Springtime brings schedule shake-ups for many, which in turn, can mean opportunities to earn more money. The key, according to experts, is knowing where to look and taking some initiative.
“With spring, there’s more daylight, warmer weather — and fresh opportunities,” notes Lisa Dupras, a career coach, resume writer and founder of Elev8 Coaching. “College students preparing for spring break can jump on seasonal needs for extra cash and caregivers can supplement their income with short-term gigs that fit around their existing commitments.
Here, 10 spring side hustles and expert input on how they can benefit you.
1. Spring break babysitting or nannying
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For a lot of families, spring break means vacation time — and some parents are looking for trustworthy help with the kids while they’re traveling. If you’re a nanny or sitter looking for extra work, watch for job opportunities including spring break travel. If you’re already working with a family, inquire if your employers need child care on their vacation.
“Many working parents coordinate their vacation days with their children’s spring breaks so that they can take a family trip,” says Robbie Green, an executive coach and head of working parents and caregivers for Talking Talent. “Babysitters can earn extra cash by joining families on those trips to be available to care for the children while the parents have some time alone.”
On the flipside, spring break child care is notoriously tricky for working parents who aren’t traveling, which makes this season a great time to find well-paying child care jobs.
“Babysitters are always in need to assist parents with daily activities and outings with the children during spring break,” notes Green.
2. Spring break pet sitting and/or house sitting
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Sometimes done on their own, sometimes done collectively, pet and/or house sitting are great ways to earn a little extra money when families are out of town. Because Fido can’t always tag along, and the plants need watering!
“If people are usually available all day for their pets, offer to pet sit so that their fur babies do not have to be boarded for an extended period of time,” notes Green.
Samantha Romito, a junior at The College of New Jersey, has pet sat during and around spring break a number of times. “Last spring break, I pet sat for a local family’s cat,” she says. “And any time our neighbors go out of town, I offer to help out with their dog.”
For Emily Marinucci, a college student at Rutgers University, pet sitting often comes with house sitting. “I’ve watched a lot of pets during spring break and beyond — and many times, I’ve house sat at the same time,” she says. “I’ve stayed at people’s houses — usually families I’ve babysat for — for up to a week, and earned around $60 a day. If a family wants to drop their pet off at my house, I charge about $50 per day. I also ask if they want any add-ons, such as giving their dog a bath or taking them for extra walks.”
3. Home organizing
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Another great spring side hustle, particularly for caregivers who already have connections to a busy family or work in their home, Green notes, can come from putting organizational skills to work.
“Nannies or babysitters can offer organization to the family they care for while they are away,” she suggests. “When the house is quiet, caregivers can better focus on spaces and rooms that they would like to have organized. And everyone benefits!”
Salome Sabourin, a mom of two in Cranford, New Jersey, had a “crazy organized” babysitter that she paid to come in for non-child-care shifts in order to help with household organization, and eventually unpacking after a move.
“I gave her the keys to our new home, and before we moved in, she’d make runs there to unpack, move things around and organize,” Sabourin notes. “I kept telling her she should do it professionally, and now she runs her own business!”
4. Spring cleaning
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Fact: Everyone loves — and wants — a clean house. And spring happens to be a particularly ideal time to clean, as many folks have let dust and dirt pile up — indoors and out — during the cold, winter weather months.
“There are a number of ways to help out with spring cleaning,” Dupras says. “Consider offering gardening assistance or even washing cars.”
And if you want to branch out, there’s also the option of commercial cleaning. “Most domestic households either need or would like help with house house cleaning, but don’t forget about commercial services,” says Emily Dills, founder and policy advocate for Seattle Nanny Network. “There are so many small businesses that would welcome the opportunity for help with keeping their commercial spaces tidy — and it could be a very flexible schedule.”
5. Companion caregiving
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Both Dupras and Dills, note companion caregiving as an excellent way to make extra money. In addition to providing general companionship (good conversation!) to older adults, you can offer household services and run errands.
“Consider the option of helping older adults with things like spring cleaning, organizing garages and decluttering to help prepare for warmer weather,” Dupras says.
Other tasks, per Dills, include “shopping, simple meal prep and helping to care for their pets.”
Do take note: Depending where you live, your state may require some training for companion caregiver jobs. Learn more by reading: How to become a companion caregiver.
6. Dog walking
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Unlike pet sitting, which is done when pet owners are away, dog walking can come in handy whether dog parents are home or not. In fact, if a family isn’t going away during spring break, but the kids are home, it can be particularly helpful to have someone take the dog out for a cruise around the neighborhood. Additionally, when the snow melts, local dog parks are ripe with pups itching to play.
Sheila T., a mom of two in Westfield, New Jersey, says that her son has a steady gig of walking their neighbor’s dog — even when everyone is home. “Our neighbors have young kids and both parents work, so time isn’t abundant for them,” she says. “My son asked if they wanted help with the dog, and now he walks him Monday through Friday.”
7. Tutoring
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Tutoring, in general, is one of the “most lucrative side gigs, as, generally, the pay rate is a lot higher given the shorter timeframe and concentrated effort that goes into the work,” explains Dills, who adds that spring break is an “especially” good time to tutor, as many kids are off school while mom and dad still have to work.
In addition to traditional tutoring, Dills suggests organizing a small group for younger kids. “Offer to get together with kids to just read aloud to them and practice having them read with you,” she continues. “Imagine a few families paying you to read with their kids in small groups. There, no doubt, would be takers on this type of offer.”
And, keep in mind, if you are an effective tutor, you’ll likely get more gigs, as many tutoring jobs come from word-of-mouth! Also, if you currently work as a babysitter or nanny, consider adding “homework helper” to your role for a fee.
8. Campus jobs
For college students who stick around during spring break when many others head home, look into jobs around campus, which not only provide extra cash flow, but are wildly convenient.
“A number of my friends and people I know have gotten on-campus jobs,” notes Romito. “Some work at the library, others at the recreation center, and still others at a coffee shop.”
9. Personal assisting
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Springtime automatically translates to more hustle and bustle for busy families, which means extra help is in demand. Whether you can provide transportation for kids or older adults, run personal errands or provide household administrative help or even travel-planning assistance, post a detailed online job profile or share your services on your local social media. This can be a great way to pad your salary.
For college students and or other dedicated workers, personal assisting — which can entail just about anything — can be a good way to earn money while keeping a flexible schedule.
10. Seasonal and outdoor tasks
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With longer days and warmer temperatures come new tasks — use this seasonal demand to your advantage when looking to make extra cash.
“Spring often brings a surge in outdoor projects and seasonal errands,” says Dupras. “Help older adults or busy parents tackle errands, such as picking up gardening supplies, gardening assistance or even washing cars.”
If there are outdoor kids’ parties in the area, she suggests tapping into your creative side and offering to face paint or help out in other ways. If you’re super-organized and love planning kids activities, you can plan and run the whole party at a packaged rate.
The bottom line
When schedules and seasons change, jobs often open up, so knowing what jobs are in season is key. Whether you find something completely unrelated to your current gig or offer additional services for additional pay, spring is an ideal time to increase your income.
For college students, Dupras recommends, if possible, taking on gigs related to your college major. “You’ll be earning extra money and experience for your resume at the same time!”
