Ever thought about picking up a side hustle? I’m guessing that if you’re reading this you probably have. Side hustling has literally saved us financially. When we first started our “get out of debt” journey, we had a 65% – 70% debt-to-income ratio.
That means that more than 65% of Rick’s gross pay was taken up for required minimum debt payments each month. As you can imagine, that left us with quite a huge monthly deficit. When Rick wasn’t earning overtime, we were at least $1000 short every month and often times more.
What saved us and allowed us to always make payments on time was overtime at Rick’s job – and side hustles. When I first started reading about side hustles, I had the same thought you might be having: What’s the catch? Can I really earn money without having a regular job?
REAL Ways to make Side Hustle money
I’d soon find out that side hustling is REAL. My first side hustle came when a fellow blogger contacted me out of the blue to ask if I’d be interested in writing for his site. I said “yes”, and soon I was earning $35 for about an hour of work.
The idea of side hustles suddenly became more appealing to me and I figured I’d better research it more.
You see, I didn’t want a “real” job. Rick and I were committed to homeschooling our kids, and didn’t want to sacrifice that lifestyle for the sake of money. So I started really looking into side hustle opportunities, and soon I was making thousands of dollars every year from the comfort of my home office.
Not all side hustle jobs are work-from-home jobs, but there are many, many ways you can make money via side hustling. Here are a few potentially lucrative ways you can make money via side hustles.
I’ve divided them up into three categories:
- work from home hustles
- entrepreneurship hustles
- traditional job hustles
Why break it up this way? Because some people – like me – really want or need to be at home but still want to earn money. Others dream of owning their own business where they can make decisions about which clients and how many clients they take on.
Still others want the lack of pressure that comes with owning your own business – they’d rather work their 4 hour side hustle shift for someone else and then be able to go home and forget about it.
There’s no wrong answer, it’s just that not every side hustle is right for every person, and to make side hustling right for you, you’ve got to determine which type of side hustle is best for you. Knowing what type of side hustle is best for you will help you to make the most money from your side hustle in the happiest way possible.Are one of these side hustle ideas right for you?
Work From Home Side Hustles
1. Freelance Writing. This is how I make the majority of my online, work-from-home income. There are many news outlets and blog/website owners looking for people to write content for their sites. If you’ve got a gift for writing enticing articles, this might be a good side hustle for you. Know that freelance writing isn’t limited to news-type articles either.
Many companies are looking for freelancers to write fiction articles in a variety of genres as well. Check out websites such as Fiverr, Upwork or even Craigslist to find jobs.
2.ย Blogging. Blogging is another way I make thousands of dollars each year working from home. If you’ve got a niche area that you’d love to work to show people how it’s done, such as personal finance, home improvement, investing or whatever,ย learn how to start a blog in 15 minutes and use affiliate income links and other avenues in order to start making money from your blog.
Know that blogging isn’t an entirely passive income; it does take time and commitment. You’ll probably need to put in at least 20 hours a week at growing your blog if you’re going to make serious money.
3. Taking Surveys.ย Yep, companies really pay people to take surveys. However, there are legit and non-legit survey companies out there. Survey Junkie is one of our favorite legit survey companies. How does it work? You join the team (it’s free) and fill out your profile so they can match you to companies that fit in with your lifestyle. You take your surveys anytime, on any device. Survey Junkie rewards you points for completing surveys, and you can cash those points in for a Paypal payment or a gift card to your favorite store.
You can create custom logos for businesses. You can create designs for t-shirts or other products and sell them on sites such as Redbubble. Or you can design custom items for any number of online businesses. Advertise your skills on sites such as Fiverr.
4. Virtual Assistant Work. Companies and blog owners alike are always searching for virtual assistants to help them keep their businesses running smoothly. A virtual assistant might help a company with keeping up on social media, or with tasks such as site maintenance. You might do bookkeeping, editing or researching as a virtual assistant.
As a virtual assistant you can work for yourself or work for a virtual assistant company such as Belay Solutions or Upwork. If you work for yourself, you’ll need to do lots of promotion of your services via social media marketing or your own personal blog that advertises your services.
5. Resume’ Writer
If you have a gift for making people look stellar on paper, this could be a great side hustle for you. Some professional resume’ writers charge upwards of $5,000 for a professional resume’. As an entrepreneur, you could charge much less than that and gain more clients because of affordable prices.
6. Customer Service Rep
Many companies are hiring online customer service reps these days. If you have a working computer and Internet access, as well as a land line in your home, you can train online to work online as a customer service rep. Just google “online customer service rep jobs” and you’ll find several websites such as Indeed that will show you available jobs. P.S. U-Haul hires online customer service reps starting at age 16.
7. Medical or Other Transcriptionist
This site has a great article on how to become a medical transcriptionist and work from home at it. As the article mentions, most medical transcriptionist jobs require some type of certification in order to be eligible for the job. In general, this could be a good job for you if you are a fast and efficient typist, and if you have some knowledge of medical terms, etc.
However, there are also other types of transcriptionist jobs that are available outside the medical field, which the above referenced article also talks about.
8. Selling on Etsy or Ebay
There is no limit to the things you can sell online at Ebay or Etsy, or even Craigslist. You can start by clearing out your own home of unwanted stuff in good condition to sell on Craigslist or Ebay. If you are gifted at making something or designing something, you can sell those things on EBay or Etsy.
I know people who’ve sold a number of items on Etsy, including knitted items, flashdrives made out of woodworking designs, downloadable designs for printing, framing and hanging on your walls, etc. Take your talents and turn them into cash, right from your own home.
9. Working on Fiverr
Fiverr is a freelance services website that hooks freelancers of all types up with people needing services. Whatever skills you might have, whether writing poetry, writing articles, editing, artist skills, graphic design, etc. you can advertise them on Fiverr and offer people services at an affordable price.
10. Selling on Redbubble or CafePress
My daughter has been selling her designs on Redbubble for close to two years now. She simply uploads her designs, and people who like them buy them printed on t-shirts, coffee mugs, laptop covers and move. Then Redbubble sends her a commission off of any sales she makes. Your designs can be anything from pictures you draw to your favorite snarky sayings.
Work Your Own Biz Side Hustles
11, AirBNB or VRBO Renting
Got a spare room or house available? Try renting it out on AirBNB or VRBO. AirBNB is used primarily for those looking to find a couch or room to stay in for less than a month that costs cheaper than normal hotel rates would. VRBO is for those looking to rent a home or condo for a few days or more.
As a homeowner, you simply list the available home/room with the coordinating site and make the place comfortable and inviting for tenants.
12. Babysitting/Nannying
If you like children and enjoy taking care of them, starting your own babysitting or nanny business could be for you. Advertise by distributing flyers or by simply contacting people you know who have children. Kids around here get a minimum of $10 an hour for babysitting.
13. Tailoring or Alterations
If you know how to alter clothes or do tailoring work such as taking it or letting out suits, this could be a great side hustle for you. Advertise at local businesses or by distributing flyers in your neighborhood.
14. App Development
If you’re a techy person and can do things like developing mobile apps, you could be making some serious cash. Even if you charge a low price, like a buck or two, if you’ve got a good app you could get thousands of sales.
15. Lawn Mowing/Landscaping
You’ll need some equipment to do this business, unless you happen to find only clients who will let you use their stuff. If you like outdoorsy work and have a penchant for making a lawn look nice, this could be a lucrative side hustle. Advertising in local papers and by distributing clients or placing an ad on Craigslist will help you find clients.
16. Pet Sitting
People often need pet sitters when they are away at work or if they’re going on vacation. Talking with people you know who have pets or advertising in your neighborhood or circle of friends and acquaintances will help you find jobs in this arena.
17. Pet Walking
If you want a pet-focused job that doesn’t require as big of a time commitment as pet sitting, you could start a dog walking business. Most dog walkers walk several pets at a time, so it’s just a matter of picking them up, walking them around and bringing them back home again.
18. Yard Cleanup
If you’re not interested in doing full lawn mowing/maintenance, but still would like a job in lawn care, you could focus on yard cleanup. This might entail something as simple as raking leaves or as cumbersome as helping a person clean up a yard that’s become overtaken by junk.
Make sure to determine beforehand who will be responsible for disposing of the cleaned up leaves or other debris.
19. Teaching or Tutoring
If you like working with kids – or even adults in some cases – you could advertise yourself as a tutor. Math, English, Reading: whatever your expertise, there are almost certainly kids in your area who could use your help and parents willing to write out checks for quality services.
Advertise in places where kids and parents frequent, or on Craigslist.
20. Baking
If you have a knack for baking and baking decor’, this could be a good side hustle for you. Events such as weddings, birthday parties, graduation parties, etc., often need cakes, cupcakes, cookies or other baked goods to serve for guests. Note: before starting a baking side hustle, make sure you check state and local food handling laws and get the proper permits/licenses.
21. Bookeeping/Accounting
I did bookkeeping for a local electronics store when I was 18 and it was one of the best/most fun jobs I ever had. Just me and a 10-key and a little ledger book, punching numbers for hours at a time and finding out what the bottom line was for the business. Total bliss. ๐
22. Personal Consulting or Coaching
If you have a gift for teaching, guiding or encouraging people, why not start a personal consulting or coaching business? The areas of focus for a side hustle like this are endless. You could do life coaching, diet and nutrition coaching, career coaching and more. The key to success? Know what you’re doing and be really good at it.
23. Exercise Group Leader
If you like hiking, running, biking, snowshoeing or other group sports, why not start an exercise club? Club leaders charge a per-event fee for organizing events at various locations in their area. It’s like the traveling version of the local gym. Suggestion: have participants sign waivers releasing you from any responsibility for injuries.
24. Car Washing/Detailing
This is a side biz I could do. People often need/want their cars washed or detailed but they simple don’t have the time to do the work of going to the detailing center. Also, professional car wash/detailing centers can be super expensive.
With just a few inexpensive items and your client’s garden hose and water supply, you can have a lucrative business cleaning clients’ cars while they take care of what needs to be done at home.
25. Home or Office Cleaning and Organization
Do you like cleaning and organizing? Use your skills to make some cash by helping others get their homes into tip-top shape. You can find clients who schedule cleaning on a regular basis, say, weekly, or you can find clients who want help cleaning for a big event such as a graduation or holiday party.
Bonus: If you advertise right, you could also offer your services as a way to help people stage their homes before putting them on the market too.
26. Computer Setup or Repair
If you know computers, you could use your skills to help people by offering computer set up or repair services. Because of low overhead, you could charge much less than the big companies do and still make a decent hourly wage.
27. Artist Skills
Are you an artist? Offer your skills to people looking for portraits drawn or original art for display in their homes or businesses. You could draw or paint what you want and offer the works for sale, or take custom orders such as painting oil paintings of family portraits. You could also specialize in wall painting techniques or stenciling.
28. Woodworking
Custom made wood furniture and other items are hot sellers in many areas. Although this isn’t a cheap business to set up (you’ll need the proper tools and a large workspace), you could make a nice profit on your offerings.
29. Home Inspector
Especially in hot real estate markets like we have these days, a good home inspector is hard to find. If you are a person who is good at paying attention to detail, this might be a good side hustle for you. In most states there is licensing required, so you’ll need to take a few classes to get certified first.
But the money can be good, especially if you’re on your own. We paid our last home inspector $400 for four hours worth of work including drive time.
30. Graphic Design. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t necessarily have a degree to do graphic design work, especially if you’re doing it as a side hustle. A side hustler who is good at graphic design might design logos for businesses, design t-shirts to sell on RedBubble or CafePress, or create designs for website pages.
31. House Sitter. Many people are looking for reliable house sitters to live at their homes while they travel for work or pleasure. People may want a house sitter for security purposes so that their home doesn’t appear empty, or they may want a house sitter to take care of plants or pets. Whatever their purpose, it can make you some serious extra cash if you’re willing to live at their home for a period of time.
32. Web Site Designer/Developer. This side hustle requires some computer programming knowledge, but if you’ve got that you can help bloggers and businesses develop and design their websites. My friend Tanya over at Sasspurrella Designs does this and does it well.
33. Handyman Service. If you’ve got a knack for fixing things around the house, you could start a handyman business as a side hustle. The cool thing about this type of a business is that you can make it as specialized as you want, depending on what skills you have. Make sure to check with your state and local licensing authorities to see if there are any special permits or licensing you need to do handyman work first, though.
34. Self-Published Author. We did this with my daughter Madelyn’s three books she wrote when she was 11 and 13 (see bottom sidebar for links – they are awesome books for children – clean yet exciting), and with my book on prayer as well. My friend Ruth, who writes with me on Fruclassity, ย just self-published a children’s book too.
With self-publishing, you can spend as much or as little as you want to get your book on the Amazon store site. It can cost thousands to self-publish an actual paperback or hardcover book, but if you’re selling ebooks only you can get it done for little to nothing if you do the work yourself.
The key to success in side hustling by self publishing a book though is to be sure to put out a book that people will find useful, and market it as well.
35. Event Planner/Coordinator. Many people seek help with event planning. If this is something you’re good at, you could make a decent chunk of change by charging a fraction of what “professional” event planners charge. By creating an ala carte menu or a simple “to-do” list for clients, you can estimate a profitable hourly wage to bring in some serious extra cash but still create an affordable service for people too.
36. Photographer. If you’ve got a gift for taking great pictures and professional grade camera equipment you could make a great side hustle in photography. I have friends who paid a thousand dollars and more to have photographers take their kids’ senior pictures or take family pictures. You can charge half that for a few hours work and bring in some serious extra money.
37. Pool Cleaning Service. Chris over at Money Peach started a pool cleaning business and it helped him and his wife pay off $52k in debt in just seven months. This could be a good side hustle for you if you live in an area where there are lots of people who own pools.
38. Voiceover Work. Carrie Olsen, co-author with her husband of One Bed, One Bank Account: Better Conversations on Money and Marriageย started side hustling in voice over work to make some extra cash. She now has a serious career in voice over, and teaches others how to get started in it as well.
39. Music or Voice Teacher. When my kids were younger they all took music and voice lessons through the homeschool co-op we go to each week. The teachers made $20+ an hour for teaching kids piano, guitar, singing and more. BONUS:ย Home school co-ops hire for other teachers besides music teachers.
Science, art and geography are popular subjects, and depending on the legal set-up of the co-op and the state’s homeschooling laws, you don’t necessarily have to have a teaching degree to do this side hustle. In our state, co-op teachers are considered tutors so there is no degree required.
40. Second Language Teacher. Speaking of home school co-ops, Josh over at Money Buffalo teaches Spanish to homeschoolers and brings in a pretty good hourly wage. ย You could also teach English or other second languages in community education settings or in private lessons.
41. Car Advertising. There are legit car advertising companies out there that will pay you to put a sign or a wrap on your car to advertise for companies. Carvertise is one of the legit ones. There are also non-legit companies out there, so do thorough research before signing up to advertise with your car, and never pay to get started.
42. Vending Machine Ownership. Yep, people really do make money by placing vending machines in businesses and schools. Do your research first, but it is possible to make some serious side hustle cash by selling stuff out of vending machines.
43. YouTube Channel Owner. YouTube has tightened up the guidelines for making money by posting videos, but if you’re willing to follow them, you can earn CASH by posting helpful videos on YouTube.
Recommended Side Hustle Reading: Make Money, Live Wealthy: 75 Successful Entrepreneurs Share the 10 Simple Steps to True Wealth: Money, Investing, Lifestyle, Entrepreneurship, Self-Help, Millionaire
Work for Others Side Hustles
Not interested in starting your own business? Get a regular “job” as your side hustle. There are many part time jobs that you can just show up to, work, leave and get paid – no business management involved. Here are some ideas.
44. Brand Ambassador. A few friends of mine from church do this. A brand ambassador is where you hand out food samples in stores such as Costco or Sam’s Club. From what I understand, the pay is pretty decent. The only downside is that you’re usually expected to work weekends.
45. Retail Worker. Nearly every retail store and restaurant around is looking for good help these days. You could do cashier work, or if you’re not a people person, you could stock shelves and avoid most customer contact.
46. Pizza Delivery Person. Deacon from Well Kept Wallet did this for a few months when he and his wife were paying of $52k in debt in just 18 months. Bonus: You’ll often earn tips in addition to your hourly wage.
47. Uber or Lyft Driver. Lots of people are finding driving others around to be a profitable side hustle. The cool thing about companies like Uber is that you can pick the hours that you want to be available, making the side hustle fit perfectly around the rest of your life. Those with high MPG cars make the most profit, from what I’ve heard.
48. Human Billboard. You’ve seen the guys and gals who stand on corners waving signs about deals at pizza places or stores going out of business. This is a great side hustle that requires physical work but not mental work. I love watching the guys and gals that make it fun by dancing around giving a show to passerby.
49.Newspaper Delivery. My youngest brother did this as a kid and made some pretty serious cash and got tips to boot. Probably best for someone who lives in a highly populated neighborhood.
50. Sports Coach/Umpire. At least in our area, sports coaches and umpires make a decent wage; sometimes up near the $30 an hour range or more. Contact community ed programs or look in your local paper for jobs available in this area.
*Note: When you’re making money via side hustles, you should really consider setting aside at least 25% of your income for tax purposes. When you include your side hustle money on your taxes, your income will go up and you’ll have a higher tax bill due. Setting aside a portion of your side hustle money from the get go will help ensure you’ve got the cash available to pay for any due taxes come tax season.ย
For this reason it’s important too to keep track of any expenses associated with your side hustle work, so that you can reduce your taxable side hustle income and thus your tax burden.ย
There are SO many ways to make extra money via side hustles. Try one. Try them all. A side hustle biz can help you to do something different so you can start accomplishing the goals you want to accomplish.
What dreams do you have that you need money to accomplish? Do you want to get out of debt? Do you dream of traveling the world? Is reaching millionaire status your dream? Or do you simply never want to struggle for money again?
Whatever your dream, it’s going to take some work to get there. You have to decide how bad you really want your dream. What extra steps will you take to achieve it? How far will you cut expenses, and how hard are you willing to work to make extra money? The key to achieving your financial dreams is in your willingness to take MASSIVE action.
If you’re willing to take the time to determine what you truly want out of life, and then take the time to make a defined, concrete plan for achieving that dream, you can get there.
Of course, hard work has to follow that plan. You’ll have to continue to persevere when the going gets tough. You’ll have to change your mindset and retrain it so you are thinking like a winner.
If you’re willing to make a plan, and to commit to taking action on that plan, you CAN win. You can be like the many people who become debt free and achieve their other dreams every day. It may not be easy, but it is possible. You just have to commit to doing what it takes.
What a great list! Awesome that your kids are side hustling at such a young age. Self publishing a children’s book sounds like a cool idea. My wife used to be a preschool teacher and she said she had a couple of book ideas. Is there a post on Fruclassity or on this blog about self-publishing children’s books?
There’s not a specific blog about that, but have your wife email me or Ruth and we’ll hook you up with what we know. Maybe I’ll work to put together a post on this too!! I think she should for sure pursue her dream!
Agreed it’s impressive that your kids are so engaged at a young age. Truly amazing.
Thanks for sharing!
So many awesome ideas. This should be bookmarked by anyone looking to make some extra income!
How great that you made $35 an hour for your first side hustle?
I often see drivers doing the car advertising thing. If those legit companies are in your area that’s a no-brainer!
Yeah, I was amazed at the hourly rate! So much more lucrative than working at a big box store, you know? I’ve been trying to talk Rick into doing the car advertising thing. So much money for so little work! ๐
I’ve had a lot of great success with freelance writing (I use UpWork). The cool thing is that you can work in your off-time and still rake in $200 on a good month. It does help to enjoy your side hustles so that they’re more like hobbies than actual hustles.
Agreed!!! Liking it has to be key if you’re looking to stick with it for a long period of time. Sure beats sitting around browsing the Net or watching TV. ๐
This is a GREAT list! I think it is amazing that your daughter wrote books at such a young age. What an inspiration!
She’s a really gifted writer, but she’s put that talent aside for her comic artist career. SO proud of her, but I hope she takes up writing one day again. ๐
What a great list, Laurie! I’ve done a few of these myself. Most recently, Alan and I made a headboard for our niece for graduation – so we made an extra one to see if we could sell it. And we did! For $250 (we had about $50 in it).
That is amazing!! I will have to tell that to Rick: he’s always dreamed of a career in woodworking! Did you post about that?
Coming soon! June 29 is the post – with a link to the plans.
Great list thanks for sharing. Our blog’s designer is in the process of making sites for others and writing a mobile app. Thanks to him we were able to get our blog up a month after deciding to start it!
Extra income can be such a savior for debt! One thing to note for readers – independent contract work can result in a large tax, so it may be something to consider when deciding on the type of work and how much you get paid per hour :).
That’s a great point. I will revise the article to add that!
Thanks for mentioning my book, Laurie : ) Just a couple of hours ago, I told my middle daughter that I’d like to write a post about her. She just started a dog sitting business – without consulting her parents at all – a few days ago, and she’s already got $500 worth of business lined up. I’m so proud! Gutsy, smart move on her part.
That is so cool!!!! Very, very impressed with our entrepreneurial kids. ๐
Side Hustles are becoming a way of life now (for most people). These tips are fantastic. Blogging has become one of our favorites. Once mastered, it can become very lucrative.
Thanks, Belle! So glad you’ve found blogging to be lucrative. I know it’s saved us!
Terrific list and nicely explained. With regard to the human billboards, I think there’s a version of that but for your car. An friend of mine is driving his car (stamped on with giant decals) for ad money.
Yep! We mentioned that!! Some of the companies that do that pay people very well!
Thank you for the mention Laurie. That’s one piece of advice I tell to as many people as possible is to never let your skills disappear. Things your parents taught you as a child or teen have helped several of my extended family members earn a little extra income on the side.
I have done/do a few on this list. Speaking from personal experience, I won’t recommend having a newspaper route to my children. My brother and I had a route for a year and you never get a day off and it can be very hard to find a replacement to even go away on the weekend. But, it was a good way to earn a little extra money before school before we had a driver’s license and it taught us about being responsible and honoring commitments.
It is definitely hard work. My littlest brother had one and toughed it out for a good year too. It allowed him to buy himself a nice stereo set and some really great Christmas gifts for us that year. I know he had fun being so generous. Then he moved up to a job as a busboy at a small, local steakhouse. More family perks! ๐
Gosh, so many opportunities out there. If people only opened their eyes and stopped embracing the “woe-is-me” mindset, there would be a lot less financial distress in this country. Thanks for compiling this wonderful list, Laurie.
Yes!!! I think it was in Rich Dad, Poor Dad that I read “there’s no shortage of money: you just have to be willing to go out and earn it.” Wise words!
Hi Laurie,
great compilation!!- tx for the effort. A lot of side hustles didn’t come to my mind until i read about them and thought: yeah, that’s possible too….
It’s a little similar to saving. You have to dig deep, ask yourself what you really need, make no excuses and cut costs at all corners. Maxing out my savings was part one (although there is still some room left) and now it’s on to side hustles.
Kind regards,
DividendSolutions
I’m starting a little side hustle challenge and linked to your post because it has so many great ideas! Great post!
Thanks so much, Matt – I really appreciate it! I’ll share your post via social media.
Thank you!!