Everyone can benefit from making more money.
Whether you’re paying off student loans, building your emergency savings fund, or saving for a down payment on a house, increasing your income can help you reach your goal faster.
More people are becoming savvy to this fact every year. In a recent DollarSprout survey, 57% of respondents stated that they have a side hustle.
About 73% of respondents reported earning $200 or less with their side hustle per month. However, almost one in six people earn at least $500 each month in addition to their primary source of income.
Imagine what an extra $500 per month could do for you. You could reach your goals months or even years sooner. But with so many side hustle options out there, how do you know where to begin?
This list includes some of the best side hustles out there today. Each one is broken down into the level of difficulty, income potential, a description of how the side hustle works, the requirements, and how to get started.
Be sure to choose a side hustle that fits your goals and lifestyle. For example, if your goal is to make an extra $500 each month, then you shouldn’t choose something like taking surveys online. But if you just want to earn a free gift card here and there with little time and effort, then taking surveys may be a good option.
The Best Side Hustles for Profitability
These side hustles have low overhead costs and the most money-making potential.
1. Blogging
Difficulty Level: High
Income Potential: $300-$10,000+ per month
A blog is an online journal or website that includes your thoughts or expertise on a particular subject such as food, fashion, or travel.
To make money from a blog, you update it regularly with interesting and useful content so people will visit your blog, allowing you to build your traffic and grow your readership. Once you’ve built a steady stream of traffic, you can monetize it via affiliate marketing, advertising, or selling products such as eBooks and online courses.
You can start a blog in as little as a few minutes. Do some research and decide how you want to make money with your blog before you begin publishing content. Another option is to take a course or online training from someone who has experience starting and growing a successful blog, like Alex and Lauren from Create and Go.
Alex, a former personal trainer, and Lauren, previously an accountant, started their blog in hopes of leaving their 9-to-5 lives behind. They quit their jobs, moved into Alex’s parents’ basement, and started a health and fitness blog called Avocadu. After only six months, they had earned about $17,000 blogging. Since then, Alex and Lauren have grown their blog significantly and now make over $100,000 per month through their blog.
Now they teach others how to make money with a blog through their online courses. Their Blog Monetization Bundle includes their two best-selling courses on how to build a blog and monetize your blog.
In 2016, Kelan and Brittany Kline started a personal finance blog called The Savvy Couple. Their site focuses on how to save, make, and manage money. Within three years, they took it from $0 to over $20,000 per month.
Their blog allowed them to pay off their remaining $25,000 in student loan debt in five months, quit their full-time jobs, and grow their net worth to over $100,000 by age 28.
2. Run Facebook Ads for Small Businesses
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $1,000-$2,000+ per month
Facebook has a highly targeted advertising platform. Businesses can use it to get their ads in front of an audience that meets certain age, interest, or behavior criteria. By learning how to utilize the Facebook ad system and creating persuasive promotions, you can set up and manage profitable campaigns to help business owners capture leads and grow their business.
If you already have a Facebook account, you can go to Facebook Ads Manager and get to know the platform through free five-minute lessons. Another option is to get certified in Facebook advertising via the Facebook Blueprint Certification.
If you’d like advice from those who have been successful in this niche, check out the Facebook Side Hustle Course. It was created by Bobby Hoyt, a former band director, and Mike Yanda, a previous lawyer, who both quit their jobs to run Facebook ads for local businesses.
The Facebook Side Hustle Course contains nine modules to teach you how to create click-worthy ads, set up campaigns, troubleshoot common issues, and land your first clients.
Stacy Caprio, the founder of Accelerated Growth Marketing, started a side hustle running Facebook ads for businesses.
She gained experience through her multiple 9-to-5 jobs that centered around paid ads including Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Pinterest Ads. Stacy started her own Facebook ad business and now charges $500 per month per client.
3. Freelance Writing
Difficulty Level: High
Income Potential: $500-$10,000+ per month
In a freelance writing side hustle, print or online publications pay you to produce quality content for their websites. This content may be in the form of blog posts, landing pages, white papers, or case studies.
As a freelance writer, you may be paid per word or per article. This is a lower-cost alternative to the company than hiring full-time staff writers. Businesses may also hire you on a freelance basis to provide copywriting services for their ads, brochures, email campaigns, and other marketing collateral.
If you’re brand new to freelance writing, reach out to publications you’d like to write for and ask if they’re looking for writers. You may have to write for free or for low rates at first so that you can build your portfolio and get some published articles under your belt. Once you have a portfolio, however, you can slowly increase your rates and start earning more money.
There are tons of free and paid resources on how to make money as a freelance writer. Successful writer Holly Johnson offers a free workshop called How to Build a Six-Figure Writing Career.
Holly is a mom of two who left her full-time job in the funeral industry earning less than $40,000 per year to become a freelance writer. She now works from home, earns over $20,000 per month, and travels four months out of the year.
Ben Luthi enrolled in Holly Johnson’s Earn More Writing Course in April 2017 after leaving his full-time writing job that prevented him from freelancing on the side for a more flexible position.
In July 2018, after gaining several clients and working 70-hour weeks, Ben quit his job and started freelance writing full time. He now earns about $25,000 per month and enjoys the freedom of having control over his time and income.
4. Virtual Assistant
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $500-$10,000+ per month
As a virtual assistant, you get to choose the services you offer. For example, you can provide customer service and administrative support by scheduling appointments, managing databases, or planning travel arrangements.
You can also offer more creative services like planning events or managing social media. Your efforts save business owners time so they can focus on other tasks.
Ashley Wall is a mom of two young children who was looking for a flexible way to earn money from home. She began her virtual assisting journey in 2013 when her friend asked her to manage the social media accounts for his business.
In March 2018, she discovered Kayla Sloan’s $10K VA Course and now makes $1,000 per month from virtual assisting.
5. Proofreading
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $500-$1,000+ per month
Proofreading involves carefully examining text to look for and correct grammar, spelling, and style mistakes.
Bloggers, authors, and even court reporters hire proofreaders to ensure their articles and other written documents are ready for publication or distribution. You can proofread for all types of clients or choose a niche like education, law, or finance.
After Lisa Henson of Capital Editing Services lost her job, she found a new one that paid less and searched for ways to supplement her income.
In 2016, she connected with an author who hired her to proofread her book. The author raved about her work, and Lisa decided to turn proofreading into her side hustle. While she is working on earning a consistent proofreading income, she recently completed a project that allowed her to earn $750 in one month.
The Best Side Hustles You Can Do From Home
If you like the idea of earning extra money in your pajamas on your couch, rest assured that there are a number of side hustles you can do from the comfort of your own home.
6. Social Media Management
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $2,000-$10,000+ per month
Businesses of all sizes use social media to promote their products and services, position themselves as industry leaders, and create brand awareness.
With a social media management side hustle, you can earn great money by managing the accounts of various businesses. You’ll create engaging content, post it, and interact with fans or followers on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms.
To get started with a social media management side hustle, make a list of potential businesses you want to promote your services to. It’s a good idea to focus on a niche or two like legal or medical so that you can position yourself as an expert in that space. Once you land a few clients, you can expand to other niches. Play around with each social media platform that you plan to use to make sure that you know its posting requirements.
If you’d like to brush up on your social media management skills or learn the ins and outs of it, consider the Udemy Social Media Management Bootcamp.
Jennifer Johnson was never the type of person who wanted to work one job, so she decided to start a social media side hustle.
Her favorite client is a pet sitting company that pays her to spend hours editing dog pics, writing captions, and scheduling posts. She has three clients on retainer, which together bring in $2,000 to $2,500 per month.
7. Writing eBooks
Difficulty Level: High
Income Potential: $500-$2,000+ per month
eBooks are books that can be delivered or downloaded electronically or online. Anyone can write an eBook about virtually any topic and sell it to earn money.
You can create a website with a shopping cart or PayPal link and manage the entire process yourself. Alternatively, you can work with a third-party site like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing and pay them a commission every time you make a sale.
Heidi Picou is a student of Michelle Jackson’s Make Money with eBooks course. She took the course after her kids started school and she finally had the time to devote to her dream of writing and providing her family with another source of income.
While Heidi hasn’t published her eBook, “Vows Kept” yet, she plans to launch it this upcoming holiday season. She loves the idea of earning money by entertaining or educating through her stories.
8. Renting Your Home on Airbnb
Airbnb is an online marketplace that connects property owners with travelers in their area. If you like the idea of renting out a room in your home or your entire home to make some extra cash, becoming an Airbnb host may be a great option.
It’s particularly convenient if you have a room or area of your home like a basement with a private entry that you rarely use. It may also make sense if you travel frequently for personal or professional reasons and would like to earn money while you’re away from home.
Before creating a listing on Airbnb, take a look at the space you’d like to rent out and decide if any improvements need to be made. For example, if the bedroom you hope to list on Airbnb has outdated decor and chipping paint, you may want to repaint it and furnish it with a few modern touches.
Then, sign up with Airbnb and create a listing that shows your rental space in a positive light.
Emir Dukic is the founder and CEO of Rabbu, an Airbnb management company. In 2015, Emir and his wife listed a guest house above their garage on Airbnb in an effort to earn some extra cash.
They earned around $2,000 per month from that initial listing and used it to cover their monthly mortgage payment. Once they realized how lucrative Airbnb was in the Charlotte market, they expanded their business and now manage properties for other Airbnb hosts.
9. Selling/Flipping Stuff
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $200-$3,000+ per month
A flipping side hustle involves finding great deals on clothing, accessories, electronics, furniture, and other goods so you can sell them to someone else and make a profit.
You may find these goods at outlet and discount stores, garage sales, consignment shops, and clearance sales, then sell them through platforms like eBay and Craigslist. If you’re not interested in flipping, you can simply sell the items you already have lying around your home.
If you’re new to this side hustle, it’s a good idea to start with items lying around your house that you no longer want or need. This way you can learn the various resale platforms and how the process works without having to make any large investments.
Before you list an item on a platform, do your research. Just because a dress is trendy or has a designer label doesn’t guarantee a good resale value.
Look at what types of items have sold and who your competition is to determine the ideal price. Once you’ve nailed down the price, take clear photographs of your item from various angles and write a detailed description of it. Then post your listing and wait for interested sellers.
You’ll also want to choose the right platform to list your items with. Some specialize in certain types of goods such as clothes, electronics, or antiques.
eBay/Craigslist
eBay and Craigslist have been around for decades and are great options if you prefer using well-known platforms with a broad user base. While eBay can give you the opportunity to sell to people who live just about anywhere, Craigslist is ideal if you prefer to sell items locally.
Decluttr
Decluttr makes it easy to sell your CDs, DVDs, games, books, and other used media items. They accept Lego toys and technology as well. Enter the information about your item and they’ll give you an instant price for what they’ll pay. If you agree to the price, you can send in your item using a prepaid shipping label.
Gazelle
Gazelle is designed for selling new or used cell phones and electronics. If you have an old iPhone, Android, or other electronic devices you’d like to sell, Gazelle can pay you for it via check, PayPal, or Amazon gift card. All you have to do is print out their prepaid shipping label and send it in.
About 12 years ago, Estrella Gallegos started selling items online after her husband lost his job. More recently, she started a side hustle selling used clothing and accessories on Mercari, Poshmark, and Amazon Marketplace.
While her income varies every month, she made close to $30,000 in 2019 alone.
10. Tutoring
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $1,000-$4,000+ per month
Tutors help students better understand a subject. You may tutor a high school or college student in chemistry or calculus or a second-grader in English. As long as you consider yourself patient and an expert in a specific subject, you can earn additional income by tutoring.
You may offer tutoring services to young children, teenagers, college students, or even adults. Depending on the age and location or your students, you can meet at their homes, coffee shops, local libraries, or virtually.
Figure out what subject you’d like to specialize in for your tutoring side hustle. If you’re a kindergarten teacher and an expert in math, you may want to become a math tutor for elementary-aged students. On the other hand, if you’re a law student who scored exceptionally well on the LSAT, you could provide LSAT tutoring services to college students.
After you determine a subject and target client, you’ll want to start marketing your services on social media, at local libraries, or to teachers and administrators at schools and colleges.
VIPKid
VIPKid is an education company based in China. The company hires American and Canadian tutors to help their students learn and practice speaking English.
Kristine Thorndyke, founder of Test Prep Nerds, started her tutoring side hustle as a way to use her relevant teaching experience to make additional income and help students who are struggling in the classroom.
She has been tutoring for over four years on the side of her full-time teaching job and typically earns $1,000 per month.
11. Data Entry
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $200-$1,000+ per month
If you choose to start a data entry side hustle, you’ll use computer and data processing programs to enter information into a database. You may also be required to transcribe data from phone conversations or recordings.
Clients in a variety of industries have the need for data entry professionals. If you’re detail-oriented, have strong keyboarding skills, and don’t mind lots of typing, data entry may be a good fit.
If you’d like to make money doing data entry, look for data entry jobs on reputable websites like FlexJobs or Microworkers.
Prefer to land a data entry job for an actual company rather than freelancing? Visit the websites of legitimate companies such as Kendall Creek Communications or DionData Solutions to see if they’re hiring. Apply to several positions. Don’t give up as it may take some time, especially if you’re new to this type of job.
Luka Arezina started taking on data entry jobs on Upwork as a college student. He continued to take on jobs after graduating to supplement his full-time income.
He worked around 15 hours a week and made $600 per month with his data entry side hustle.
12. Sell on Fiverr
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $100-$1,000+ per month
Fiverr is known as the largest freelance marketplace in the world. You can use Fiverr to sell a variety of services including article writing, editing, logo design, website support, voiceovers, and homework help.
As long as you find a service people are willing to pay for, you can make money on Fiverr.
Visit Fiverr’s website and create a profile by signing up with your Facebook account or email address. Once you’ve joined, you can create a “gig,” which is the service you’d like to sell.
You’ll get notified any time someone places an order. You can connect with your potential client to discuss the details of the project via the Fiverr platform. After you complete a project, you’ll get paid. Fiverr takes a 20% cut of your total earnings.
If you’re unsure of what service to sell on Fiverr, think about your strengths and talents. Browse the website to get an idea of how others are making money on it. The possibilities are endless when it comes to what you can sell on Fiverr, so be creative.
Fiverr also has a library of online courses on topics such as how to improve your freelancing skills, how to use Photoshop, and how to become a pro at Google Analytics.
In 2016, George Mouratidis signed up for Fiverr to build his writing portfolio and gain as much experience as possible.
He grew his Fiverr side hustle and eventually became a Fiverr pro seller, which has helped him stand out from others who sell similar services. George loves Fiverr and makes an average of $200 per month with his Fiverr gigs.
13. Start a Podcast
Difficulty Level: High
Income Potential: $200-$10,000+ per month
A podcast is a series of spoken audio episodes that usually focus on a specific theme or topic like true crime, fitness, or entrepreneurship. If you’re passionate about something and like to talk about it, a podcast side hustle can be a good option.
Once you’ve created at least 10 episodes and started to build an audience, you can monetize your podcast through sponsorships, product or service sales, affiliate marketing, and crowdfunding.
Travis Vengroff and his wife were in search of a creative hobby they could enjoy together. Since his wife loves writing and he’s passionate about production, they started to start a fiction podcast called The White Vault.
Their podcasting income varies from month to month, and they’re currently investing a significant portion of their earnings back into their productions in order to grow their platform.
14. Teach Others
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $2,000-$10,000+ per month
Is there something you excel at or have lots of experience doing? Whether it’s money management, cooking, woodworking, or budget travel, you may be able to earn some extra cash teaching others about it.
You can start by teaching family and friends for free to find out if you enjoy it. This is also a good way to find out if people will pay for your expertise. If you discover that you enjoy teaching or coaching and that there is potential to make money, you can begin offering your services in exchange for a fee.
The first step is to figure out what you’d like to teach. Start by thinking about your hobbies that could generate an income.
Do you have a hobby that others may want to learn about? If you play the guitar, for example, you can teach beginners how to play. If you’re an outstanding home cook, you can show others how to cook basic meals. Pretty much any area you excel in can translate into a teaching side hustle.
After you’ve nailed down what you want to teach, create a website and some social media accounts to start advertising yourself and your services. Once you’ve found a few clients, and if you do a good job, your clients are likely to refer you to their friends and family. Word-of-mouth advertising is one of the most effective ways to grow this type of side hustle.
Lauren Ranalli is a children’s book author as well as marketing and social media coach for aspiring indie authors. Since she self-published her first children’s book in 2018 and earned $10,000 within the first three months of its publication, she’s received hundreds of questions from aspiring indie authors on building an audience and earning money.
This prompted her to start a side hustle providing one-on-one coaching to authors around the U.S. Her income varies, but she regularly earns several thousands of dollars per month.
15. Podcast or Video Editing
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $400-$1,500+ per month
If you know how to use editing software, you can start a side hustle editing podcasts or videos. With your help, podcast and video producers will sound or look great and be ready to publish and share with their audience.
16. Dropshipping
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $500-$10,000+ per month
Dropshipping is when you sell things without buying any inventory. A customer pays retail price on an item from your online store. You then send their order to your supplier and pay them the wholesale price.
Your supplier will ship the order to your customer and you’ll get to keep the profit. You can use Etsy, Shopify, or eBay to start making extra income through dropshipping.
17. Graphic Design
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $200-$1,000+ per month
The purpose of graphic design is to create eye-catching graphics that can be used for brochures, posters, packaging, logos, and other marketing materials. If you earn a side income as a graphic designer, you can work with advertising or marketing agencies or directly with business owners.
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $500-$1,500+ per month
With the tools available today, it’s possible to get a new website up and running in a matter of hours. However, not everyone has the time or wants to learn how to build their own website.
You don’t need coding knowledge for this side hustle. If you’re familiar with WordPress, Squarespace, or other website building platforms, then you can make a side income building and maintaining websites.
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $800-$1,500+ per month
Bookkeeping is a tedious and time-consuming task that many business owners would rather outsource. If a business owner hires you to provide bookkeeping services, you’ll reconcile bank accounts, create income statements and balance sheets, and clean up general ledgers or transaction records.
You’ll likely be asked to perform your bookkeeping every month or quarter so that they always know how their business is doing financially.
20. Selling Online Courses
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $200-$5,000+ per month
If you consider yourself an expert at something, you can use your knowledge to make extra income by creating and selling an online course. Use a platform like Teachable or Udemy to host and sell your course.
Course topics are endless. If you know how to do anything well — create graphics, build a website, manage social media accounts, or knit a blanket — you can create a course around it.
21. Start a YouTube Channel
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $0-$5,000+ per month
You can make money on YouTube in a few ways. Display ads on your videos, promote affiliate products, partner with brands to sponsor your content, or ask for fan support. It can take time to build a YouTube channel, but if you have an interesting angle or topic, you can build a fan base and start monetizing your videos in a matter of months.
The Best Side Hustles for Passive Income
Does the idea of putting in upfront work so that later on you can earn money without any more significant effort excite you? If so, a passive side hustle may be a good option, even if it requires an investment.
22. Invest in Crowdfunded Real Estate
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $100-$2,000+ per month
Crowdfunding is a way for business owners to raise money by reaching out to a large pool of investors who each contribute a small amount. If you don’t have a large amount of cash to work with but would like to invest in real estate, crowdfunded real estate could be your best option.
You can invest a small amount of money, sometimes as little as a few hundred dollars. As your real estate investments increase in value or turn a profit, you’ll earn money.
James of FrugalStu.com didn’t want to wait for his employer to give him a raise, so he started a crowdfunded real estate side hustle. He’s invested in and owns a piece of a large apartment complex and the Panera Bread headquarters.
So far, James has invested $11,000 in crowdfunded real estate through platforms such as Fundrise, stREiTwise, and AHP Servicing. He’s made consistent 10% returns or about $91 per month and reinvests most of his earnings.
23. Rent Your Car
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $200-$2,000+ per month
Do you own a car but stay at home to watch your kids, use public transportation, or travel without it often? If the answer is yes, you can rent your car and make some money while you’re not using it.
There are plenty of people that need a car to rent for a few hours or longer and could use your car when it’s just sitting in your driveway or garage.
If you’d like to rent out your car, the first step is to make sure it’s in optimal condition. You may want to take it to a local mechanic who can check the brakes, wipers, lights, and other parts to confirm they’re all in good working condition to reduce the risk of problems while someone is renting it.
Consider listing your rentable car on websites such as Turo or Getaround. Any time a renter reserves your car through one of these websites, they’ll be backed by comprehensive, collision, and liability insurance coverage.
Before Tony Arevalo of Carsurance.net started working as a car insurance agent, he realized he didn’t need his car all the time. He figured he could make some extra money and help cover some of his debt and expenses by renting it out while it sat idle.
While he would typically earn a few hundred dollars per month, he has earned more, especially during the holidays when people would rent his car for a week or two and travel across the country.
24. Peer-to-Peer Lending
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: Depends on how much you invest and market performance
Peer-to-peer lending connects borrowers directly to individual lenders who fund their loans in small amounts. If you become a lender on a peer-to-peer lending platform, you can fund a portion of one loan or multiple loans individually. You’ll make money on the interest your borrowers pay.
Jake Sawyer used peer-to-peer lending to make an extra income for four years until it became a conflict of interest with his career.
During that time, he spent about 15 hours per week on his side hustle and made $10,000 to $14,000 per month.
25. Invest in the Stock Market
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: Depends on how much you invest and market performance
Investing your money in the stock market can give you a higher earning potential than just stashing it away in a savings account. You can invest your money in accounts like employer-sponsored 401(k) plans, a 529 plan for your child’s college education, or a brokerage account.
Keep in mind that when you invest in the stock market, there are no guarantees. This means that you may lose money if there’s a recession or stock market crash.
If being a landlord interests you, you can buy a property and rent it out to make some extra income. Let’s say you buy a house for $200,000 and rent it out for $2,000 per month. Depending on variables like interest rate and how much you put down on the home, you may owe only about $990 per month.
This leaves you with $1,010 after mortgage payments and before any other necessary expenses. If you’re handy and don’t mind dealing with tenants, this could be a wise investment.
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $200-$5,000+ per month
If you’re not interested in being responsible for repairs or interacting with tenants, you can hire a property management company for around 8% to 12% of the monthly rental value. Even with that extra cost, it can still net you a decent side income every month.
In 2015, Stephanie Doyle bought a house on the Jersey Shore shore as an investment.
To supplement her mortgage, she rents it out for a 10- to 12-week period every summer and a few weeks in the spring and fall. In the summer season, she typically earns $1,700 to $2,400 per week in rental income.
The Best Unique Side Hustle Ideas
Side hustles don’t have to be boring. There are a number of interesting opportunities that can give you the chance to have some fun while pocketing some extra cash.
27. Host an Airbnb Experience
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $500-$1,000+ per month
Airbnb Experiences are designed to give travelers an authentic local experience. If your area is a popular tourist destination, you could make a good side income by showing travelers a unique, off-the-beaten path experience only a local could give.
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $300-$1,000+ per month
Once you’re ordained, you can get paid to officiate weddings. While you can become ordained online, it’s a good idea to check with your state and local laws to make sure you’re following any regulations for performing weddings. Some states are stricter than others and require that you have a ministry or congregation rather than an online ordination.
If this side hustle interests you, do some research on the laws in your state. If your state allows you to get ordained online, there are a number of websites you can visit to go through the process, like Universal Life Church and the American Marriage Ministries.
On the other hand, if you live in a state that has stricter rules, such a Tennessee, you may have to get ordained in person and meet additional requirements.
Noah Riggs decided to start a side hustle as an ordained minister after performing his best friend’s wedding ceremony.
He admits that even though it can be nerve-wracking at times, it’s wonderful to be a part of something so special. Noah charges $300 per ceremony and typically does about two weddings per month.
29. Mystery Shopping
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $200-$1,000+ per month
Mystery shopping means getting paid by a company to pretend like you’re a regular customer at a store, restaurant, or another establishment. You provide feedback on things like how clean the store was or how well the employees interacted with you. You’ll likely be asked to make a purchase, which the company may reimburse you for.
Since there are a lot of mystery shopping scams, it’s important to find reputable mystery shopping companies. If a company requires that you pay an upfront fee in order to work for them, look elsewhere.
When you find a legitimate company you’d like to work for, fill out an application. Once they approve you, they’ll provide you with detailed directions on next steps.
Chantay has been mystery shopping for 10 years. She makes between $300 and $800 a month doing various mystery shopping gigs, usually about five to eight a week. They include retail stores, amusement parks, restaurants, and movie theaters.
30. Be a Movie Extra
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $100-$300+ per month
A movie extra is someone who performs in the background of a scene to help make it look and feel more realistic. While you probably won’t have any lines as a movie or TV extra, you’ll get the chance to gain some experience on a movie set, make valuable connections, watch experienced actors perform, and make some money.
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $500-$2,000+ per month
When people with furry family members go out of town, they often hire dog sitters. If you love dogs and don’t mind taking care of them, dog sitting may be the perfect side hustle. You can dog sit in your own home or their home and make great money doing something you enjoy.
If you’d like to dog sit, the first step is finding clients. You can promote your services on neighborhood Facebook groups or even websites like Craigslist or NextDoor.
Another option is Rover, a website that can connect you to dog owners in your area who are in need of dog sitters. With Rover, you can set your own schedule and select the age and size of the dogs you’d like to care for. You can also take advantage of Rover’s free pet care education resources.
Rover dog sitters normally charge between $20 and $40 per overnight stay and $20 to $30 per walk. Rover collects a 20% service fee and you receive the remainder via PayPal or a mailed check.
Melanie Lewis left her stressful job in 2015 to be a stay-at-home mom. She started dog sitting with Rover as a flexible way to supplement her freelance writing income.
Even during her slow times, Melanie earns $500 per month as a Rover dog sitter.
32. Pet Grooming
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $200-$500+ per month
Keeping pets clean can takes time, energy, and patience that many pet owners don’t have. That’s where a pet grooming side gig comes in. Pet owners can hire you to wash, trim, and brush their dogs and pets.
You’ll need to find a space such as a basement to offer your pet grooming services and invest in things like large tubs, soap for various skin types, and sprayers. You can also offer mobile pet grooming services where you groom pets in the homes of your customers.
33. Start a Home Bakery
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $200-$4,000+ per month
With a home bakery, you can bake your favorite treats and sell them to others. If you already have some baking expertise, this may be the ultimate side hustle. You can unleash your inner creativity and sell your goods locally or online.
First, check the Cottage Food Laws in your state to see what types of licenses or permits you need.
Then decide what types of baked goods you’d like to sell. Maybe you’d like to focus on cakes and cupcakes. Or maybe you prefer to bake breads and muffins or brownies and bars. Then, familiarize yourself with your state’s regulations for selling home-baked food items.
You may need to obtain a business license and a food license as well a permit to sell your baked goods. Next, invest in some baking equipment and ingredients so you can create your first batch of baked goods. Finally, find an event or farmers market where you can test how well they sell.
Courtney Holman was inspired to start a home bakery after seeing her friend’s beautifully decorated cookies.
She launched Cookies by Courtney in Los Angeles about three years ago and makes customized sugar cookies for birthdays, corporate events, weddings, baby showers, and holidays. Her pricing varies by design, and she is usually booked solid every week.
34. Sell Your Handmade Items
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $200-$5,000+ per month
Etsy is a website that connects shoppers to creators and artists who sell handmade or vintage items. From paper and party supplies to art and collectibles, you can find a variety of items on this platform.
If you’re crafty and can make something unique you think others would love, an Etsy shop could be the perfect way to earn some income with your skills.
Before you can sell on Etsy, you’ll need to create an account by entering your email, name, and a password or signing up through your Facebook or Google account. Once you’ve created your account, you’ll need to set your location and currency and describe the items you’d like to sell.
You’ll be asked to name your shop and add at least five photos of each item. When setting your prices, remember to account for charges such as listing fees, transaction fees, and payment processing fees.
Need some more guidance? Sign up for Turn Your Etsy Shop into a Sales Machine, created by Lisa Jacobs, who turned $100 of supplies into thousands of dollars on Etsy. This course will teach you how to avoid common Etsy mistakes, refine your storefront, and convert visitors into paying customers.
Tonya Davis was looking for a way to earn some extra money doing something she enjoyed, so she decided to launch her Etsy store, Chunky Cat Crafts, and sell handmade crochet items.
She loves it because she’s in complete control of her hours and income. Her earnings range from $280 to $450 per month.
35. Become a Photographer
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $1,000-$10,000+ per month
Photography can give you the opportunity to express your creative side while providing your clients with photographs they’ll cherish for years. You can specialize in a niche such as personal branding, family photos, pet photos, maternity, boudoir, weddings, or offer a range of services.
After Jennine Coosaia left her successful career in medical sales to focus on her children, she decided to start a side hustle in photography.
At the time of this writing, she’s on track to make $9,000 this month through her maternity, baby, child, and family photography services.
36. Paint Pet Portraits
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $1,000-$5,000+ per month
Pets are an important part of many people’s lives. That’s why they like to invest in keepsake items such as pet portraits that will allow them to remember their pets forever. If you’re a good painter and love animals, you can make some great money painting pet portraits.
When Martina Allen was in 3rd grade, she painted her first picture of a horse. Now that she is an adult, she has a side hustle painting pet portraits.
Her pet portrait income varies but she’s earned as much as $4,000 in one month.
37. Personal Training/Teach Fitness Classes
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $300-$2,000+ per month
Health and fitness is a top priority for many people. They’re willing to spend money on personal training and group fitness classes so they can lose weight, build muscle, and achieve optimal health.
If you’re passionate about fitness, you can teach classes like kickboxing and Zumba to a group of people at a gym or fitness center or even in your own home.
You can also offer personal training sessions, where you design safe and effective workouts for individuals and guide them in reaching their personal health and wellness goals.
When you find a few you like, you can fill out an application and meet with the owner or manager to explain what you can bring to the table. If you don’t want to offer your services through a gym or fitness center, you can always serve clients in your home gym or in community-based locations like recreation centers or churches.
Since 2009, Jenell Riesner, an ACE Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor has been making extra money teaching group fitness classes that range from strength to cardio.
Her income depends on the location and number of classes she teaches, and she earns anywhere from $300 to $1,900 per month.
38. Home Organizing
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $3,000-$5,000+ per month
Home organizers help people sort through their clutter and create clean, organized spaces they’re proud to call their own. With a home organizing side hustle, you’ll visit your client’s home and evaluate their organizational needs.
Then, you’ll come up with a system to get rid of unnecessary and unwanted items and store and organize the ones they keep. You may organize their entire home or just a room or two, depending on their situation and preferences.
Consider asking your friends and family if you can organize their homes for free so you can build your portfolio. Make sure to take some before and after photos so potential clients can see your work.
You may also want to get certified as a professional organizer by the National Association of Productivity and Organizing. This can help you become more credible so you have an easier time finding your first few clients.
You might also consider creating a website to showcase your work and your services and provide a way for potential clients to contact you. Promote it on social media and to your personal and professional network.
Kathy Boyd of Declutterfly Professional Organizing grew up in a home of hoarders. As an adult, she decided to ensure her home was clean and organized, and now she helps others do the same.
She makes anywhere from $500 to $2,000 per month with this side hustle.
39. Event Planning
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $2,000-$10,000+ per month
If you love to plan parties, an event planning side hustle may be the way to go. You can plan birthday parties, weddings, anniversary celebrations, corporate meetings, and other special events.
Determine whether you’d like to focus on one type of event or a number of different events. If you niche down and specialize in wedding planning or corporate events at first, you may find it easier to land your first few clients.
You should also put in the time to build relationships with venues, florists, caterers, and other vendors you can refer clients to in the future. Plan some simple events such as baby showers or first birthday parties for free so you gain some experience.
After you’ve planned a few events, figured out your niche, and formed strong vendor relationships, the next step is to set up a simple website and begin advertising your services.
JulieAnne Cross learned how to plan events while working her full-time non-profit job in the early 2000s.
In 2012, she picked up a freelance gig planning a fundraising event, Wilmington (DE) Burger Battle, with a partner and now leads it solo with a group of volunteers. She is also a freelance event planner for the AIDS Walk Delaware-Rehoboth.
40. Tour Guide
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $500-$1,000+ per month
If you’re a people person and don’t mind being on your feet, you can make extra income as a tour guide. Being a tour guide is a great way to show off your city and give visitors a unique experience and insight they might not receive from a traditional tour.
Best Side Hustles with Low Commitment
There are some side hustles you don’t have to commit to beforehand and can do when you don’t have much going on.
41. Micro Tasks
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $500-$3,000+ per month
Micro tasks are one-time gigs that are intended to be completed quickly.
With a micro task side hustle, you may find yourself doing a variety of things including packing, moving, assembling furniture, mounting a television or mirror, shopping for a party, or fixing a leaky toilet. They are often tasks that someone else can’t do on their own or doesn’t have time for.
Once you’ve put together your list, you can tell your friends and family about your services and ask them to refer you to people who may be able to use your help. You can also advertise on social media or register for one of these platforms.
Amazon Mechanical Turk
With Amazon Mechanical Turk, individuals and businesses can hire you to perform various tasks such as research, transcription, complete surveys, and verify objects in photos. After you accept and complete a task, you can transfer your earnings to your bank account or collect an Amazon gift card.
Gigwalk
Gigwalk is an app that can connect you to local gigs in your area. Most gigs on Gigwalk are posted by retailers and brands who want “Gigwalkers” to do things like make sure a product is available on a shelf or a marketing event is done properly.
Once you sign up to become a “Gigwalker,” you can see available gigs in your area on a map. After you complete a gig and your work is approved by the client, you’ll get paid via PayPal.
TaskRabbit
TaskRabbit connects “taskers,” who are independent contractors, to customers who need help with odd jobs. It focuses on everyday tasks like moving, assembling furniture, performing basic home repairs, or delivering items. You can become a “tasker” and complete the jobs that interest you whenever you’d like.
Becky Beach is a mom of two who goes holiday gift shopping for others. She explained that many people don’t have the time to drive from store to store, stand in long lines, and buy gifts for their loved ones.
They gladly pay her to do it for them. Last year, she made over $2,000 from this micro task side hustle.
42. Online Surveys
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $50-$200 per month
Brands and companies value the feedback of others as it helps them make informed decisions on current and future products and services. That’s why they’re willing to pay you for your thoughts by sending you surveys. While you won’t get rich off surveys, they can give you a bit of extra cash.
Do your research and find out what types of online survey sites are out there so you can find the right ones for you. Then sign up for a few, fill out your profile information, and start taking surveys.
Survey Junkie
You can complete most of the surveys on Survey Junkie in just a few minutes. Even if you’re not qualified to take a survey, you’ll get a few points for trying. Once you rack up enough points, you can redeem them for PayPal cash or gift cards at hundreds of retailers.
Swagbucks
While you can get paid for taking surveys on Swagbucks, you can also earn cash for online shopping, watching videos, and playing games. You can redeem Swagbucks points for gift cards or transfer your cash balance to your PayPal account.
InboxDollars
InboxDollars pays you for taking surveys and doing other simple things like watching videos and downloading apps. You get $5 just for signing up, and you can redeem your rewards for a check in the mail, Visa gift cards, or retail gift cards.
43. Deliver Food
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $200-$1,000+ per month
Grocery shopping or picking up food at a local restaurant can be time-consuming. People who are pressed for time can pay you to deliver food to them so they don’t have to do it. You’ll go to the grocery store or restaurant, pick up their orders, and deliver it to their home or office.
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $1,000-$4,000+ per month
Parents often need someone to watch their children while they’re at work, enjoying a date night, or running errands. If you enjoy working with kids, you can help these parents out and earn good money in the process by offering babysitting services at their home or yours.
Danielle Kittleberger, a mom of four, started babysitting to stay busy and productive.
She’s been babysitting since she was 11 and now watches three kids in her home making anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 per month. Danielle works four days a week for about 9 hours a day.
45. Clean Houses or Office Spaces
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $1,000-$10,000+ per month
Most people prefer coming home to a clean and organized house, but they don’t always have the time to keep up with regular chores. If you don’t mind the work, you can offer house cleaning services in your area. While some clients may ask you to clean their entire home, others may only want certain areas cleaned.
Just like residential homes, office spaces need to be cleaned on a regular basis to maintain a pleasant environment for employees, clients, and guests. Businesses can pay you to vacuum carpets, mop floors, dust desks, take out the trash and perform other office cleaning tasks that they don’t have the time or desire to complete.
Cleaning up construction sites for local construction, renovation, and custodial-service companies is another option.
You’ll most likely need your own cleaning supplies, including a vacuum, mop, paper towels, window cleaner, and all-purpose cleaner. Try to buy them before accepting your first cleaning gig so you can start immediately. House cleaning clients may also have supplies they prefer you to use, making your start-up costs minimal.
If you’re unsure where to begin, enroll in Starting Your Own Cleaning Business by Universal Class. You’ll learn about the various cleaning services you can offer as well as how to find the right cleaning supplies, price your services, and what you need to do to grow your business.
Dawna Boone started her Dallas-based home cleaning service, Valet Maids, as a side hustle.
She’s been doing it for over a year now and earns about $10,000 per month.
46. House Sit
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $200-$1,000+ per month
When you house sit for someone, you may collect mail, water plants, feed pets, forward phone messages, and do anything else that assures them that their house is being maintained and protected while they’re away.
Consider joining local or regional Facebook groups for busy professionals who often travel for work; these groups might have plenty of house sitting opportunities.
People who leave for a warmer destination during the winter may also benefit from house sitting services. Ask around, tell your friends and family about your services, and begin making connections with people in your area.
Care.com is another option for finding homeowners who need someone to watch their homes while they’re gone. Sign up for Care.com and create a profile that outlines your house sitting experience. You can also detail the types of additional tasks you’re willing to perform to make yourself more attractive to potential clients.
Kathryn Roberts house sits to support herself while she is building her business, Quest for $47.
She earns a few hundred dollars per month but makes more during the holidays, summer breaks, or other times when kids aren’t in school.
47. Personal Shopper
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $300-$1,000+ per month
A personal shopper is someone who helps others shop by giving advice and making suggestions. If you love to shop and are always giving others fashion tips, you can earn an extra income working as a personal shopper.
You can get hired directly by individual clients or through department stores and boutiques. Sometimes, you’ll help clients put together a polished look for special events, while other times you may assist them with a new seasonal wardrobe.
48. Freelance Hair Stylist or Makeup Artist
Difficulty Level: Medium
Income Potential: $350-$1,000+ per month
If you work as a freelance hair stylist or makeup artist, you’ll help your clients look their best before a special event like a wedding or photo shoot. You’ll likely visit their home, hotel, or another location, bring all of your makeup or hair items, and help them achieve a beautiful look.
If your friends and family members are often asking you to do their hair or makeup, this may be a great side gig for you.
Difficulty Level: Low
Income Potential: $300-$1,000+ per month
If you love the outdoors, you can earn side income doing outdoor tasks that homeowners may not want to do themselves.
Some examples of these outdoor tasks include mowing lawns, raking leaves, cleaning gutters, shoveling snow, doing basic home repairs, and maintaining pools. These are tasks that homeowners need on an ongoing basis, so if you do a good job, you’ll likely be asked to come back in the future.
Difficulty Level: High
Income Potential: $500-$1,000+ per month
When you work as a caterer, you prepare and provide food for various types of events. For example, a client may hire you to cater their barbecue corporate lunch. You’ll cook all the food and serve it at the event.
You may also provide drinks, glassware, decorations, and other items to make sure the meal aspect of their event runs smoothly. Make sure you check your state or city’s laws and regulations regarding serving or selling food from your home.
Before you try anything, take some time to think about your goals and your current financial situation. If your goal is to create passive income and you aren’t in a hurry to make money today, then peer-to-peer lending or investing in rental properties may be a good option.
If you need money now to pay the bills, then consider a side hustle like flipping furniture online. Or if your goal is to build an income that eventually replaces your full-time salary, then consider starting a blog or Facebook ads business.
There is no shortage of side hustle opportunities. If you start a side hustle and find that it’s not worth your time, don’t stress about it. You may have to try several side hustles until you discover the ideal one, or ones, for you.
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