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2020 has been a financially debilitating year for many families and individuals across the nation. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has put millions of people out of work.

Those in the travel and hospitality industries in particular have been hit the hardest due to a closed economy and travel restrictions that were put in place to help curb the spreading disease. Many of these people turned to find part-time work, freelance gigs, and side hustles to help supplement the income they lost due to layoffs and hour cuts. Below are a few ideas of how you can increase your monthly income to help offset your financial struggles or even just to pad your pockets with a little more green

Become a Dog Walker

Dog walking has been a popular side hustle for people who both love animals and have free time throughout the day. If the weather isn't great, that can be a bit of a turn-off, but the cash you can stack walking dogs certainly can make any day seem like a warm sunny day.

Consider signing up for a dog walking service like Rover, Barkly Pets, or PetBacker. Dog walkers make $14 on average according to a study done by Payscale. This rate is considerably higher in metropolitan areas where the cost of living, in general, is higher. Some dog walkers can charge $25 per half hour and $40 per hour if they have developed a good reputation and loyal customer base.

To reduce your risk of contracting the coronavirus, make sure to maintain the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s social distancing protocols, including standing six feet apart from your clients or anyone you encounter outside and wearing a mask.

Teach English

Children around the world learn English in school and many parents invest in English lessons for their kids even after they’ve come home for the day. Online sites like Magic Ears, VIPKid, and GoGoKid pair English-speaking teachers with Chinese students for 25-minute English classes online.

Teachers pick time slots at their convenience, and all three companies provide the lesson plans. The number of students per class can vary. GoGoKid and VIPKid classes are taught one-on-one, while Magic Ears classes have four students per teacher.

Rates for teaching these classes also vary among sites. GoGoKid teachers earn $14 to $25 per hour, VIPKid teachers earn an average of $22 per hour, and most Magic Ears teachers earn $17 to $26 per hour, according to their websites.

Offer Help as a Mover

Summer is typically a popular time to relocate (likely because the weather is more conducive to such a task). As a result, movers remain in high demand even during the pandemic. If you own a truck or a pickup van and are comfortable with heavy lifting, services like GoShare let you book various moving gigs for average earnings of $42 to $66 per hour, according to its website. Additionally, apps like TaskRabbit also enable you to list your moving services where you can set your own rate. Some movers there charge more than $150 per hour.