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Financial Independence, Side Hustling, and Ebikes

May 2022 Side Hustle Report – $1,569.18

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Hey everyone. May is in the books, which means it’s time for another Financial Panther side hustle report.

As a quick recap, each month, I document exactly what I was able to earn by side hustling using various gig economy apps. I use these gig economy apps as a supplement to my blog income, with my main goal to show what you can earn side hustling with these apps. If you’re looking for ideas on how to earn extra income, hopefully, these posts give you some good ideas.

In today’s post, we’ll be taking a look at my side hustle/gig economy earnings for May 2022. 

Side Hustle Income for May 2022

Total Side Hustle Income for May 2022 = $1,569.18 

May was another solid side hustle month for me. Most of my income for the month came from DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub.

In addition to my usual food delivery apps, I also earned some income from some interesting new income sources – mainly from a new app I’ve been using called ProxyPics (I’ll go into more detail about ProxyPics later in this post).

Here’s a pie chart with my side hustle/gig economy income sources for the month. 

may 2022 side hustle report

With that said, let’s take a closer look at my gig economy earnings for the month. 

 

Airbnb/Rental Income Income: $2,400 

The rental property remains steady and I’ve been fortunate to have no issues with my tenants and very few issues with my house. The house cash flows about $900 to $1,000 per month and when you count the equity and tax advantages I’m getting, it’s doing even better than that. The income is also fairly passive at this point. I still manage the house myself and handle the yard work, but none of that takes me much time per week.

 

Rover Income: $249.15  

Rover was a bit slower than what I expected, but I still had some solid earnings. For the month, I watched two dogs and did some drop-in visits for a neighbor’s cat. Both dogs were pups that I’d watched before, so it was low-stress earnings (almost passive, even).

I’ve also been getting the occasional drop-in cat request, where I go to check up on the cat and refill their food and water. I have a neighbor down the street that found me on Rover, so I stopped by her house over Memorial Day weekend to feed her cat.

If you want to learn more about Rover, check out my post: Rover Pet Sitting – How To Make Money Dog Sitting With Rover. If you’re interested in becoming a sitter, you can sign up to be a Rover sitter using my Rover referral link. 

 

DoorDash/Uber Eats/Grubhub Income: $974.93 

DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub did well for the month, although I came up just a bit short of my $1,000 per month goal. Here’s a breakdown of my earnings with each delivery app last month:

I do the bulk of my deliveries during the lunch hour. Occasionally, I’ll do some evening deliveries, although I don’t work during the dinner rush as often anymore because I usually can’t start until later in the evening after I’ve put my son to bed. I also try to do deliveries on my way home from daycare. I’ll often try to find deliveries heading towards my house, and since I bike with my son, it’s pretty easy to do deliveries that way. 

If you want more information about the different food delivery apps I use, check out the detailed posts I’ve written about each app: 

To track my earnings, I use Gridwise, which is a good free app for tracking your gig economy earnings and mileage.

 

Wag Income: $11

I don’t do a lot of Wag walks these days, but in May, I went back home to visit my parents and saw a Wag walk for a dog a few blocks from their house. It was a 20-minute walk and the dog was well-behaved and easy to walk, so it was an enjoyable way for me to earn some extra money while traveling.

If you’re interested in learning more about Wag, check out my post: Wag App Review – My Experience As An On-Demand Dog Walker. 

 

Trash/Flipping Income: $15.66

I haven’t been doing much in this category, but I did earn a little bit of money selling a dress shirt I found at Goodwill. The shirt was from a brand called UNTUCKit, which generally sells well on eBay. This sale didn’t work out that well – I only made a few dollars after expenses. I’ll probably avoid clothing in the future unless it’s something I find at the Goodwill Outlet, where clothing is far cheaper compared to the traditional Goodwill stores. 

 

ProductTube Income: $100 

ProductTube has been doing really well lately. I’ll probably put together a more detailed post about ProductTube at some point, but basically, it’s an app that pays you to make market research videos about specific products. The gigs take so little time to complete – I’m usually earning $10 or more to make a video that takes me 2-5 minutes to complete – so it’s well worth my time. Most of the gigs are at big box stores (i.e. Target or Walmart) or convenience stores (CVS and Walgreens). I try to do these gigs in the morning after I drop my son off at daycare. 

 

IVueIt/ProxyPics Income: $115  

I used to put IVueIt with the Field Agent type apps, but I’ve decided to break out IVueIt (and ProxyPics) into their own category. These apps are ones that generally pay you to take exterior photos of a business or residential property, so I think they make more sense as their own category, rather than lumping them with the auditing apps like Field Agent or Merchandiser, which usually pay you to take photos of products at the store. 

With that being said, I made $35 last month from IVueIt and an astounding $80 from a new app I’ve been using called ProxyPics. 

The IVueIt gigs were the usual ones where I take photos of the landscaping around certain businesses or where I take interior photos of a “dark” store (i.e. a store that has permanently closed). 

ProxyPics meanwhile, is an app that pays you to take photos of residential properties. Appraisers use ProxyPics to get up-to-date photos of properties. The assignments pay well, so they’re worth doing. Indeed, last month I completed four assignments for ProxyPics, earning $20 for each one for a total of $80. The assignments only take a few minutes to complete – just take a few photos and answer some questions in the app. This is an app I’ll definitely be incorporating into my regular gig economy repertoire. 

To learn more about IVueIt or ProxyPics, check out the posts I wrote about them: 

 

Google Opinion Rewards/Surveys On The Go/1Q Income/Facebook Viewpoints: $13.52

Here’s what I earned with each of the short survey apps in May:

Not much to report here. Google Opinion Rewards and 1Q remained steady. Surveys On The Go requires me to hit $10 before I can cash out, so I didn’t hit that mark last month. Facebook Viewpoints paid me $5 for completing a few quick surveys. I don’t get a lot of Facebook Viewpoints surveys, but when I do see them, they’re worth doing.

 

Secret Shopping Income: $78 (plus free food)

Secret shopping was solid again. I make all of my secret shopping money from Marketforce, to the point where secret shopping with Marketforce is a bonified side hustle. I also had a few other random secret shops that got me free food. Those only reimbursed me for my meal though, so I didn’t earn a profit with those secret shoppers.

Secret shopping is a massively underrated way to reduce your food budget. I get hundreds of dollars of free food each month by taking advantage of Marketforce, Bestmark, A Closer Look, and other secret shopping websites. 

The world of secret shopping is fairly complicated, so I recommend reading the in-depth posts I’ve written on this subject below:

 

ReceiptPal/Receipt Hog/Fetch/CoinOut/Amazon Shopper Panel Income: $11.50

Amazon Shopper Panel paid me $11.50 last month. $10 of that was from the 10 receipts I sent them and then I got $1.50 for answering a few survey questions. Without a doubt, Amazon Shopper Panel is the best receipt app, so you definitely want to grab that app if you can. The other apps are good too, but they take much longer to earn any money on them. 

 

Medium Income: $0.42

I don’t write anything on Medium anymore since my time is better spent writing on this blog, but I still get a few pennies each month from the stuff I already wrote on there. If I were starting a blog today and just wanted to write about anything and not care about SEO, then I’d probably go with Medium. If you want to make a go of writing on Medium and earning an actual income, you need to be prepared to pump out content – literally every day. 

That’s one thing I’ve learned about doing anything online – quantity beats quality because quantity leads to quality. 

 

And that concludes the May 2022 Side Hustle Report! 

May was a solid side hustle month. Earning $1,500 from these random apps is not bad at all. When I put all my income sources together – the blog, the side hustle income, and the rental income, I’m doing pretty well. Not super-rich or anything – but more than enough to live comfortably. 

For more ideas on how you can use the gig economy to earn extra income, check out my post, The Ultimate List of Gig Economy Apps. That post can hopefully give you some more ideas on things you can do to earn extra income. 

Hope you enjoyed seeing what I did last month. Feel free to drop any questions and comments below.

 

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.
  • 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.
  • Moomoo (15 free stocks and 1 stock of Tesla or Google) – Moomoo is a free investing app currently offering 3 different referral bonuses if you open an account using a referral link. Read my Moomoo referral bonus guide for more information.
  • Webull (12 free stock shares) – Webull's current promotion gives you 12 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 $100 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.

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.

  • Chime ($150) - 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.
  • SoFi Money ($275) – SoFi Money is a free checking account from SoFi. They’re currently offering a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi account with a referral link and deposit $10. You can also make an additional $250 as well if you complete a direct deposit. This is a good bank that is also 100% free, so you won’t have to worry about managing this account. Here’s a post I wrote with instructions on how to earn your SoFi Money bonus: SoFi Money Referral Bonus: Step By Step Guide.
  • Upgrade ($150) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $150 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 $150 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
  • US Bank Business ($800) – 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 ($100) - 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 $100 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.
  • Netspend ($40 + 5% Interest Savings Account) – Netspend is a company that provides 5% interest savings accounts. If you sign up using my referral link, you’ll get a $40 signup bonus once you make your first deposit into your Netspend account of $40 or more. That means you get a 5% interest savings account and a free $40 to start! Make sure to check out my in-depth guide on how to set up these accounts.
  • Digital Federal Credit Union ($20) – Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) is a free, nationwide credit union that I recommend to readers for two reasons. First, DCU has a $20 referral bonus if you open a free DCU checking account with a referral link. Second, DCU has a saving account that gives you 6.17% interest on your first $1,000. Check out my in-depth post on how to set this account up.
  • 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 ($30) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $30 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 $250 if you complete a direct deposit.
  • 5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.25% 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 $800 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.
  • Personal Capital. 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. Dakota Smith says

    Receipt Hog, Receipt Pal, Coinout and Fetch have made me about 15$ in 2 months. I cannot get into Amazon Shopper’s Panel and am on the waitlist. I know only 2 months on the waitlist but that 20$ lost haha! Any hints/tips on getting accepted by Amazon Shopper’s Panel?

    Reply

    • Financial Panther says

      Unfortunately, I don’t know what the deal is with Amazon Shopper Panel. It’s the best receipt app by far. I was lucky enough that when I downloaded it, I got in right away.

      Reply

  2. Eric says

    How quickly did you break even on your electric bike? I’m curious because I want to buy one to do food delivery, but i’m wondering about how many hours I would need to put in (SoCal city) to break even.

    Reply

    • Financial Panther says

      You know, that’s a great question and now gives me an idea for a blog post. Breaking even on an ebike doesn’t just require making money from deliveries too. If you replace your car trips with the ebike, you’re getting a return on that. Then we can add something for the fact that you’re getting some health benefits from ebikes, which makes the break even point sooner if you include that. Finally, while it might not matter to you directly, there are external benefits from riding an ebike (reduced pollution, fewer deaths or risk of killing someone, less damage to roads, etc) that should be accounted for since we live in a society and our actions impact everyone.

      I’ll put together a post to try to analyze this. It’s not going to be scientific by any means, but I think it’ll give a good idea.

      Reply

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