7 Easy Side Hustles You Can Start This Weekend for under $50

Feeling like your wallet is a little too light at the end of the month? Looking for a way to earn extra cash without needing a special degree or a huge investment? You are in the right place. We have compiled a list of 7 real side hustles you can genuinely start this weekend. Forget complicated business plans; each of these requires less than $50 (and sometimes $0) to get going.

1. Becoming a “Micro-Task” Master

What It Is: Companies pay people for simple, online tasks that computers cannot do well. This includes identifying images, transcribing short audio clips, or verifying data.

Earning Potential: $5 – $20 per hour in your spare time.

Cost to Start: $0.

Your Weekend Action Plan:

• Step 1 (Friday Night): Sign up for 2-3 top platforms like Amazon Mechanical Turk, Clickworker, and Appen.
• Step 2 (Saturday Morning): Complete the introductory qualifications and assessments on each platform.
• Step 3 (Saturday Afternoon): Start doing small, paid tasks to get a feel for the work and earn your first few dollars.

2. Social Media Management for Local Shops

What It Is: Approach small, local businesses (like a corner store, a local tailor, or a small restaurant) and offer to manage their basic social media presence. This can be as simple as one post a day on Instagram or Facebook.

Earning Potential: $50 – $150 per month, per client.

Cost to Start: $0 (using your phone and free apps like Canva).

Your Weekend Action Plan:

• Step 1 (Friday Night): Use Canva to create 3-4 sample social media posts for a type of business you like, such as a coffee shop.
• Step 2 (Saturday): Walk around your local neighborhood. Identify 5-10 small businesses with a poor or non-existent social media presence.
• Step 3 (Sunday): Visit the most promising shop. Show them your samples and offer a simple, low-cost monthly package.

3. The “Instant Reseller” (Local Marketplace Flipping)

What It Is: Find undervalued or free items on platforms like OLX or Facebook Marketplace and resell them for a profit on the same platform.

Earning Potential: $10 – $50 profit per flip.

Cost to Start: $0 – $40 (for your first item).

Your Weekend Action Plan:

• Step 1 (Friday Night): Browse the “Freebies” or “For Sale” sections of Facebook Marketplace and OLX. Look for items like old furniture, electronics, or books that are listed for cheap.
• Step 2 (Saturday): Go pick up your first item. Clean it up and take better, brighter photos of it than the original listing.
• Step 3 (Sunday Morning): Re-list the item on the same platforms for a higher price. Write a better, more detailed description.

4. Offer a “Canva Design” Service for Students

What It Is: Use the free version of Canva to create simple designs for other students or individuals. This could include CVs/resumes, presentations, or social media event posters.

Earning Potential: $5 – $15 per design.

Cost to Start: $0.

Your Weekend Action Plan:

• Step 1 (Friday Night): Create a portfolio of 3 items: one professional-looking CV template, one slide from a presentation, and one event poster.
• Step 2 (Saturday): Post your service and portfolio in university Facebook groups or on your personal social media.
• Step 3 (Sunday): Offer a special “first 3 clients get 50% off” deal to build reviews and momentum.

5. Local Delivery & Errand Runner

What It Is: Offer a personal errand-running service for people in your community. This can be anything from grocery delivery for the elderly to picking up laundry.

Earning Potential: $5 – $10 per errand, plus tips.

Cost to Start: $0 (assuming you have a bike or use public transport).

Your Weekend Action Plan:

• Step 1 (Friday Night): Create a simple flyer on Canva advertising your services.
• Step 2 (Saturday): Post the digital flyer in local community Facebook or WhatsApp groups.
• Step 3 (Sunday): Print a few copies, which costs very little, and post them on community notice boards.

6. YouTube/TikTok Video Subtitler

What It Is: Many content creators need accurate subtitles for their videos to improve accessibility and engagement. Offer a service to manually type out captions for their short videos.

Earning Potential: $10 – $30 per short video.

Cost to Start: $0.

Your Weekend Action Plan:

• Step 1 (Friday Night): Find a 1-minute video on TikTok or YouTube Shorts. Create a perfect subtitle file for it as a sample.
• Step 2 (Saturday): Search for “video editor needed” or “social media manager” on freelance sites or in Facebook groups.
• Step 3 (Sunday): Reach out to 10 small content creators directly. Offer your service and show them your sample work.

7. Pet Sitting / Dog Walking

What It Is: Offer to look after people’s pets or take their dogs for a walk while they are at work or away.

Earning Potential: $5 – $15 per walk/visit.

Cost to Start: $0.

Your Weekend Action Plan:

• Step 1 (Friday Night): Create a profile in a local pet-sitting Facebook group or community forum.
• Step 2 (Saturday): Let your friends and family know you are offering this service and ask them to spread the word. Word-of-mouth is key for trust.
• Step 3 (Sunday): Create a simple flyer and post it at local parks or community centers where pet owners gather.

You do not need a lot of money or special skills to start earning extra cash. All it takes is a little bit of action this weekend. Pick one of these ideas and follow the steps. The only thing separating you from extra income is getting started.