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Do you have extra time in your day, week, or month for some side hustle to make extra cash?
Side hustling doesn’t have to be complicated, and you can do many things.
Although there are hundreds of side hustle ideas out there, many of them aren’t as simple as we’d like. I mean, the idea of a side hustle is that it’s easy to start and offers flexibility. The problem most people have is coming up with side hustle ideas that don’t require any certifications (or very little), or education and are flexible with hours.
Having said that, we’ve created a list of side hustle ideas you can start today that could be perfect for you.
1. Deliver for DoorDash
Have you ever ordered from DoorDash? How about any of the other popular food delivery services like Postmate, Foodjets, Doordash, Grubhub, or Seamless? If the answer is yes, someone had to deliver your order. Working for one of these companies is fast, easy, and flexible. You can work whenever you like, have a good stream of orders, and cash your earnings quickly.
While every delivery company is different, there are 3 general requirements for new drivers:
- Have a valid driver’s license.
- Have a good driving record.
- Be 18 or older.
How much money can you make from delivering food on DoorDash?
Drivers for food delivery companies usually start off making around minimum wage (after the employer takes their cut). You can expect to make around $1000 to $2000 per month if you’re able to drive at least 30 hours per week. Any extras would include tipping. Unfortunately, drivers aren’t compensated for gas or maintenance.
The good thing about most of these companies is you can be paid quickly. Some companies offer same-day cashouts in case you need money right away.
2. Take online surveys
If you have extra time around the house, you could make some decent pocket change by taking online surveys on InboxDollars. The surveys are simple. Usually, they’re from companies who hire InboxDollars to collect data. The companies pay InboxDollars, and you get a cut of it. They’re easy to do and fairly fast to complete.
How much can you make taking online surveys?
You won’t make thousands of dollars but you can expect to earn around $50 to $500 per month if you do it consistently. Each survey usually pays out between $0.50 to $10.
3. Do random tasks online
Much like taking surveys, you can make money doing additional tasks for Swagbucks.
You’ll do tasks such as browsing the web, watching videos, testing video games, and installing apps. Again, simple stuff but important for the companies who need the data. Inbox Dollars also has surveys so if you run out of them on Swagbucks, you’ll find a lot more of them here.
How much can you make with Swagbucks?
You’ll make similar to what you can make on InboxDollars: Around $50 to $500 per month. The pay per task completed ranges from $0.50 all the way to $10 for bigger tasks.
4. Sell services on Fiverr
As you might expect from the name, Fiverr started out as a gig marketplace where everything cost $5. You could get anything from voiceovers, graphic design, web design, and any kind of service that can be sold digitally.
Today, the average selling price has increased to much over $5, allowing some of the more popular sellers to make 6 and 7 figures from the platform.
If you have a skill you can sell as a “service/gig” try listing it on Fiverr. Due to the volume of users on the platform, selling on Fiverr can become very profitable.
5. Drive for Lyft or Uber
Are you free before or after work on weekdays or all day weekends? If you want to earn some nice pocket cash and don’t mind driving, driving for Lyft or Uber could be your perfect side hustle. Since you’re putting other people’s lives in your hands, you will need prior documentation before you can be eligible to sign up. You’ll need a valid driver’s license, a background check, insurance, and, of course, a car.
How much money can you make driving Uber or Lyft?
How much you make depends on the time and distance of each ride according to your city’s rates. Generally, you can make more during peak times like after an event or during commute hours. Passengers also tip, which you get to keep 100% of.
On average, drivers will collect $24.77 per hour in passenger fares in the US. From that, Uber or Lyft will take about a third ($8.33) in commission fees. That leaves you with $16.44. Your vehicle will need gas and maintenance, especially when you’re driving a lot. Gas and maintenance alone will cost $4.87 per hour. And an extra $0.90 goes to social security and Medicare taxes because the driver is self-employed.
In the end, that leaves the driver with $10.67 per hour. If it were your full-time job, you’d likely struggle to pay your bills. Also, the earnings of $10.67 per hour don’t include tips. If you get a lot of rides, you can make more than that in tips alone.
6. Start a blog or affiliate site
A lot of people have never imagined blogs making money. They browse their favorite sites for years, then get shocked when they learn how much money it’s making behind the scenes. Some of the biggest blogs in the world are 8 and 9 figure businesses. But there are a lot more individual bloggers just making a great living from home.
Starting a blog is easy, fast, and cheap. If you enjoy writing, this side hustle is perfect for you. On the flipside, the earning potential is bigger than most side hustles in this list. You can start a blog for under $5 using Bluehost.
7. Sell stuff on Amazon
Selling things on Amazon is easily one of the most profitable side hustles these days. 61% of Amazon sellers increased their profit in 2019, and 92% plan to continue selling on Amazon in 2020.
While there are many different ways to sell on Amazon, using Amazon’s FBA (Fulfilled By Amazon) program is easiest. All you need to do is ship your products to Amazon’s warehouse, and they will take care of the rest for you.
Some sellers decide to ship products themselves, which has its own pros and cons. But if you’re selling in significant quantities, the FBA program is the way to go.
Although you’ll need to make a run to the post office often, selling on Amazon is a great side hustle because you can attend to it even when you’re at your day job. Just make sure your boss doesn’t see you!
How much money can you make on Amazon?
The amount you make on Amazon depends on different factors, like what you’re selling, the profit margin, fees, and how you sell.
Most sellers on Amazon (50.7%) have seen a monthly income of at least $1,000. But more dedicated sellers can make as much as $25,000 per month. The biggest sellers have reported earning over $1 million per month. It all depends on how much time you give, your strategy, and the demand for the product.
8. Sell stuff on eBay
Have you seen Girl Boss? It’s a series about a girl who quits her job to sell vintage clothing on eBay. She made it look easy. However, this was back in the day when the competition was minimal.
While eBay is no easy route to making a side hustle and will require you to think strategically to penetrate the saturated market, there are still some opportunities to make money here.
To stand out, here are some things you need to include in your eBay selling strategy:
- Have high-quality pictures of your products.
- Write seducing product descriptions.
- Figure out when is the right time to post your listing for your audience.
- Don’t use reserve prices.
- Find your niche and own it.
How much money can you make on eBay?
If you follow the tips above, you could make your first dollar on eBay quickly. As for how much you can make, there’s no solid answer. It all depends on the product price you’re selling and your fixed and variable costs.
An important thing to keep in mind is that eBay will take 9% of the selling price to a maximum of $50.
9. Become an online consultant
Do you have expertise or wisdom in a specific area? You can start charging people to have phone calls with you and ask you questions on Clarity.fm.
Clarity.fm is a huge platform of some of the smartest and most reputable people in all fields of business, career, and life. Normally, you would have had to book an appointment and then travel to meet them to get their consultation. Now, you can just get on a call with them instantly.
How much can you make on Clarity.fm?
You get paid by the minute on the platform, and you set the rate. How much you make depends on how many people book calls with you. Some people charge under a dollar, some people charge upwards of $10/minute.
Unless you’re really, really popular you won’t be overbooked. You’ll likely get a booking here and there.
10. Take customer interviews
There are a lot of companies out there that have large budgets to get user feedback on their products. You can sign up with a service like Respondent and User Interviews, which connects these companies with people who are willing to spend the time to try out the products and take an interview.
How much can you make doing interviews?
The best part about this side hustle is the high pay per gig. You can expect to earn anywhere between $50 to $150 per interview.
11. Become a social media manager
There are many companies want to be on social media but just don’t have the time and know-how to start themselves. By marketing yourself as a social media expert, you can land yourself a part-time job or work with them as a freelancer. If you’re someone who knows the ins and outs of all the major social network platforms already, this side hustle could be a natural fit for you.
The best part is, the work is fun! Who wouldn’t want to be on social media all day and be paid for it?
12. Create an online course
If you have expertise in a certain area, you can package it up into an online course and sell it online. Creating and selling online courses is easier than ever with platforms like Teachable or Udemy.
This side hustle is somewhat tied to blogging since selling online courses is one of the most profitable ways to monetize a blog. But you don’t always need a blog to make money selling courses.
How much can you make with an online course?
The range is super wide for this side hustle, and it all depends on the demand for a course, and how many people want to learn from you. Some of the most successful course creators have made over $10 million with their courses.
The average price of a course is around $100-$200. The more expensive ones can range anywhere between $500 and $3000. The best part is that because it’s digital, you only need to make it once and you can sell your course an infinite number of times.
13. Write and sell an ebook
Selling an ebook is almost identical to selling an online course. Writing digital books and self-publishing it is easy to do. It can be as simple as writing it out in a word document, saving it as a PDF, and then selling it through a platform like Gumroad.
Books are usually cheaper than online courses. An ebook’s average price will range between $9 to $49.
14. Rent out your car
This is a fairly new side hustle that didn’t exist before. You can now rent out your car for some extra cash using Turo. The neat thing about renting out your car is that if you can get around the fear of someone damaging your car, it’s essentially effortless to you. You’re making money from your car when it would normally just sit in your garage.
15. Sell your arts and crafts on Etsy
If you’re an artist who loves to make things, why not list them on one of the largest marketplaces in the world for that, Etsy?
You can sell anything from printables and posters to handmade socks and pieces of artwork. People are willing to pay high prices for one-of-a-kind items that aren’t mass-produced in factories, so you can potentially earn a very good income from selling on Etsy.
16. Do random gigs locally
One of the best ways to find local gigs is to check Craigslist’s Gigs section. People will list everything from help with moving, and paying for a ride somewhere, to even just help at upcoming events in your area.
While you won’t always find something that’s a good fit, gigs are posted almost daily depending on your city.
17. Earn money with credit card rewards
Although this may be a riskier way to make a side hustle, if you’re responsible, it can pay off. Every time you spend money on your credit card, you gain points, which translates to money. Use these points for cheaper travel, shopping, and anything you want.
If you often buy things like groceries, gas, supplies for your work, or drugstore items, you can apply for a cashback credit card, which allows you to make a return on your purchase (usually 5% for groceries) and cash out when the money builds up.
Plus, some credit cards give excellent sign-up bonuses.
How much money can you make with credit card rewards?
Let’s say you spend $500/month at Costco, $300/month on gas, and $200 per month on other purchases. If your cashback credit card gives you 5% cashback on everything, you’ll earn $50 at the end of the month. That’s an extra $600 per year.
18. Teach English online
Teaching English online is a job that many overlook mostly because it doesn’t seem easy to get started or do. However, you don’t need to be a complete expert in the language and teach students at the highest level. In fact, most of these jobs will be teaching English basics (hi, thank you, goodbye) to children in China or Thailand. So as long as you’re fluent in English, you can do it!
Most companies will require their teachers to hold a bachelor’s degree of any kind and be a native English speaker. You must also be eligible to work in the USA or Canada. And of course, have a good webcam, Skype, and a calm and patient attitude.
Now you might think this sounds more like a full-time job than a side-hustle. Well, since the pay is so good, it could easily become a full-time job allowing you to travel. I recently met a traveler who teaches 4 classes per day with VIPKid. She can live and travel around Mexico comfortably with approximately 4 hours of work per day.
But since you’re allowed to choose your schedule (more or less depending on the availability of classes), this can easily be the best side-hustle job you’ve ever had.
How much money can you make by teaching English online?
The most common company I’ve heard of is VIPKid. The salary for new teachers for a half-hour class is anywhere between $7-9 and $14-18 for an hour class.
As you become more experienced, you’ll earn more.
19. Rent out your home on Airbnb
Got a room that’s being used to collect stuff? Or a guest house that rarely receives any guests? Why not rent it out on Airbnb?
In recent years, Airbnb has had a surge in popularity. It’s almost as big as the hotel industry. According to Airbnb’s statistics, since Airbnb started in 2008, there have been more than 160 million bookings across 190 countries. Homeowners worldwide see Airbnb as a great opportunity to make some extra cash.
Some people even use Airbnb to pay their mortgage. Have you ever tried it?
The only requirements to becoming an Airbnb host are to have a comfortable space, be responsive, and be available (or pay someone to be available) to clean between guests and be there for any guest needs.
How much money can you make by hosting an Airbnb?
Well, the answer depends on a few factors. First of all, what kind of space do you have? — a bedroom, a cabin, or an entire house?
Secondly, location matters. Are you downtown within walking distance to all the tourist attractions? Or are you a 20-minute bus ride away?
Thirdly, are you paying anyone to clean your place between guests? Are you taking time out of your workday to do it yourself? The cleaning fee you charge guests will depend on how much money you’re spending (or time lost) to clean up after them.
After considering all these factors, you can charge anything you want for your Airbnb listing. You can even change the price depending on the time of year and the volume of demand.
However, remember to be fair because people don’t usually pay more than what it’s worth.
With Airbnb, you’ll keep all the money minus a 3% hosting fee that Airbnb will collect during payout.
So, if you charge $100/night and the guest stays 3 nights, Airbnb will take $9 (3%) from the $300 you made. Not bad!
Are you ready to start making dollars instead of spending dollars with Airbnb? Become a host here.
20. Become a Taskrabbit
Ever help your grandma around the house? If you become a TaskRabbit, you can do the same jobs, but get dollars instead of biscuits. And, it’s the perfect side hustle job because you can work when you want. All you need to do is open the app, wait until a job is available in your area, then complete it.
Becoming a TaskRabbit might be more profitable if you live in a city or somewhere with a high population, as jobs will be listed more often. Tasks include anything like mounting a TV, assembling IKEA furniture, helping with website maintenance, delivering packages, and, not limited to, running errands.
The platform also has some remote opportunities like an online assistant. Some people even find being a TaskRabbit so profitable and flexible that they end up quitting their full-time job.
It’s not hard to become one, either. The only requirement is you attend an info session in your area.
How much money can you make on TaskRabbit?
- Assembling a table/desk: $55-$144
- Mounting a TV: $60-$129
- Lift furniture upstairs: $46-$106
- Plant flower: $47-$141
- Office/home delivery: $26-$68
As you can see, the pay isn’t bad. If you can score 2-3 of these jobs per week, that could be an easy $300 per week and $1,200/month.
However, TaskRabbit needs to earn money to keep the business afloat. From the money you make, the platform will take 15%. That’s not a small amount, so always remember to factor it in when calculating your payout.
21. Sell your intelligence by tutoring
I know plenty of people who do this and walk home with a wad of cash. It can be done on the side, after work, after school, between commitments, in a neighbor’s house, online, in a library, with someone you know, or with a complete stranger.
It truly is a practical side hustle… As long as you know your stuff at least in one subject. You can advertise in your local Facebook group and earn cash, or you can consider joining a platform connecting tutors to students. For example, Wyzant is one of the largest online tutoring platforms allowing you to tutor in your pajamas.
How much money can you make from tutoring?
If you tutor in your community and pocket the cash, you keep 100%, and it’s tax-free! It’s suggested you start at a lower price, and as you get referrals and more experience, you can hike it up. Most self-employed tutors charge clients anywhere between $20-$40/hour and even up to $85/hour depending on subject and expertise. If you decide to go with Wyzant, you get to determine your fee. However, they’ll take a 25% cut! It’s not tax-free, either.
22. Proofread pieces of writing
Do you have an eye for typos and grammar mistakes? Being a proofreader isn’t hard, and you don’t need to have a master’s in English. Most proofreaders spend anywhere between 20 minutes and 2 hours on a piece of content and can set their rates.
You can advertise your services on websites like Upwork and bid for large and small jobs, depending on how much time you have. Upwork allows potential employers to see your satisfaction rate for previous jobs, and if all looks good, you can charge more as you gain experience.
How much money can you make from proofreading?
Depending on your skill level, you can charge anywhere between $10-$40/hour. However, you can also charge per content piece. It’s up to you.
23. Write as a freelance writer
Freelance writing has the potential to be a side hustle, as well as a full-time job if you can get enough clients. So many new and older blogs are out there looking for writers all the time. However, not just anyone can be a freelance writer. It does take some talent in writing — You must have good English, grammar, and flow. But with some practice, those skills can be developed.
Before you apply to jobs, you should have a portfolio set up to show employers. Many people use their blogs, and some use other pieces of writing. As you get more jobs under your belt, you can add those to a portfolio and get better jobs and more jobs.
How much money can you make freelance writing?
Brand new freelance writers usually work for anywhere between $0.03-$0.06 per word. A standard article of 1,500 words costs between $45 and $90 per article. However, some employers will charge a flat rate ($25 per article as an example). Try to avoid jobs like these as you’ll put in a lot of work for basically no return.
Once you get more recognized and build a portfolio, you can start to charge $0.10 per word and upwards. Experienced freelance writers with a strong portfolio charge around $0.20 per word. That would earn you $375 for a 1,500-word article.
If you can pump out articles quickly, you can make a solid side-hustle.
Note: writers in the subjects of digital marketing and finance can charge more than lifestyle and travel because it generally requires more knowledge and research.
24. Babysit in your community
Babysitting is a side hustle we’ve all considered before, if not done. It’s a great way to make pocket money while spending time with kids. It’s also relatively easy, as long as the kids behave and you can make a basic snack.
Although you may have better luck advertising yourself in your community of friends and family, some apps exist to connect parents and sitters. It’s hard to believe some parents would trust a stranger with their children, especially when these apps don’t screen the sitters to the bone.
How much money can you make babysitting?
It depends. You can charge what you want, and you may charge less for friends and family. However, I wouldn’t suggest working for lower than minimum wage in your region. Especially if you’re working from an app that’s going to charge you fees and deduct taxes.
Let’s say the minimum wage is $14/hour. If you babysit for 4 hours every weekend, you’ll make $224/month.
25. Offer coaching/teaching
Are you good at tennis, baseball, volleyball, swimming, or any other sport? If so, you could offer your coaching skills to amateur athletes. Many public areas like parks have basketball and tennis courts where you can take your students for free!
If you have the right certifications for teaching swimming lessons and your home has a pool, you can also teach swimming lessons. I have some personal experience with this as I taught two swimmers in my building’s pool over the summer last year. I charged $30/hour each and had 2 one hour lessons per week with each of them. That’s $120 per week in cash!
How much money can you make coaching/teaching?
Since you’re on your terms, the amount you charge is 100% up to you. Most coaches/instructors charge between $25-$40/hour.
26. Flip websites
This side hustle is a piece of cake for the website designers out there. You buy cheap sites that are in pressing need of TLC and make them more profitable, then sell them for double or more. If you know what you’re doing, you could flip an entire website in a matter of weeks.
How much money can you make flipping websites?
The amount you can sell your flipped website for depends on how the conversions have changed. Monthly multiples are currently around 30x, so if you buy a site earning $1k/m and you double traffic AND double conversions, you can make $90k on the sale.
27. Create in-person workshops
This is one of the best weekend side hustles that can grow into a large business if it’s successful. If you have experience and expertise in a certain area, create in-person workshops in your neighborhood instead of teaching online. For instance, you can teach anything from cooking and painting to business and finance. If you charge $50/weekend class and fill it up with 10 students each time, it can add up to a lofty $500/week.
How to find a great side hustle idea
There are so many different side hustles you can start. Each one can make money. So which do you start?
Step 1: Decide what your goals are with the side hustle.
Are you just looking for a few extra dollars each month or are you looking to eventually build it into a business? Are you able to spend over 3 hours per week into it? Are you looking for minimal amounts of work, or do you not mind putting in the hustle?
Step 2: Decide what you love doing.
Do you love teaching? Do you love making art? Do you love driving? Ask yourself what you’re passionate about and the work preference each side hustle option brings you. For instance, if you’re an introvert and don’t like social interaction, then side hustles that require interacting with people probably won’t be the best option for you.
Step 3: Start one or more
The worst thing you can do is just research and contemplate. You won’t know what’s best for you, and more importantly what will work for you, until you try them out. Depending on how much time you have to devote to your side hustle, just start the one that attracts you most. If you have extra time, start two or three.
Step 4: Time
Consider how much time you can (or want) to devote to your side hustle. The goal is to find a side hustle that can be done on the side, not during your regular work hours. Be realistic about how long the side hustle will take and when you can work on it; before or after your regular job.
Step 5: Talent
It’s crucial to consider your skills when searching for the right side hustle. Not only that, but it should also be something you enjoy doing. Choosing a side hustle you like won’t feel like work, with the added benefit of getting paid for what you love to do.
Side Hustles to Avoid
Side hustles can be a great way to earn extra cash; however, there are some that require you to invest a large amount of time or money (or both). So, what kinds of side hustles should you avoid? Here’s our short list of the side hustles it’s best to avoid:
Side Hustles that Require Licensing or Certification
Side hustles, such as real estate sales, certified accounting, and others can make you a lot of money. However, it’s necessary to have the required education and licensing/certification for these side hustles. Heading to school can cost a pretty penny. These side hustles may also require you to make initial investments in tools, annual licensing fees, professional membership fees, and more.
These side hustles take a lot of time before you see the benefits of increased income. They also can’t guarantee you’ll make that extra money they promise.
Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) Schemes
MLM side hustles are pretty popular, with multi-level marketing companies working to convince you making money is easy with their programs or schemes. In reality, there are people who do quite well with these schemes. However, it’s necessary to thoroughly research an MLM opportunity before you take on this side hustle.
Here are some questions to help you determine if the scheme is worth it or not:
What are the required costs?
How much is needed to invest in products and materials?
What is the company’s sales and profit model?
Coaching Programs
Coaching programs are another popular side hustle that promises large profits. But these programs are usually run by marketers who know how to get you to pay to access their system. Some coaching programs are worth the investment, but most won’t pay out the huge profit they promise.
Be sure to research any coaching program before getting involved.
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Conclusion
Now that you’re full of side hustle ideas get out there and start one! They’re all relatively easy to get into and require little to no experience at all. Imagine receiving your usual paycheck, and the money from your side hustle.
You have the opportunity to make over $1,000 extra per month. With that money, you could cover the costs of your rent, car insurance, and groceries and put what you have left in savings or even better invest it in something that grows your money. Cryptocurrency markets, stocks and bonds are all investment vehicles that will grow your money over time, although these come with risk so make sure to do your due diligence and talk with a financial advisor if necessary.
And many side hustles have the potential to grow into a full-time business, allowing you to quit your job.
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