In our last blog, we focused on our in-house lending services we offer here at Your Loan Depot. Feel free to read that post, in which we described what separates us from other payday lending companies in Texas and beyond. But for a brief recap, the long and short of it is that we make sure you understand the fine print of any and all loan agreements you make with us. Our commitment to customer service is real — we want to empower you to make the best financial decisions for you and yours. We understand that when you come to a payday lender like us, you need cash and you need it now. But it’s also true that payday loans and car title loans are not the best options for every person who walks through our door. 

We want to redefine the payday lending experience by investing in our customers so that you can invest in your future financial wellbeing. In the short-term, that might look like getting a bad credit loan from Your Loan Depot, but in the long-term, it might look like saving enough money that you’ll never have to be put in this situation again. 

Side Hustles To Earn Extra

The latter of those two ideas is what we’ll be exploring in today’s blog. More specifically, we’ll be taking a look at a few side-hustles people are doing to earn some money on the side. Now, if you’ve read any of our previous financially-themed blogs, you’ll already know that we will recommend saving this money rather than spending it right away. However, you are an adult (we assume), so it’s ultimately up to you as to how you choose to spend this money. Regardless, earning more money is never a bad thing. So if you have a few minutes, sit back, relax, and envision yourself being a hustler of one kind or another!

Be A Courier

If you’ve lived in your Texas community for a while, you are more than likely familiar with the geographical layout of the city or town in which you live. At least, you should be. If you are, you can become a full-fledged member of the booming gig economy. What is the gig economy, you ask? Investopedia defines it as follows: “In a gig economy, temporary, flexible jobs are commonplace and companies tend toward hiring independent contractors and freelancers instead of full-time employees. A gig economy undermines the traditional economy of full-time workers who rarely change positions and instead focus on a lifetime career.

We’ll probably write more on the gig economy in a future blog post, but for the purposes of being a courier, all you need to know is that being part of the informal gig economy, as a courier or otherwise, means you can earn substantial income outside of your typical 9 to 5 workday. 

Let’s look at Postmates, a miscellaneous delivery company that boasts no fees or time commitments, which they say means you can take home 100% of what you earn every time you make a delivery. All you need is a smartphone and a vehicle of some kind (it could even be a bike, depending on your service area) to get you around. Once you earn trust, Postmates helps you set your own schedule. Plus, you get to keep all of the tips you receive on each delivery,! Your cargo might be alcohol, food, documents, or even flowers, so it’s not the worst way to make a buck or two on the side. Sounds like a pretty great deal, right? 

Play Video Games & Get Paid

Sounds like a 12-year-old’s dream job, right? Well, most people won’t be able to quit their day job to play video games, but companies like Swagbucks do offer people the chance to earn money by playing video games. 

If you are a fan of game shows like Jeopardy or Wheel of Fortune, you might be a great candidate for this kind of work. Then again, who are we kidding, most everyone is a good candidate for this kind of thing! But it’s especially true if you are an avid card player or casino attendee. Swagbucks is great because you can redeem “Swagbucks” for credit through e-wallets like PayPal or cash value through gift cards. We’d also point out that Swagbucks gives users a free $10 gift for simply signing up with them! Fulfill your inner 12-year-old’s dream and become a professional video game player!

Be An Online Coach

In the words of the Joker from the triumph that was The Dark Knight, “If you are good at something, never do it for free.” So, what are you good at that others want to be good at? Once you’ve figured that out, because we are sure there is something that you do very well which others are jealous of, it’s time to determine if you can be a coach/consultant for it online. It might be something like personal training, computer science, mechanical repair, scrapbooking techniques, playing soccer, public speaking, or something else altogether. 

The beauty of it is that the product you are selling is your expertise. Instead of giving them a physical product or tangible service, you are teaching them to become better than they currently are. Once you’ve arrived at the point where you feel confident about your ability to train someone else in your field of expertise (this might take some time and work), you’ll be pleased to learn that there are a variety of online communities in which you can advertise your services to find clients! Check out clarity.fm, coach.me, or savvy.is if you are looking for a network of possible clients to work with. Plus, each of those community-driven platforms includes an integrated payment solution, which makes getting paid by your clients much easier. 

Launch A YouTube Channel

Did you know that YouTube is now the second-largest search engine out there? Did you know that YouTube is the third most-visited website in the world? Did you know that billions of videos are watched on YouTube each day? 

You probably know it’s a good play to find video content related to what you are looking for. So, in the same vein as our previous idea, this is a great place to start vlogging if you have something worth sharing. Now, not every person in the world is going to be cut out for this kind of work — there will always be more consumers than creators — but if you are knowledgeable and experienced about a particular topic, this is a great way to see if you can make it on the big digital stage that is YouTube! 

Here’s how it works: instead of earning money through a subscription-based system, YouTube channels are based on traditional advertising methods — the more viewers you have, the more money you make. Once you are part of the YouTube Partner Program, which is how you start making money through ad revenue, you’ll make between $2-$4 per 1,000 views. It might be slow-going at first, but if you are able to gain some recognition, you could potentially make hundreds each month if you are committed to making consistent content. 

Some starting points to get your creative juices flowing include the following two kinds of YouTube channels:

  • Entertainment – Pranks are popular online, as are funny or interesting product reviews. There are myriad ways you can entertain people, so think about what makes you unique and interesting, and do that! 
  • Educational – Did you know that YouTube searches which include the phrase “how to” are growing 70 percent each year? If you have a particular trade or skillset that can be visually explained, we’d recommend exploring that avenue. 

Contact Your Loan Depot

No, this isn’t a way to start a side-hustle, although we are able to provide you with some emergency cash if you are in need of a loan. We are able to help folks in Texas with short-term financial problems if you have run into a bump in the road. Whether it’s because of medical expenses, a car breaking down, or other personal reasons, it’s not our concern. What we are concerned with is making sure you understand the details of our loan agreements so you can decide which is best for you. At the end of the day, we want to help you with your short-term and long-term financial wellbeing! Don’t hesitate to reach out to us or visit a Your Loan Depot Texas location if you have any questions or are ready to apply for your fast cash or bad credit loan.