Financial Panther

Financial Independence, Side Hustling, and Ebikes

July 2022 Side Hustle Report – $1,568.83

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This post may contain affiliate links. Affiliate Disclosure.This post may contain affiliate links. Financial Panther has partnered with AwardWallet and CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Financial Panther, AwardWallet, and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact on how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies, or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

Hey everyone. Life’s been busy, so I apologize for getting this side hustle report out so late. But it’s here!

As a quick recap, each month, I document what I earned each month from side hustling using gig economy and sharing economy apps. The idea is to show people what’s possible if you take advantage of some of these apps.

Let’s take a look at my side hustle earnings in July.

Side Hustle Income for July 2022

Total Side Hustle Income for July 2022 = $1,568.83 

July was a simple month for side hustling, with the vast majority of my income coming from two sources – Rover and Food Delivery. The remaining income for the month came from my smaller side hustles – things like secret shopping, Instacart, IVueIt/ProxyPics, and other small gigs. 

Here’s a pie chart with a breakdown of my side hustle income by percentage for the month: 

As you can see, Rover and food delivery combined to make up 82% of my side hustle earnings for July. That’s probably the highest percentage of my monthly income that those two apps have ever made up. 

Even with most of my income coming from just two sources, it’s interesting to see how these other, smaller side hustles can still add up to some solid income. These little side hustles don’t look like much individually. But they add up when you put them together. 

Let’s take a closer look at how I earned my money last month. 

 

Airbnb/Rental Income Income: $2,400 

The rental continues to do well, with no major issues so far. All of the cash flow for this property stays with it, which is good because I do have some repairs I’ve had to do and I imagine I’ll have some larger expenses to deal with at some point in the future.

The nice thing about this house is that I refinanced it to a 2.75% interest rate back in 2020. With inflation where it’s at, I’m in no hurry to pay this house off anytime soon.

I also like to think of this house as a potential future college fund for my son. We save money in a 529 Plan, but in theory, we could sell this house in the future and likely use the proceeds to pay for college (by the time my son goes to college, the house would be fully paid off). 

 

Rover Income: $749.15  

Rover made up the largest share of my earnings for the month thanks to a lot of cat drop-in visits and a dog boarding I did in June that carried over into July. 

The dog sitting was good as usual. All of the dogs I watched for the month were easy and fit in well with my household.

The more interesting part of Rover for the month is probably the cat drop-in visits. I’ve been getting a lot of requests for these services in my neighborhood, to the point where I probably need to get more selective with my clients. These drop-in visits aren’t difficult for me, but the main issue with them is that they take more time than I’d like (each drop-in visit is 30 minutes long, which means what I can make is limited). I have a few clients that I’ll keep because they’re nearby and have nice houses. A few others I may let go or be more selective with. 

If you’d like to learn more about Rover, check out my post: Rover Pet Sitting – How To Make Money Dog Sitting With Rover.

 

DoorDash/Uber Eats/Grubhub Income: $548.28 

Things were slower for me on the food delivery front, which is to be expected since I was on vacation for part of the month. Even so, I still made over $500 for the month with the food delivery apps. Here’s a breakdown of my earnings with each delivery app for the month: 

I did all of my deliveries using an ebike or electric scooter, which is how I recommend you do your deliveries too if you can.

I do most of my deliveries during the lunch hour, which is where I find I can make the best use of my time. Most of the time, I use my RadCity, which I’ve equipped with a front rack and basket. It lets me put my food delivery bag into it and I can easily put food into the bag.  

I also got myself a GoPro and have been filming some of my delivery runs. My thinking is I can start uploading some of my deliveries to YouTube and maybe give people a better idea of how I multi-app and earn extra income from these food delivery apps. Now I just need to figure out how to edit these videos. I’ll let people know as soon as I start uploading some of these YouTube videos.

 

Shipt/Instacart Income: $31.54 

I don’t do a lot of grocery delivery, but if I find things are slow with food delivery, I’ll sometimes turn on Instacart and grab easy grocery delivery orders. My main issue is that I’m slow at shopping, so I tend to avoid large orders and stick to smaller grocery orders that I know I can shop quickly.

Instacart is my favorite of the grocery delivery apps because it uses an on-demand model that works similarly to food delivery. You turn on the Instacart app and orders appear in the app as they become available. If it works for you, you can snag the request. If not, let someone else take it. 

I know some people swear by grocery delivery apps, but I can’t figure out how to make it as lucrative as food delivery, which is why I only do them when things are slow.

 

ProductTube Income: $15 

It was a slow month for ProductTube, but that’s to be expected at times. I find ProductTube to be lucrative for the amount of time it takes to complete each assignment (easily equating to $100 or more per hour for the time spent), but there’s not a lot of consistency with it and you can’t count on it for steady revenue.

That being said, if you haven’t used ProductTube before, definitely check it out. It always appears on these side hustle reports because of how easy it is.

 

IVueIt/ProxyPics Income: $74  

IVueIt and ProxyPics were both solid last month. IVueIt brought in $54 of income and ProxyPics added a solid $20.

The IVueIt assignments I do each month are the same. These include the “dark store” photos, where I take photos of a closed-down coffee shop, and landscape photos, where I take photos of the landscaping at a bank or other facility near my house. The good thing about these gigs is that I can usually do them with my son during our bike ride home from daycare. Since we bike commute, it’s easy to stop and take the required photos. 

ProxyPics was also the same as usual, with the assignment I did being an exterior photo gig. This is where I take a few photos of the outside of a house. Like with IVueIt, I like ProxyPics because I can do these gigs with my son. 

For more information about IVueIt or ProxyPics, check out these posts: 

 

Google Opinion Rewards/Surveys On The Go/1Q Income/Facebook Viewpoints: $11.53

The short survey apps did the same as usual. Here’s what I made with each app.

These are easy apps I use each month that help me earn a few extra bucks. They take seconds to complete, so they pay well for the time spent. Download all of these apps if you can.

 

Secret Shopping Income: $127 (plus lots of free food)

Restaurant secret shopping remains steady. I used to only do secret shopping for the free food, but these days, I’m also earning significant income from it. All of this income comes from Marketforce, which is really the only secret shopping site where you can earn significant income. The other ones are mainly for reimbursement only.

Check out the below posts for more information about how secret shopping works.

 

ReceiptPal/Receipt Hog/Fetch/CoinOut/Amazon Shopper Panel Income: $12.25

Amazon Shopper Panel continues to be a no-brainer receipt app that everyone should download if they can. They pay you $1 per receipt, up to 10 receipts per month. That’s $120 per year just for a few receipts each year.

 

Medium Income: $0.08

Medium income is trickling down to zero since I don’t post there anymore. It’s really a matter of time and return on investment. At this point, this blog is a far better use of my time than trying to earn income writing on Medium. That being said, if I were starting new and was willing to churn out a ton of content and didn’t want to do any SEO, Medium is where I’d probably go in 2022.

 

And that concludes the July 2022 Side Hustle Report!  

July worked out well, especially considering I was on vacation for part of the month. $1,500 of extra income is not bad, especially when I combine it with my blog earnings and rental income. Those three income sources combined give me a pretty solid yearly income – all without having to work in an office anymore. There’s no way I’d ever go back to a regular 9-5 at this point – not unless something dramatically changed with my life and I was desperate. 

Hope you enjoyed this look into my side hustle earnings last month.

This post may contain affiliate links. Financial Panther has partnered with AwardWallet and CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Financial Panther, AwardWallet, and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Some or all of the card offers that appear on the website are from advertisers. Compensation may impact on how and where card products appear on the site. The site does not include all card companies, or all available card offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.

More Recommended Ebike/Scooters

Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:

  • Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
  • Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
  • Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
  • Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
  • Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
  • KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
  • Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
  • Himiway Escape Ebike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
  • Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
  • Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
  • Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
  • Hiboy S2 Scooter – The Hiboy S2 is an excellent entry-level commuter scooter that's perfect for someone looking to save some money in transportation costs and improve their commute. Check out my Hiboy S2 Review.
  • Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R Review.
  • Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.

More Recommended Investing App Bonuses

For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:

  • M1 Finance ($100) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
  • SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with just $10 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
  • Webull (20 free stock shares) – Webull's current promotion gives you 20 free shares valued between $3-$3,000 each if you open an account using my referral link. Here’s a guide I wrote about how to earn your free shares using Webull.
  • Moomoo (15 free stocks) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 2 different referral bonuses if you open an account using a referral link. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
  • Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
  • Public (1 free stock) - Public gives you a free stock valued between $3-$70 if you open an account using my referral link.

Recommended Bank Account Bonuses

If you’re looking for easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.

  • Upgrade ($200) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $200 referral bonus if you open an account and complete a direct deposit. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $200 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
  • Ally Bank ($100) – Of all the banks out there, Ally is, without a doubt, my favorite. At the moment, Ally is offering $100 to customers who open an eligible Ally account and meet the requirements. Here are the step-by-step directions to earn your Ally Bank referral bonus.
  • Fairwinds Credit Union ($175) – Fairwinds Credit Union is offering a referral bonus for users that sign up using a referral link. Fairwinds has no fees or minimum balance, so this is a particularly easy bonus to earn. Since this is a smaller credit union, my gut instinct tells me this offer won’t be around long, so if you’re in a position to meet the bonus requirements, grab this bonus before it’s gone. Here is my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Fairwinds Credit Union bonus.
  • Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
  • US Bank Business ($900) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
  • GO2Bank ($50) - GO2Bank is an easy bank bonus that I recommend people take advantage of if they have an easy way of meeting the direct deposit requirement. I like that it’s easy to open the account and that the bonus pays out quickly. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your GO2Bank $50 referral bonus.
  • Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link. Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
  • Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
  • Varo ($25) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $25 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
financial panther

Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.

Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.

Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:

  • SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
  • 5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
  • US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $900 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
  • M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
  • Empower. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.

Feel free to send Kevin a message here.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. John from Saint Paul says

    Greetings, I assume that you’re in the MSP area when doing your food delivery. It seems that DoorDash doesn’t have a bike or ebike option for delivery vehicle. Do you just use the “scooter” setting? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Vivian says

      Same! I think this is a great idea. If you (FP) need helping editing, there are lots of freelancers/contractors that can help on an ad-hoc basis.

      Reply

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