Zillennials, a mixed group of young Millennials and older members of the GenZ generation, are hard-working, thrifty individuals who are hustling to get ahead, according to new research.

Nearly three-quarters of this group of 18 to 26-year-olds are employed and more than half have at least two jobs, according to a survey conducted for The Zebra, an insurance comparison site.

Notably, too, just over half of this group — 52% — said they were more likely to save than spend their money. Even stimulus payments went into the bank or an investment account for 41% of those surveyed.

Hustling to get ahead

“They’re hustlers, says Danielle Marchell, public relations manager for The Zebra. “They want to earn money and are willing to work several jobs to do that.”

The bulk of the young adults who work are involved in gig jobs — online platforms that allow you to work when you want by simply flipping on an app on your smart phone. Nearly 8 in 10 of the young adults who reported having jobs said at least one of their jobs involved gig work, according to the survey. The flexibility of gig jobs may be the key to why they’re so popular with this group, of whom nearly 80% said they also were involved in some kind of formal educational program.

Best bets for hustling to get ahead

The most popular gig jobs and the best opportunities in those categories, according to The Zebra study and SideHusl.com: 

Food delivery

18% of Zillennials drive for food delivery apps, according to Zebra. The vast majority of these apps pay relatively small delivery fees, relying on tips to make the pay worthwhile. Drivers also are not compensated for down time between deliveries, according to SideHusl.com.
Consequently, the best way to make good pay as a delivery driver is to simultaneously use multiple apps, such as GrubHub, DoorDash and UberEats. That way your’e likely to be delivering multiple orders all at once. Drivers say you’re also smart to work solely during dinner and lunch rush hours.
Other options in the food space are grocery shopping apps Instacart, Shipt and Dumpling.

Selling arts and crafts

17% use online platforms, such as Etsy, to sell arts, crafts and other home made items, online. Notably, Etsy’s business nearly doubled during the pandemic, according to Statistica. The site’s active sellers jumped to 4.36 million in 2020 vs. 2.7 million the year prior. Gross sales soared to $10.28 billion vs. $4.97 billion in 2019.

Tutoring

17% of Zillennials tutor or consult online as a way of hustling to get ahead. The pandemic boosted demand for tutors in almost every subject, from math to music. The best tutoring platforms depend on the subjects you teach. You can find the 12-best tutoring options here.

Babysitting/eldercare

16% worked as nannies, babysitters or helped with eldercare. The best online platforms to find these jobs include UrbanSitter, CareLinx, and RideZum. 

Reselling/flipping

16% earned money by reselling or flipping items online, using sites like CraigsList and eBay to market their goods.

Social media

15% earned money through social media. A number of sites, including Open Influence, Koji and Heartbeat aim to help social media influencers secure advertising dollars for endorsements and sell products to their followers.

Package delivery

14% engaged in package delivery services through sites such as Amazon Flex, Roadie and uShip.

Rideshare

Given that ride share companies were once considered the backbone of the gig economy, it’s noteworthy that only 12% of Zillennials engaged in ride share driving as a way of hustling to get ahead. Uber and Lyft are the undisputed industry leaders in this market. However, SideHusl.com does not recommend either site. Both have made numerous revisions to their terms, which are almost always detrimental to the freelancers doing the driving. Better alternatives for drivers include book-ahead ride services Alto and Wingz.

Renting out property

Another 12% of Zillennials rented out personal property as a way to make money. Although this age group is less likely than older groups to own a home that can be rented out through sites like Airbnb, they can rent out personal items through gig platforms too. Indeed, FriendWithA specializes in renting out sporting equipment, something many Zillennials have in spades.