9 Ways To Make $200 (or More) a Day Running Errands

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If running errands sounds like a good way to make extra cash, it can be. However, it can also be a way to make $200 a day or more.

Errand-running tasks are a win-win. Not only can you be of service to someone who doesn’t have the time, or possibly the physical ability, to run errands, but you can also earn a decent income — and earn some pretty fabulous tips, if you’re lucky.

Here are nine ways to make at least $200 a day doing small tasks for others.

Be a Personal Shopper

• Hourly pay: $36

Professionals, parents and those who feel overwhelmed can benefit from the services of a personal shopping assistant. Your role would be to locate and purchase various items that your client wants, such as “a pair of men’s black dress shoes in size 11 for a formal event.”

Additionally, it’s worth noting that your services don’t need to be restricted to physical shopping; you can also offer online shopping assistance and arrange for delivery to your client.

Platforms like TaskRabbit or Thumbtack might be useful starting points to market your skills. At a rate of $50 per hour, you’d just need to work four hours per day to make $200.

Offer Dog Walking Services

• Hourly pay: $20 to $40

Things like long working hours, vacations or unexpected emergencies can interfere with the routine care and attention pets need. In addition to your local community pages on social media, websites like Rover or Care.com are platforms where you can offer services, such as dog walking, but you can probably make more if you cut out the middleman and get your own clients.

At a rate of $20 to $40 per hour with a national average rate of $22, you’d need to take care of six to seven clients per day to make $200, which would require time to build a client base. You could also walk multiple dogs at once to maximize your income.

Offer To Complete Various Small Tasks

• Hourly pay: $34 to $44

When it comes to errands clients need fulfilled, the list can be endless. Some may need assistance with laundry pickup, others with taking their dog to the groomer — and some might want you to pick up their mail and prescriptions. Understanding local needs and tailoring your services accordingly can make you a sought-after individual in your community.

Platforms like Thumbtack, Care.com or your local Facebook community page are good places to start advertising your services so you can build a client base. With hourly pay of around $23 to $29, you’ll need to work 7 to 9 hours per day to make $200.

Make Yourself Available To Wait in Line

• Hourly pay: $19

For many, waiting in line for tickets, services, holiday meal pickup or new releases is a hassle they’d rather avoid. Here’s where you come in. By offering to hold a spot for busy individuals, you provide an invaluable service with reliability and punctuality as your selling points. You can consider charging more in bad weather or for tasks that take place after midnight or on the eve or day of a holiday.

Based on the average rate of $19 per hour, you would need a decent number of hours to earn $200, but the good news is that you can earn a substantial amount around product releases. TaskRabbit is a good place to start looking for clients.

Do Rideshares for Uber

• Hourly pay: $20 to $50

Depending on where you live and the strategies you employ, you could earn up to $50 per hour as an Uber driver, which makes for a pretty short $200 workday. Even if you make an average of $35 per hour, you wouldn’t have to work more than six hours. 

Be a Home Organization and Decluttering Shopper

• Hourly pay: $55 to $130

Everyone wants an organized home, but not everyone knows which tools or supplies they need to make it happen. Offer services where you shop for the right storage solutions and decluttering supplies based on your client’s specific needs. You save them the errand of navigating countless aisles and becoming overwhelmed by the different choices.

You can charge rates on the higher end of the scale if you also do the decluttering and organizing — instead of instructing your client how to do it — after you shop for the tools and supplies. According to Forbes, you can earn up to $130 per hour on the higher end with this gig. This means that with just two to four hours of work per day, you could easily reach $200 in earnings.

Help People With Their Vehicle Maintenance Tasks

• Hourly pay: Around $34

Think about all the time people spend waiting for their cars during oil changes, tire rotations or inspections. Why not offer to drop off and pick up vehicles for these routine services? This way, clients can go about their day without the hassle of waiting. And you can easily get repeat clients by offering this service, because car maintenance is ongoing.

Working seven to nine hours per day can help you make $200 with this idea. TaskRabbit might be a good starting point to find clients.

Offer Gift Wrapping and Delivery Services

• Hourly Pay: $25 to $100

Special occasions often prompt gift-giving, and some people want the wrapping to be as spectacular as the gifts they give. Provide personalized gift wrapping and delivery services, ensuring presents are both beautifully packaged and promptly delivered. Platforms like Etsy or local craft fairs might be a good place to showcase your talent and offer services. Word-of-mouth referrals are also valuable.

The more elevated your gift wrapping is, the more you can charge. You can also choose to charge per package, such as a rate of $5 to $25, depending on size and type of wrapping. But be sure to add a delivery fee if it makes sense. Expect this business to really ramp up during the holiday season. This is the ideal side hustle during the holidays, as you can make up to $5,000 if you ramp up your services.

Offer Concierge Services

• Hourly pay: $31 to over $100

People who travel frequently for leisure or business and have more money than time would likely willingly pay you to act as a concierge by researching and making travel arrangements, packing for their destination and making dinner and activity reservations. Word-of-mouth, TaskRabbit and social media can be effective channels to market this niche service.

This role has an average hourly pay of $45, but the amount you earn will depend on your services and clientele. If you raise your raises to $100 per hour, you can expect to work two to eight hours daily to earn $200.

Make Decent Money Doing Errand-Related Tasks for People

Each errand you run is an opportunity to make someone’s day a little easier while boosting your bank account balance. However, these suggestions are just a starting point. If none of these suit you, figure out what kind of errands you can do to earn $200 a day or more.

For starters, think about what kind of errand-running tasks people in your community would find useful, set your rates and market yourself. You can also sign up on one of the various platforms available, such as TaskRabbit, and let your clients find you.

Another option is to combine some of these errand-running ideas together, rather than try to focus on one particular task or service. This strategy might help you earn money more quickly. 

Additionally, don’t be afraid to ask your clients to refer you to their friends and neighbors to help you build your client base.

Martin Dasko contributed to the reporting for this article.

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