With the pandemic, more and more people have difficulty making ends meet, but that does not mean you have to sit there and struggle. While not everyone can just go out and get a better job, there are plenty of ways that you can still supplement your income with a part-time weekend job.

Weekend jobs are an excellent way to make a little more (or a lot more) money depending on what you can do and how much time you have available. To help you figure out which job opportunities are right for you, which ones are available, and how to find the perfect weekend job, we breakdown this often overlooked form of employment.

What Is A Weekend Job?

While the name might seem kind of obvious, not everyone has the usual schedule of working Monday through Friday with weekends off. Your weekend could be Tuesday and Wednesday, which actually may offer more options for a great part-time job. While most people may think of a weekend job as one done on Saturday and Sunday, it generally refers to a particular type of part-time employment.

Keep in mind that while a weekend job is often a part-time job, a part-time job is not always a weekend job – much in the same way that a square is always a rectangle, but a rectangle is not always a square. A part-time job is any job where you are classified as an employee or contractor and work less than 30-hours a week (for most fields).

However, a weekend job tends to require less than 30-hours a week and may actually be used to supplement one or more other part-time jobs. In this way, a weekend job is probably better understood as a job where you work less than 24 hours a week, generally for three days or less.

That said, there is no legal definition of “weekend work” the same way there is for part-time and full-time jobs, so the answer will differ depending on who you ask. Still, if you work 4 to 5 shifts a week for four or more days, you are likely not working in what most people would consider a “weekend job.”

Types Of Weekend Job Schedules

Generally, weekend jobs come in two primary forms: traditional jobs and part-time gigs you work in the morning, evening, or any other time you have spare time. A traditional job is when you are a full-time employee and are accountable to the employer while working.

On the other hand, a gig rarely labels the people who work for them as employees and tends to label them as independent contractors. While this designation comes with some drawbacks regarding compensation, liability, and risk, it also comes with the benefit that the employer is not technically your boss.

As such, someone working a gig cannot technically be fired from their job as much as the employer can simply refuse to extend the contract. One of the drawbacks of this arrangement is that an employer does not need a justified reason to refuse to sign an employment contract and can stop your employment at their discretion.

It is also worth noting that traditional jobs come with some kind of guarantee in terms of the number of hours worked and the pay received. Many gigs either require you to set your hours and find your contracts or rely on using their platform to take whatever jobs are available at the time.

Who Are Weekend Jobs For?

While the classic idea of a weekend warrior might be a college student, even a business owner, especially one who owns a small business, can benefit from a weekend job. In this instance, it is more about making sure that the job description fits your skillset and that the income potential justifies the additional labor.

As much as working at Target and getting their rewards program might be nice, chances are it will not justify the cost of your time and energy. Technically, weekend jobs are for anyone who has a chunk of time that they are not otherwise using and would like to make extra money on the side.

Pros And Cons Of Weekend Jobs

Before you run out and apply for a part-time job on your days off, be sure to evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of the different choices available.

Benefits

Money

Let’s be honest with ourselves and admit that the primary reason anyone picks up a weekend job is to make more money. Granted, different people will want or need that money depending on their circumstances, but it does not change the fact that one of the best things about a weekend job is that extra cash.

However, depending on how much extra money you need and when you need it will determine how selective you should be with your search. If you already have a highly sought after skill set, it might not be a bad idea to wait for the right weekend job – even if some seem good on the surface.

On the other hand, if your full-time income does not pay enough and you need that additional cash just to make ends meet, a weekend job can be a lifesaver. That said, this situation is less likely to afford you the luxury of waiting until the right job opportunity comes your way and may force you into a first-come, first-serve basis.

It’s worth noting that many weekend jobs can pay significantly more than you might expect, especially those that require sought after skills. In this instance, you may very well be able to find an entirely new career avenue should your skills and the market align such that you can turn your weekend job into your new full-time job.

Planning

While the money is nice, it is worth noting that weekend jobs require a lot of work to manage properly, and this is on top of the additional work you have to do for the job. A weekend job will drastically eat into your free time, leaving you in a crunch for scheduling other activities in your life.

That said, those people who can make weekend jobs work often develop the ability to plan for a multitude of different situations, multi-task, and shift gears on a dime. While this ability may be borne out of necessity, it does not change the fact that it can be applied to the overwhelming majority of your life.

After working weekends for a long enough period, the chances are that scheduling tasks and managing obligations that might stress other people out will not even phase you. Aside from the fact that this is a great skill to possess, it can go a long way in making your life generally more comfortable and stress-free.

It is also worth noting that planning well and managing a hectic schedule is also one of the best management skills for someone in authority. As such, taking on the extra workload of a weekend job can not only provide its benefits, but it can help prepare you for bigger and better things down the line.

Skills

With the economy and workforce changing quickly and rapidly, it can feel like the world is passing you by with no way to catch up. This is an area where a weekend job can come in handy as it may allow you to learn entirely new skill sets, depending on the job.

Granted, most weekend jobs will require that you already have some basis in the desired skill set ahead of time, or else, why would they hire you? However, once you are on the job, there is a good chance you will have the opportunity to learn a whole slew of additional skills depending on your initiative.

Beyond being able to pick up new skills on the fly, weekend jobs also provide you the opportunity to hone other skills you may already possess. In this instance, you can use a weekend job to help you train for a new job entirely, using a slower pace to ease you into the skill set rather than having to try and absorb everything all at once.

It is worth noting that even when a job lists a given set of skills required to perform its responsibilities, there are inevitably many more skills needed along the way. On top of that, whatever obligations a job advertises, the job will almost certainly add more, so look for opportunities to expand your repertoire.

Passion

Many people end up at their full-time job as a matter of chance and circumstance rather than the ability to truly control their destiny. While that is not inherently bad, it can often leave many people feeling their life is meaningless, or they do not control their destiny.

Because of this, many people often turn to their free time to engage in the things they are genuinely passionate about. These part-time hobbies or jobs can turn into more than just a hobby. If you are willing to put in the work, it is possible you can take your passion and turn it into a weekend job that brings in a significant amount of cash.

If you are successful enough at your passion on the weekends, you may then be able to transition that passion into your full-time job. They say that a person who loves what they do never works a day in their life, and there is no reason you cannot follow that to its conclusion.

Keep in mind, many people may have a passion without realizing what it actually entails, so be prepared to roll with the punches and accept the good with the bad. On top of that, it might take some time to figure out how to market your passion before it starts making decent money. Using your free time on the weekend is the perfect time for that experiment!

Entry

As much as finding your passion and making it your full-time job can increase your overall happiness, many fields have an exceptionally high entry barrier. Often, if you do not already have the proper connections or certifications, it can be difficult to impossible just to get your foot in the door.

However, most weekend jobs are not high-level and do not necessarily require a degree of skill, classes, certification, or connections to obtain. That said, once you are part of the company or field that focuses on your passion, you can use that opening to get everything you need to move up the ladder.

Granted, there may come a time where you have to make a difficult decision regarding whether or not your weekend job remains just a “weekend job.”

Though, if the alternative is moving up in a company where you can do something you are passionate about, that is likely not much of a choice at all.

On the other hand, if you are just interested in working for a given company or in a given field, a weekend job is still a great way to gain entry without necessarily competing for full-time positions. Just make sure that once you have your foothold, you take advantage of it and make use of every opportunity at your disposal.

Experience

While weekend jobs are a great way to help develop skills and gain entry into a challenging field, the company may often offer you more responsibilities and a permanent position if you show competence and dedication. This harkens to the old joke that you cannot get a job without experience but cannot get experience without a job.

Thankfully, this is another area where a weekend job can help you obtain the necessary qualifications and requirements for the job you want rather than the job you have. Even if you start in an entry-level position, there are likely numerous ways you can use that opening to gain experience for other jobs.

While some people may hate taking on additional responsibilities at their job, a weekend job with little investment is a great place to take risks – assuming you do not rely on the income to survive. In this position, you can enjoy the relative safety and freedom to try things at a weekend job that would put you at risk at your full-time job.

Of course, even then, a weekend job can simply help add to your resume for another, better job if it is related. Even if you are not necessarily chasing the job of your dreams and simply would like to find something better full-time, a weekend job may provide the resume clout to help you advance at your traditional full-time job.

Networking

A common phrase that people say is “it is not what you but who you know that counts,” which might seem disheartening for someone looking to break into an otherwise insular field. Once again, the weekend job can help you gain entry into the field and introduce you to more people.

Depending on the job in question and your ability to network, you can use a weekend job as an avenue for obtaining a completely secondary set of networking contacts. The value of this is immeasurable as it may not only help you get a job in the field you are passionate about but can open doors you never even knew existed.

Be mindful that if you spend more of your time and energy trying to network at your weekend job instead of working, you are liable to set a bad impression and ruin those networked connections altogether.

Still, weekend jobs present plenty of opportunities to bridge the gap between the people you know and those who can help you get to where you want to be.

Flexible Schedule

Since a weekend job should only occupy your spare time, making sure you can work when you have extra time is an important factor. Thankfully, most side hustles and gigs allow you to work when you want, with most even allowing you to choose which jobs to take and what tasks to do.

Drawbacks

Don’t sign up for a part-time job until you know the potential drawbacks of this employment type.

Extremely Tired

This is easily the biggest and most common issue people with weekend jobs face because it does not matter what kind of person you are; everyone needs some time off to rest and recover. Many of the potential drawbacks of a weekend job will hit some people more than others, but no one is immune to the relentless grind of a 24/7 workweek.

Keep in mind, you are likely more than capable of surviving this way, but that does not mean you will enjoy your existence if you always feel run down from the moment you wake up until the moment you go to bed.

A constant grind can also have larger impacts on your overall health, making this drawback a top priority. If you already struggle with a severe health issue, a weekend job may not be the best idea since it could lead to further complications down the line. That said, even otherwise healthy people can expect to see some kind of decline in their overall health if they maintain a long workweek over a period of time.

Unfortunately, there is not that much you can do about the amount of time you have at your disposal, depending on the weekend job you take. The best you can do is hone in on your planning skills to ensure you find a way to fit some time for relaxation into your already packed schedule.

Difficulty Scheduling

Speaking of a packed schedule, while developing exceptional planning skills might be one of the primary benefits of a weekend job, they are as much of a necessity as anything else. If you consider many people require at least an hour to run serious errands with many trips requiring far more, the amount of time you have available can be dishearteningly short.

For whatever personal conflicts this may present, the fact you have so little time can make maintaining your life significantly more challenging. Working a weekend job may make it difficult to find convenient times to buy groceries, get a haircut, go to the doctor, and a whole host of other errands that most people take for granted when scheduling.

Depending on whether your “weekend job” simply turns into a robust part-time job or not, you may find yourself in such a time crunch that you regularly skip meals. As inconvenient as this can be on its own, it will only exacerbate the potential drain you feel from continually working.

The best thing you can do in this situation is making a point not to get stressed out, as not only will that not solve the issue, but it will likely impede your ability to accomplish those tasks in the first place. As if that were not enough, those increased stress levels will also add to the general grind of your workweek.

Lack Of Entertainment

There is no getting around the fact that all work and no play makes everyone dull, but this issue is exacerbated when you do not have any free time because of a weekend job. This is where you will definitely need to put those hyper-developed planning skills to good use, as your options for entertainment will be somewhat slim.

For starters, there is a pretty good chance that you will either need to have or develop some friends with a lot of free time or learn to enjoy doing things on your own. Since you will be working when most people have their time off, the chances are any entertainment you find will often be engaged alone.

However, flying solo is not the only concern here as the sheer number of different events shrinks dramatically when you pick up a weekend job – the time of the week when the biggest events are scheduled. As such, it might not be a terrible idea to look outside of your traditional interests to see if something less popular sparks your interests.

Not only will this increase the number of potential events at your disposal, but it will also help you find events that do not rely on large crowds to find their niche. Thankfully, your well-developed planning skills should provide plenty of ability to figure out what events occur in your area that coincides with the diminishing amount of time you have.

Bored With Life

This issue may seem somewhat similar to entertainment, but the larger concern here comes with losing general interest. No one will be interested in their job all of the time, but once everything you do becomes work, it can be easy to simply lose interest in everything all together.

When one day blurs into another in a never-ending stream of work, it can often seem pointless to live just to work. Ensuring you find time to rest and engage in activities is a big part of keeping your general interests, but you can also look for alternative methods.

For instance, if you pick up a gig as your weekend job, try to figure out which ones do not require you to work a minimum amount and that you can simply pick up or put down at your discretion. When you find yourself losing interest in one gig, find another you are qualified for and interests you.

Even if it might not seem like something you would otherwise be interested in, it is worth giving these kinds of gigs a shot for at least a couple of weeks just to see. It can also help break down the tasks, identify smaller goals within their completion, and figure out how those tasks can be done better.

Feeling Lonely

As alluded to prior, working a weekend job means that when most people have time off, you are busy working, making it challenging to find time to socialize. However, humans are innately social creatures who desire and require social interaction to stay healthy.

If your 24/7 workweek constantly leaves you without anyone to socialize with, this can be more than a bummer and move into potentially dangerous territory. Granted, this is one of the drawbacks that will impact some people more than others, with introverts likely feeling the sting a bit less and extroverts suffering far more.

One way to alleviate this issue is by explicitly broadening your social network, which can be accomplished by picking up a hobby (which will also help with entertainment). You may be surprised to find out how easy it is for an adult to make new friends if you just put yourself out there in a situation that is not awkward.

If you are not as interested in randomly meeting people in person, there are many online methods you can make new friends and socialize. Whether you want someone to talk to, exchange messages with, or even meet up with in person, there are many different forums, communities, and social media sites that actively facilitate connecting people with similar interests.

Increased Taxes

This is another issue that depends more on the individual in question and the various jobs they work, but a second job may end up not worth the time and effort. The main reason for this is that a second job is only as good as the money you get to take home with you.

However, if your weekend job pushes you into a higher tax bracket, the amount you get to keep may be significantly less than if you manage to stay just below the next tax bracket. Granted, this can be a tricky proposition since you may not know how close you are to moving into the next tier.

On top of that, you may not necessarily have the luxury of taking a sabbatical with your weekend job should you edge closer to the next tax bracket. That said, moving into a higher tax bracket is not the only potential issue depending on the kind of weekend job you take, especially if you opt for a gig.

Most gigs do not label the people who work for them as employees and instead label them as independent contractors. While this comes with the added benefit of schedule and task flexibility without the worry of being fired, it also means you need to file taxes every year or quarter with a 1099-NEC on top of your yearly W9 for your full-time job.

Lack Of Benefits

Few weekend jobs are the type that will provide any kind of benefits, even if you are registered as an actual employee instead of an independent contractor. The main reason for this often comes down to the amount of time you work at your weekend job.

Basically, employers are not required to offer their employees any kind of benefits such as health care and retirement plans unless they are full-time employees, and most of your weekend jobs will not qualify as full-time. Of course, if you already have a full-time job that provides a robust benefits package, the absence of benefits with your weekend job may not be that big of a deal.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a weekend job not as a source of disposable income but supplementary income, it may weigh heavier. This is because most jobs that do not pay enough are also unlikely to provide significant benefits, making this absence sting a bit more.

Lack Of Advancement

Our last drawback is another issue that will matter more to some people than others. Many people are completely content to work their weekend job for the extra income without concerning themselves with the corporate ladder. On the other hand, if you are using a weekend job to break into a new industry, you may find the results less than stellar.

Because weekend jobs are often entry-level and do not place the same kind of workload on the employee as a full-time job, employers are disincentivized to advance you. Keep in mind, the term “lighter workload” is entirely relative here as many employers often see part-time employees as expendable and pile on as much work as they can.

This does not even cover gigs, which are a whole different ball of wax, considering you are not even technically an employee in the first place. That said, it is often easier to advance in a part-time gig than it is at a traditional job, given that most gigs pay based on your performance, ability to market, and time put in.

Even if you only work your side hustle on the weekends, you can still attract plenty of high-paying clients with exceptional work, create an excellent reputation, and build a solid marketing strategy. For those working traditional weekend jobs, once you have enough experience, it might not be a bad idea to transition to that field full-time if you are looking for advancement opportunities.

Where To Find Weekend Jobs

These days, whether you are looking for a traditional job or a gig, the best places to find them are online. In terms of conventional jobs, some of your best options can be found on websites like Glassdoor.com, Indeed.com, Ziprecruiter.com, Monster.com, and FlexJobs.com or social media apps like Linkedin or Facebook.

On the other hand, if you are more interested in a gig, you will likely have to download or sign up for each service’s particular app. Keep in mind that many gig fields offer multiple different services, so make sure you do your research when choosing the one you want to work with – especially if they have exclusion clauses that bar you from working with competitors.

How To Work Weekend Jobs

Rather than list all the different things you might need to know to perform any given weekend job, this refers to how to mitigate some of the drawbacks we listed earlier. In fairness, some disadvantages cannot be changed without finding a different weekend job, but some of those drawbacks apply regardless of the job you work on weekends.

Arguably one of the most significant issues that people with weekend jobs face is burnout, where you ultimately run down from not taking any time off to recover. This is one of the more likely and common things you need to address when working extra, and you should plan how to avoid it before taking that second job.

Whether you want to look at this from an entertainment, interest, socializing, or just plain energy level perspective, burnout is by far the main thing you need to worry about. A big part of what makes this issue so important is it can impact your ability to perform your full-time job, putting your entire livelihood at risk.

That being the case, making sure you find small blocks in your schedule of at least a few hours multiple times a week is paramount. Thankfully, one of the main benefits of working a weekend job is scheduling, allowing you to identify when the best opportunities for relaxing and recharging would be.

What Are the Best Gig Economy Jobs and Apps?

Given how popular the gig economy has become, it is worth considering which of the apps are the best for those looking for a weekend job. While not all of these apps can provide many of the benefits we outlined above, we think they are great ways to help make some extra money regardless of who you are.

Keep in mind that gigs almost always label you as an independent contractor, which comes with its particular benefits and drawbacks, as discussed above.

1. Uber

2. Lyft

Both of these apps put you in a chauffeur or taxi driver position and are top-rated gigs for both contractors and consumers. One of the best things about these apps is that the demand is so high that you can often always find work outside of extremely late at night – depending on your city’s location and size.

3. DoorDash

4. InstaCart

5. Postmates

6. TaskRabbit

7. Amazon Flex

8. GrubHub

9. Shipt

Regardless of the app or company, these gigs’ main task is as a delivery driver. You may be delivering prepared food, groceries, or packages. Like the chauffeur services, delivery gigs can earn a bit more as tipping is expected (or they simply pay higher), but your hours of service are also often more limited.

10. Rover (pet care)

11. Care.com

These two are the primary caregiving services, though they are significantly different as Rover covers pet sitting and Care.com covers in-home hospice. Both of these can pay exceptionally well once you get a good reputation and plenty of experience, but they also require a bit more self-marketing than others.

12. Upwork

13. Freelancer.com

14. WriterAccess

15. TextBroker

These sites cover many more creative fields, like writing content, video content, graphic design, and audio/video editing. You can make plenty of money on these sites, but they are incredibly competitive and require just as much marketing as creative talent – if not more. Still, being a ghostwriter for a blogger or niche website can provide a steady income if you have the expertise. That said, it only makes sense that these are also often great sources for freelance marketers and assistants.

16. Toptal

17. Fiverr

18. Xteam

If you are a technical professional or someone with coding experience, weekend jobs can bring some serious money. These apps are some of the best available for not only finding technical jobs but ensuring that you are well-represented. One of these sites’ primary benefits is that they do not require quite as much self-promotion as some of the other fields on this list.

19. Swagbucks

20. Survey Junkie

21. Opinion Outpost

22. Prize Rebel

23. Inbox Dollars

While not technically a weekend job in any capacity, we feel these types of programs deserve an honorable mention as plenty of people use them to bring in extra cash. They do not bring in that much money, but they also require significantly less time and energy than most weekend jobs.

Other Top Weekend Jobs You Might Not Think Of

24. Wedding Photographer / Videographer

25. Tutor

VIP KID – tutor website that connects tutors and students

26. Handy Man / Woman

Thumbtack – connects customers and handymen/women

27. Mercari Seller

28. House Cleaner

Tidy App – connects customers and house cleaners

29. Blogger

30. Traslator

31. Transcriber

32. Part-Time Nurse

33. Bartender

34. eBay Seller

35. Amazon Seller

36. Amazon Workforce Staffing

37. Beverage Cart Attendant

38. Data Entry Position

39. Home Health Aid

40. Tax Preparer

41. Cashier

42. Wedding Musician or Disk Jockey

43. Golf Caddy

44. Food Preparer

45. Restaraunt Cook

46. Customer Service

47. Instructor (i.e. Weekend Ski Instructor, Yoga Instructor)

48. Tour Guide

49. Concert Venue Ticket Taker

50. Real Estate Agent

51. Virtual Assistant

52. Personal Assistant

53. Personal Trainer

54. Pinterest Manager

55. Pooper Scooper

56. Sign Spinner

57. Pool Cleaner

58. Caterer

59. Party Bus Driver

60. Referee

61. Restaraunt Waiter

62. Restaraunt Dishwasher

63. Personal Trainer

Conclusion

In the end, the best weekend jobs will be different depending on your needs, skills, and circumstances, but there is almost certainly an option that is right for you. Even if you have a good job but are stuck in a rut, a weekend job can be just the thing to help you start a new career that you are genuinely passionate about.

Of course, you need to figure out whether you want to be your own boss (and accept all of the drawbacks that come with it) or get a more traditional job. That said, this article should provide plenty of resources and information to help get you started on your journey to making more money and living a better life.

This article originally appeared on Arrest Your Debt.