Epic List of Side Hustle Ideas
If you are looking for an epic list of side hustle ideas or simple one good side hustle, I am here to help. Because I love to side hustle, one of the main reasons I started this blog was to share all my crazy experiences with side hustles so I could pay off my credit card debt.
I also regularly update this side hustle blog post so I can share new side hustle ideas with you all the time. This way there is something for everyone with all different size income goalsx!
Side hustles are great because there are so many different types of ways to make money, whether it’s online, in-person or both!
You might want to side hustle and earn an extra $50 a month. Or, maybe you want to make an extra $1,000 or more per month. Either way, you have come to the right place!
A Side Hustle Is Not The Same Thing As A Part-Time Job
What is a side hustle?
A side hustle is a way to earn extra income in your spare time to earn income.
I’m hoping this epic list of side hustles will help you pick one to start with or help you brainstorm ideas of your own!
There are so many different reasons to have a side hustle. Here are several reasons that I started doing different side hustles. Maybe you can relate to one of these reasons:
- Get out of debt
- Save for vacation
- Pay bills
- Save for college
- Extra spending money
- Pay off student loans
- Pay off your mortgage faster
- And more!
Epic List of Side Hustle Ideas to Make $1,000 or More Per Month
I’ve compiled an epic list of side hustles ideas for you to try. I have done the majority of side hustles on this list, so I can speak from first-hand experience that this side hustle list is legit.
I recommend starting with one good side hustle. This way you can focus on making money doing one thing, calculate how much time it takes and simply see if you enjoy it. Then once you have give the side hustle a fair try, you can try something new!
Start a blog
The number one side hustle I recommend from this crazy epic list of side hustle ideas is starting a blog.
I started this blog in January 2015. It took roughly four months of blogging in my spare time to make my first $40!
I went from making $40/month to over $4,000/month in the span of six months. That’s crazy!
Here is a tutorial that walks you through how to start a blog.
Blogging has totally changed my life. I was able to quit my day job and become a full time blogger in only ten months. My blog started as a side hustle and now it is part of my overall business model.
I even share my online income reports so other people can see how I got started and know that anything is possible.
Here’s a list of some of my blog income reports from the past four years as a full time blogger:
- June 2015 online income report $66.10
- July 2015 online income report $515
- September 2015 online income report $1530.94
- October 2015 online income report $3634.28
- December 2015 online income report $4238.99
- April 2016 online income report $5,920.53
- October 2016 online income report $7157.04
- December 2016 online income report $11,195.28
- March 2017 online income report $19,752.67
- September 2017 online income report $68,856.02
- January 2018 online income report $41,502.90
- April 2018 online income report $109,878.70
As you can see, I did not get rich overnight. But I stuck with it, and my income started growing very quickly. There is no way I could have ever made this kind of income at my day job!
My online income now comes from my blog, and includes things like affiliate marketing, ads on my website, my products and courses, freelancing and coaching.
{Resource: 10 Ways Your Blog and Business Can Benefit from Pinterest}
Create a service or virtual assistance business to help others
Think about turning your hobby or something you excel at into a service that helps others. This could be creating stock photos, writing newsletters, researching articles – there is a ton of things out there that people need help with.
If you cook, make meals for someone who is short on time. Provide cleaning services, run errands for someone or help someone get organized.
People are super busy and often times will pay for help if it makes their lives easier.
If you are interested in learning how to make money with Facebook, check out this Facebook side hustle.
If you want to design pins or graphics for clients, check out these monthly pins.
For myself personally, creating a service-business was one of the fastest ways to earn income on this epic list of side hustle ideas.
Start a homemade dog bakery
In my spare time, I love baking dog treats for my dogs. I was giving out samples to my co-workers and neighbors and before I knew it, people asked if they could buy my dog treats!
I set up a small business and continued to bake dog treats out of my kitchen. I created a website and sold my treats online, as well as sold my treats in-person at craft fairs and farmers markets.
You can learn how to start a dog bakery with this free training and make anywhere from $500-$2,000+ per month as a good side hustle!
Create a course
Because of my success with Pinterest, I created Become a Pinterest VA TODAY!. My monthly page views skyrocketed from 1,000 to 160,000 in under a year, and shortly went to over 200,000 monthly page views a little over a year.
So many people asked me how I did it. This lead me to creating a course to help other people start a side hustle, and you can see from this Pinterest VA review that it’s made a genuine difference in people’s lives!
If you have a skill or hobby that could help others, why not create a course and get paid for it?
You can start with a free course or charge for your course. Think of what type of skill set you have that can benefit other people.
Here’s a few ideas:
- Craft tutorials
- Woodworking
- Mechanic / car related
- Interior decorating
- Professional services like bookkeeping
- Cooking
- and more!
Sell Printables on Etsy
You don’t need any experience to design printables that you can sell with your very own Etsy shop.
Etsy Printables will help you learn how to make over 55+ ideas, such as checklists, gift tags, birthday invitations and bachelorette parties.
Learn more about how to make Etsy printables here and how Etsy works if you want your own business!
Start a Pet Sitting Business
This is a really great side hustle that can be pretty consistent. I used to dog walk for 20-30 minutes and charged $20 per walk.
Most of my clients needed me 3-4 times a week and this was regular income.
This was a great side hustle job at the time as I was working from home and could really commit to this.
Learn how I started my pet sitting business, how much to charge and more here.
Please make sure you love pets or it is not fair for everyone involved 🙂
Personally, this was one of my favorite side hustles I’ve ever done consistently compared to most items on this epic list of side hustle ideas.
Get Paid to Be On Facebook
If you are on Facebook and want to start a side hustle, these guys can help you get started.
Most Facebook Ad specialists make a minimum of $1,000 per client per month, and only work a handful of hours in their spare time!
Freelance in a similar field of work
Every couple years, I help similar companies in my field of work (outside of blogging) with updating their records, renewing certifications with the state and filing paperwork.
Each job ranged between 10-15 hours and paid around $300.
If you want to work online, you should consider becoming a virtual assistant.
You can work from home, at a coffee shop and even on vacation.
Rent out your space on AirBnB
Over the past couple of years, I have stayed at several Airbnb’s and saved a ton of money.
I’ve been able to rent an entire house, condo and apartment instead of a room at a hotel.
This has been a great to explore and live like a local, bring my dogs and simply have more space.
Have you ever thought about renting out your home for a weekend?
When it comes to this epic list of side hustles, this might be the only side hustle involving using your actual home as a way to make money!
Here’s more information on how to become an AirBnB host.
Tip – Staying in an AirBnb can be so much more fun than a traditional hotel.
You can learn more about how to use AirBnB here. Using the link, you will also get a coupon for $40 off your first stay anywhere!
Epic List of Side Hustle Ideas
These are all small side hustles I do in my spare time to earn cash back or make a small amount of money. I do not consider these high-income ways to earn money for myself, but they are still worth my time. All small earnings add up!
Ibotta
This cell phone app helps you make money off your grocery receipts.
Yup, for real!
You use it after you go grocery shopping and use your receipt. It’s basically a rebate app, so you can earn anywhere from 50 cents to $5 off everything you buy.
My favorite part about Ibotta is that it’s not always brand specific, like a lot of coupons are.
So you’ll be able to scan “any brand of bread” for 50 cents off, etc. If you do coupon – you can STILL use Ibotta and get a rebate.
For the diehard couponers out there, this will often result in getting an item for FREE. When you sign up for free, you will receive a $10 cash bonus when you make your first scan!
Take surveys
I have made thousands of dollars over the past few years from taking surveys online!
There are a handful of companies that I love to use and earn cash back into my PayPal account, as well as reward points that I can use at places like Target, Walmart and Macy’s.
Here is a list of the best survey companies to make money:
- Swagbucks
- Nielsen
- YouGov
- One Opinion
- Survey Junkie
- Pinecone
- My Points
- VIP Voice
- Opinion Outpost
- My Soap Box
Rakuten
Rakuten is my absolute favorite company to use when I’m shopping online. Hello, it’s free money!
Every time I shop online, I always start at Rakuten. They have a list of all the places you normally shop at and you just click on the store you want to visit online.
After you make a purchase, you earn a percentage of the sale! They literally give you cash back on every purchase you make.
The cash back ranges from 1% to 14%. The money is then deposited into your PayPal account.
I’ve made over $700 from shopping online and earning cash back. Join Rakuten here!
Sell on Ebay
If you aren’t sure how to even get started on how to sell and ship things on Ebay, this tutorial will walk you through everything you need to know.
This is a classic side hustle and still lucrative.
Jayleen from Sunshine and Rainy Days breaks down all the tools and methods she uses to sell on Ebay.
Sell electronics for parts
When my MacBook broke beyond repair, I placed an ad on Craigslist to see if anyone wanted a broken Mac. A bidding war broke out!
I kept the hard drive, and then scrapped the parts for around $350. Not bad!
If you have any old laptops, computers, phones, etc. wipe them clean and consider selling them for parts.
I had no idea this was such a lucrative business until the guy I sold my laptop told me how much parts go for online.
Write a book
This is such a great way to make money and can turn into passive income. Anyone can write a book and self publish it on Amazon.
As an example, I’m in a book written about 17 bloggers who make six figures per year. My friend and best selling author Sally wrote the book!
My friend Angela J. Ford is an amazing author (fantasy and sci-fi) and publishes her books on Amazon!
Potato chip taster
I have completed a few of these taste tests and wish I could complete more! I have paid to sit for an hour and taste various food products and provide my opinion.
Coffee study panel
I completed a 2 hour panel study on coffee and was paid $150.
This study panel was completed with about a dozen other people. We sat around a large table and answered questions from a moderator on all things related to coffee. This was a lot of fun!
Become a mystery shopper
Mystery shopping is becoming more and more popular as there are a ton of websites you can sign up with.
I have completed shops that include trips to the aquarium, sporting events, Walt Disney World, theme parks, fancy restaurants, casual restaurants and department stores.
It’s super easy and fun!
You can learn more about mystery shopping from these posts:
I recommend checking out these workbooks to help pick a side hustle.
Sniffer
Yes, I have been paid to sniff things and give my opinion. I have sniffed dryer sheets, soap and dish detergent.
Each of these sniff tests took about 30-45 minutes and I was compensated between $20 – $45 for my time.
Pour alcohol
If you like talking to people and are outgoing, this would be the perfect side hustle. You get to set up at different venues and pass out free samples.
My Debt Epiphany shares how she side hustled by passing out free booze.
Donate plasma
This is not for the faint of heart. I tried this a couple times and it was too much for me.
After the initial 4 hour exam of blood work, a physical and filling out paperwork, I was able to donate plasma twice a week, with each visit taking roughly an hour.
Unfortunately, I fainted after donating and that was the end of that side hustle! However, most people are fine and donate on a regular basis.
Compensation was $20 or $25 each visit and was loaded onto a pre-paid Visa card I could use anywhere.
Deliver drugs
Yup, did this. I worked at a private pharmacy, helped package it and then delivered it. It was pretty crazy and you can learn more about it here.
Look at your local college for paid studies
This study was done through a local college. I found the ad posted online through the university’s local newspaper/website.
I was with a team of 3 other people around a computer and the study was how well we worked as a team solving a problem in a video game.
Students receive grants to test theories/studies and use the grant money to pay for their research, which includes paying others for their time. I was paid $50 for 90 minutes of my time.
Get a part-time retail job
One year I wasn’t able to go home over the holidays so I sought out a part-time holiday job.
Because I worked a full time, Monday to Friday job, I opted for 1-2 evening shifts and 1 weekend day.
This amounted to 12-16 hours a week and between $140-$190 a week before taxes.
Another bonus was the company discount, which was a 35% discount for seasonal employees.
I even stayed on with the company after the holidays for a few months as I enjoyed working with my fellow employees and genuinely liked the company I worked for.
Sell your old textbooks
Do you really need to keep all your textbooks from college? Get rid of them on Amazon.
Selling your college textbooks back to your school is one of the worst ways to make money and very rarely pay well.
When I completed my 2nd college degree, I had a textbook that I purchased new for a little over $300. This was a new textbook and could not be purchased used anywhere- trust me, I looked!
When I went to see how much the school was offering to buy it back, I was offered ZERO dollars because the school wasn’t sure it would be using the textbook again.
So I sold the book online and it sold for roughly $250. Sell (or buy) your school textbook here.
If you are a college student, don’t forget that you also get Amazon Prime for a discount. 🙂
Get rid of your stuff
When I moved, I sold a ton of stuff on Craigslist and through Facebook groups.
Since my goal was to become more of a minimalist, I really wanted to downsize.
I sold everything from patio furniture to books to leftover pavers from a home improvement project.
My best tip for selling your stuff online would be to provide a full description with lots of pictures.
Sell on Etsy
I personally love Etsy. I used to have my own shop and made a nice part time income over the course of two years. You can sell pretty much anything on Etsy, whether it’s crafting, edibles or even things like tutorials!
I’ve purchased Christmas card templates, cat toys, beer kits, cheese kits and a ton of other stuff on Etsy. If you can imagine it, you can sell it on Etsy.
Create products on Zazzle
Zazzle lets you create and design all your own products, and then sell them on your website or Zazzle’s website! You earn a commission of each sale and set your own rates.
Nikki from MBASAHM wrote an amazing post about how these odd items make her big profits!
Sell your Halloween costumes
Sell Halloween costumes on eBay
This is most profitable in August, September and beginning of October. If you wear a costume once, keep the packaging. You can resell a gently used costume, often at a great price.
I have also sold dog costumes my dogs have worn. My dogs wore their costumes for a couple hours on Halloween, but that’s it!
I have the photos and memories and don’t need to keep every costume or outfit they wear. People will often pay almost full retail for dog costumes, and I have easily made back the money I initially spent!
Participate in a medical study
This is a great way to accomplish a couple things- improve your health and get compensated for it!
I participated in a particular study that compensated me $100 for each return visit and this study lasted several months.
When the study rolled over into a new but similar study, I continued to be compensated a similar amount. You can read about my adventure here.
There are a ton of medical studies out there, such as quitting smoking, asthma, ADHD, depression, etc.
Accept a short term position
I accepted a three month contract position on top of my regular, full time job.
While most of the options on this page of epic list of side hustle ideas, consider accepting a short term position.
Depending on the time commitment, this can be viewed as a side hustle.
Because the contract position was similar to my full time job title, I still had an opportunity to branch out to a slightly different line of work that I hadn’t done before.
This position turned into 6 months. Fortunately. there were numerous benefits to accepting the contract position.
While the pay rate was good, I was able to save money. I worked from home, learned a new niche in my field of work, made new contacts and was able to update my resume.
If you have time, why not see what else is available in your career niche?
Clean or organize someone’s house
This was a referral through a customer and I got paid hourly to organize and clean a master closet. This took an afternoon and I made about $100.
Help small businesses
This side hustles relates to my day job. A couple of businesses reached out to me to see if I could help with some organizational paperwork.
I helped these small businesses with renewing business licenses, reviewing CEU classes, resale certificates, etc. This was an easy job for me, I enjoyed it and completely worthwhile.
Use Your Side Hustle to Save Money!
Digit lets you save money each week from your checking account.
What I really like about Digit is that it analyzes my bank account and determines how much I can really save per week. Some weeks it might be $5 and other times it might be $20.
You don’t have to worry about overdraft and can contribute less or more if you need to.
As of now, I don’t know an easier way to save money! You can learn more about Digit here.
Related:
With my epic list of side hustle ideas, you should be able to find a side hustle that works for you!
Thanks! Right now Im searching for a some kind of ways to make money online so this is very helpfull for me cause im BROOOKE. But I would like to share thing that I found recently – Honeygain. So, it makes me around $30 per month just by leaving this app running on my devices background. Basically this is an app that lets you sell your unused internet traffic via it. Plus, you can always use extra $5 coupon secret5 to add some extra earnings
Happy to read this very useful information. Nice and detailed explanation.
Appreciate your sharing and tweeted 🙂
Hi Kristen,
I’ve always looked at your content but when I ask myself the questions it seems half hearted. I’m what my sisters call a stick in the mud because I over think everything and then talk myself out of it. My profile is a mother to grown men, grama/ma to 4 beautiful grandchildren and a jack of a lot of trades. Actually I’ve worked in office management, shipping, farming, construction and pipeline. I love all things photography, arts n crafts and business but don’t know how or what to do to start. Too many things at once I’m sure but my question would be; How does a person like me start?
Sorry if I’ve overloaded your box but for whatever reason you are always the one I read.
Thank you if not but reading my thoughts. Many blessings
Melissa
Hi Melissa, sounds like you might need to start a lifestyle blog so you can explore all things 🙂 Have you signed up for my free blogging course?
Wow, for you to have taken your time, research and come up with these awesome lists shows a great deal of the kind of person you are.
I want to also add that learning some skills to meet the ever-changing social structure is also very important if one is to generate some side hustle incomes.
Thanks for sharing these tips.
Thank you!
eBay has been my favorite side hustle for the last few years. Mainly flipping items from garages sales and the flea market down the street from where I live. Thrift stores are good to but lately have been more miss than finding anything worth the effort.
Blogging is another good side hustle idea for the long term, if you like online marketing or writing.
The only one I wonder about right now is Uber or Lyft driving. With the rates going down and gas going up etc. I just wonder when people might not do that anymore. Time will tell!
There are so many side hustles out there, it’s always fun to see what everyone likes doing!
I mean you said EPIC and you were 100% correct, What a list. I know someone that started their own dog walking business and is doing quite well now. For me, affiliate marketing which in turn leads to passive income is the greatest form of a side hustle. Great list though, good job.
Dog walking is a great side hustle for people who like pets!
OMG, I am cracking up…specifically at the pour alcohol one – that’s genius! Where in the world can we sign up for a gig like that:)
LOL right?!
Thanks for this list – it’s great! Can I ask how you made most of your money on the blog in the beginning? Was it mainly through affiliate links and traffic or were you freelance writing for other blogs as well? (Trying to figure out my next step and what to focus on for $$ generation!)
I have shared all my income reports for the past 4 years (I no longer do them!) and the different ways I made money from my blog, so I would start with the first one and work your way through them! 🙂
Ha I didn’t even click into them! Thanks! 🙂
You’re welcome!
Love your list for side hustles!!
YAY, glad you liked it!
Amazing list! It’s so great to know that there truly is a side hustle out there that works for anyone, regardless of what your full-time job is or even if you are putting together a wide array of side gigs.
Thanks!
I used to rent from someone who was too lazy to do his laundry and would pay me like 10 dollars per load of laundry to machine wash and dry and fold. He provided the soap. It was a great deal but eventually we moved.
Oh this is awesome, especially as you could do it from home and not spend gas money or time to get somewhere. Love this!!
Great read, always looking for extra ways to make cash around the office. I just wanted to share something I’ve been doing recently. I run an office and have noticed that unused toner was piling up in storage. Looked into returning but that was no good. Tried out the site Toner Connect and was impressed. They had quick service and that payout was nice.
Awesome, great idea to make extra cash!
I also did a post listing 75 side hustles and you always amaze me at your creativity! There are so many ideas on here never would have considered! Awesome post!
Woohoo, side hustles are the best!
Our youngest daughter is in college and college kids never have any money (or enough food!). She has multiple side hustles. One is a security job, but she also sells her blood/plasma. Her ribs were broken during the security job recently, so now she can’t give blood for a while. She maintains an almost 4.0 GPA, is in the honor’s college, and always on the dean’s list, yet can’t get enough financial aid. This girl is becoming a side hustle master just to be able to eat!
Could you please tell me how to find the food-related side hustles so that I can pass this information along to our daughter and her friends? Thank you!
I would look at mystery shopping – some of my faves are A Closer Look and iSecret Shop!
What a great list! I never knew there were so many side hustles out there that a person can do to earn extra income. Thank you, Kristin!
How did you become a potato chip tester and sniffer? I would love to try those.
Ha, I found a survey/focus group company in my area! This one was actually at the mall – they would walk around and randomly ask people if they wanted to participate in a quick study for cash and I was like YES!
Education is definitely a field worth considering!
You can totally create a livable income by combining substitute teaching and online tutoring (to college students or other time zones) during the school day, private tutoring in the afternoons, and either writing or producing content for educators in your down time.
Will you be on a list for the “World’s Richest…”, of course not. But you can be your own boss and help make the world a better place by sharing your knowledge and experience!
How do you get the jobs for tester, reviewer, panels and so forth?
I canvas Thrift stores for vinyl record which by the way is making a big comeback , my greatest score bought a vinyl for $1.00 made $250 it takes time and patience but its worth it I sell on Ebay and Discogs
I did this in high school and college! The market has gotten a lot more competitive and you have to work harder to find good stuff (the secret’s out – most people know to check online to see what their records are worth before unloading them), but turntable sales are up and the buyers are certainly out there!
I love this! I’ve always had side hustles (eBay when it first started), temp typist, tutor (I hated going to people’s home – so I only did that one a couple of years), substitute teacher, clean out garages and then sell the stuff at flea markets. Right now, my favorite side hustle is selling lesson plans online (very lucrative). I love side hustles – thanks for this great post!
For three years, while my son was napping I would enter sweepstakes and contests. I didn’t have consistent wins every single month, but I had some amazing prizes over that time, including a $10,000 win from Philips, $5000 from Sears and $500 from J.C. Penny and many more. Many prizes would arrive unannounced so opening a parcel was always a fun event in our household. Strangest prize was a box of pork rinds!
Oh wow! That’s so awesome! That sounds like a pretty goos side hustle 🙂
How in the world does one get into tasting alcohol? I need an in on that one!
Great side hustle ideas . . . I have been searching for some great ones, and here I saw ones I haven’t seen anywhere.
I have a blog, it’s getting decent traffic, but I have not figured out a way to make proper money from it yet
Will definitely re-look into the idea. Thanks for all these wonderful side hustle ideas
Love the list!!! And the best thing about side hustle is that you don’t have to commit to just one.. you can rotate and go back and forth from one to another so that way you never get bored doing the same thing over and over, day after day!!!! I use to work and donate at a plasma center. But because I take prednisone for my asthma I can no longer donate.. :(. 🙁
Love the list!!! And the best thing about side hustle is that you don’t have to commit to just one.. you can rotate and go back and forth from one to another so that way you never get bored doing the same thing over and over, day after day!!!! I use to work and donate at a plasma center. But because I take prednisone for my asthma I can no longer donate.. :(. 🙁
I guess I’ve done side hustles my whole life, just didn’t know thats what it’s called~!
-Taste tested different brands of bologna…I ate so much, i now won’t go near it!
-Gave plasma. I too passed out!
-Painted logos on air balloons.
-Alterations. Bride gowns in particular.
-Craft shows. I made money for my kids to have a great Christmas.
-selling on Craigslist. Never had a problem with creeps but was cautious non the less.
-Various focus groups. Companies ask your opinion and questions about certain products like cake mixes or a certain websites. Pays about $40 for an hour of your time. (Back in the 80s)
-Painted and sold landscapes on mirror tiles in a couple of malls while customers watched.
Wow, I’m sure I’ve done more and they will probably come to me throughout the day.
I currently sell on Etsy for 6 1/2 years now.
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Awesome! Side hustling is the best. The air balloon side hustle sounds really neat!!
Hey Kristin,
Really Great list of side hustle ideas.. Your points clearly exhibits the experiments and research done behind it.. I have shared it on My Facebook Page too. Check it out.. https://www.facebook.com/prognoadvisor/
I have gone through many Money saving Blogs but nothing made me fall in love like, i did with “Believe in a Budget”. And I started believing ‘Believe in a Budget’ too.. haha.. Go ahead with your great work.. Please keep me in your list Kristin..
Thanks so much Anna!!
Some solid information given here, I personally love beef jerky So I would mind trying that one, not a big fan on vodka though, however the list if fill of many side hustles, enough for everyone to find something they might like to earn a little cash on the side.
Ha, you would have loved the beef jerky side hustle then. It was seriously a mountain of beef jerky on my plate, it was ridiculous.
I love using my apps to save money. I call it my easiest job ever to make some $$$.
Right?!? It’s like, how is this not public knowledge? If only I had known about things a few years ago I could have saved even more!!
I was a gaming moderator for a popular kid’s video game for awhile. It was a real adventure. It’s amazing the words that come out of the mouths of babes and the images they post can be alarming. The most amusing is when they start fighting because one kid calls one racist because the other called her fat. What?
Oh that’s a GREAT side hustle! I cannot even imagine having your job hahaha!
Kristin, these hustles are great! I’ve done the plasma thing, and was relieved when I was making enough at my day job as a nail tech to stop. It served it’s purpose though! In the past I have also dog/house sat, eaten peach yogurt for money, and recently I’ve gotten into face painting at birthday parties and festivals. I also think I’m going to try my had at pinstriping on cars. If a person has just a touch of imagintion and access to youtube tutorials, there are so many ways of making extra money!
Cathy – we might be the same person! It sounds like we have done some really similar things 🙂 I’m not familiar with pinstriping on cars – let me know how this goes, I would love to hear more!
Loved reading this whole blog. I live in rural Canada and cannot see lots of these as options for me. Alas!!! Any other ideas anyone?
Thanks Corinna! Let me know if you do any of these 🙂 I LOVE reading about what other people do to side hustle and make money!
What a great list Kristin!! I have sold at Farmers Markets and Craft Fairs and we made so much money, it was a chocolate and fudge company that we had! Craigslist was also very profitable as well as textbooks. I’m definitely going to look more into the Freelancing, and creating a service! Thank you for the inspiration : )
Hey Kathy! Oh yay, I had a lot of fun selling at Farmers Markets and Craft Fairs – but they are a lot of work. I bet you crushed at it!
I really like this list of side hustles. The side hustle I hated was selling plasma. But it was money and really me out when I needed it most.
Right?! Plasma is legit if you can handle it!
Great list! Several years ago, my husband and I helped clean a cruise ship after there had been an illness outbreak on the last cruise.
Oh WOW! That is definitely a unique side hustle, love it!
Great list, enjoyed reading it! How did you get the jobs with eating involved? I would love to try that!
Wonderfully inspiring ideas…….thanks for your thorough list!
Emily
Thanks Emily! Do you side hustle?
I’ve been trying the rebate apps lately, but I have to say some of them are too creepy and invasive. Like Shopkick wants to track you via GPS, notify you when you’re near a certain store and make you go in and pick up/scan an item. AND they want to turn the microphone on so they can here you? Weird. I’ve ditched other apps that want your personal address (hello marketing material dump!) I’m all for handing over limited info in exchange for cash, but watch out what you give. I’m pretty happy with Ibotta and Ebates, privacy-wise….
Hi Sarah, hmmm….I don’t seem to have the same issues you are having with Shopkick. Have you updated your settings/preferences? I think like FB and most other platforms, cell phone apps are similar – many want your info in exchange to use their services these days!
Great list! I drink wine and get paid for it! That’s my favorite side hustle. It’s direct sales but who doesn’t like to drink wine?!? I have also been an actor in corporate team building events. It’s not consistent but lots of fun and the money has been good.
Oh this is great! Who doesn’t want to drink wine, ha!
Kristin I must say you did a fantastic job !!! Great List .. I will try Ebates on the next purchase.
Thanks Andy!
I am making 300 to 500 a month driving for lyft, I also sell things on Amazon but I keep looking for new things to do. Thanks for the list.
Oh nice job!
Wow! This is a long list. Great job.
~ Christie
Thanks Christie 🙂
This is an awesome list Kirstin! I actually love beef jerky so I would have enjoyed that side hustle, haha. This list reminds me that there are quite a few things I still want to try to earn extra money.
Ha! It was literally the most beef jerky I have ever seen in my life and tons of different flavors. I was dying!
Wonderful list, Kristin! Truly epic! My favorite side hustle to mention is poker. People have trouble imagining playing poker as a side hustle, but I did it in college and I absolutely made money over time. I’m slowly getting back into it but there are so many other things demanding my time that I don’t get to play as much as I’d like.
Thanks so much for mentioning my book!
Great idea! I had a friend that did this full time and it was awesome to watch him in tournaments. It’s really amazing how much money you can make from different tourneys and contests.
Hey Kristin,
Love the vodka story! I’ve never heard of tasting alcohol for money–I like that! 😀 In any case, one of my most lucrative side hustles, while I worked full-time as a pharmacy tech, was a phone sex operator. It was THE BEST money I ever made (until I went into freelance writing), and it was fun. The only reason I quit? My husband (then boyfriend) wouldn’t marry me if I didn’t stop talking to all these ‘men’. So, I had to leave it behind. But yes, I did do that for some good cash. 🙂
OMG, I know a couple people who have done this and they have the BEST stories to tell!
How did you get into that?? I’d love more information!
Thanks for writing this list! You give a lot of great ideas with realistic information. My preferred side hustle is freelance writing because you can manage your own time and do it from anywhere. The down side is the volatility of clients.
Thanks for sharing Aliyyah! What kind of freelance writing do you do?
I write articles about personal finance and personal development as well as write professional web copy and step-by-step tutorials (www.richandhappyblog.com/hire-me/).
Awesome!
Whew! I’m tired just reading that list! I like the idea of freelancing in a similar field – it’s something that many people never even know is an option. Donating plasma? Not so much. Kudos to you on trying that one, I thought it was only a myth 🙂
Haha! It wasn’t for me, but it is a real way to make money!
I am able to donate and it brings in at least $300 a month. I’ve been able to pay for a vacation and get rid of debt from it. Its a win win- I get compensation and my plasma makes life saving medications.
I donated plasma and was paid $50 for first 3 times. After that you can come twice a week. You make $25 for your first visit and $35 for your second. You can only donate at one center and they set your donation days. I had to drive to a bigger city 30 miles away. So for me after first visits at $50 each it was not worth it. Plasma is what your body uses to heal itself so it is not advisable for those with a weakened immune system.
I think most plasma places pay around that, but I know the place I went to did bonuses and giveaways to drive traffic. Definitely not for everyone!
I’m glad someone finally mentioned plasma donation in one of these extra income articles. I get $65 a week (more if there are bonuses) for twice a week donations. That’s over $3300 a year in non taxable income. I painted my house last year with the money from plasma. Sure it takes some time and you have to make sure you eat and are hydrated (probably why you fainted) but it averages out to about $16 an hour to lay on a bed and watch TV. Not a bad gig. BTW I’ve been donating for 18 years now and am still hale and hearty.
Seana!! I LOVE that you are killing it at side hustling with plasma. It’s an amazing thing to do as it helps so many other people, and you can earn money as well. Super super impressed!
I’ve donated plasma before too. And sperm, lol. (Not my proudest moment!) But hey, money is money!
Other tip – When I was between jobs, I used to tag photos for some app that helps blind people. I’ll have to get the name of it when I get home. Seemed like a scam but they actually paid. It was only $8.50/hour but it was easy. It became a bit popular and there was a waiting list to log on.
As for other tips, all I can say is “a penny saved is a penny earned”. If you are running out of ideas to make money online, start saving. Some quick “low hanging fruit” tips to save some quick cash include – switch to MetroPCS or Boost for cellphone (I only pay $20/month), switch auto insurance to Insurance Panda ($25/month), and start using GasBuddy (saves me like $100/month at least. I drive a lot).
Great tips, thanks for sharing! All the small things add up to saving or making money!
I gave plasma once and I too passed out from it~! Made $25 though!
Hahaha, at least I’m not the only one!!