubHub, DoorDash, and UberEATS. If you have a pickup truck or cargo van, you can also charge to deliver or help move large items through services like Buddytruk and GoShare. The salary ranges based on where you live, courier availability, and overall demand. According to Glassdoor, Postmates couriers make an overall average $11.37 an hour, while Instacart shoppers make an average $12.15 an hour.

3. Rent out your car

If you don't drive your vehicle much, put it to work for you. Use sites like Turo and Getaround to rent out your car while you aren't using it. You can set your own daily price or choose automatic pricing. You could potentially make up to $10,000 a year, according to Getaround.

4. Use your car to advertise

If you live in a heavily populated area, companies like Wrapify and Carvertise will pay to lease ad space on your car. They do this by applying laminated decals to your vehicle, turning it into a billboard on wheels. Carvertise pays qualified drivers $100 per month, and all you have to do is drive the vehicle like you normally do.

5. Rent out your parking space

In cities like Los Angeles and New York, parking lots charge upward of $200 and $800 per month, respectively, for an available parking spot. If you have an extra space in a driveway or private lot, sites like JustPark can help you find interested drivers who need a place to leave their car.

Rent your space

If you live in a big city, your home may be in high demand for tourists and out-of-towners.

6. List your place on Airbnb

If it works with your schedule, consider renting out your home, or even an available room, on Airbnb. While you can potentially make a considerable income, you'll also need to factor in the associated higher utility costs and cleaning fees before determining what your revenue will be. (See also: 5 Easy Ways to Make Good Money From Airbnb)

Offer your acting talent

If you live in an entertainment mecca, like Los Angeles or New York City, you can get paid just for being you.

7. Become a background actor

Anyone can sign up to be a nonunion background actor (or "extra"). Television, film, and music video sets are always looking for background actors of all sizes, ages, and, well, backgrounds. If you live in New York City or Los Angeles, you may be able to make quite a bit of money just by being present in the background of different sets.

In most cases, you will get paid a guaranteed nonunion rate of $80 for the day (according to Central Casting), will be fed onset, and may be eligible for pay bumps due to small things like being near smoke. There is usually quite a bit of downtime, so you may be able to multitask. Sites like Central Casting and Casting Networks Inc. can get you started.

Sell your local expertise

As a knowledgeable local, there are a variety of ways to offer your expertise about your city.

8. Start a blog

If you're interested in writing about your city, you may want to start a blog that offers your insight, opinions, and recommendations about things to do or see in your area. If you earn a decent following, you can monetize the blog and see some passive income roll in. This can be lucrative over time, but just note that you likely won't see a large payout until you've built up your content and an audience. (See also: 5 Easy Ways to Make Extra Money Blogging)

9. Become a tour guide

If you live in a popular tourist destination, and you know your city well, then you can make some money as a tour guide. You can also explore some of your passions with this side hustle because there are so many different types of tours now available. For instance, you can lead a bike tour, food tour, walking tour, or Segway tour. The hourly pay for a tour guide can vary drastically depending on the gig and location, so explore your options to find the best fit for you. (See also: Make Money in Your Hometown: Become a Tour Guide)

Be a home helper

In large cities, there is high demand for people to help around the house and with the kids.

10. Become a dog walker

You can offer your dog-walking services to friends and neighbors, advertise on Craigslist, or sign up with a site like Wag! Angie's List estimates that you can make up to $30 for a 30-minute walk. (See also: How to Make $400+ a Week as a Pet Sitter)

11. Be a baby sitter or nanny

In large cities, baby sitters and part-time nannies are always in high demand. If you are good with babies and children, consider offering your services through sites like SitterCity or Care.com. According to a Care.com survey, the national average salary for baby sitters was $13.97 per hour as of 2016 — but this amount will vary based on where you live.

12. Become a house sitter or housekeeper

Opportunities for house sitting or cleaning abound in large cities teeming with busy professionals and families. You can offer your services through sites like HouseSitter.com or Housekeeper.com. According to Housesitter.com, most house sitters charge between $25 to $45 per day. According to PayScale, housekeepers make between $8.05 and $15.56 per hour.

Sell your services

In a big city, there are many more opportunities to take advantage of the gig economy.

13. Do someone's personal shopping

Sell your knack for style by becoming a personal shopper through sites like Thumbtack. If you're a shopaholic, imagine making an average $14.32 per hour (according to Indeed.com) just for shopping for a busy city-dweller who can't find the time to do it themselves.

14. Offer your interior decorating expertise

According to PayScale, interior decorators can make anywhere from $11.15 to $74.67 an hour for their services. It all depends on where you work and the type of clientele you take on. You can conveniently offer your interior decorating services through sites like Houzz.

15. Give music or dance lessons

Cities with big entertainment offerings, such as Los Angeles and New York, have much higher demand for dance instructors, vocal instructors, or professional musicians who want to share their expertise. Advertise lessons on Craigslist or Facebook, and tap your network of friends and family members. A few students per week can bring in decent side income.

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This article is from Andrea Cannon of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:

6 Ways to Drive a Hybrid or Electric Car on the Cheap

Andrea Cannon — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 15:00:26 +0000

If you've considered switching from a conventional gasoline vehicle to an electric or hybrid car, you'll be happy to know that you can expect to save money in the long run. The purchase price may be higher upfront as compared to a traditional gas model, but we've found a number of ways to help you get a green car on the cheap. Consider these options.

1. Buy It Used

Whether you decide to buy new or used, it's important to look for the best deals in your area before you ever step foot into a dealership. By purchasing a used hybrid vehicle, you won't have to sacrifice any of the features you want and can also save some significant money in the process. And since it can take many years for a new hybrid car to pay off in value, a used vehicle makes even more sense from a financial perspective. Make sure to research tips on buying a used hybrid or electric car for additional ways to save.

2. Research Before You Buy

Green cars aren't always more expensive upfront than comparable gas models. By doing your research and choosing the right model, you can save thousands of dollars on your purchase. You can easily compare the cost of a hybrid versus a non-hybrid from the same manufacturer to determine if buying a new or used hybrid can save you money.

When you are comparing various options, make sure to consider more than just the base price. You'll also want to compare things like the mileage, range, charge, charging times, battery life, battery replacement and maintenance costs, power, specs, and your personal driving comfort so that you can get the best vehicle for your needs and lifestyle. The more features you add to your new car, the higher the price tag will be.

3. Watch the Gas Prices

Did you know that cheaper gas prices also translate to cheaper prices on hybrids and electric cars? Cutting back on gas is one of the major benefits of having a hybrid or electric car, but when gas prices drop, that benefit is suddenly less valuable. And as gas prices drop further, you can expect the price of hybrid and electric cars to continue falling as well.

Use this as a bargaining tool when purchasing a new or used electric or hybrid vehicle. If you have a plug-in hybrid vehicle, then make sure to keep the battery fully charged so that it will use as much electricity possible, which will save you money at the pump.

4. Take Advantage of Available Incentives

Keep in mind that once you purchase a hybrid or electric car, you may be eligible for special incentives, which will result in you saving more money. In fact, you may be eligible for as much as $7,500 in federal tax credits and another $2,500 in state incentives just for making the switch to a more environmentally friendly vehicle.

5. Lease It

Electric cars depreciate in value very quickly, as is the case with traditional gas models. Leasing the vehicle — rather than buying it — is a great solution if you aren't planning on keeping the car for the long-term, because you won't have to worry about the large initial depreciation hit. There are some great lease deals available and the low monthly payments can save you even more in the end.

6. Sign Up for Zipcar's Plan (In Select Cities)

If you aren't sure that an electric or hybrid vehicle is right for you, then consider signing up for Zipcar's car-share pod. The Electric Vehicle Pod is available to members by the hour, which will result in only a fraction of the cost of owning an electric vehicle. You can use the service the same as you would a normal Zipcar; simply rent the electric car when you need it, for as long as you need it, and return it when you are done. This is especially ideal for city-dwellers who don't drive on a daily basis. Check the site to see if it's available in your area.

Do you know of other ways to get a hybrid or electric vehicle on the cheap? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!

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This article is from Andrea Cannon of Wise Bread, an award-winning personal finance and credit card comparison website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread: