Thanks to the soaring cost of living, exploding interest rates, and other things that seem to drain our cash, it’s no longer enough to “cut costs a little bit more.”
We’ve stopped buying takeout, halted our daily trip to Starbucks, cut down on the number of subscriptions, and reshuffled all our service providers and debt to pay lower prices.
What more can be done?
One needs to keep a little joy in one’s life, and to continuously keep making cuts until there’s nothing left isn’t great for our mental health. And to be honest, the amount of money saved isn’t going to make a big impact anyway.
If switching jobs to one with a higher salary isn’t an option – and let’s face it, most of us aren’t in a position to simply change jobs whenever we like – then finding yourself a little side hustle or two can be a great solution.
www.Craigslist.com, the go-to website for just about anything, is a rich and interesting source for finding side jobs. And, while some are definitely questionable, the genuine jobs provide you with a nice wad of cash for a few hours’ worth of work.
It’s perfect if you want to build a rainy-day stash or gain a few extra dollars to treat yourself with.
So, how can you find side hustle jobs on Craigslist? In this article, I’m going to go through the top ways to get yourself some extra cash by performing side jobs through Craigslist. And more importantly, keep yourself safe while doing so.
Let’s get to it.
TL;DR: You can find just about any type of side job on Craigslist, from one-off gigs to ongoing work. However, there’s a fair share of scams on there, too, so you must be careful when applying.
How to Find Side Jobs on Craigslist in 2024
To find side jobs on Craigslist, you must first head to Cragislist.org and find your city on the homepage. For the purpose of this article, I’m going to look at Austin, TX.
Once you’ve clicked on your city, the directory will open, and you’ll see all of the available options. To look for side jobs, you need to check two different sections:
- Jobs
- Gigs
Start delving into the sub-headings that apply or appeal to you. If no particular sub-heading stands out, go through all of them until something catches your eye.
Craigslist Jobs Section
In the jobs section, you will find a whole host of adverts ranging from one-off jobs to full-time positions.
Sometimes it can be hard to tell what someone is looking for just by the advert heading, so, unfortunately, you will need to wade through a large number of ads until you find something suitable as a side hustle.
Sometimes you will get lucky and immediately spot a nice little side job. For example, in the Admin/Office subheading, I found this advert requesting people to pick up office lunches.
A quick delve into the advert showed me the following:
- Earn $33 – $40+ per lunch route, even if you finish early.
- Routes are assigned based on your starting location, with offices all over town.
- Lunches are typically ready for pickup between 11:20-11:30 am, and you’ll often be done by 12:00-12:15 pm.
This could be a brilliant job for someone with a car. Even if you work full-time, you could use your lunch hour to earn some extra cash. If you did it five times a week, that’s potentially an extra $200 per week that you could earn!
Here’s another interesting one in the Food/Beverage/Hospitality subheading:
You could earn $100 for being a dealer at casino parties. This could be a great weekend side job if you like that kind of thing.
So you see, while the Jobs section is primarily for full or part-time work, there are a lot of side hustles available here too.
Craigslist Gigs Section
The gigs section is a lot more casual than the Jobs section, and here you will find some “ahem” interesting stuff (more on that later).
However, there’s legit stuff, too, and a quick look showed me there are plenty of gigs for the following:
- Medical or clinical trials
- Paid surveys, feedback, and mystery shopping
- Home and office cleaners
- Delivery drivers
- Research subjects and focus groups
- Teaching or tutoring
- Event catering, wait staff, and security
- Photography, videography, content creation
- And more…
Gigs tend to be cash-in-hand jobs that don’t require any kind of contract. Make sure you are paid in cash and don’t accept any type of check or wire transfer, as this will most likely be a scam. Ensure you check this upfront before you agree to the job.
Medical trials and studies will almost certainly involve a contract and require you to sign some kind of disclaimer before taking part.
Always do some research on the facility that is running the trials to ensure it’s legit. Use your common sense here, and don’t take part in anything that seems too risky.
How to Find Odd Jobs on Craigslist
If you find yourself at a loose end, Craigslist is a great place to find yourself odd jobs or one-off tasks that can earn some quick and easy cash.
For example, I found this advert for someone wanting a cleaner for a one-off job:
Focus groups can also be ideal one-off gigs providing you meet the required criteria.
They generally pay very well too. Here’s one that needs young people to talk about alternative transportation. The compensation is at least $125 – not bad for an hour’s worth of work!
Other types of one-off or odd jobs that pop up frequently on Craigslist are:
- Lawn mowing or garden maintenance
- Home decluttering
- Window cleaning
- Car cleaning
- Help with moving house
- Driving someone to another city
- Picking up and delivering items
- Pet Sitting
- DIY tasks
How to Keep Safe When Picking Up Gigs on Craigslist
Unfortunately, as good as Craiglist is for finding legit side hustles, its practice of not vetting adverts leaves the door wide open for abuse.
The are many dodgy adverts on Craiglist, so you must be vigilant when scanning the directories for side jobs. Here are some things to watch out for:
- If an advert requests personal information such as your address, age, etc., it’s likely a scam.
- Never respond to an advert that wants you to pay any kind of fee or upfront cost/deposit.
- Never accept gigs that want to pay you with a wire transfer or check. Accept cash only.
- Always find out if the activity is legal and/or licensed.
- If the compensation seems too good to be true, it probably is.
- Check that the “job” isn’t a pyramid scheme or MLM (multi-level marketing campaign). A quick Google search of the brand will tell you if it is or not.
A Quick Word on “Adult” Services
Many domestic cleaning and massage requests want someone willing to provide “extras,” though this won’t always be clear in the advert. Sometimes it’s obvious, but not always.
If you’re up for this type of gig (no judgment here), then it’s no problem, just exercise vigilance and keep safe while you do so.
However, if you just want to clean someone’s home, ensure you establish exactly what is expected of you before agreeing to the job. This will ensure you avoid any unpleasant surprises and that you remain comfortable.
Before You Head Out to a Gig
Always, ALWAYS tell someone exactly where you are going before you head out to any Craigslist job. Whether it’s a friend or family member, tell them what you’re doing, the address, and what time you’ll check in with them.
That way, if something does go awry, your safety contact will know precisely when to contact the authorities.
How to Find Side Jobs Online
While it’s a good place to start, Craigslist is not the only place you can find side jobs. To maximize your chances of finding regular side gigs or jobs you’re interested in, try the following sites:
1. Instawork
If you enjoy working in the service and hospitality industry, then Instawork is an excellent place to pick up side jobs. It tends to be bars and restaurants looking to temporarily fill staff shortages or large-scale events that need extra staff.
You download the app, make a profile, browse the available jobs and apply.
I know someone who makes a full-time salary off this app, and she’s often found herself in private booths catering to celebrities or attending high-profile sports events. It’s definitely a good one for varied and interesting hospitality work.
2. Steady
Steady is another site similar to Insta work; however, it has a wider range of industries to choose from. From retail to sales, office admin to design, you’ll find it all here.
After downloading the app, you can set up a profile in minutes and apply for suitable jobs. Steady has one-off gigs, temporary, and even longer-term work available on its platform.
Large brands can be found on this platform. Dominos, 7-Eleven, and Bed Bath and Beyond are all advertising here.
3. TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit has been around for some time and has become the go-to site for people looking for help with DIY and odd jobs around the home or office.
TaskRabbit is so popular it has become an official IKEA partner, as many people on the site offer to put its furniture together.
If you’re a whiz at flatpack furniture, know you’re way around a toolbox, or enjoy painting and decorating, TaskRabbit is for you.
You can set up a profile and list the tasks you can do and let people find and request your services, or you can browse the available job requests in your area.
Other Types of Side Jobs
The gig economy is thriving, and there’s now an app for pretty much any type of service you can think of:
- Love dog walking and pet sitting? Sign up for Rover
- Have a nice car and like chatting with people? Try Uber or Lyft
- Want to deliver food? Door Dash, GrubHub, and UberEats are all worth trying
- For remote admin and office-based work, check out Flexjobs
- Got digital and creative skills to offer? Sign up for sites like Fiverr
- Want to pick up freelance gigs? Try Freelancer
- Good with kids? Sign up as a babysitter with UrbanSitter
This is by no means an exhaustive list. There are TONNES of cool side-hustling gig apps that let you find exactly the type of work you want to do. Whether you want a one-off job or something a little more regular, you will find plenty of opportunities.
The advantage of many of these apps is that you have a level of protection that Craigslist does not offer.
Since you are paid securely via a third party (the app), you tend to get far fewer scammers and dodgy people lurking around. However, you must still always follow the safety steps outlined above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion – Is Craigslist good for side hustle jobs?
Craigslist can be an excellent source to find yourself a nice little side job, and there’s certainly no shortage of interesting opportunities.
There are also a lot of weird and wonderful gigs out there. So, while you can find yourself doing rather unique Craiglist side hustle, you must also take extra care to avoid the dodgy stuff and the scammers.
If Craigslist makes you nervous, you can always try one of the abovementioned apps. It’s generally safer, more vetted, easier, and less stressful to navigate. Plus, once you’ve built up a few good reviews, you’ll find you get more – and better – work offers coming your way.
