8 Winning Ways to Make Money During the Super Bowl
When I was a kid, I was a big reader. Sorry — I meant to say “nerd.”
I was a huge nerd and didn’t care about sports.
Still, I watched the Green Bay Packers play every Sunday, because that’s what we did in my house. I just usually had a book open at the same time.
Because of that ritual, the sound of a football game on TV is cathartic for me. I’d rather turn on the NFL Network than listen to a white noise app when I want to get work done.
That’s why I’ll still tune into Super Bowl LIV. I enjoy the connection to the rest of the nation — while knocking out a blog post and making headway through a novel.
If you’re in the same boat, use the day to make some extra money. Just make sure you take a break and tune in for the Halftime Show, so you know what everyone’s talking about on Facebook on Monday.
While your family or roommates gather ‘round the TV this weekend, try some of these ways to make extra money.
8 Ways to Make Money During the Super Bowl
1. Drive With Lyft
If you haven’t already signed up as a driver with Lyft, now’s a good time to do it.
As a driver with Lyft, you can help Super Bowl party goers in your city safely get where they’re going and where they’re coming from. No driving drunk or walking in the cold!
Plus, the higher demand before and after the game could mean a busy night and big bucks for you.
You keep a portion of everything you earn as a driver, plus 100% of your tips. High Lyft traffic means peak hours, which might mean more money for you.
Here’s a link to apply to drive with Lyft.
2. List Your Place or Spare Room
Look. We get it. Your home is your sanctuary. Your place to be alone. Some days, you don’t even want to have your own family over — let alone people you don’t know.
So, the idea of listing your place on Airbnb is daunting for a lot of folks.
Use Airbnb’s price calculator to see how much money you could make in your area.
Tonya Peters’ husband, Miles Rugh, was one of those skeptics.
She wanted to list their Virginia Village basement apartment in Denver, Colorado, on Airbnb, but he wasn’t keen on welcoming strangers into their place.
Finally, though, he agreed to give it a try. Now, three years later, the couple has hosted too many guests to count. And the extra income has been great for them. They plan to use it for some home renovations they’ve been wanting.
“He’s definitely changed his tune,” says Peters, now an Airbnb Superhost. “And he loves having the extra income.”
(Hosting laws vary from city to city. Please understand the rules and regulations applicable to your city and listing.)
3. Take Stock Photos
People dressed in their favorite team’s jersey and faces painted in celebration make for great photographs.
Take advantage of the crowds of fans in your town to get some candid shots you can sell to stock photo sites.
You don’t even have to give up your own fun to fill your stock photo arsenal. You can sell your smartphone photos via Foap, so don’t worry about keeping track of expensive equipment all afternoon. (Just keep your phone out of the toilet.)
Note: Building owners or managers reserve the right to ask you not to take photos on their property. Otherwise, snap away, and make sure you understand whether your intended use of the photograph will require a model or property release.
4. Babysit
Want to hang out with the nerdy kids like me, who don’t want to pay attention to the game?
Offer to take them off their parents’ hands for the day.
Make game day easier for family and friends by offering to watch the little ones while they go out. You’ll get to make $20 to $40 and skip the loud parties.
Check out a site like Care.com to make yourself easy to find ahead of game day, and check out other tips on how to become a babysitter
5. Take Care of Pets
Pick up pet-sitting or dog-walking work to relieve football fans from the need to look after pets during time-outs.
If you can’t find pet-sitting gigs in your network, hop on DogVacay to connect with pet owners in your area.
6. Get Ahead on Freelance Work
Holidays — even faux holidays — are great for side hustlers. Unless you want to chat with your clients about football, your inbox and social media will probably be quiet on Super Bowl Sunday.
Take advantage of the radio silence to get some work done.
If you’re a freelance writer, check out these tips on how to land your first bylines. And sign up for this free seven-day mini-course from ProofreadAnywhere.com to learn how to become a professional proofreader.
Or, pick a passion project off the back burner. Work on a novel. Put the finishing touches on a painting. Format an ebook.
If you’re just kicking off your side hustle in 2020, read our guide to getting started as a freelancer.
7. Get the Best Gigs
If you haven’t, create an account with TaskRabbit.
Here’s the strategy for earning money: Find gigs you can complete quickly that pay well for the amount of time you put in.
With a lot of Taskers likely taking the day off, Super Bowl Sunday could be a great opportunity to get some of the best gigs.
8. Get Paid $1,200/Year for Your Screen Time
We’ve all been there. Netflix drones in the background as you scroll Instagram. What are you even doing?
But there’s a website that will pay you for all that screen time.
Yep. Swagbucks will pay you in free gift cards for taking surveys and other activities right on your phone.
We know what you’re thinking: You’ll probably just earn a few pennies for your troubles. But we talked to one Swagbucks user in Pennsylvania, 52-year-old Carolinda Hendrickson, who earned $1,200 in a year.
And it’s no huge time commitment. Hendrickson takes her surveys in the morning before her full-time job.
Even better? You’ll even earn a $5 bonus when you sign up and earn 2,500 points within your first 60 days.
Dana Sitar ([email protected]) is a former branded content editor at The Penny Hoarder.
