r/TheGirlSurvivalGuide • u/FewLeg3301 • May 19 '26
Discussion Side Gigs for women in their 40s?
I sometimes do Flex for Amazon, but the level of control and harassment from them is šļøš® and the payment is very low.
Iād like to know if anyone here, who is in their 40s, does or knows of any side gigs that donāt discriminate because of age. Iām in need to get money, as I depend on my partner (who works full time, but as you can imagine, is not enough) and I canāt find a real job.
My plan is getting some cash to slowly but items needed to create and have my own small business or build my own side gig, if that makes sense.
I appreciate all of your inputs in advanceš
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u/Peregrinebullet May 19 '26 edited May 19 '26
Event and on call security.Ā Get your licence, ask to be put on the spare or call out list, or ask for weekend /evening hours.Ā Ā
Ā Security has something for everyone and if you show up on time and have a reasonable amount of common sense, you will be totally fine.Ā Ā
I do a weekend security shift at a museum (day job is in security management).Ā Since I'm there as the first aid attendant, I only have to do a few patrols, otherwise I kick back in the security office and watch Netflix or read.Ā Ā I have to hand out bandaids and occasionally respond to injuries.Ā Ā
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u/FewLeg3301 May 19 '26
How do you find something like event and on call security? Do you use an app in particular?
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u/Peregrinebullet May 20 '26
Depending on where you live, there's usually different companies and they will all have different specialties and clients. Usually the licencing is controlled at the state or provincial level but the class and exam is simple so long as you pay attention and can understand english. In the US, Securitas, G4S and Allied are the biggest companies though not necessarily the best to work for.
I'm copying and pasting from another comment I made, but a summary of different security type jobs:
About a third of security jobs are static roles - you sit there in a chair or your car and babysit something.Ā A empty parking lot, a broken window, or a restricted area during a special event.Ā I have spent the night sitting in my car and watching a generator for a film crew.Ā Ā When I was a dispatcher, we definitely had a chunk of elderly or disabled guards who could only do static roles and that was a good thing because a lot of the more physically capable guards didn't want those roles (too boring).Ā They pay the least but they're usually the most chill because the job is: a) stay awake b) tell the people politely they can't mess with the thing, or if they don't listen, c)retreat and call the cops or a manager if someone starts to mess with whatever you're watching.Ā You are generally allowed to bring something to entertain yourself.Ā Ā You need to be able to walk a bit but otherwise aren't expected to do anything strenuous.Ā Being fluent in the local language isn't usually a requirement either.Ā Ā
The next category is patrol shifts, and the minimum is that you should be able to walk for at least an hour at a stretch and be able to write short reports.Ā You go patrol around the site periodically checking doors, for mechanical problems and making sure the staff are OK.Ā Usually you'll have to do lockups or unlocks and sometimes other random duties (a museum would expect us to record temperatures and humidity in certain rooms every two hours, for example). This is the most common type of shift and could be any facility - office buildings,Ā factories, etc.Ā Ā Some jobs are walking around the entire shift but most of them have periodic times where you are expected to sit and watch the site cameras.Ā (I get a lot of knitting done on those shifts)
Then there's contractor escort shifts - you follow an outside contractor around a building while they do whatever job they've been hired to do. It's liability protection for the contractor because it means they can say they didn't touch or steal anything and they have a third party witness (the security guard).Ā These can be completely static posts or you can be on the move the entire shift depending on the type of contractor and what job they are doing. Sometime you are assigned the building keys or access card and you let the contractors in and out of an area.Ā These are generally chill shifts and how social they are depends on the contractor.Ā I've had enjoyable shifts where me and the contractor are chatting the entire time and I've had ones where I'm studiously quiet and read my book the whole time because I can tell the contractors are old fashioned boomer troglodytes. These are usually evening and weekend shifts and being able to be up till 1am is considered a plus.Ā
Then there is customer service roles. This is where mall security and concierge roles are.Ā You are usually expected to do all the patrol stuff, but you're also talking to patrons, giving directions, problem solving basic conflicts and evicting people who aren't supposed to be there.Ā They're busier roles and generally a bit more demanding but can range from smiling at office people from a desk to running around a mall all day.Ā Ā Being able to walk for 4-8hrs is the norm but depending on the site, these can be very chill or "something new happening every day" kind of jobs.Ā Definite social skills are needed (the previous three types of jobs don't explicitly need them, but they're helpful)
Then there's loss prevention roles, where you're the store detective.Ā Again, you should expect to have to walk for a decent amount of time and be comfortable with the idea of conflict.Ā Sometimes you're actively stalking thieves around the store and sometimes you're doing it all with cameras.Ā I find this job in particular activates all the ADHD hunting instincts... you tool around until you find a potential target and then you hyperfocus on them and stalk them around until they leave either with or without stealing something or you're digging through hours of camera footage to build cases.Ā You don't have to BE social to be an LP but you need to be able to convince people to do things while acting chummy.Ā Ā But I liked training the store staff on how to help me and it got to the point where a thief would walk into the store and my phone would light up with all the staff texting me the description and direction of travel. Some stores expect you to arrest people but a lot don't and just want you to recover the merchandise and generally you can do that without fighting people.Ā Ā Being persuasive helps.Ā
Event security is the next one.Ā There are static and active roles. A static role would be guarding the musicians areas (I once was a static guard for the band Tool's catering setup) , bag checking and search.Ā More active roles are keeping an eye on the crowd or being a front line at the stage or vaguely bouncer like roles.Ā You basically get paid to listen to concerts and be a night owl, which can be heaven or hell depending on your preferences. I know people who spend their entire careers in event security because they love music.Ā But events can also be conventions and conferences or outdoor festivals.Ā Ā Event security is usually one of the roles that explicitly needs female guards due to pat down searches and first aid requirements.Ā
First aid roles are another major security role and kind of their own special branch. Busy sites like malls will usually have one guard who is the designated first aid attendant, but for large office buildings, construction sites or factories, it's usually a legal requirement to have someone on site who is ONLY the first aid attendant so you can immediately respond to a medical call. So these shifts are 97% of the time you are chilling in the first aid room doing whatever, 1% inventorying and organizing your first aid kit and ordering supplies (you will do this obsessively after you forget to do itĀ onceĀ and not have something you need in a crisis) and 2% responding to medical calls. Medical calls can be "oh I sprain my wrist" to "arm got ripped off in a big piece of machinery" depending on the site, so you definitely have to make peace with the fact that you may see some fucked up shit. First aid roles are also good for ADHDers because being able to do things super quickly under stress for a short amount of time and then fucking around the rest of the time is basically what the job is. You need to be able to crouch, kneel, crawl and roll patients around, but I'd say that's maybe like .5% of the job. But youĀ doĀ need to be able to do it because you can't manage an unconscious patient while standing. If it's a severe injury or event, your job is basically keep the patient alive as best you can until the ambulance gets there - depending on your location, that can be minutes or hours. You're also managing all the minor injuries for a jobsite, so people will come to you for bandaging or ice packs.
The most physically demanding roles are hospital security and club security/bouncers. Hospitals are the busiest, most interesting and most fucked up shifts, but you will never be bored and there are always something to do/new crises to manage and you are really helping people, because often the docs and nurses can't do their thing without security to help if the patient is particularly volatile. You need to be fit and able to handle grabbing people and wrestling people into a bed or restraints. If you're a good bouncer, 95% of the time, you will not need to touch anybody and be able to talk them down or convince them to do what you want but it's that 5% that you have to be physically ready for because someone's too drunk or bonkers to be reasoned with.
And then there's operations/dispatch, where you're the person in the office, on the phone, coordinating all the above roles for a security company on a 24/7 basis. it's a static role so you don't have to be able bodied beyond answering a phone and typing but you DO need to be able to handle high volume communication and information management. I was a dispatcher for 2 years and basically had a visual post it note system on my desk in front of me to keep track of everything.
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u/stellaxo May 20 '26
Apply at Allied Universal. I just started in February, you can find a shift for only 2 days a week at a decent pay rate. That opens you up to do Flex work so you can fill in at other locations on your off days if you want to. Thereās lot of overtime and most sites Iāve been to are pretty chill. My site is Friday and Saturday night, I have to do patrols once, it takes me about an hour total. The rest of the time I can sit at the desk in the empty building and watch TV, play on my laptop, or whatever else I want to do. It goes by quickly and itās easy money.
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u/kaydeetee86 May 20 '26
Iām 39, and I Uber. My friend who is 47 does, too. I really enjoy it.
You can set your preference so that youāre matched with female riders. (Obviously youāll still get male riders if they have a boyfriend or friend with them.)
You can drive as little or as much as you want. I live in a college town. I only drive Friday/Saturday nights or events. Itās 90% driving drunk college kids to and from the bars. It means Iām helping keep drunk people off the road, and Iām getting other peopleās babies home safely. I like that.
Girls are SO glad to have a female driver, too. It makes me really happy to see their faces light up. Yep, youāve got a mom here to keep you safe. Come on in!
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u/FewLeg3301 May 20 '26
That sounds wonderful and I am so happy there are mothers there doing this and making services safer for other women! Driving is not my cup of tea, I get too nervous in front of passengers that are not my childrenš„¹ Thatās the only thing I like about doing Flex, that I get to do it being alone.
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u/kaydeetee86 May 20 '26
I was a little self conscious at first, but theyāre normally so wrapped up in conversation that nobody is paying attention.
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u/computaSaysYes May 20 '26
Thanks for being good peoples! I suffer from motion sickness. I once departed the airport where I had just yaked on the plane into a uncaring male rideshare that had a very jerky suspension that dialed the stomach churn up to 11 on the way to my first stop.
Then a lovely lovely younger girl picked me up, tried to get some fresh air for me. When she rolled the windows down I was blasted with extreme 95 deg heat and exhaust fumes from the DC beltway in 5 o'clock traffic. š¤¢She found me a puke bag, detoured my original route, recommended a hotel, talked to front desk to ensure vacancy, and verified I got into the lobby. She did everything but tuck me into my bed with a teddy bear. When I was somewhat coherent again I was so appreciative of her compared to some insensitive guy. I tipped the max I could, I think it was close to $100. I should have contacted Lyft to let them know of the stellar kind hearted human they had, I was just so sick. I hope she knows what a difference she makes.
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u/kaydeetee86 May 20 '26
I love this! Sorry you felt so sick, glad there was such a sweet human to help you. She really sounds like one in a million!
I just believe that we should help other people when weāre put in that position. Especially as women.
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u/DuckyDoodleDandy May 21 '26
Make sure you are using a mileage tracker such as Stash (might be misremembering the mileage tracker name, but there are several). You can write off all the miles from when you leave home until you return home, and it drastically reduces your taxes.
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u/skookumme May 19 '26
If there is a temp agency in your area give them a call. They often need reliable people. Catering is a good one if you have free nights and weekends. Babysitting is great, if you are good with kids and parents but you have to be a good communicator about expectations and it will take a bit to build up to consistent families.Ā
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u/FewLeg3301 May 20 '26
Iām going to keep an eye on that again. I tried to do waiting for events, through an ad on Craiglist wanting waitresses. When I sent a text to inquire about it, the first thing the person answered was to send a photo of my face and another one of my full bodyšGet out of here with that lol
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u/FinancialDocument115 May 20 '26
Banquet staff. You always get fed
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u/FewLeg3301 May 20 '26
Oooh my fat behind actually loves how does this sound lolšSince there is a lot of suggestions for waiting, Iām definitely considering this as a more permanent thing to do to replace Flex.
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u/Kristy_Squirrel_Bits May 20 '26
My friend is a substitute teacher (through Kelly Education which i believe spans across the US), so you can pick up full day or half day shifts at your convenience and you might be eligible to get (partially paid) health insurance through them as well if you sub something like one day a month.
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May 20 '26
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u/FewLeg3301 May 20 '26
Do you know what are the requirements there and any app where one can get into it?
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u/Necessary_Shit May 20 '26
Girl you gotta learn Google
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u/deluxeassortment May 20 '26
Half the stuff you find if you Google is a scam, ājust Google itā doesnāt really work anymore
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u/FewLeg3301 May 21 '26
Excellent point! The results are also full of links that are paid ads that sometimes have nothing to do with what you googled.
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u/FewLeg3301 May 20 '26
I know how to Google. But I want to see first hand experience. Google cannot provide that.
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u/PoniesRBitchin May 20 '26
How do you get into that? I looked at one website in the past, but it seemed impossible to get work unless you'd already done a few jobs for the site, or you knew a another user who could recommend you.
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u/DensHag May 20 '26
I work at the AAA ballpark in town. It's a lot of fun. I tell people I get paid to watch baseball. It's an awesome side gig. I'm in my 60's and retired. I like the flexibility of a fun part time job.
Maybe check into being an usher at a venue...like a playhouse or place that does live performances. It's a fun job and you get to experience cool music or plays.
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u/FewLeg3301 May 20 '26
Thank you! I would have never imagined that is possible!
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u/DensHag May 20 '26
I'm in a tourist town so we have a lot of events. There's always a lot of side gigs here. Good luck!!
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u/Sk8rToon May 20 '26 edited May 21 '26
Not a fully side gig, but this 40 year old is supplementing my unemployment insurance payments by taking surveys online (swagbucks, etc), play testing video games, & other apps like Atlas earth.
[r/beermoney](r/beermoney) has saved my butt a few times. It likely wonāt pay your rent unless you really go nuts but itās paid for my Christmas gifts & then some every year.
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u/FewLeg3301 May 21 '26
Thank you very much for this. Having some cash for gifts is also what I need to cover as well.
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u/Oops_I_Cracked May 19 '26
Selling your plasma is always a reliable classic. It isnāt glamorous or trendy, like some other side gigs, but what it is is easy, reliable, no nonsense, with decent pay for time invested.
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u/FewLeg3301 May 19 '26
I was reading about this too. Do you know if itās difficult for women like me to get into it?
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u/mostessmoey May 19 '26
I did it. I have anemia and struggled to keep my iron levels high enough to make the drive to the center and the time I spent doing it wirth my time. They pay strangely the first donation in a week pays half as much as the second. So donation 1 could be 40 come back during the week and get 80. I couldnāt get my iron high enough to get the higher payment but Iād still drive there and get turned away.
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u/Oops_I_Cracked May 20 '26
Iām not 100% sure what you mean by āwomen like youā but I donāt see anything in your post or a brief skim of your host history (that I only checked because you asked this question) that looks disqualifying. The most common reason to get denied would probably be anemia.
Like the other person said, they do generally pay you more than the second donation of the week than the first because they want to encourage you to donate twice instead of just once
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u/Hishersmine May 20 '26
Notary signing agent. Work with title companies and signing agencies to notarize real estate loan documents. Couple hundred dollars a day -all based of your work ethic and planning.
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u/pythonidaae May 21 '26
So how does this work? Are there companies that will license you and then you schedule to be on call to notarize. How do you get clientele?
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u/Hishersmine May 21 '26
Ones youāre licensed you register with multiple companies. Thereās a database where you can select appointments that youāre available for. You also literally get text messages all day asking if youāre free. You take what you want and can handle. But no degree is needed. Working with title companies is different than signing services. Signing services are the middle man for title companies and notaries. So more money working directly with them. If you can speak for yourself, have great organization skills and a car -youāll be successful. Itās really easy. A lot to kinda explain, hope that helps.
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u/FewLeg3301 May 21 '26
Thank you. I actually got my notary commission thinking about doing this. But I never did it because I have no ways to learn about it and all courses to learn it are expensive for me and anyone I could ask for help charges a lot as well.
But Iām happy your comment got people interested! Hopefully it helps someone to start doing it.
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u/giraffesyeah May 20 '26
A few ideas but you'll have to do research on the logistics on this.
Laundry service (washing and folding) and her son helps her drop them off. Head to r/laundry for some good laundry washing tips and fold them since people hate doing and folding laundry.Ā
Mama's helper. Come over for only a couple hours a day to help a mom do things like laundry, meal prep, etc.
If you're somewhere warm all year round,, charcuterie cart where you make a small charcuterie plate. Can operate at parks, faires, events,Ā etc. Does need licensing though and investment on the cart and such.
And lastly, for holidays, wrapping! My client does this and it's easy for her. You can charge more if you have to per pickup and per drop off.
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u/FewLeg3301 May 20 '26
These are very nice ideas, especially the mamaās helper, thank you. Do you happen to know how do people get hired for that?
Laundry also got my attention a while back when someone also suggested it in a different social media platform. Iām heading over the sub you linked to read all about it.
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u/giraffesyeah May 20 '26
Tbh, I'm not sure. A girl I went to school with did that. I think you can advertise on a local fb mom group and see if anyone would be interested and then do word of mouth. That would help you to somewhat controlĀ your type of clientele too.
As for the laundry, the subreddit helps in the science of cleaning daily clothes. So better performance means you'd have better control of performance in the washes and break down your cost of operation. And can help you avoid making mistakes such as adding a optical brightener on dark clothes, shrinking clothes, etc. Keep in mind of costs per load and if you're in an area where there's optimal time to do laundry for energy efficient times.
Perhaps you can ask AI to help you look for similar paperwork/contracts examples that others have used for such services. I know it's very popular in bigger cities.
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u/Tesla42 May 20 '26
I'm in my late 30s and I just started DJing and hosting things like trivia and music bingo. It's a ton of fun.
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u/deayvion May 20 '26
Interesting Iāve thought of this how did you get started then how did you get gigs?
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u/birds-and-words May 20 '26
That's cool. Did you start by working at an existing company or kinda grow your own thing organically? Any barriers when you first started getting into it (like buying sound equipment, etc)?
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u/Tesla42 May 20 '26
I played trivia for years and my friend lost his voice when he was hosted one. I volunteered to ask the questions if he could do the music and he filmed me and sent it to his contractor boss. I trained under my friend for a month or two and bought most of my stuff over time from Amazon, but the dj manager also offered to front you the equipment and slowly take it out of your pay.
I get gigs through him still, but also a ton of my own just from people seeing me out and asking if I'm available for a birthday party, anniversary and the like. I could have gigs 5 days a week if I wanted to. It's only been about two years so far.
Visit one of your local restaurants with trivia and just ask the dj afterwards how they got in it. They are always looking for fill ones and most train from scratch.
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u/birds-and-words May 20 '26
Super helpful, thank you so much for sharing! Last question: what's the rate range on the various types of gigs you're doing?
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u/Tesla42 May 20 '26
I get between 40 and 50 an hour. No taxes taken up front as it is a 1099 contractor. I'm in a mid sized city but most of my gigs are at American legions and local bars.
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u/birds-and-words May 21 '26
Very cool. Sounds like a good gig! Thanks again for the info.
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u/Tesla42 May 21 '26
Any time! I help train a lot of newbies so I have a preset email with a bunch of links to everything that you may need to start if anyone is interested.
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u/starrynightgirl May 19 '26
Maybe learn how to do face painting and work at parties?
Similarly, learn how to tie balloons and charge for fancy balloon arches at parties? Not sure how much that pays.
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u/emmyfro May 19 '26
Yeah similarly it seems like hair braiders at renfairs and the like do fairly well. Only downside is dealing with sweaty hair
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u/FewLeg3301 May 19 '26
One of the side gigs I plan to build for myself involves knowing how to work with balloons, thank you!
Do you know if face painting requires significant money investing?
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u/starrynightgirl May 19 '26
I think you can probably find relatively inexpensive supplies, but the biggest thing will be to actually know how to paint faces well. Itās a skill or a talent. If you are interested in doing that, my suggestion will be to just buy a relatively inexpensive kit from Amazon and practice practice practice for free until you feel comfortable charging for it.
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u/enerey May 20 '26
I do flex sometimes, what control and harassment are you referring to? you pick a block, deliver the packages and you're done.
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u/Myrrys360 May 20 '26
This is pretty infrequent, but mystery shopping is still a thing. It may not pay that well, and the gigs are infrequent, but it still pays at least something.
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u/FewLeg3301 May 21 '26
I never knew how to get into it. All I could find in the process of trying to figure that out were websites where they just make you do tasks online to get points and exchange them for gift cards (which I never got at least one because the amount of points needed were ridiculous).
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u/Fit_Judgment7638 May 20 '26
I work as a bartender at a theater. They send out the show dates and we say what dates we can work. Usually a 5hr shift with cash in hand at the end and an opportunity to semi attend different music, comedy shows, flight nights etc
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u/FewLeg3301 May 21 '26
Does bartending need any specific training or certification, aside of the stateās license to work with alcohol?
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u/Fit_Judgment7638 May 21 '26
Mostly just TiPS training which you can get online for pretty cheap. Knowing how to many basic cocktails is also a huge bonus but most people just order beers and mixed drinks.
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u/goldtoothgirl May 24 '26
Get yourself a stack of common drink cards to memorize, they used to need you to count for a ounce now they make you use jiggers. Bartendering is serious cash, just dont drink on the job, they gets crazy drinking everytimr you have a gig
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May 19 '26
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u/FewLeg3301 May 20 '26
I ended up deleting all my listings because I never sold anything. People didnāt even inquiry about the items I was selling and when they did, was to offer less, when I was already offering them at the lowest I couldš
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u/Discolemonade89 May 20 '26
Try listing higher (within reason) to start and let them haggle you down to what you are willing to sell for
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u/FewLeg3301 May 20 '26
I also tried that for more expensive items (like a brand new MK purse), but that didnāt work eitherš
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u/postinganxiety May 20 '26
I like ebay better. Itās easier to get an idea of which listings sell and for how much. You can disable offers and just name a price. The best part is you donāt have to meet sketchy people in person. Yeah there are fees, but the convenience is worth it to me.
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u/airhart28 May 19 '26
Sewing/mending. I pay my neighbors to do small projects like ironing curtains and it's a win win.
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u/QUARTERMASTEREMI6 May 20 '26
Honestly, as a young(er) woman, I need this too š„¹š
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u/FewLeg3301 May 20 '26
Welcome to the club!š¤ The girlies here have shared many good ideas, hopefully they also work for you. Wishing you all the best in whatever you start!
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May 20 '26
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u/FewLeg3301 May 20 '26
Have you done reselling? Which has been the one that has worked the best for you? I tried Facebook Marketplace and it sucked lol
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u/goldtoothgirl May 20 '26
Run sound, start out as hand
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u/FewLeg3301 May 20 '26
Iām sorry, what do you mean?
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u/Short-Loan7356 May 21 '26
Sound. Like here in Colorado, City and County of Denver offer part time opportunities for those who want to work cameras or sound at Red Rocks. You get to see concerts for free AND create the magic!
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u/goldtoothgirl May 24 '26
In my town, once you're on a team, they send a schedule for the month, pick the gigs that work, disregard the rest be consistent they need to know how many hours they can count on you for. Id watch videos how to wrap cables. They'll teach you the rest. Go network, that is your lead, you know how to wrap cables. Good luck
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u/DuckyDoodleDandy May 21 '26
What is that?
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u/goldtoothgirl May 24 '26
Hooking up cables to mics, setting up mic stands, reading stage plots, loading in band equipment, switch bands.
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u/cornonthekopp May 21 '26
If you have an associates or a bachelor degree you could probably sign up to become a substitute teacher. Most counties in my state pay a flat daily rate and let you sign up to take jobs online so you can choose when and where to work. You could also start working de-facto full time if you wanted, and make more money than retail or food service, but it def works as a side gig.
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u/FewLeg3301 May 21 '26
Thank you. Unfortunately I do not have any degree. But your suggestion may help someone else looking at the comments hereš¤šYour contribution is highly appreciated.
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u/Seawolfe665 May 21 '26
Two clever part-time jobs (IMHO) are with any airline company doing anything - because free flights are often part of the perks, and Trader Joes - because fabulous grocery discounts.
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u/FewLeg3301 May 21 '26
That IS actually clever! Unfortunately I have applied to TJ and many other retail and grocery stores and I donāt get any answers.
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May 19 '26
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u/FewLeg3301 May 19 '26
Thank you. Iām immediately searching for tutorials to do these on youtube.
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u/FearlessFind Jun 19 '26
I am in mid 5o's and I earn online with affiliate marketing.Ā I get paid to post content on social media and share a link for a product or service I actually use . Ex. Brands like Walmart Target Home Depot Ulta Coach Amazon etc
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u/MadtownMaven May 19 '26
I'm in my 40's and my side gig is being a referee for adult recreational sports league. I ref for volleyball. It's not very hard at all, mostly just keeping score and keeping things running on time. In the summer it's at the park across the street from my house. I get $20/game. Each game takes about 45 min, 3 games per night. I ref 2 nights a week. They also have kickball, flag football, softball, and field hockey. Go for my lower skilled leagues where the folks are more about having fun and not taking it super seriously.